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levmada · 3 months

Note

Hey how are you feeling?

Im glad your requests are still open. Loved the answer to my last request so I hope you don’t mind me sending in another one?

Some cute hurt/comfort with taller gn reader and postwar Levi. After the ackermanbond is gone I imagine Levi getting really sick for the very first time. Fever and everything also adding the flashbacks to when his mom got sick. And reader ofc nursing him back to health and also comforting him 🧡

im so so so so so so SO sorry😭i took literal months with this sari... i wish i had a good excuse, but i hope you like this :(

i took a lot of inspo from this eruri fic from ao3. stress cannn cause flu-like symptoms, and i wanted this to be the outcome of all those years of suffering for levi finally catching up to him.

probably not medically accurate: it's not very clear what the nature of levi's knee injury. it's seen partially crushed, but it's not clear what medical technology marley has (especially w/ the last volume cover in mind). i'm functioning on my idea that levi can't get around without a wheelchair, but he does have range of motion, partly based on the health of the cartilage/joints/bone, but mostly based how painful it is. it's more complicated than that, but i wanted to add a disclaimer anyway.

(tldr this is the levi torture hour)

➥ pairing: postwar!Levi x taller!gn!reader

➥ about: Not even Levi is invulnerable, both after the war and back then, so it's stupid to be scared when he gets sick.

Until it isn't.

➥ c/w: sick fic, post-war Levi, delirium/nightmares, reverse hurt comfort, implied past csa, happy ending (promise), medical inaccuracies, nightmares, established relationship (married)

➥ wc: 5.3k

In the comfortable, quiet rays of mid-morning, you hum to yourself, and sip your mug of tea. You watch a white cardinal with red tips toddle on the windowsill on the other side of the glass. That’s rare.

It takes off.

You trace the rim of your mug, sighing slowly but heavily through your nose. It’s getting harder not to think about it.

You want to think that—now that you and Levi are retired (what an odd word…)—it’s reached that natural time to start sleeping better. Sleeping in, not out of an absurdly rare indulgence, but to relax.

It’s been nine months, not counting the few Levi was cooped-up in the hospital.

Even for him, relaxation shouldn’t be impossible after some point. In fact, he hasn’t shot awake just before dawn for a while, anticipating a reveille that won’t ring out.

But you fought beside him; your bad habits and your happiness wrestle over the reality of your new life too.

But…

You reach across the small wood table and hover your hand over the cup of tea you poured for him; decent, but not piping hot and steaming like earlier.

This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity: you get to coax Levi out of bed late in the morning.

You stand, bringing your arms behind your head to stretch just a little as you walk to the hall, down to the bedroom. The door is cracked like you left it.

Like a tired waterfall, the vast majority of the thick covers lay spilled haphazardly to the floor, so you’re surprised even before you take a look at Levi, who’s still curled up asleep, facing your way. That leaves his back to the light glowing through the curtains.

He kicked them off?

Like the sheets, his sweater is white; his trousers are dark, loose and cut (with his knee brace on underneath). With his arms tightly crossed like that, and the harsh crease sitting on his brow, he almost looks awake and stressed out.

“G’morning, ‘Vi…”

Importantly, his pallor, normally as pale as snow, glows pink. A few strands of black cling to his forehead.

You stride over with a bit of a frown that wasn’t as deep when you were feeling just plain impatient, and take a sit on the edge of the bed.

“Are you feeling sick, baby…?”

That crease deepens. He twitches awake. "M-Mm?"

Now that you’re close, you notice his breathing is a little labored. You touch your knuckles to his temple. Eyes barely crack open.

"Sweetheart, ‘Vi… You definitely have a fever..."

You comb his bangs off his damp forehead, and they close.

The heat radiating off his skin—you grimace a little.

Actually... have you ever seen Levi so much as under the weather? You can’t even remember.

He shifts slightly, as your strokes rouse him.

"Do you feel sick?" you ask for the second time.

"Huh? I'm fine..."

His eyes finally blink open, fluttering once or twice. But then, a shadow passes over his face that seems to disprove that assertion of his.

He shoves his elbow underneath himself and starts to lift himself up. "Stop—fretting. 'm fine."

He gets most of the way; he’s resting heavily on one arm when he grunts, then leans.

"Stop, sweetheart," you huff, and take him by the shoulder. "What hurts? Your head?"

Looking dazed, like he’s not all there, he lifts his bad hand to his temple and, with his ring and little finger, feels his temple.

“Don’t know…”

"Lay back down, you clearly need some rest—even if this is rare for you, okay?"

“What?” He looks perturbed with you. “Don’t be stupid. There’s too much t’do. N’ I’m fine,” he grumbles, blatantly lying.

"Levi..." you warn.

"I'm just... tired," he mumbles. He rubs his eye with his thumb. "Fuck. Fucking tired."

His strength starts to evaporate as his eyes slip closed.

In an instant—before he collapses—you thrust your arms around him, and lay him back down on his side slowly.

It doesn’t quite hit you until you maneuver his arm out from under him, and listen to his even but labored breathing for a bit of time.

You stare down, eyes wide. Are you scared?—Or anxious?

Well either way—it’s not until you stopped being at risk for a violent death day-in and day-out for years that you even realized you were constantly anxious.

It’s not a nice feeling.

It’s okay. Though. You rationalize. Not even Levi is impervious to everything, and certainly not now. It’s stupid to be surprised.

You feel his forehead with the back of your hand one more time, and kiss your teeth. Definitely a fever, but an exact number wouldn’t hurt.

The thermometer and other simple medicines are shoved in one of the high kitchen cabinets, a second thought when you both moved into this quaint little cabin in the woods (aside from his prescriptions). You didn’t even say it out loud, even.

Now pinched between your fingers, you stand back and stutter on your feet, unsure of what else you need. You want to need something more helpful, but the need to go and check back on him is most powerful.

A short ways down the hall, you pick up on the unbelievable yet unmistakable sound of… crying. Unrestrained, and yet, the kind of crying that steals breath.

You expect to wake up as soon as you reach the bedroom—some disturbing but absurd dream.

But you don’t. He’s curled up where you left him, eyes closed but now gasping sharply through his teeth with tears glistening on his cheeks. One drips off his trembling chin.

You drop onto the edge of the bed immediately, and try to speak, but find yourself helplessly stuck at a complete loss as to where to even start.

“Why…” You card your fingers through his hair, to no reaction. He must be asleep, right?—But how, why?

“Hey, hey, c’mere,” you coo gently, sitting so as to swaddle his back and caress his head.

You make it all not sound like a question. “Everything’s okay. It’s okay, sweetheart… Wake up.”

His eyes tightly shut, and tears squeeze through. He croaks. “Can wake up.”

It takes a moment for you to register that he really meant to pronounce it as “can’t”.

“…You sound sorta freaked out, and you want to talk to Falco?—Is Levi alright??”

You silently curse Gabi for being so observant.

“Which place? I have the books, um, right here…!”

“No…” You swallow a little, and coil the bright red cord to the phone around and around your finger. You wish it was as simple as some tinnitus, or nerve pain.

“No?” Gabi asks on a high lilt; a question within a question.

“I know. He never gets sick, which is why I want to talk to Falco. I appreciate you trying to help, but please hurry?”

“Oh yeah, okay!”

You peer over your shoulder from your place stood in the hall and rock on your heels nervously. The only space of time you could find where you could bear to leave him was when he was quiet.

Falco has matured so much, even over the past year, and you trust him with this. He’s training to be a doctor; being a soldier never suited him much anyway. Levi was the first to say so, as usual the perfect judge of character.

You speak slowly and calmly to him, encouraged by his own composure.

“It sounds like a flu, just with that added symptom,” he’s thinking out loud. Thin pages turn. “Severe stress can cause flu-like symptoms sometimes… Especially when it’s prolonged. Does that sound like anything?”

“No. No way.” You shake your head, your brow pinched tightly. In fact you laugh. “Haven’t fought any Titans lately, at least.”

His voice lowers, thinking as he talks. “True, yeah. Especially for you guys, nothing could ever really compare, right?”

“You have no idea. Not with Levi.”

“We can talk about it another time, maybe,” you amend quickly. You know almost for certain that’s not going to happen.

Falco hums. “Anyway, if that’s the case, that would explain why it’s been so severe, with the sudden onset. But think of it like a fever he needs to sweat out,” he explains.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You hear the light smile in his voice. “Don’t be too far away, though. It’s easy to tell, you know.”

You smile to yourself.

Even if the Rumbling somehow started back up above your head, you’d rather die.

You write on a little notepad—some scrawl verbatim—Falco’s directions and words of advice, the phone trapped between your ear and shoulder. Most of it is generic, for influenza of course, but you write.

A blunt but dense thump sounds not so far away. You even flinch, but just as quickly let Falco know you’ll be right back.

In the bedroom, the pale blue duvet and sheets spilled onto the floor looks like a stiff waterfall being wrenched this way and that by Levi’s attempts to sit back up, like a puppet trying to pull its own strings. He grunts in what sounds like frustration, but you can’t know for sure as his bangs obscure his eyes. His hair all over is a downright wreck.

Gaping, you fall down beside him and hurry working off all the offending fabrics he’s twisted in.

“Lee—…”

Your help lets his shaky hand hover over his knee, like he can’t be sure if it’s his. He’s breathing hard; it’s ten times shakier than his hand.

“Come here.”

He doesn’t so much as twitch, but he doesn’t resist either. Then, when something in him registers that you’re there, he leans into you like you’ve just brought the weight of the world off his shoulders.

You tug the soft pantleg up, and sigh at what you see. The scarring, like a row of pink and purple mountains stabbed into his flesh, is more inflamed than usual, leg minutely trembling when you raise it.

He must’ve tried to stand up.

“Does it hurt very bad?”

Not even such an obvious question gets you a retort of any kind. He whines softly when you have to brace that area to lift him back up, but no more.

From the dull darkened blue cotton in the shape of a V in the center of his chest, and coming down from his underarms, he’s burning up; you need to get started just as soon as you’re finished with Falco. For now, you wipe his clammy temples and brush his bangs back. He’s looking at you, but he doesn’t seem to see.

“Levi…” You press on his round cheeks under your palms, grimacing at the heat pelting off his skin.

He moans softly, some relief softening his features. “Huh. Take m’jack-et. Yer cold.”

You shake your head even though he can’t see, as, sharply and without warning, tears appear and stab at your eyes. He’s not even wearing a jacket.

“Be right back,” you manage. “Okay?”

You don’t really expect a response, and you don’t get one.

First thing’s first, he needs water. You feel stupid not thinking of that first. That was at the top of Falco’s directions.

You catch Levi in a moment of relative quiet—not peace, but quiet—and cradle the back of his neck, unhinging his jaw with your other. Easy enough. You tip the glass and feed him water with the utmost care and precision. This is some act terribly intimate, a type of intimacy removed from hand-holding or sex entirely while managing to rank above them both. Over all these years, his life has been in your hands a few times, but feeding him pills—something for the fever and something for the pain—and working his shirt off for something fresh and loose-fitting feels more reverent even still. You put him in shorts and practically fortify his knee with a brace and pillows wrapped up with the belt of a housecoat so even if he rolls over, he won’t.

He chokes on a sob while you’re tucking a cold press behind his neck, forcing you to stop. His eyes squeeze shut.

“Levi?” you ask softly.

Either he’s having a nightmare, or he’s in pain, or, both. He tightens his crossed arms. His first movement in hours.

“What hurts? Falco said it might be your head.”

Another sob bursts from him. “S’head’s all over the wall, looked, it… sorry….”

He continues mumbling, but none of it sounds like words.

"Levi, it's okay, it's okay. Okay, baby? S'okay," you murmur; on and on. The washcloth has gotten smushed between his shoulder and the pillow—you set that somewhere aside. Then you lean over, rubbing with your thumbs the tears off his glistening cheeks, and messy black strands off his forehead.

Sometimes you will catch a word, sometimes you won’t. You will almost wish you didn’t the times you do. Yet you feel sworn to make sense of every mumble, a pervasive, unbreakable, urge. You’re sworn to it.

That’s how the rest of the day goes. He’s never lucid enough to eat; only enough to mumble when he’s freezing, or when he’s burning.

After dusk has bled into the sunset, and night has set in, you sit and watch over Levi religiously. To be fair, you don’t have anything “better to do”, but you hardly ate. If he knew, he’d be in your ear grumbling or otherwise dragging you by it to the kitchen, but does it matter, when he can’t know?

No, you decided, with some fucked-up determination. You want him to bitch at you when he wakes up. Not shivering trapped in an uneasy sleep.

When it gets late, you, arduously but carefully, do what you can for his knee.. He moves too much.

You wipe his face and neck of sweat, and lay a fresh, ice-cold and wet folded washcloth on his forehead. The fever is slowly getting worse.

You dote on him, carding back his bangs, and murmuring and repeating all manners of comfort you can think of. It’s becoming obvious when he’s having a nightmare.

…Finally, as Falco suggested, you’ve kept him hydrated; fever reducers every few hours.

All that's left to do then, is sleep. This realization makes you nauseous with worry.

Nonetheless, you squirm under the covers on your side, close beside him with your face tucked in his shoulder. You take a slow, deep breath.

It’s so discomforting; Levi can’t fall asleep flat on his back, ever, and yet…

Your head shoots off his chest before you’ve registered you even woke up—gasping, and a guttural cry from below. It’s pitch black, too dark to see.

That explodes him into motion. He repels you backwards as you grapple for his shoulders, and like fists closed around your throat, as he resists your every attempt to stop him hurting himself, as he whimpers tiredly, as his bawling stabs the most tender place inside you—you feel sick.

“Levi—! Stop. Levi listen to me!”

You’re louder than him, but nothing—his eyes won't open—and your stomach swoops just then as he almost succeeds in jabbing his knee in your stomach, an extra hard punch combined with the brace. That cry is a sob of nothing but pain.

Enough. Finally you bite the bullet, you drop your full weight down on top of him, if it means he’ll finally stop.

At first, you’re as steady as a boat on rough waters. A huff of relief slips out when his writhing grows sluggish, quickly.

He squirms mildly under you, breathing still stubbornly labored. “Get… off me.”

He tries to raise his arms from his sides, but can’t.

“I’ll, fuckin’ kill you.”

You viciously shake your head. “It’s just a dream.”

Are you telling only him that?

“S’ get off, you can’t, s’nough hurts ‘er.”

“L-Lee…”

You strain to make him out, as he sobs weakly. “Leave me alone already...”

His name escapes you over again like a prayer in the heat of a battle. Your determination crumbles right into dust; you fall beside him and sit up, unsure of what to do besides take his hand. You can’t bring yourself to switch on the lamp.

“It’s going to be okay.” You squeeze.

He whimpers. “…Please.”

You can’t open your foolish mouth and tell him or yourself that it’s just a dream anymore.

Falco was more correct than you gave him credit for.

Falco also warned you that it would get worse before it got better.

With the hours that keep passing—which have stretched out into two days so far—he more and more mutters in his sleep, other times under his breath, but most times he’s incoherent.

But, it’s all come to fall under one topic.

And just like that first night, it doesn’t quite make sense, but it doesn’t have to.

You don’t want to think about it; you just want to take care of him. Your anxiety is constant, and sharp. If only he’d wake up; you talk to him as if he’s awake—but to no response whatsoever, like you don’t even exist.

Moments you’re forced to leave him are the worst—for you and for him. Most times when you come back, the washcloth meant to rest on his forehead has drooped and sagged beside his temple.

At any rate, the difference between fever and tears has gotten hard to tell.

You just can’t stop from shaking, and your throat is tight, but Falco remains adamant that the flu is what he said it is.

A lamp is still glowing on your side in the late night. The air is cool, and it’s quiet, but a rare moment of “peace” makes the sounds of your shared breaths obnoxious.

Your heavy eyes sting; despite that, when they creep closed you feel yourself fading in seconds, with Levi’s head tucked under your chin, upon your chest. Seemingly, any covers are too stifling for him at the moment; pressed against your collarbones, you feel his forehead is hot again.

You cradle gently the nape of his neck, idly rubbing the knot of bone at the base of his jaw. As if you’re doing anything to protect him from anything…

He mumbles, slurring, “Y’have t’come back…”

You’re not dizzy with the shock or the horror, but it’s worse almost, to be confronted with the full magnitude of a rueless, unceasing pain that is just as lonely in its magnitude as it is devastating.

You rub his back as he buries his face in your neck, sobbing like it takes all his energy to do so. “I’ll be faster.”

“I don’ know where t’go, what do I do now?” he babbles over your soft hushes. “Wait, next time I’ll get it right...”

“It’s okay, love, it’s okay.”

“I don’ know why I even…”

Trailing off, he starts to whimper, and can’t go on.

He doesn’t stop, it doesn’t, not for a second while—all you can do—is hold and console him even though he may not know it.

Until he exhausts himself. Drifts. into a light sleep.

For it to happen all over again. Seeping into his sleep like crude oil, the next stress-induced terror to force his breathing shaky, labored.

"...Need," he whimpers, the first word you’ve made out in a while.

Your stomach swoops, the thought that you can do anything to help directly. "What do you need, sweetheart?"

"Don't sell it. Don't sell it, I need it."

You deflate, jaw wobbling. "Sh, sh, it's okay,” you soothe. You reach for the tray on the bedside behind you, and, using the cold cloth, you dab the sweat from his blushing temple and neck.

"S'gonna take away from m...me." He starts to pant, continuing to mumble, crying, a complete melting away. Lamenting, abject.

"Shh... Shh..."

His arm loosely draped around your waist—which you’d put there—tightens its hold, but in drifting bursts, like he keeps slipping.

“Please.”

You inhale sharply. "Please?"

"Don'. Leave me."

"I won't leave," you swiftly promise. "I won't leave, I won’t.”

He cries in his sleep for so many names that aren’t alive anymore.

Don’t go. Don’t go.

Wake up, Momma.

Wait... Just wait.

That wasn’t the worst point. Not even hunched, taken-over by so much stress and pain until he gagged was the worst point. None of what he had already said combined could amount to the last night.

You snap awake on your stomach at some blurry unknown instance, acutely aware you’ve slept like shit.

Did you even, only blink?—No. The most faintest shade of grey weakly gives your bedroom the suggestion of texture and shadow, but—your arms are empty. You reach over blindly, but the side where Levi should lay is empty and cold.

A pit bursts open in your stomach, filled with bright panic.

You lurch up and shove off the covers, breathing hard.

Where could he be??

If he was feeling better, then you would've woken up a while ago, because he would've told you. Not just...

He can’t be far.

You shiver.

On your feet, you cross the room in a few strides, and frown as you pull open the bedroom door. It's never left closed at night this time of year; it gets about ten degrees colder without the insulation. (But the chill pressing to the bottoms of your feet, you barely even noticed.)

"Levi!?"

The switch on the wall is right within reach, which lights up the hall. You look right and almost jump back; you might’ve tripped over him if you hadn’t looked first.

He sits hugging his legs—tightly folded against his chest, Levi, why?—there right outside the white doorframe. Shivering, glossy face red with fever, and most certainly in agony by now with all the abuse done to his knee, you’re not sure if he even notices you. Not from this angle.

You fall down on your knees. “Levi? Look, I’m here. Talk to me, please, okay?”

His bloodshot eyes are cracked open, staring ahead, but seemingly seeing nothing. Between the tears, you can’t tell if this is good or bad.

"Levi..." You take his shoulder in an attempt to nudge his attention towards you. “Look at me. Please.”

He was already tense. His head turns, mostly looking at you sideways—emphasis on his pale eye—but looking at you nonetheless. Good.

"What's wrong?"

His brow knits together.

“C’mere.” You lean forward and card his damp bangs back to feel his forehead. The whole time, he just looks at you passively.

“Better... But this cold won’t help in the end. Medicine is in the bedroom, so...”

You huff very softly to yourself. “…You need more bedrest. I don’t know why you even came out here. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He blinks.

“Let’s go back to bed,” you insist then, under your breath.

Some clarity crosses his dark eyes, his voice then a cracked brittle rasp. “…Not the bed.”

His gaze sort of drifts away from you.

You thought he was through with that habit. Confused, you ask, “Why not?”

“It’s ruined. It was always disgusting, but… this is worse.”

“I’ll change the sheets then. I know, it’s not—”

“You can’t do anything,” he says, tucking his chin to his chest, intent eyes focused somewhere down. “Corpse smell doesn’t come outta anything, it just smells worse the longer you leave it. It gets colder n’ heavier, then the smell, it attracts bugs. There’s a fluid,” he says quietly. Casually. “And then it shrinks. Getting eaten’s all the same. But I think that way’s worse.”

What can you even say to that?

“I won’t do th-at to you…” His brow furrows sharply, gripping his sleeves—you see now—with bright white knuckles. Even sitting up, he’s almost curled up into a ball.

You talk quickly, before the full gravity of all this can reach you.

“You won’t do anything,” you insist. “How about the sofa? Would the sofa be okay?”

“I can’ go to sleep,” he hisses. “I won’t wake up.”

“That’s not true. Why do you even say that??"

"I'm sick."

"Yeah, but it’s not bad-sick!”

You regret the moment you raise your voice. That almost innocent passivity he exuded is crushed by complete and utter detachment.

“…Denial doesn't help. Don’t be stupid. Don't even—shouldn’ touch me. It’ll end worse fer you.”

You tremble minutely, stewing in silence while in panicked, rapid-fire fashion, you rifle through explanations. He sounds so serious. And he's nothing but.

You know that Levi’s mother died from sickness. He’s called out for her, a lot.

In nightmares… A nightmare?

You guess that’s where it all started for him, as he always slips into a warm voice and delicate eyes those rare moments he does tell you about her. Being sick then, being sick with you here… It all clicks into place.

Okay. Fuck…

The real monster of it all is the fever—making him unglued like this.

You rub the bridge of your nose, swallowing thickly. Okay.

A firm calm settles over you; for once, Levi is scared. That means you won’t be.

“Levi…” you console.

You reach out to his shoulder, only to flinch when he flinches before a push knocks into your chest. It sends you falling into your backside with an injured grunt.

Instantly, intrinsically, you know it’s going to bruise; all his strength, one hand.

Your eyes pop open to his own—uncannily—wide with his lips twisting into a grimace.

Putting his eyes ahead again, he sucks in a choked breath and slumps. “Sorry, I thought you were… Sorry.” He gasps. “I’m sorry.”

You get back up on your knees, slowly, and settle down beside him without hesitation. You’re more frantic than ever to close this icy chasm-like space.

“It’s okay.”

He shakes his head as sharp and as fast as his rattling breaths. “I thought you were him. I don’t get it… it just kept hap-happening… Fucking…”

You see him still searching for the words to explain.

“It’s okay. It’s all okay.”

The warmth in your voice is genuine. When it shakes, you just hate that he’s suffering with nothing you can do to lift it all away, like blood by steam.

He grips his hair, having made himself as small as possible again. “I’m—s-sorry.”

“Shh…”

Slowly until now, you’ve been leaning in, and now you firmly rest your hand on his back, rubbing in long, consoling motions. This seems to help.

You stay like this while his breathing shudders through tears. It’ll only hurt you both to bring force into it again; either way, any way, it’s not his fault. You don’t know what he meant… but why would it be the man who came and chose to look after him?

“Sorry…”

Everything you see if one ruddy cheek and his temple glistens with either tears or sweat, and his eyes look painful.

“Look at me. Baby.”

An order seems familiar. He does.

“You trust me, don’t you?”

He understands slowly, but you know the answer. After a time, he blinks, and nods.

“Stay still, please.” You kiss his temple.

“…Sure.”

One arm around his back, the other scooped under his knees, you lift him up into your arms with not too much difficulty. He goes tense, but leans into your chest nonetheless.

“It’s going to be okay,” you murmur as you walk. You want desperately to ask about his leg, but this feels too fragile, like if you bring up physical pain then the whims of the fever will take him back over.

He’s trembling all over, it seems, before you lay him back down in bed, and once you do he clutches a bit of your blouse at the collar with a grip that confirms for you that he’s not letting go. You sit beside him with his waist pushed against the side of your thigh.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault,” he croaks out softly, staring at your sleeve which he now grips. “I wasn’t fast ‘nuff. I hesitated n’ it got ‘em killed for nothing after made the same mistake… Sorry i-was my damn pride…”

You let him talk, rather mumble. When there’s a lull, you rest your palms on his hot cheeks. Better than the last time you felt them. His eyes instantly flutter in relief.

It’s surprisingly easy to give him water, then the fever reducer. Meanwhile, he’s clearly fighting the weight of exhaustion pressing down on his eyelids.

“Don’t make me sleep…”

“I’m not. I’ll just stay by your side. Then”—you cup his cheek—“I’ll do it again.”

He hardly grunts, eyes closing.

You won’t sleep, and you can’t sleep (if there’s even a difference). In fact, you’ll bring in one of the kitchen chairs and sit by him with a novel; you’ll read by candlelight, with a handkerchief hanging like a tarp from the lampshade so maybe he can rest easy.

Being that the flu is a release of stress… He’s getting better. He’s getting better.

Hour-by-hour, more or less (but mostly less), you snap awake at the tiniest stirring from your husband beside you. Maybe mumbling a ghostly snatch of a word; mostly sniffling. It takes you half an hour to drift off again.

This unforgiving cycle obnoxiously persists until morning sunlight poking your sleeping mind wakes you. Suddenly, again. You see him.

It’s a mystery, how long, but Levi is gazing at you softly with bloodshot, but, maybe aware eye. You feel better when he glances away, like every time—if, not when—you catch him staring. Your legs are tangled slightly, his slow breaths brush your cheek.

"Baby," you murmur. "You’re awake?”

He looks annoyed. “No, I’m sleeping with my eyes open.”

“How do you feel? Be honest," you quickly add. You drape your arm around his waist.

He frowns at your tone. "...Like my head got hit with a sledgehammer.”

You say nothing.

His voice gets softer and gentler. “I don’t remember… And you look like shit. What happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“…So I’m going to be wrong,” he surmises, looking away. “I slept in too late.”

He goes to rub his eye, and sniffs. The distress marring his expression grows.

“It’s been a couple days, but it’s alright,” you say. You’re quick to explain as the realization seems to come over Levi that he hasn’t had a proper bath in that length of time.

Though, it’s hard to explain. It’s even harder to wrap your mind around the fact that he doesn’t remember how he’d cried, and—insinuated, what he did. What horrors he spoke of.

You finish. Behind a thinly-veiled straight face, he stares into your eyes with the quiet accusation that you haven’t told the whole story.

“It… was… bad,” you bear to admit. “That’s why I look like shit.”

The self-loathing that falls over his expression like a deathly shroud is instant. He looks away, glaring at nothing, but before he can think anything, you squirm much closer, tighten your hold, and kiss his chin.

“It’s not your fault. And if I had to, I’d do it all over again. So don’t start.”

He watches you for a beat, as if searching for some exaggeration, but soon looks resigned to the truth in your vow. At this long-awaited point in your lives, with some legwork to say the least, you’re relieved to know you’ve finally got it beaten into his head that you love him, whether he agrees or not.

You watch him swallow, and many emotions cross his eyes as he mulls your words over.

“I don’t like that it’s just a flash for me,” he resolves.

“I know. But we can… talk about it?”

Honestly you’re shocked the words left your mouth. Levi also stares at you like you just spoke a foreign language. It’s pathetic, as he would say, sure, but—people like you and him don’t just talk about things like that which fueled those nightmares of his.

He looks away, considering. Finally, he brings hand up to yours, nestled deep under the covers. Your fingers clasp gently, foreheads brushing. His silvery blue eyes calmly watch yours. That’s his answer.

It’s so different, and not so comfortable right now, but you believe, now, that’s okay.

Levi masterlist | main masterlist

#levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman fluff #levi ackerman x you #levi x you #levi x y/n #levi ackerman x y/n #levi ackerman oneshot #levi ackerman angst #aot oneshots #aot fanfiction #captain levi x reader #captain levi x you #captain levi fanfiction

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agendabymooner · 6 months

Text

the multifaceted gf and her pets ! george r. x ofc

summary: george russell is dating arabella ‘ara’ elgin, who had been friends with him (alongside lando norris and alex albon) for years. it turns out, she was everything that the haters thought she wouldn’t be as they believed that she was… not the one for him. (loosely based on this request.)

content warning: use of explicit language, haters gonna hate shake it off, childhood friends to lovers, ‘rich aunt’ george, ofc does it all (memer, photographer, youtuber, etc), fluff, crack fic?, utter nonsense

faceclaim: talia mar (music discography based on adele’s music; inspired by water under the bridge)

note: dreading las vegas gp but it’s okay here’s some of your rich aunt george russell content 🤭 enjoy xx

a - n masterlist

o - z masterlist

i. ara the photographer (and shitposter)

ii. ara the singer (and everyone’s rich aunt)

tagged georgerussell63

liked by landonorris, alex_albon, maxfewtrell

landonorris “being george’s girlfriend is a full time job” yeah well we’ve warned you

barbarella no need to get mouthy about it landinho 🤓

maxfewtrell gonna shake my arse to your new single 🫦 liked by barbarella

riabish max… have shame 🤢 liked by barbarella

barbarella YES BABY SHAKE IT FOR ME 🤤

georgerussell63 don’t encourage the lad, ara

mercedesamgf1 the rich aunt is rich aunt’ing 🤩🍷 liked by barbarella

lewishamilton collab when??? liked by barbarella

barbarella hol’up 😭🙏 i’ve got an album to release first

lewishamilton shoot me a message anytime ara! 🤭

user1 EXCUSE ME?! ARA FEAT. XNDA?!!!

user2 busting a nut brb 🤭🤩

alex_albon she a memer, she a singer she a rockstar liked by barbarella

barbarella 😚😚 no wonder why ur my fave rookie

user3 rich aunt is crying rn 🤧

georgerussell63 proud of you for setting your haters straight i guess. liked by barbarella

barbarella don’t be sad georgieeee you know that i love youuuu 🥰🥰

georgerussell63 👍

landonorris wowowow you sure you wanna keep dating this man, ara?

barbarella yeah he’s just in the corner sulking rn. i’d leave him be if i were you

georgerussell63 STOP TELLING PEOPLE IM IN A CORNER SULKING ☹️

alex_albon i would imagine you are sulking right now george

georgerussell63 i’m not. stop listening to her.

user4 i love this banter with ara and her pet dogs. like that’s so cute!

user5 her pet dogs— BABES THATS HER BF AND BEST FRIENDS 😭😭

#formula one imagine #formula one fic #formula one x oc #formula one smau #f1 smau #f1 fic #george russell fluff #george russell imagine #george russell x reader #george russell #george russell instagram au #george russell smau #george russel imagine #mercedes amg imagine #f1 social media au #george russell social media au #formula 1 #formula one instagram au #gr63

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whyoneartheven · 1 month

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What head canons do you have for the LU boys? (Yes, this is a request for you to ramble about them)

aaaahhh hello! Thanks for asking, but wow, goodness me

this will take some thinking XD

umm

ok a lot of these are pretty generic or just other people’s ideas I kinda adopted but here goes!

also I didn’t expect it when I started but this got long…

for Legend, I really like the idea of him drinking tea and still having an apple orchard. And also having honey bees! (These aren’t mine originally lol) Also I feel like post LU (this ofc may change depending on the ending) he fell into depression a little bit before digging himself out… idk I just feel like that would happen. I like the idea of him being a good singer. (merperson stuff but also maybe having to do with post-LA?) Also I feel like he’s one of those people that’s always cold! So he secretly likes to cuddle :)

with Wild, I feel like… he definitely doesn’t use recipes! This is based off how I am in his game and irl, as I just throw things together and never go back to see how I made things before, but also I feel like it just fits his personality hehe! Also based on my experiences in game (to an extent), I feel like he doesn’t actually care about legitimately looking fashionable… it’s more that he likes wearing things that looks crazy XD

on to Hyrule! Ok this isn’t as much a headcanon as a ship but I really ship him and Aurora; I feel like they’d be absolutely adorable together but he’s really private about it! I like to think Hyrule can sew? And I think he’d love to run around barefoot on fresh grass! And just, be in love with nature in general! maybe he doesn’t have an eye for color; he can’t tell if colors clash or actually match lol

Time! I like the idea of Time and Malon having a running joke that the other is color blind, and the chain eventually picks it up! And then Time keeps mistaking one color for another (on purpose or not? We’ll never know), and every time the others go wild XD (this may or may not be based on a joke my parents have irl hehe) also I feel like Time really likes flowers? Idk why! Finally, if Time was in the modern world he’d be the guy who’d be acting food months to tears past the expiration date…

Four, my beloved! Umm this is kinda a design idea more than anything but I like the idea of him growing his hair out and wearing it in a ponytail post LU! (provided he doesn’t die…) I don’t think of him as having voices in his head or being a system but I still like the idea of him talking to himself sometimes XD! Also this is just something canon I don’t see talked abt a lot but I love he and Twi’s relationship sm! Four totally has RBF and definitely stares at people accidentally when he’s thinking… also I saw a crack fic somewhere where Four was already married to Dot and had children and the chain were shocked; it was hilarious, and while I don’t think he would actually have kids, I think it’d be hilarious if he and his Zelda are already quite far along in their relationship (as I ship them lol)

the man, the myth, the legend, WIND, is next! This man has Opinions. I feel like he’s the kind of person so have opinions on things he’s only heard of two seconds before, like automatically deciding he will like a food or deciding the other way round. (And yeahhhh I’m basing him on my brother lol) I’m definitely not the one to come up with this but Wind is definitely the one with the best (and most opinionated) fashion sense! Maybe older him bonded with young Wars in the War of Eras over this (bc I love the idea of older wind being there), Idk XD! Also he definitely braids Aryll’s hair and is generally very responsible (I mean he’s a big brother he’s gotta be XD); he’s treating LU as a bit of a vacation!

Warriors, wonderful man, is next! I feel like he’s very nostalgic. Like, just in general. He likes to look back on his happy memories! Also (once again not my idea) but I like the idea of Warriors growing up either orphaned or really poor, and living in the less palatable portion of Castle Town. I definitely ship him and his Zelda (ok tbh I ship ALL the Links with their Zeldas lol) but I feel like at the point of LU they’ve talked abt it but Warriors isn’t ready (thanks to Cia and maybe just all the barriers in his mind about being inferior to her or smth) Also, give this man the craziest accent you can find and I am here for it; whoever first came up with that is a genius. Ok yeah you can probably tell but I love Warriors angst XD

Sky!!! My bestieeee!! If Sky was in modern times he’d be one of those people who gets sleepy when they drink coffee, fs! He is de the artistic one, and maybe during LU he discovers a bunch of mediums besides woodworking that he loves (and maybe he makes a bunch of art for Sun, who knows!) This next one is based off @margindoodles2407’s Sky for her loz AU but the idea that his parents died in a house fire and he lived with Gaepora and Zelda until he was older is so cool to me! And bc of this I feel like he’d really hate being around fire (to the point of panic attacks? Maybe, maybe not)

Last but not least is Twilight!! This guy totally talks out loud to animals all the time and it freaks people out (they can never tell if he actually understands them hehe)! Twi definitely has a lot of respect for kids too and talks to them like they’re adults (by using the same vocabulary and tone, not by talking about things that aren’t good for kids to hear XD) and I feel like he would write painfully cheesy love poems? Twi definitely can’t cook but I feel l Ike he also cares the most about food? Idk?

ok, and that’s it!!! Wow, that was a lot…

and I could definitely come up with more lol

#Asks and such #Lu #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu legend #lu warriors #lu wind #lu wild #lu hyrule #lu time #lu sky #lu twilight #lu four #headcanons #lu headcanons #evie rambles #Wow this was fun and time consuming (which I didn’t mind one bit lol)

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little-miss-dilf-lover · 8 months

Note

To you he's a menace to society, he's my little princess though. I'm back and here to serve more ideas of my favorite mean bbg 💗💗

Ok ok so I know this is based on the fic I sended, but can you imagine tan's wife being just so sassy? Walking up to this well known and feared leader, hand on our hip, smug smile, not a care in the world and saving our boys. And we always win because I said so.

Which brings me to my next point, acting. (I'm not obsessed with this idea at all haha) Now, this is silly but hear me out, since in the movie, the prince is a diesel because of her acting and how she bluffs, what if reader is arguing she's also a diesel because of her great acting skills. All I know for sure is that Lem would be so pissed at what we just said.

I hc that Tan doesn't spend much time on the internet, so when we send him "I'll see you at 14:37 :)" don't expect him to know. Lem would be like "you fucking dumbass" and having to explain what it means. (1437 = i love you forever)

Casual dom with Tan?? Pulling you by the waist so thar on the sidewalk you're further from the cars. Giving you his jacket because you "forgot" yours at home (he secretly loves it) scolding you when you don't eat and holding your chin up to make you look at him

This one is self indulgent but, wearing heels all day and you're legs hurt so he offers you a piggy back ride back home :((

Last one, I think he's kind of hesitant to open up at first but as time went by, and you two get married, what do you think will change in your relationship?

OK LAST ONE FR THIS TIME I'm feeling a little mischievous, giving him an attitude? 😱😱 shocking but,, how will he react? Please share thoughts ☺️

Also,, that text conversation ?? Delicious, thank you for the food ma'am. A while back, when I send one of these ideas asks (idk how to call them) I mentioned how it'll be like to be in a groupchat with these two and the fake sms app is exactly what I had in mind. Now that I saw the post, I wanted to ask if you could do something similar but I'm aware it's probably a lot of hassle so it's okay if you don't want to !! Sorry for any spelling mistakes!! 💺 anon

I love wearing sunglasses bcs no one will know what you're looking at haha. I say as I'm obviously staring at Tan's chest

hii!! ofc ofc, please enlighten me with ideas of our cute wholesome angel😩!!

1. like a protective mama bear 😌 always looking out for our little princesses. and yes to winning bc that’s the only way tbh

2. 😭😭😭 yes!! would kinda imagine as a femme fatale just bc it’s badass, and she would have many skills- acting one of them!! like someone you watch in a movie, and you’re like she’s fucking cool

3. yes!! feel like he’s a bit old in that department - he’s not really ‘up to date’. tbh I didn’t I know what that meant either until I read your last line😭 I feel like Lems the opposite of tan with the internet, he just knows things

4. ARFFGH LOVE IT!! he’s very chivalrous bc I say so! he NEVER lets you walk on the outside of the pavement!! always holds the/ your bags !! holds you close if you’re both out at night!! makes you food if you haven’t eaten!! makes you drinks- big acts of service kinda guy🫠😌 MAYBE… he doesn’t need a jacket but always brings one bc he knows you’ll get cold :((

5. so cute !!! especially if you went on a date!!

6. he’s a tough nut to crack!! dare I say a little difficult to love at times😶 I think he just needs lots of genuine reassurance and support to get you both past that first barrier. also he probs tries to push you away. but once you’re comfortable with each other and had a lot of time to learn from one another, he’ll be a great partner!! as most people, he gets more comfortable with time, so he’ll start to annoy you and wind you up for fun. maybe might argue more as time goes on, but they’re not that serious, nor are they petty, just standard ones

7. he knows how to shut you up, that’s all im gonna say

8. ugh you’re so welcome, love feeding my children😌 yes yes ofc!! just need to figure out how to that (bc it’s 3 people) I send messages to my ipad and respond that way😭 so if I find away to make a group chat as such, I’ll definitely let you know

9. he’s got such a pretty chest🥹

#💺#tangerine #tangerine bullet train #tangerine x reader

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gunilslaugh · 4 months

Note

Hi! Hope you’re doing good :) I was thinking if you could write a pt 2 to Stay by my side fic? That one with Jooyeon x reader x jungsu. But now with a happy ending for Jooyeon and reader because they finally talk about their feelings (ofc i want a happy ending for jungsu too I don’t want him sad with this situation🥺 I kinda see him being comprehensible)

Stay by my side was inspired by “Good Enough” and I was thinking about this pt2 when I was listening no “Again? Again!” and I think it will match with the theme.

Oh and I was the one who asked for Stay by my side! I really like your writing <3 thank uu

Hi! I hope you're doing good as well <3. I had fun writing this based from the lyrics of Again? Again!

This a part 2 to Stay By My Side but I think you can read it on its own without being too confused.

A/N: I went back to reread Stay By My Side since it was one of my first works and it made me kinda want to rewrite cause you can tell it's one of my first works lol, but I don't know if anyone would be interested.

Lee Jooyeon/Kim Jungsu

Summary: Jooyeon thought that he pushed his feelings for you down and away, but then you did something that made them come surging to the surface again. What was he supposed to do? You’re still dating Jungsu. (idol au)

WC:~2.4k

Warning: Angst with a fluff ending for Jooyeon and bittersweet for Jungsu.

photo not mine credits to owner.

One day you fell into Jooyeon’s heart. Jooyeon distinctively remembers it.

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

“Jooyeon, stop putting your vegetables on my plate!” you complained.

“Why? I don’t eat vegetables, but you do, so you should have them.” He picks out another vegetable from his food and places it on your plate again.

“You need to eat at least some though. They’re good for you.” Jooyeon makes a disgusted face at you. Making a comment about how vegetables may be good for you, but they don’t taste good. “At least eat the carrots ok? They’re good for your hair.” That’s when you did it. You playfully took some strands of Jooyeon’s hair and wiggled them in front of his face. Starting Jooyeon’s last love story. Without any resistance he was falling for you.

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

His feelings for you didn’t matter though. Not when you were happily dating his member Jungsu. His love for you was left with only regrets. Why didn’t he tell you how he really felt about you? He was tired of feeling the crack in his heart anytime he saw you and Jungsu together. He didn’t want to feel like this any longer. He had to find a way to not fall for you anymore. There has to be a way to avoid it. Jooyeon pushed his feelings for you deep down and away. Anytime he felt those romantic feelings for you he pushed them away. Labeled them as friendship. He convinced himself that he only loved you as a friend. Cared about you as a friend.

For a while this worked. The crack in his heart caused by yours and Jungsu’s relationship seemed to close. He was happy with his friendship with you. Happy to be staying by your side. Happy to have your arms wrapped around him tightly, even if it was purely platonic.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Jiseok asked Jungsu.

“Does what bother me?” Jungsu questioned not knowing what Jiseok was referring to. Jiseok then motions over to where you and Jooyeon sat in the corner of the practice room. Jooyeon’s head on your shoulder. His knee practically on top of your own as you both sat with your legs criss crossed. Your elbow resting halfway on Jooyeon’s lap, holding the phone playing the video you two were watching.

“Why would it bother me? They’re just friends. Have been for a really long time, you know that.” Jungsu shrugged.

“I know, but if I saw my girl being that close to another guy even if it was one of my members I wouldn’t like it,” Jiseok stated.

“So what? I should tell y/n to stop acting how she’s always acted with Jooyeon? That’s just how their friendship dynamic is. There’s nothing I should be upset about,” Jungsu says. He never thought that anything was weird with how you and Jooyeon acted. He strongly believed that your friendship with Jooyeon shouldn’t change just because you were dating him.

“Then as long as you’re cool with it I guess,” Jiseok dismissed.

Jungsu looked back over to where you and Jooyeon sat. You’re both still in the same position as before. Something funny must have happened in the video you and Jooyeon were watching because both of you simultaneously threw your heads back with laughter. This resulted in both of you hitting your heads against the wall. Jungsu was about to go check on you to make sure you were ok, but Jooyeon was already doing it. Gently placing his hand on the back of your head asking if you were alright. You nodded your head yes. Jungsu felt relieved knowing that you were alright, however when you raised your hand to the back of Jooyeon’s head. Mirroring the same as he just did to you and asking if he was ok, Jungsu might have felt a bit of something.

You are currently backstage after Xdinary Heroes had finished one of their concerts. The boys were removing their stage makeup or packing their instruments away. You were helping Jungsu remove his eye makeup. You had just finished ridding the makeup from one of Jungsu’s eyes when Jooyeon called you.

“Y/n help me too, this glitter is unforgiving,” Jooyeon whined. You looked at Jungsu.

“Go help him, so we can leave quicker,” Jungsu told you before you could even say anything.

“Ok,” you said. Gave Jungsu a kiss on the cheek before going to help Jooyeon.

“Look at all this fallout. It won’t come off,” Jooeyon complained, showing you all the glitter that had fallen onto his upper cheeks.

“What do you mean? Just use your hair to dust it off,” you joked. You took some strands of his hair and playfully brushed it across his cheeks.

Just like that Jooyeon’s repressed feelings for you came surging to the surface. He didn’t know that he could feel this love for you again. This situation was all too much like the first time he fell for you, he loves you again. Jooyeon thinks he feels like there is a tornado inside of him.

Jooyeon realizes how bad he wants you as you make your way back over to Jungsu. He feels that crack in his heart again that lets his feelings for you flow out spreading uncontrollably.

Jooyeon was set on never loving you again. You were Jungsu’s and you were happy with him, so Jooyeon was only going to be your best friend. That was his role in your life and it was good enough for him. More than good enough actually. Being your best friend was one of Jooyeon’s favorite things. Your friendship was so precious to him. Which is partially why he decided to push his love for you away and never love you again, but now here he is. Very much in love with you again. He didn’t want to feel this hurt again. He thinks that he’ll never change. He’s always going to love you, but he doesn’t want to make the same mistakes again. This time he wants to tell you. That he has fallen for you, fallen for you so deep, without any resistance. How is he supposed to tell you though? He can’t exactly confess to you when you are already in a relationship with Jungsu.

Jooyeon drew himself back from both you and Jungsu. He didn't know how to handle his feelings. It didn’t take long for you or Jungsu to notice the difference in Jooyeon’s behavior. He used to always be so happy about making plans with you, but now he suddenly wasn’t up for it. Jungsu invited you over to their dorm one day to talk to Jooyeon about it.

“Why are you avoiding me?” You ripped the bandage right off as soon as you shut the door behind you. Leaving only you and Jooyeon together while Jungsu waited in the living room.

“I’m not avoiding you,” Jooyeon quickly defended. You cocked your head at him raising a brow.

“Jooyeon,” you stated.

“I’m really not,” he continued with his defense. Yes, he was lying he was clearly avoiding, but that was because he didn’t know what to do with the swarming feelings tornado that was inside of him.

“Yes you are. You ditched our movie night.” You walked over to the bed, taking a seat beside Jooyeon. You felt a tinge of pain in your heart as he scooted away from you a bit. “Did I do something? Are you upset?” you questioned. Jooyeon doesn’t want this to be the same repeating storyline where he keeps his feelings from you. He remains silent for a long time before answering.

“You made me fall in love with you again,” he finally answered. His words made you feel a whirlwind of emotions. What did he mean by again? Was your love for him not unrequited like you thought.

“Again?” you asked.

“Again!” he stated.

“What do you mean Jooyeon?” You looked at him, but he only looked at his lap.

“I’ve loved you for a long time y/n, but I was too scared to ruin our friendship. Then you started dating Jungsu, so I tried to ignore my feelings for you. I thought I would be ok with only being friends with you because you were still by my side, but I was wrong. I love you. I want to be with you so bad and I know you’re with Jungsu but-” his voice cracked. “I want you badly.” His voice was no higher than a whisper. However his heart is pounding so hard he thinks you might be able to hear it.

Meanwhile you are having a hard time processing Jooyeon’s words. As you do begin to process his words you can’t believe them. You let out a mix of a laugh and a scoff.

“We’re idiots,” you say.

“Huh?” Jooyeon lets out. He looks at you at last.

“I liked you too Jooyeon, but I was sure that you didn’t like me back,” you explained.

“Why?” he asked.

“That one time during the holidays when I was at your house. We were doing dishes and I scolded you for not drying them properly. Your mom made a joke about asking when we would get married. You told her to not say stuff like that. That we were just friends, so she shouldn’t say silly stuff like that. I figured you only saw me as a friend that you would never love me the way I love you,” you expounded. Jooyeon recalls the day that you’re talking about.

“Y/n no. I said that because I did like you, but I was embarrassed and I didn’t know how it would make you feel. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he informed. A silence falls over you both. Realizing that you both liked one another, but were too cowardly to say it.

“What do we do now? I mean I’m with Jungsu. I love Jungsu, but…” You trailed off not really knowing what to say. Your thoughts were a mess. “I guess I should talk to Jungus,” you stated. Jooyeon nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you should.” The two of you sit there a little while longer before you get up to talk to Jungsu. You started to make your way to the door, stopping when Jooyeon spoke again. “I’m sorry y/n. I really complicated things,” he apologizes. You shook your head.

“It’s not your fault Jooyeon. We both were stupid,” you tell him. You turned the knob of the door and left the room heading to the living room where Jungsu was. You headed over to the couch sitting down beside Jungsu. Jungsu could immediately tell that something was off.

“So what’s wrong with him?” Jungsu carefully asked.

“He loves me,” you say.

“He? He what?” The news actually isn't that surprising to Jungsu, but it still isn’t what he was expecting to hear.

“My unrequited love for him. Turns out it was never unrequited,” you disclosed. Jungsu knew all about your love for Jooyeon because you told him. You told him before the two of you started going out because you wanted him to know the truth about your feelings for Jooyeon. It was the fact that you were so honest with him that only made Jungsu like you more.

“It’s ok y/n,” he tells you.

“What do you mean it’s ok? I really love you Jungsu. After knowing how Jooyeon really feels about me, I don’t know. My head is a mess right now.” You held your head with one hand. Jungsu slides a hand around your shoulder and brings his hand up to your head. He tilts your head over until his lips reach your temple pressing a kiss on it.

“Let’s break up,” Jungsu says.

“Huh? What? Jungsu I-” you started to stutter.

“It’s ok y/n.” Jungsu linked his hand with yours and placed them over your knee. Honestly when you first told Jungsu about your unrequited love for Jooyeon the only thing that surprised him was you telling him that your love was unrequited. He remembers the picture Jooyeon showed them of you from when you two went to the aquarium. You were looking at the camera, but Jooyeon was looking at you and he was looking at you with love filled eyes. Jungsu thought it was weird when you explained how Jooyeon only saw you as a friend. His suspicions didn’t keep him from falling in love with you though. The more he got to know you the more he fell for you. He couldn’t have been happier when you agreed to go out with him. He cherished every moment with you because he always had this feeling that you wouldn’t be his forever. He knew this day was coming. Saw it when you were staring at him, but Jooyeon looked at you with so much longing in his eyes. He could tell that Jooyeon loved you, but he loved you too and he wanted to ride out his time with you for as long as possible. Now your ride together has come to an end. It was time for Jungsu to let you go.

“I really love you though Jungsu,” you expressed.

“I know, I love you too y/n which is why I’m telling you to go to him.” It was time for yours and Jooyeon’s lovestory to get written.

“Are you sure?” you checked. Your heart couldn’t help but feel a bit heavy.

“Go! Before I decide to keep you,” he played. He pulled you up using your still linked hands.

“Thank you Jungsu.” You squeezed his hand for the last time. He nodded his head.

“Thank you too. For loving me and being with me,” he says, giving your hand a final squeeze before letting you go. Your hands fell apart as you walked back to Jooyeon’s room.

Jooyeon’s head pops up as soon as you enter the room again. He stands up from his bed too. You don’t really know what to say, so instead you walk over to Jooyeon and wrap your arms around him in the tightest hug. Turning your head you press a featherlight kiss onto his cheek, letting your actions speak for you. Jooyeon feels like your kiss ignited his dry heart. This time it was serious he finally had you. He wrapped his arms just as if not more tightly around you. It’s love again.

#xdinary heroes #xdh #xdh imagines #xdh x reader #xdinary heroes imagines #xdinary heroes x reader #xh jooyeon #xh jungsu #xdh jungsu #xdh jooyeon #jungsu x reader #jooyeon x reader #kim jungsu #jungsu #lee jooyeon x reader #kim jungsu x reader #lee jooyeon #jooyeon

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this-is-ally-and-im-confused · 1 year

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Achilles Come Down|| T.Zegras

A/n hi hi loves! It’s been awhileeee but I’m backkkkk. Here’s a little fic based on the song “Achilles Come Down”. It’s also my first writing for Z and ofc it’s angst.

Warning:Z is in the roof, panic, fear, talk about therapy, whole lotta crying. Don’t read if you can’t handle stress!!! I love y’all.

Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down. Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?You're scaring us and all of us, some of us love you.

“Trevor pick up the phone!” You yelled at your screen.

God, you were scared. It wasn’t like your boyfriend to miss his post-game call. Even after such a series of losses. He’s normally so talkative, easy-going, and he didn’t let things like the press or his performance affect things at home.

And yet, you are still 3 hours post game with no call. It was well after midnight, you knew he’d be home soon. With the anxiety you felt, you couldn’t help but have a few tears slip down your face. You cried until sleep came and took you into its clutches.

You didn’t know how long it had been when you woke up to a very distressed Jamie shaking you.

“Y/n get up! Trevor’s on the roof. And he’s not doing too good.”

The two of you ran to the front yard. You didn’t care about the chilly night air running over your exposed arms and legs. The blood and panic pumping through you had numbed you.

Only as Trevor paced over had you decided to check your phone. It was just after 6 a.m. and you only had one text from Trevor…an apology.

“Trev! What’s wrong? Can you come down and talk to us?” You called, desperately.

“Yea Trev, come down bud.” Jamie pleaded with you.

“We love you baby. Come on down.”

The fluffy-haired boy just hung his head.

Just humor us, Achilles, Achilles, come down. Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

By now, your heart was pumping three times too fast. Jamie’s hand on your shoulder was the only thing keeping you upright.

All you wanted to know was what had driven Trevor, the sweetest guy you know, to act so irrational.

“Z, please. Just come down. We can get some rest and talk about this when you feel better.”

“I-I can’t!”

You crave the applause yet hate the attention–then miss it, your act is a ruse.

The boy stood on the edge of the building, his hands gripping the ends of his hair. Tears poured down in fat droplets over his rosy cheeks.

“Baby, talk to me.” You called.

“E-everyone needs me! They need me to be happy, to be the face of the team–and I can’t live up to that. What about how I feel when I want to disappear? What if I don’t want to be THE Trevor Zegras, what then?”

You paused. Had he really felt like this the entire time? You glanced over at Jamie, and he was looking back at you. He could relate to the hockey side better than you could.

So the darker-haired boy stepped forward looking upwards to his best friend.

“I get it bud. We can talk to coach, get a you a therapist or a break. But this–this isn’t the way to do things. You’re scaring y/n, and you’re scaring me.”

Trevor’s eyes finally met yours. He looked at you with such pain, you felt your heart crack.

Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down. Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

“Honey, please.”

It was all you could beg before tears complete fell in rivers. Your vision was blurry and you were shaking while leaning into Jamie.

A few moments later you were standing clutching a sobbing Trevor. Jamie’s arms wrapped around the both of you. There were so many tears. So many things left unsaid.

All you could think of was how grateful you were for the two boys. You had never seen before exactly how much things could add up and take a toll.

No words were said as the three of you parted, you gave Jamie one last hug and whispered how you could take Trevor for the night but the three of you would talk in the morning.

With that, you brought Trevor to your bed and lulled the restless boy to sleep.

#send in requests #send anything #ally loves hockey #trevor zegras #trevor zegras x reader #nhl imagine #nhl blurb #nhl angst #ally loves angst

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undercoverpena · 6 months

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fic author self rec

When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

tagged by the lovely @wildemaven

[jo note: for this, i've based this entirely of what I've had the most fun working on and what i'm super proud of when looking back on 2023]

✨ late night texts

JAVIER PEÑA

anyone shocked this is here? no, me either. but this little number not only became a favourite for me instantly, but it seems to have done for so many others. the fact i think about them all the time, and have to sorta stop myself from returning to them too often (cause, like, i don't wanna ruin what we all have, you know?). their romance replays in my mind constantly and i adore them with all of my heart.

✨ the book of love

FRANKIE MORALES

this fic all started because of both my love for this man and books, and honestly, i think of it all the time. it was so effortless and fun to write, and it was my first time writing frankie (so i was nervous as fuck) but i had the best time. and i loveeee a meet cute. i want to return back to this pairing one time, because i have a follow-up idea.

✨ be good, be quiet

JOEL MILLER

so, i had this idea and i ran with it, and this is what was born. and anyone who knows me really well, KNOWS that joel is someone i second guess myself over constantly. but with this, i didn't. not once. and i loved it. from writing, to sharing, to posting. it was an experience i hadn't had with him, and i'm so happy i cracked my feelings in this. plus, fingers in your mouth was a new one for me, and i loved it.

✨ can you ever really know

MARCUS PIKE

my first dance into marcus, and ofc i had to be extreme and do bloody eating out on a table. but, i loved writing this. i loved how it turned out. and it's when i first felt comfortable exploring this smuttier side of me, and feeling no shame. and that for me automatically puts it on this list.

✨ a broken sight

JAVIER PEÑA

okay, so technically, fun might not be the best word for this. BUT, i found this so therapeutic. the night before i wrote/posted this, my garden was broken into, and i had to be alone the morning after due to h's work commitments. and, this was the only way i could come to terms with what happened. it fell out of me, and i'm so grateful every day that i have writing and that i can share these sort of things with you all, cause it helped, massively.

no one else did this, but i'm a tiny rule breaker ;) but here's some honourable mentions of 2023 (because i know i don't compliment myself enough, so here we go):

nowhere to run -> you were a challenge, but i'm so glad i began you, and that you're loved by those who do find you (when i don't bury you) i like the way you -> i had so much fun writing this, and honestly it would be sixth on this list. but it's also so recent i finished it, i know my love will only grow for it too. unwrap me now -> birthday sex in a bathroom? sign me up, again. if not for the fact i was shit scared about posting this, it deffo would have made the list further up.

there are so many others, honestly. i could keep going on about what i loved about each fic (pls don't ask, cause i will without any hesitancy) but, i will stop there... for now hahahah.

npts: @thetriumphantpanda @hellishjoel @goodwithcheese @swiftispunk @secretelephanttattoo @morallyinept

#tag games #my fics #jo: my work

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carangel · 1 year

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G-Give me an antiharem fic:

Where the reader was friends with the skelebro’s until the antagonist girl changed their perception of you.

But instead of lamenting over it you cut your losses and go off on your own, only asking that they call you when they want to talk again.

3 years pass.

The guys are still with that girl, toxic af but love makes you wear rose glasses, even if they’re cracking right about now.

And the rest of the aus are pulled there- I don’t care who’s the line up.

But one of them is really into this one singer.

Who is that singer??

Mother fukkin you

Most of your songs are based on your experiences. The places you’ve been, the people you met, heck- maybe even the food you’ve eaten.

You’ve made a name for yourself and I can’t say that I’m not jealous.

And lookit that you’re having a concert back in your hometown! So ofc that skele really wants to go and see it.

I imagine he either doesn’t say your name or you have a stage name but either way he dragged the rest of the graveyard + toxic antag with him.

Go all out, get good seats, vip tickets, meet and greet passes.

This skele really likes your music-

Insert shock for og Sans and Pap and ig the toxic antag when you walk out stage after the opening song- maybe from mettaton.

Cause you’re just that fukkin big.

And then, at the end of the concert you announce that you’re staying at hometown for some pet/orphan fundraiser that’s for 5 months.

Cause you’re just that good of a person.

BOOM

Stage set up- dooble shock for when they show up for the meet and greet and while you’re weary around toxic antag you are so SWEET with the rest of them.

One of them- maybe toxic antag offers for you to stay in their house “just like old times”

But you shut her down fast and polite-

MY BRAIN IN RUNNING I-

#undertale #imagine #undertale fanfiction #undertale au #fic ideas #anti harem #imagine ig?#this was based off the fukkin song London #London by mokita

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morallyinept · 7 months

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HAPPY SUN MONDAY LOVELIES! 🖤

Well, this week whizzed by, didn't it?! But what a week! So much wonderful Pedro to grace our eyes, that I feel like I'm still not over it... I mean, warn a girl next time, would ya, Pedro?! 🥴

Posting this a little later this week, due to the birthday posts that came out yesterday. It was my birthday, and I also hit a follower milestone this week. 🎉 Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes, I feel truly spoiled. 🖤

My week off is over and I'm back to work tomorrow (boohissboo!) but it was lovely to have a break and indulge in some much needed me time. (I do have another week off in 3 weeks time, so I'm looking forward to that!)

So, let's get into this week's whip round. Crack that whip, Jack!

Catch up on last week here, sugar

☆ Things I've posted this week

Oof, it's been a busy one...

Five Days - Chapter 5 - The comments and responses I get to this Joel fic of mine just amazes me. I am so glad, and so thankful, for all those reading and enjoying it, and who are invested so much in Joel and Reader. 🥰

Good Morning Agent York - Dave York GIFLET

The Wolf & The Lamb - Dave York GIFLET (requested by an awesome Anon Ask)

Dress Me Up & Call Me Pretty - A Dieter Bravo One Shot. This was my first time writing for Dieter, and I'm so glad you've been enjoying the character study of Dieter's inner workings in this story. Special thanks to @for-a-longlongtime for shouting about this fic so much (I love you!) and for letting me toss ideas and snippets at you.

Broadcasting Live Tonight - A Dieter Bravo One Shot - Had Dieter on the brain this week, clearly. After all the SNL hype, just had to throw this one together. I blame Pedro entirely, and that blazer... 🫠

I released two birthday themed fics this week for my birthday: Candles - A Joel Miller One Shot 🕯& Birthday Cake - A Frankie Morales One Shot. 🎂

Self Care with Dieter & Jett focused on ways to combat loneliness this week, with a very brief cameo from sultry Javi P.

This Week's Writer Wow shone the spotlight on the amazing @chronically-ghosted, please go and give Taylor a follow and enjoy and re-blog her work - it's absolutely fantastic!

I also released the next batch of fun cocktails this week in my Pedro Pascal SNL Character Cocktail Special. These are so much fun to put together, and with the SNL content over this past week, it was kind of a must. Shout out to @secretelephanttattoo for reminding me about this - you read my sozzled mind. 🍹

☆ Things I'm currently working on

I teased out some WIP's this week based off of the WIP Game that was doing the rounds. So I'm working on some of those currently.

They're here if you missed them: Ezra WIP, Javi P WIP, Joel Miller & Agent Whiskey WIP & Marcus Pike WIP - All coming soon.

Always got more going on in the background for one shots and GIFLETS.

☆ Things I've read this week

My Pedro Character Fic Rec List has been updated again this week. Lots more fics and writer's added. There's so much on there I still need to read myself. Seems to get bigger everyday... but then, that's a pretty great problem to have, right?

Some gems I read that stood out this week were:

Dream Within A Dream - @gasolinerainbowpuddles This Incubus!Ezra fic is written like a dream, and it was an absolute dream to read too. Anything Ezra and I am there, hello! But this is deffo a must read for anyone in the fandom. I am still not over the impression it left on me, and Puddles' writing is just sheer perfection. 👌🏻

An American Hero - @secretelephanttattoo I got acquainted with El's OFC Katie in this wonderful fic. And I love her! I love how she knows exactly what she wants and is not afraid to get it. Javier Peña has met his match! 😜

Pent Up - @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin Another Javi P fic this week by the talented and lovely Angela, who I just adore. And this fic left me panting, let me tell you. Read it for yourself and you'll understand why... 🥵

Close Shave - @mothandpidgeon A detailed look at Dave York shaving, and it was chock full of vivid imagery, that I felt like I was there watching him do it. Absolutely delightful writing. 😍

Obsession - @tropes-and-tales This Dave York fic also painted some incredible imagery and is such a great read. I love how this was written and you should absolutely check this one out. 👍🏻

Hinterland - @legendary-pink-dot Camping? ✅️ Camping with Frankie? ✅️ Camping with Frankie who's sleepy and docile and warm? ✅️ Camping with Frankie who's sleepy and docile and warm and then starts to... ✅️ Read it for yourself to see what happens next. You won't regret it! 🥵

☆ What have I been watching/listening to this week?

I binge-watched The Fall Of The House Of Usher this week, all in one day... 🥴 It was so good and I highly recommend it if you're a Poe fan - or not, watch it anyway. It was dark, clever and I love how they brought such an old, renowned tale into the 21st century. I absolutely crush hard on Carla Gugino also, she's such an amazing actor. 😊

I also rewatched Strange Way Of Life and Bloodsucking Bastards, because, you know, I had to... 😉

Also watched Talk To Me and I really enjoyed that film too!

☆ What have I been up to this week?

I've been on on annual leave from work this week and it's been filled with a ton of writing, some hiking, catching up with friends and family, and it was my birthday too - phew! Back to work tomorrow, and I almost feel like I need another week off to recuperate from this one! 🥵

Thank you again to everyone who sent Asks and DM's this week. And thank you so much for all of the birthday love. Honestly, you guys are amazing!

Well, that wraps it up for this week. I hope you all have a great week!

This is Jack and Jett signing off to go to the rodeo, based on @wildemaven 's amazing Jack moodboard here. Yee-haw!

Stay kind & stay creamy 🖤

🖤

#jett's weekly whip round #pedro pascal characters #agent whiskey #pedro pascal #agent jack whiskey daniels #jack daniels #agent jack daniels #jack daniels kingsman #agent whiskey kingsman #jett's perdo boys #week in review #fic recs #jett's writing

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poledancingdinos · 1 year

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Hostile Territory - Chapter 12

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Leah Coleman)

Word count: 3.5K

Warnings: canon typical violence, injury

Catch up: Series Masterlist

Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka @luclittlepond @elizabetharegina @enchantedbytomandhenry @narnianaos @geralts-yenn @peaches1958 @avengersfan25 @sillyrabbit81 @summersong69 @identity2212 @liecastillo @lena-banena @mrsevans90 @confessionbrain-writings @eclecticfashionbookszipper @happydistraction

A/N: this was formatted on my phone on my way to a Loveless concert but I was determined not to be late two weeks in a row so please forgive any goofs

Masterlist

Day 147

After making a name for themselves as one of the top teams on base, Sy had decided to assign the base’s newest recruit to Ben to test out his skills before giving him a permanent team. Ethan was reassigned to One-Two but with his ability to charm the panties off a nun, he quickly made the best of the temporary arrangement.

Alpha was in charge of breaching the three story building while Bravo blocked the streets and provided cover fire. They followed textbook formation as they climbed the stairs, one soldier providing cover at the top of each new flight.

Once the five of them reached the top floor of the building, Rohan, Benjie and Jeremiah went left while Leah led Hall to the right towards the only remaining door. Leah tried the handle but when she found it locked, she moved aside and prepared to fire. Hall kicked the door down, stepping in and checking the entryway closet.

“Clear,” he called as Leah moved past him to the back left archway.

Hall proceeded to the room on the right when Leah heard a third set of footsteps coming from behind them. She immediately pivoted, firing two shots just as a man snuck up on Hall, a long blade poised to slice the recruits throat.

Hall startled, looking down to the now lifeless body of a young man then back at Leah.

“Coleman, look out!”

The warning came too late. Two simultaneous bursts of gunfire rang out, coming from opposite sides of the room and ending when she and her attacker slumped to the floor.

“Man down! Man down! Coleman is down!”

Leah’s body lay unmoving on the ground, not responding at all as Hall yelled for help. He moved quickly, clearing the back room as the boys arrived to help finish the sweep.

Sy momentarily froze in the doorway before throwing himself to his knees next to Leah with his weapon still drawn. He reached down with one hand, feeling her cracked plate.

“I don’t think she’s hit, there’s no blood.”

“Then why the fuck is she out cold?” Hall screamed in his panic.

Sy strapped his weapon over his back and leaned down, bringing his cheek to her nose and pulling off a glove to press two fingers to her neck. The four other men kept their guns drawn, forming a protective circle around Leah.

“She’s breathin’ and I can feel a pulse. Maybe she hit her head.”

“She was hit point blank, he couldn’t have been more than three feet from her. What if the impact fucked her heart or something?”

Sy didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to waste any more time trying to figure it out. He heaved her over his shoulders and got to his feet.

“Get us the fuck out of here, now!”

They move out, calling over the comms to check the status of the other teams as they did. When everyone was clear, they ordered an immediate return to base, packing away the captured targets. Unfortunately, the man they were searching for was not one of them.

Leah was loaded into the bed of the white pickup, the field medic quickly taking up position by her side.

From his usual spot in the passenger seat, Sy couldn’t look back without neglecting his watch sector, so instead, he kept his ears peeled for any sign of her status.

“Don’t move, Coleman. We’re gonna get you back to base, just stay with us and don’t move.”

Sy’s relief at Leah being awake was short lived.

“Fuck! No, Coleman, open your eyes, dammit! Don’t go back to sleep on me!”

“Talk to me, what’s going on back there?”

“She was awake and talking for about ten seconds but now she’s out again.” There was a loud thump as the medic threw aside her plates to access her chest.

Sy couldn’t help his focus flickering to the rear view mirror as he muttered under his breath, “Stay with us, Leah. We’re almost there.”

Back at base, Leah was transferred onto a backboard before her boys ran over to help carry her into the medical unit. Two medics were on her, moving her to the table and getting her clothes off to check her wounds. Everyone else was ushered out of the room as the medic ran every check possible but four worried boys hovered in the hall right outside the closed door.

Sy couldn’t get the image of Leah’s limp body out of his head. When he’d ordered the Reynolds to call for a chopper, the man had paused. Apparently in her few seconds awake in the bed of the truck, Leah had said, “Don’t let them Evac me or they will never let me come back”.

Her stubbornness would be the death of him one day, he was sure.

It went against every instinct in his body—both professional and otherwise—but Sy agreed, telling himself that he would wait until he had a diagnosis before having her airlifted out.

“What the fuck happened back there?” Sy growled when he found Hall outside. He’d stepped out of the humvee but hadn’t ventured more than a few feet away.

The young man shook his head, still staring at the ground. “I—”

“Look at me when I’m talkin’ to you!”

Hall was shaking in front of him, his throat bobbing as he swallowed, but he did as commanded.

“We were clearing the residence,” he began, his voice coming out rough. “I heard a shot and when I looked back, this guy was on the ground behind me with a big ass knife by his side. Coleman must have heard him because she spun around and put a bullet in him.” He cleared his throat, looking at his feet before remembering himself and looking up again. “But then another one came out of the room Coleman was about to enter and shot her right as she turned back. I dropped the guy but he had time to get a few shots off before he fell. That’s when I called for backup.”

“How did someone get in behind you? No one came out of the other apartments and we had men blocking the stairs.”

Hall shook his head. “I…” he ground his teeth. “He must have been hiding in the closet I thought I had cleared.”

Sy snapped, grabbing the man by the collar and slamming his back against the humvee.

“When you clear a room, you fucking clear it! You got me? That’s your fucking job. Because of you, Coleman could be dead on that table. Another fuck up like that and you’ll be lookin’ for a different career.”

Sy stormed off to remove his gear and clean himself up as best he could with a packet of baby wipes before putting on a fresh shirt and going back to medical. He met Ethan on his way down who told him that Leah had regained consciousness and was giving the medics the full weight of her sass which was reassuring to no end. She was being kept for overnight observation but they were assured that it was simply to allow for her to rest and have her concussion symptoms monitored.

Knocking as he always did, Sy waited until he heard a non-committal groan before entering. Leah turned her head and immediately tried to sit up when she registered her guest’s identity but Sy was by her side in three quick strides, pushing her back down.

“Oh no, ya don’t. You’re stayin’ right where ya are.”

Still pinned to the table by the shoulder, she raised her hand to remove the plastic mask covering her nose and mouth.

“M’fine,” she argued, although the slurring of her words made her weak protests all the less convincing.

“You ain’t doin’ that either, get that back on.” He batted her hand away, lifting the mask back over her face. “You ain’t leavin’ until medical gives ya the all clear. You don’t have to sit, talk or do anything other than rest. I was just checkin’ in on how you were feelin’.”

“I f—” She lifted the mask off her nose so she could speak more clearly but didn’t pull it all the way off. “I feel like someone took a sledgehammer t’my chest, thanks for asking.”

Sy couldn’t help but roll his eyes at her response though he had no doubt that that was exactly how she felt. Unsurprisingly, her shirt had been cut off again and the tattered remains were on the floor beside him. This time, however, the medics had bothered to help her get her jacket back on to cover her up.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Her eyelids fluttered, her eyes going glassy for a moment. Sy could tell she was trying really hard to remember but it wasn’t coming back to her. She released a frustrated huff before weakly admitting she couldn’t recall anything since lunch.

“I’m sure they told ya by now but you got shot. You were lucky, the bullets didn’t make it through your plates though the medics did say you have severe bruisin’ at the point of impact. Ya also have a concussion from hittin’ your head when ya fell. I expect you’ll be sore for a while, you’ll have to take it easy.”

“So, y’mean no pull ups on the bed frame?”

Sy huffed a laugh, closing his eyes as he let his head hang for a moment. Leave it to Leah to find exactly the right words to pull a smile from him at a time like that.

“I haven’t seen the damage for myself but I’d expect not.”

Without thinking, Leah unfastened the front of her jacket, exposing her stomach and neckline to Sy’s appraising gaze. He sucked in a sharp breath, pushing the fabric further aside to see the whole contusion while his fingertips simultaneously brushed against her soft skin.

“Fuck.”

It was bad. Really bad. She had at least six different shades of red and purple radiating from three identifiable points where the individual shots had struck her gear. One of them had hit above the swell of her breast—just at the limit of the plates that saved her life—with the accompanying bruise partially concealed by the fabric of her bra. The two other bruises were almost fully visible below the tight fabric where they spider-webbed over her lower ribs.

There was no doubt that every breath caused her excruciating pain.

Sy wanted so badly to bend down and trace the pattern with his lips. He wanted to feel the heat of her skin, to reassure himself that she was alright and allow his gentle touch to take her mind off the pain.

A shiver ran across her skin, her nipples pebbling and becoming visible beneath the fabric of her bra.

“That bad, huh?”

Sy pulled his hand away as if he’d been burned, realizing he was just casually brushing his thumb over her side.

He cleared his throat. “Stay put and get some rest. Those are your orders, Corporal.”

As Sy was about to exit the room, Leah pushed herself up and pulled the mask down again. “Cap.”

He muttered a curse under his breath, resting his palm on the wall while still gripping the doorknob. The longer he stayed in the room, the harder it became to keep his head on straight.

“I heard you were the one who carried me out.”

Sy straightened, taking a breath to steady himself before making his way back to where Leah sat.

“I did.” His eyes darted up and down, hoping to catch any sign of Leah feeling unwell before she doubled over and fell face first off the examination table.

“Over your shoulders?” she pushed.

He simply nodded, unconsciously inching his way closer.

“You carried my deadweight,” her eyes fell shut as her body swayed and her hands tightened around the edge of the table before her gaze fell on him again. “You carried me in full gear over your shoulders.”

“Yes, Coleman, I carried you down,” he sighed, his composure beginning to falter. He couldn’t admit that seeing her unresponsive on the ground was the single most frightening moment of his life. He couldn’t tell her that he would have carried her down a thousand flights of stairs if it meant keeping Leah alive. “You’re like a hundred pounds with all your gear on and soakin’ wet,” he said instead. “Anyone here coulda done the same.”

It was a desperate attempt to deflect the attention from himself but Leah didn’t let him get away with it so easily.

“But it wasn’t anyone else, it was you.”

The silence in the room was deafening as Leah looked up at Sy with a half hooded gaze, her eyes conveying so much emotion despite the fatigue in her features. Even at her worst, Leah was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

If there was ever a time to tell her how he felt, this was it. If any of the shots had hit just a few inches higher, he would have missed his chance completely.

All he had to do was say it. All he had to do was tell her how much he cared about her. And yet, he couldn’t utter a single word.

Sy had taken the last step, fully bridging the gap between their bodies. His hand reached out almost of its own accord to cup her cheek and it was all too easy to lean forward and press his lips to hers. There was a sharp intake of breath when they first made contact, Leah’s body momentarily going stiff, but she quickly relaxed into him.

Five months worth of bottled up emotions were poured into that kiss. It was a slow, gentle exploration of her lips and it was everything he’d imagined and more.

Somewhere along the way, Sy’s hands had found Leah’s hips, grasping the flesh of her ass. Leah’s legs were parted wide around his hips, bringing her core level with his crotch. Under better circumstances, he might have flipped her over and fucked her right there. His damn cock was definitely up for the task, sitting hard and proud in his pants.

The relief of knowing she was alive and safe may have overpowered Sy’s common sense, but two hands pushing on his chest snapped him back out of his trance.

Leah’s previously ghostly white face now sported a deep flush. Her swollen lips were slightly parted as she took short lungfuls of air.

“I c— I can’t do this.”

Sy took a step back, the weight of his error sinking in.

“Get some rest, Coleman. And get that damn oxygen mask back on your face, you’re wastin’ good air.”

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Leah alone. Feeling her eyes fall shut against her will, she quickly laid down, pulling the mask up and taking deep inhales of the oxygenated air. Though her head was no longer spinning, her world had most definitely been turned upside down.

Day 148:

She didn’t sleep at all while in the infirmary. The medics made sure to come check on her every half hour to monitor her symptoms which also kept her awake. Not that she would have managed to find a second of peace had they not been around. Sy had her mind racing, well, racing as much as her sluggish thoughts would allow. No, not even without the constant interruptions and the horribly uncomfortable medic table would she have fallen asleep.

She’d kissed Sy. Well, if one was being technical, he’d kissed her and she had reciprocated. And it had been… Wow. She could feel the hunger in his touch which was exactly why she’d had to put a stop to it. There were so many reasons why that kiss was a horrible idea. From what she had come to know of Sy, she didn’t think they would ever work out as an actual couple even if he weren’t her captain. It would be foolish to go through the trouble of sneaking around with him if it was going to end in heartbreak anyway.

That didn’t mean she didn’t still want him with every fiber of her being.

There was a visceral attraction to him, something she was completely unfamiliar with, but it was more than that, she was sure there was more to him than anybody around the base knew or saw. It almost felt like that part of him was just a performance and that the real Sy was hidden away. Maybe most people didn’t notice the way he was always watching and studying his surroundings when no one was looking but she did. When they were together, he wasn’t grumpy, crude or abrasive. When they were alone he was softer, considerate and caring.

Stop it, Leah.

When another knock sounded from the door, interrupting her train of thought, she was so exhausted that she was no longer in the mood to play nice.

“Fuck off! I’m awake just like I have been the five hundred other times you’ve come in since last night.”

The door cracked open all the same and the light switched on, sending a sharp pain barreling through her skull. Her eyes flew open, struggling to adjust to the light which felt brighter than the sun.

Leah mustered all her strength and managed to roll onto her side just in time to empty her stomach contents into the trash can that had conveniently been placed by the head of the table.

“Someone turn that off, she has a concussion for fuck’s sake. Light can aggravate the symptoms.”

She couldn’t remember ever hearing Rohan swear. That was how she knew he must have been worried sick all night.

The light was mercifully switched off again, relieving the pressure in her head. Someone—she couldn’t tell who—caught hold of her belt at the back of her pants. There was a small lamp on the floor that provided enough light to make out the faces around the room but with her torso hung precariously off the table as she dry heaved, there was no time to focus on her surroundings. She was just grateful to whichever one of the boys had the foresight to keep her from falling. Surely that would not have been good for her concussion.

“I fucked up, guys,” she confessed in a breathless sob.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Leah. This wasn’t your fault.” Of course they had no clue what she was talking about. Why would they assume she was talking about the Captain?

When her breath slowed, she was pulled back onto the table by Benjie. He really was one hell of a sergeant—always thinking one step ahead. Ethan held a bottle of water to her lips, helping her take a few small sips.

“Medics said you could go up to your room,” Jeremiah informed her in a low voice, devoid of his usual cheerfulness or humor. Leah hummed in acknowledgment, throwing an arm over her eyes as she rested on her back. “That is, if you let one of us manhandle you a bit because there is no way you can walk in your condition.”

Fuck it, why not? Sy had had his hands on her, why not one of her teammates?

“When did Sy have his hands on you?” Benjie asked, his voice filled with concern.

Fuck. Had she said that out loud?

“Yes, you did.”

Dammit.

She could feel the men looking at each other over her body, wondering who was going to stick their neck out and voice the question they were all thinking.

“Leah?” Benjie’s voice was close. He must have moved from the back of the table to kneel by her head. “Did Sy do something?”

“No. He just had to carry me up the first time I got hurt, that’s all.”

Hopefully her odd choice of words would be attributed to the confusion from the concussion and no one would ask more questions.

“Well, if you’d rather it was him, we could go get him. Otherwise, one of us can carry you up or we could strap you to a backboard and no one would touch you at all.”

“I’ll take whichever one of you is confident they won’t drop me.”

She kept her eyes shut tightly as someone slipped their arms under her. Something was placed over her eyes, maybe a towel or a t-shirt, to protect her from the excess light.

“If you feel like you’re going to hurl, I’d appreciate a five second warning. Oh and, if you can, aim for the floor instead of my chest, that would be even better.”

Leah smiled, resting her forehead on Jeremiah’s chest. “I’ll do my best.”

Her future on base and her professional relationship with Sy may have been blown to shit but at least she still had four boys watching her six. If nothing else, they would make sure she landed on her feet.

Chapter 13

#captain syverson fanfiction #captain syverson fanfic #henry cavill #cpt syverson #cpt syverson fic #cpt syverson fanfiction #captain syverson fic #captain syverson #captain syverson x ofc #cpt syverson x ofc

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madstronaut · 4 months

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it is currently madstro'clock and it is FaFiCoWriYear in this house

the original FaFiCoWriMo post feels too long to keep reblogging but I'm choking laughing right now because I decided to link it and this image above is what I see - FUCK IT WE BALL 😂😂😂😂😂😂 (truly my whole tumblr vibe)

me: gonna plug away at commenting on all the fics I’ve read lately that I love hmm should take a break

also me: *takes break by looking for other fics to read*

I was completely taken off-guard by stumbling on this fic while mindlessly scrolling on tumblr and having it show up in my recs, so yes i live-blogged by reading even though I HAVE SO MANY OTHER DRAFTS OPEN BUT IT'S COS I END UP RE-READING CERTAIN FICS OVER AND OVER AND I KEEP FINDING NEW COMMENTS TO WRITE IM STILL THINKNIG OF COMMENTS I MISSED ON FICS I ALREADY COMMENTED ON BUT ANYWAY AHEM-

without further ado, pls stay for the rambly thoughts, then flee in fright because of the increasing levels of unhinged commentar-

Reading: Touch-starved Nikto fic series by @keysorsomething

- "his current running theory was that you must have some form of brain damage. Perhaps you were dropped as a baby."

hehehehehehehe i swear nikto writers capture what i think would be his sense of humor with bullseye accuracy imho

- “His bright blue eyes broke through the dim lighting as if they were backlit by two LED bulbs in his skull.”

“You crack your eye open, meeting his piercing blue stare, like hot water down the back of your shirt.”

OMG TRULY THIS ENCAPSULATES THE EXPERIENCES OF BEHOLDING HIS EYES/WHAT I IMAGINE EYE CONTACT WITH NIKTO IS LIKE???

- “Maybe you could weird him out enough for him to leave you be..?”

literally held my breath reading the next few paragraphs til I read “He’s very gentle”

I don’t know what exactly it is about gentle touch but it can cut through people’s armor & walls like butter IRL and in fic and I JUST *am exploding, cannot type further*

- “His eyes looked like he was blinking on occasion, which was actually mildly upsetting because there goes your Christmas present for him.”

honestly what a thoughtful gift for the reader to get him eyedrops lmao *tell me u have a crush without telling me u have a crush, oh nothing just got you an extremely specific gift cos I noticed small details about you*

- “Did this count at fraternization?”

LMAO READER THIS MADE ME CRY LAUGHING “Im SORRy i woNT TOUCH HIM WITH TWO FINGERS AGAIN, IM SORRY I MISSED IT IN MY CONTRACT COS I WAS TOO BUSY STARING AT ALL THE $$$$-

- “I wanna know what’s up-” you pause “-man,” you tack it on, but quickly feel like you shouldn’t have. Who the fuck calls a guy like this man?

omg I am alr in love i fucking looooove awkward!readers

- trope alert trope alert trope alert STORAGE CLOSET READER? REALLY? (yes please god yes im so happy rn)

i would like to kneel before this all-powerful goofy ass awkward adorable reader who has nikto scared in a closet looking for ways out

- “Not like that,” You correct, and he just eyes you more confusedly. “I mean, not yet..? Look,” You sigh,”

the “i mean, not yet” - like omg nikto if i was in ur shoes hearing this i would have to suppress the strong urge to immediately make out and probably fail to stopper the hearts exploding from my body (and ofc hide the involuntary boner popping maybe hello?)

- ““See you tonight,” Klaus mocks.”

i pity these fools, reader has just tamed nikto, i would beat all their asses immediately singlehandedly from the sheer high and power trip i would be on

- if someone referred to me as ‘one of the three snoopiest bitches on base’ i would get it tattooed on my collarbones probably

- ‘being called into König’s office and being scolded about fraternizing’ - thisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonigthisisaniktoficstopthirstingforkonig

- ‘His guns are neatly lined up against the wall, biggest to smallest.’

CUTECUTECUTECUTECUTECUTE omg i just know he prob has nicknames for them too

- ““Нет,” He replies firmly. He’s in more comfortable clothes, something you’ve never seen before.”

i am probably dating myself here but at the tight t-shirt and sweats description all i hear is BOWCHICKAWOWOWOWWWWW

- “Your eyes stay on him intensely as he lays down in the bed, sliding under the covers. “You are here to help us sleep,”

ok all my horniness left me (ok almost all not all of it of course not i would die) and i just felt so tender and awwwwwwww of it all, esp. the reader comparing his grip to a child with their lovie :(

- “You see the faint, deep-brown shaping of his brows, his long eyelashes, the scar that covers the right side, but most importantly, the pale gleam of his skin in the little light.

He had washed the eyeblack off. And he had done it just for you.”

I am left speechless here; the buildup to this scene is storytelling and climactic perfection in my opinion

then i clicked on next part and it is titled “caught” and i screamed out loud lol

- “You dare to even think you want the world to melt away, for time to be this moment and this moment alone, always and forever, but should you really let him boss you around like that?”

looooooooove, totally captures that feeling when u have one of those 'time stands still/you wished time stood still' moments IRL

also YES READER WITH A SPINE/BRAIN IS ALSO MY OTHER KINK

- also as much as ive somehow developed a bizarrely unquenchable thirst for graves (do not @ me, i know, i have problems and I love it) canon graves is exactly how id imagine he’d be like in this fic esp with the constant mansplaining

- "How do you deny a masked man who’s speaking in his mother tongue?"

YOU CANT. YOU JUST CAN’T! IT’S A LAW OF NATURE. IT IS SCIENTIFIC FACT. IT IS IRREFUTABLE. IT IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH. IT IS DIVINE DOGMA. IN THIS ESSAY I WILL-

- “When you look into his eyes, you feel like he wants nothing more than to touch you, and you feel he agrees that this moment is ever so precious. But he doesn’t want to touch you. Perhaps he’s afraid, or perhaps he doesn’t like his face being touched, so he won’t touch yours. The Golden Rule and all that.”

“It’s all the best thing to ever happen in this place, and you have a feeling it’s the best thing to have ever happened to him.”

““Nikto?” You ask, voice soft and wavering, like if you speak too loud you’ll create a rip in space-time and it will have never happened.”

again i feel like someone has snipershot me to the heart with tenderness, everything about this fic and the premise just speaks to a core desire i have to create moments like this, to bypass someone’s armor and touch their heart, and be a source of healing for hurt just by the gift of our mere presence and vice versa - and have this moment and memory become an indescribable source of light and strength in dark and dreary times to be taken out and relived over and over again as needed (or is it just me that does this lol idk)

fanfic writers never change and keep creating pls <3 ur words create worlds that inspire and brighten our IRL world <3

- i am deeply moved by the indescribable tenderness of nikto waking reader up by softly patting their cheek - this man known and infamous for his harshness and aggression - UNF

- “As always, they are an icy blue that doesn’t match the feeling of having them on you at all. But by now they feel so much cooler than before, like a warm hug or a heated blanket instead of a hot iron.”

if you’ve known any blue-eyed folx up close i have most def seen their eye color change with emotions, sooo fascinating and hot

- ummmmm my jaw fucking dropped when i realized he leaned in…TO KISS HER? I THOUGHT HE WAS ALSO GONNA REST HIS EYES AND JUST SLEEP FOR A BIT NEXT TO HER? OMG the emotional rOLLERCOASTER THIS STORY HAS TAKEN ME ON *running to download it as we speak*

- BUT aHHHH HTHE ACTUAL SCREAM WHEN READER RUNS INTO KONIG

- omg when reader starting sniffling i just want to hug her and also go back in the room and yell at konig OMG YOU MADE OUR HIGHLY TRAINED PMC-LEVEL KILLER READER CINNAMON ROLL CRY I WILL HURT YOU SIR IDK HOW COS IM LIKE 5’2 BUT IF I HAVE TO CLIMB U LIKE A TREE TO DO SO I WILL TO GET IN YOUR FACE-

- “Who the hell can you trust? Both not to talk, but also with Nikto.” - ends up being Velikan meanwhile me busy shredding the post-it behind my back hoping/suggesting it’s dmitry bale and trying not to cry- (ignore me dmitry is my current hyper fixation)

- i wont lie i am both so heart warmed by how tender and sweet reader is for being so good at reading body language and also laughing my ass off at her having this kinda complicated conversation with velikan who does not talk, mostly growls also while typing this his name autocorrected to pelican and i cannot stop fucking laughing

- omg DMITRY REFERENCE I SCREAMED OUT LOUD (it’s like 1130pm where i am, sorry to my apt neighbors)

- also omg i am crying at this allegiance letter with sputnik, i love both how thoughtful and it is and how it highlights each member and their personality - and that the return of sputnik returned some good memories back to nikto <3, shoutout to any PTSD folx who also deal with blankouts, flashbacks, and having good memory recall be a total struggle street - i think i would openly sob if someone did for me the emotional equivalent of what velikan (and allegiance and by extension reader) did for nikto here with sputnik <3 (and now im remembering IRL times people have done this for me and now im crying omg THE POWER OF FANFIC Y’ALL)

-AH YEGOR CAMEO? MY FAVORITE UKRAINIAN OPERATOR IN ALL OF COD? (madstro, there’s only one ukrainian operat-SHUT UP I SAID MY FAVORITE UKRAINIAN OPERATOR SHOWED UP)

- also i love how Velikan is written here - “This motherfucker was going to get him put on Fatal Attractions.” i would chill and fuck with him and also probably kill for him hahaha jk or am i-

- very into this irresponsible driver yet simultaneously responsible dog dad rodion rn

- also love the small touch of velikan removing his mask to look yegor in the eye asking if krueger is dead or not

the absolute ride this fic took me on???? incredible incredible incredible this is going in my list of top favorite COD fics @keysorsomething and if i could boost this in the nikto fics tag i would but i'll mostly just be salivating here in the corner over this fic in the meantime, tyvm <3

#madstrothought #FaFiCoWriMo #call of duty #nikto #Keysorsomething #touch-starved nikto fics #The Shape #Easing Into It #Into The Hyena's Den #SPUTNIK the hyena #Bright & Early #Unprofessional #Everyone has a Reason to Stay (Primireniye)#nikto x reader

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chickensarentcheap · 4 months

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Lost and Found- Chapter 27

Fandom: Extraction

Pairing: Tyler Rake and Esme Drummond (established OFC. You do NOT have to read the other fics in the series to understand this one)

Warnings: some profanity, mentions of blood, bruises, physical injuries

Tagging: @tragiclyhip @youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @thebejeweledwatercat @fanficanatic-tw @munstysmind @themaradwrites @asirensrage @kmc1989 @karimac @ninjasawakenedmystar @theesirenteller @residentdormouse @arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @occommunity @alisbackalleybbq

Link to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43179357/chapters/134993251

My tag list is OPEN. Just let me know if you'd like to be added :)

****

When she wakes, it’s to the glow of the bedside monitor and the ribbons of moonlight that stream into the room. As the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea vigorously lap at the base of the cliffs, a steady, crisp breeze flows through the open window; fluttering the curtains as the scent of salt fills the room.

She’s confused and disoriented. Days spent drifting out of consciousness; never fully aware of her surroundings, the identities of the people tending to her, or the validity of the conversations she partook in. Kept on high and frequent doses of medication as her body began the healing process; wanting to spare her the overwhelming stress that the intense and constant pain would inflict upon her. It takes several minutes for her surroundings to register; the disjointed and muddled mess of thoughts causing her head to swim as the room spins around her. Her mouth and throat are impossibly dry; finding it painful to swallow, her cracked and peeling lips burning when she dares to run the tip of her tongue along them. Her limbs feel impossibly heavy and rooted to the mattress below; the accompanying pain dull, yet manageable. A far cry from the agony she’d experienced after the accident; the memories of that afternoon returning slowly yet terrifying vividly.

“Tyler?” Her voice is barely above a whisper. Initially believing she’s speaking to an empty room, she gives a small start when she hears movement at the side of the bed. Then manages both a sigh of relief and a small smile as he drops his cell phone onto the mattress and slides his chair closer.

“Hey…”

The smile reaches his eyes, crinkling the corners. The first time she’d ever seen it, it had taken her breath away; the way the years seemed to drop away from his face and off his shoulders. Only to be replaced by a softness and a beauty not expected from a man like him. Weary and laden with unspeakable burdens; the traumas he’d endured for most of his life, the things he’d seen and done during his tours of duty with the military, the lives he’d taken during his time as a mercenary. And while others had deemed him reckless and dangerous, he’d been the only person who’d ever made her feel safe. Secure. Protected.

He briefly stands, leaning over the bed and running a hand over her hair. Hooking a finger under her chin, he gently tilts her face towards him; his lips gracing hers with the most delicate of kisses. “...sleeping beauty awakes.”

“I appreciate you trying to feed my ego, but I already know I’m a mess. And not a hot one, either.”

“You’re still here. Alive and on the mend. Can’t get much more beautiful than that.”

“Jesus, you really ARE the most biased man on the planet.”

“Biased or not, it’s true.” Pulling the chair as close as he can to the edge of the bed, he sits once more. A palm resting on the top of her head as his thumb repeatedly brushes against her brow and his free hand holds one of hers. How ya feelin’?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Better, I guess? Considering how I felt when it first happened…” She gingerly reaches across her body; careful to not upset the various tubes and wires and the IV needle that pierces the top of her hand. Allowing her fingertips to gently explore the various cuts and bruises that mar his face and neck. “Are you okay?”

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Excuse me? Have we met? I worry. It’s what I do. You should know that by now.”

“Of all the times you should be ignoring what I look like and what I’m doing.…”

“That’s impossible. I’ll never stop worrying about you; no matter what’s going on with me. I spent five years worrying; wondering how you were doing and if you were staying safe, and just hoping and praying you’d be alright. Every time Nik would tell me about a job you’d take…”

“You know, you could have cut out the middleman and just talked to me.”

“I wanted to, so many times. Do you know how many text messages I erased instead of sending them? How many times I’d call and get your voicemail, then just hang up without leaving anything? More than I like to admit.”

“I used to call your cell,” he sheepishly admits. “ The one you left behind. Just to listen to your outgoing message. Hear your voice.”

“Did it make you feel better?”

“Sometimes. And sometimes it made me mad as hell.”

“I’m sorry, Tyler. I am so sorry. And I know it seems like I’m constantly saying that, but…”

“Let’s not talk about it right now, okay? If there was ever a time NOT to…”

“What better time could there be? Not much else I can do.”

“It’s not important right now. We’ll get lots of time later. Believe me. When all this is over, and we’re finally home and settled, we can deal with everything else. But right now…” Cupping her cheek in his palm, the pad of his thumb tenderly glides over one of the many bruises that grace her skin. “...let’s just concentrate on you. Getting you better. And home.”

“That’s all I want. To go home. I mean, not that it actually IS my home. It’s not like I’ve ever lived there. I didn’t…”

“It is, though. Your home. OUR home. It’s the one we bought together. Made all kinds of plans for. The last five years didn’t just erase all of that.”

“But I never actually lived there. Other than when we first looked at it with the realtor, I’ve never even stepped through the front door.”

“That doesn’t matter. At least not to me. It’s always been your home, Me. It’s always been the place where you belong.”

Tears glisten in her eyes. “Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like THIS. The way you are with me. The way you’ve always been. Why do you love me like you do?”

“Do I need to have a reason?”

“After everything I’ve done, after hurting you like I did, you still love me. Way more than anyone else ever has. Or could. Why?”

“Because I do. Isn’t that enough?”

“I don’t deserve it. Not after…”

“That’s just your guilt talking.”

“I have a reason to be guilty. Everything I did to you..”

“Esme, I love you. I have ALWAYS loved you. And I always held out hope that one day you’d just walk back into my life. I only wish it had been a little sooner.”

“If I only called you sooner. Not waited so long. If I’d just…”

“But you didn’t. And you can’t change that. You can’t go back and make different choices. And you know what, that’s going to suck for a long time. Believe me, I know. There are a couple of things I wish I could go back and change. Have a re-do.”

“When it comes to us? To me?”

“The only thing I’d change is that I’d stay home that day; instead of going to Broome with Koen. And I should have. Stayed with you. You were sick, and you needed me and I..”

“I thought it was stress. Or that I’d come down with something. I wasn’t bedridden. I didn’t need you to wait on me and food and baby me. I…”

“I should have stayed. It’s the one time I didn’t listen to my gut. And look what happened.”

“You being there wouldn’t have changed things. The adjudicator still would have shown up. If anything, your being there would have made things worse. I know what you’re like, Tyler. When it comes to me. How protective you are. How you wouldn’t think twice about hurting someone…even killing them…when it comes to me. That wouldn’t have ended well. If you’d laid hands on them.”

“Maybe not. But we could have gone through it together. Found a place to hide out while Nik dealt with everything. You leaving? That wasn’t the only option.”

“I was scared. I wanted to protect you. Everything I did that day, I did for you- to keep you safe. I never did any of it to hurt you.”

“I know that. And I’m starting to accept it. You just need to give me some time, yeah? To deal with all of it? Work through it? I need that from you. Time.”

“As long as you don’t want to go through it alone. As long as it means that it’s the three of us dealing with it all together. Me, you, Millie. That’s what you want, right? The three of us sticking together?”

“I wouldn’t think of NOT doing it that way. I’m not going anywhere- not now, not ever. You need to trust me when I tell you that.”

“I do trust you. I’ve always trusted you. You’re the only person I really DO trust. To this extent, anyway.”

“Then trust me when I tell you that we don’t need to be dealing with this right now. We’re going to have lots of time to talk about things. Work through them. But right now? Right now needs to be about you. And getting you back on your feet and finally home. That’s all that matters. Can we agree? To just focus on that?”

Esme nods.

Giving her a wink, he leans in to press a kiss to her brow)

Her fingertips continue the investigation of his face and neck; tracing over healing cuts and thriving bruises. “I think you’re going to have a few new scars. To add to your collection. Nothing major, but…”

“Wouldn’t be one of my jobs if I didn’t get a little fucked up.”

“You do have a bad habit of messing yourself up, that’s for sure. Why it has to be the face, I’ll never know. Of all things? The face? Really?”

“I appreciate your concern for the rest of my body,” he teases. “And my mental health.”

“This one will always be my favourite.” She runs a fingertip over the scar that curves over the bridge of his nose. “Always.”

“How ARE you feeling? And don’t bullshit me.”

“I feel fine. Well, I don’t know if ‘fine’ is the right word, but I know I feel a lot better than I did…” She frowns, her voice trailing off.

“What? What’s wrong? What…?”

“How many days HAS it been? Since we left New York? What day is it today?”

“It’s Friday.”

“What? Friday? Are you sure?”

“I’m fully aware of what day it is.”

“But we left on Monday. How can it already be Friday? I’ve been out that long? What…?”

“You’ve been on some really strong meds. Heavy-duty stuff. You’ve been in and out. Never fully conscious, though. The doctor thought it was for the best; let your body heal without trying to fight back against the pain.”

“Did you think it was for the best?”

“I wouldn’t have told him to go ahead with it if I didn’t. I didn’t want you in constant pain. I know what it’s like; to always be in agony. I didn’t want that for you. Of all people who don’t deserve that…”

“Thank you. For taking care of me. Fighting for me.”

“It’s what we do, yeah? Take care of each other? Isn’t that what you always say?”

She nods.

“It was my turn anyway. Considering everything you had to do? After Dhaka?”

“I didn’t HAVE to do it. I wanted to do it.”

“Just like I want to take care of you. No more running. I’m not that guy anymore. I haven’t been him in a long time.”

“I’ve never known that Tyler. I’ve only ever known that one who will do anything and everything he has to protect me. THAT’S the Tyler I know. The one I fell in love with.”

He presses a kiss to her temple. “I do have a bone to pick with you, though.”

“Uh-oh.”

“You scared the fucking shit out of me. Seeing you like that. After the accident.”

“It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Just don’t do it again, yeah? I’m not getting any younger. My heart can only take so much.”

“Noted. I’ll be on my best behaviour from here on out. You know what the good thing is? That once this is all over and we’re finally settled, we won’t have to worry about this kind of thing anymore. Let alone go through it. It’ll all be behind us. No more stressing over whether or not the last time you walk out the front door really IS the last time.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re kinda walking away from danger and right into another. You do realize you’re gonna be married to a firefighter, right?”

“As scary and as dangerous as that is, I will take it over you being a mercenary any day of the week. Not to take away from your skills or your talent. Because you’re amazing at what you do. But…”

“It’s time. For something new. Something normal.”

“Whatever ‘normal’ is when it comes to us. We’ve never really been ‘normal’.”

“Our own brand of normal, I guess. We weren’t meant to be like everyone else. And who wants to be? That’s boring as hell.”

“I’m okay with whatever brand of normal we come up with.”

“Speaking of being okay, you never really answered my question. About how you’re feeling.”

“I feel kinda weird, to be honest. The last thing I really remember is being with Nik and Yaz. On our way to the airport. When you gave me that morphine. Everything after that is a complete blur. Just the mashup of moments and words and sounds. I know that doesn’t make sense.”

“I remember feeling like that. After waking up from that coma. So it makes total sense to me. Have any pain?”

“A little. Nothing serious, though.”

“They almost weaned you completely off the IV meds. They’ll want to start you on oral stuff in the morning. They don’t want you hooked up to anything once you go home. Think you can manage that? Getting rid of all those tubes and wires?”

“I can definitely manage that.”

“Do you need anything? Something to drink? Eat?”

“I AM thirsty. And I definitely could eat. Honestly, I feel like I could eat the shit out of a dead hippo, right about now.”

He chuckles. “Now I know where she got it from. Millie said the same thing the other day. When she woke up and wanted breakfast.”

“Well, there is at least a little bit of me inside of her. A few of my genes. She can’t be EXACTLY like you.”

“She’s like me in all the best ways, though.”

“She’s beautiful, like you. That’s for sure.”

“You just had to go and insult me. Call me the ‘b’ word.”

“Regardless of what you think, you can be both badass AND beautiful. You check both boxes. Among many others.”

“You are so good for my ego.” Cradling her bruised cheek in his palms, he places a long, soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll go downstairs and see what I can round up. You feel like anything in particular or…?”

“Cheese toast.”

“I can’t believe you still eat that stuff,” he chides. “Thought you would have grown out of that by now.”

“It’s my favourite comfort food. That, and your lasagna. Remember how I’d always ask you to make that? If I wasn’t feeling well or I was just having a really shitty day? And you always did it. No questions asked. No bitching or moaning about it.”

“I liked making you happy. I still do. Besides, if Esme wasn’t having a good day, no one was.”

“I always felt I’d found the proverbial needle in the haystack. A guy that can fuck well, fix his own truck, AND cook? Nothing sexier than that combo.”

“You know, when it comes to men, your standards are very low.”

“Well, I mean, there’s a lot of things that are sexy about you. I have a very extensive list.”

“Like I said, you’re really good at stroking my ego. Among other things.”

(laughs, then winces when it causes pain and discomfort in her ribs)

“You just relax, okay? I’ll go and make you something to eat. Bring you some tea. It’ll do some good to get some food into you.”

He stands and leans over the bed; index finger once more hooking under her chin and tilting her head back in order to kiss her. Skimming his knuckles over her bruised cheek, she grabs his hand when he attempts to step away from the bed; squeezing tightly as he glances down at her. Scowling at the look of fear and worry that lines her brow and creases the corners of her eyes.

“You’re coming back, right?”

“I mean unless something happens to me on the way to the kitchen or on my way back here…”

“Promise me. That you’re coming back.”

“I’m coming back.” He chooses to assure as opposed to scolding her for thinking so irrationally. “I already told you, Me. I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

****

He returns with a tray laden with food and a small pot of tea; discovering that she’s managed to sit herself up in bed and now leans back against a selection of pillows stacked behind her. In spite of the bruises that decorate her face and various parts of her body, her colour has started to return; days spent a sickly, almost deathly gray, her skin impossibly dry. She’s starting to look like Esme again; able to smile, the sparkle back in her eyes, her sunken cheeks beginning to fill out. Clarity and understanding quickly restored; now fully conscious and aware of her surroundings. It’s a relief to see her like this; knowing the extent of her injuries and how close things had come to being so much worse. And when she beams at him as approaches the bed, it helps the last of his fears and worries subside.

“I see you made it back safe and sound. No one tried to kidnap you.”

“I was jumped in the hallway. Fought them off. Told them they may be mean and tough, but they don’t come close to you when you’re hangry.”

“I am not THAT bad.”

“I’ve lived with you. You ARE that bad.

“Got ya a little bit of everything.” Placing the tray across her lap, he takes a seat on the edge of the mattress. “Cheese toast, some apple sauce, some pasta that was left over from dinner, some tea.”

“I know I said I was hungry, and I really do appreciate you wanting to wait on me hand and foot, but…”

“You don’t have to eat it all. Just a bit of each. Do what you can.”

As she attempts to eat, he tends to the tea. Filling the waiting mug and adding a splash of milk, he keeps a quiet, watchful eye on her as she attempts to eat; her hands furiously trembling, making it impossible to even lift the food, never mind get it to her mouth. Instead of immediately jumping to her aid, he allows her to keep trying; knowing the enormity of both her stubbornness and her hatred for being too ‘dependent’ on another person. And it isn’t until she mutters profanities and begins to tear up that he finally steps in; sliding closer to her just as her lower lip and chin begin to tremble.

“Here…” Cupping a hand under her chin, uses the other to bring a slice of cheese toast to her lips. “...let’s make it easier on you.”

“You shouldn’t have to do this.”

“No one HAS to do anything. I’m doing it ‘cause I want to.”

“It’s embarrassing. I’m a grown-ass adult. I shouldn’t need someone to feed me.”

“Did you think that way when you were doing it for me? After Dhaka? That I was a grown man and should be able to do it myself?”

“You almost died. You were in a coma for seven months. You needed my help.”

“And you’ve gotten yourself fucked up pretty good, and you need my help.”

“It’s not the same thing. It’s…”

“It’s a two-way street, yeah? We already agreed on that. You take care of me, I take care of you.”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’. Just shut up and eat your cheese toast.”

He’s patient, and his voice is gentle, allowing her to take small bites and chew slowly, offering encouragement and praising her on both her efforts and success. Using soft fingertips to clear crumbs and cheese away from the corners of her mouth, then moved on to the applesauce; alternating between slipping the spoon between her lips and offering sips of tea. And he’s genuinely impressed when she makes it through more than half the pot and a couple of mouthfuls of pasta before tapping out.

Helping her get settled and comfortable against the pillows, he moves the tray to the dresser and disappears into the master bath. Returning moments later with a damp cloth and a hand towel in order to clean and dry her face. Afterwards, he climbs into the bed alongside her; mindful of the various tubes and wires as he settles next to her. Leaning back against the headboard and stretching his legs out in front of him; her body fitting tightly -and comfortably- against his when he wraps an arm around her shoulders.

Dropping a kiss on her hair, he places his chin on the top of her head. “You good? Feeling alright?”

“I’m good. Full. I think I ate too much. Probably shouldn’t have had THAT much.”

“That was nothing. I’ve seen you put away enough to feed four grown men.”

Laughing, she digs her elbow into his ribs. “Fuck off, Tyler.”

“It’s kinda sexy; a little thing like you being able to pack it away like that.”

“I’m starting to regret that I even woke up. You picking on me like this.”

“Everything I say, I say with love. Just like when you make fun of my huge feet and big ass forehead.”

“I don’t say those things with love. I say them with one hundred percent truth.”

“Now who’s starting to regret that you woke up?”

“For the record, EVERYTHING I say is out of love. Well, except for maybe when I used to bitch at you for leaving your dirty underwear in front of the hamper, instead of in it.”

“You sure it was mine? ‘Cause I don’t wear underwear ninety-eight percent of the time.”

“Well…” She settles her head on his chest and places her hand on his stomach; fingertips drawing slow, smooth circles on the fabric of his t-shirt. “... unless there was another guy living there that I didn’t know about…”

“It was my twin. My EVIL twin.”

“And what did you do with him? Your evil twin.”

“Who says you’re not talking to the evil one?”

“The evil twin would NOT have spoonfed me apple sauce.”

“That’s a very good point.”

“Besides, there’s nothing evil about you- not in the slightest. Trust me, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if there had been. And I definitely wouldn’t have STAYED in love with you. The last five years haven’t exactly been pleasant for me, either.”

“I know. It’s not like you wanted to leave. Or stay away.”

“But, I promised we wouldn’t talk about this. Not right now, anyway. And I don’t want to fight. I know how things get when we talk about intense stuff; we both get worked up, and our tempers take over and mean things get said. And then the next thing you know, all kinds of feelings are hurt, and we hate each other.”

“I’ve never hated you. I never could.”

“Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. But feelings do get hurt, and then we hold grudges against each other, and things are awkward for a while. And I don’t want things to be awkward. I want to be better than that; like we were five years ago. Not that we were horrible together, or anything. Because we weren’t. We just…”

“We both had a shit we were carrying around. It was bound to fuck things up every now and then.”

“Everything happened so fast. Between us. We never really got a chance to catch our breath, did we.”

“Not really, no.”

“We went from those five days in Dhaka to living together and planning a future. It’s not like we dated; or got to know each other like normal people.”

“I think we long ago established that we are both far from normal. Do you regret it? The way we handled things? The way they happened?”

“No. Not in the slightest. I just think it’s just a reasonable explanation; for why things got a little tense and out of hand at times. But you? US? I’ve never…for not even one second…had any regrets. I mean, other than the obvious. My fuck up five years ago. I think that goes without saying. Do you? Have regrets?”

“No. It all happened for a reason: you showing up on my doorstep that day, everything that went down in Dhaka. And I hope one day I can say the same thing about you taking off, keeping Millie a secret. That there was a reason for it to happen that way.”

“There was. I wanted to keep you safe. That’s the only reason. And as far as not telling you about Millie…”

“I know you were scared. That I’d turn you away. That I wouldn’t want anything to do with her. And there are moments where I totally accept that. But other times…”

“Hurts like hell.”

He nods.

“I AM sorry, Tyler. And if there was a way of taking it all back…”

“Well, there isn’t.” Immediately aware of the harshness of his voice, he gives her shoulder a squeeze and smiles down at her. “I love you. I always have. And isn’t that what really matters? When it all comes down to it? That I love you?”

“That’s all that’s ever mattered. It was the only thing I ever had that was real. How you felt about me. It was the only thing that was ever important. And then Millie came along. She’s all I had of you. My only connection. I didn’t even have a picture of you. I just had her.”

“You’ve done a good job, Me. A damn good job. She’s beautiful. And so fucking smart. Way smarter than I was at that age, that’s for sure. Probably smarter than I was at TWICE that age. Maybe even smarter than I am now.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got a bigger brain pan than you realize or let on. And that’s part of what makes you so good at what you do. You’ve got the size, strength, and skills; those things are easy for people to see. They don’t expect you to be smart, too. They underestimate you. And that’s what makes you so dangerous.”

“I don’t know, Me. I think you have me beat in that department. If anyone is underestimated…”

“Well, you know what they say, about good things coming in small packages.”

“Pocket-sized packages, in your case.”

“Oh God, not THAT again.”

“I’m just saying. You’re tough for a little thing. I can see why you were so good at the job. No one would ever expect someone like you to be able to pull those kinds of things off.”

“It was survival of the fittest. And the smartest. I learned early on that if I was going to make it out alive, I had to be really good at what I did. It was exhausting, though: pretending to be a completely different person all the time. I’m glad it’s done; that I can just walk away and never think of this life again.”

“Soon. Once we’re out of here and get settled in Broome and Nik takes care of things back in New York City…”

“It’s going to be weird. Living a whole different life. Seeing you doing a different job. I have to say, you picked a pretty sexy career. A girl loves a man in uniform.”

“I don’t wear a uniform.”

“That’s it; go and ruin my fantasy.”

“And there’s nothing sexy about those coats and those boots, I’ll tell you that much.”

“You’re just a real party pooper, you know that?” Nuzzling her cheek against his chest, she closes her eyes. Relaxing in the warmth that radiates from his body, the hard muscle against her, his familiar scent, and the way his calloused fingertips repeatedly graze up and down her arm. She desperately needs and craves the close contact; the feel of him a vivid reminder that she’d walked through hell and come out the other side.

*****

Several minutes pass before she speaks again. “Has Millie been okay?”

“She’s been worried about her mum. Constantly asking the doctor and the nurse about how you’re doing and if you’re getting better. And giving all kinds of advice on how to take care of you. She’s pretty adamant that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the cure to everything.”

“Was she ever in here? Because I don’t know if I was dreaming, but I have this very vivid, distinct memory of her sitting on the bed and brushing my hair.”

“Every night before bed, she comes in and sits with you. She always brushes your hair. And reads you a story.”

“That’s why I can’t get ‘Goodnight Moon’ out of my head. We really need to toss that book. Get her interested in something else. Because if I hear that damn story one more time…”

“Consider it done. As soon as we get home, it’ll mysteriously disappear. Along with your ten pairs of Crocs.”

“Hey! Leave my Crocs out of this. They didn’t do anything to you.”

“They’re an abomination.”

“They’re comfortable!”

“They’re ugly, is what they are.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t touch my Crocs. I can hurt you, you know. In ways no one else ever has.”

“Doesn’t sound too ominous. Sounds more like you’re threatening me with a good time.”

“Listen, if you want to take your chances…”

“I’d rather be safe than sorry. You’re scary for a little thing. Probably the only person on earth who DOES frighten me.”

“You SHOULD be afraid. Very afraid. I have powers. That you can’t even begin to comprehend.”

“If you’re threatening me with no sex, I’ll have you know that I went months without it. After you left. Almost an entire year. So don’t think I can’t do that again. I don’t want to, but…”

“Who am I kidding? I’d never do something like that. I’d suffer just as much as you would. If not more.”

Yawning noisily, she once more closes her eyes; enjoying the feel of his breath against the top of her head and the sound of his heart beating deep within his chest. And he’s teetering on the edge of sleep when he feels her move against him; finding her peering up at him, chin resting just below his shoulder.

“You alright?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“I don’t think I like the sound of that.”

“It’s nothing bad. At least not to me. You might see it a bit differently. When you hear what it is. But I just figured that since we’re doing this whole totally honest, completely open thing, there was no reason to wait. That we’re in a good enough place to talk about it.”

“If it has anything to do with when you left and started hiding out…”

“It’s nothing to do with that. Well, maybe it does. I don’t know. I suppose it’s kind of related. Very loosely, mind you. I just think this is the time to tell you about it. I’m finally awake and feeling a lot better, and we’ve had some really good talks tonight, and I guess I want to keep the ball rolling and just..”

“Esme, you’re rambling.”

“I don’t even know where to start. HOW to start.”

“Just spit it out. Say what you want to say. What you NEED to say.”

Sighing heavily, she briefly glances away, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. “I was the one who asked Alcott to get you out of prison.”

“What do you mean you were the one who…?”

“I had spies, okay. Informants. Keeping me up to date on you. Alcott, Nik, Yaz. You know, people I could trust; to do the job for me and keep quiet about it. I didn’t want you to know that I was keeping an eye on you; I know how much you hate being babied or coddled or worried and I was afraid you found out I was sticking my nose where it didn’t belong…”

“I would have just been happy to know you were okay. To know you even still gave a shit about me. I wouldn’t even have questioned it; you spying on me.”

“I always gave a shit about you. It was never about NOT giving a shit. I still worried about you. I still LOVED you. None of that ever stopped. Not even for a second.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t know about any of this. You and Alcott being buddies.”

“You know what it’s like in the circle. Everyone’s connected in some way.”

“And you asked him not to tell me. That he knew you.”

“There was no reason for you to know. It didn’t really have any bearing on anything. And it kept Millie and I under the radar; the fewer people who knew where we were and who were connected to, the better.”

“So he just called you and told you I was in prison?”

“Not exactly. Well, I mean, he DID. He was the one who let me know. But before that, he’d shown up in New York. Totally unexpected. And he told me all about the job in Georgia; how it involved your sister-in-law and her kids, and that it was Mia that hired you.”

“And…?”

“And it didn’t sit right. The whole thing just felt ‘off’ to me. I found it really…troublesome…that she sought you out like that. I mean, didn’t seem kind of weird to you? That after years of even knowing she was, she would just show up out of the blue? For something like THAT?”

“It was a little…odd.”

“I didn’t like it. At all. The fact she went looking for you. The fact that she would probably use your son’s death against you; use all that guilt and regret and grief to get you to do what she wanted. You can see why, right? Why I’d think that? Why I’d immediately go in that direction?”

“I’m not saying you were wrong for thinking it.”

“I knew once she did that, you’d go along with it. You’d take the job; not even caring about how risky it was or how dangerous the Nagazi were. So naturally, that made me even more nervous. Knowing you were going into something like that.”

“And Alcott kept you up to date? On what was happening?”

“I asked him to let me know how things went. Like I said, I was worried about you. And I knew all about Davit and Zurab and what they and their people were capable of. It scared me, alright? I didn’t want anything to happen to you. I loved you. You were the father of my daughter. And the thought of her losing you before ever even having you…”

“This is just…” He laughs incredulously and shakes his head. “Wow.”

“I knew exactly when the job started. Day, time. Right down to the very second. And Alcott was supposed to let me know how things went; get a hold of me as soon as you were free and clear from the prison and on your way to Vienna. So I could rest a little easier, you know? Only I didn’t hear from him for a few days. Which got me totally freaked out. I left messages, I sent texts. Nothing. Just silence.”

“And then…”

“And then I put more feelers out. I reached out to other colleagues. People I’d worked with in Europe. Specifically in and around Austria. I knew if anyone could find out if you made it there safe and sound, it would be then. And then they called back and told me that you were alive, but they couldn’t tell me exactly where you were. That I was ‘need to know information’ and I didn’t need to know.”

“So Alcott…”

“He FINALLY got a hold of me. A week later. And he told me what happened in Vienna. How you killed Zurab but ended up getting busted by the cops and thrown in jail. You were going to be there a really long time, and I didn’t want that to happen. You didn’t deserve to be there. All the bad things the Nagazi did? All the horrible shit they inflicted on people? You should have been given a key to the city and a parade in your honour. Even had a day named after you.”

“Whether or not I did the right thing, what we do IS illegal.”

“I didn’t want you rotting away in there. Not for helping people. For getting that kind of trash off the street. And there were selfish reasons, too. For why I wanted you out of there. I already knew I was going to bring Millie to you. It had always been my plan; to take her to her dad before she turned six. And considering you were facing a life sentence, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. I wanted Millie to meet you. Have a relationship with you. And that couldn’t happen if you were locked up.”

“You’ve been really busy the last five years, haven’t you.”

“I was caught up in a few things,” Esme admits. “ Nothing that ever put Millie in danger. I’d never do that; take a job that could put her in harm’s way. There was no reason to think things would go so wrong with Alessio. I was so close; to getting all the information I needed. Everything had been so easy. Gone so smoothly. If I ever thought anyone would try and hurt her…”

“I never once thought that. That you’d put her in danger. I know how quickly things can go wrong. And if there was no reason to think that the job would go to shit…”

“Like I said, everything had been so easy. It was all running so smoothly. I would have been finished in a week. Two at the most. I don’t know what happened; I don’t know how things went so badly. But I never would have agreed to help Nik out if I even had the tiniest worry that Millie could be hurt. That’s my little girl. My baby. She’s all I had; my only connection to you. I wouldn’t have agreed to anything that could possibly hurt her. I…”

“Esme, you don’t have to defend yourself. To anyone. Let alone me. I’m the last person who’d ever judge you. All the things I’ve done? You really think I’d think less of you?”

“She’s your daughter, too. It would be really easy for you to be angry. Look what happened. Alessio’s family tried to kill us. It’s only reasonable that you’d be pissed about that.”

“I am pissed about that. But I’m pissed at them, not you. I know how much you love Millie. How well you’ve taken care of her. Look how happy she is. How healthy. How fucking smart. That’s not a kid being raised by a shitty mother.”

“She’s my entire world. I waited so long to be a mom. I’d never do anything that would put her in danger. I’d never…”

“I believe you. I’m not accusing you of anything. I’ve never once thought something like that.”

“The other night you were pretty angry. And you asked me how I could ever put her at risk like that. Why I would even go back to the job with her in the picture. You…”

“I didn’t mean any of that. I was pissed. Hurt. I’m an asshole when I’m going through shit like that. I say things I don’t mean. I’ve always been that way. You know that.”

“Still, there had to be some truth to it, right? To your words? There must have…”

“I love you, Esme. I always have. And I’m sorry that I lashed out like that. Said those things. But I didn’t mean them. I was hurt. And I wanted you to hurt too.”

“Well, you succeeded. Because it did. Hurt. I may have deserved to hear it…”

“You didn’t. You’re the last person who deserves it. It was just me being an insensitive prick. That’s something I need to work on. Not lashing out like that. I don’t want to hurt you. That’s the last thing I want.”

“I guess we both have things we need to work on, huh?”

“There’s a list. Or two. And we’ll get to it when everything settles down. For now, can we go back to what we were originally talking about? Alcott? What happened after he contacted you and told you where I was?”

“I couldn’t let you waste away in jail,” she continues. “They would have kept you in there for the rest of your life. So I asked Alcott if there was any way he could pull some strings. Did he know someone on the inside who could help get you out of there? He arranged a meeting. Between me and his boss. I already knew him; from my time in New York when I was doing freelance work. I’d done a few intel jobs for him. Nothing too major. But if anyone could help, I knew it would be him. That’s a man with a lot of power. A lot of people under his thumb.”

“He is NOT the kind of person you should be mixed up with.”

“I had been offered some work. In Abu Dhabi. That involved one of his biggest rivals. So I made a business proposition; I’d hand over all the information I had and the whereabouts of this person in exchange for getting you out of prison. But he’d only agree if you would be the one to take over; take everything I knew and go after his rival and kill him. It was up to Alcott to offer you the deal; do a job for them and earn your freedom.”

“I can't believe you stuck your nose in that shit.”

“Look, I did it because I love you. Because I always have. Nothing changed in those five years. If anything? Missing you like that? Having a baby…YOUR baby…it made me love you even more. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. Let you rot away in that prison. You didn’t deserve to be there. All you did was take out the trash.”

“I did a little more than that.”

“It was all you? That made all that happen?”

“I just came up with the idea. Alcott had to make it happen. He did the hard work.”

“I don’t know, getting in contact with the likes of his boss? That takes some balls. That’s the last person you ever should have trusted.”

“I didn’t have a choice. I had to get you out of there. And I needed help to make it happen. There was no one else. Believe me, if there had been, I would have asked them.”

“You did all of that? Put yourself at risk? For me?”

“Okay, so you may have shot the ever-loving shit out of Vienna. And came very close to burning the entire city to the ground. But it’s not like you didn’t have help.”

He gives a small chuckle.

“I couldn’t leave you there, Tyler. Just like I couldn’t leave you on that bridge in Dhaka. And I got you out of jail just as much for me as I did for you. Because I knew I’d see you again. Because I wanted you to meet Millie and be a part of her life. Finally get to be her dad. And that couldn’t have happened if you were stuck in there.”

He nods slowly as he considers her words.

Pushing her fingers through his, she brings their joined hands to rest on her collarbone and presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You’re not mad, are you? Please tell me you’re not mad. I didn’t bring it up to cause issues. I just figured we’ve been so open and honest with each other and we both want to keep that going and…”

“I’m not mad in the slightest. I have no reason to be. I’m more surprised than anything; hearing you were involved in all that. I never would have connected any of that to you. Not in a million years.”

“At the time it all went down, I didn’t want you to know it was me. I wasn’t ready; for us to come face to face. I was scared, and I was holding on to so much guilt and regret, and I didn’t want those things ruining it, you know? So I asked Alcott to help me. And before your mind goes there, he helped me as a FRIEND. Nothing more. There never was -and never will be- anything between us.”

“He knows better than to even try. He knows I’d kill him.”

“Always the protective one.” She nuzzles the underside of his chin with the tip of her nose. “Always.”

Smiling, he pecks the bridge of her nose, then rests his brow against his. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

“I never stopped worrying about you, Tyler. I worried every second of every day. That something bad would happen, and I’d never get the chance to see you again. Or that you’d ever get a chance to see Millie. Or hear me say that I was sorry.”

“But we did get that chance. All of that happened.”

“It shouldn’t have taken so long.”

“We’re not going to talk about that. Getting into the reasons why. Not right now.” Tightening his hold on her, his hand falls to her hip as she presses herself into his side and rests her head on his chest.

“You know how you always say there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me? Well, it’s a two-way street. Because there’s nothing I couldn’t do for YOU.”

“I know. Believe me, I KNOW.”

“We take care of each other. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.”

“It’s kinda only gone one way. Taking care of each other. At least until now.”

“Well, in all fairness, I’ve never really given you a chance. To take care of me. And that’s mainly because I don’t get in nearly as much trouble as you do.”

He smirks. “I’m not quite sure about that.”

“For what it’s worth, you’re really good at. The whole taking care of someone thing. It’s a whole different side of you. That you don’t let anyone else see. Just me.”

“There’s a lot of those sides.”

“I’m lucky. You’ve always felt comfortable showing them to me. Right from the start of things. In Dhaka. You never hid them from me. You never hid the REAL you.”

“I never felt a reason to.”

Smiling, she reaches up to once more trace the various scars and cuts that decorate his face. Gentle fingertips glide over old and faded, raised and angry, a nail slowly travelling the entire length and curve of his jaw. “I do love you, you know.”

“Yeah…” Giving her hip a gentle squeeze, he leans down to peck her lips. “...I know.”

#Tyler and Esme series #Tyler Rake #Tyler Rake fanfic #Tyler Rake fan fiction #Extraction #Extraction 2 #Extraction fanfic #Extraction fan fiction #Chris Hemsworth #Tyler Rake x OFC #Rake Lives #Esme Drummond #Esme Rake

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caffeine-high · 27 days

Note

My friends and I want to know your headcanons about the Host’s mask(s)

(One may or may not have ulterior motives)

ofc ofc!

gonna keep it vague cz of spoilers

but basically its due to a crack fic im writing based on a late night conversation we had on the discord that requires the need for masks to stay on while the mouth is accessible

luckily! all the gas masks we've seen as well as the Host's mask have had at least one forward facing vent!

so i think [redacted] figured out an easy way to temporarily remove or open up that vent^-^ As for the Host? well, if [redacted] was the one to pioneer easy front vent access, then the Host is the one who refined and mastered it :3

(i know nothing about gasmask fits or manufacturing, and while I'm usually all for doing way too much research for accuracy, i just need these masks to have this function so though luck if irl they could never do this)

(friend with ulterior motives, feel free to message me, I'd be happy to have a much more spoilered discussion about this!)

#cowardsatplay #ask #caffeines cackles

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anonnie-in-wonderland · 2 years

Text

Call Me Crazy…

Rating: T

Word Count: 4.8k

Warning(s): None

Summary: When Y/N gets her hands on the newest Samsung phone, she thinks at most she’ll get a little clout with her friends and fewer dropped calls. A direct portal to BTS? Not so much.

Tags: bts x reader | ot7 x reader | poly| FM!POC!reader

Ch.1: In Which a New Phone is Long Overdue

A/N: This idea was inspired by this commercial, which I immediately thought would be a good fic idea the moment I first saw it! Just never assumed I’d be the one writing it, so I guess I played myself…anyway, this fic starts in 2019 and is not “canon compliant” (I think I’m using that right). I personally see this Y/N as a POC due to the girl in the commercial this AU is based off. I think she was really cute haha that being said, you don’t have to imagine the commercial actress ofc. Uh, and Y/N is not really an Army at first, sorry. Just thought it’d be more interesting that way. *PLEASE do not ask about the taglist in this story’s comments*

“I can make it better, I can hold you tighter…”

Y/N breezed right by the girls passionately singing along to the latest BTS hit in the hallway. Classes had just ended and caffeine was calling her name. That test prep was a doozy and really, she should definitely—fish the buzzing phone out of her jacket pocket, apparently. If she could even locate it. Why did she adore multiple pockets so much in her outerwear anyway?

Her fingers seized the small device just before it went to voicemail, and she barely glimpsed at the ID before accepting the call. “Hey, heeey,” Binna sang, her good mood evident, “That physiology test? Nailed it!” Y/N smiled, knowing how much her roommate had been stressing that exam, despite studying nonstop for weeks in advance.

Stopping, Y/N tucked herself into a corner of the corridor, out of the way of her fellow students. The tall arched windows provided an unobstructed view of the campus’ sprawling lawn, and the students congregating on it. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from my bestie’s big brain.”

“Try saying that three times fast,” Binna laughed. “How’d your business presentation thingy go?”

Y/N cleared her throat, trying to sound serious, but secretly endeared by Binna. “It’s a supply chain management project. I won’t know how I did until the end of the term, but it’s coming together really well so far.”

“Ohh then are some celebratory drinks at the cafe in order?!”

Y/N dramatically clutched her chest, probably looking like she belonged in the theatre program to the people passing by. “I thought you’d never as—”

“…N?” Binna’s voice began to crackle, fading in and out. “Hel..lo? Y…?”

Gasping indignantly, Y/N took the phone away from her ear to glare at it. “Oh, no you don’t.” Reflexively, she smacked the bottom a few times, momentarily forgetting that would do absolutely nothing for failing reception.

“I’m losing signal!” She hurried to explain, “Text you soon!”

The sound her friend made came across as agreement, more or less, so Y/N hung up with a sigh. Her fingers skimmed the tiny, worn keyboard, prepared to attempt a short confirmation to meet at the cafe.

“Still not ready to give up on that dinosaur?”

Y/N jumped, halfheartedly glaring at the owner of the voice, who didn’t look the least bit apologetic for startling her. Rather, Chung Chin-Mae arched a brow, face blank as he waited for her to respond. “When are you going to cut that out?” She hissed, smoothing a hand down her already wrinkle-free blazer.

“When are you going to give up on that phone?” He returned, taking a delicate sip of his vitamin water. Y/N’s glare became a little harder, lip jutting out in defiance. He knew she hated when someone answered a question with another question. But she let him have it…this time.

“Why would I?” Y/N briefly clutched her phone to her chest defensively, ignoring the way Chin-Mae just shook his head. Returning to trying to get her text through, she added, “There’s nothing wrong with it…”

Her friend looked ready to swing his messenger bag at her—and given that it was always full and on the heavy side, that was bound to leave a bruise. “How many other people do you know still using a flip phone that outdated? It’s not even a touchscreen!”

“But it does the same thing!” Y/N grumbled, mentally crossing her fingers that the text didn’t freeze and delete itself. ‘Please, not while Chin-Mae’s here.’

They stood in awkward silence for over a minute, and she lowered her head, knowing the expression he’d be wearing. “It just does it a little slower…” For all his love of being right, Chung Chin-Mae (affectionately Chinnie to his friends) could have made an excellent lawyer, but his heart belonged to the arts. His interesting taste in strangely patterned button-ups and the streak of deep red dyed in his short, black hair were the only real outward indicators.

“How many years?” he asked.

“Huh?” Y/N distractedly watched her text finally finish sending, a little grin of victory on her lips.

“How many years since you got a new phone?” He clarified.

“Oh, um…eight.”

“Eight? Y/N…girl…” Chin-Mae looked like he was struggling to find the words, absolutely aghast, and she rolled her eyes. Yes, there was that flair for the dramatic she’d expect from a performing arts major.

Checking her math, she nodded, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Leaning into her personal space so that she could smell the freshness of his gum, he whispered, “Repeat after me: I will get an upgrade!”

“Only if it becomes absolutely necessary.” she countered.

“It’s past necessary; you might as well be dragging an entire phone booth around with you.”

“Haha…” Y/N chortled drily. “Anyway, aren’t you a long way from the art studio. Did you come to meet me?”

Huffing, Chin-Mae squared his shoulders, looking thoroughly exasperated. Though his next words confirmed it wasn’t at her. “I came to drop off Yè’s report to him. He’d be flunking that class if it wasn’t for me,”

That made sense, considering how forgetful her upperclassmen could be. Brilliant, but oh so forgetful. “You realize you’re dating now. It’s okay to call him Min Su.”

“Old habits,” Chin-Mae dismissively flapped a hand at her, not sounding too concerned.

‘Poor Min Su.’ she thought. He had been smitten with Chin-Mae practically since their first meeting, when the clumsy transferee had bumped into her friend and caused him to drop a still wet painting while trying to search for the right building.

Needless to say, Chin-Mae had declared war on the guy. He had never been the most forgiving to begin with, and man could he hold a grudge. Y/N winced as she recalled the way he hadn’t spoken to his roommate for just over a month after he ate Chin’s pudding snack.

So the odds certainly were not in Min Su’s favor. Chin-Mae remained icy towards him even after he tried to make it right by lending a hand so he could redo the ruined painting in time to submit to his art showcase by the deadline. She and Binna had watched (and silently rooted for Min Su) from the sidelines for the better part of their freshman and sophomore years. Eventually his kindness and persistence won Chin-Mae over…not that he ever really wanted to say he had caught feelings somewhere along the line. And now, they were finally dating. But Chinnie was only really slightly less reserved with his affections. At least in public.

“Anyway. My boyfriend is hopeless. What else is new?” He asked rhetorically, breaking her from her reminiscence. “Do you need a ride to the cafe or what?”

Y/N thought over the benefits of catching a free ride while her friend was in a gracious mood, or waiting on the shuttle. “I guess I could—”

“If you have to think about it, you don’t know. So let me decide for you…” He pulled out his keys and pushed at her shoulder, ushering her out of the corner and through the lecture hall. “You’re coming with me.”

Well, Y/N shrugged, if Chin-Mae had spoken…

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

“Umm…” Y/N watched Binna bouncing in place, tongue poking out in concentration as she attempted to make up her mind. Luckily, the cafe worker looked more amused than irritated, but then her friend had that effect on people. Something about her quick smiles and the bright eyeshadow she typically wore made her youthful, energetic and approachable, along with the fun hairstyles she loved to wear when she wasn’t in a professional setting.

She was pure warmth, and destined to become an amazing pediatrician, if Y/N had anything to say about it. “Should I get an iced americano?” She asked no one in particular, “Oh wait, but it’s been forever since I had any boba. That’d hit the spot right now too…”

Normally, the campus cafe was packed, people chugging coffee in anticipation of a long class, or stopping to have a quick bite because they couldn’t be bothered to leave campus or cook for themselves (though it was far from the only choice). It was a welcome surprise not to be standing knee-deep in a line nearly out the door, everyone inside already sitting and enjoying their orders.

That meant at least they wouldn’t get nasty stares for holding up the line. As Binna continued deliberating, Y/N began envisioning the moment she’d take the first blissful sip of her own caffeinated delight.

Unlike her friends, who often switched up their orders, Y/N preferred what was tried and true: cafè au lait with skim milk and a half a teaspoon of sugar. A small fingertip poked her shoulder. “…do you think?” Y/N blinked, cocking her head as she tried to figure out what she was being asked.

Something about what drink Binna should have, right? “Uh…since you like mixing it up, what about something you’ve never had before?”

Her round eyes instantly brightened, turning to the barista with a confident grin. “Ohh, what’s on your limited edition menu right now?”

The barista shared a proud look with her coworker, who had finished rinsing out mugs and happened to overhear the question. “We’re doing our artist-inspired drinks. This month it’s BTS, since they just released a new album.”

The minute the words were out of the young woman’s mouth, Y/N began silently counting down, only reaching three before Binna let out a loud squeal. She always got that way when she got the opportunity to chat about her k-pop obsession. “Oh my gosh, that’s so cool!” Eagerly lifting the little mascot attached to her backpack by a keychain, Binna gushed, “You know, I’m actually Army.”

That she was. She had the poster on her side of their room to prove it, and lots of merchandise on her desk and bookshelf. It was practically the only reason Y/N knew anything about BTS (or any other popular groups) to begin with, and her knowledge was less than that of a casual fan.

She could view a photograph or billboard advertisement and recognize she was gazing at the group of superstars who had captivated Binna and half the world. But if asked to pick them out individually and correctly name them…well, hopefully it wouldn’t be a life or death situation, because Y/N didn’t like her odds.

The next few minutes were spent with Binna and the cafe employees talking about the new album, their favorite tracks, leaving Y/N totally lost. While she was glad to see her friend having so much fun, she could really use that caffeine pick-me-up right about now. Maybe tuning into that telepathic link they always joked about having, Binna gasped, her lipgloss even shinier under the cafe’s atmosphere lighting. “Wait, oh no, you haven’t even gotten to order yet, have you? I’m so sorry. I’m terrible, your drink’s on me!”

Y/N smiled gently as her friend began to ramble about how awful she had been to make her wait for the last fifteen minutes, rubbing her shoulder in reassurance. But she wasn’t exactly about to turn down a free drink. Chinnie, who had opted not to tag along seeing as how he had a class coming up soon, was going to be sorry he missed out on being treated.

“I’ll take a…”

Binna interrupted her with a giggle, her cute little nose twitching. “Should I just order for you? I mean, I know what you’re having because it’s always the same thing. Every time. She wants a cafè au lait, skim milk and a half a teaspoon of sugar please.”

Y/N knew her friend’s cheerful declaration wasn’t in any way mean-spirited. It just wasn’t in her nature to be. She honestly couldn’t explain why that rankled her. Was it that deep down, she feared she was overly predictable?

“That’s not true…” she muttered, aiming to prove it. “I can change it up too. I’ll also take something off the limited edition menu…” She had missed what Binna ordered, so she ended with a shrug. “You can surprise me.”

The barista, whose tag read, “Minjun”, nodded eagerly. “You got it. Coming right up!”

Assuming they would wait off to the side, Y/N shuffled down the counter, only to catch Binna staring at her, wide-eyed. Today her eyes were rimmed in a nude eyeshadow, applied with an expert hand as always. “Okay, just say it.”

“You…” Binna glanced around as she moved her hands, “You picked something besides your usual!”

“It’s not that big of a deal…”

“Yes it is. For you, it is. You’re all about schedules and routines and…and sameness.”

Y/N felt her cheeks puffing, and hurried to calm herself. “Look, everyone gets tired of things being the same sometimes. I’m not that dull.” If her voice came out just a little snappish, Binna didn’t remark on it. The speedy service was a small blessing, their drinks being slid down to them as Minjun called out their orders.

Y/N squinted as she read the side of her cup, more specifically the label. Jimin’s Jumping Jubilation.

Binna silently motioned to a table, her eyes nonverbally apologizing in case her comment had upset her, and Y/N took the lead, playfully brushing her on the way over so she knew all was well. “So,” she said after taking a careful sip. “Jimin tastes a whole lot like coconut milk and dehydrated pineapple bits.”

Binna made a funny face, having finished taking a long sip of her Suga n’ Spice. The delayed snort was well worth getting slightly sprayed. Nothing about her friend looking anxious or down suited her. “Y/N!” Binna squealed, slapping at her from across the table. “You can’t just say that in public. People’ll think you read those dirty BTS fanfics.”

“They…have those?” She was well and truly clueless, and maybe it was for the best if it stayed that way. “You know what? Never mind.” Neither of them really seemed to mind the change of conversation, settling into their seats comfortably and watching the world go by outside. “Are you still going to the rugby game this weekend? Min Su and Chin invited me, but I’d feel like a third wheel on their date if you didn’t come.”

Binna’s cute manicured nails rapidly tapped both sides of her cup. “Oooh you know I’ll be there to keep you from third-wheeling.” she winked. “Plus, it’s KU’s biggest rival, right? That means Yonsei University boys.” Y/N cracked a grin as she watched Binna fan herself, pretending to swoon. “I thought you swore off boys at least until after finals.”

“I did!” She nodded expressively. “But there’s no harm in looking.”

“I guess there’s tha—”

“Eek, a bee! How’d it get in here?!” Her friend’s screech turned several heads, Binna trying to hop up from her side of the table and flailing just a bit to keep the buzzing insect at bay simultaneously. Y/N watched her arm strike the side of her mostly filled cup, the liquid splashing in slow motion…right over the ancient flip phone lying innocently on the table.

Realizing what she’d done, Binna stared down in horror. “Oops! Y/N I am soooo sorry! I swear I’m too klutzy to live, and you know I’ll make this right and get you a new one. You can have any color, just—”

“Bin,” Y/N held up a palm. “Breathe.”

Perhaps recognizing she had withheld a breath or two in the middle of her rambling, her friend took a deep inhale.

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose.” Though Y/N had a sinking feeling it would do very little good, she still attempted to dry off the phone with some napkins, able to see her reflection in the dark screen. “It was just…its time to go, I guess.”

Slowly lowering herself back into her chair, Binna stared down at the deceased cellular device, an errant giggle escaping. “Well now that you have to get a new phone, at least Chinnie won’t have a reason to keep bugging you about it?” she offered, looking entirely too cute to be mad at.

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

Y/N cringed at her wet pant leg as she climbed from the passenger side of Chin-Mae’s car. If she’d known the day would end in rain, she would have worn rain boots, as much as they clashed with her business casual attire. It was a small miracle that she at least had an umbrella in her bag. Her friends huddled under and shared Binna’s, which featured a vaguely familiar pink bunny with a rather aggressively cocked eyebrow.

The bell above the door chimed as the trio shuffled into the phone store, which was nice and toasty to combat any would be draft from the rain. No one else was inside, only the quiet hum of the heat going filling the space. “Where do you think we should start looking?”

There were so many shiny models on display in different spots on the shop floor it was hard to know where to focus. No sooner had Binna asked than a Samsung employee popped up from the back room, a few boxes carefully balanced in his arms.

Glancing their way, the young man, who couldn’t be much older than them, gave a polite customer service smile. Y/N waited patiently as she set down the boxes on the counter near checkout then beelined straight to them, his name tag gleaming under the store lights.

“Uh-oh, someone needs a new phone, huh?” He sighed sympathetically.

“How’d you know?” Chin-Mae asked, hands tucked into his pockets. He was wearing Min Su’s favorite hoodie, which enveloped him quite well given the difference in their builds. Y/N found herself irrationally jealous, wishing briefly she had a boyfriend to steal warm, snuggly clothes from.

“I just thought it’s the most likely reason you’d come out in such nasty weather.” he explained. “This is the kind rainy evening that makes you want to get cozy somewhere.”

He wasn’t wrong, Y/N thought. What an intuitive salesman.

“It’s me,” she said, stepping forward and raising her hand. “I’m the one that needs the new phone.”

He hummed with a tilt of his head. “Ah, anything in mind?”

“Anything would be an improvement from that ugly old dinosaur she thought it was okay to keep for eight years.” Chin-Mae groaned. “It finally bit the dust today.”

“Actually, it was murdered.” Y/N corrected.

“I’m sorry!” Binna wailed, hiding her face guiltily.

“I certainly have to agree it was time for an upgrade.” The clerk whistled. “Eight years is quite a long time.” He began to walk, motioning for the group to follow as he looked over his shoulder. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything similar to what would’ve been on the market back then, even in our used phone selection, but I’ll do my best to find a suitable replacement for your baby.”

“Something simple that gets the job done.” Y/N piped up. “That’s all I need.”

“Please, tell her she doesn’t have to live like this!” Binna whined, clasping her hands together. “She can have style, high-tech features and efficiency.”

Exasperated, Y/N turned to glare at her friend. “Bin, I—”

“She’s right,” the salesman said, “I can get you all that. If you’re interested, of course.”

“She is.” Chin-Mae cut her off before she could so much as open her mouth. His grip on her shoulders was tight, almost like a warning…

Knowing that her friends weren’t about to relent, Y/N decided to cooperate and get it over with. She’d rip it off, like a bandage.

“I am.” She agreed, less than enthusiastically.

All three of them perked up, and Y/N had a feeling she was in for a long evening.

The clerk showed them various types of phones, rattling off their features with ease and even explaining how to navigate the touch screens. Y/N personally didn’t think she was that hopeless, but kept her mouth shut and let him finish each demonstration. Binna and Chin-Mae chimed in more than once, mentioning how impressed they were with this model or that and ushering her toward their personal picks.

Y/N wasn’t quite sure any of the ones they saw were right for her. ‘What happened to simple?’ she wondered. That concept had long since gone out the window it seemed.

“And this is the last one I have to show you.” The employee, who had told them to call him Suk-kyu, rounded yet another display. This one featured a line of phones in various colors, as sleek and fancy as all the rest. What caught Y/N’s attention was the flip design. Finally! An ode to the phones of yesteryear. “It’s the Galaxy Z!” Suk-kyu gushed, plucking one of the phones on the table from its resting place and carefully placing it in Y/N’s hands. “It’s got that old school design you like, but this baby is all new and cutting edge. Ask me what it does. It does it all!”

The man loved his job, that was for sure. It was either that or he got paid off commissions, because he was certainly making the hard sell. Suk-kyu let her see everything the phone could do. And true to his word, that was quite a lot. His eyes twinkled expectantly as Y/N deliberated over the seven colors it came in. “I think we have a winner!” he cheered, “Who’s your bias? That’s probably the best color to go with if you’re having trouble deciding.”

Y/N blinked, a pink phone in one hand and a purple phone in the other. “Who’s my…what?”

“Oh,” Binna chuckled, “There’s no need in bothering with that Suk-kyu. Y/N wouldn’t be interested in all that.”

“Interested in what?” Said girl asked quietly, beginning to feel like she was missing a vital piece of the conversation. The piece that made it make sense.

“Ah,” Suk-kyu rubbed his arm sheepishly. “I guess not everyone is. I just thought maybe you chose to get one of these phones because you’re a BTS fan. Most of the people who bought them have been. Actually we barely keep them in stock for long. This is the first time we’ve had all seven colors available since release day.”

“What’s with everyone and BTS today? What’s that got to do with the pho—”

Chin-Mae tapped her shoulder, pointing to direct her attention to one of the monitors mounted over their heads. Y/N gaped as she saw the famous boy band using the very same model of phone she was about to purchase in a commercial.

‘Of course,’ Y/N could have rolled her eyes. What product didn’t they endorse? ‘Okay, I guess it’s impressive from a business standpoint. I’ll give them that. It’s every company’s dream to find a brand ambassador with the golden touch that’ll keep the product flying off the shelves.’ As an aspiring businesswoman currently taking courses in product marketing and distribution, Y/N couldn’t deny they were something else.

“Uh…you know what? I think I’ll take this one after all.” She announced, ignoring Binna and Suk-kyu’s twin gasps of joy. “Just to try it out. If it’s good enough for BTS, I’m sure it’s good enough for a plain old business major like me.”

Seconds later, they watched the grown man skip to the back to retrieve the color she selected.

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

Rubbing a knuckle over her eye, Y/N yawned, staring blearily at the time displayed on her new phone. Huh, almost midnight. Didn’t feel like it was that late…but then it might explain the heaviness of her eyes.

Binna was already tucked into bed and snoring quietly on the other side of the room, leaving Y/N up by herself, toying with the cellphone she hadn’t expected to become so invested in.

Hoisting herself off her mattress, the tired university student stretched, hearing the satisfying pop in her back as she crept toward the bathroom, phone loosely clutched in hand. She’d brush her teeth and then go to bed.

Tomorrow was a rare day off for her, so she had plenty of time to play with explore the phone’s features at her leisure. And, of course, get a leg up on her next assignment.

Y/N had always treated school like she intended to treat the business world, and no one survived in business unless they could always stay five steps ahead of everyone else.

Y/N shuffled completely into the girls’ shared bathroom, shutting the door almost all the way before she flipped on the light, hoping the tiny sliver didn’t disturb Binna.

Thinking it over, she scoffed at the notion. Yeah right, that girl slept like the dead. Someone could scream about a fire in the building and she’d just roll over.

Taking her electric toothbrush from the charger, Y/N rummaged under the sink, locating the small bag that contained her toiletries and squirting a little toothpaste on the brush’s head. She put the setting on a slow pace, always wanting to be sure she got every nook and crevice.

Running the brush everywhere inside her mouth, slow and methodical, Y/N hummed to a song she didn’t really remember. That helped her keep track of how long she needed to brush, even if the toothbrush had an automatic counter.

She had used a manual one for so many years, to do her own mental counting was simply force of habit. And she was nothing if not a creature of habit, according to most people who knew her. But, was that really such a bad thing? She never used to think so, but recently it felt like another way to call her bland.

Leaning down into the sink, Y/N spit, turning on the tap and gargling away the rest of the minty foam in her mouth. Satisfied, she spit again, splashing the cool water on her face and setting her toothbrush down. Patting her skin dry with a small towel, the young woman took a small sigh, raising her face to the mirror and expecting to see her tired reflection staring back.

Except for the fact that the person in the mirror did not have the right features to be her reflection. Hell, they didn’t even have the right gender!

Y/N’s eyes popped wide open, sleepiness dissolving in an instant at the equally shocked face of the man who was gazing back at her. His distractingly full lips were rimmed in white toothpaste, as if he had just finished brushing his own teeth. Light brown, almost tangerine-tinted hair hung messily into his dark eyes, which had enlarged to what had to be triple their normal size.

And his skin… it probably wasn’t the best time to be noticing, what with her clearly hallucinating and all, but he had to have the tightest pores. They were nonexistent, really. His skin was smooth and blemish free. There wasn’t much more of him she could see, save for the black t-shirt that hung from his impossibly wide shoulders, filling the rest of the space in the mirror.

It looked like he sucked in a breath at the same time she did, and Y/N finally stumbled back, unsure why she was seeing what she was. Blinking, she smacked both palms over her eyes and then opened them again, finding everything as it should be. The handsome man was gone, and she was alone with her reflection. All was right with the world.

Shaking her head, Y/N scurried from the bathroom and flipped off the light, trying not to drop her phone in the dark. Sleep. She needed sleep, and lots of it.

#bts fanfic #call me crazy #ot7 bangtan #ot7 x reader #yoongi x reader #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #jungkook x reader #taehyung x reader #poc!reader

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