#attempting a multi chapter fic

[stormz369]

☕💖 Can I Get Your Number? ☕💖 Ch. 2

Jason Todd x Chubby! Reader (fem)

A/N: Wow, I was not expecting that kind of reaction! Thank you to everyone who's interacted with chapter 1; I've had a rough week and you all made my day! I wasn't planning on posting chapter 2 until I was a bit further along with ch 3, but I just can't find it in me to say no to ya'll!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

written with a female reader in mind, first person pov, no use of Y/N, hurt (no comfort) (yet), will probably get NSFW later, let me know if there's anything else I should tag this with!

warnings (chapter specific): chapter includes a brief scene of attempted assault (which will be labeled for those who'd rather skip it) angst, gun violence, some negative self-talk

words: 1.8k

Jason's first call came at exactly 2:05pm the next day. When I picked up I was immediately greeted by his voice seemingly from the other side of a very large room; “seriously, guys! I'll call, I'll call!”

“Too late!” Dick shouted, clearly holding the phone. “Hello! This is Dick, calling on behalf of my idiot brother, Jason! We met at the cafe yesterday?”

I could hear Jason shouting at someone, but it was muffled like he was under something. “Right … So are you going to put Jason on, or…?”

“Well, Jaybird is under the impression that calling a girl the next day is ‘desperate’ and ‘off-putting’, so we've taken up a poll at the house, and surprise surprise; we need a tiebreaker. Your thoughts?”

Before I could respond I heard muffled grunting; someone in the background shouted “no! Get him!” which was immediately followed by a yelp from Dick as Jason growled a bit;

“Give me that!” A door slammed, and all the other voices were gone, replaced by Jason's gentle, almost shy voice; “... Um … hi … still think this is normal sibling behavior?”

I giggled; “... Starting to veer away from normal now. But it's sweet, they obviously really care about you. And for the record - you can call the poll on the side of ‘it’s not desperate or off-putting'; I gave you my phone number, surely I expected you to use it, right?”

“... O- oh, yeah I guess that makes sense … So yeah, I'm using it. … Hi.”

“Hi~”

After that, I spoke to Jason in some capacity or another most every day. Turned out he was a night owl too. Apparently he worked most nights, so, after I assured him that a text wouldn't wake me, he started preemptively sending me a good morning text around 3 or 4am, so it was the first thing I saw when I woke up.

I loved how he could go off on an impassioned tangent; getting him all worked up over literature was especially cute. He did have a tendency to backpedal after a particularly passionate rant, no matter how many times I pointed out that I liked hearing him so excited. We also kept trying to arrange a day to get together, preferably without his brothers hovering this time, but his work schedule was so hectic that we kept having to postpone.

It seemed a bit unlikely, but I started to wonder if I had been right in the first place; that it was all some really elaborate prank. It certainly wouldn't be the first time an attractive man had played with my heart like that, though it would be the first time one had bought me anything before pulling the rug out from under me… 

Nearly a month into our texting relationship, Jason went radio silent for several days. No warning, just gone. I didn't want to be clingy, but I was a bit worried. He had been so attentive until this, what if something was wrong and I was out here thinking the worst about him?

On day 5 without a response I picked up a late shift at work, hoping to distract myself from the whole thing. It didn't work though, and I ended up trudging home at 2am blasting loud, angry music through my headphones. I was frustrated, and confused, and careless. I didn't notice the man behind me until his hand was around my wrist.

 ❌❌❌ -skip point- ❌❌❌

The world moved in slow motion as I was pulled into the alley. The man's mouth was moving, but I just heard a staticy ring. I tasted copper, and everything was too dark. Things didn't snap back into focus until I felt the rough brick slam against my back and I screamed, shoving against him.

All at once, everything was moving too fast; he was grabbing, I was punching and kicking, my voice was cracking. A second felt like an eternity, I couldn't even hazard a guess how long the fight actually took. But all at once it ended; with a loud, sharp sound that left me frozen in place and my ears ringing, the man collapsed in front of me. Red bloomed across his unmoving chest, and all I could do was stare.

❌❌❌ -end skip point- ❌❌❌

Large, leather clad hands gently touched my shoulders, bringing me back into my body. I slowly looked up, blinking. I immediately recognized the masked man who had come to my aid; Red Hood had made quite the name for himself in his time as a mob boss. I heard something droning on, but couldn't focus on any specific details over the sound of my own heartbeat still pounding in my ears. It took him gingerly sliding my headphones off for me to realize the noise I was hearing was just the next song on my angry playlist.

“Miss? Can you hear me now?” there was an electric quality to his voice. I vaguely wondered why more Masks didn't use voice modulators; it seemed more practical than the standard vigilante eye coverings… 

I slowly nodded. “... Y- … yeah?”

The red helmet nodded once, “did he hurt you?”

I looked down at myself, frowning a bit. My shirt was grimed up from the struggle, and I could feel the cold night air on the back of my thighs; my pants had ripped when I tried to kick the man off me. A shaky breath turned into a sob as I gasped, looking up again.

A million thoughts ran through my head at once. I wanted to scream, to curse, anything! But all I managed was a whimpered; “... Th- these were my favorite pants …”

“... Well, your boyfriend will just have to get you a new pair. Let … let me get you home, yeah?” I flinched as he reached toward me again, a gloved finger gently wiping away my tears. He offered me his hand, easing me out of the alley like a frightened stray cat.

I followed without complaint, turning my music off. “... No boyfriend …”

“A friend then? Someone who'll take care of you.” Red Hood led me to a motorcycle. He unzipped a bag on the back, and held out a red flannel shirt.

A watery giggle slipped out of my mouth and I shakily took it, tying it around my waist. “... I don't even know anymore…” 

“Don't know?”

“Well, I was talking to a guy, but … I think he ghosted me.”

“No!” I jumped at the sudden volume and insistent tone, looking up at him awkwardly.

“... No?”

“I … I just mean … a pretty girl like you's not gonna get ghosted. If he hasn't texted back in a few days there's gotta be a reason.”

I looked away, squirming awkwardly. Did an ex-crime lord turned vigilante really just call me pretty? “... Y- … I … what?”

He was silent for a long moment. I got the distinct impression that he was staring at me, but with the helmet on it was hard to tell. “... We should get you home.”

Next thing I knew, I was holding Red Hood's helmet. I hesitantly looked up as he turned, catching just a glimpse of one of those domino masks the other local vigilantes wore. He moved his bag and swung one leg over the seat of his bike, turning back to stare at me expectantly. The prospect of letting the Red Hood know where I lived didn't seem like the smartest idea, but I was definitely not going to walk home alone after all that. So I slid the helmet on and carefully climbed behind him, placing my feet where he indicated. As I arranged the flannel between my bare thighs and the seat it occurred to me how unexpectedly kind it was of him to offer it. I knew he had been spotted working with the Bats lately, but just because they had accepted him didn’t mean he was a boy scout all of a sudden...

Of course, now that I was on his bike I was faced with the rather pressing concern of where to put my hands. I didn’t exactly have handle bars, and I doubted he was going to drive slow enough that I could stay upright; I would have to lean against him. I took a deep, steadying breath, and placed my hands on his shoulders. Hood froze a bit, and after a moment he reached behind himself to grasp my elbows. He gently pulled me to wrap my arms around his waist.

 “It's actually safest this way. Interlock your fingers, and lean with me on turns.” His voice was so much nicer without the helmet distorting it, even if he was doing a truly terrible Batman impression. 

“... O- ok…” I clung to him, feeling my entire body heat up. I wasn't sure how much of that was because I was blushing and how much was because the Red Hood was apparently a living space heater, but either way I was glad he couldn't see my face. I told him how to get to my apartment, and we sped off.

The roar of the engine and the wind whipping past mercifully drowned out anything we could have hoped to say to each other. I shut my eyes just for a moment, trying not to cry again, and suddenly Hood’s hand was trapping mine against his stomach. “... Hey, this it?”

I jolted slightly, looking up at the familiar building. I nodded, slowly extracted myself from his grip, and slid back onto solid ground. He held a hand up to stop me as I started to remove the borrowed flannel.

“Keep it.”

I blinked slowly, having trouble processing what he said. “... But … it’s your shirt … how will I give it back to you?”

He chuckled softly; “it’s just a shirt.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue the matter any further. I slipped his helmet off, holding it out to him.

“Thank you … I can't believe I let this happen…”

He frowned deeply at that, and his voice shifted a bit from a fake-Batman voice into an actually deep, grumpy tone; “you didn't let anything happen.”

“I'm usually so much more observant, if I had just been paying attention…”

“He would have changed tactics. You did nothing wrong. I don't want you thinking otherwise, got it?”

I sniffled softly, looking down at my shoes. “... I … God, I didn't even have my keys in my hand… I was taught better…”

“And I was taught not to kill. Shit happens.”

I blinked a bit, unable to stop the laugh that bubbled up. “… I … I guess so. … Th- Thank you … for everything.”

He nodded once before putting his helmet back on. Before I could step away, he reached out to touch my hand again. “Hey. You did everything right, ok? You drew attention, and you kept him off until I got there. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Got it?”

I nodded slowly, stepping back a bit. “… ok.”

“Good. Now, get inside.” He waited there, watching me. Only after the building's front door was closed and locked did I hear his motorcycle speed away.

Next ->

Divider by: @saradika

Taglist: @jawdropforkpop

(If you would like to be added to the taglist feel free to let me know!)

[mechazushi]

Kafka Hibino

Kafka Hibino.... with visible salt and pepper side burns.

Kafka Hibino.... wearing glasses and has salt and pepper side burns.

Kafka HIbino.... in that black turtleneck and a dark brown leather jacket and also wearing glasses and has salt and pepper side burns.

Kafka Hibino.... wearing that outfit and is an Animal Biology Professor in an College Au.

Kafka Hibino..... asking out Hoshina who is an Advanced Mathematics Professor working at the same college, to have an after-work drink with him.

Slightly DRUNK Kafka Hibino... becoming very forward with an also slightly drunk Hoshina

Slightly Drunk Hoshina... immediately matching Kafka's freak tenfold and Kafka is very much fine with this.

[lilacxquartz]

Don't Make Me Feel Alive I Chapter 4

Kenjaku (Pseudo-Geto) × Fem!Reader

[This fic contains Shibuya Arc spoilers and is updated every Saturday.]

ABOUT: Diagnosed at an early age with an illness that slowly deteriorated your body; you went from being a promising sorcerer to a retired husk of your once former self until he found you, offering you an opportunity to live instead—not that you had a choice to refuse.

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Your bond with him thickens but there’s still a lot to uncover. Meanwhile, Kenjaku plots something a bit different than what you agreed to.

TAGS/THEMES: (starting next chapter): »yandere, chronically ill reader, forced dynamic, non-con, dub-con, violence, caretaking, unrequited feelings, sorcerer reader, dead-dove, mixed pov, potential interpretations of dubious sorcery«

< Previous Chapter • Next Chapter >

4. Bonding

You tried to understand why he was so beaming despite how he treated you the day before, but with little avail.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” you warily asked.

“Oh,” he seemed to be caught off guard that you caught him but recovered nearly instantly, “I decided on something.”

“On what?” you asked.

He glanced down at you with his expression suddenly cold, before returning to an unreadable smile, “You’ll see.”

After that strangely cold interaction with him last night and after such a strange morning, such behaviour seemed to never repeat ever again. Even when the continued practice of the technique seemed to wreck its toll on the energy output and even when such drainage sent you off to an early night—he never once repeated such coldness with you again.

As a result, you decided that it was best to not dwell on it again because it didn’t make sense for you to be upset over such trivial things. The agreement was to help him out as he figured a way out to help you live, that was it, so as long as he remained conditional to his promise, you decided that how he treated you in the end didn’t really matter.

However, as the days continued to pass you by and you invested more time into researching ways into improving both energy input and output, you couldn’t help but feel more and more curious about what your involvement actually was here.

“No seriously, what am I helping you with?” You asked once more, having done so just a moment ago. You felt frustrated, finding that you didn’t quite like how he ignored you the first time.

Kenjaku in the meanwhile resisted spilling you the full truth, biting onto his tongue as he held back a smile, “As I already told you, you’re going to fight.”

Oh, how he wanted to spill it all, but he knew better than to tell you the full truth. It was already a miracle that you were fighting someone from your side; rather, that you switched sides immediately in exchange for life.

Mortality was so easy to play around with.

“Who?” you persisted.

“That’ll depend when the time finally comes,” he replied, leaving more questions than answers.

You sighed in response, finding yourself growing increasingly frustrated as he purposefully kept you in the dark, “What time, though?”

“You’ll know when I tell you,” he simply replied as his eyes squeezed with his smile, pointing straight down at you.

“But-”

“—Don’t worry about it,” he dismissed, leaving you utterly frustrated.

Despite finding your frustrations amusing, he did have his reasons for keeping you in the dark about his plans that went beyond just losing your willing participation, even if he could force your hand. There was the experiment he was running on the cursed tool for one and he didn’t want to feed into unnecessary stress that could likely deal more strain for the battery.

At least for now, he wanted to keep the drainage minimal which is why he excluded you from strenuous activities while assisting you with the tedious ones; such practice that he dubbed training, even if it was just helping your body to relearn eating independently, to utilise cutlery efficiently again, to aiding you in walking and even to helping strengthen your mind through reading and puzzles.

Even if you didn’t realise it, all of these tasks helped you gradually decrease energy consumption. Just like he planned initially.

As he noted earlier on before too, the company that you offered him wasn’t half bad, so he didn’t actually mind assisting you during such tasks, no matter how pointless or boring they seemed to either of you. Moreover, he introduced you to the concept of helping him with his own work, such as aiding him with the more tedious aspects of his planning.

However, despite giving you such independence, he still kept you relatively closeby, just in case another hiccup resurfaced.

“Hold still for a moment,” he instructed, taking the pendant slightly away from your chest but within reasonable reach so that you wouldn’t drop dead, tinkering around with it as you patiently waited. Cursed tool manipulation wasn’t an easy task, but his intentions were to maximise the efficiency of the item so that’s what he did.

However, as he placed the amulet back against your chest, something then went strangely wrong. He did his best to observe your reaction carefully, understanding that perhaps too much energy cast upon a body unused to it was overwhelming on your being.

As a result, your body began to feel off and suddenly you felt terribly dizzy. Again. In a different way though.

It was beginning to get a little tiring, he thought.

Standing up to try and determine what was going wrong, you accidentally ended up plummeting more energy, causing your body to take a heavy hit. Something about it made you feel similar to how you felt on the deathbed just before you met him; something sinister lurking within your instincts and pulling—dragging you off to a place you shouldn’t explore.

You gulped as the pendant waned and the glow subsided as though there was nothing left to keep it fired up and running anymore.

It was then that you felt stiff as your body fell, a dull thud drumming against the floorboards—the wood failing to echo the hit. You felt strangely cold as the feeling persisted; a sensation of pure dread enveloping your senses, anchoring you down into an early demise.

Kenjaku initially reacted slowly, incorrectly thinking that you would recover just like the previous times before. However, as you remained limp and your body grew colder, he froze in place as he realised you were on the verge of something irreversible.

His project had been going so well yet suddenly, it showed signs of failure.

“Hey, wait,” he backtracked, feeling caught off guard due to its sudden failure, unable to mask it so well this time. He was simply just surprised though, not panicked. He mostly just didn’t understand what went wrong.

He didn’t want for something that he had already invested so much time into dying off so early on, especially before your full potential could shine.

Thinking quickly, he transfused some of his own energy into the pendant while extracting the excess energy from your body. It was a slow, intricate and daunting process, however it seemed to be working as your body soon stabilised—your breathing returning back to normal and your flesh once again saturated to its usual complexion.

You later woke up feeling much worse from before though, wondering exactly what had just happened as soon as you sat back up.

“What was that…?” you groaned, your mind begging for answers.

As usual, Kenjaku continued to keep you in the dark yet again as he withheld answers.

He smiled, pushing you gently back down into bed, “don’t worry your pretty little head, I won’t try it again,” his fingertips stifling your lips, “get some rest instead.”

“But-” you let slip.

“—You’re alive, aren’t you?” he stifled, his eyes once again devoid of any emotion, he wasn’t going to answer a single thing.

Too tired to protest, you hesitantly nodded off as your body continued to nod off into a deeper sleep, your body feeling oddly heavy as you succumbed to a weary state.

Kenjaku then sighed a deep breath the second that you did so, continuing to remain locked in place as you slept, slowly inching closer to keep a watchful eye as you did so. Just like always, it was just in case something went wrong.

He sighed again as the familiar emotion resurfaced from before but in a different form, finding that he didn’t like how it made him feel. Eventually though, he too grew tired as his eyelids drooped, unintentionally leaning against the bed as his body yearned for some shut eye. It was then that he decided that it didn’t hurt to even share the same bed, just to monitor you and your sleeping habits if so.

But in doing just that, he secretly felt some form of relief as your safety was now secured, however finding that this might have been too just a little too close for him to be.

Something troubled him as he considered it all, determining that he had to be more careful with his experiments, hoping for some reason in particular that this couldn’t happen again.

That’s why he considered something new—something he wouldn’t usually do.

His mind internally conflicted, trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t risk it.

After all, you weren’t that special to begin with.

(Or were you?)

***

Your recovery was slower this time as it took a couple of days to get you going again.

As you figured out how to get back to right where you were before, you adopted a streak of independence in doing so and usually when dabbling in technique mastery, Kenjaku would often detach from someone who was getting the hang of it, letting them find their own way—but he couldn’t quite do so with you.

Finding that in fact, he didn’t like it at all.

And as he watched you slowly recover and train yourself without him, he didn’t feel a single shred of relief or pride for any longer, as it turned out.

Instead, deciding that since you were his project, that he didn’t trust you to seldom practise anymore. Finding that while it must have seemed irrational, that he preferred it when you were much more dependent on him instead—enjoying your company much more when you seemed to be unable to even function without him.

For some reason finding that it actually made him feel more attached to you.

Not that he could fathom why.

And as he continued to tinker around with the pendant yet again, you didn’t suspect a single thing when he changed something rather drastic in its function. Nor as his tone of voice grew slightly unstable.

“The battery is on standby unless I activate it with a condition now,” Kenjaku said as he offered an unsettling grin, the direction of his change feeling off as though he wasn’t actually addressing you.

“Why though…?” you asked, confused by the sudden change.

He then redirected his sights to meet with yours, leaning in a little closer with his smile falling flat as he did so, “Do you really think I’d trust you to do things like that alone?” He asked, his stare intensifying, “You’re already a lot to work with, you know.”

“But, I really don’t like that,” you chose to protest instead.

However, he didn’t really care about what you liked, only about what he preferred. Yet rather than arguing with you back and forth and getting nowhere, he instead tried to manipulate you that this change was for your own good—your freedom be damned as long as you remained docile and dependent on him, a feeling he unashamedly wanted more of.

“Just think,” he said as he leaned closer, “I can keep you safe from yourself forever,” his breath hot against your temples as he leaned in, “isn’t that so much better?”

Feeling cornered and distressed, you didn’t want to continue this strained dynamic, realising that you were no longer content with helping him out if all he was going to do was to keep you so restricted.

You knew that you were getting into something weird, but you didn’t quite realise the extent of his true intentions until now when he kept pushing nonsensical change after change upon someone he seemed willing.

As a result, you then pushed him aside.

He let you do so though as his lips formed into slightly curved lines—slowly rising to his feet and following you closely behind as you tried to leave the room. Just as you tried to take your chances with leaving through the front door however, he deactivated the pendant to minimal output, prompting you to be hit with a wave of exhaustion instead.

He then grabbed your wrist as you succumbed to the sudden hit of tiredness, leading you back into the room and locking both the door and the window on his way out, leaving you alone for the remainder of the night.

The energetic feeling from before returned.

Perhaps he would talk you into a binding vow, after all.

Maybe you were that special to keep around.

[shu-box-puns]

You wanna be one of them (Tsu’tey x Reader) Act 2

Previous chapter <-- Act 2 --> Next Chapter

If you prefer to read on Ao3, you can find the fic here!

Word Count: 8243

Summary: In which Tsu’tey has his love crisis.

Reader uses they/them pronouns.

Tsu’tey was in love with an idiot, and they were going to kill him of a heart attack before he even got around to telling them. 

No sane person would throw themselves into the path of an angry palulukan for an even bigger idiot. Perhaps it was a Sky Person quality, since Jake tended to make the same reckless decisions. Or perhaps he was just attracted to stupid. And frustratingly enough, he couldn’t find it in himself to be pissed or upset about it. 

His pa’li rode near the rear of the herd, expression set in a fowl scowl as he watched the pair of idiots in question keeping their heads down. Neytiri hadn’t needed to speak a word for him to fall into the back, content to keep his eye on the dreamwalkers whilst watching everyone’s backs. It was soothing to have everyone in sight where he knew they were safe and accounted for as it allowed him a chance to relax. 

A protective quality which had helped Mo’at and Eytukan pick him out as the next Olo’eyktan. A position he had been trained his entire life for. Even when Sylwanin died, he was still set to become the leader, only to take Neytiri instead. What would the people think of their future Olo’eyktan taking a sky person for a mate?

His face morphed into an expression of horror, his pa’li snorting uncertainty at the sharp twist of guilt and anxiety that knotted his stomach.

What about Neytiri? 

He looked to her now, sitting proudly astride her mount, bow in her lap, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice or at the slightest rustle of leaves. 

Sure he only loved her as a sister, and their courtship was heavily because of their duty to the clan, but he couldn’t in good conscience mate with her when his heart clearly belonged to another.

These thoughts plagued his mind as the group of four trudged back to HomeTree empty handed. They dismounted in silence near the river, releasing the pa’li from their bridles to wander until they were required again. 

Tsu’tey bowed his head respectfully to Neytiri as she grabbed Jake’s arm and began dragging the man away. He attempted to protest, calling out to Y/n in his alien language to which the hunter simply grinned and waved. Tsu’tey felt a flare of affection erupt across his chest at the easy slant of the avatar’s shoulders. How their tail swayed so cutely in the face of Jake’s middle finger.

They turned, pausing as their eyes caught on Tsu’tey. <”I didn’t know you could smile.”> They stated bluntly, making Tsu’tey’s private grin morph into yet another scowl before he swatted at them.

<”Go and be useful.”> He snapped instead of responding with a quip, pushing them towards HomeTree with his bow. 

They rolled their eyes, grabbing onto the shaft of his bow and dragging him with them. He allowed the casual touch, relieved that he would not have to find an excuse to keep them in his sights. With luck, his presence would deter them from doing anything fatal.

The evening continued like that. With Y/n carrying out tasks that other clan members asked of them, and Tsu’tey hovering nearby. Sometimes the na’vi they were talking to would take pity on him and assign him a similar job so he wasn’t sitting around uselessly. And other times, Y/n would find ways to divide up the simple chore so he could help out. 

It was sickeningly domestic and easy. The repetitive nature of their tasks and the soft din of the clan grew steadily louder as the hunting parties and the foragers returned from the forest, lulling Tsu’tey into a calmer mindset. 

Crouched before the fire with Y/n’s thigh pressed against his own, whilst the pair descaled fish, he could almost forget about the day's events. His eyes falling to half-mast as he lost himself in the repetitive motions of sliding his blade through flesh, skillfully removing bones as he went. 

<”Careful.”> Said the gleeful voice of the idiot beside him. <”If you get any more relaxed, you’re going to start purring.”>

<”You missed a strip of scales.”> Tsu’tey returned easily, making an effort to wake himself up.

Y/n hummed. <”So, why are you hovering again?”>

<”It’s the only way I can ensure you stay alive.”> 

<”Hey, I am not that bad.”>

<”I looked away for a couple of breaths, and you decided the best way to deal with that situation was jump /towards/ the dangerous predator.”> He stopped the motion of his knife to turn and catch their gaze. <”So yes, you /are/ that bad.”>

He kept plucking out bones, ears lying flat in embarrassment. It was not often he was so easily read. 

<”It worked didn’t it.”>

Y/n fell still. <”You’re genuinely upset about this.”> An observation. It was true but it made Tsu’tey feel surprisingly raw. He kept his head bent, refusing to meet their gaze. The teasing note in their voice had evaporated with the sentence. <”Tsu’tey, I’m fine.”> They said softly, a five fingered hand gripping his knee and squeezing.

Y/n huffed, their hand disappearing from his knee, and he assumed they would leave him be. 

Instead, they reached for his wrists, gently lowering the fish and knife to the pile he was crouched before. They take hold of the hand not covered in blood and guts, their expression open. Almost kind. Tsu’tey tore his gaze from that look, knowing there was a very real danger that he would start purring if they kept looking at him like that. 

<”It’s like you’ve learnt nothing. As if my teachings did not stick around in that thick skull.”>

Thankfully, the avatar remained oblivious as they took his hand and placed it - palm flat - against their chest. Tsu’tey eyebrows furrowed, confused until he felt the steady thump of their heart beneath his touch. <”That cat didn’t even hit me.”> They reassured him, unknowingly loosening something that had wound the hunter up tight

>_<

Neytiri found him in the roost tending to his ikran after the avatars had disconnected in their hammocks, and the clan had dispersed after dinner. 

She approached him as he scrubbed at a stubborn mud stain on his Mount's neck, lips pursed as he scowled up at the patch of dirt.

With a light touch to his shoulder, she effortlessly captured his attention, her voice firm as she stated simply, <”we need to talk.”>

Tsu’tey nodded, stepping away from his ikran to give her his full attention. 

Neytiri swallowed, seeming to gather all of her courage before speaking again. <“I wish to mate with Jake, once he has completed his training.”> For a moment there was silence. Besides the pair of them and the ikran, there was no one else in the roost. A fact Tsu’tey was eternally grateful for as his shoulder slumped and his heart suddenly unclenched. The relief that flooded him made him lightheaded. 

Neytiri studied his reaction carefully, as if expecting yelling or some form of reprimand. It took everything in Tsu’tey not to sweep her up into a hug.

<”I want to start courting Y/n.”> He replied with, instead of voicing any of those thoughts. 

Neytiri relaxed, smiling knowingly. <”I’m surprised you didn’t withdraw from our arrangement when they became Omaticayan.”>

<”It was too complicated.”> Between his duty to the clan and Neytiri, to the uneasiness of the people accepting a Sky Person into their midst. Although they had thoroughly proved themselves during their training and the months afterwards, it had taken the People time to truly accept Y/n as one of their own. When it came down to it, few still doubted they would stand with the clan if the Sky People declared war.

<”What changed?”> Neytiri asked easily. 

Tsu’tey waved her off, feeling like the question was too personal. He didn’t even know. One moment he was joking and hunting with his friend, and the next he was scrambling to grab that same idiot as they fearlessly launched themselves at a superior predator. Watching them literally slip through his fingers, and feeling his entire body wash with horror so intense he’d never felt anything like it before.

It was that day in the forest all over again. A wounded avatar, fearlessly throwing themselves at him in self-defence, and all his brain could think was ‘strong.’ Tsu’tey always knew he’d been attracted to strength, someone to stand beside him instead of behind. Someone he could rely on when he himself faltered, on the battlefield and off of it. 

<”Jake scares me with how reckless he can be.”> Neytiri admitted, pulling him from his musing. <”But he’s got a strong heart. He feels right.”>

Tsu’tey nodded along, amused by the far away look in her eye as she spoke of the man.

Decision made, Tsu’tey straightened, his strides were even, more confident than he felt as he approached his intended. She turned to him as he neared, her expression knowing as she held herself proudly, shoulders squared and her chin up. Absently, Tsu’tey admired her for her courage, for knowing what she didn’t want and being fearless in letting it go. In letting him go.

They would have to tell the Olo’eyktan and Tsahik later so the rest of the clan could be notified and decisions could be made for the future, but for now, it was just them.

With an air of finality, Tsu’tey placed his hands on Neytiri’s shoulders, her gaze locked on his, a mutual understanding passing between them. <”I, Tsu’tey te Rongloa Ateyitan, release you, Neytiri te Tskaha Mo’at’ite, of your oath to me.”> There was no dramatic shift in how he felt for her, but there was a relief of pressure from his shoulders.

Neytiri bowed her head. His hands dropped from her shoulders, and she mirrored his earlier stance, hands squeezing his shoulders as she inhaled a steadying breath. <”And I, Neytiri te Tskaha Mo’at’ite, release you, Tsu’tey te Rogloa Ateyitan, of your oath to me.”> 

And just like that, they were free. 

>_<

Unlinking was disorientating. The process took seconds. A single blink. And then you were transported to a new world. Your senses were dull compared to that of your avatar. The sounds of the machinery muted compared to the clear sounds of the forest.

The pocket compound was a quiet hum compared to the din of the main chamber during the evening meal. The smells were off. The pleasant hints of vegetation and chilled wind replaced by sterile halls and metal. 

Hauling yourself up and out of your link unit with a groan, you felt your shirt stick to your back, your head throbbing unpleasantly from long hours spent doing nothing.

You moved towards your desk before venturing into the next room, the whirr of Jake’s link unit providing some white noise. Pulling out a spare deodorant from one of the drawers, you found your gaze drifting to the stars peering in through the window. Pandora was gorgeous at night, although the soft glow of the forest was muted from this distance as well as the light pollution from the light behind you. 

You had only been gone moments, but you already missed it.

Forcing your gaze away, you screwed the lid back on the small tub, metaphorically doing the same to the mounting sense of yearning that was making your chest ache. Shoving the deodorant back into the drawer, you swiftly turned on your feet.

Grace and Norm were rustling around in the kitchen, the whirr of the microwave suggesting it was about dinner time. You noted Norm loitering by the stove, peering into the small machine with a bored expression. Dreading the tasteless meal to come, you flopped heavily into a vacant chair at the table, exhaustion making you groan.

“Long day?” Grace asked without looking up from her notes. She had taken over most of the table with her laptop and numerous stacks of papers.

“Again?” You parroted and Norm snorted from behind you. Turning to him, you repeated the question. “What do you mean again?” He waved you off as if it was too long winded a story to repeat. 

“Jake almost got killed by a thanator.”

Down the hallway the creak of wheels indicated Jake’s approach towards the kitchen. “What is it with that man and stupid decisions?” 

Norm simply shrugged, whilst Grace chuckled from across the table. “As if you’re any better Y/n.” She mused, snatching up a file from the stack to her right before carefully typing out the contents on her laptop. “On your first day you got separated from your team. Were lost in the forest for hours. Managed to get wounded AND fall out of a tree, almost killing Tsu’tey by flattening him, all before you took out a knife to finish him off.”

“Again?” She replied, not bothering to look up from her work.

Leaned up against the stove, Norm had gone very still, whilst your face had split into a reluctant grin at the recollection of the hunter’s face when you’d whipped out that utility knife and tried to stab him. He’d easily caught your wrist and disarmed you, all whilst looking mildly peeved at the whole interaction.

“Am I hearing this right? You tried to kill Tsu’tey on your first day?” Jake laughed as he glided into the room.

“In my defence, I thought he was gonna /kill/ me.”

“And yet here you are, playing best friends and threatening to braid each other’s hair.”

“Y/n has always been a charmer when they wanted to be.” Grace agreed, reaching over to mess up your hair whilst you shoved at her hands. She laughed at your childish squirming before retreating back behind her computer screen. “They and the future Olo’eyktan have been chasing each other’s tails ever since.” 

“With what evidence?” You deflected.

You groaned loudly, kicking her under the table. “Can you drop that already?”

“You’re not dead for one.” Norm interjected.

“You haven’t been there, you get no opinion Spellman.” You dismissed without missing a beat, to which Jake immediately took up the challenge instead. 

Grace kicked you back twice as hard. “It’s hard to when the evidence is staring me right in the face.” She replied easily, “you’re so infatuated it’s disgusting.”

“He spends practically all day with you.” Jake added.

“We work well as a team.” 

Grace tuts. “I never took you as someone afraid of love, Y/n.”

Jake just shook his head before continuing on. “And he was waiting for you to turn up earlier. AND, he practically chewed you out for throwing yourself at the thanator earlier.”

“He did, until I saved his idiot ass. But that’s besides the point, Omaticaya do not mate with outsiders, looking at you in particular Jake. Neytiri already has commitments. And that’s not including the fact that we’re not here for the long-term. It would just end up hurting everyone involved.” You retorted, pulling the conversation back to an area you could control.

You scowled, “I’m not afraid.” 

Grace hummed, not looking convinced or agreeing with you. “But you’re right, all jokes aside, we are not of their world.”

Grace butting back into the conversation at that. “I thought you said Jake almost got killed.”

Your heart clenched despite knowing it was the truth. Despite repeating it to yourself everyday since you’d fallen for that gruff voice and scowling face. 

Even in the privacy of your own thoughts, it was hard to admit that you loved him. That you wanted that deep connection with him. To mate with the man you had chosen and spend forever with him. Because even in your thoughts, you knew it was something unattainable. You knew you’d always have one foot in either world; looking in but never around.

>_<

Mo’at and Eytukan had taken the news of Tsu’tey and Neytiri’s broken engagement reasonably well. With the Olo’eyktan storming off for several hours and leaving the young pair sweating bullets, whilst the Tsahik took one long look at her daughter and came to a fast conclusion. 

Which led to him and Neytiri crouching around a low burning fire in the main chamber, each attempting to create their courting gifts. The dawn was still young, with the hunting parties having left already, but Neytiri had already given up on her courting project. 

<”Thank you for being honest.”> The woman stated bluntly, addressing both of them before turning her attention to her daughter. <”I will speak with your father.”> Then she swung her gaze around to Tsu’tey. <”We will have to discuss whether you will proceed as Olo’eyktan or Neytiri’s mate will take up the position instead.”>

She was being frustratingly unhelpful, as per usual, as she excitedly told Tsu’tey all about her evening with Jake. They had progressed surprisingly far into their courtship in such a short span of time, with Jake allowing Neytiri to braid his hair the night before. The man was currently parading the new look around the clan, following Y/n around like a lost puppy. 

Tsu’tey tried not to scowl at his turned back. Instead focusing on carving an accurate atokirina into the hilt of the knife in his hands. He’d discovered the palulukan tooth not far from HomeTree and had brought it home to sharpen and attach to a hilt of his making. It was almost finished, and only required the last few decorative carvings to the hilt before he could present it - and his heart - to the subject of his affections.

Across the flames, Neytiri’s face visibly lit up, her posture straightening as Jake rounded the firepit to take the vacant spot at her side. Tsu’tey watched with an amused smile as the man sat down a respectful distance from the woman, only for Neytiri to purposefully shift herself into his side. Jake visibly stiffened, eyes boring into the flames as he avoided Neytiri’s fierce gaze. It was amusing to watch him suffer, whilst Neytiri grinned evilly, her tail thumping in silent victory. 

Although internally Tsu’tey was raging at the idea of Jake taking his lifelong position, he managed to bite his tongue and nod his understanding. 

She thumbed one of the beads woven into a front braid of Jake’s hair, the motion full of love that made Tsu’tey’s stomach twist, whilst Jake flushed a bright purple.

A hand on Tsu’tey’s shoulder brought his attention away from the couple, instead allowing him to focus on Y/n who had dropped into an easy crouch at his side. Their gaze had immediately fallen to the knife, eyes wide in interest. Tsu’tey tried not to preen too hard at the blatant show of intrigue. 

He made no move to conceal his work. Privately, Tsu’tey had always disagreed with the idea of secrecy within the courtship process. Why work for hours on a present his intended might not even like? He might as well ask their opinion as he went and ensure they loved it. 

He allowed their curious gaze to linger for a while, content to entertain them whilst he worked. 

<”How tall are you in your demon body?”> He found himself blurting when the half formed thought of creating them a necklace for their second gift came to mind. Beside him, Y/n had gone stock still, their hand freezing on his shoulder, but Tsu’tey couldn’t say he wanted to take it back. If he was going to do this, he was going to commit all the way. Avatar and Sky Person alike. And for that to work, he needed to create twice the amount of gifts, or at least, that’s what he assumed.

When the time came and he did gain the privilege of meeting Y/n in their natural body, he wanted to have a piece of himself already there. A necklace made by his hand would work perfectly. Small enough to remain out of the way, but obvious so as to tell others that they were already involved with someone. 

<”What?”> Y/n finally choked out, whilst Jake had gone very still across the fire. 

Tsu’tey shot him a warning look. Injecting the expression with enough venom to silently reassure him that he would retaliate if he got involved. 

<”Human?”> The word felt weird rolling off his tongue. 

<”Your demon body.”> Tsu’tey repeated, looking up to find an unnaturally neutral expression plaguing Y/n’s face. Their eyes searched his, looking for the joke, or worse, a trap. <”The one you disappear to when you close your eyes.”>

<”My /human/ body?”> They returned sharply, using a word Tsu’tey did not recognise. 

”Banshees? <Strange.”>

<”It’s easy to pronounce in english.”>

Y/n at least took pity on him, leaning back as they explained, <”it’s what Sky People call themselves.”> They fumbled for an example, the distant call of an ikran making their ears perk. <“Right, so you have ikran, right?”> He nodded uncertainty, unsure where this was going, <”well, they refer to them as> banshees.”

<”You still haven’t answered my question.”>

<”It’s just not really that important.”> They deflected, but Tsu’tey could tell they were withholding it for a reason. 

<”I can’t remember.”>

Tsu’tey narrowed his gaze, uncertain as to why he was being denied such an innocent piece of information. <”What? Why not?”>

<”Are we not friends?”>

<”Of course?”> They arched their eyebrow.

<”Then tell me.”>

And now Tsu’tey was confused. <”I just need you to describe yourself to me.”>

The avatar huffed in a way that Tsu’tey knew meant that he’d won.

<”I can’t show you my human body. It is too fragile for Pandora.”> 

<”Why are you so invested?”>

<”Just tell me!”> He finally snapped, eyes narrowed.

They began simple, describing themselves in details that Tsu’tey could understand since he’d only ever seen snippets of humans from a distance. They showed him roughly what their height was in comparison to their avatar, they described the hue of their eyes, the tones of their hair, the state of their hands. They depicted their typical attire, how they carried themselves, mapping out old injuries and aged scars, all of which he absorbed greedily. 

It was more than he’d asked for, and he was grateful for it. It would be easier to construct gifts to their taste with this additional snippet of information.

They settled in more comfortably, turning away from the flames to give him their full attention. Tsu’tey drew his gaze away from his work, eager to not miss anything. 

As their rambling diverged off the original topic, Tsu’tey listened with mild amusement as they began complaining about the exo packs they were forced to wear whilst exploring Pandora. Telling him about how the air of this planet was too dense with carbon dioxide and easily overwhelmed their lungs if they breathed it in, to which he felt compelled to interrupt. 

If these ‘exo-packs’ were so crucial, surely he should learn how they work. As their future mate, he should possess the skill to step up if it were required.

<”Show me.”> He said simply, and they stilled again. He seemed to keep surprising them today. <”I want to learn how it works.”> 

They made a show of looking down at their weapon’s belt and loincloth. <”I don’t have one on me.”>

Tsu’tey tutted as he rose fluidly from his crouch, slipping his knife back into its sheath whilst he set aside his courting gift. <”You said you’re in a new hideout. Up in the Hallelujah Mountains. Yes?”> He pressed, motioning to said mountains on the horizon. They nodded as they rose to their feet. <”There’s still plenty of daylight left.”>

They agreed easily enough, following his lead towards the double helix staircase after biding a quick goodbye to Jake. He issued a half-assed challenge at the base of the helix, to which they grinned and immediately agreed, going so far as to shove him aside and making a head start. Tsu’tey laughed at their boldness before jumping after them, effortlessly climbing faster and making it to the rookery before they cleared the fourth level.

In companionable silence, the pair saddled their ikran before taking to the skies. It was still early, the forest only just waking up. The skies clear and the sun bright on the horizon. With a whoop, Y/n took the lead guiding the pair in the direction of the Hallelujah Mountains.

>_<

When you got into the link this morning, this was not how you envisioned yourself returning to the compound.

As the small, silver unit came into view on the horizon, you slowed the speed of your mount to warned Tsu’tey of the other people you were sharing the compound with. He nodded along, content to follow your lead as you began your descent towards the open strip of grass. 

Landing your ikran near the other side of the cliff, you slid off with a comforting pat to your mount’s snout. Striding across the short distance towards the compound, you absently remarked on how small the helicopter felt now that you were almost as tall as it. 

Crouching down near the compound doors, you knocked lightly on the metal, aware of your superior strength in this form. Tsu’tey approached slowly from behind you, eying the building with clear mistrust. 

One of the windows shifted as someone peered out. You smiled with a wave, unable to make out their face as they dipped out of sight just as fast as they’d appeared. You didn’t have to wait long, as you heard the hiss of the airlock and shuffled back to make space for whoever was coming out. 

Decked out in an exo pack, Grace poked her head out of the compound door. ”The hell are you doing here?”

”Tsu’tey wanted to learn how to put on exo packs.” You replied simply, motioning to the hunter over your shoulder. Grace followed the motion, visibly stiffening as her gaze found Tsu’tey looming nearby. ”Would you mind grabbing a couple and a silicone dummy?”

She nodded despite her confusion, disappearing back inside to rummage through the storage. 

<”Humans are very tiny.”> Tsu’tey commented with no malice. 

<”And fragile. So be careful.”> You warned, offering to help Grace with her load as she stumbled back out of the airlock with the equipment you needed. 

Together, you laid out everything on the grass not far from the compound, Tsu’tey sat crossed legged across from Grace as the older woman launched into a brief explanation on the exo packs. She pointed out the different pieces and dismantled and rebuilt one for Tsu’tey to observe.

Then she strapped one to the face of the dummy and instructed him to remove it. He crushed it easily between his forefinger and thumb, making his tail thump in annoyance. Grace laughed before replacing the mask, instructing him towards the straps at the back of the mask and how they worked. 

It took plenty of trial and error, with a small pile of ruined exo packs building up behind Grace, some beyond repair, but most could be recycled into spare parts. But eventually, Tsu’tey learned how to get the old exo pack off, before Grace challenged him to strap a new one on. 

It was fascinating to watch how engrossed he became in the task. Ears pricked in curiosity as he messed with equipment much too small for his large fingers, navigating the fiddly compartments with a growing sense of familiarity. 

“Stealing from your friend? Now that’s low even for you.” You lightly pushed her, rolling your eyes. 

Whilst he worked, you caught Grace’s eye, to which she looked pointedly at your arm. “Now I know for a fact you can’t weave. So what sorry sod did you steal that off of.” She mused, ignoring how Tsu’tey’s ears flicked towards the conversation, even as he continued to focus on the task at hand.

“Tsu’tey actually made it.” 

Grace raised her eyebrows but said nothing else. Her eyes drifted back to Tsu’tey who had almost gotten the exo pack back over the dummy’s head. You followed her gaze only to find Tsu’tey glaring daggers at her and the woman refusing to back down. 

You internally debated starting up a fresh conversation to distract them from one another, but you were terrified of either of those gaze turning on you. 

>_<

“You’re such a mum.” You jabbed, “it was a gift obviously.” 

In the weeks that followed, Jake passed his rite. 

You’d heard his triumphant whoop echoing from the branches of HomeTree as the new hunters returned home. Grinning to yourself, you helped prepare the evening feast whilst Eytukan and Mo’at climbed the helix staircase to greet the newest additions to the tribe. 

The rest of the members began to tuck in before anyone came down from the rookery. The main chamber falling into its usual rhythm of chatter and crackling flames. Finding yourself a vacant spot further away from the staircase, you knew when the hunters emerged as a triumphant roar erupted from all the clan members. 

Joining in with gusto, you watched as Jake made his way through the assembled na’vi, receiving back pats and calls of congratulations as Neytiri dragged him along by the arm. He looked good in paint. His hair had also been restyled, accented with braids and beads which looked significantly better than the rat tails that used to hang around his ears. It was definitely Neytiri’s handy work, you knew for a fact that Jake couldn’t braid. Nor did his human body have hair to practise on.

Tsu’tey found you before too long, taking the space opposite you, his leg guards still strapped on after a long day of climbing the mountains and gliding around on his ikran. 

<”How were they?”> You asked by way of greeting, pushing the serving leaf closer for him to pick at.

<”That is good.”>

<”My students performed excellently. As was predicted.”>

<”And Jake?”>

<”Almost plummeted to his death, but as you can see,”> he motioned to where Neytiri and Jake had disappeared off to. <”Eywa does not wish to take him yet.”>

Tsu’tey did not respond. He seemed to come to a conclusion as he confidently reached for his belt once again and pulled a knife free. Your eyes zeroed in on the thanator tooth blade before gliding down the smooth, wooden hilt. It looked like it had taken days to carve, sharpen and construct. And fuck was it an attractive blade. From the alluring glint of the tooth to the heavily detailed handle, you couldn’t even fathom the amount of hours it would have taken to acquire the materials, let alone make them into something new.

<”Something on your mind?”>

He jumped as if he’d forgotten you were there. You narrowed your gaze. <”Did you do something?”> You deadpanned, mentally preparing yourself for anything between leaving the saddle on his ikran to straight up murder. 

Judging by the look on his face, he was definitely preening. Then again, so would you be if you had managed to craft something on the same scale as this.

<”It’s gorgeous.”> You breathed, leaning closer to examine it further. Tsu’tey held it out to you, encouraging you to take it from his hands with a firm nod of his head.

Tsu’tey hummed, not reaching for the food like usual. That in itself was off putting. Refocusing your attention, you realised he was acting strange. Almost skittish. His hand reached for something at his belt, only to rethink his actions and for it to drop back into his lap. You frowned.

It was perfectly balanced and fit like it was made to be held by your hand. 

<”Jesus, how long did this take you?”>

Tsu’tey shrugged, going for modesty, but you could see the pride oozing off him in waves. His ears had pricked cutely, whilst his tail swayed as an obvious sign of glee. 

Tsu’tey’s tail stilled. His happy swaying was abruptly cut off as his eyes snapped open, pinning you in place with a look that could freeze over the north sea. 

<“So when are you going to give it to her?”>

“Huh?” He breathed dumbly.

Behind him, someone audibly winced, shuffling in closer to their family group. Tsu’tey paid them no mind. 

You tried to play it off with a laugh, assuming he hadn’t heard you beyond the compliment regarding his craftsmanship. <”When are you giving it to her?”> You repeated, smiling encouragingly when his expression did not change. The longer he stared at you with that blank, unreadable expression, the longer you felt yourself grow uneasy. <”This is for Neytiri, right?”> 

He was the one who looked unsure now. Eyes skittishly fluttering all over your face.

You broke eye contact, turning the knife over and over between your palms. In every sense of the word, it was perfect. A much better fit than the measly weapon strapped to your chest, or your old utility knife.

<”Thank you.”> 

<“No.”> He snapped, making you jump at the sudden harsh tone. His eyes flashed, ears falling from their tall swivel. <”It is for you.”> He continued quieter, his tone losing its harsh note. 

He nodded, seeming to finally relax. <“Good. Your one is an embarrassment.”>

You huffed, leaning across to give him a playful whack to the shoulder, which had a smile breaking out on his lips and his tail thrashing again. Whatever had been brewing between you seemed to evaporate in the wave of the familiar gesture. 

As Tsu’tey reached for some food, you busied yourself with unsheathing your knife from the sheath strapped across your chest. You’d made it yourself during your early weeks spent at HomeTree from a rock you’d smashed open and a smoothed down slab of wood. It had served you well until now. Sliding the new one in in its place, you grinned at the perfect fit. 

Tsu’tey shared your smile as he nodded slowly to himself, ears pricked and his face relaxed. 

Over his shoulder, you caught sight of Mo’at picking her way back down the double helix stairs, Eytukan’s hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. The Tsahik spared him no attention, her gaze driving into your soul despite the large, open space between you. You could’ve sworn she was smirking, but you /knew/ that Mo’at did not smirk. 

>_<

The party lasted late and long into the night, so you were not overly surprised when there was hardly anyone around the following morning when you linked up. After descending the spiral staircase to the main chamber, a nervous energy fell over the few hunters who were already awake. 

There was no chatter today. The main chamber of HomeTree was eerily still.

Tsu’tey was nowhere to be found. Whilst Mo’at and Eytukan were not in the plaza as they usually were. The sudden break in routine had your hair standing on end, some deep rooted na’vi instinct warning you of an impending danger.

But you were safe. You were beneath HomeTree, far away from the Sky People and any other form of threats.

Shaking the feeling off, you decided to busy yourself. Tsu’tey couldn’t hide forever - he was clingy like that - so you just had to find something to do until he showed himself. Stepped out of the shadow of HomeTree, you made your way towards the river where the pa’li grazed. 

The atmosphere out here was not so stifling, the sunshine helping to ease the previously sombre mood. Or so you thought.

You’d barely made it onto the path that led away from HomeTree when you noticed Jake and Neytiri walking hand in hand towards the tree. You gaze narrowed, unused to seeing them so forward with their physical affections to one another. Against your will, your legs stopped walking as you observed. 

As if sensing you needed a push to slot the pieces together, the wind decided at that moment to pick up, wafting the smell of sex and togetherness straight at you. Your eyes bugged, connecting the distinct smells of Jake and Neytiri.  If you were blind, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

That thought throws you as an instinct that isn't your own knows what it is. The words echo in the back of your mind. Short. Simple. 

They had bonded.

>_<

Jake would have been on cloud nine if he hadn’t just witnessed the destruction of the Tree of Voices. According to Neytiri, they should be basking in the presence of one another and enjoying their newfound closeness through the bond, not internally panicking about the bulldozers which had gotten far too close for comfort.

HomeTree was eerily still as the newly mated pair rushed towards the main chamber with the intention of warning the Olo’eyktan about the approaching attack. The pair had barely gotten into the shadow of the massive tree when a fuming Y/n stormed up to him out of seemingly nowhere. He had taken one look at that expression before his stomach had dropped with fear sharper than any bulldozer.

They took one look at him, nose twitching unnaturally. Then their expression hardened, similar to those first few weeks of him being around HomeTree. 

Neytiri had also stopped walking, her expression perplexed as she watched the scientist visibly attempt to calm themselves.

“When I said don’t, it wasn’t a fucking challenge to get it on as quickly as fucking possible.” They blurted, tail thrashing. Jake very much wanted to run. He felt genuinely in danger.

When a hand caught his ear in a vice-like grip and began dragging him out of HomeTree, he briefly contemplated unlinking and begging Trudy for a rapid getaway, but decided he wanted his knife on him if anything went wrong. “That hurts!” He whined instead, confused as to why Neytiri was just laughing instead of helping him. 

They didn’t bother offering a response and instead dragged him out into the sunlight despite his best attempts at wrestling them off. His ear was on fire, eyes watering. Somehow it was worse than being at knife point. 

“What the fuck are you playing at?” They snarled, letting go of him with a shove that sent him sprawling in the dirt. Thankfully, they’d dragged him away from the main path to HomeTree and into the undergrowth to the side where there would be less witnesses. His blood chilled at the connotations of that thought. 

Y/n was still fuming, hands twitching at their sides as if to reach for a knife, but Jake mentally noted that they weren’t wearing their weapon’s belt, odd, they never took that off. “We are /visitors/.” They hissed, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. “As much as we wear the skin and decor of the clan, we do not belong here.”

They smack him upside the head again. “Exactly! You didn’t.” 

Anger flared to life in his gut. “Stop talking to me like I’m a kid.”

“Then act like a fucking adult for once in your life.” They returned sharply, giving him a harsh thump to the head as if to activate the rest of his brain cells. His expression remained pinched, defiant. Y/n returned it with such venom he almost wanted to back down. “What happens when the programme closes down Jake?” His heart plummeted as their expression morphed into something more neutral.  “What about when they rotate us home?”

He fumbled for a response. “I didn’t-.”

"And Tsu’tey-" they cut themselves off with a groan. "I know that you hated him, but stealing his intended is several steps too far Jake."

Their expression held a thousand words. “Why do you think I never took a mate after my rite?”

“I didn’t-”

"Look, I can explain." 

"It better be fucking impeccable." They threatened, “I've got eight months of training on you in this body, I can and will kick your ass.”

“What? No!"

“Then unlink so I can beat your ass.”

“Don’t make me come over there Jake. I will unlink right here.”

“I’m not doing that either.”

“Look, I get that you’re angry. This looks really bad-”

“I am beyond angry Jake. What the hell were you thinking?”

"Who?" 

"They aren't intended anymore!" Jake hurriedly, supplied. Y/n froze.

"Tsu’tey and Neytiri. They broke it off." 

Meanwhile, Y/n had frozen up. Their brows furrowed, whilst Tsu’tey watched on with an expression of pure glee. Jake wanted to smack him. 

They turned to Tsu’tey, their tone dead serious and still festering with poorly concealed rage. <"Is it true? Your engagement?"> 

To his credit, Tsu’tey did not cower, and instead responded with a simple, <"yes."> The tension bled out of the scientist, whilst Tsu'tey's grin grew, preening at the act of someone defending his honour.

Y/n back off, physically retreating a step or two. "Then I apologise, Jake."

"You don't have a very high opinion of me do you?" 

The leaves behind Y/n rustled in response to his declaration as the pair in question finally stumbled upon them. Jake sagged in relief. Neytiri was immediately at his side, checking him for injuries with swift passes of her hands over his body.

"You're unpredictable. And stupid." They responded without missing a beat. And Jake couldn't exactly fault them for that observation.

Jake was about to bite back a not so kind retort when Neytiri effortlessly hauled him back to his feet. “As touching as this is, we must speak to the Olo’eyktan. It's urgent. The Tree of Voices has been destroyed." 

“I needed to get rid of it for fear of stabbing him.”

“You were planning to stab me.”

Tsu’tey was still grinning as he handed them back their knife belt, "I found this in the bushes." 

“In my defence, I thought you were in your rebel era.”

“Shit. I forgot about that part.” Jake admitted before he could stop himself.

>_<

In the language of the na’vi, there was no word for lie. In a world like Pandora, there was no room for treachery or deceit. Only a clear line between right and wrong. 

Your heart pounded as you glanced between Jake and Neytiri, the telltale scent of sex and togetherness that suggested a completed bond making you want to gag. Warning him against mating with one of the clan members hadn’t been a fucking challenge. 

But that wasn’t the main issue. The issue was the destruction of the Tree of Voices and Jake trying to explain Quaritch’s plan. 

The clan was deadly silent as he finished his rushed explanation. The tension mounting as Neytiri stared at Jake as if she didn’t know him. 

Their earlier ease with one another had evaporated. Jake's body tensed up whilst Neytiri looked devastated.

<“What are you saying Jake? You knew this would happen?”> Neytiri asked, her hand on Jake’s shoulder, trying to get him to look at her instead of her father. Her expression was searching as she tried to understand what he was getting at. Tried to grasp the concept of him being a double agent. 

You shifted in your spot half a step behind Tsu’tey, catching Grace’s eyes across the small semi-circle. This was a delicate situation now, one Jake could throw into chaos with a few wrongly placed words.

You felt the colour bleed from your face. What the hell was he thinking?

You stepped closer, ears pricked as if that would help you understand. Tsu’tey to your left mirrored the action, somehow still between you and Jake. <“You knew?”> He accused, his face ablaze with fury. You could see his hand twitching at his side, a sure sign he was going to draw his blade.

<“Yes, but-”>  Jake replied hurriedly, sensing he was about to send the entire encounter into a tailspin.

Neytiri abruptly tore herself away from him. Your stomach dropped at the pure agony twisting her features. <“I trusted you.”> She whispered, voice shaking. Then she hardened, her posture stiffening, her expression warping into a ferocious snarl. <”I trusted you!”> 

The hunters observing the scene reached for their bows.

Thankfully, he seemed to grasp the kind of situation he was in because he visibly steadied himself before responding. His expression was open, honest. You could see the fear glistening in the depths of his eyes. Noticed the shake of his hand as he grasped his mate’s hand on his shoulder, his tone soothing as he replied. <“Look, the Sky People sent me here, to learn your ways-”> 

Mo’at made a grab at her daughter’s arm, trying to pull the woman away from Jake as if he were the threat.

Tsu’tey stepped up, face contorting into a cold snarl.

You grabbed his arm when you saw the genuine fear spreading across your friend’s face as Jake instinctively backed away, unaware of the waiting hunters at his back. <”Okay, lets all just calm down.”> You commanded, dreading the look on Grace’s face when you found her in the crowd. “Jake, what the fuck are you talking about?” You hissed in english.

The steady grip you had on Tsu’tey’s forearm was ripped away as the hunter turned on you. Eyes burning with enough hatred to make you want to bare your neck. You remained firm, knowing that because of association you were also an enemy in his eyes. 

“Did you know about this?” Tsu’tey demanded accusingly. His expression was not of your friend, but of the next in line to the clan, ready to defend his people at a moment’s notice. 

“What?” 

“Did you /know/?” He repeated, almost shouting as he got up in your face. You held firm, refusing to back away or back down as you sternly met his gaze. 

Shoulders back, spine straight, you snapped in fluent na’vi. <“Of course not.”> You bared your fangs, ears pinned flat against your skull. Jake shifted behind you, and you waved your hand at him. Silently ordering him not to intervene. <“I’ve spent every hour here, helping the clan. Doing my duty. The only time I return to the compound is to eat and sleep.”>

Tsu’tey maintained eye contact, chest heaving. You dared not blink. Hunter to hunter, neither of you moved. Then his body lost its tension. He found what he’d been looking for in your gaze and he backed down with a nod.

“Grace!” Neytiri yelled, straining against the harsh grip Mo’at had on her forearm. You spun in the direction she was attempting to run in to find Grace’s avatar collapsed onto the floor. A couple women rushed forward to try and bring her back, but you recognised the unnatural stillness of an uninhabited avatar.

“Shit.” Jake cursed, and you couldn’t help but agree.

“They found us.” You breathed, barely loud enough for you to hear yourself. 

“The Sky People?” Tsu’tey asked, his hand found your shoulder and gripped tightly to draw your attention back to him. Numbly, you nodded, heart pounding as your hand found his arm and held on for dear life.

Behind you, Jake was also visibly panicking. He tried to draw everyone’s attention back to him long enough to explain, but he struggled to get the words out. His na’vi was breaking up as he stuttered through a poor explanation. <”You have to leave.”> You could barely understand what he was saying before his voice cut off, body stiffening and his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He went down like a rock.

Distantly, you heard Neytiri screech his name before she tore herself from Mo’at grip and ran to him. 

You were next, you realised. It was only a few steps past his link to your own. 

<“Listen. Listen to me.”> You pleaded, turning to Tsu’tey. His eyes flickered to the collapsed bodies of your colleagues before giving you his full attention, expression grim. <“The Sky People have found our compound. They’ll be coming for HomeTree next. They will show no mercy.”>

Anguished shouts erupted across the hollow chamber. You wanted to roar with them, but there was no time. 

You turned to the Olo’eyktan who had been watching the exchange wordlessly from Mo’at’s side, his expression unreadable. Tsu’tey did not tear you away as you stood before him. Nor did Mo’at order you removed. For now, for these few precious seconds, you were still one of them.

The symbolism of the bow at your back and the beaded armband encircling your bicep still held strong. You were still a hunter pleading to your leader. And for now, he would listen to you. 

 <“Olo’eyktan, you need to evacuate everyone who cannot fight.”> The People roared their disapproval, but Eytukan silenced them with a hand. He nodded once. It gave you hope. <”They need to go somewhere safe, the warriors-”>

Your body gave a lurch. Tsu’tey’s grip turned painful as your muscles locked up. Your vision blurred and your pupils lost focus. 

Mentally, you clawed at your hold over this body, fighting with all you had not to wake up as you felt strong hands pulling at your shoulders, slowing your descent. Someone was yelling your name. 

But you were leaving. Drifting away. Your consciousness slipping. 

You came up swinging on the other side. Grace was yelling from across the room as an RDA officer restrained her. Jake was out of sight, and Norm was also being held down. Your fist connected with someone’s temple as you screeched a war cry that should not have been possible with human vocal cords.

Previous chapter <-- Act 2 --> Next Chapter

[dantoru]

hello i posted a new fic 😊

🎈🌟 1/4 chapters (to be updated daily)

[hallucxnating]

You know what? Fuck you *slaps your Shizaya in a Darkwood AU*

[starlightartemis]

Hiii, remember this thing? No? Yeah, me neither 🙃

Leo might put his family and the world before himself, but Casey is the student of his future self: everything he knows, the kid learnt.

Even lessons about sacrifice.

(Or: Casey decides it’s his turn to save his family, even if it means going against Leo’s wishes and getting trapped with the Kraang forever.)

Casey Jr enjoyers come get the angst <3 ( @funneylizzie I’m not sorry)

[frischkasekuchen]

Dreamtalia moments that hit different for me after watching End Of Evangelion:

I remember joking with a friend in history class (who encouraged me to watch Eva) that Reve would be Asuka, because of his long hair- that was prior to me consuming any Eva content. Now, in retrospect...

[missmako-chan]

Girl help my ass is Drowning in WIPs

Ask me about them if you want, I guess. I'll put them in the tags

[koskela-knights]

Consider, a Tucker & Dale vs Evil AU/Crossover

Since 8 December this AU/Crossover idea has been living inside my head and now that I remember the Koskelas earlier concept art, it just drove home the idea even more.

The AU/crossover would probably be about the Koskelas as they try to have a peaceful, fun holiday in the woods but then Evil strikes, the Cult of the Tree being a separate thing from them and the Koskelas being misinterpreted as some dangerous killers by a group of outsiders/youngsters (the Bookers). (wow it's almost the same plot/s)

[brianmostcertainlymay]

Pulling a timeline of plot details for the super secret self-indulgent self-insert fic, and let me tell you, it isn't as fun as it sounds. ;- p

[kimium]

Chapters: 4/? Summary:

Canon Divergence. University AU. Mafia AU.

“Let’s leave. We’re not sticking around here,” Yuu said as they began to walk through the tall grass. If they were lucky, they’d run into someone that was willing to help and not ask many questions.

“Well, well what do we have here?”

Yuu jumped, a scream bursting from their lips. Grim squirmed out of their arms and floated in mid air, his ear flames bursting brighter. Standing in front of them was a man wearing the most ornate outfit Yuu had ever seen outside of cosplay inside an anime convention. Clearly going for a steam-punk like style crossed with opera, Yuu couldn’t tear their eyes away from the birdlike mask or the feathers adorning the long cloak with ends that looked like bird wings.

“Goodness gracious!” the man exclaimed, a little too cheerful. “You’re not from this world.”

In where Yuu is summoned to a strange new dimension (by an occult) and will find their way home (and solving the mystery to why they were summoned in the first place) through the power of accidentally befriending the local organized crime fractions. (Or Yuu is accidentally the most powerful person in this world through the power of Friendship.)

~

Hello everyone. It’s me again with another chapter. I know I mentioned writing my FE fic but I had an idea for this one spring up last night. So, I ended up working on this fic again. I hope you like this next chapter! Let me know!

[royal-songbird]

its 9am and i havent slept but. prohibited wish fic is IN THE WORKS !!!! auugg im so excited to work on it i am hoping i'll actually get further than three chapters unlike literally every multi-chapter fic ive attempted

[summercourtship]

WASTE NOT (18+)

or, the reader is travelling with the Ghoul when he discovers she's never fucked before. You figure out what comes next.

cooper howard/the ghoul x reader | warnings/notes: loss of virginity, masturbation, exhibitionism, piv sex, oral sex, barely proofread | side note: i might end up reusing this general plot for a longer multi-chapter fic, we'll see

read on AO3

Five hundred caps, two hundred upfront.

That’s how much it took for you to get out of the gilded cage that was your hometown, a decent sized settlement inside of what used to be a Rodeo stadium and aptly named for it. That’s all it took for you to escape your father, the mayor of said town who kept you under lock and key, both literally and figuratively. You’d tried to escape before, attempts that had been thwarted before they even began. It only led to you being locked in your room and only allowed to walk the town with a bodyguard, someone hired to make sure you didn’t run for it. 

Some people might say that it was a privilege to be cared for so much that you didn’t have to constantly fight for your life. You thought it was a surefire way to get you killed when you finally did leave his grasp.

Since running away, you’d done many things for the first time that most people did before they were even ten years old. Held a gun, caught your own food, killed a man. 

And the man you’d paid to take you through the wastes was the first ghoul you’d ever met. Your settlement didn’t ban them from entering, but they weren’t exactly welcoming either. But you’d been immediately drawn to him, which you at first chalked up to the novelty of meeting a new kind of person, the kind you’d only read about.

However, as you’d continued traveling with him and the novelty wore off, you quickly realized that the draw you felt to him wasn’t just because of culture shock. 

The Ghoul, which was the only thing you called him because he’d given you nothing else to call him, was sitting by the fire he’d built, a slow curl of smoke drifting from the cigarette hanging in his mouth. You looked over at him, observing how the light from the flames reflected off of his worn and imperfect skin. It was a sight you’d seen almost every night this week, but every time you felt like it was the first time you were seeing him. 

Your week was almost up. When you’d hired him, you’d told him you only wanted to leave your town for a week, just to experience the Wastes before returning to your “ivory tower,” (his words, not yours). It had taken some bargaining on your end (and you had to give him chems in addition to the caps) but it had worked. You were out of the clutches of your father, you were finally experiencing life for the first time.  

And you had no intention of going back when the week was over. 

You were sitting across the room, perched on an old bed that was still standing in the half-ruined house, though shack might be more accurate. An entire wall was missing, letting you look right into the starry night sky from your seat. But mainly you were looking at the Ghoul, who was looking after one of his guns. You brought the drink you’d been nursing- just a Nuka-Cola you’d found on your journey and saved for this moment- taking a deep sip of the fizzy drink when he spoke up. 

“Stop starin’ at me.” 

You choked, sputtering up the Nuka-Cola in your attempt to catch your breath. In your coughing, you only managed to spill more of the drink on yourself, an unfortunate chain of events that left you with a soaked through shirt. You cursed under your breath, looking down at the brown liquid that would surely stain the fabric. Did you even have a clean replacement in your bag?

Leaning towards your bag, you placed the almost empty bottle on the floor before flipping the flap, peering inside. 

“You might wanna take that off before the flies smell the sugar.”

Your current task forgotten, you stared up at the Ghoul, who wasn’t even looking at you when he said it. But the idea of taking your shirt off around him when you knew that he could see it was terrifying. However, he was right when he said you’d need to get the shirt off of your body soon and put it into your bag. Who knows how much sugar was in Nuka-Cola, how far its sweet scent would travel if it was out in the open. And you certainly didn’t want to attract any bugs your way. 

Sitting up straight, you cleared your throat. Your fingers worried at the hem of your shirt.

“Could you turn around…” Your voice trailed off at the look on his face, a brief glance your way. 

“It’s nothing I ain’t seen on other women.” 

“Okay, but I’ve never-” You stopped yourself from finishing your sentence, realizing exactly what you were admitting, but the damage was already done. The Ghoul leaned forward and you tightened your grip around yourself, as if the shirt still being on your body would protect you from his judgment. 

“You’ve never…?” The pregnant pause hung in the air between you, but you weren’t going to clarify. You didn’t move, which must have been enough of a confirmation for him because he whistled low in his mouth. “Why am I not surprised? You didn’t even know how to shoot a gun.”

As if shooting a gun naturally came before losing your virginity. (Maybe it did, you wouldn’t know). 

“Can you stop?” You huffed, your face hot. “If I had wanted to, I would have.”

But it seemed that any of your attempts to get him to drop the subject wouldn’t work, because he was looking at you intensely, an unreadable look in his surprisingly human eyes. Not for the first time, you wondered what he looked like when he was human. You’d tried before, to imagine what it looked like when his skin was smooth and he had a nose and hair, but nothing seemed to match his demeanor as well as being a ghoul did. 

“And why didn’t you want to?”

“I-” You swallowed nervously, your heartbeat in your throat choking you. “I didn’t see the point, not when my dad is probably going to marry me off to some geezer who can’t get it up anyway. And I don’t need your judgment about it.”  

You were now trying to hold onto any semblance of dignity you had left. Pretending like you’d made a conscious choice to not lose your virginity instead of it being a result of your virtual imprisonment by your father. Like you hadn’t yearned for the touch of someone else. (And, of course, like you hadn’t yearned at all for him over the course of the past week.)

“Do you touch yourself, at least?”

You froze, looking across the room at him like he was a Deathclaw. He leaned forward, perching his elbows on his knees. Like he could smell your apprehension, or worse, your burgeoning arousal. 

“Do you touch yourself?”

This isn't something you had talked about ever with anyone. But you couldn’t help answering him. “Y-yes.” If he looked surprised that you actually spoke, you couldn’t tell over your own embarrassment. 

“Show me.” When you didn’t respond, still sitting there staring at him like he had grown two heads, he sat back in his seat again, his hat dipping low. “Or don’t. I’m not going to force-”

You cut him off before he could continue, suddenly not wanting this opportunity to pass you by. After all, you only had this last night with him and then you would go your separate ways. If you horribly embarrassed yourself, it would only be for tonight. “Okay.” You think that this is your biggest streak of surprising the Ghoul. But he recovered quickly, a sly grin sneaking onto his face. 

“Take your shirt off first.” 

Nodding, you slowly reached down to the hem of your shirt, trying and failing to will your hands to stop trembling. Then, quickly, you peeled the sticky fabric off of your skin. You were a bit annoyed that you had managed to spill so much onto the shirt- it was a nice shirt, a rare find on the surface. But it didn’t matter now, considering where it had led you. 

You dropped your shirt onto the floor, unable to look at him as he surely looked at your chest. 

Suddenly feeling bold from his gaze, you did more than just take off the glorified rag from your chest- you divested yourself of all of your clothes, placing them into a messy pile by the mattress. You were now exposed to the elements and to his gaze, heavy as he looked over your body. Once again, he didn’t betray any of the surprise he might have felt. 

“Should I-”

“Lie down.”

You stared at him before you slowly lowered yourself, trying to keep your eyes on him. When you couldn’t anymore, you closed your eyes. If you couldn’t see him, it wouldn’t be nerve wracking to be watched. But even as you thought it, you could feel the heat of his gaze on you. 

“Touch yourself.” 

At his surprisingly gentle command, you exhaled shakily. Gently, you dragged your hand down your body, your breath quick. After a moment of teasing yourself, you pressed the pads of two fingers against your clit, rubbing a slow circle against the sensitive bundle of nerves. 

Immediately, you sighed, relieving tension you didn’t know had been building. While you had masturbated every night at home, you certainly needed the relief it gave you after a week of stress and almost dying. You were surprisingly wet, though not enough to qualify as dripping. your fingers circled your clit, your hips sudden bucking slightly. 

Across from you, the Ghoul groaned, and you tilted your head up, looking at him. His eyes were entirely focused on your cunt, watching the wet slide of your fingers over your folds. His teeth were clenched together, and you gasped at the sight of him watching you so intently before you bit your lip to muffle the sound. Then his eyes moved from your fingers, looking you straight in the eyes as he started to speak.

“I bet you touched yourself all quiet, trying not to let daddy hear you fucking yourself. But your daddy ain’t here, and I want to hear the noises you make.”  

You whined, his words going straight to your cunt. What was more painful was that he was correct- many nights you’d bit your pillow as you’d fucked yourself with your fingers, trying to keep quiet. 

“Go ahead, slip a finger inside-“

You stopped moving, looking at him again, taking the moment to catch your breath. 

“I’ve never really done that-“

The Ghoul cursed, and before you could blink he was off of his chair, moving closer. He was now knelt in between your legs, his gloved hands on your knees and staring up at you. 

“I gotta fuckin teach you everything, don’t I?”

Swiftly, he removed his gloves, throwing them onto the pile of your clothes. Then he swatted your hand away from your cunt before replacing it with his own fingers. At the dramatic shift in skin texture you gasped, immediately grinding against his rough fingers mindlessly as your hands flew to your mouth to muffle your cries. 

“None of that, I told you I’m gonna hear the sounds you’re making ‘cause of me.”

He moved down your body, pressing kisses and delivering brief bites to your flesh. With each nip of his teeth you gasped, torn between the desire to push his head away or beg for more. Then he reached your sex, pausing for a moment and letting his warm breath fan over you. You squirmed, unsure if you wanted to beg him to touch you or if you wanted to run away from the sheer overwhelming intensity of it all.

Then his mouth was hot against you, his tongue licking a thick stripe up the length of your cunt, and you wondered why you’d ever thought about not letting him do this. With no nose in the way, he was able to press his face fully against you. He dipped his tongue into your opening, flicking it against your walls and thrusting a few times, the movement of his tongue in addition to his fingers overwhelming. 

He groaned against you as he lapped up your wetness, sounds of a man dying of thirst reaching an oasis. 

With a final wet sound, he removed his tongue before moving to suck on your clit, his hand moving from your thighs to return to your core. 

“Fuck, you’re tight.” He murmured as he pressed two of his fingers inside of you. You’d tried before to fuck your self like this but always found the feeling unsatisfactory. But his fingers were larger than yours, able to hit the places inside of you that you had begun to think were myths. 

It was overpowering, and any thoughts that weren’t about him quickly dissipated. 

Every indent and ridge of his skin dragged along your cunt and the sensation of being filled combined with the attention he was giving to your clit started to build you towards your peak. 

“Come for me, cmon.”

But even though you’d never come before at the hands of another, you knew what you wanted. You were afraid that if you came now, he wouldn’t actually fuck you. And if you were taken back to your rinky-dink town, you wanted to at least say you’d been fucked by someone you wanted. 

“I want to feel you- hm- inside me.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” His teeth were gritted together again, like he was so entirely focused on making you come that he didn't want to hear anything else.

“Yes, I do.” You raised your hips to meet the thrust of his fingers. “I want your cock, I need you to fuck me-“

“Fuck.” He murmured, eyes lidded as whatever shaky resolve about actually fucking you he had broke. “For someone who never killed before this week, you’re dangerous.”

With swift movement, he pulled himself out of his pants and climbed up your body, pressing his hips against yours. He hovered above you, the head of his cock rested heavy on your clit, his hips rolling once to grind the length against your wet cunt. 

“Please.” You murmured, raising your hips to meet his cock. He gave you a dark look, and if he had eyebrows you’re sure one of them would be raised as if to say ‘you ready?’

Then he started to press in, his thick head catching before he pushed through the tight ring of your opening. Your mouth was slack, eyebrows furrowed as you focused on relaxing for every inch that was slowly pressing into you. When you looked at him, he was entirely focused on watching his cock disappear into your wet heat. 

He was slow, but you didn’t think it was due to any care for your comfort. No, from the look on his face, you would hazard a guess that he enjoyed slowly taking your virginity, feeling each inch of you give way to his thick cock. He liked the surrender. 

When his hips finally nestled against yours, he rested for a moment, his breath heavy. 

“Ready?”

Okay, maybe he cares slightly about your comfort- the thought was quickly erased when he pulled out and slammed back in, filling you quickly. You cursed, your hands flying to the bed to scramble for something to hold on to. But there were no sheets on the filthy mattress. So instead, you reached up to him, grasping the back of his duster for dear life as he began to fuck you in earnest.

He lowered himself as you wrapped your naked legs around his hips, bracing himself on his elbows above you. 

“So fucking tight.” He murmured against your face. One of his hands slipped from where it was braced above you to circle around your clit, the pressure just enough to send you back towards your peak. “This cunt belongs to me now, y’hear?”

“Yes- fuck.” You babbled, and when he whispered against you to finally come, you did so with no hesitation. Your legs gripped him tighter against you, his thrusts shorter but more forceful with the constraint. With your cunt clenching around him as you sighed through the aftershocks of your orgasm, he removed his hand to suddenly grab your chin, looking you in the eyes.

“Where should I-“

“Inside me, inside me please.”

For a moment he looked like he was going to argue with you. But then you clenched down on his length again and his hips stuttered against you, a low groan escaping him. Reinvigorated, he began fucking you even harder, which had seemed impossible. 

“Take it, take my cum like a good girl- that’s it-“ his words left him as he finally finished, his hips pumping as he cursed and spilled his warm spend inside you. You hummed at the feeling of it, the tiny thrusts as he pumped you full of him dragging his cock along your sensitive walls. 

When he finally pulled out of you, watching as his cum dripped out of your opening, he looked back at your face with a sly smile. 

“I hope you have some RadAway at home.”

____

The Ghoul didn’t bring you back into the city. He seemed to think you were experienced enough to handle the last hundred yards of desert without him. I’ll come back later for the rest of my caps, I have some business I need to deal with. Did you feel a little bad that you were cheating him out of three hundred caps? Yes. But you hadn’t thought this far when you’d paid him the first time, and now it was too late. 

You barely said goodbye. 

Once you were out of sight, you took off running in the opposite direction, only looking behind you once to make sure no one was watching or worse, following. 

You were free.

____

Well, you were free for about two days. 

Then, one evening, you sheltered yourself in an abandoned house. Two stories, though you only peeked in the upper story to see if there was anything worth grabbing. You didn’t want to risk the floor falling out from under your feet. 

A noise in the doorway draws your attention upwards, to where the Ghoul stands, silhouetted in the setting sun, like he had just left for a second, not for days.

You’re allowed a split moment of happiness at the sight of the familiar figure before you recognize what's in his hands. You barely have a second to try and escape before, like a flash, he whips the lasso around your torso, drawing it tight and pulling you closer as you struggled against the rope. But it held fast, and with every passing second you were losing ground. Finally the pressure of the rope was too much and you collapsed to the ground, the sun bearing down in your eyes until a shadow fell over your face. 

“Y’know, when I went back to your little… Rod-e-o to collect on the final portion of my payment, I really expected to see you there. Tellin’ people you regret ever leaving. Maybe I’d have to rough you up a bit for the caps, though I’m sure you’d enjoy that. So imagine my surprise when I find out your father has put up a reward for whoever finds ya and brings ya back.”  He laughed, a cruel and humorless thing. “I’ll get paid for takin’ you out and takin’ you in. And the word around town is that there’s a man there willin’ to take you off your father’s hands.” 

His last words made your stomach sink, more than anything else he had said. It was something your father had threatened, even if he hadn’t meant it as a threat. Maybe he thought it was your dream to marry and have children. But you knew that whatever man he picked for you to marry would be powerful, powerful enough to ensure that your father would remain in office until he died. 

And powerful men were cruel. 

“No-” You gasped out, suddenly out of breath. 

“Ah-ah-ah.” The Ghoul tuts softly, leaning down. “D’ya really think a week is enough experience to survive out here?”

“I won’t go back.” You spit, renewing your struggle against the rope. “You can’t make me.” 

If you were a complete idiot, you’d say: I’d rather die than go back. Because while, in spirit, it was true, you knew that he would take your word for it. And you really didn’t want to tempt him to put a bullet through your brain. 

You may have fucked him, but you certainly weren’t anything special to him. 

“You don’t have much of a choice, sweetheart.” 

“He wants to marry me off!” You said, like saying it indignantly would change his mind about taking you in as a bounty. “I refuse.” 

“And what’ll you do when I drag you back?” 

Find a way to escape again, even if it takes years. 

Like he read the answer in your eyes, he stood up straight. 

“I sympathize, I really do-” You sincerely doubted it, but let him keep talking, “but unless you’ve got something better to offer me, I’m afraid you’re going in.” 

“How many caps is he offering you?”

“600.”

“I have more saved.” You laughed, though it lacked any actual humor. “Every cap he gave me for years, I’ve squirreled away. Not letting me leave my room really helped me save money.” 

“And how, exactly, are you going to get to your stash without your daddy finding you?” 

You tried to find kindness in his words and were surprised when you did. Though he may not have meant it, he had already given you a perfect out the night before. 

“No self-respecting man is going to want to marry a woman who fucked a ghoul. And no mayor will tolerate his daughter making a fool of him like that.”

For a moment, you think he takes offense to this. But then a smile creeps across his face, hot and hungry.

“Well then, I think we can come to an agreement.” 

[cubeshapedlemon]

Atomic Baby

You, a wastelander are captured by an unfortunate group of men, your knight in dusty leather does more for you than you originally thought he would.

☆ ☆ ☆

Cooper Howard/ The Ghoul x f!reader

6.2k words

cw & tags: general smut, piv, fingering (f receiving), oral sex (f receiving), cannon typical violence, unwanted (implied) sexual advances(not by cooper), brief alcohol use, use of pet names, heavy flirting, cannon typical drug use

☆ ☆ ☆

authors note: this is my first fallout fic! im hoping to write more! (check out my pinned post for more info) and my first nsfw one so i hope you enjoy. Tbh there are some moments where he is slightly ooc, just kinder than in cannon but whatever. There is a large possibility that this could become a multi-chapter at some point but it can 100% be read free standing. please reblog if you wish but do not repost or translate anywhere without my permission. anyway thank you! and let me know if you notice any mistakes or something i missed in the tags!

Waking up to three weaselly looking men looming over you with a rather sharp looking hatchet, not the best thing ever. Your little camp seeming to be ransacked already, you glare up. The one who seems to be the leader of their little group ties a rough length of rope to your wrists as the other two rifle through your bag. Hauling you up they force you to start waking.

The scorching hot sun beams down on your shoulders as you walk. The irradiated heat of the wasteland is never forgiving, especially not recently; even at night it’s been like sleeping in an oven.

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Walking, endless walking. It has already been about an hour or so since your capture. The winds picking up, trapping your lungs with dusty red soil. Phlegmy coughs and chortles follow behind you. At least they aren't at your side anymore, for the first half hour or so they would take turns shoulder checking you… or spitting at you… or tripping you… really anything those dirty bastards could think of. At this point their boredom with you is really coming to your advantage.

The greasy men are probably hoping to sell you or your organs for a few caps. Either one, not fantastic. Soil kicks up around you, forceful wind driving you to trudge forward with more effort. Glancing down at your wrists you start to feel some relief, the knot binding your wrists getting looser by the second. The dumb bastards clearly were no eagle scouts, their poor attempt at a knot slowly unfurling as you walk.

Looking forward again you have some hope. A dinghy looking town ahead of you. Walking closer and closer you see something in the town? Someone? Oh thank the lord someone. Maybe there is hope for you after all, I mean just weighing the odds, what are the chances that this random person is also chomping at the bit for some extra caps? Thinking about it now, they probably are. Well, a small chance is better than no chance.

Unraveling the last of the rope you propel yourself forward, running desperately. Your life -quite literally- depends on it. Your captors quickly realize and start chasing after you, you race forward, sights pinned on the figure in front of you.

Stopping yourself just quickly enough, you slam into the figure, making them stumble back slightly. “Now what in the-” the accented baritone voice of the person says. Grasping onto the lapels of his jacket you stare up desperately begging,

“Please help me sir, these guys captured me. I think they're going to sell me or something!”

The man looks up for a moment, staring at the men just a few seconds away before looking back down at you, “What's in it for me doll?” he says, smirking down.

“Just please!” a short chuckle erupts from his chest, placing a hand on your waist he pushes you behind him.

“I gotcha, just stay behind me.” Your captors slow to a stop, attempting to catch their breath; one of the goons is the first to attempt speech through all the heavy breathing.

“Give her back, we found ‘er first.” He says in a whiny tone, clearly not the brightest bulb.

“Now why would I want to do that?”

“Well… uh” he struggles to find the words, dumbly looking to his superior. 

“Well what? Cat got yer’ tongue?”

The ring leader is the next to speak, lips parting in a sneer, revealing a mouth full of rotten teeth. “Finders keepers ghoul. It's rare you see a pretty little thing like her these days… thought we'd sell ‘er. Caps are hard to come by. You understand.”

“Well, I can't deny she is quite the looker,” the ghoul says, looking to his side over at you, eyes grazing over your face before looking up, staring holes through the head of the man in front. “But in terms of the ‘finders keepers’ I'm going to have to dispute that fellas’. You see… i'm not really in the business of sharin’ and she seems to have found me,'' he laughs, hand going to his holster, “so i'm keepin’.”

Between the effort of running and the ghoul's comment your face is quite warm. The tension between him and the men rises every millisecond. Praying that the ghoul is a reliable shot seems to be your only hope as the group gets more irritated by the second. The leader goes to speak again, clearly not taking the hand-on-the-holster hint from the ghoul. 

“I don't think so-” he says, drawing his pistol. The ghoul, already prepared, fires off a shot, beating him to his own, a bullet landing in the man’s shoulder. The leader stumbles, being taken to one knee. The goons caught by surprise go to draw their own guns, before another warning shot fires off, grazing the cheek of one.

Taking the hint, they drop their guns, hands held shakily as they lower to themselves to kneel on the ground. Clearly not wanting to take any chances. The ghoul walks over to the leader, the barrel of his gun pressed into the man's chin, forcing him to look up. The ghoul grins sarcastically.

“Well I know so. Now, why don't you pick your dusty ass up and get you, and your little…” He looks back at the two other men, “fanclub, outta’ here while I take care of that fine piece of ass you so helpfully lead into my arms.” He holsters his gun again, reaching into his pocket for a moment, “Some caps for your troubles.” he says, dropping a few caps on the ground before turning around and walking back to you.

“I- thank you.” you say dumbly, looking up at the ghoul. 

“Don't thank me sweetheart,” he says, scanning your body for injuries. His eyes lock on a laceration on your arm before looking back at you. “Let's get you stitched up now,” he says with a tone you can't quite place. You lift your arm to look at the wound for a moment, must've gotten it at some point during the walk.

Looking back up, the ghoul has already walked past you, most likely expecting you to follow as he heads towards a building a few meters away. Quickly you move to follow him, eager to get away from your former captors.

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You watch awkwardly as he rummages for a needle and thread, finally finding some, he threads the needle, Sitting down on the only chair available. He looks up expectantly with a barely-there smirk.

“Well, come take your seat doll,” he says, patting his thigh. “That there won't stitch itself,” he says nodding to your arm. A heat once again rises to your face as you shuffle over, sitting down on his knee, the wound facing him as your legs are thrown across his lap. You attempt to focus on the wall ahead of you, ignoring the fact that this is the only welcome touch you've had in a while. 

Soon you have something else to focus on as the most definitely not sterile needle pierces your skin. You look over your shoulder at the man, his hat tipped back lazily as he pinches the needle through his thumb and forefinger. A whip stitch quickly binding the laceration. He ties a knot before snapping the extra thread off with a nip of his teeth.

He grasps you at the waist and under your knees, standing, while setting your feet on the ground. “I believe that's all. ‘Should be able to gather enough things here to get you on your way,” he says, walking to the door.

“Wait! Could I come with you? I don't have much, but I could help you in some way... Carry supplies, cook, something,” you say, not ready to be alone quite yet. He gives an almost genuine smile, facing you again. 

“Well I don't find myself in need of a pack mule. I'll be on my way ma'am.” he replies, tipping his hat before walking out, seeming to already have his next location in mind. He walks confidently, out of the town into the infinite desert ahead.

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After gathering a decent amount of supplies in the surrounding buildings you stand in the middle of town absolutely stumped. There is nothing for you in this abandoned town you find yourself in and it's not like you've had the best track record with setting up your own camp recently. 

Wandering around a little more you find yourself where you met your knight in dusty leather. The other men now long gone, you stoop down and collect the things they left. Lucky for you they pretty much dropped everything they had, undoubtedly wanting to get away from the ghoul as quickly as possible.

Picking through their supplies you find that they left their guns and a decent amount of ammo, as you attach the holster to your belt you notice some strange little bottles; about four of them. Tiny cylindrical vials filled with a clear yellow-green liquid. Well, chems are chems you think to yourself, stuffing them inside a first aid kit you found inside one of the buildings.

After nosing around the supplies a bit more you decide you don't want anything else. What to do now…

Well, making your own camp is out of the question for now. You could follow the ghoul, he seems to be a decent survivalist, and the safest person you've interacted with in months. You could stay just behind him, he won't even notice. Just until he passes a more substantial settlement. Or you decide on somewhere else to go.

Deciding on that as a decent course of action, you follow the path marked by his footsteps. The sun is starting to get lower in the sky at this point, it's important to start moving before dusk falls.

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You have been following the ghoul's path for about two days now, trailing behind him. Being just close enough to where you can see when he settles down for the night, taking it as a sign to wind down as well.

As day two starts to end you see him in the distance, he starts to set up his camp for the night so you do too. Two days completely filled with travel can really take a lot out of a person, you soon welcome the sleep that takes you.

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“Well, hello there little lady.” you hear a familiar voice say, spooking you awake. Your eyes open to be greeted by the face of your savior from a few days ago. He's standing over you, eyes boring into yours. “Now what do you think you're doin’. Following me around these past few days, thinkin’ I wouldn't notice.”

“I- I’m so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I just didn't know where to go… and I figured following behind you would be a safe bet. Just until we passed another settlement! That's all I swear!” You rush to speak, trying to rationalize your thinking to him.

“Is that so? Well I hate to break it to ya’ darlin’ but the next town is about a 3 day walk away,” he informs, standing back to his full height before stepping away. You groan, rubbing your face forcefully in frustration. What the hell are you supposed to do now? Sitting up, you lazily start to collect your things.

Taking your sweet time, you scoot towards where you had placed your pack for the night. Leisurely taking a sip of water and a bite of some jerky you snagged in town. Now you really had to think about what you were going to do. You doubt he would let you continue following him, and clearly he had some 6th sense for this type of thing so secretly doing it isn't in the cards.

“Get yer’ ass up! We're burnin’ daylight out here.” the ghoul yells. Confused, you whip your head around to look at him. He walks towards you. 

“What?” you say stupidly. 

“We need to get a move on,” he states, squatting down to meet your eye level. “If we move at your glacial pace we'll never get there.” he remarks sarcastically. Standing once again he goes to collect the last of his things, yelling to you again, “Now! and I ain't carryin’ any of your shit so don't even think about bitchin’ about it.” 

With a huff, you stand dusting yourself off before grabbing your pack and trailing behind the ghoul.

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The first day of travel was mostly uneventful, walking, walking, and even more… walking. Though you quickly learn that he doesn't talk much. And he walks quite fast. While you were certainly an effective and efficient walker, you were still left in the dust.

One of his large strides was equivalent to about one and a half of yours. Walking behind someone for miles is not exactly the most engaging activity, but it gave you plenty of time to think. And oh boy did your mind have some things to say.

As you walk your mind starts to wander. ‘my view of him from behind wasn't all that bad,’ you think to yourself. ‘He walks with a confidence that would make anyone quake in their boots, including me. Just possibly in a different way.’

By the end of the day you were spent. Sitting down by the fire, the sun finally setting, eating whatever scraps had been left over in your bag. Not exactly the most exciting dinner in the world, but in this day and age boring and uneventful is a blessing.

It's l quite awkward, sitting across from him. He has such an intense gaze. The exquisite hazel of his eyes is something so uncommon, especially for a ghoul. He seems to be doing well for himself, as close as one can be in the wasteland that is. But with that it makes the feeling ever stronger.

The way he bores his eyes into you makes you feel like he can hear everything you have been thinking all day.

Looking at you like you're something to eat.

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The second day seems to be turning into much of the same. Infinitely more walking ahead of you. Though there is something different in the air today, something new that you can't quite place.

As you look past him you hope you can see anything different, anything new. At this point you would celebrate for a tumbleweed. Though there is still much to think about.

You come to realize how little you truly know about your traveling partner. I mean, you met him not even a week ago and now you've committed to a good bit more time with him and you don't even know his name. He hasn't spoken much to you since your journey started, or really at all that you can remember.

What a shame. His voice is something that continues to echo through you. His deep baritone with that saccharine accent. While he doesn't talk much, it really is a treat when he does. When it comes to the short conversations he has with you, you can't help but get giddy at the pet names he calls you. 

Now that you think about it, he doesn't know your name either. Quickening your steps you catch up to walk next to him. Looking up you see him eye you suspiciously. Suddenly feeling a bit insecure you look back down. Who are you to think that he would want to speak with you? Well, what the hell, why not?

“Hey!” you say, attempting to sound casual, failing horribly. Sparing you some embarrassment, he doesn't seem to react at all, eyes directed forward. “I was just wondering, it's probably stupid, you don't have to answer obviously. But uh, you know what? Never mind. Sorry.”

Wow, really smooth. Admitting defeat you slow your pace back to your normal one, starting to fall behind him once again; that is, until a leather-clad hand finds itself on your hip. Rushing you to once again, meet his steps.

“Just spit it out babydoll, if we're gonna’ be stuck together, I suppose you can get a question or two,” he conceded. His hand pulls back to his side, a bit leisurely crossing the small of your back. Not that you were going to complain, a welcome shiver running through you.

“Well, I was going to ask your name.” That seems to have gotten his attention, his head turning so he can fully look at you now. His eyes roving over your face as if looking for a lie. 

“My name? That's what you want to know?”

“I mean… yeah? I just thought if we were traveling together I should know what to call you,” you explain, once again feeling insecure. He turns his head forward once again, an unreadable expression taking over his face. 

“Is that so?” Understanding this to be rhetorical, you stay silent, deciding instead to focus on walking.

Quite soon though, you find yourself stopping. While the sun is getting lower in the sky, normally you would have another hour or so until you would start to settle down. Confused, you turn to ask; He beats you to it.

“There's some decent huntin’ and some clean water 'round here. Stay and set up house.” Wordlessly you nod, placing your bag on the ground. You walk a few meters away, collecting some sticks for a fire as you hear his heavy footfalls go in the opposite direction.

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Just as the sun starts to set, and you finally get a decent fire going you see your partner walking towards you. Some sort of meat that he already seems to have butchered in his hand. 

“Darlin’ would you cook this up,” He says, not really waiting for an answer, handing you the game. “I have got to get off my feet.” He goes and settles down, resting his back against a large rock in the general vicinity of the fire. Rummaging through his bag he grabs out a small vial, identical to the ones you snagged days previously. He attaches it to what looks to be a repurposed Jet inhaler, taking a hit.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Quit your starin’,” he hollers. Taking the hint, you avert your gaze and spear the meat onto an extra stick.

The meat roasts somewhat unevenly but who can complain at this point? While doing the mindless task you can't help but look up at him. Still leaning up against the rock his head is back now, dusty cowboy hat tipped over his eyes. He really is quite handsome. Ghoul's don't exactly get the best rap when it comes to anything, especially looks. You decide that people would change their minds if they met him.

Looking down again towards your work you decide it looks done enough. Separating just over half of it you place it onto a handkerchief, walking it over to him, placing it on his lap. He goes to move his hat back, giving you a nod before you go back to your spot across from him, the heat of his gaze following you.

Sitting down you prepare for another silent dinner. Digging into your food, you hear him clear his throat, causing you to look up. “Cooper,” he says, “Cooper Howard.” You smile, a real genuine smile, giving him your name as well. A small grin finds its way to his face. So subtle you almost missed it. There was truly something in the air today.

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Waking up the following day you feel like shit. Clean water has been pretty sparse causing your head to pound like a drum. Sure there was some clean water near here but even the idea of standing up sounded unappealing. Deciding it’s best to get it over with sooner rather than later you sit up. 

You start to dig through your pack trying to find your canteen with no success. Confused, you look around, still no canteen. “Cooper?” you yell, not seeing him in the immediate vicinity either. 

“What is it, doll?” He yells back, coming into your field of view, strutting as always. 

“Oh thank the gods. For a second I thought you left me behind,” you sigh with relief.

“Now why would I do that?” A sarcastic tone infesting his speech. Rolling your eyes, you speak again. 

“Have you seen my canteen anywhere? I can't find it. Thought I'd refill it with the clean water you were talking about last night,” you add, standing up and dusting yourself off. Cooper responds by reaching into the pocket inside his jacket, pulling out your canteen and shaking it. The sound of fresh water splashing inside.

Unscrewing the cap he walks up to you, so close you two are almost chest to chest. “Drink up,” he says, lifting it, waiting, like he expected something. And who are you to deny his expectations? Lifting your gaze from the container to the depths of his eyes you open your mouth obediently. He rewards you with a slight smirk, tipping the opening towards your lips.

Despite the increasing tension between you, you are genuinely thirsty. You gulp down the water desperately between heaving breaths. Seeing that you had gotten enough, he screws the cap back on, wiping away a leftover drop on your lip with his thumb. 

“Well ain't you just a prize,” he remarks, so quietly you think he didn't mean for you to hear it. With an almost imperceptible smile on his face he steps away, “ You better start gettin’ a move on little lady. If we walk fast enough we can get to town by supper.” You watch for a second as he grabs his bag, throwing it over his shoulder.

Shaking the leftover tension you do the same, the idea of sleeping in a real bed tonight pushing you forward.

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Unfortunately, the heat truly has been overwhelming today. Notably, Cooper has slowed down just enough to match your pace today. Maybe you're truly starting to crack that hard outer shell he keeps himself in.

After about an hour of you fanning yourself, tying your hair up, then taking it down and putting it up in a different way you give up. Deciding that you would rather just be scorched than fiddle with your clothes or hair every fifteen seconds. 

Soon after you come to this decision, Cooper silently lifts his hat off of himself, placing it on your head. The slight shade of the brim gives you some relief from the unending heat. Gratefully, you look up at him, he doesn't seem to think his action is anything of interest. His eyes still facing forward, face still pulled into a permanent scowl.

You look back down, “Thank you,” you say absentmindedly. 

“Don't mention it,” he replies, his tone flat. A comfortable silence falls over the two of you for the rest of your travels. Every once and a while you would sneak an admiring glance or two. A few times you could swear you felt his gaze on you, but of course you have no proof of that.

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After several hours of travel you and Cooper find yourself in a rather nice little town. Nice for a town in the wasteland, that is, not that you can complain. Looking around you see several amenities, a decent looking saloon, a trading post, and a shabby motel being the ones that catch your eye.

You suspect that Cooper is more relieved than he is letting on, taking a deep breath, he allows himself a moment to take it in. “Come on now, let's get a room,” he says, stealing his hat off of you, placing it on his head once again. Both of you eager, you head to the desk of the motel. 

Not caring to speak to anyone, as you two walk in Cooper silently drops a handful of caps onto the desk, grabbing a random key (and its spare) from the wall with the other hand as he does. You give a respectful nod to the person behind the desk before swiftly following him.

After passing a few rooms, your traveling partner looks down, matching the number on the key to the one on the door. Unlocking it, you are greeted by a could-be-better room. But who has time to complain? It's a place to rest your head and keep out of the elements.

“While all this is nice and all, I need a drink,” Cooper declares, setting down his bag and grabbing some caps out of one of the pouches. 

“Ok, I think I'm going to get myself cleaned up here first, I'll meet you in a few.” making a sound of acknowledgement, Cooper leaves, tossing you the extra key, the sound of the lock clicking into place as the door closes.

Sure there wasn't anything fancy like running water here but they were kind enough to have a bottle of talc and a rag in the bathroom. Gratefully, you clean yourself up as much as you can before heading to the saloon.

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Walking in, you scan the room. It's packed with all kinds of people, all jabbering on with their own group, all sipping their alcohol of dubious origin, not that you can complain, you're about to do the same thing. Looking around again, closer this time. Looking for a specific ghoul. There he is.

He sat himself at a small booth, a round table in front of him. An empty glass -presumably his own- set atop. His legs are spread lazily, the brim of his hat creating a shadow over his eyes. It truly is despicable how beautiful he is.

Snapping yourself out of what is probably a desperate looking stare, you head over to the bar. You dig out enough caps from your pockets for two of whatever cheap whiskey you could get your hands on. “Two of whatever's cheapest,” you say leaning over the bartop, dropping enough caps for both, plus tip, on the counter. Nodding, the barkeep collects two glasses, pouring with a rather heavy hand, before handing them to you and snatching the caps.

You look over to where Cooper is once more; he's looking at you now, an intense indescribable air around him. You fight to not smirk at the fact that you caught him staring, you grab the drinks and head over to his table, challenging him with your continued eye contact. “Now where have you been all my life?” you hear an unfamiliar whiny voice say. Instantly your mood is ruined, with a scowl you turn towards the voice. It belongs to a plain looking man, a much too confident smirk on his face.

“As far away from you as I could manage,” you quip, rolling your eyes and making your way to your table. Hearing him get up from his chair, following in your direction you turn to face him again. “I'm here with someone don't even try,” you warn, though of course he doesn't take the message. 

“Well I don't see him ‘round here,”

“You sure you don't?” You hear that familiar accented voice say behind you while wrapping his arm around your waist. Cooper stares down the man in front of you. 

“A ghoul?” the man says, looking up towards him briefly before continuing his eye contact with you. “I can fuck you better than a goddamn ghoul I'll promise you that. You make that switch I'll show you a good time,” the man claims, stalking towards you with a dangerous leer on his face.

“Oh, I guarantee you can't,” Cooper gloats, flashing the gun at his side. Without a second thought he grasps your jaw firmly, turning your head to face him and he locks his lips with yours. Taken aback, it takes you a moment to kiss him back, but he quickly deepens the kiss. He runs his tongue on the seam of your lips. You quickly obey, opening your mouth to the welcome intrusion. With how intense the kiss became you couldn't help but let out a whimper, which he rewards with a firm squeeze of your waist.

You separate after what seems like an eternity, Cooper looking at the man in front of you. “Betcha’ believe it now don't ya'?” he smirks, leading you back to the booth. He grabs both of your drinks, setting them down on the table before sitting down. Feeling some confidence after what just transpired, you sit down on his lap, one of his legs settled between yours. Teasing a bit, you shift your hips against his a few times as if settling in.

“You keep doin’ that you're gonna get yourself in trouble,” he warns, grabbing and handing you your drink before shooting back his own. With a smile you lean back, resting against him. 

“I'm ok with trouble,” you tease, taking a sip of your drink. Making a sound of contentment, Cooper runs his hand up your thigh, squeezing as his hand trails close to where you truly need him. You let out an unintentional whine at this, attempting to cover it up with a hefty gulp of your drink.

“Are you know? Well trouble is what I got darlin’,” he claims, bouncing his leg that you are perched on. His thigh rubbing deliciously on you. “Just say the word.” Finding all the sensations to be far too much you give in to his teasing. Rocking your hips back on him again you bring your lips to his neck, kissing up slowly, ending on his jaw. 

“Please.”

Releasing a satisfied groan he gives you a relatively chaste kiss compared to earlier, he adjusts you and sets your feet on the ground, pulling you and him up to stand. “Lead the way pretty girl,” he purrs, delivering a swift smack to your ass as you scramble to get to your room.

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As soon as the door is closed and locked behind you two, you are forced against a wall. Clearly attempting to keep some sort of control over himself Cooper takes a deep breath. “Darlin’ I'm serious, you ain't gettin’ rid of me after this. You sure you want this? just say so and I’ll leave.” The pathetically desperate look in his eyes makes you even more eager to give him your answer 

“Please Coop, I need you.”

Not needing any further confirmation, he once again locks his lips with yours. Opening your mouth right away, the kiss deepens quickly, both of you desperate to get a taste of each other. Cooper rips off his leather gloves, needing to feel you on him directly. That still not being enough, he paws at your top roughly, pushing it up. Parting for a moment he pulls it over your head, unclasping and removing your bra just after.

“Well ain't you the prettiest little thing,” he breathes, running his hands up your body to cup your tits. Stooping down, he sucks a dark bruise into the side of one, looking satisfied with himself as he does so. 

“Coop,” you whine, starving for more. He falls completely to his knees now, delicately taking off your boots, eye contact steady. 

He next moves to unbutton your jeans. He moves frustratingly slow, clearly enjoying your huffs of annoyance. Pulling off your pants and underwear in one, he grabs your hips harshly, pushing them into the wall. Without delay, he places your thighs over his shoulders, diving into your core like it's his last meal. He runs his tongue from your entrance to your clit, sucking it into his mouth harshly before releasing. Desperate for more, he plunges his tongue inside you once again.

The sudden intrusion forces a deep groan out of you. In need of a perch, you wrap your hand harshly around the back of his neck, knocking his hat off in the process. “You are just about the sweetest thing I've ever tasted,” he coos, placing a messy kiss on your inner thigh. 

“Cooper, please. I need you,” you beg, desiring everything he can give you.

“Well I can't say no to that, can I?” he jokes, wrapping your legs around him as he stands. Holding you by your waist he makes his way to the bed. He swiftly tosses you atop, you bounce slightly, watching as he stalks towards you with an indescribable hunger. The heat of his stare intense, you desperately clench around nothing. 

Kneeling on the bed now, Cooper runs his fingers through your folds, your wetness coating them. Slowly, he works a single finger inside of you, thrusting it in and out. “Fuck- Coop,” you moan, blinded by pleasure. He works another finger in, continuing the same pace, curling his fingers to hit that perfect spot every time. Working you open, preparing you for what was next.

“Good girl, so desperate for me, just a bitch in heat.” Lacking the proper brain function to respond, you whimper at his comment. Your eyes rolling back in pleasure. “Oh you like that don't you? You like being my needy little thing. The little slut I get to use.” his pace increases, fingers rubbing immaculately inside of you. The low buzz at the bottom of your stomach beginning to bloom, your hips unconsciously bucking down to meet his thrusts. 

“Please, please please,” you beg, not quite knowing what you're begging for.

“I gotcha’ doll. Let go,” he assures, moving his thumb to rub quick circles on your clit. As if commanded, you let go right away. The pressure inside of you bursting with a moan, hips bucking wildly out of your control. Clenching desperately around his fingers. “That's it… that's my girl.” Your body comes down after a few seconds more, thighs twitching with the residual energy. Cooper delicately removes his fingers from you, a small whimper of overstimulation coming from you.

Placing them in his mouth, he laps up any of you he can get. “Sweet as honey, you are,” he teases. Letting out a breathy laugh at his comment, you fist your hand on his collar, pulling him in. The kiss is passionate, tasting yourself on him only spurs you on further. Your other hand trails down his body, finding the tent in his pants you give a teasing rub. His hips stutter forward briefly, making you smile into the kiss.

Your nimble fingers undo the button on his pants, the zipper following. Breaking the kiss you look up at him, silently asking for permission. Giving you a short nod, Cooper further pushes himself into you, bordering on grinding at this point. With a grin you take him out of his pants. You give a few experimental tugs, feeling the weight of him in your palm. His hips stutter again, “You better quit your teasin’ ‘fore I make you.” As enticing as that sounds, you listen. You rub him against you a few times before lining him up with your entrance.

Slowly, he starts to push in, your heat inviting him in. “F-fuck,” he whimpers, pausing for a moment. “I'm sorry baby, you just feel so good.” Pushing in farther, he bottoms out. He grinds into you, desperate to get as deep as he can. 

“Please, Coop, please move,” you whimper out. 

“You are so pretty when you beg. You will be the death of me darlin’,” he says, pulling out about halfway before slamming back in. He quickly sets a brutal pace, hips slamming into you quickly and harshly. The low buzz in your stomach quickly returns, every ridge of him rubbing deliciously inside of you. It's not long before you become a puddle of whines and moans, the low buzz bursting once more, stars exploding behind your vision.

His pace does not falter, his hips still moving at the same brutal pace. In fact, he finds this the perfect opportunity to start rubbing quick circles on your clit. Anything he can do to get you to go, needy to see it again.

“Come on now, you can do it one more time for me can't you?” not believing it can happen so soon again, you shake your head, pathetic whines falling from your lips. “Yes you can, come on. I'll follow right behind. One more for me, pretty girl,” he assures, his tone starting to sound as whiny as yours. The next one comes up faster than the others, beginning already so close to the precipice.

“Fuck, Coop im going to-”

“I know sweetheart, let go, come for me.” Your body takes that command wholeheartedly, you lock your legs around his hips, forcing him deeper as you fall over your precipice, his pace truly faltering, thrusts now short and sloppy. “Fuck, darlin’ im gonna’,” he attempts to say. 

“I know,” you say between whimpers of his name. Before long he joins you in bliss, filling you to the brim.

He rests his head on your shoulder briefly, pulling out after a moment and righting himself in his clothes. Rolling over onto the bed moments after. Cooper tiredly pulls you against him, not a care in the world at the moment. To be honest you didn't either. The Rad-Away would just have to wait.

[itadorey]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒

pairing: gojo satoru x reader summary: in an attempt to distract gojo, yaga sends him on a quest to locate you; a missing member of the zenin clan with prophetic dreams. genre: pre-relationship, humor, fluff notes: college gojo makes me feral. i think he would've been a menace. i also kind of want to continue this as a series of one shots (set in the same universe but not necessarily a multi-chapter fic). wc: ~3k song inspo ♫: ruby sparks by monet ngo

"i saw you in my dreams."

gojo chuckles at the words, a flirty smile appearing on his face as he tilts his head up to look at the person that's speaking to him. he can't help the way his eyes briefly widen when he sees your face, recognizing you as the very person he was sent to find.

he understands that yaga wants to give him a distraction, a getaway from all the shit that has happened to him in the past few years. but going undercover at the university of tokyo to locate you, a supposedly important jujutsu sorcerer, wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend his post-high school years. now that you're standing in front of him, he can't really find it in himself to complain. not when he realizes just how pretty you are.

he quickly composes himself, leaning back in his seat before motioning for you to sit. you glance at the seat across from him uncertainly, refusing to move. there's a conflicted look on your face as you scan your surroundings, almost as if looking for an escape route. you look like you regret speaking in the first place.

"i'm flattered, really," gojo says, shamelessly checking you out over his sunglasses. "but that's kind of a cheesy pickup line, isn't it?"

your nose scrunches up at you look at him, and you stutter a few times as you lean against the table. gojo watches with an amused smile that quickly drops when you finally gather your thoughts. "ew! that was not an attempt to flirt with you!"

there's a moment of silence before you sigh and slip into the seat across from gojo. you place your elbows on the table, head in your hands as you stare down at the table. another minute passes before you look up, making brief eye contact with gojo's sunglasses before fully laying your head down. "listen, this is gonna sounds crazy."

"try me," gojo says, smirking as he leans forward. one of his elbows rests on the table, check in hand as he watches you struggle with your thoughts.

he's never met you before, hell, he hasn't even seen you before this moment, but the faint cursed energy that surrounds you lets him know exactly who you are. you're a member of the zen'in clan, labeled as missing when your parents fled a couple years after you were born. the discovery of your prophetic dreams had made you an instant target, and you had been so well hidden from society that even gojo and yaga had had a hard time finding you. there was absolutely no information on your childhood or adolescence, and the only way they had managed to locate you was due to a wayward curse you had taken upon yourself to exorcise. the recent spike of your cursed energy had caused an uproar in the jujutsu community, and a race had begun to see who could get to you first.

between jujutsu high, the zen'in clan, the higher-ups, and a special grade curse, gojo thought he was the best option.

"okay, come on," gojo says, standing up and stretching before pushing his chair in. you finally look up, frustration visible on your face as you stare at him. your expression quickly morphs into confusion when gojo gently grabs your arm, tugging you up from your seat and slinging your bag over his shoulder before interlocking arms with you.

"where are we going?" you ask, stumbling after him. he's taller than you, and you find yourself struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"we're gonna go get some coffee!" he says, smiling at you. "i know a place. besides, i wanna know all about those dreams you had of me."

"you don't think i'm lying to you?" you say, eyeing him skeptically. "or that i'm crazy?"

your question goes unanswered, but the look he sends you makes your stomach twist with nervousness. there's a glint in his eye that catches you off guard, and you find yourself wondering if he knows more than he's letting on.

your mind races as he walks you off campus, chatting your ear off as you go. he doesn't receive a single response from you, yet your silence doesn't seem to bother him. if anything, it only motivates him to talk even more, and you find yourself almost enjoying the way he doesn't let the silence last more than a few seconds.

"oh look! there it is," gojo says, fully capturing your attention as he motions towards a small café. it's a small, charming place, one street over, visible through the alleyway the two of you are currently standing in front of. you come to a full stop when he makes a move to walk down the alley, inadvertently pulling him back to your side when he realizes you won't budge.

"what's wrong?" he asks, leaning down to catch your eye. you're met with a startingly blue gaze, and you shift from one foot to another as you tear your eyes away from him. "oh, i know! i bet you're nervous for our date!"

"this isn't a date!" you snap, finally pulling your arm away from him. you can feel a headache coming as he giggles, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walks into the alley. "wait!"

gojo halts at your words, turning around to fully face you. he watches you curiously as you take a few tentative steps forward, a shiver running down your spine when you enter the alley as well. there's a coldness seeping through your bones as you approach gojo, and when you turn to look behind you, it feels as though you've left the busy streets of tokyo completely.

"what's wrong?" gojo asks, the smile still on his face as he observes your reaction. you're almost certain that he knows something you don't at this point.

"this alley," you start, wringing your hands as you take a step back. "this is where we were. in my dream, i mean."

"and what exactly were we doing here?" gojo asks, his teasing tone earning a scowl from you. "this alley is quite inconspicuous, and we're all alone."

the insult you had ready dies on the tip of your tongue as you notice movement behind gojo, and his eyebrows furrow as he notices the sudden change in your demeanor.

"so, in my dream we were here. and you were in danger. i couldn't do anything to help and you—," you cut yourself off, nervousness coating your words as you start to close in on gojo. you ready yourself to fight, remembering every detail about your dream as the curse lurking in the alleyway reveals itself. you curse to yourself as it notices you, and you absentmindedly note that it seems be a grade 1 curse.

"and i?" gojo asks, curiosity coloring his words as he tilts his head in confusion. he hasn't moved at all, and you find yourself wondering if he can sense cursed spirits. in your dream it seemed like he could.

you inhale sharply as the curse lunges, and you notice too late that this scene isn't playing out the same way it had in your dream. you throw yourself at gojo, eyes wide with panic as you realize you're just a bit too far to reach him.

"you have to move!" you shriek, your heart pounding as gojo simply grins at you. he raises his hand silently, fingers twisting as he mutters something under his breath. the curse is killed instantly, and you find yourself collapsing to your knees as you look at gojo in shock.

"y-you—"

"me!" gojo cheers, cutting you off as he approaches you. he hauls you onto your feet and loops his arm with yours once again, guiding you past the disintegrating curse and emerging on the other side of the alley. you spare another glance back at the corpse, swallowing harshly before turning to look at the sorcerer standing next to you.

"who are you?" you ask quietly. the smile doesn't slip from gojo's face as he holds the cafe door open for you, following closely after you and guiding you to an empty table.

"how about we order first? and then i'll answer all of your questions," gojo says, picking up a stray menu and flipping through it casually as if he hasn't just taken down a grade 1 curse with ease. he notices your stare but doesn't comment on it, instead choosing to place the menu back on the table before waving over a server.

"can i get a slice of cake with two forks? oh! and two glasses of chocolate milk please."

gojo twiddles his thumbs as the two of you wait for your order, and you find yourself fully studying him for the first time since you approached him. he's sitting casually, leaning back slightly in a relaxed manner as he hums a song under his breath. when he notices your stare, he sends you a small grin and proceeds to go back to observing his surroundings.

he's much too relaxed for someone who just had an encounter with a curse, and you realize that he truly does know a lot more than you originally thought.

"here's your order!"

gojo thanks the server enthusiastically as you mutter your appreciation, your hands closing around the glass he pushes towards you without much thought.

"so, who are you?" you finally ask, repeating the question that gojo had ignored earlier. he laughs at your words, grabbing one of the forks and taking a bite of cake as he extends the other one to you. he waits for you to grab the fork, using his own to pick up another piece of cake before he notices you don't make a move to take it from him.

"what? you want me to feed you instead?" he asks, eyelashes fluttering as he gives you a flirty smile. he places the fork meant for you back on the table, leaning in closer and bringing his own fork to your mouth. "i guess that would be more date-like. okay, say ah!"

his enthusiasm dies down when he notices the frown tugging at your lips, and he deflates in defeat when you push his hand aside and reach for the other fork. you fiddle with it for a couple of seconds before placing it back down and looking at him with a glare.

"who are you?" you demand once more, your eye twitching in annoyance when gojo opens his mouth. you have no doubt he's about to say something stupid. "if you don't tell me, i will scream for help."

his mouth clamps shut as he studies you quietly, taking another bite of the cake before sighing.

"my name is gojo satoru," he finally says, holding his hand out to you as he introduces himself. you place your hand in his hesitantly, a gasp leaving you when he brings your hand up to his mouth and presses a soft kiss against your knuckles. "and you, you're a zen'in."

gojo watches as your eyes go wide at his words, and you yank your hand out his grasp before looking around nervously.

"no, i'm not," you say quietly. "i've never heard that name in my life."

you receive a funny look from gojo, and he crosses his arms before snorting. "yeah, ok. i totally believe you."

"how do you know that name," you say quietly, your eyes still scanning your surroundings. your shoulders are tense, and gojo can tell that you're seconds away from sprinting out of your seat and away from him.

"it's a pretty well known name in the jujutsu world," gojo responds, his head tilting as he looks at you questioningly. "so you know about curses, but not about the clans?"

"sorry, i'm afraid learning about the politics of the jujutsu world was the least of my worries," you reply sarcastically, rolling your eyes as you do so. gojo thinks it's kind of endearing. "the information on curses was much more important, so i kinda just tuned out my parents when they gave me that lecture."

gojo chuckles, shaking his head slightly at your words. he leans forward without much thought, holding out three fingers as he speaks. "there's three big jujutsu families that exist. there's the kamo clan, the gojo clan, and the zen'in clan. you and i belong to two of those. and all three of them are looking for you."

you shift in your seat at his words, giving him a wary glance before shrugging nonchalantly. "so you found me first. now what?"

there's a slight nervousness to your tone, causing gojo to frown. he shrugs, grabbing his glass and taking a drink. "i dunno. i wasn't sent on behalf of the gojo clan. i was sent by yaga masamichi, the principal of tokyo jujutsu high. we have no plans to turn you over to the higher-ups, it that makes this situation any better."

"then what do you plan on doing?"

"now that, i also don't know," gojo confesses. he notices the look of irritation on your face and chuckles. "all we know is that your power is too strong to be left unchecked. now, i'm not necessarily kidnapping you, but i am asking you to return to the school with me and speak with yaga. we think there's a way that your dreams could help jujutsu sorcerers know what they could possibly be dealing with on a mission ahead of time."

"i don't think that'll be possible," you mutter, frowning down at the table. you seem lost in thought, and gojo gives you a moment of silence before he speaks.

"what do you mean by that?" gojo's voice is soft, his eyebrows knit in concern as you give him a worried look.

"i mean that i don't think my dreams are reliable," you whisper, panic lacing your words.

"they're prophetic dreams!" gojo yells quietly. "what do you mean they're not reliable."

"ok, look," you say, pausing to reach for the half-eaten slice of cake. you finally take a bite, eyes lighting up as you hum with delight. "that is good! ok, anyways, i don't think my dreams are truly prophetic."

"that's literally not possible," gojo argues, eyes wide in disbelief. "it's a part of your cursed technique! everyone knows that the zen'in clan members with this ability are never wrong."

"well they are now!"

"what do you mean by that?"

"i mean that my dream wasn't accurate," you explain, taking another bite of the cake. you ignore gojo's confused look, sighing before pushing the plate back towards him. "that dream i had of you? yeah the real-life scenario didn't play out the way it was supposed to."

gojo's stare hardens as he processes your words, and he pushed the cake aside as he looks at you questioningly. "what do you mean it didn't play out the way it was supposed to?"

"you were supposed to die," you confess, your voice no louder than a whisper. the silence between the two of you is heavy, and you wonder if your admission was much too harsh. "in my dream, the curse attacked you after i failed to protect you. i don't know what changed."

"well, i'm the strongest sorcerer alive, so there's your answer," gojo says, an uncertain smile on his face as he tries to lighten the mood. "besides, i had to step up my game. i wasn't going to leave someone as precious as you to defend yourself."

his efforts pay off as you huff out a laugh. it's weak, but it manages to dispel the heaviness that had been previously present.

"listen," gojo begins, his tone uncharacteristically serious for the first time since you've approached him. "i'm not trying to freak you out or anything, but that's incredibly strange. there has never been a zen'in prophetic dream that didn't come true. i really think you should speak with yaga, or tengen. but i won't force you to."

"tengen?" you ask, confusion on your face as you look down at the table. "who's that?"

"long story," gojo breathes, making the decision to let yaga fill you in on that. "but what do you say? i'd really like to figure this out, but i kinda need you in order to be able to do that."

there's a moment of hesitation on your end, and gojo finds himself tensing up as he waits for you to speak. he's almost certain that you're going to decline, and he's afraid that once you walk out of the café, you'll be gone forever once again. his fears are dispelled when you look up to meet his gaze, determination clearly visible in your eyes as you nod.

"okay, i'll go with you."

"great!" gojo says, his grin reappearing as he stands. he places a small wad of cash on the table before walking around the table to you and offering you his hand. you've barely slipped your hand into his before he tugs you towards him, his grin getting wider as you bump into his chest. you don't get the chance to say anything before he's walking out of the café, throwing a cursory glance around before heading down the street. "let's get out of here. we shouldn't stay in one place too long, just in case."

gojo chatters endlessly once again as you presumably head towards tokyo jujutsu high, and you find yourself staring at him as you recall your entire day in your mind. gojo satoru had single-handedly disrupted the course of fate, and neither one of you had any idea as to how.

you can feel a headache coming on the longer you stare at him, and you finally look away when he glances back at you and gives you a charming grin.

you have no idea who gojo satoru is, but if he has the power to change the course of your prophetic dreams, then you're determined to find out more about him.

and he sure as hell wasn't going to complain about that.

reblogs are appreciated <3 thank you for reading!!