#and wants to settle down in a nice place with a greenhouse at the end of time

[damienshaas]

#they really did that

[cl0udy3]

𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒

ellie williams x dina's sister!reader (pt2) basically just angst ; MAYBE some fluff literally dina is a homewrecker except there was no home to wreck; reader and ellie drift apart; reader uses jesse as rebound of sorts, he knows and is also doing the same; idk what else wc: 10016 a/n: i saw someone asked for a happy ending but i refuse.......... something about this feels mid but whatever i think its done! also not thoroughly proofread i just skimmed it!! ✩ pt1 | pt3

The last of the party fades with the golden-pink haze of evening.

Empty plates and glasses are stacked near the sink. Candles burn low, flickering soft light across faces you love. Tommy’s already wandered home with Maria, and Jesse promised to help clean but vanished an hour ago after someone convinced him to “check the stereo” and never returned. You don’t mind. The house is still full of life—laughter echoing down the hallway, your sister snacking on leftovers with a plate in one hand and a beer in the other.

You catch Ellie’s eye from across the room, and for a moment, it’s like it always is. Just the two of you in a crowded space.

She lifts her chin, subtle, like she’s saying c’mon, and you follow without a word.

Outside, the air’s crisp. Cool enough to make you rub your hands together as you step onto the porch, settling into the familiar creak of the wooden bench. Ellie’s already leaning against the railing, cigarette half-smoked between her fingers, gaze tilted up toward the stars.

You let out a breath, slow and tired in the best kind of way.

“Think that counts as a successful birthday?”

You grin without looking at Ellie. “No one cried. Nothing caught on fire. Pretty solid, honestly.”

She laughs lightly, nudging your boot with hers. “High bar, huh?”

“It’s Jackson. You never know.”

The silence that follows is easy. Comfortable. Familiar.

You watch the sky with her. The stars, scattered like dust. Somewhere down the street, a guitar strums a lazy melody. Laughter trails off into the dark. You lean your head back against the wall and close your eyes for a second.

“This was nice,” you say softly.

Ellie nods. “Yeah. You deserved it.”

You open your eyes again, glance at her. She’s watching you now. The kind of look that feels like it could unravel you if you let it.

You don’t say the thing you want to. The thank you for taking care of me. The I want this to be just us, forever.

You’re about to look away when the door creaks open behind you.

Dina steps out, a little out of breath, a new jacket slung around her shoulders.

“Damn,” she says, flopping into the empty seat beside you. “It’s cold.”

You straighten slightly. “Thought you went to grab dessert.”

“Got distracted. Joel was telling me about the time you tried to ride his horse drunk.”

Ellie snorts. “That story again?”

“It’s a good one,” Dina says, grinning between you both.

She’s warm. And charming. And she hasn’t been around in so long, it feels wrong to feel anything other than grateful she’s back.

You smile, even if it feels a little thin.

Conversation drifts between the three of you. You and Ellie trade looks, but now Dina’s part of it too—her laughter like bells, easy and light. At one point, Ellie says something that makes her laugh so hard she leans against her arm, brushing her shoulder.

Ellie doesn’t move.

You notice.

You tell yourself not to.

Later, when the stars are a little brighter and your limbs feel heavy with the slow ache of healing, you glance at Ellie again.

She’s still smiling. But it’s not at you.

***

The greenhouse was one of your favorite places in Jackson—quiet, warm, full of life. You and Ellie had come for supplies, hands full of bags and tools. Dina had tagged along too, claiming she needed to stretch her legs. You were getting used to her being around again, especially after she’d been gone so long.

The place smelled like earth and growth, the kind of scent that settled your nerves. Light streamed through the glass panes above like a soft promise, giving everything a warm, greenish glow. It was nice, really. A quiet morning. The three of you working together.

You smiled when you caught sight of Dina pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with plants, her usual easy grin tugging one from you too.

“Didn’t think you’d be the greenhouse type,” you said, trying to keep things light.

“Eh, I’m not,” Dina replied with a shrug. “But I need something to do while you two talk about god-knows-what.”

Ellie snorted beside you, shoving a crate into place. “You’re just mad because we keep talking about shit you don’t get.”

Dina raised an eyebrow. “Uh, excuse me? I get more than you think. You can talk about whatever you want, as long as I get to avoid it.” She winked dramatically, and you laughed at the back and forth.

You and Ellie had spent so many moments like this—quiet, unspoken connection tucked into the gaps of easy conversation. You hadn’t realized how much you missed the steady presence of your sister until now. It wasn’t like you were jealous, exactly. It just felt like things were shifting. That the rhythm of your friendship with Ellie—something that once felt private, sacred—was now shared.

But it didn’t feel bad.

No, it felt... natural. Like a reunion of sorts. A reconnection.

You felt at peace as you worked alongside them, carrying tools, gathering plants. The tension you hadn’t realized you’d been holding these past few weeks slowly unwound. Dina kept the energy light, joking often, her voice a small breeze in a heavy world.

“Hey, you two need help with those?” she asked, coming over just as you were shifting a stack of crates.

You nodded, but before you could speak, Ellie grinned. “Yeah—just don’t break anything.”

Her voice had that same playful edge you’d heard a hundred times before.

It was easy. Familiar.

You were used to this—the three of you working together, laughing, passing the time. The change hadn’t settled in yet. Not in a way that felt threatening.

Still, you caught yourself watching Ellie.

The way she handed Dina a tool without needing to be asked. How she stood a little closer when they worked side by side. It wasn’t anything new. It wasn’t anything worth reading into.

You shook it off.

It wasn’t the first time Ellie and Dina had spent time together. And there was no reason it should feel strange now.

Later that evening, after the greenhouse, everyone ended up at your place for a movie night. You’d invited Dina—it had been a while since you two had just hung out, and now that she was finally home, you wanted to include her. It made sense.

You and Ellie had done nights like this before. Curled up on the couch, watching old tapes, laughing at the worst ones. Close, but not too close. Comfortable. Safe.

But tonight felt different.

Maybe it was the new dynamic. Maybe it was the way Dina laughed a little louder, the way Ellie looked at her when she did. Maybe it was just you.

You stepped outside to grab snacks from the porch freezer, Dina beside you, laughing at something you barely heard. Her voice was warm. Familiar. Yours.

And then the door swung open before either of you could knock.

Ellie stood in the doorway, grinning. “I could hear y’all from a mile away.”

Her eyes sparkled in a way that made something in your chest twist.

Dina laughed too, brushing your shoulder. Ellie rolled her eyes playfully and leaned against the frame, like this was all normal.

You watched them—how Ellie’s posture softened around her. How Dina’s eyes lingered just a little longer than they used to.

The realization nearly came, but you pushed it down.

Inside, Ellie dropped onto the couch and patted the cushion next to her—the one you’d normally take. But Dina slid into the spot before you could move.

You paused. Just for a second.

Then you crossed the room and sat in the chair instead. Told yourself it didn’t mean anything. That you were imagining things.

It was just a movie night.

Just a movie night.

They laughed a lot. Ellie leaned a little too close. Their shoulders touched and neither of them moved.

But that didn’t mean anything.

You told yourself you were tired. Still healing. Emotions running high.

You watched the movie in pieces. Your eyes flicking more toward them than the screen. Told yourself you were just zoning out.

Dina left halfway through the second movie, stretching and saying something about crashing early.

Ellie offered to walk her out, but Dina waved her off. “It’s five houses. I’ll live.”

You stood beside Ellie at the door while Dina zipped up her jacket. She gave you both a hug, then disappeared into the dark.

The door closed. Quiet settled over the house again—the kind of quiet you used to love.

Ellie flopped back onto the couch and patted the now-empty cushion beside her.

“You staying?”

You hesitated. “Yeah. If that’s cool.”

“‘Course it is,” she said, like nothing had changed.

You curled up beside her, blanket shared between you. Familiar. Safe.

But even then, the distance lingered.

She clicked through a few channels, settled on something neither of you cared about. Somewhere along the way, she dozed off—arm slung over her eyes, breathing soft.

You lay there, still.

Awake.

The flicker of the screen danced across her face. You watched the way her lashes rested against her cheek. The way her mouth relaxed in sleep.

And you wondered—quietly, selfishly—if she was dreaming about you.

Or if she was dreaming about Dina.

You told yourself it was probably nothing.

You saw Ellie the next morning, boots kicked up on the back porch of the Tipsy Bison, an arm crossed behind her head, a cigarette tucked between her fingers like always.

She looked up when you walked by, squinting against the light, and gave you that lazy grin. The one that always curled at the corner slower than the rest of her mouth, like she was still deciding whether or not to smile at all.

“Hey,” she called.

You crossed the gravel path toward her, your hands stuffed into your jacket pockets. “Didn’t think you’d be up this early.”

She shrugged, flicking ash over the side of the porch. “Didn’t sleep much.”

You didn’t ask. She’d tell you if it mattered.

“Mind if I sit?”

“Duh,” she said, nudging a crate with her boot so you could settle beside her. The cold seeped through the wood, made your thighs stiff, but you didn’t move. It was one of those mornings where everything was a little too quiet—fog clinging to the fence posts, the town still half-asleep.

Ellie offered you the cigarette, and you took it without thinking, even though you hated the taste. She knew. She didn’t say anything about it.

“Think they’ll make us do another run today?” you asked.

“Hope not.” She pulled her hoodie tighter around her neck. “I wanna just sit around and draw stupid shit all day.”

You smiled. “That’s the dream.”

The silence stretched comfortably for a few minutes—two people used to sharing space without needing to fill it.

Then Dina’s voice cut through the calm. “They said you might be back here.”

You glanced over your shoulder to see her coming up the steps, hair braided loose, cheeks pink from the cold. Ellie straightened a little, flicking the cigarette off the edge of the porch.

“You missed out yesterday,” she said. “Joel tried to fix the generator and nearly lit himself up.”

Dina grinned as she dropped onto the other side of Ellie. “You always get the good stories.”

Ellie laughed, a short, surprised thing. “That’s ‘cause I’m the one who causes them.”

You smiled too, but it felt… smaller this time. You shifted in your seat, listening to their voices mix together like something new. And you told yourself it was good—really, it was good. Dina was back. Things were settling again.

You just weren’t sure where you fit now.

A few days later, you and Ellie were assigned a short patrol through the north woods.

It was cold, brittle morning light filtering through bare branches, frost crunching underfoot. You both moved with quiet familiarity, weapons slung over your backs, conversation light but steady.

You liked these mornings best—where nothing had to be explained.

When you reached a clearing, Ellie paused. The frost-glazed field stretched out before you, dotted with the stubborn remains of wildflowers clinging to life.

She crouched, brushing her fingers over one. “Look at this one. Still trying.”

You tilted your head. “Resilient little bastard.”

Ellie laughed softly and plucked it with care. “Reminds me of you.”

You blinked. “Because it’s almost dead?”

She tossed a glance at you. “Because it’s annoying.”

“Ah. Very flattering.”

She handed you the flower anyway. The stem was thin, fragile between your fingers. Still warm from her hand.

You tucked it into your coat pocket without thinking.

“Don’t lose it,” she murmured.

Later, while repacking supplies near the gate, you caught a glimpse of Ellie pulling another flower from her bag. Not the same as yours, but close. She wrapped the stem gently in a scrap of cloth.

She didn’t say anything about it, and neither did you.

Maybe it was just for her sketchbook. Maybe it was for someone else.

You didn’t ask. It was probably nothing.

You found Dina one afternoon in the stables, her sleeves rolled up, straw in her hair, brushing down a restless mare.

You leaned on the half-door of the stall. “Didn’t think I’d find you in here.”

Dina looked up, flashing a tired grin. “Swapped shifts. I missed the horses.”

You wrinkled your nose. “They smell.”

“Yeah, but they don’t talk back.”

You stepped inside anyway, hands in your pockets, the warm, earthy smell filling your lungs. The horse snorted and shuffled a few steps.

Dina patted its side. “You ever think about taking one out for a few days? Just riding and not coming back for a while?”

“Sometimes,” you admitted. “Wouldn’t get far, though. Someone’d probably come dragging me back.”

Dina chuckled. “Ellie would. She’s got good aim.”

You paused. “Guess she would.”

You helped her sweep the stable floor, falling into that easy rhythm of sistership. It felt nice. Familiar.

Then Dina asked, almost too casually, “You and Ellie do movie nights, right?”

You glanced up. “Yeah. Sometimes. Why?”

She shrugged. “Just wondering. I’ve got a few reels Jesse gave me. Thought I might drop 'em off sometime.”

You nodded, brushing away the way your chest felt suddenly tight. “She’d probably like that.”

Dina smiled and didn’t say anything else.

A couple nights later, you were helping Ellie sketch.

She was cross-legged on the floor, journal in her lap, surrounded by balled-up papers. You were stretched across her bed with a book, pointing out shapes she could practice.

“Try this one,” you said. “The petals are weird.”

She peered over, eyebrow raised. “You and your weird-ass flowers.”

“They have personality.”

“They look like moldy cupcakes.”

You laughed. It was easy, familiar.

Music played softly in the background. Something instrumental and slow. Ellie’s pencil moved across the page, light and steady.

Then the door creaked open, and Dina poked her head in.

“Hey,” she said. “Sorry—didn’t know you were in the middle of something.”

Ellie looked up. “It’s fine. Come in.”

Dina hesitated, then stepped back. “Just had something to drop off. I’ll catch you later.”

“You sure?” Ellie stood halfway up, eyes following her to the hall.

“Yeah,” Dina said, already halfway down the stairs.

The door clicked shut.

You glanced at Ellie. She was still standing there, staring at the empty doorway.

Then she sat back down, too fast, and picked up her pencil again.

Neither of you said anything.

But the music felt louder now.

***

The first time you really noticed it, it was in the way Ellie lit her cigarette.

You were walking back from a late patrol, boots caked in half-dried mud, dusk stretching long shadows across the road. You were tired in that bone-deep kind of way, the kind that made conversation harder, footsteps heavier. But you’d stayed close anyway, bumping shoulders now and then, trading short glances. Just enough to remind each other you were there.

When you reached the porch, Ellie leaned against the railing like she always did, pulled out her lighter and tapped the edge of the cigarette pack with one practiced flick.

Only this time—before she lit it—she glanced at it, held it between her fingers with this thoughtful kind of pause, and smiled.

Smiled.

Not at you. Not at anything.

Just at a thought she didn’t share.

You sat beside her, like always, pretending not to notice.

But your stomach sank anyway.

You didn’t say anything, just stared out at the darkening town while the smoke curled up into the soft orange light. You tried to tell yourself she was probably remembering a joke. Or a story. Something old. Something irrelevant.

But she didn’t offer to share it. And you didn’t ask.

Another time, it was her laugh.

You were helping string up lanterns outside the main hall for some upcoming dinner. A thank-you party, or a welcome party. You couldn’t remember. Just that your hands were cold, your arms were sore, and Ellie was standing across from you on the opposite ladder, making dumb comments to keep you both from getting bored.

You were smiling, genuinely, and she was mid-sentence when Dina wandered up from the far side of the lawn.

“Hey,” Dina called. “What the hell are you two doing? That’s crooked.”

You rolled your eyes. “Thanks for the supervision.”

Dina grinned and stepped up beside Ellie’s ladder, tipping her chin up to get a better view of your shoddy knot-tying.

And Ellie laughed.

Not the small kind. Not the quiet huff she gave you when you made a stupid pun or muttered something under your breath.

This was different. Louder. Unfiltered. Her head tilted back a little, the kind of laugh that slipped out like it surprised her too.

You froze halfway through tying your rope.

It was stupid. It was just a laugh.

But still, you couldn’t stop yourself from watching the way Ellie was looking at Dina when she did it. Like something in her had relaxed.

Later, when you were coiling up the leftover string lights and Dina had gone off to grab food for the crew, Ellie bumped your shoulder and muttered, “We should make you the official lantern person.”

“Yeah?” you asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “You’ve got the most unstable knots I’ve ever seen. It's impressive.”

You forced a chuckle. “It’s a skill.”

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach the place it used to. And you didn’t know if that was you imagining things.

But you couldn’t stop imagining anyway.

A week later, you were sent on patrol with Jesse and not Ellie.

It wasn’t a big deal. You’d all been rotated out a hundred times before. But this time… this time when you saw Ellie waiting at the gate, she was already leaning against the horse Dina had taken out earlier.

They were talking. Close. Quiet. Not quite laughing, but Ellie was smiling in that low, private kind of way. The kind you hadn’t seen since the first few weeks after Dina came back.

When she saw you approaching, her smile didn’t drop. It didn’t change at all.

“Guess I’m stuck with Jesse today,” you said lightly.

Ellie didn’t meet your eyes right away. “Jesse’s not that bad.”

“Wow. Praise from the queen herself.”

That got a snort. But it wasn’t the kind that warmed your chest like it used to.

Dina gave you a smile. A friendly one. You returned it without hesitation, because it wasn’t her fault, after all. She was just your sister.

You just didn’t like the way you were starting to feel like a third person in your own space.

When Jesse came up behind you and nodded toward the gate, you followed him without looking back.

But you heard Ellie laugh at something Dina said behind you.

And this time, you didn’t pretend not to notice.

That night, you tried to convince yourself you were just being sensitive.

You and Ellie ended up back at her place, both tired and sore and too wound up to sleep. You stayed up playing cards by candlelight, the electricity flickering on and off like it always did during heavy winds.

For a little while, it felt like old times. Just the two of you. Your hands brushing when you reached for the same card, her teasing you about your terrible strategy, you flicking a crumpled wrapper at her when she called your bluff.

It was fine. Good, even.

But then she paused mid-shuffle and said, “Dina said she used to cheat at this game. Said she figured out how to count cards when she was like ten.”

You looked up.

Ellie wasn’t smiling. Not really. Just thinking. Maybe remembering something she hadn’t told you. Maybe picturing something you weren’t part of.

You reached for your drink. “She tell you that today?”

Ellie nodded. “At the gate.”

You looked down at your cards again.

Played your next move in silence.

***

It’s been a few days since you started pulling away. You can’t really pinpoint when the shift happened—it was gradual at first, almost imperceptible. But now, it feels like something is missing whenever Ellie and Dina are around. You still spend time together, the three of you, but it’s different. There’s a distance that’s settled between you and Ellie that wasn’t there before. You can’t help but notice the way they speak to each other now, how much more they lean toward each other, laugh louder with each other, and talk about things you’re not a part of.

Tonight, the feeling is even more suffocating. You’re in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner, when you hear their voices drift from the living room.

“I was thinking we could head out to that lookout tomorrow, you know, the one up north,” Ellie’s voice sounds almost too casual, but there’s an undertone of something else. Something closer. More familiar.

Dina’s voice follows. “Yeah, sounds good. We could grab breakfast at the diner, too.”

You freeze, the dish you’re washing forgotten in your hands. Your breath catches in your throat.

You know they’re friends. You know it shouldn’t matter. But this feels… different. No mention of you. No glance toward the kitchen where you’re standing. No acknowledgment that maybe you’d want to go too.

And just like that, the reality starts to settle in like a stone in your chest.

They don’t need to say your name to make it obvious you aren’t invited.

Ellie and Dina are making plans without you.

They don’t even know you’re listening—but the silence that fills the kitchen after their words hangs like a heavy weight in the air. You try to shake it off. Tell yourself it’s nothing. Just two friends hanging out.

But it doesn’t sit right. And it stings more than you expected it to.

You leave the kitchen and step out onto the porch, trying to clear your head. Trying to breathe around the tightness in your chest. You want to say something. To ask why. To make it not feel like this.

But you don’t. You don’t want to seem like you’re overreacting.

So you stay quiet.

And let the ache sit.

The next day, Ellie and Dina are waiting on the porch, ready to head out. You’d talked to them for a bit. But something feels off. Something in the way they glance at each other before looking at you.

Ellie’s the one who speaks first, voice a little too casual, a little too bright.

“Hey, you wanna come with us? We’re gonna head out in a bit. Thought you might want to join.”

You look at her.

Her eyes seem softer than usual. Unsure. Like she’s trying not to show she’s already decided how this day will go.

“Yeah,” you say, even though your chest tightens. “I’ll go. Give me a sec.”

You step inside. Grab your bag from upstairs.

And stare at the bed for too long.

The blankets are still tangled from the night before. The sunlight cuts across the floor in a way that makes everything look too quiet. Too still.

It would be easy to stay here.

Too easy.

You move to the window. Glance out. Ellie and Dina are talking, backs turned to you, closer than you expected. Smiling at something you’ll never know.

They don’t notice you watching them.

You sit on the edge of the bed. Wait. Think.

Minutes pass.

You glance at the clock.

You already said you’d come. But your legs don’t move.

They’ll be fine without you.

They already are.

You hear them downstairs—Ellie’s voice, soft and joking, and Dina’s laugh echoing close behind it. The sound used to make you feel warm. Now it makes your stomach uneasy.

You were supposed to go with them.

You’d said you would.

Instead, you stay holed up in your room when you said you were going to get ready.

You don’t slam the door. Don’t stomp your way out. Just disappear quietly, bag still packed, shoes still by the door.

By the time Ellie knocks on the door to you room, your blankets are already wrapped around you, your body curled in tight, your face pressed toward the wall.

“Hey,” she says through the door. “We’re leaving in ten. You ready?”

You wait a beat, then croak back a response—carefully strained, just hoarse enough.

“Not feeling great.”

There’s a pause. Long enough for you to picture her standing there, frowning.

“You sick?”

You hesitate. “My side’s acting up. Feels like the stitches might’ve pulled.”

Another pause.

You know she doesn’t believe you.

But all she says is, “Okay. Get some rest, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

You hear her footsteps move down the hall. Then another voice, lower—Jesse’s.

You can’t make out the words, but you hear Ellie respond, quiet.

Then the door closes behind them.

You close your eyes and try not to feel like a coward.

Jesse knocks later that morning. Not loud. Not urgent. Just… there.

You don’t answer right away, but eventually you sigh and walk downstairs only to crack the door open.

“Hey,” he says, leaning against the frame, hands in his jacket pockets. “Ellie asked me to check on you. Said you weren’t feelin’ great.”

You nod once. “Yeah. Something like that.”

He studies you for a second, not pushing. Then tilts his head toward the hallway.

“Wanna go for a walk? Just around the block. Get some fresh air and all that.”

You hesitate. You’re still in your sleep clothes. Your hair’s a mess. But the idea of staying in this room another second makes your chest ache.

So you nod.

You don’t say much at first as you walk—just the crunch of gravel underfoot and the soft rustle of wind through bare trees. Jackson is quieter in the mornings. The streets still waking up, the air still cold.

Eventually, Jesse breaks the silence.

“So,” he says. “Ellie and Dina, huh?”

You snort, bitter. “Subtle.”

He shrugs. “I’ve got eyes.”

You glance over at him. “You okay?”

He lets out a dry laugh. “Define okay.”

You walk a little further, the quiet stretching between you.

“I don’t even think they realize what they’re doing,” you say finally.

He nods slowly. “Yeah. That’s the worst part, isn’t it?”

You stop near the old porch by the trading post. The one where you used to sit with Ellie. You lower yourself onto the steps, careful with your side, and Jesse sits beside you.

“I keep telling myself I’m reading into it,” you murmur. “That it’s nothing. That they’re just friends. But it feels like… like she’s slipping away from me. And I can’t stop it.”

Jesse’s quiet for a moment. Then: “Dina and I ended for a reason. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting. Watching her look at someone else like that.”

You nod, eyes on the frost-glazed railing in front of you. “She used to look at me like that.”

He doesn’t respond to that. Just sits with you, shoulder brushing yours.

After a while, you look over at him. “Do you ever wish you could just… forget how it felt? Before?”

Jesse exhales. “Yeah. Every day.”

You both sit there in silence. It’s not comforting. Not exactly. But it’s understanding—a quiet, heavy ache that neither of you has to explain.

He doesn’t reach for your hand. You don’t lean into him.

But something shifts between you anyway.

Not love.

Not yet.

But something.

After Jesse leaves your at home that day, you don’t leave the house for two more.

You tell Maria you’re still not feeling well. That the wound in your side aches more than usual. She doesn’t push. You’re grateful for that.

But really, the wound had healed enough for you to live normally a week ago, so it wasn’t pain. It’s the ache somewhere further in. Somewhere you can’t bandage.

You think about Ellie and Dina, the way their voices had sounded in the living room. The softness. The comfort. The ease.

You think about how Ellie used to sound like that with you.

You try not to let it feel like betrayal. They never promised you anything. But it’s hard not to resent how easy it was for Ellie to drift from your orbit into someone else's.

Harder still not to resent yourself for letting her go without saying anything.

Every time you imagine her looking at Dina the way she used to look at you, something inside your chest pulls tight. You want to scream, or cry, or disappear—but you just lie there instead. Motionless under too many blankets.

By the third day, you finally leave.

But you're not ready to see Ellie. You can’t. Not yet.

So you go looking for Jesse.

He’s sitting outside the stables, sharpening his knife with that quiet focus he always has. He glances up when he hears your boots.

“Look who finally decided to rejoin society.”

You give him a half-smile. “You got room for a recluse?”

He pats the spot beside him, and you sit.

For a while, you say nothing. The knife scrapes softly over the whetstone, rhythmic and familiar. The sounds of Jackson move around you—voices, wind, the creak of a barn door. But here, next to him, it feels like a small, safe corner of the world.

Eventually, you speak.

“She’s with her now.”

Jesse doesn't ask who. He just nods once, still sharpening. “Yeah.”

“I feel like I’m watching someone get picked second in a race I didn’t know I entered.”

Jesse exhales slowly through his nose. “You think that’s bad, try being the guy who did come first, and still lost her.”

You glance at him.

He finally sets the knife down, rubbing his thumb across the blade like he’s not even sure what he’s feeling.

“She loved me once,” he says. “I really think she did. But I guess it just ran out. Maybe it wasn’t enough. Or maybe I wasn’t.”

You stare at your hands. “Do you think we’re just... placeholders?”

“For what?”

“For people who are braver than we are.”

Jesse doesn’t answer.

Instead, he offers you his flask.

You take a sip, wincing. It burns. You pass it back.

It becomes a thing. 

It wasn’t meant to be anything.

Just another night where you ended up at Jesse’s because the silence in your own house was too loud. You’d both had long days, and somehow—somehow—it just felt easier to be around someone who didn’t ask too many questions.

The two of you sat on the porch, sharing the last of a bottle of something you didn’t recognize, watching the stars blink above Jackson’s skyline.

“She laughs different now,” Jesse murmured. “Dina. When she’s with Ellie.”

You glanced at him. “Yeah?”

He nodded, eyes on the stars. “I think I used to make her laugh like that.”

You didn’t say anything for a while.

Then, “Ellie doesn’t look at me the way she looks at her.”

Jesse passed you an old bottle of whiskey. You took a long sip, coughing after the heat of the alcohol slips down your throat.

“You know what sucks?” he said after a moment. “They don’t even realize what they’re doing.”

You smiled, but it was bitter. “That’s what makes it worse.”

At some point, you ended up leaning against him. At some point, your head dropped to his shoulder. You didn’t remember when. Only that his breath was steady, his arm warm where it rested behind your back.

He didn’t try to kiss you.

You kind of wished he had.

It had become a sort of routine to hang out with Jesse now. Almost like what you and Ellie had. Almost. You woke up on his couch, wrapped in a blanket you didn’t remember pulling over yourself. Jesse was already up, sitting on the floor with a bowl of cereal and watching an old movie on mute.

“You snore,” he said, glancing over.

You made a face. “You lie.”

He grinned. “A little.”

You sat beside him on the floor, shoulder to shoulder again, sharing the silence.

It wasn’t romantic. Not really.

But there was something there. A tether. A shared ache. Something that made you feel less alone, even if it wasn’t love.

Jesse offered you the spoon.

You took it.

Over the next week, you started spending more time at Jesse’s place. Not because you were trying to build something, but because you didn’t know where else to go.

It had been one of those days.

You’d spotted Ellie and Dina by the gates earlier—laughing about something, heads tilted close. The kind of closeness that didn’t need explanation anymore. The kind that used to be yours, at least in part, before everything changed.

They didn’t see you watching. Or maybe they did and just didn’t call out.

You didn’t wait to find out.

You ended up at Jesse’s without even thinking about it.

He opened the door and didn’t ask any questions. Just stepped aside, like he always did, like you belonged there.

You sat on his couch with a drink you didn’t finish, legs curled up beneath you, jacket still on. Jesse sat beside you, close but not too close, elbows resting on his knees, eyes on the floor.

It was quiet for a while.

Then Jesse spoke. “You ever feel like you’re grieving something that never even happened?”

You blinked, startled by the words, but they landed too neatly in your chest for you to dismiss them.

“Yeah,” you said. “All the time.”

He didn’t look at you, but his voice was softer now. “I used to think Dina was my person, you know? Like even if we didn’t make it, she’d still… be mine in some way.”

You nodded. “And now she’s not.”

He looked at you finally. “And now Ellie’s not yours.”

You didn’t say anything. You didn’t have to.

You stared at each other for a beat too long. The kind of pause that’s filled with all the things neither of you wants to admit out loud. All the things you’ve both been carrying quietly, side by side.

You didn’t know who leaned in first. Maybe it was both of you at the same time. Maybe it had been building since that first night when you stayed over  and the two of you sat shoulder-to-shoulder under a shared silence and a frayed blanket of hurt.

His mouth met yours with a kind of careful hesitation, like he wasn’t sure this was a good idea but couldn’t bring himself to pull away.

You didn’t stop him.

You didn’t want to be alone anymore.

The kiss was slow. Warm. It didn’t spark fireworks behind your eyes or set your skin on fire. But it settled something in you. Quieted the noise. Filled the space, just for a moment.

You sighed into it, and Jesse’s hand cupped the side of your jaw like he meant it. Like maybe he needed it just as much.

When you finally pulled back, you rested your forehead against his.

Neither of you said anything.

Because you both knew it wasn’t about falling in love.

It was about needing someone to see you. To understand what it meant to be left behind.

And maybe that was enough. For now.

That night, you didn’t sleep well.

Jesse’s couch wasn’t exactly made for two, but somehow you both stayed there—limbs tangled beneath a fuzzy blanket, his hand resting lightly on your hip, like he hadn’t meant to fall asleep like that but didn’t want to move.

You were the first to wake.

The light slipping through the slats of the blinds painted pale stripes across the hardwood. His breathing was slow and steady beside you, lips slightly parted, hair tousled from sleep.

It should’ve felt strange.

But it didn’t.

Not really.

Instead, it felt like something inevitable. Like reaching for a jacket you knew would still smell like home, even if it didn’t quite fit right anymore.

You stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the night before—the kiss, the silence afterward, the way neither of you had tried to explain it. You didn’t want to.

It wasn’t about love. Not yet. Not ever.

But it was something.

It was someone choosing you, even in the smallest way. And right now, that was more than you’d had in a long time.

After the kiss, you didn’t talk about it. Didn’t need to because things just… changed.

You stayed over more. Jesse started bringing you extra rations without asking. You found a scarf of his in your coat pocket one morning and didn’t bother to return it.

He walked you home a few nights later, said goodnight a little too softly, eyes lingering. You kissed him again. No buildup. No hesitation. Just comfort wrapped in someone else’s mouth.

There weren’t labels. No official “thing.” But he’d touch the back of your hand when you stood too close. He started saving you a seat at the Tipsy Bison. He started showing up at your patrol gate early—quiet, patient, waiting.

It didn’t take long before people noticed.

You heard them first in passing. Quiet remarks over drinks. A few raised brows at the trading post. Nothing cruel, just… curious.

“She’s with Jesse now?”

“They seem close, huh?”

“Didn’t he used to date her sister?”

Jackson was small. Words traveled faster than horses. But you didn’t confirm or deny anything. Neither did Jesse. You didn’t have to.

You didn’t owe anyone that.

Still, when Ellie found you behind the stables that afternoon—alone, finally, after three days of the two of you skirting around each other—you knew it was coming.

The stable yard was quiet that evening—overcast and still, the kind of sky that made everything feel heavier than it was. You were brushing down one of the horses, not because you had to, but because you didn’t know what else to do with your hands anymore.

You heard Ellie before you saw her. That familiar shuffle of boots on gravel. The slight hitch in her breath, like she wasn’t sure she should be here at all.

You didn’t look up.

“Is it true?” she said, voice steady but low. “You and Jesse?”

You slowed your brush, thumb pressing into the horse’s neck before you finally turned.

She was standing a few feet away, hands in her jacket pockets, eyes on the ground. Like even asking the question had taken something out of her.

You shrugged. “I guess.”

Ellie’s brow furrowed. “You guess?”

“It’s not a secret,” you said. “People are talking.”

Her jaw clenched. “That’s not what I meant.”

You leaned back against the stall, arms crossed. “Then what did you mean?”

Ellie looked at you then—really looked. Her gaze sharp but unsure, like she was trying to read something in your face that you weren’t letting her see.

“I just... didn’t expect it to be him.”

You blinked. “Why not?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Shrugged. “You two didn’t seem like…”

“Like what?” you pressed.

Ellie exhaled, frustrated. “Like each other’s type.”

That made something twist in your chest.

You gave a small, bitter laugh. “Yeah, well. Maybe we’re just the right kind of wrong.”

She looked down again. “Didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.”

Silence stretched between you, taut and fraying.

You swallowed. “He gets it, you know?”

Ellie looked up, eyebrows pulling together.

“He listens,” you said. “Doesn’t try to fix anything. Doesn’t make it complicated.”

Ellie was quiet for a beat. Then: “It’s just... weird, I guess.”

“Weird?” you repeated.

“You and him. Together. After everything.”

You nodded slowly, gaze slipping away. “A lot of things feel weird lately.”

Ellie shifted on her feet. “So... are you happy?”

You didn’t answer right away. Just watched the horse flick its ears, unbothered.

“I don’t know,” you said. “I’m trying to be.”

Ellie didn’t say anything after that.

She just stood there for another moment, like she was waiting for something else—something you weren’t going to give her. Then she gave a quick nod, almost to herself, and turned to leave.

You watched her go, throat tight. The weight of everything unspoken hanging thick in the air behind her.

Not angry. Not sad.

Just... unfinished.

And maybe that was the worst part.

A week later you had patrol with Ellie again.

It was one of those warm spring mornings where the frost had finally given up and the air smelled like wet grass and fresh pine. You and Ellie were back on patrol together for the first time in weeks. Not part of a larger group. Not squeezed into a three-person team with Dina. Just the two of you again. Like before.

You tried not to read into it.

Tried not to let it mean more than it did.

Your horses clopped along the worn trail that wound past the edge of Jackson’s outer perimeter. Birdsong hummed through the trees. No infected, no alerts, no talking for the first hour.

Just quiet.

Then Ellie spoke, her voice low. “Kinda forgot what this feels like.”

You glanced over. “What?”

“This. Just us.”

You shrugged, but there was a smile trying to sneak its way across your face. “Yeah. Me too.”

She glanced at you sideways. “You’ve been... quiet lately.”

“Noticed that, huh?”

Ellie smirked, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I notice a lot.”

You didn’t say anything. Just kept your eyes on the trail.

She clicked her tongue, nudging her horse ahead slightly. “You mad at me?”

That stopped you. You pulled your horse up next to hers again.

“No,” you said. Too fast. Then, quieter: “I don’t think so.”

She nodded, slow. “Okay.”

Silence fell again, but it wasn’t as heavy this time.

Later, you both stopped by a shallow creek to refill your canteens. She sat on a flat rock, rolling a blade of grass between her fingers. You crouched nearby, watching the current twist through smooth stones.

“I miss this,” she said eventually, voice barely above the wind.

You didn’t ask what she meant. Because you knew.

“Yeah,” you murmured. “Me too.”

And for a little while, it felt like nothing had changed.

You talked. You laughed. She nudged your boot with hers while you passed the last protein bar back and forth like old times.

It didn’t fix anything.

But it dulled the ache. Just for a little while.

when you both returned, Maria informed you of your chores for the next day: Sorting the old clothes in the community center. Jesse also had to help.

The morning light poured into the community center through slanted windows, catching the dust in slow, gold streaks. You and Jesse sat on the floor surrounded by half-sorted piles of clothes, tasked with organizing donations for the upcoming festival. There were jackets, skirts, a few things too moth-eaten to be worth keeping, and someone’s tragic attempt at sewing lace into a pair of jeans.

Ellie showed up late, as usual—damp curls still clinging to her temples from a rushed shower, sleeves pushed up, boots scuffed and muddy.

“No way you’re actually helping,” you said when she wandered in.

She raised her eyebrows. “I come bearing sarcasm and zero work ethic. You should be honored.”

You smirked, tossing her a wrinkled flannel that hit her in the face. She caught it and plopped down beside Jesse, already picking through the nearest pile.

After a minute or two, she spoke up. “So... I heard Maria's pulling the whole dance thing together again.”

You looked up from where you were folding a denim jacket. “Thought that was off this year.”

Ellie shrugged. “Guess they changed their minds. ‘Celebrate survival,’ or whatever.”

Jesse made a face, holding up a dress with sequins dangling off it. “Guess I better bust out my party vest.”

Ellie smirked, but then her eyes flicked to you. “You going?”

You hesitated, folding slower. “Maybe.”

She nodded. “You should.”

Her voice was even. Too even. You couldn’t tell if it meant anything or if you just wanted it to.

Jesse gave you a little nudge with his elbow, a quiet nudge like he was watching the way you watched her.

Ellie’s gaze didn’t linger. She went back to the clothes pile, like she hadn’t just left something behind in the air between you.

A few more dys passed like a blur. That’s how most days passed now that Ellie was hanging out with you less and less. 

You left your house in the morning to take a walk, maybe catch up with Jesse since he was sort of your boyfriend. A day like any normalish one.

The sun was high and hot when you got sidetracked. Ended up making your way to the training field, notebook tucked under your arm. You told yourself you were there to write, maybe clear your head. But the real reason was already swinging a wooden staff at your sister.

Dina and Ellie were sparring near the fence line, kicking up dust as they circled each other. Ellie laughed when Dina faked left and struck right, catching her lightly on the ribs.

You sat on the grass, pretending to focus on your notebook. The pages stayed mostly blank.

Jesse found you a few minutes later, dropped down beside you with a sigh and a grunt. “They’ve been at it all morning. Bet you five ration slips Dina ends up with a bruise.”

You smiled faintly. “I’m not betting against Dina. That’s a death wish.”

Dina won the next round with a low sweep that knocked Ellie on her ass. They both laughed—loud and breathless—and Ellie offered her hand from the ground, which Dina took without hesitation.

You tried not to watch too hard.

When they finally came over, sweat-slick and grinning, Dina pulled the tie from her ponytail and fluffed her hair out.

“You coming to the dance?” she asked.

You blinked. “Uh... yeah. I think so.”

Ellie stood beside her, arms crossed, cheeks still flushed. “You should. It’ll be fun.”

Her voice was light. Easy. Like the two of you hadn’t been slowly drifting for weeks.

“Yeah,” you gave her the same answer as last time. “I’ll think about it.”

They nodded. Dina grabbed her water bottle from the bench and tossed it to Ellie.

You watched them laugh about something you couldn’t hear.

And when Jesse leaned over and said, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” you didn’t answer.

Because part of you did.

And part of you really, really didn’t.

After an hour of just staring at a blank page in your journal and talking to Jesse, you decided to go. Jesse followed, you kept talking to each other, 

You ended up back at his place again. 

Jesse’s house always smelled like pinewood and laundry detergent—simple, easy, safe. The couch creaked when you sat down, blanket still tangled from the last time you were here. A half-eaten protein bar sat on the side table, next to a wrinkled copy of some book he’d been pretending to read for weeks.

You curled into the corner with your knees tucked under you, letting the silence between you fill the room like steam. Jesse moved around the kitchen, boiling water for tea like he always did when you dropped by. He didn’t ask why you were quiet tonight. He never did.

“You decided what you’re wearing yet?” he asked casually, from behind the counter. 

You frowned. “For what?”

He stuck his head out, eyebrows raised like you were the one forgetting something. “The dance?”

“Oh. Right.”

You hadn’t forgotten. Not really. 

Just didn’t want to think about it.

“Not sure,” you said, fingers picking at a loose thread on your sweater. “Maybe that blue dress. The one with the ripped hem.”

Jesse leaned against the doorway leading to the living room, mug in hand. “That thing? It’s practically a war relic.”

You smiled faintly. “It’s got character.”

“Yeah, and probably tetanus.”

You laughed—soft and genuine, even if it faded too quickly.

He walked over, set your tea down on the small coffee table by your arm rest, and dropped on the seat beside you. His knee brushed yours. You flinched but didn’t move.

“You gonna go with anyone?” he asked after a moment of silence.

You looked at him, confused. “Why? You jealous?”

He smirked. “Only if you leave me to suffer alone.”

You hesitated. “You asking?”

He shrugged, looking at the wall instead of you. “I mean… people already know we’re something, right? Might as well lean into it.

You were quiet for a moment, your heart ticking slowly through the pause. 

“Is that what this is?” you asked, softly. “Us leaning into it?”

He turned his head head then, eyes meeting yours. There was something honest there. SOmething raw. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

You looked down at your mug. The tea was too hot to drink. “Yeah. Okay.”

Another beat of silence. 

Then, “We don’t have to keep this a thing. Doesn’t have to be real real.”

“But it kind of does,” you murmured. “Right?”

He didn’t answer. Just bumped your shoulder with his, eyes warm. 

“It’s something,” he said. “That’s gotta count for something.”

You nodded slowly, but there was a hollow space in your chest where the warmth should’ve landed. Because you knew what this was. What you were doing. And it wasn’t fair—not to him, not to yourself.

But he let you bet quiet.

He let you sit there without need to explain the ache inside you. And in the absence of everything you couldn’t have, that meant something too.\

Not love. But something.

After Jesse asked you to the dance, you started working on your dress.

The fabric had come from the donation pile in the community center—old rags that weren’t too stained or torn, the ones that somehow made it through without blood soaking through the seams. You picked through it slow, hands shaking a little as you tried to find enough of the same shade. A soft, dark green, just enough leftover from an old certain and a couple of dresses no one claimed.

The design comes together in pieces, trial and error. A few of the older women around town helped with the top—they show you how to make the bodice snug but not stiff, how to stitch the neckline just right so it frances your collarbones without slipping. One of them lets you borrow a needle sharp enough to thread through the thickest layers. Another hands you a tiny packet of mother-of-pearl buttons with a wink.

It’s not fancy. Not perfect.

But when you slip it on for the first time—a square neckline, long puffed sleeves that flow to the wrists, a fitted wait that flare gently in to a full skirt that nearly touches the ground—it feels like something you made for a version of yourself you used to dream about.

The kind of dress you might’ve worn in another life. A life you probably shared with someone who loved you.

You looked in the cracked mirror of your room, barefoot on the wooden floor, and almost didn’t recognize yourself.

Not quite beautiful.

But soft. Gentle.

You ran your hands down the sides of fabric, smoothing it out like it matters. Like you’re preparing for something.

You wore it for a while. Just… stood there. Twirled a little. Imagined things you knew would never be true.

Then, quietly, you took it off. Folded it carefully, like it was something sacred. Traded it for regular clothes—jeans, a hoodie. Something that made you feel less exposed. Less vulnerable.

You found Jesse outside the kids’ school building, leaning back on the bench like he had nowhere to be.

When he saw you coming, you didn’t say anything. Just held the dress up by the sleeves, letting it drape in the air like a flag. His eyes went a little wide.

“Whoa,” he said, standing up straighter. “That’s what you’ve been working on these past few weeks?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He whistled, low under his breath, stepping forward to get a closer look. “You made this? Like, from scratch?”

“Well… sorta. Pieced it together. Got help with the top,” you shrugged, not really knowing how to take the praise. “The fabric’s from the donation pile.”

“It looks pretty nice,” Jesse said, genuine. “You’re gonna kill it at the dance.”

You smiled a little. Just a small one. “Thanks.”

A small moment of silence. Then—

“Have you shown Ellie and Dina yet?”

You shook your head. “Was just about to.”

He nodded, pointing vaguely toward the park. “Think they’re at the playground.”

You walked the path you’d taken a hundred times, the dress bundled close in your arms like gold.

The sun dipped low, casting gold across the swings and the slides. You spotted them before they spotted you—Ellie sat on the edge of a stair, Dina stood beside her, bracing herself on a rail as they laughed at something.

You slowed your steps, about to call out for them.

Then you heard it.

“So…” Ellie murmured, voice light, a little unsure. “You wanna… go to the dance with me?”

Dina laughed—soft and teasing. “Ellie Williams, are you asking me out?”

Ellie snorted, and a cheesy smile formed on her lips. “Maybe.”

You could hear the smile in her voice. Like she’d been waiting to say it.

Dina hummed, drawing it out. “Huh. Took you long enough.”

And then a pause—high laughter. Easy. Warm.

“Yeah,” Dina said. “I’ll go with you.”

Some more joking. Something about matching flannels or who was going to lead when they danced.

You didn’t stay to hear the rest.

You turned around, fingers tightening around the sleeves of your dress. You didn’t even try to show them. Just kept walking. Head down. The warmth of the sun suddenly too much.

You made it home without crying.

Almost.

It was only when you hung the dress back up, alone in your room, that the weight of it all hit you. You sat on the floor and pressed the fabric of the sleeves to your face, trying to breathe through it like that’d stop the tears. It didn’t.

You cried a little. Just a quiet, exhausted kind of cry. The kind where your chest hurt but you didn’t make a sound.

Jesse showed up not long after, knocking once before stepping inside like he knew you wouldn’t answer. He saw your face, saw the puffiness around your eyes, and didn’t say anything dumb or cheerful. He just sat next to you on the floor.

You didn’t even have to explain. You knew he knew.

He nudged your shoulder with his. “They’re dumb.”

You sniffled. “You didn’t even hear what happened.”

“I don’t need to.”

You laughed a little, wet and weak. “It’s stupid.”

“No, it’s not.”

He didn’t fix it. He couldn’t. But he stayed. That was enough, for a little while.

The next morning, you tried. You really did. Dragged yourself out of bed, pulled your hair into something halfway decent. Headed into town and browsed the market with your hands buried in your pockets.

There wasn’t anything you really needed. But maybe—just maybe—something small could help. A ribbon, a little bit of makeup, some old perfume someone had dug out from storage.

You wandered the stalls, eyes glazed over, half-listening to vendors talk about their wares. It was crowded, but you felt a million miles away. You walked home with a few things in a paper bag and nothing in your chest but that same dull ache.

The day of the dance, you didn’t move.

You lay in bed, curled on your side, staring at the dress where it hung on your closet door. Light filtered through the windows, shifting with the hours, but you didn’t shift with it.

The knock on your door came just before sunset.

“Still breathing in there?”

You groaned into your pillow. “Go away.”

“Nope.”

You heard the creak of the door, the familiar weight of his boots against the floor.

“I brought snacks.”

You didn’t look. “I’m not hungry.”

“That’s okay. I brought snacks for me.”

You rolled over just enough to peek at him. He stood there with two granola bars and a paper cup that definitely came from the Tipsy Bison. His hair was still wet like he’d showered in a rush, his shirt a little wrinkled. He looked clean, though. Soft around the edges.

“Bribery?” you asked, voice hoarse.

“Desperation,” he said with a shrug. “You’re not skipping. You spent weeks on that dress.”

You let your head fall back against the pillow. “I don’t wanna go.”

“I know.”

He didn’t argue with you. Didn’t try to hype you up or tell you you’d feel better once you got there. He just sat at the edge of your bed, sipping from the paper cup.

After a while, he spoke again. “Let me help?”

You didn’t answer, but you sat up.

Getting ready was slow. Quiet. Your limbs felt like they didn’t belong to you. Jesse moved through your room carefully, like he didn’t want to break anything.

He pulled your chair out from your desk, sat you down, and stood behind you.

“You look like hell,” he said gently.

You rolled your eyes. “Thanks.”

“Hell with good bone structure, though.”

You cracked a tiny smile, even as he picked up your hairbrush and carefully worked through the knots. He wasn’t great at it. He winced every time you did.

“Should’ve just cut it all off,” you muttered.

“Blasphemy.”

When he finished brushing, he handed you a little tin of lip color you’d picked up at the market. You dabbed some on, just enough to tint. Nothing too much.

Jesse glanced over your shoulder at the mirror. “You sure you’re not trying to look cute for me?”

You raised an eyebrow.

“Alright, alright. Just checking,” he said, hands raised in surrender.

You slipped behind the door of your closet and pulled on the dress. It felt heavier tonight. Not in a bad way. Just… different. You did the zipper yourself halfway before stepping out.

“Turn around,” you said.

He did, automatically.

You reached for the small mirror by your dresser, trying not to think about anything too hard while you pinned up part of your hair. Jesse’s reflection stood in the background, pretending to study a lamp like it had great architectural significance.

When you finally said, “Okay,” he turned back around.

He looked at you for a second too long.

“You look nice,” he said, voice softer than before.

“Shut up.”

He offered you his arm, same as always. Not for romance. Just to keep you steady.

You took it.

By the time you reached the festival, the sky was already dark, dotted with stars. Lights were strung across the square, music drifting through the air. Laughter. Movement. People dancing in the grass and weaving through the food stalls, hands full of cider and roasted foods.

It was… fine. For now.

Jesse tugged you gently forward.

“C’mon. Let’s just see where the night takes us.”

tag list: @vahnilla @liasxeatt @elliesactualgirlfriend @willurms @robinphobia @smaugayra @wrappedinvines @starfire1008 @eriiwaiii2 @piercedome @modernvenuss

for those of y'all who asked for a happy ending oopsies (theres still going to be a part 3) but i hope yall enjoyed :D

[charlottes-diary-entries]

Hi!! Your metamorphmagus!reader with poly marauders was so cute I can’t help but ask for more! Anything works but if you need a more specific request could you do one where they’re just pranking Slytherin with reader? Or a little aftermath of the confession and where they go from there?

Your choice ofc and I might just be your biggest fan 💗☝️

ugh lovey, im your biggest fan! trust darling, i will write a prank fic soon enough, but this was on my mind and i really wanted to get it out of my head and into words. hope you enjoy <3

Ever since you'd all confessed to each other, the boys had been loving on you almost non-stop. Walking you to and from class, study dates in the library, dates down in Hogsmeade, cuddle piles in their room, the Gryffindor common room, hell, sometimes James would skip class just to wrap his arms around you and hang off of your shoulders all day long.

All that time together gave them a plethora of opportunities to better understand you and your abilities. It thrilled each of them to know you better, to learn your likes and dislikes, but they were particularly fond of the way your magic always gave you away.

You, however, found it to be ridiculously embarrassing.

Memories and syrupy sweet thoughts of your boys chased around your head as you finished up their gifts, your 3-month anniversary coming up. God, to think it had already been that long!

It was a week after your shared confession (which had ended in maybe the best cuddles of your life and many very, very sweet kisses) as you walked to Herbology. Remus had just caught you in the hall before you went outside and pressed a kiss to your cheek, wishing you a good day. You were still adjusting to the boys' heightened presence in your life. The suddenness of it all, it felt... unreal. But you were happy. So, very happy.

"Hey! Gorgeous!"

Sirius's shout broke your reverie and you glanced up to find him bounding towards you, grin stretched ear to ear.

"Hey Siri," you smiled back at him, "What's up?"

"Nothin much. Love the pink by the way, why'd you change it?"

You could feel your face flush as your hair shifted back to it's natural color, Sirius pressing a loving kiss to your temple as his arm snaked around your waist.

"It's-" You had to consciously keep your hair natural, the tips of your hair settling to a nice pink. It was the best you could manage. "Well, I didn't really mean to, it just- Well, Remus he- he kissed me. A minute ago, in the hall."

Sirius's brow furrowed as you both continued to walk. "What's that got to do with your hair, Dove?"

"It just- It changes. Sometimes." You had a horrible, sinking feeling that Sirius would use this information completely to his advantage and you'd never get away with anything again. The pink continued to spread throughout your hair as Sirius pulled you both to a stop.

He brought a hand to your hair, fascinated as he played with it, watching the color creep up to your roots. His smile turned scary mischievous as he brushed a thumb over your cheek, before continuing to stroke your hair.

"Dove, is it that you're flustered?"

You stuttered and looked to the ground as Sirius laughed, guiding your gaze back to him before he kissed you. You sighed as your eyes fluttered closed, reaching up to place your own hand on his cheek.

You both had soft smiles as you pulled apart, foreheads resting against each others. Your hair was almost completely normal again when Sirius spoke.

"Oh, you're so done, darling."

He grinned, mischievous and daring as he leaned near your ear.

"Now I know your secrets, I think I quite like the color pink on you."

You squeaked as he pinched your side, pushing you towards the greenhouse. You looked back to him waving his fingers at you, sly and with no kind intention at all. You huffed, turning and entering Herbology.

You got several compliments on your hot pink hair that class period.

You smiled to yourself, flushed with embarrassment thinking of that first time your magic had told on you. Sirius had since used it quite to his advantage, doing his best to get your hair to turn outrageous colors, loving the way it looked on you.

(Anytime a professor dared to think of dress coding you, he would jump in and take the blame for it every time. He would probably do just about anything for you, now that you thought about it.)

That first time was sweet, and it certainly wasn't the only time either. Getting used to having the boys around meant getting used to them knowing your tells; This meant more than just the sweet, romantic ones.

You sat, curled up and tucked away in some very far corner of the library, hands cupped around your ears as tears streaked down your face. The darkness and quiet were certainly helping, but panic gripped tightly at your lungs and seeped your air away from you.

It was torture.

Familiar torture, but torture all the same.

Eventually, the panic subsided and your tears melted away. With your breath finally returned to you, you swiped a hand down your shifting face to ensure you were put together, then shuffled off to the rest of your day. The attack irked you, certainly, but you weren't about to let something so infinitesimal derail your day.

Slipping into your potions seat, James perked up and turned to you. He slipped his arms around your waist and tugged you into his chest, humming and careless of the other students around you. He shoved his face into your neck and you sighed, stroking his hand as it rested on your tummy.

"How've you been today James?"

"Alright," he spoke, muffled into your skin, "S'been alright. Missed you."

You rolled your eyes, a small smile making it's way to your lips. You grabbed the hand you'd been stroking as you pulled away from him, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Well, good thing you've got me now then, isn't it?"

"What's happened to you, Dove?"

The sudden concern pouring off of James as he met your eyes was unexpected and you awkwardly smiled, trying to put the past hour or so before this moment to the very back of your mind. (It did not work.)

"What d'you mean Jamie?"

"Your eyes-" he cupped your cheek, leaning in to get a better look. "They're blue. They're all ocean-y and iridescent."

Your eyebrow arched up as he frowned. He began to rub your cheeks with his thumbs.

"Dove, that happens when you've been crying."

Your jaw dropped in a quiet "oh". Had you really cried around your boys enough for them to discover another quirk of yours? You hadn't even known that happened. Really, something so simple as your eye color? You looked away, turning into James's palm and hiding your face in it, willing your eyes normal again.

"Didn't realize that had happened. Sorry."

"What do you have to apologize for Dove?"

He glanced around to ensure there were no snooping students or god forbid, the professor, before kissing you and pulling you into his arms fully. Your eyes welled again at the feeling as you returned the hug.

"It's alright Dovey. Let me hold you for a minute right now, and then the second potions is over, we skip the rest of the day so we can cuddle up in my room, alright?"

You giggled, "We can't just skip cause I'm a bit upset."

At this James scoffed. "As far as I'm concerned, the whole entire world should stop if your shoelace so much as comes untied. Everyone ought to kneel down and tie it for you, then give you anything you want."

This made you laugh more, a few tears streaking down your cheeks as James smiled and held you tighter.

"There you are, lovey."

Truly, you got all warm and fuzzy every time the boys pointed yourself out to you. That they cared to notice, that they cared to let you know, that they loved every little magical quirk so much, it made your heart pool with adoration for the boys.

Despite James's feelings on the matter, you felt the world should bow down to them. They'd given you so much love, made you feel so important and normal, it felt there was no possible way to thank them sometimes.

No possible way to love them back the way they loved you.

The bittersweet thought was chased away as the door to the boy's dorm creaked open and you rushed to finish off the very last bow on the presents for your darlings.

"Hey Dove, what're you doin' here?"

Remus draped his body over yours from behind, arms snaking around yours and trapping you into his chest. You laughed as he smushed his face into your temple, taking in a deep breath and then letting out a very long sigh.

"Nothing much. Finishing off a surprise for you all."

"A surprise?"

At this, he lifted his head to see the boxes placed amongst his, Sirius, and James's beds, all done up with a bow and a card each, then one card for all three of them placed on Remus's desk. He smiled, turning back into your neck and leaving a warm kiss there.

"This is lovely, but you didn't have to Dove. Thought we'd spend the anniversary just snuggling and drinking and eating and such. Celebrate each other."

At this he nipped your skin and it sent you into a short tizzy of giggles. While you laughed, he turned you around in his arms and began to place butterfly kisses around your entire face.

"I- I know, Remus. Just felt like doing something- stop!- something nice!"

You fought through your giggles as he pulled back to smile at you, placing one more heated kiss to your lips.

"Well, thank you Dove."

Another kiss, his hands tightening around your waist as he guided you towards his bed.

"Really, you're so wonderful, what are we to do with you?"

You laughed as he pushed you down onto the sheets, continuing to press hot kisses to your lips, then your jaw, then slowly down your neck. You breath hitched as he nipped at the bottom of your neck, beginning to kiss and suck at the skin just below the collar of your shirt.

"R-Rem-"

"Hurry up Sirius, I haven't seen either of them all day and I-"

And all of a sudden James rushed into the room, stopping short at the sight in front of him. A very pretty flush began to crawl up his neck as he stared at you, and then Remus, and then you, and then Remus as he pressed another kiss to your lips.

"What's finally got you quiet- Oh."

Sirius followed after him, a smirk growing on his face.

"Starting the festivities without us I see."

You could feel your own face grow warm as Remus sat beside you, tugging you up so you could lay on his chest between his legs.

"S'not my fault you two are slow-pokes."

With this, Remus pressed yet another kiss to your cheek, and you could've sworn you felt steam escape your ears as he began to travel lower again. Sirius barked out a laugh as this happened, noting the very real and very adorable steam that actually shot out from the sides of your face.

"Guess we've got to make up for lost time, huh?"

With that, Sirius pressed a kiss to James's cheek and slapped his ass before bouncing over to you and Remus, eager to participate. James (now sufficiently red in the face and very flustered) was quick to follow.

Your presents were easily forgotten in the way the boys completely filled your space and your heart and your mind. Their love was so overwhelming it left almost no room for anything else.

You wouldn't have it any other way.

apologies if anythings a little confusing, i'm finishing this off with a bit of alcohol in my system lol!! hope you enjoyed lovely! sorry it took so long! <3

[alrightieaphroditie]

just checkin' in | j.m.

*:·ﾟ✧ series masterlist

pairing *:·ﾟ afab!reader x joel miller wc *:·ﾟ 2.4k an *:·ﾟ it's here! the first part in a series i am veeery excited about!! this installment is pretty much straight fluff, but i had a blast writing it and getting back into joel's character. i cannot wait to see where this series takes me, and i really hope everyone enjoys reading it! this is slightly edited, but if there's anything huge that jumps out at you, please let me know! check the series masterlist for the series tags!

synopsis *:·ﾟ even when joel is miles away, he never fails to check in on his girl.

after checking for what quite literally had to be the millionth time, the folded-up letter was still sitting right where joel had set it before he left; propped up against your bookstack on the end table in your living room. not that you were expecting it to suddenly grow legs and run away or anything. but today was finally the day that you could open it, as specified by the man who wrote it himself, and by god, you wanted to make sure you knew where it was when you finally sat down to read it. 

in the beginning, when you and joel first started up this little tradition of writing each other letters when he'd go off on the hunting trips, you would eagerly rip open his notes as soon as you were able to. joel always left very clear instructions to not open them until a certain date, and you always obliged, even though it wasn't like joel would really know when you actually opened them. you wouldn't be surprised if his senses started tingling if you even dared to go against his instructions, though. joel had a way of being so omnipresent with you; so attuned to your own being that even when he was gone, you swore you could still feel him with you.  

after a little while, though, you learned to tame that eagerness and make a dedicated time for reading his letters. the excitement never left you fully, and you found that opening the letter was still all you could think about on the day of, all these months later. you spent your morning helping in the greenhouses, thinking of what joel could have written. you cleaned up your house during the afternoon, eyes gazing to the paper with your name on it, written in his surprisingly nice handwriting, far too often. and when you had dinner with ellie that night, all you could do was smile as she mentioned opening her own letter that morning, your foot tapping against the floor as you impatiently anticipated getting to open your own. 

now, you were fresh out of the shower (ellie made one too many jokes about how much you had stunk after working all day, to the point where you couldn't really tell if she was joking or not), your hair done up in two braids, wearing one of joel's t-shirts and stirring some honey in your cup of tea. the window in your living room was cracked open, the crisp early spring winds causing your gauzy curtains to flutter across the hardwood floors. now, you finally tucked yourself into the corner of your couch, an ugly green thing that was shockingly comfortable, and tugged the blanket hanging on the back of it over your legs, getting comfortable. 

balancing your mug on the arm of the couch, you reached over and finally pulled the letter into your lap. just seeing your name on the front had those silly little butterflies float through your stomach; something you felt far too often with joel. you steadied yourself with a deep breath, and, after taking a small sip of your tea, settled back into the couch, unfolding the crisp paper. 

just checkin' in on you, sugar. 

the first line of his letter was always the same, and yet it never failed to make you smile. he'd say those same words in person, too, when he came by to visit while you were out working, or when he'd stop by your place early in the morning before he went out to do his duties. you'd never get sick of hearing - or reading - those words. 

hope you've been doin' alright. i can't believe they're makin' me go out again even though i just got back from another trip. swear these men can't do shit without me, especially tommy. i know he's the only reason why i'm out in the middle of nowhere, sleeping in a damn sack when i could be in your bed instead. 

you couldn't help but snort at joel's irritation with his brother. the sibling rivalry between the miller brothers was never ending, though the majority of it was in good fun. joel was right, though. tommy was, in fact, the sole reason why his brother left for another trip so close to returning home from one; maria had told you that tommy complained that the group he was going with couldn't aim for shit and needed at least one more man who knew how to handle a gun. 

the good thing, though, is that they're lettin' me get out of the next couple trips after this. i'll get at least a few good weeks with you, uninterrupted. as much as i like writin' these letters, and as much as i love reading what you've written me, i'd much rather be able to talk to ya in person. that way i could see your grin every time i say somethin' sweet to you, just like i bet you're doing now, huh?   

once again, joel was right. 

i gotta go pack up now, but i'll be back home to you any day now. take care of yourself for me, baby, just until i can get back to doin' it myself. i love you. 

a wave of emotions hit you at once when you finished reading the letter. happiness, for his approaching homecoming. excitement, for those few weeks he'd be getting off. love, for the way he knew you and how he loved taking care of you. and, however faint, loneliness, for how much your heart ached to see him. he had been gone for a week now, and before that, the two of you had only had one day together after he had been gone for two. only a few days remained in this trip, though it still felt like forever. 

you wouldn't let yourself dwell on that miniscule amount of pain, though. joel wouldn't want you to, so you knew better by now. instead, you reread his letter, hearing that slight drawl of his in your head, and grinning again just like he predicted. you held it to your chest as you sipped your lukewarm tea, as if your skin could absorb his words and cement his love into your bloodstream. 

later, after your tea had gone too cold and you dumped it out in the sink, you carried yourself to your room, the hem of joel's shirt brushing delicately against your thighs. kneeling to the ground, your knees hit the worn wood floor as you dug underneath your bed, pulling out an old shoebox. inside were joel's previous letters, the box almost stuffed to the brim with them. you couldn't even imagine tossing them out, these little symbols of his love for you, so this was where you stored them, safely tucked away. 

after placing the most recent one on top of the box and putting it back under your bed gently, you snagged the flannel joel had left from his side of the bed and put it on. now wrapped in his clothes, his scent, you felt closer to him. that silly thread of loneliness fluttered through your heart again, ever so briefly, but you brushed it off as you pulled back your quilt blanket and climbed into bed.  

outside your window, you could just barely make out the moon high in the pitch-black sky and you wondered if joel was awake still, looking up at that same fixture. it was the comfort you felt at that thought that allowed you to close your eyes and drift off, and joel's lingering scent on the flannel was the last thing you remembered thinking of. 

somewhere in the woods, miles away from the walls of jackson, joel sat on the damp ground, propped against a fallen tree log. his hand was in his jacket, his calloused thumb and forefinger brushing against the smooth paper folded into bits in the pocket. 

he had requested first watch tonight, hoping to have at least some time to himself so that he could read your words. unlike him, you never gave any instructions for when to read your letter. you said once that he should just read it whenever he missed you, and he didn’t have the heart to tell you that if he did that, he’d be reading the letter the moment he stepped out of the border around town. 

you had mentioned in passing, however, that you made a little ritual out of reading his letters, and so joel started putting off reading your letter, waiting until the date that he specified for you to open his. he knew it was silly, that the probability of you both reading the letters at the same time was slim, especially when he had to wait until the dead of night, when he had a small moment of free time. but it kept him going, so he continued to do it. 

the last man in the group had just walked back to his sleeping bag, and joel was finally out in the campsite alone. he gently pulled your letter from his pocket, the jagged edges along one side showing him that you wrote this in your journal before ripping it out. the paper was smooth under his skin, and for a moment he simply stared at his name plastered on the front in your handwriting; the way the 'l' at the end of his name sloped off into a small heart. 

a deep sigh parted his lips; somewhat from exhaustion, but mostly from the way his heartbeat kicked up just at the thought of you drawing that. 

he had to shift against the wood slightly, sparing a glance around the site to make sure no one was paying him too much attention, just so the moonlight could hit the letter just right. he still had to squint slightly to focus, but that was more because of his age than the lack of lighting (you kept teasing him about trying to find some reading glasses, and now he wondered if he did actually need them). 

with nimble fingers, he unfolded the letter and immediately his mouth quirked up in a small smirk. 

hey there, cowboy. i hope the camping life is treating you well and not wreaking havoc on that back of yours. i'm starting to wonder if you're getting too old to go on those trips. surely having a senior citizen like yourself tagging along slows y'all down, no? 

joel forced his sudden laugh into a cough, shaking his head at your attempt of a joke. it was no secret that joel was older than you, but that had never really brought up any strife in your relationship. everyone thought that you were both lucky to find something like what you had given the way the world was, that kind of storybook love people dreamed about. the kind he never imagined for himself.

you were the only one who continuously brought up the age difference, solely to crack jokes at his expense. ellie adored it, and your comments made him laugh, so he didn't really mind it. 

seriously though, i hope you're taking care of yourself out there. i know you do, but i can't help but worry a little. you're needed here, so i just want you to do whatever you need to do to come back home. i mean it.  

while you guys are gone, i think we're going to be setting up the patio area again in town since the weather is warming up. i heard maria talk about hosting another dance soon, so i'm putting it into writing that i want to dance with you at least once, miller.

 i'll beg if i have to. 

heat flamed his cheeks, his skin turning warm despite the cool breeze of spring floating through. his head tipped back, resting against the tree trunk as he closed his eyes for a moment. the two of you had only had one night together between his trips out of town, and ellie had spent the night at your house with joel that night, too. not that joel regretted that; he loved spending time together with his girls. 

but god, did he miss touching you, feeling your soft skin underneath his rough hands, your weight on top of him, underneath him, your hair between his fingers, your lips against his. all of it. the first thing he did when he got back into town was remedy that, he'd swear on it. 

i hear you coming down the stairs, so i have to wrap this up. geez, your footsteps are so loud. i love them, though. i love you, too, joel. stay safe, baby. i'll see you real soon! 

a small heart followed the last word, and his gaze lingered on it for a moment while he absorbed your letter. reading your words was like a breath of fresh air to him, letting him fill his lungs with your love even if you weren't physically there. these letters gave him the energy, the will, to continue on. to make a point to go back. 

for years, he never had anyone to return to, no one to really miss him if he were missing. he grew to accept that, felt comfortable being alone in this great, big world. he never imagined anything different, always felt he had no right wishing for something more. and now, somehow, he had two people who were eagerly anticipating his return. 

joel brushed his knuckle against the corner of his eye, collecting the small gathering of water that had collected there after finishing your letter. clearing his throat, he sat himself up against the tree, gathering his gun into his lap to be more prepared for the evening watch. he never let go of your letter, though. the feeling of rubbing it between the pads of his fingers brought him a great sense of calm. 

later, when tommy woke up to relieve joel from first watch, after he set up his sleeping bag and folded his jacket underneath him to act as a pillow, he reread your letter again and again, hearing your sweet voice in his head as he did. when he basically had it memorized, he let his hand fall to his chest. as the wind whistled through the trees, your note close to his heart, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep. 

taglist *:·ﾟ @hiroikegawa

[echantedtoon]

Ocean Deep Ch7 A Slight Change In Planning P2

"Akira?! What are you doing here?!"

Akira was here?! I'm the shop?! In front of you?! NOW?! WHY?! WASN'T HE SUPPOSED TO BE HALF WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY ATTENDING A FUNERAL?! Why was he back here?! He wasn't supposed to be back so soon?! You stared in shocked silence at the handsome man in front of you as he stared back with a lazy smile on his face. Mrs. Satoshi looked bewildered at you and it wasn't until then that you snapped out of your stupor-

"I mean-" You quickly cleared your throat and forced a smile. "Akira! It's so nice to see you again!" You smiled wider and tried to relax making you look as casual as possible. A hand coming up to rest on your cheek as your head tilted. "What brings you here? I thought you were going to help with your grandfather's estate in the city?"

He seemed surprised when you addressed him with a smile. Eyes going wide before he smiled again. "My father and uncle are still settling things. Turns out my grandfather had more debts than he let on so it's been a few weeks of settling things and paying them all back. Unfortunately my Uncle was worried about my poor Aunt so they sent me to take care of the family business here." He shrugged holding up his arms lazily. "Family drama. Am I right?"

You slowly nodded trying not to sweat under the anxiety rock dropped on your head. "Oh..How nice of you. What brings you to the shop though?"

Again he shrugged. "My aunt seems to think she lost something in your store." His dark eyes looked your form up and down before not so discreetly looking around the front of the shop behind you where a lot of the already grown plants were. "I figured I'd stop by and take a look around to ease her worries."

"Yes. About that.." Your boss rose a brow, hands on her hips as she looked at him. "She has been awfully rude to me and making demands to return something to her but refuses to tell me what exactly it is she wants. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to give something back if I never stole it in the first place and when I don't know what it is."

The man fell silent before turning his thinned smile over his shoulder at the woman. "Ah yes. As silly as it sounds, she seems to be under the impression that you took a couple...pet fish from her." Your body instantly froze. Akira chuckled a bit. "It's really a funny thought-"

"'Funny?' Young man, I don't find harassment, stalking, and being accused of theft 'funny'!"

He held up his hands immediately. "No disrespect, Mrs. Satoshi. I don't really think it's funny either. That's why I'm here to fix the issues. Auntie just gets paranoid easily. If you could just let me have a look around to ease her worries, I would be so grateful."

Mrs. Satoshi huffed staring down Akira with narrowed eyes. "I have nothing to hide!..But if it'll make her leave my store alone then go ahead!" She shooed him off. "You won't find any fish here. You can believe that."

Akira's smile only widened. "Thank you, Mrs. Satoshi. I promise you won't even know I'm here."

Your gaze followed his form as he turned on his heel and slowly walked around you towards the end of the large room. His eyes looking over everything with the calculation of a fine artist and his head slowly turning from side to side. You both watched him walk until he got to the end of the room until he stood in front of the closet door before he gave a small rotation of his shoulders- Without warning the door was yanked open by him so fast that it made you both flinch. He stood there a long moment looking at a broom, mop bucket, a few extra plants pots- CREAK. The door was slowly closed before his body turned back on both of you. Face neutral..Until his eyes turned to a second doorway that lead to the greenhouse connected to the shop and where all of the supplies and everything else was stored. A smirk was given towards both of you before he turned again hands in his pockets. Step after step your heads followed as he walked right up to the door and smirked at it. At you both like he won something. Before the door was quickly opened in the same fashion as the first...You saw when his smirk turned to surprise seeing nothing but rows of growing plants, stacks of fertilizer bags, and such other things-

"Well I hope you're satisfied with your little hide and seek game." Mrs. Satoshi frowned upon him before pointing out the front door to him. "Now I'm sure there's not going to be anymore trouble since clearly I don't have whatever Ms. Henya wants."

Akira stood silent for a moment before inhaling slowly and giving a stiff smile back her way. "Indeed. I guess my aunt is getting a bit confused in her old age." The door was stiffly closed. "You'll forgive us for all the trouble you endured."

"I think it'd just be best if you leave." She never stopped pointing at the door. After a few  more seconds Akira stiffly walked his way to the door. "And tell Ms. Henya she still owes me a hundred for the rose bushes. If she doesn't want to pay, then she has until the end of this month to return them before I come to collect."

Akira said nothing to that, only walking to the door creepily silent and boring his eyes into your boss's. You turned your head to look at her too to avoid looking at heim in fear he'd see any guilt on your face. Keep calm. Act casual. Don't show anything that could give you away. You didn't dare look away from the scowling face of your boss until the little bell  above the door rang out signalling he had left. A breath you were holding escaped your mouth and your body felt like a wet rag dunked in ice. 

"Good riddance. I don't know what's gotten into that family but whatever it is they had better straighten themselves out." Your boss huffed and turned to grab a small tree sapling with a bag tied around it's roots. "Y/n, come help me with these apple tree saplings. Ruki Arago will be here any minute to collect them."

"Y-Yeah. Sure."

This was bad. This was definitely, ABSOLUTELY BAD! It's one thing to have a crazy old woman skulking around looking for a trio of mermaids, but now you have to worry about Akira also stalking the town?! And on top of that there was the matter of your entire plan being thrown out the window. If the rivers were overrun with fishermen desperate to escape the terror of the sea, then it'd be too dangerous to just release them into said river. It was starting to look like the only real option was to take them to the sea directly and release them there. 

But...HOW?! 

You had no horse. No wagon. No nothing. And it's not like you could just carry them all the way there! They were a lot heavier than they looked, and it would be way to far! Not to mention it was at least a month on foot and two weeks by horse. You didn't have enough food for you and three mermaids. You weren't sure what you were going to do but you couldn't just keep them in your bathhouse forever. It wasn't good for them in the long run and sooner or later someone was bound to find them. Then it would be all over. Until then you decided to just continue on with what you've been doing for now and hopefully things would be better soon. 

"Thanks for your purchase, Y/n. It's always good to see you again. Try to stop by more often. Ok?"

The young woman smiled at you and you smiled back at her taking the small hunk of meat wrapped up in paper. "Thanks, Takano. Is there any meat scraps or chunks ready to be thrown out available?"

She nodded her pretty brunette hair matching her eyes. "Yep! Just like you asked. You're the only ones that wants all that stuff. It's a few days old." She grimaces scrunching up her face in disgust. "I dunno why anyone would bother."

"Well it's not bad, and if you cook it it'll still be fine to eat."

Takano cringed harder, sticking out her tongue in a yuck way. "Not for me! I'd rather die than let that meat touch my mouth." Shaking her head the brunette backed away pointing behind her. "I'll go get it, but it's on you to haul it away yourself."

"That's fine. Saves you all the trouble of getting rid of it yourself."

She gave you a strange look but left quickly. Once she was far away enough you sighed and reached a hand up to run your temples. How pitiful. Scraping up scrapes and scrounging for hand outs and anything else you can get your hands on just to feed yourself and three extra mouths. You weren't sure how much longer you could just put up with this stressful way of living. A scraping noise sounded out as a large basket was dragged along the floor nearly overflowing with what looked like random parts of meat. Steaks, a chicken leg or two, a few fish cutlets, ribs- Everyone else around you took a moment to stop and stare as Yuki dragged it slowly one foot at a time over to where you were standing. With a final grunt and a look of disgust she dropped it off at your feet. Embarrassment washed over your figure in waves feeling everyone stare at you like a spectacle. You didn't entirely blame them. You'd probably stare too if you saw someone just drag off days old scraps like a poor begger who couldn't afford anything. With an embarrassed and shameful feeling, you just shoved the fresh package of meat you bought on top before just grabbing onto the large handle and pulled- Holy crap! This thing was heavy. One pull up barely lifted it off the ground! What ended up happening was you struggling to pick it up a few inches off the ground, and shamelessly waddling steps towards the door. 

"Come again, Y/n!"

Yeah. Knowing how much those mermaids eat, you'd definitely be back for any more scraps. You continued waddle-walking in shame towards the doorway ignoring everyone else around you. As soon  as you got home, you had to cook up ALL of this before it did actually go bad. Waddling more and more towards the door you had gotten to it and kicked it open only to slam it partially into someone.

"Ow!", a man's voice shouted out.

"I'm so sorry!" You looked up. "I didn't mean-.." You froze. Staring at the person in front of you in horror. "Akira?!"

Akira hissed reaching one arm down to rub where the door made contact with his leg, but stopped when he saw you. He stared at you, looked at the basket awkwardly in your hands, then back to you...And then smiled. "Well..If it isn't the pretty flower lady?~ Fancy running into you here."

Darn it all! Why'd you have to run into the last person you wanted to see now?! Ever since his little visit three days ago, everything seemed to have settled down somewhat. Mrs. Henya hadn't been around since then, but you still had that awful sinking feeling. And now you had the misfortune of running into him here. Great. There was no way he didn't know about the mermaids his family imprisoned and was planning on doing who knows what with them! It made you just dislike him that much more.

"Oh. Sorry, Akira," you apologized politely keeping your true feelings hidden. "Excuse me. I need to get this all home."

You made to nudge past him but a hand on your basket and him leaning in way too close for comfort stopped you. "Now what are you doing with all this meat?" He rose a brow and smiled wider at you. "A healthy appetite for such a young lady.~"

"I-..I'm going to dry most of this for the wint-ter," you lied giving a tug on the basket, "With the lost revenue and things being so tough lately, it's good to think ahead." 

He hummed. "I agree. That's smart thinking. But you look to be struggling you poor thing. Such a delicate lady isn't used to carrying so much weight. Let me help you.~" With one yank he was easily able to lift the basket out of your hands and up into the air away from your outstretched arms. 

"What?!" Your stomach dropped in horror. "No. Really it's fine-" You went to grab it-

He held it farther from your reach. "I insist.~ You need a hand being a delicate flower.~"

You wanted to argue. Maybe kick him where the sun didn't shine and make a run for it. But there was a crowd of people around you. It might look suspicious to suddenly be hostile to Akira, and then your friends -

"....Thank you." You gritted you teeth outwardly annoyed however your face didn't seem to detour the smiling man. 

"After you, Flower.~"

You visibly cringed at the nickname. What followed was the most awkward walk of your life. You stiffly walked the ten minutes from the butcher's to your house looking straight ahead and not saying anything to the man walking next to you. The entire time you felt Akira's eyes boring holes into your head the entire way back. You never felt more relieved than you did seeing your front door so close to you. You stopped in front of the door and turned to him so suddenly it caught him off guard from the sappy, Dopey lovestruck look he was giving you the entire time. 

"We're here." The basket was yanked from from him, making you stumble from the weight all of the sudden in your hands, but you firmly pulled it towards you. "Thank you for your..help but I can take it from here. You can leave now."

He blinked. "Oh. I can help you bring that in y'know-"

"No thanks." Using a foot, you slid the door open before stepping back and dragging the large nearly overflowing basket in before standing back up in the doorway to stare at him. "You can go now. Have a good day,  Akira." You made to close the door. 

"WAIT!!" His sudden shout startled you into jumping and looking at him as he shuffled. "Look. I know we don't know each other a whole lot but I got a lot to offer." He started holding up a hand and rubbing his neck with the other as you just stared. "My family has a good business and I come from a pretty successful line."

"Akira, what are you getting at with this?"

"Would you possibly consider a marriage with me?" You stared at him. Mind going a blank as he hopefully smiled at you. 

"After what I've seen of your family?" You frowned at him harder. "Akira you of all men are THE farthest thing I'd ever want my husband to be. We are never going to be compatible. You should look elsewhere if you want to find a wife. Try Old Lady Rayko. She's a matchmaker after all. Now if you excuse me, I have a lot of meat to cook before it goes bad."

His shocked face was met with the door closing in his face and the distant sounds of grunts and a large basket being dragged away from the door. Three heads looked at each other in the next few rooms over shuffling in frustration.

"HOW DARE HE?! HE'S GOING TO TAKE Y/N AWAY AND WE'RE NEVER GONNA SEE HER AGAIN!!"

"Pipe down snails for brains! Do you want her to hear us eavesdropping?!"

Suma whined when Makio shoved her head underwater to shush her cries. Hinatsuru sighed again shaking her head and making her sparkly earrings away. 

"Now stop that. If you don't stop fighting, then she'll really hear you."

"HE CAN'T HAVE HER!! HE'S CRUEL AND DOESN'T DESERVE HER!!" Suma pouted sticking her cheeks out.

"I agree." Makio stunned them both with her sudden agreement but she pointed at them. "What? It's not like you two weren't thinking the same thing for a few weeks now. Let's just take her with us."

"Well there's an underlying problem with that."

"What's the problem? We all like her don't we?"

Hinatsuru sighed harder. "Well here's the thing. You both like her. I like her. But the question is will Kyojuro and more importantly Lord Tengen like her?" 

Both fell silent at that.. before Suma spoke up. "I'm sure they will! We just have to get them to meet her first! Tengen is sure to love her! She's 'flashy'!" 

Neither of the others had time to answer her when footsteps approached and a moment later you opened the door with a smile. "Hey. Dinner's going to be a little late tonight since I have to cook it, but on the bright side I have enough food to last you three for the next three days. I just wanted to let you know."

Hinatsuru smiled brightly at you. Unbeknownst to you the scheming they were going to have that night. "Sounds wonderful. Thank you."

You were quickly running out of food at this rate. The only things left in your pantry was jars of jelly and pickled vegetables and soon those will be gone too especially since it turns out Suma really liked downing jelly from your jars with how sweet it was. The scraps and leftovers you managed to scrape up will help you but not in the long run. Not with the shortage of everything thanks to that merman driving everyone away and making prices rise and everyone panic. Just this morning you saw a family packing up to move away from the seemingly doomed town. And all of this was the fault of the Henyas. Their greedy actions weren't just hurting your friends but the entire town of innocent people too. Something had to be done soon. You just weren't sure what yet.

"I'm going to go fish in the nearby river." You announced one day to the three. "There's probably not a lot of everyone else is fishing in there already, but I'll probably be able to catch enough for you to eat."

"Alright. I feel a storm in the air. Be careful and come back before the storm hits."

[v3nusxsky]

Hiii there I have 2 sheathings . Could I do a request for ‘it’s so cute when you…’ (or smth along those lines) with 7 and/or 5? With little!reader (if you still do that) x Larissa x Marilyn. Where reader has just had a really good and very productive day and Larissa and Marilyn are feeling soft as reader rambles? Second question could I claim the 🌻 anon?

Safe place

*Authors note~ welcome 🌻 anon! I’ve missed writing Agere sm so thank you for joining the clan of anons and for this request*

Trigger warnings ~ Agere, little r x Marilyn x Larissa. Momma Larissa, auntie Mari, nice Marilyn :), r is obsessed with Taylor swift music

Prompt ~see ask^^^

“Momma will be back soon bug.” Marilyn’s voice seemed to carry around the greenhouse. You loved to be in the room as she tended to her plants. Although you couldn’t touch every petal due to Marilyn’s rules, they were still pretty to look at. Often, Marilyn would play music as she worked which you loved. You loved working with auntie Mari when momma was busy. Luckily for you, when you regressed into a meeting with the principal due to stress she immediately took you under her wing. She absolutely adored her role as your caregiver but with all the strain of keeping Nevermore afloat she struggled with the idea of you alone, vulnerable and well scared.

So that’s how with your permission, Marilyn was let in on the little secret. She readily agreed to help in any way she could. If you couldn’t find one of them, you would be able to find the other. Both women loved to spend time with you in any mindset but Marilyn had to admit there was something special about being “aunty Mari” to you.

“My knuckles were bruised like violets” her unmistakable voice drifted around the room causing you to immediately gasp with excitement. This happened to be one of your favourite songs despite not understanding the lyrics in this headspace. “Oh gosh you are a little cutie when you get so excited at something so much, you start jumping up and down. Gonna dance with me bug?”

“Mari! Mari n me dance!” You giggled running to take the red heads hand, your dress swaying gently with your pace. She was more than happy to just sway with you as your little smile lit the room up.

We can plant a memory garden,

Beautiful flowers in a variety of vibrant colours sprouted from the walls, clearly your ability wasn’t so easily controlled in this state.

Say a solemn prayer; place a poppy in my hair

With an unpracticed ease, Marilyn reached over to grab the flower that lay on her work station before slipping it just behind your ear. Causing you to give her a bright smile as the song continued.

There’s no morning glory, it was war, it wasn’t fair

And we will never go back to that bloodshed crimson clover

Uh-huh, the worst was over

My hand was the one you reached for

You couldn’t help but pout when the song ended as you knew it meant Marilyn needed to work and you wouldn’t continue making your pictures at the desk. But wanting to be good like you promised you would be you settle back down relatively quickly.

Minutes turned into hours before Larissa could finally escape the board meeting and back to her girl. The walk to the conservatory was longer than she remembered. The gentle waves of music hit the blonde first, it wasn’t uncommon for Marilyn to work to music. She stated it helped her feel more connected to the plants which always made the blonde chuckle. But this very specific musician had to be your pick. If there’s one thing she knew, her girl loved Taylor swift no matter what headspace she’s in.

Casually peaking around the doorframe, she saw Marilyn in her own world tending to some white roses and you sat at her desk, tongue out as you focused on the paper before you. Both the occupational were humming along to the music and clearly not noticing the extra presence. A rare moment to bask in the adorable sight before her, Larissa couldn’t help but smile.

The moment you spotted the woman, you were out of the chair and barrelling into her legs with your body. “Mommaaaaaaa” you squealed happily as she scooped you up into her arms. “Hello to you too my darling. Did you have fun with Mari?” One innocent sweet kiss pressed to your cheek as you launched into recounting every detail of your day. Rambles of the songs, the flowers, your drawings and dancing filled the room. Both the other women couldn’t help but lovingly watch you explain every last detail. Truly, they were lucky to have you in their lives.

"Oh darling, you’re just so adorable when start babbling without realising. Momma loves to hear her girl all happy." Larissa murmured ruffling your hair slightly before setting you on the ground with slightly flushed cheeks.

All I know, this morning when I woke

Is I know something now, know something now,

I didn’t before

“Momma! This our song!” You exclaimed excitedly, “dance momma. Dance.” You held your hand out to the principal causing Marilyn to chuckle, “your turn Ris isn’t that right bug? Momma should have a dance with you.” As if she could say no, the little look on your face was simply too cute for words. With ease, she strides over to you scooping you up and placing you on her hip. You instantly snuggled into her warmth, your head settling into her neck. “Mari dance” you whined into her soft skin causing Larissa to silently invite the red head to join you. The three of you swayed to song after song, soaking in the moment of peace. Little did you know this was the start of something beautiful for you all.

Word count~ 874

[writings-of-a-demigod]

It was your first day in Hogwarts and you’re trying to figure out where exactly are your classes. You ended up asking some other students to help you with the direction of your first two classes but now you had Herbology and for the life of you. You couldn’t find where it was this place is huge and has so many turns so settle with asking someone.

“Excuse me could you tell me where exactly is the herbology class?” you ask the girl in Gryffindor attire with curly hair, she was talking to the two boys with her.

“Of course, you go down there and it’s on your left you will see the greenhouses area.” She pointed to the stairs on the other side of the hall.

You smiled at her “Thank you and sorry to bother you.”

“Not a problem at all don’t worry about it.” She smiled back.

“Hey you’re the new transfer student right?” asked the redhead boy.

“Umm yes I am.” You introduced yourself “I’m Y/n L/n.”

“Nice to meet you.” The girl shook your hand “I’m Hermione Granger.”

“I’m Ron Weasley.” The redhead said.

“And I’m Harry Potter.” Said the boy with the dark hair and glasses.

“We’re actually have Herbology next class we could walk with you.” Harry told you.

“Oh I don’t want to trouble you.” You replied.

“It’s not a trouble at all, we are going in the same direction.” Ron said.

While walking to class you four kept talking and getting to know each other.

*gif not mine*

[vinylfoxbooks]

May 2 - Anthurium | @moonchaser-microfic | wc: 806 First Part Love, hospitality, and good luck The number six represents cooperation, harmony, and compassion

“He’s just so pretty, mum, and I want to talk to him more but…” 

“He seems like the type of person to keep to himself?” Effie hums, smiling at them. James nods as they finally manage to pull up the weed they’ve been battling with and Effie laughs softly, “That’s how Fleamont felt about me.”

“You guys never lived next to each other.” 

The woman shakes her head, “No, but he and I kept running into each other in our complex and he really wanted to talk to me, so you know what he did.” 

“I feel like you’ve told me before.” 

“We probably have,” she hums, her grin widening, “But, one day he learned that I liked gardening but didn’t have the money to get nice plant pots or soil, so he brought me a potted flower. That was the first time we properly talked and I invited him into my flat so I could put it in my room and keep talking to him.”

“Were you still living with tio?” 

“I was, and he was pissed when he found out I invited a random man who brought me flowers into our flat,” she laughs softly, “but he got used to Flea being around.” 

James nods, smiling at her fond, faraway look at the memory, before they hum, “So you think I should bring him flowers?” 

“You said he has a rose bush, right? One that looked well-taken care of?” James nods, so Effie pushes on, “I think that may imply he has the capability of taking care of plants, may even enjoy it.” 

“What flower should I give him?” 

Effie hums and sits back, dusting her gloves on her gardening apron, taking a moment to look around the greenhouse before she finally pushes herself up and walks over to her bed of anthuriums. James pushes themself up as well as Effie pulls her shovel out from her apron and goes to unroot a couple, “Can you grab me a pot and some soil?” James nods and heads over to the far wall where they keep the gardening things and picks out a nice pot and places it on their table, grabbing some soil and starting to fill the pot while Effie finishes fighting with the roots of the flowers and carries a bundle of six anthuriums to the table and the two of them get to work with potting the flowers. 

When they’re finished, Effie grabs one of her watering cans and spray bottles and waters the soil then mists the flowers and leaves, then she hands the pot to James, who smiles at her, “I’ll probably leave it here while we work on the garden, then I’ll take it.” Effie nods and the two of them get back to work, talking about when she’ll run the flowers over to the shops they work with and updating each other on their lives. 

When the two of them are done in the garden, James takes the potted anthuriums as they both head into the house to get cleaned up and settle down for lunch. 

And, at the end of the day, James takes the potted plant as they leave their parents’ house and heads back to their flat.

They don’t get to give the flowers to Remus that day, as they choose to just remain in their own space for the rest of the day, but a couple days later, James and Remus end up on their balconies once more. James is sitting quietly, music playing into an earbud and their crochet hook sitting comfortably in their hand, their current project in the other, when Remus comes out and settles in his chair, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and fishing for one. 

“Good evening,” James hums, not turning to look over at him yet, just watching their smooth hand movements.

“Evenin’” Remus hums, a slight Welsh accent coming out in the words.

“I have something for you.” They smile, finally finishing with their row and setting everything on the table then rushing inside to grab the potted anthuriums from the nearby table and bring it out. They walk over to the edge of their balcony, grateful that the space between the two is minimal, and handing it over to him when he stands up and meets them, “They’re anthuriums.” 

“Thank you,” Remus says, quiet, “but why?” 

James shrugs with one shoulder, “I figure since you have such a nice rose bush, you enjoy taking care of plants. I was with my mum, helping her tend to her garden, and they’re good welcoming gifts so…”

“I’ve been here for almost two weeks.” 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t give you a welcome gift.” 

Remus nods, though he seems at a loss for words as he stares down at the flowers, “I- thank you, really.” 

“It’s no problem.”

Next Part

[lockpicnic]

something old, something new, something stolen, something blue

It's the dream of so many young women, and yet she can't help but believe she wants it more than anyone else.

Even at a young age her one true dream was to marry a wealthy man. Nobility preferred, but not required as long as he had the cash. She had a lot of mouths to feed after all, and the line of work the Yngvi siblings once found themselves in didn’t always cut it. Marriage was simply for convenience in her mind— something a cute girl could use to get her way. Rarely did she think about whether or not they’d really love each other.

But that didn’t stop her from dreaming of that fairytale wedding, being walked down the aisle by a father she never knew the face of with a wide grin on her face. The man waiting for her at the altar has no discernible features, and yet the way she looks at him is as if he was the only man in the world.

Every morning after that dream she could hardly remember the details, save for the image of a ribbon from her hair dancing in the wind.

———

Even as she fought during the war the idea of getting married never left her mind. A Prince like Shannan or Seliph would have done nicely (she would’ve considered the others too if they weren’t so…preoccupied with women of their own— she was a thief, but that didn’t make her a monster who would steal someone else’s man), but they never seemed to even glance in her direction unless she called for their attention first.

Yet the dreams of marriage persisted. This time her mother (at least, the mother she knew from the tales,) was brushing her hair, telling her just how proud she was of her. It was one of her favourite dreams at the time, always ending with her mother stepping away from the vanity to reveal a beautiful wedding dressed made just for her. It looked straight out of a fairytale!

Perhaps that was why it only belonged in her dreams.

———

Her arrival in Fódlan only made the thought of marriage grow more and more invasive, noble men from continents she’s never heard of finding themselves in the exact same halls as a girl like her. How could resist such a golden opportunity? It didn’t matter if her grades were poor— bagging a rich husband meant there was no need for any sort of formal education!

So when a travelling wedding boutique first arrived in town she knew she had to go and look at it for herself. Even if she didn’t have any suitors yet it was never too early to window shop! While all the dresses were gorgeous, the veils were what truly stood out to the thief. Never did she think they could come in so many different styles!

That night she dreamt of her brother. He teases her as always, but the teasing soon ends in kind words. He’s proud of her for settling down, and those words alone leave her in tears (and with wet cheeks once she woke up). Before she could react a veil is placed on her head, one with flowers adorning the crown, and he wishes her good luck with her new husband.

The next day she returns to the boutique before they close, stashing an exact veil inside of her bag. It’s fine— they probably wouldn’t miss it.

———

Rarely did Patty busy herself with gardening anymore. Out of all the little domestic hobbies she’s picked up it was by far her worst one, but something about the greenhouse felt more calming in the last few months. Blue and white flowers sprout from the earth, shining under the sun’s rays.

“They’d look cute in a vase— ooo, or maybe a bouquet!” She spoke to herself, imagining the arrangement she could make with the patches of flowers. For most brides it would probably be a little too plain…but the longer she stared at them, the more and more perfect her imaginary bouquet grew. “And maybe I could get one of the big blue ones on my dress to spice it up— give it a lil splash of colour!”

It had been awhile since she last thought of her dream wedding. She always thought her wedding would become more of a priority as she grew older…but it turned out that the older you got, the more things you had to worry about. That didn’t mean that she didn’t like to sit and day dream about it still, however.

She could especially envision just how it would look now: it would be held in Yngvi, the courtyard decorated to the nines! Of course the orphans would be there too, all cleaned up and ready to be her flower boys and girls! Febail would be there, just like how he was in her dream…though, maybe it would be him walking her down the aisle? Or would that job have to go to Uncle Andrei instead? It didn’t really matter in the end, so long as they were both attending.

“…Or maybe I’ll end up meetin’ some bad boy and eloping.” She couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. Now that would have Andrei cross…but it didn’t really matter how it happened, right? So long as she was someone’s blushing bride she would be happy!

The thief slowly rises from her spot, eyes trailing from the patches of flowers to where the Lady-of-Mourning once grew.

“It don’t matter how I get it or who I get it with…I know I’m gonna get my happily ever after soon!”

Patty has mastered Bride!

[emeritus-fuckers]

Hi! 👋 sending this for the match-up event

1. Identity

I use She/her pronouns, I’m pansexual, I do tend to have a soft spot for broken/villain characters, I’m 24 years old

2. Love my four papas ❤️✨

3. I love a gothic and fall aesthetic (everyday should be Halloween 🎃), im more or slightly more on the chubbier side of the scale, I’m 5’1, olive skin, dark hair and brown eyes

4. 100000% introvert, super affectionate with my friends (we live for cuddles), somewhat traumatic past in romantic relationships (but I’m in a better place now), I consider myself passionate and kind

5. I love to read, rock music, gardening, I make amigurumis (crochet), and I’m learning about the Wicca culture, I speak Spanish, English, so I can grasp the idea of some Italian words and sentences

I have 4 tattoos (dragonfly in my left shoulder, 4 roses and a & sign with lyrics of Of mice and men in my right side rib, 2 koi fish making a circle in my upper thigh and a flower crown eve in a crayon style 2cm above my left ankle) I also love to watch series and movies 🎥 🍿

This post is part of the 1000 followers match up event. Entries for the event are now closed.

Your match is...Papa Emeritus III

You caught Terzo's eye a few months earlier while he was still performing as the frontman of Ghost. He had intended to speak to you in the garden, and give you a rose from Primo's greenhouse. Sadly he never got the chance as he was dragged of stage at the end of that tour.

After that he just didn't have it in him. He still saw you and he yearned to speak you. But he just felt so deflated and embrassed. He wasn't even really Papa anymore in his eyes. Terzo sat on a bench in the garden head in his hands.

"Terzo" Primo sunk down next to him "you are still a Papa" The man just seemed to read his mind. "But she is perfect for you. She helps me in the garden sometimes. She is kind and passionate, you'd really like her."

"hmm" Terzo just muttered and looked up in time to see you walking past with a bag full of leaves you'd swept up. Its a beautiful crisp fall morning with orange and red leaves falling all around. Nihil hobbles past, shaking his head at Terzo which only annoys him more. So in that moment Terzo decides to finally go and talk to you.

Later that day you are sat crocheting in the cozy cafe when someone settles down on the sofa next to you. "Sorry err to disturb you cara" You look over to see Terzo sat there leg crossed over the other casually drinking an esspresso. He has the confident smile plastered on his face, but you can see in his eyes he is nervous. "I wondered if you would want to come with me to a meal tonight... it would be nice no?"

You agree and even though he is much quieter than usual at the start he soon opens up. You end up talking a lot about movies and TV series. He also admires that you can speak multiple languages and he offers to teach you Italian if you want to learn.

Whenever he is with you, he is much brighter, it's like the fires of hell have finally reignited in his eyes. He is very respctful and charming around you. He is very open and honest with you, for him he finally has a partner he can confide in and be himself with. He is very understanding about your past, you can talk to him about it anytime. He will do everything he can to try and help you to heal further and to make sure he doesn't do anything that could remind you of that past.

One evening he asks about your tattoos, he is really facinated by them. As you tell him the stories behind them he lightly traces his fingers over them.

~

Written by Nyx

[bastiansurvives]

"Soup is always a comfort, isn't it?" And in this place, comfort was something they all needed. As much as Bastian wanted to feed the town with healthy, nutritious options, comfort foods were also rather high on his list. But of course, he worked with whatever he was given. The greenhouses was one of the most important structures in their town as far as Bastian was concerned - and Mia happened to have settled down there and been tending to the supply of freshly grown vegetables of her own volition since.

"What have you brought this time?" he inquires with a soft smile on his lips as she tucks into the stew, his attention shifting over to what she had placed on the table top nearby. A few good looking potatoes, some leeks - yes, these would go together nicely as well.

"Thanks for bringing these over, Mia. These will be put to good use." He looks back over to her, giving just a brief cursory glance to ensure she is still in one piece, more or less. "How have things been over at the greenhouse? Hopefully keeping you busy..." And keeping her mind off the world that felt like it was ending around them all. "Did you go to that...Settlement...thing?"

It was hard for Mia to be certain how long she'd been trapped in this town. She'd done her best to keep a tally in the greenhouse, but once hitting month two, it had to be given up. The more tallies, the easier hopelessness sank in, and there was no time for that. Bastian was one of the first people Mia met after he made his way into the greenhouse for herbs and vegetables. Their first encounter scared the shit out of her, but in the long run she'd grown thankful for it. After harboring years of parental issues, equal parts her mother and father, his entire aura managed to create just the spark she needed. So, of course, when the power was out and being alone creeped her out too much, the diner was the place to be.

She didn't come empty-handed; a few potatoes and leeks had sprouted, and if anyone could make the perfect soup, it was Bastian. Before Mia could even comment on how good it smelled, he was already offering a bowl. "When have I ever turned down..." She sniffed the bowl once more and smiled softly. "Stew, ohh, you must be reading my mind. I've been in a soup mood, and so I brought some ingredients." Placing her bounty on the nearest table, she then took the bowl from his hands and sipped from the spoon.

"So much better than a cup of ramen, that was my specialty back home."

[dino-fart]

Hi!!! I have a request for a Joel Miller fic where him and Ellie r settled and he meets reader who is a school teacher in Jackson

Oooo!!

You were a nurse and a botanist. You worked at a research facility partnered with a hospital. You were helping research various herbs and remedies that could help either cure the Cordyceps infection or at the very least slow it down. Alas, you found none and that led to the chaos and the near extinction of mankind. That is until you got to the Jackson settlement and you were amazed at how the place looked like it used to before the outbreak. 

You had met with Tommy and his wife, Maria, sweet and caring people. You told them of your previous occupation and expected to be stationed at the clinic. But your expertise in botany made them choose a different path for you. You now found yourself in a school, teaching botany and nursing. 

You had a set schedule, two days a week you taught students ranging from 6 years old to 10 years old. Two other days you taught students ranging from 13 to 21 years old. One day you taught the adults. Needless to say, you were kept busy, but you liked it. You felt like you were giving hope to this settlement. The more knowledge you gave them, the better chances they would have surviving their missions. You hoped at least. 

Today, you were wearing a yellow sundress, black ballet flats, and a white sunhat. Your hair was done in a front dutch braid. You stood in the greenhouse waiting for your students to arrive. You wanted to teach the young students (13 years - 21 years) about what herbs to eat and how to check if some fruit are ripe enough to eat. You had heard a new student was joining you, you didn’t know much about her, just that Tommy insisted she joined the class. 

You smiled widely seeing the students walk in chipper and happy. It was nice to see your students this way, it reminded you of life before. You were about to begin the class when a brunette haired teenager walked in shyly. “Ah, you must be...Ellie, right?” You smiled warmly and approached her. The girl nodded and shuffled her feet a little. She looked at the other students then back at you. You could tell she was nervous. “There’s nothing to worry about Ellie, we’re all here to learn. If you have any questions, please ask.” You put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. 

The girl gave you a small smile and nodded. You began class and enjoyed seeing Ellie becoming more comfortable around the others so quickly. At the end of class, the parents came in to get the kids and some kids left, except Ellie. You were cleaning up the herbs and looked over at her. “Is Tommy coming to get you?” You asked softly. 

“Nah, Joel should be here soon. He’s talking to some people...Is it okay if I stay here until he comes?” She asked. 

You nodded and sat down by a few potted plants. You began trimming the leaves and examining the soil. Ellie walked over to you and sat next to you, she watched what you were doing. “It’s good to trim the leaves that are overgrown to keep the plant healthy and growing. You have to check the soil too.” You said finishing your work. 

“Is it true you’re a nurse as well?” 

“Yes I am, I teaching nursing to all my students, how to clean a wound, how to bandage one, and how to stitch.” 

“That’s cool.” Ellie smiled. 

You smiled back at the girl then looked up when you saw a tall and gruff man in a flannel shirt walk in. 

“There you are Ellie.” He said. 

Ellie turned and smiled, “Hey Joel! Guess what! I learned what not to eat in the wilderness, short answer don’t eat anything that looks delicious!” 

Joel cracked a small smile, “I could’ve told you that.” 

“Yeah but you would just say ‘Because I told you so Ellie’! At least she explains why.” Ellie mimicked Joel right down to the posture. You chuckled softly at the interaction. 

“Is that what I sound like?” Joel raised a brow. 

“All the time.” Ellie smirked. 

“Come on now, you’re embarrassing me in front of the pretty lady.” Joel shook his head. 

“You don’t need my help with that.” Ellie smirked. 

“Get outside, you little shit.” Joel scolded. 

Ellie stuck her tongue out to him and turned to you, “See you tomorrow, teach?” 

“Don’t get into too much trouble.” You chuckled. Ellie left the greenhouse but Joel stayed put. You smiled at him kindly, “Your daughter is sweet, spunky but sweet.” You stood up, dusting off your dress. 

“She’s...Something.” Joel smirked.

You now approached Joel and extended your hand. You introduced yourself and Joel did the same and shook your hand. “Ah, you’re Tommy’s brother...How did I not see it?” You looked him over. 

“Excuse me?” Joel indulged. 

“Tommy described you as scary, gruff, brooding, and silent.” You nodded. Joel just let out a huff. “He did forget to mention that you were handsome.” You grinned. 

Joel met your gaze to see any hint of dishonesty. When he found none, he could feel his cheeks get warm. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself, darlin’.” Joel smiled at you. 

“I know, you called me pretty a few minutes ago.” You winked.

Joel’s smile grew and the tint of pink began to show on his cheeks. 

“Joel! Are you coming?!” Ellie shouted from outside. 

“I better go before she starts throwing rocks.” Joel sighed softly. 

You nodded and went on your tip toes to kiss his cheek, “Have a good night, Joel.” 

Joel blushed more and looked at you softly, “You have a good night as well, teach. If you need anything, I’m your man.” 

You smiled sweetly, “Yes sir.” You watched him walk out of the greenhouse, almost bumping into the door when he was saying bye to you. You giggled softly and your fingers began to play with the locks of your hair. 

You couldn’t wait to see him again.

Tagging: @leonkennedyslefthand, @stewardofningishzida, @icytrickster17, @onlinecemetery, @marki-moo0, @absolute-not-original, @creamecafe, @scrubb, @nightingal3-tales, @alliethedaydreamer, @strangesthirdeye, @deliciousfestsalad, @alex-33, @zombiedixon89, @sunnsettee, @kiaradaniell, @freyafriggafrey, @criticalroleobssedperson, @avengersfan25, @lunamoonbby, @androgynouspersonapricotfan, @foxcantswim, @namorkawaiiwife, @starkiller-queen, @kyuupidwrites, @luciamajer, @renatas10, @ayamenimthiriel, @gaiagurl05, @dipsylou, @pinkthick, @hansai, @andywinter16, @iambored24601, @3-cheese-tortellini, @cumbrbatchbenedict

[taetaespeaches]

“We have terrible luck with picnics.”

seokjin x reader (oc) genre: fluff; suggestive word count: 3.3K

a/n: Hi lovelies! I’ve always been obsessed with Jin, this is nothing new, it’s not a secret, but lately this man has been taking over!!! So here’s a little something spicier in which Jin and reader/Poopsie just can’t seem to control their desire for each other while they’re supposed to be picking strawberries. Jin and Poopsie can’t seem to have a picnic without it being interrupted by rain- but they don’t seem to mind that too much either. Oh, and Hobi and Petal make an appearance. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy! :)) 

Looking up to the sky, you observed how the dark heavy clouds had enclosed the farm in its ominous shadow. Before you could even say anything to the man who sat across from you on the soft picnic blanket, a raindrop fell onto your cheek. Brushing the wet spot with your fingers, your gaze found Jin’s, the man already staring at you with wide eyes.

“I told you-”

“It’s not even raining bad yet,” he defended himself, cutting you off.

“Rain has been on the forecast all week,” you giggled as he grinned guiltily. A raindrop plopped onto the tip of his nose, making you smile fondly as the man attempted to ignore it. “Jin,” you called for his attention as he searched through the basket for something to eat.

“It’s going to blow over,” he insisted, pulling out a container of something he had packed for the picnic.

“You’ve said that before, you know,” you reminded him of your first attempt at a picnic several months ago. It was the first and only picnic you and Jin had ever been on before this one, and it ended in the same way with a thunderstorm drenching you both and sending you rushing back to your apartment. As the man huffed, you watched his shoulders slump in defeat, an adorable pout forming on his mouth. “Let’s just go back to the greenhouse, the others will be here soon, anyway.”

A few weeks earlier, Jin suggested strawberry picking as a double date with Hoseok and his girlfriend. Your boyfriend’s uncle owned a farm so it made sense to use it as a cute location for a double date. Due to a school deadline, however, Hoseok’s girlfriend couldn’t come until later in the afternoon so you decided to drive separately, Jin stating, “it will be nice to have some time alone with you out there.” His plan was to have a picnic with you before the other two arrived, making the weather all the more unfortunate.

Noting the disappointment your boyfriend displayed, you halted him from repacking the basket by standing on your knees and draping your arms over his shoulders, folding them over the back of his neck. The earthy scent that had enveloped you in the humid air was quickly replaced with the woody yet honeyed sweet scent of Jin’s fig-based cologne. As he looked at you in confusion, you lowered your lips to his nose, leaving a soft peck to the bridge of it.

“Thank you for planning this,” you whispered, just before pressing another gentle kiss to his cheek. His hands settled on the ruffled hem of your sundress, the backs of your thighs instantly craving the touch of his palms without the flimsy cotton barrier. “I’m sorry it’s not working out how you wanted.” Teasingly, you placed your lips to the side of his mouth, smiling at the way Jin’s lips curved upwards slightly. “I appreciate it anyway.”

Losing his patience, Jin turned his face to capture your mouth in a needy kiss, his hands grabbing your waist and squeezing before one traveled down the side of your thigh. As the kiss became more heated, Jin’s plush lips working magically against your own, his hands made swift movements in pulling you against him, just before laying you down on your back. Hovering over you, his lips traveled across your jaw and neck, your hands greedily grabbing at his broad shoulders, wanting more of him.

You got your wish when Jin’s hand traveled down your bare thigh before moving back up on the inside of your leg, pushing your sundress up as he went. Biting your bottom lip at him, you appreciated the way he smirked. “You look so good in pink,” Jin told you, sincerity on his tongue but a ferocity in his eyes. It was so easy to want each other. Always craving more and more. Before he could make another move, however, the pace of the rainfall started speeding up, your face becoming increasingly wet as Jin’s broad back caught most of the drops that would have landed on your body.

Trying to blink through the rain, you frowned when Jin started laughing. “We better get inside,” he told you, sitting up before offering a hand out to you to help you up.

“Fucking rain,” you huffed, Jin only chuckling more at your reaction.

By the time you made it into the greenhouse full of rows and rows of ripe strawberries, your hair and clothes were soaked. Turns out, you and Jin were terrible judges at how quickly rain could start pouring down, the both of you getting caught in a full on downpour on your walk back to the greenhouse. It resulted in you both dashing toward shelter, your hand in Jin’s as he led you inside. When he turned to look at you, it was like a flashback to your first time having sex with him. His wet hair was sticking to his forehead, his delicious neck glistening with rainfall. His white t-shirt was nearly translucent as it pressed to his body, highlighting every lean and toned muscle along his chest and back. That back. Jin’s back was a sight to behold. Broad, strong, smooth and toned, perfect to hold on to, a physical embodiment of the way he supported you and carried the weight of your burdens whenever you’d let him.

You didn’t mean to look at him in such a way that showed your infatuation with his back, but it was hard to hide the lust in your eyes as you imagined ripping his shirt off that very moment. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he teased, a smirk toying on his lips as his eyes gazed at you, taking their time as they traveled up and down your body.

Your light pink sundress was rain-soaked making it appear a couple shades darker as droplets of water fell from your hair and face, dripping down the valley of your chest, which was something Jin’s eyes did not miss. “I’m not,” you weakly defended, Jin smiling knowingly. “We have terrible luck with picnics,” you pointed out through an amused grin, Jin raising his eyebrows at you challengingly. The truth was, you could hardly complain about the first picnic. It was far from a bad date considering that was the night you first had sex with the man. You couldn’t really find a reason to complain.

“Are you sure about that?” Jin questioned with a flirty expression, his octave lowered as he stepped toward you. The mere proximity of his presence, and the way he only got closer and closer had your body tingling in anticipation. If you weren’t so familiar with Jin’s effect on your body, you would have thought the chills that rippled across your skin in the form of goosebumps came from the cool air meeting the water that decorated your limbs. You weren’t that naive, however. Jin had full control of your body, triggering responses from you with a simple stare through his gorgeous hooded eyes. “I feel like you got pretty lucky the first time,” he boasted, sneaking in a vain joke in true Jin fashion. “I know I did.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned, though you couldn’t hide the smile on your face, nor the giggle that slipped out. That night after the first picnic was a very fond memory for the both of you. Lucky was an understatement, but who would you be if you gave him the satisfaction of admitting that now? “Did you think that comment was romantic?” You teased him, the man’s sultry presence cracking as he let out a squeaky offended laugh.

“Hey,” he complained, his hands settling on your waist as you rested yours on his shoulders. “It was romantic.”

“Mhmm,” you hummed, your gaze shifting toward his hands on your body before traveling up his frame, your orbs appreciating his toned abdomen and chest that was barely concealed by the wet material of his now see-through shirt. “Of course you got lucky,” you teased him, Jin letting out a hearty high pitched chuckle, the accompanying smile making his cheekbones lift toward his eyes, his orbs turning into charming crescents. “Of course I did too,” you then assured him, watching as his amused smile turned into a softer, almost bashful one. “But I can’t say it was a successful picnic.”

“Fine,” he agreed. “I think I prefer our picnics ending this way though.” His voice was low, quiet, airy and suggestive, only making you want him more.

Your wet dress was sticking to your body as his hands wandered around the material, bunching it up at your hips. His fingers slowly lifted it, bit by bit, as his mouth lingered close to yours but not touching your lips. Gently, he backed you up against one of the tables, the red strawberries surrounding you on both sides, the sugary scent of the fruit mixing in with the sweetness of Jin’s touch. It was saccharine and you wanted more. With more need than before, Jin lifted you on top of the table, his hands squeezing just above your knees before trailing up your thighs.

“Jin,” you softly moaned against his mouth, the man pressing his lips to yours in an eager kiss. The sound of the rain hitting the roof of the greenhouse had gotten more muted, letting you and Jin know that the storm was already fading out. However, all you could focus on was the way that the diminished storm allowed you to hear the way your needy breaths melted with his, filling the otherwise silent space. His mouth trailed down to your throat where he kissed you messily, your lips grazing his forehead. Your hands squeezed at his biceps before sliding up the back of his neck, nestling your fingers in his damp hair. “This is a bad idea.”

“Why?” He barely answered through his ministrations, unconcerned with your worries considering the way your body responded to him.

“Because this is about to turn into a double date, remember?” You were reminding yourself just as much as you were pointing it out to him that your friends would be there any minute. Jin stalled as he looked up at you with an annoyed glare. It was amazing how quickly your stunningly sexy boyfriend could turn into a huffy manchild.

“Fuck,” he frowned, directing his attention to the entrance of the greenhouse. You couldn’t help but giggle at his response as you observed the way his eyebrows pulled together in frustration and focused thought. He looked as though he was internally debating how much time he had with you. “I can still do a little something though,” he told you in a lowered tone, his volume quiet as he ran his finger along your center, his eyes meeting yours just as he smiled beautifully. “Just for you,” he added, in hopes of tempting you. When he directed a wink at you, you nearly rolled your eyes. He knew all too well the effect he had on you, along with the lack of self control you possessed in his presence.

The smallest of gasps left your lips as you smirked at him, shaking your head. “You’re going to get us caught,” you lightheartedly complained, just as Jin began lowering himself to his knees. With his beautiful full lips, he pressed kisses on your thighs, teasing you further as you ran your hands through his fringe, squeezing his locks in anticipation. “No time,” you reminded him, desperately trying to cut his teasing short and get him to speed up the process.

“No?” He asked, looking up at you through his disarrayed fringe, his hair slightly tangled due to the rain, but mostly because of your hands digging through the strands. “What do you want, my love?” He was seeing just how far he could wind you up before you snapped with need, which was something you didn’t have the time nor the necessary patience to entertain in that moment. Jin looked way too good with his wet messy hair and his pink tinted cheeks, his t-shirt sticking to his sturdy shoulders as he looked up at you with dark alluring eyes.

“Jinnie,” you warned, using the affectionate nickname in an attempt to undermine his teasing. You were weak for him, but he had his weaknesses too. The man simply smirked at you, however, enjoying the way he had your sanity dwindling.

“Tell me,” he insisted in a low tone, his lips pressing another kiss to the inside of your thigh. When you glared at him stubbornly, he smiled before digging his teeth into your flesh just slightly, gently nipping your skin, providing just enough sensation to have you gasping. “Do you want my mouth?” He asked, a sweetness in his tone that had you damn near mewling in response. “Where do you want me?”

“Seokjin,” you groaned. And just as he inched his face closer to you, ready to give in as his nose nudged against your center, the sound of a car door shutting sounded throughout the quiet of the outdoors. Fuck. Jin looked up at you with comically widened eyes and you swore you could cry at how frustrated you were at being teased to the edge, only for your boyfriend to run out of time and leave you hanging. And then another car door slammed shut, voices echoing over the drizzling rain. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Heart racing in fear of being caught, you tugged Jin up by his wet shirt, the man quickly standing as you hopped off the table. Both of you straightened your clothes as you listened to the footsteps get closer to the entrance of the greenhouse. Facing Jin, you tried to quickly comb your fingers through his hair, shaking it out slightly to make it look more natural and as though you weren’t just tugging on it to get him to eat you out.

As a smile broke out over his face, the panic simmering, you shook your head at him as you glared. “You so fucking owe me,” you told him, the man giggling as he held his hands up in surrender.

“Whatever you say,” he played along. “I so fucking owe you.” His palms gently met the sides of your face as he pulled you into a soft kiss just as the door of the greenhouse opened, Hoseok and his girlfriend stepping inside underneath an umbrella.

“Whoah,” Hoseok instantly shook his head dramatically. “It really came down for a bit, the windshield wipers were working overtime. Was rain even on the forecast?” Hoseok asked upon entering the space, his eyes wide as the girl next to him lowered the umbrella, shaking it off before closing it.

“Yes,” you responded, making a point to Jin by directing a glare at him.

“Apparently” Jin replied at the same time, wearing a knowing smirk.  

“This is so pretty,” Hoseok’s girlfriend awed at the rows of fruit, ready to be harvested.

“Did you guys get caught in it or something?” Hoseok then observed your damp states, his girlfriend frowning as she looked over your wet clothes.

“We tried to have a picnic,” you informed them as the couple walked closer to you.

“You’ve gotta be freezing,” the girl noted. She appeared aloof and distant but you quickly learned she had a heart of gold underneath that cold appearance. “I think I have a cardigan in the car if you want it,” she told you, pointing outside and already taking a tentative step toward the door. Jin’s hand found your lower back, the searing touch both comforting and horribly tempting, making you nearly roll your eyes as you noted just how flushed your skin felt due to your frustrated state.

“Oh thank you but that’s ok, I don’t feel too cold right now,” you smiled graciously, trying to focus your attention on your gratitude for the girl’s kindness. I’m quite the opposite of cold, actually, you thought, all thanks to your world wide handsome boyfriend who knew just how to touch you and speak to you to drive you insane. Jin’s ears were tinted red in response to his own neediness and you hoped the couple assumed it was because his skin was chilled, and not because he had just been very worked up.

“We really don’t have the best luck with picnics, do we, love?” Jin played it cool by choosing to tease you, his hand on your back inching just a bit lower, settling on the curve of your ass. When he bunched the material just slightly in his grasp, you were reminded of the feeling of him slowly lifting the material to reveal your bare thighs for his eyes to feast on as he doted kisses along your skin.

“No,” you gave a tight, frustrated smile. He really did owe you, and you would make sure he would make up for it. “We really don’t.” When the man leaned toward you, pressing a kiss to your temple, you could feel the way his lips curved into a teasing grin. Scoffing, you turned toward him, shooting him a glare. He was cocky and flirty, and he knew just how badly you wanted him in that moment.

“You ok?” He asked sweetly, putting on the considerate boyfriend act to cover up the fact that you were both three seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off right then and there, despite your company.

“Completely fine,” you gave a close-mouthed grin.

“How do we do this, Jin?” Hoseok asked from a few feet away as he rolled his sleeves up, both him and his girlfriend already grabbing baskets and heading toward a row of strawberry plants. Jin looked at his friend for a moment before returning his gaze to you, sporting a smirk.

“Ready to pick some strawberries?” He asked you, winking at you just to push it further. On your way to this date, you really were excited to pick a basket full of strawberries and have a cute wholesome time with your friends. You even planned to bring some back to make strawberry shortcake for Jungkook, both because you adored the young man with the cutest doe eyes, and also because you enjoyed doting on him to mess with your boyfriend. However, now all you wanted to do was get Jin alone to wipe that teasing smile off his face, and replace his cocky chuckles with moans that only you could draw out of him.

Reaching out to touch his chest, you forced an enthusiastic smile as you squeeze the damp shirt between your fingers. “Of course,” you told him cheerfully before dragging your hand down his front, ensuring he felt your fingertips on every dip of his abdomen. Of course you wanted him but you knew how badly he wanted you too. When Jin jolted slightly at the touch, you smirked knowingly; victoriously. Don’t forget just how needy I can get you, too, you relayed to him through your eyes, challenging him and warning him in one go. “Let’s pick some strawberries,” you told him sweetly through a forced smile, Jin letting out a mixture of a scoff and a disbelieving laugh.

“Keep it up and you’ll owe me too,” he whispered to you as you walked past him. Looking over your shoulder at him, you flashed him a teasing smirk. You were sure the other couple was watching you curiously, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care as Jin took all of your attention.

“Fine by me,” you told him, biting your lip. Watching the man scoff as he smiled at you, cocking his head to one side had you grinning from ear to ear, happy that he was as worked up as you. It’s what he deserved. And, god, he lived up to that world wide handsome reputation when he was frustrated. Patience was a virtue, and it would all pay off when you finally got him to yourself once again.

[jackoshadows]

Do you think overall Jon is a good leader? What kind of leader do you think Jon is?

Have a nice day! I like your blog!

Jon Snow is one of the best leaders of the younger generation IMO. He's smart, he's politically savvy, he proactively looks for solutions to problems, he assigns jobs based on the person and skillset instead of class or gender. The people he values for their advice does not depend on whether they are high class or good looking.

The Night’s Watch needed leaders with the wisdom of Maester Aemon, the learning of Samwell Tarly, the courage of Qhorin Halfhand, the stubborn strength of the Old Bear, the compassion of Donal Noye. - Jon, ADwD

He's got a good military mind considering his strategic planning of Stannis' Northern campaign and his thoughts on Robert and Stannis as military commanders. He's pretty decent with a sword as well, has set men and women to training to fight and has shown to being able to bring two feuding groups together and broker strategic alliances.

Maester Aemon - one of the wisest men in the series - tells Jon that his mind is as deft as his blade. Stannis Baratheon, a southron king, praises his negotiating skills. It's not easy to get a loan from the Iron Bank and yet Jon Snow manages to do so with hardly any resources on hand.

He's got a scientific bent, experimenting on wights in the Ice cells and planning to build glass houses to grow the food.

He trained as a steward under Lord Commander Mormont and Bowen Marsh and as Lord Commander himself is involved in the procurement of food, men, weapons, clothes and other scarce resources to defend the Wall. It’s not easy to get the rundown Night’s Watch and it’s 19 broken castles battle ready and yet Jon is just tackling this head on.

As for his flaws, he tends to run roughshod over his men. Yes, they are bigots and morons unable to acknowledge the bigger existential threat and yes Jon does try to make them understand this a couple of times. However he is also often times snarky, down right rude when talking to them and treats them like idiots. Now, this maybe his right as the commander of a military institution, however, it also encourages hate, antagonism and enmity amongst his men. A little sweet talking goes a long way.

His need to save people can also sometimes clash with his pragmatism. The mission to save the Freefolk stranded at Hardhome is foolhardy IMO. Especially after getting Cotter Pyke's letter, which gives an indication of how doomed the whole thing is. It’s understandable why he wants to help considering he send Cotter Pyke in the first place and there’s all those women and children stranded there. And yet the conditions described in the letter are so dire, I think he would end up losing more men. 

What kind of leader would he be?

As a leader, I can see him wholeheartedly support Arya Stark as a Lady of Winterfell/Wardeness/Queen in the North or Bran Stark as Lord of Winterfell/Warden/King in the North. I can see him rebuilding Winterfell with workers based on their skillsets, no matter their class, gender, tribe or previous position in society. I can see the future Winterfell guards/soldiers comprising of men and women.

I can see him spending funds on developing The Gift for the Freefolk being settled there, building those greenhouses and giving them a trade. Something that the Starks and even Ned Stark neglected to do over centuries. I can see him put Samwell Tarly or someone like him in charge of education in Winterfell. I can see many of the Freefolk like Leathers be put in charge of the armory or as Captain of the Household Guards.

I can see him being involved in long, drawn out diplomacy and negotiation with the other houses in the North in order to integrate the Freefolk into the North. Given how decimated the the big and small houses of the North are right now, I can see him being a big proponent of the bastards being legitimized (Ex. Larence Snow for Hornwood). I can see him give land and titles to allies like Tormund Giantsbane.

If the North was part of the 7 kingdoms, I could see him being a good ally of the monarch on the Iron Throne - like Ned Stark was before him. Jon Snow has always been about the bigger picture and the greater good and uniting against a common foe.

So to conclude, I think with some decent advisers by his side he would make for a pretty good leader in the North.

[ahedderick]

Ok. The year was 2016.

My son was trying to do a junior-level woodworking project with some shelves. My father set him up with wood and a couple of tools in the greenhouse. While we were working, someone moved a small board that had been sitting on the greenhouse bench and

ruined a very small mouse nest that had been underneath. The normal thing to do would be try to replace the wood that was moved and wait for the mama mouse to come back and reclaim her (singular) baby. However, we weren't sure we could put that wood back at the exact correct angle so that the mousling wouldn't be squooshed and Grandpa's cat was Right There.

My daughter, who was ten, had some Strong Feelings about the situation and imparted them to me eloquently. Loudly. Unceasingly.

"All right," I conceded, "gather up the Mouse and we'll take her home."

The mouse barely had her eyes open, and would need to be "bottle" fed with an eyedropper.

Back at home K rushed about getting the cage ready, then I had her read the text from the Orphans book and mix the formula. We heated a minute quantity of formula and attempted to install it inside the mouse. No, nothing doing, there was furious whisker cleaning and sneezing and squinchy faces but no actual consumption of formula. Not a surprise, really. I washed the formula off the outside of the mouse, which wun’t easy, neither, and returned it to K for cuddling.

  I suggested the name ‘Maxine.’ Maxine is an inch and a quarter long, sans tail. Everybody with a boxer, bulldog, or pitbull seems to want to name it ‘Max.’ I find some sophomoric humor in owning a mini-Max.   Next morning Maxine had four dropper feedings, and started solid food. Thank heavens she already has her eyes open, this process won’t be very lengthy. K brought her into the kitchen just as I was sitting down to my bowl of oatmeal, so I set one (One!) milky, sweetened oat on my hand. Drama ensued. Maxine wanted the oat, but could not figure how to get it in her mouth. After a great deal of licking, small jumps, and some assistance from her left front paw, she managed to consume. One. Oat.

Whisker hygiene is very important. Oatmeal is not conducive to good whisker hygiene. A lot of post-oatmeal whisker maintenance is necessary. Do not interrupt someone who is cleaning her whiskers. You will get a Dirty Look.

So we settled into a routine. I had 'custody' of Max while the kids were in school. She was one of the most expressive animals I have ever met. It's not that animals can talk, but - some of them let you know so clearly what they want . . . ?

A Play in One Act with Cake:  

Maxine Mouse: A-hem

Me: Er,     what?

MM: It is 11:00, and I noticed that you have tea and cake while I am getting small drops of formula.

Me: Ahh, would . . you like some?

MM: Yes, please.

{small crumb of lemon cake is removed and placed on the table}

MM:  nibble nibble MMMMMMM!!!!  nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble nibble !!

MM: Isn’t sharing nice?!

Me: yyyy-es, yes, very companionable.

MM: Time for a mousenap! I’ll just curl up right here!

Me: That’s my hand. I need my hand. You sleep in your nest.

MM: No! Your hand is warm and cozy! I’ll sleep better right here!

Me: But, I

MM: Wah! I need love and warmth!!

{dramatic scuffle ensues, ending with mouse in mouse nest}

A: Here are your crumbs and fruit. Enjoy!

M: I don’t WANT crumbs and fruit! I want chicken salad!

A: That’s MY lunch; you have appropriate mouse food.

M: (skitters down my arm and starts rapidly eating my sandwich)

A: Oy! You! Vermin! Chicken salad isn’t mouse food!

M: (with her mouth full) I am NOT vermin, I’m a guest. And I want chicken salad!!!

A: Sighs, breaks off a small bit of sandwich

A & M: {Busy munching noises}

Well, anyhow. Mice grow up very quickly. At a certain point, Maxine politely made it clear that she was a big girl, and it was time to say goodbye.

We took her to a field very far from any neighborhood cats, and created a safe 'house' for her. I removed a shovel-full of dirt from the ground underneath a tree, her nestbox went in there, then we set a large flat stone on top so she effectively had a mouse-sized fortress. A dried gourd with a small cache of food and two exits in different directions completed the structure.

When I set her at the opening, she darted inside, then came right back to the entrance. The kids and I watched silently as she darted in and out, learned her way around her 'front yard', and eventually settled in for a wash-up perched in a small shrub. I gave her one last little cheek-scritch, and we said goodbye.

Maximum

Reminder to myself, re-tell the story of Max Mouse later.

[bastillewolf]

Shinigami Eyes (II)

Pairing: Corpse Husband / Reader

Summary: After you distastefully kill Corpse in a game of Among Us, he wants you to make it up to him and invites you to come over for the week.

Notes: Thank you so much for the love on the previous chapter, I’ve never gotten this many notes before. I hope you enjoy, and maybe leave an ask if you want to? I can’t promise I have time to do them, but I’ll pick out a couple.

Also, I might rewrite this. I kinda rushed it because I wanted to finish it by tonight, but there will be a final and third chapter to this afterwards. Please do let me know what you think.

Tag list CLOSED!

Shinigami Eyes - Pt. II

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

Impostor

You were teamed up with Sean.

Your fist violently slammed down on the desk. “Goddammit! I don’t want to be impostor anymore! This game has no compassion for my poor nerves.” It was the third time in a row now, and you were really craving to do normal tasks now without all the scheming. “Fuck it, I don’t care if they kill me. I’m just gonna do my thing without thinking about it.”

You decide to follow Toast for a bit to watch him do some task. You kill him in Laboratory. You vent back to Launchpad and take your time walking towards MedBay while the kill button restores. You meet up with Corpse, and follow him while pretending to do wires in the Y-hallway. You watched the green bar go up, and continued. Sabotaging and then fixing lights, you made sure your place with Corpse was settled. Then the body of Lily was reported.

As you expected, Corpse easily vouched for you as he’d seen you do a task. The round was skipped, though Rae was sussed for ‘chasing’ Sean, by his own words.

“Corpse, you’ve grown weak,” you muttered to chat.

You were in Greenhouse, and decided it would be best to kill him there and sabotage Reactor. “Sorry baby, but I can’t keep following you around.” You quickly set off Reactor and murdered him in front of the plants. “Your blood shall keep the plants hydrated.” You did an evil laugh. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works, though.”

You vented down to MedBay and as you walked out you met up with Rae. She’d be the vouch who would confirm you weren’t anywhere near Greenhouse. “I’ll just have to fix my own sabotage so they’ll never suspect me.” You helped her with the handprint, and noted Sykkuno and Felix being there. Sean sabotaged lights, you killed Sykkuno, and ran out to follow Lily into Laboratory. Felix reported the body.

“Holy shit,” Rae gasped. So far, five people had died. You only needed to kill one more person. “It was Felix!”

“Wait, what?” the man in question asked. “I was fixing Reactor!”

She mentioned that only you, Sykkuno, Felix and herself had been there and that you’d helped her do handprint. “Sykkuno must have fixed it, and then you killed him!”

Sean asked if you’d seen anything.

“No, the lights were out. I followed Rae into Laboratory after the scan.” Your voice didn’t tremble or raise, a tactic you’d taken up from the best lair in the group. Well, the one who was now dead. Oops. “I haven’t seen Felix this entire game, though.”

He was evidently at a loss for words, so the group was quick to vote for him.

Pewds was ejected.

Victory.

You thanked Sean for a good game who was laughing his ass off. “I can’t believe you did Corpse like that! Poor guy!”

“I deadass thought you were innocent,” Corpse replied, “I’m hurt.”

“Why do you still sound dark and menacing when you say something like that?!”

You agreed with Sean heartily, “He’s just salty I’ve bested him at his own game.”

“Hey now, no need to actually insult me.”

The group laughed. You decided to call it for the night, right before Corpse did the same.”

 ***

He was calling you again. “What is it this time, you salty?”

“Salty? Nah, never,” he said, but you weren’t convinced.

“Then why you calling?”

“What, I can’t call my friends after playing a nice round of Among Us?”

“Not when you lost the game and you call the person who you lost to. Kinda sus, dude.”

“Alright, maybe a little salty.” You smirked.

“Aw, you need me to make it up to you?”

He laughed. “What did you have in mind?”

A bunch of thoughts, most not rated PG-13, crossed your mind. You were suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable. This was probably just something innocent, which got twisted in your fucked-up mind. You shrugged, “Uh… I don’t know.”

“I got an idea.”

“What is it?”

“Come over this week. You said you needed a break, right?”

“That sounds more like you’re doing me a favour instead of me making it up to you.”

“I don’t have any friends. You’d be making it up to me by being the first physical person here in years. I usually don’t invite people over.”

“Wow, I’m flattered. So, you don’t consider me to be your friend after all?”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” he chuckled.

“Sure, sure. Tell me that again when my presence suddenly brightens your life making you not want to get rid of me, ever.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

 ***

You walk through the gates following a hoard of people, all the while still feeling drowsy from not getting any sleep during your flight. At least you didn’t have any turbulence and landed safely. Glancing around here and there with no result, you figured Corpse would be waiting outside, until you spotted a figure clad in black a little ends away by the escalator. You were glad you were still awake enough to have found him, because he appeared to silently linger halfway behind a fern.

At least, you hoped it was him. The only indications were his clothes, mask and dark hair. You saw him run a hand through it, and identified the chipped black nail polish and familiar rings. Oh yea, that was him alright.

He seemed to be paying more attention to the floor until he saw two feet appear in his line of sight. “Hey,” you awkwardly greeted. A bit taken a back, he replied, “Oh, wow. Hey.” A mask was covering the bottom of his face, but as far as you could see his eyes were a very dark shade.

“Wow?” you repeated. He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Yea, sorry. It’s a compliment.” You held your elbow out in a safe-distance gestured hello, but he shrugged you off. “You’re gonna be staying with me anyways.” Suddenly in a daze, you felt him wrap his arms around your waist and instantly hugged him back. His baggy sweater felt warm and soft to the touch, and strands of hair tickled your face. You very much tried to repress your smile and blush, but how could you? Hugging someone wasn’t supposed to feel this good. When he pulled back he reached down to take your suitcase from you. “I don’t own a car, is it okay if we take a cab?”

“Y-Yeah, of course,” you stuttered, “But it’s on me. Same with food and stuff.” “Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled. “No, you’re letting me stay with you and a hotel would’ve been a lot more expensive than this. It’s my treat.” “Yeah, we’ll see.” He gave you a look and even with the mask you could tell he was smirking underneath it.

It’s about half an hour drive to his apartment complex, and it’s rather nice. “All that YouTube money paying off, huh?” you asked in amusement. “You’d know,” he replied. You insisted on carrying your suitcase up the stairs yourself, which he silently shook his head at, until after a few flights he noticed you struggling and settled on carrying the thing in between the two of you. “How many clothes did you bring?” “Oh, it’s mostly filled with bricks I might need to throw at your head.” He laughed at that.

His apartment was simple, but cosy. “Home sweet home,” he said, almost sarcastically. You furrowed your brow at him. “I’m sure you could’ve had it a lot worse.” He reluctantly agreed.

He helped you set down your luggage in what appeared to be his bedroom, where the curtains were still closed and the black bedsheets fresh. He had a few pieces of fanart up on his wall, and some on his closet. You turned to him and gave him a look. “You’re not sleeping on the couch.”

He quickly shook his head, “You’re not sleeping there. If you won’t let me sleep on the couch I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“If you’re sleeping on the floor, I’m sleeping on the floor.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he murmured. “What?” “Nothing.”

He suggested playing video games as you were both too tired to do anything else. You’d landed quite late yet were still confused about what time it actually was. Flying is weird. You hopped onto his couch and grabbed a controller.

He sat down next to you, but suddenly seemed tenser than before.

“You okay? You can just go to sleep if you want to.”

He shook his head, “Nah, I don’t sleep a lot. It’s fine.”

You didn’t stop looking at him, though. He was still wearing that mask. “You don’t have to take it off, if you don’t want to. I understand if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that, I just…” He took a deep breath. You hadn’t expected him to take it off then and there. You stared at him, your mouth slightly agape, controller barely held by your numb hands.

“Disappointed?”

It was as if he was expecting you to make a face or something, but you didn’t give him anything, except for a blatant “Nope” and an “Are we gonna play now or what?”

“You don’t have anything else to say?”

You shrugged, and looked him up and down again. “You’re kind of what I imagined you to be.”

“What’s that?”

“Handsome.”

Neither of you could stop smiling for the rest of the night.

You eventually forced him to sleep in his own bed, even going as far as to shove him into the room and keep your weight against the door so he couldn’t get out, so he eventually relented. “Inviting you here was a mistake.” “How come? All I’ve done so far is look after you!” “You’re a nightmare.”

You mostly stayed in for the week, which you didn’t mind at all. Being in such a closed-off environment with someone you got along with was nice. He attempted to get you to lift the weights in his room and succeeded for around fifteen minutes until you nearly dropped a dumbbell on your foot. You ordered take-out from his favourite restaurant, watched horror movies until you adapted to his sleeping schedule because you were too scared to close your eyes now, and even streamed a bit together with your friends.

“Wait, is Corpse with you?” Rae had asked.

“No, I’m at Corpse’s. He’s sitting across from me so I can’t see his screen but we’re gonna have to share the Discord unless you want to hear an echo.”

“Ah, man! You got to see his face, too?” Sykkuno whined.

“Stop simping, Sykkuno. You get enough attention from him already.”

“Don’t worry, I still love you,” Corpse said.

“Huh?”

It was probably a good thing that you got teamed up again, because you could indeed start to see his hands shaking right as the word ‘impostor’ appeared on the screen. You reached over and stroked it with your thumb. He smiled gratefully back at you.

“Just please,” he pleaded later that day, “Sleep in the bed. If only for one night.”

“No. I’ve heard about and now seen your sleeping habits. If you take the couch you’re never going to get any sleep.” You made a real effort to show him how comfortable you were – even though your back had started to hurt already after the first night – by crawling underneath your blanket and rubbing your head into the soft pillow. He snorted.

Next thing, you feel yourself being lifted by an arm underneath your knees and one around your back. “Corpse! Put me the fuck down!” you shrieked. You knew he lifted weights, but how the hell did he still have the energy as an insomniac? He ungracefully dropped you onto the matrass and turned the lights off. “Good night.”

You quickly got hold of the back of his hoodie before he could leave and pulled. He fell down next to you with a low huff. “Fine, I’ll sleep in the bed. But only if you sleep here too.”

“I snore.”

“Don’t care.”

For some reason, there wasn’t any tension or awkwardness. You were comfortable, and the soft rhythm of his breathing seemed to soothe you. He called out your name, to see if you were still awake.

“Hm?”

“…Thanks for coming over.”

“Any time.”

This was how you would spend the rest of the nights, and whenever either of you woke up suddenly curled up around the other, you didn’t mention it or move away from it. It was the first time in years Corpse got a few nights of complete rest.