#buddy please she needs you to rein her back

[owedfavors]

I've said this to people in the past, but I don't know if I've ever said it here but just... the way pike is 90% of una's moral compass and therefore her tether when she goes too far is... everything to me. una who will overload a phaser and kill four humans and a whole group of talosians in order to keep one man from imprisonment. una who designs an honestly goddamn traumatic test for a cadet wanting a posting on enterprise. una who goes through unsanctioned channels to get information on spock when he's missing. una who, without authorization, commandeers experimental tactical flyers and installs weapon systems on enterprise's landing craft... the real problem is, pike's 90% of una's moral compass and sense of what is morally acceptable... but he also becomes way too indulgent of her and it shows...

[keep-the-wolves-close]

Steady Heart

Chapter 37: O Death

* Pairing: Slow-burn Kayce Dutton x OFC Stella Daniels

* Rating: M

* Warnings: language, dread, violence, kidnapping

* Word count: 1,881ish

I would love to give credits to @dameronscopilot and @deanscroissant for being sounding boards for me during this whole process, giving outsider insight, being cheerleaders, and allowing me to screech at them about things that have happened during the writing process. I seriously couldn't have gotten this far without y'all.

Author's note: I hope everyone is enjoying so far! I hope you love this chapter as well! Please don’t come for me with pitchforks and torches! 😅

Feel free to scream at me in my ask box. I have a feeling we’re all going to need to.

Stella had gone out to the barn to grab Abigail to go for a night ride. The bay roan was antsy. The mare could tell Stella was anxious. Stella hadn’t really had much of a chance to take her out properly as of late, so that didn’t help.

Kayce said he loved her. That still floored her. She wasn’t sure if she was overreacting or not. Her mind tried to downplay what had happened. The last time she got ahead of herself, she ended up getting humbled really quick. She definitely didn’t want to do that this time.

Stella had a hard time comprehending why Kayce would be interested in her at all. If that’s what was truly happening here. She would have to suck it up sooner or later and find out. Then again, Kayce had bigger things going on. He was getting everything settled and finalized with his soon to be ex-wife. He had a living situation, and the time with his son to figure out. There’s no way he would have even been thinking about her during all of that.

Stella quietly led Abigail to the outside. On their way out of the barn, she spotted a solitary crow sitting on a fence nearby. Her face scrunched. A single crow? At night time? ‘What was that rhyme about crows? One for sorrow? Two for mirth? Somethin’ somethin’ blah blah.’ She felt her chest tighten at the thought of what that could mean. She’d seen one too many single crows lately. ‘You gotta stop freakin’ yourself out, girl.’ Stella heard noise ahead of her and saw Tate over at the round pen. He was alone, with what looked to be an armful of hay. She led Abigail over to the youngin’ and his horse.

“Tate, what’re you doin’ out here all by yourself?” She thought it was strange that he was allowed to come out by himself at night. Yes, the ranch was safe for all intents and purposes, but there was no way to effectively say it was safe at all times. It was late and most of the guys in the bunkhouse were out taking care of Jimmy’s problem. Stella ran a count in her head of who was still home. Jamie, Colby, Ethan, and Jake were the only ones in there. They were probably already looking at the backs of their eyelids.

The little boy latched the gate behind him, and faced her. “Grandpa said I had to feed my horse before I got dessert because it’s not fair that I’m treating myself and he’s down here hungry.”

Stella smiled. “Well he’s right, buddy. We can’t just forget about our pets,” she gently patted Abigail’s shoulder. “Do you want a ride back to the house? I’ll let you ride while I walk her.”

Tate’s eyes lit up. “Yeah!”

“Alright, bud. Come stand over here.” Stella knelt down and cupped her hands so Tate could step into them in order to give him a hike into the saddle. When he was seated safely, she handed him one of Abigail’s reins and held the other to walk her along. “So back to what your grandpa was saying.”

Tate sighed. He hadn’t been expecting a lecture from Stella.

“They depend on us. If we don’t come to help them out, they can’t just go get the hay or the feed for themselves.” Stella looked up at the boy. “They don’t have thumbs.” She wiggled her thumbs at him, successfully making him giggle.

“Yeah, you’re right, Aunt Stell. I gotta start thinking about him too.”

Stella nodded, “now you’re thinkin’ like a cowboy.” The fast crunch and skid of tires on the gravel of the hill could be heard not far behind them.

“Who’s that?” Tate questioned.

Stella’s face pulled into a frown and stopped Abigail’s motion and quickly walked around front of her. She wasn’t familiar with the van. Her stomach dropped thinking back to a few weeks ago with those men that were following her. How she said to Kayce a few nights back, “how can you be sure? There’s so many places people can sneak onto the property and we all would be none the wiser.” A couple men spilled out of the van and started to close the gap between them rapidly.

“Tate, get down now!” She clambered to catch the boy so he didn’t hit the ground too hard. She grabbed his shoulders to hold his attention. Quickly, she explained to him, “no matter what happens next, no matter what you hear, I need you to run. And if you can’t make it to the house, I need you to hide in the best hide and seek spot you can think of that’s out of sight and don’t come out until you hear someone you know! Do you understand me?”

He shook his head quickly.

“Take Abigail, use her as cover to run until you aren’t seen anymore. She’ll find someone when she runs off. Go!”

“But Aunt Stel —,” Tate started to object, but Stella cut him off.

“— I said go!! Run!” Stella yelled at him. She hated to scare him, but something was awfully wrong about the situation.

She knew Abigail would make her way back to the barn or in front of the bunkhouse. Stella needed her to be a distraction to keep Tate safe. She stalked off to the round pen. Cursing herself that she only had her hunting knife on her.

“Can I help y’all?” Stella called out to them, shocked at herself for sounding almost like Rip.

“Yeah we’re looking to get a message to John Dutton.” The lead man expressed.

“You are, huh?” She slid the knife out of its belt holster, that belonged to her and Ryan’s dad, in a fluid motion. To the men she approached it looked like she fixed her jacket. “Y’all tell me and you can leave. I’ll relay the message.” She tried to keep her eyes on the men and make sure she could see where Abigail was headed in her peripheral vision. If she couldn’t see Abigail anymore that meant Tate was one step closer to safety.

“Nah we can’t do that. We were sent with a specific purpose. You weren’t it.” The lead man confessed. Stella’s heart sank at the implication about Kayce’s son. “Now where’s the boy, Stella?”

Her hands started to go clammy. Her breathing was shallow. “How do you know my name?”

“We know a lot of things about you. About everyone here.”

The second man started to search around. Stella couldn’t see Abigail any longer. She closed her eyes for a split second and breathed hard. She prayed with every last bit of her soul that Tate was on his way to his grandpa.

“That’s nice, but you need to leave. You’re not getting anything.”

“We came for the boy, and we will not let anyone, let alone some girl, stop us.” The lead man yelled to his partner, “Cut out farther until you find him. I’ll take care of her.”

Stella turned abruptly, starting to make a mad dash for the bunkhouse. Her burning legs wanted to give out, but she pushed them to go faster. She could hear the lead man behind her as he gained length on her. He was almost on top of her and she panicked. She grabbed a piece of rebar sticking out of the sand by the round pen and swung it at the face of the lead man, hard. Stella swung as if she was trying for a home run.

The man’s jaw snapped shut and reopened as he let out a deafening scream. He grabbed the bar tight and yanked her toward him. “You filthy bitch!” The man’s words came out garbled. He gripped up Stella’s hair and pulled as hard as he could.

Stella stabbed at the man with her knife, but in her panic she didn’t have a good hold. She punctured his leg and he howled in pain. It didn’t have the desired effect Stella had wanted. She jabbed wildly and got him in his side twice before the lead man was able to slip it out of her hands.

Tate must have seen her struggle because he screamed her name loud and clear from not far off, “Aunt Stella!!”

“Fuck!” She wrestled with the man to get her balance back and his hand out of her hair. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tate as he ran over to her. “Tate, I said run to the house!” Stella screamed at him.

Tate continued to dart toward her, he wanted to get the men away from Stella. He was snatched up by the second man she’d lost sight of.

“Stella!!” His tiny voice hollered. Tate struggled against the second man’s grasp.

Stella broke loose from the lead man and started to scramble for the second, but was grabbed from behind. “Fuck you piece of shit! Let us go!”

A fist hammered down onto her head from the man that had her, knocking her glasses off her face. She groaned as her vision blurred. She tried to get her foot behind or under the man’s leg, to sweep his foot out but he stayed on top of it. His arms were wrapped around the top of hers as she struggled to gain some high ground. She didn’t want to do this, but she didn’t have any other option but to ram her head backwards into his nose as hard as she could. She hoped she would break it.

Stella and the lead man both cried out, and he loosened his grip. Her head started to thump wildly. Quickly slipping her right arm out of the weak hold he had on it, Stella wrapped it around the lead man’s neck and tried to flip him like she would a calf. They both hit the ground and groaned. Stella was winded and half woozy, but scrambled her way to standing.

She ran forward trying to make it closer to the bunkhouse. A silent prayer was said. Stella let out a scream she hoped would be heard by the entire ranch. “Colby! Anyone help!!” She would have gotten away if the other man hadn’t been enraged and made his way back for her after getting Tate in the van.

“Fuck!” She squeaked out. He gripped her up by the neck making her lose air and landed a solid fist to her face that dazed her. Her posture drooped and the man behind her let her fall to the ground.

She tried to claw her way back to standing to run toward the van. Both men kicked her sides, her head, her arms; anything they could get at to make sure she stayed down. The bunkhouse was too far away to have heard their screams clearly. She couldn’t breathe from the wind being knocked out of her and her vision was starting to go. No one was coming this time. With one final attempt to crawl back to her feet to get to the van, the lead man landed a knockout blow to her chin with his foot and Stella stopped moving all together. That solitary crow cawed and fluttering wings was the last thing Stella heard.

[starlitangels]

(Like The) Fairy Tale Movies

L i s t e n. Yesterday’s video got me soft and Davey had to tell his kids about how it happened in canon. 2.1k words

—

“Angel—no, Natalie, get down—angel can this please be the last time you leave me alone with the kids?” David asked over the phone. I laughed, watching my screen as he had to move and snatch our daughter.

“I’ll be home tomorrow. I thought you said you could handle them both for a four-day business trip.”

“I can. But Asher decided to bring Evelyn over for a playdate—and Asher decided to also bring a Halloween-sized bag of candy.” The video jerked. “Gabriel, stop pulling your sister’s hair.”

“Davey, you know sugar highs aren’t actually a thing, right? Like, placebo effect maybe but the kids don’t even know what the concept is.”

“I’m well aware. But that doesn’t mean the kids don’t get overexcited when we get unexpected friendly visitors bearing candy, and you’re not here to help me rein them in,” David grumbled.

“Uncle Aaaaash!” Natalie shouted somewhere in the background.

The video call lurched again—I was gonna have to look away soon or risk getting motion sick. “Natalie Jean Shaw. You do not try to jump off the counter!” David snapped. My daughter’s maniacal giggle was all that she gave him in response. I heard him sigh heavily.

“Whaaat?” Asher’s voice asked off-screen. “C’mon buddy. Sometimes, ya gotta let her learn the hard way! She jumps off and takes a tumble and she learns not to jump off the counter anymore! Problem solved!”

Natalie giggled again. I caught a glimpse of her pigtail braids on the screen.

“I do not need her breaking her arm and the three-hour lecture from Marie about being a more careful father when she has to come heal it.”

“Just call Sam, then,” Asher said with a laugh. “He’s got Micah. He knows how these girls are.”

David pinched the bridge of his nose on my screen. “We are not having this discussion, Asher.” He turned to look at me. “Can I call you back in an hour, angel?”

“Of course. I’m just at the hotel for the rest of the night.”

He gave me a soft look. The one he reserved for only me. “Thank you.”

“I love you, Davey.”

“I love you too. So much.”

I blew him a kiss. He smiled and pretended to catch it before disconnecting the video call.

—

David flopped down width-wise across the bed. After Asher and Evelyn left and David finally got his nightmares ready to go to bed, he’d called his angel, finished their conversation, chatted a little more, and then they had to get some sleep—being several timezones ahead.

He was tired in a way that he hadn’t been since Natalie was an infant. He loved his spouse and was proud of the work that they loved so much, but he missed them terribly when they weren’t home. He enjoyed having some one-on-two time with the kids—but it could get exhausting fast. Natalie was so curious and always had questions. Gabriel was easier but damn he could get rowdy when he wanted to. Especially when Evelyn was around. Those two were a Dynamic Duo if he ever saw one.

He knew he needed to get up and shower before getting in bed, but his muscles kept saying, “One more minute,” whenever he tried to get them to respond.

Finally, he grumbled and got to his feet. His shower was quick and thorough, as usual. He threw on his pajamas and plopped back onto the bed. Considering a short nap before going back downstairs to finish the paperwork he’d been falling behind on.

He felt his eyes fluttering closed.

“Daddy?” a small voice asked from the door.

David took a deep breath and sat up.

Natalie was standing there in her smiley-face-star-patterned purple pajamas. Her comfort blanket was in one hand, the small wolf plushie she’d dubbed “Sheldon” in the other. The hand with the blanket was up under her eyes.

“What is it, baby girl?” he asked gently, holding his arms out.

She toddled into the room, stumbling on the hem of her blanket every couple steps. When she got to the tall king-sized bed, David bent down and hoisted her up into his lap.

She sniffled. There were tears in her eyes. “I... I miss them,” she said quietly.

David sighed, a melancholy smile appearing on his face. “I know, Natty. I do too.” He wiped her eyes with the opposite corner of her blanket.

A floorboard creaked, muffled slightly by being under the upstairs carpet.

“I know you’re there, Gabriel. You can come in,” David said.

Gabriel ran in, jumping as high as he could to try and get up onto the bed. He was tall for his age but still too short to make it, and bounced off the corner like a rubber band. David put Natty on one leg so he could bend and scoop up his son, putting him on the mattress next to him. “You missing them too?”

Gabriel nodded, eyes wide and staring up at him. David never quite got over looking down into his own exact eye color at his son, or his mate’s when looking at his daughter. He wondered if he ever would. Probably not.

David pulled Gabriel in close to his side, keeping Natty secure with his other arm. “It’s okay, Gabriel. I miss them too.”

Both of his kids clung to him, small fists balling in his pajama shirt.

David scooped them both up, one in each arm, and scooted across the bed until he could get under the covers with both of them. They each rested their heads on his shoulders.

“Daddy?” Natalie asked.

“Yeah, baby girl?” He gave her damp braid a gentle tug, acknowledging he was listening.

“How did you know you wanted them as your mate?” Her voice was small.

David smiled, a soft chuckle rising, unbidden, from his throat at the memories. “Because they acted a lot like you do, and you know how much I love you.”

“But I wasn’t born yet,” she protested.

“Nope. Not by a long time. But they were bright and happy and sweet and playful—and they liked teasing me. No one had teased me in a long time because I was the alpha and my friends thought they couldn’t anymore. My mate didn’t know anything about magic or wolves when we met.”

Gabriel nodded. “Like how we can’t mention it to our cousins on their side of the family.”

“That’s right, buddy,” David agreed. “But when I met them, I knew I was going to like them. Then, the more time we spent together, the more we fell in love.”

Natty giggled. “‘Are you hungry’?” she asked, trying to drop her voice in a low imitation of his. But it sounded more like how his angel imitated his voice than his actual voice.

David heaved a heavy sigh. “Of course they told you about that,” he muttered under his breath. “Yes, that’s what I asked after I told them I loved them for the first time.” Gabriel giggled too. “I didn’t know what else to say. I’d never told anyone I was in love with them before.”

“Were you scared?”

“A little.”

“Awww! Daddy, why? Didn’t you know they loved you too?”

“I hoped so. But... sometimes it feels complicated when it comes to love.”

Natalie shook her head. “No it doesn’t. If you love somebody, you say it!”

You’ll understand what I’m talking about when you’re older, David thought, but didn’t say out loud.

Natalie squirmed out from under his arm and climbed up onto his torso. Even resting her head on his chest, she was so small that her toes didn’t even reach his knees yet. She put her chin on his sternum and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Did you ask them to marry you or did they ask you?”

David chuckled. “I asked them, sweet pea. We’d been together for... nearly four years.”

Natty wiggled on top of him. “How did you ask? Was it like the fairy tale movies?”

“It felt like it, but it wasn’t as... fancy,” David replied. “You remember the big party we have with the whole pack in December for the MoonBound solstice?”

Natty nodded fervently. “Uh-huh. I love the party!”

David reached up with his now-free arm and set a hand on her back to hold her in place before she slipped off his torso and landed on her brother. He nodded slower. “Well, it was after the party. The rest of the pack had gone home. It was just me and my mate in the house—the one we owned before this one. We were just having a quiet rest of the night before the strength of my magic started to fade again after the pack run. We were just... sitting on the couch... relaxing.”

Natty scrunched her whole face up, not having mastered just scrunching her eyebrows yet. “And you just... asked? You didn’t get down on one knee?”

David smiled and laughed softly. “Let me finish, baby girl,” he said. “I did get down on one knee. I said some mushy things about how much I loved them and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, then I got down on one knee and asked if they’d marry me.”

Natalie gasped. “Did they say yes?!”

Gabriel scoffed. “Of course they did, stupid,” he snapped. “They wouldn’t be married now if they didn’t!”

“Gabriel, we don’t call people stupid,” David chided.

“But... Uncle Ash calls Uncle Milo stupid,” Gabriel pointed out.

“Uncle Asher needs to learn how to talk nicely to other people,” David said firmly.

“Are you going to wash his mouth out with soap?” Natalie asked.

David couldn’t stop the snort that made both his kids jump. “No, Natty. His mate might, but that’s their job, not mine.”

“Oh, okay.” She moved her head so her chin was no longer on his sternum but instead rested her ear to it. 

The three Shaws were quiet for a few minutes. Gabriel seemed to have fallen asleep.

“Daddy?” Natty asked again, quietly.

“Yeah, baby girl?”

“I’m glad you got married.”

He smiled. “Me too.” He smoothed some of her messy flyaway hairs off of her face.

“You could have been more fancy when you asked though. Like the fairy tale movies.”

“I could have. But keeping it simple felt right for us.”

Natty yawned. “Okay,” she said.

David chuckled lightly. “Get some sleep, baby girl.”

She yawned wider. “Okay.”

Within seconds, she was breathing deep on his chest. Sound asleep.

David’s small smile grew. “I love you, baby girl.”

“Love you too, Daddy,” she whispered in her sleep.

—

I crept into the house at five in the morning, waving to Sam in thanks. He waved back and drove off. He’d volunteered to come pick me up since it would be before dawn and he hadn’t wanted David to have to pack up the kids that early.

Once the door was eased shut and locked behind me, I abandoned my suitcase next to it and snuck up the stairs.

Gabriel’s room was the closest to the stairs. I poked my head in to see if he was sleeping.

His bed was empty, the sheets rumpled. Wolfy McFloof—the larger wolf plushie Asher had given him when Natty was born—was jammed haphazardly between the bedside table and the bed itself.

My heart started pounding louder. I took a step and a half across and up the hall to Natalie’s room.

Her bed was the same. But her small comfort blanket and Sheldon were also missing.

A pit formed in my stomach and I ran to my and Davey’s room, ready to throw open the door and see it empty. To see my family snatched in the middle of the night while I was gone. By whom, I had no idea.

I grabbed the knob and shoved the door open.

A large, misshapen lump sat in the middle of the bed, covers draped over it.

On quiet feet, I slipped over.

The anxiety eased away when I saw David’s face. Gabriel tucked under one of his arms—and Natalie lying on his chest with a small smile on her face. Sheldon and her blanket in each hand. I sighed with relief and sagged down, kneeling beside the bed.

Davey heard me. One of his lush green eyes peeked open.

He gave me a soft, lovestruck smile. The same one he only ever gave me.

“Welcome home, angel.”

—

Tag list: @zozo-01 @arialikestea @mainhoesstuff  @darlin-collins (I’m adding you tentatively because this is David even though you didn’t specifically request the Pups AU. If you don’t wanna be tagged in this kinda stuff, you can let me know if you’d like)

[comfort-writing]

Camp Patoka

Chapter 1: Settling in to Cabin 11

Being a counselor at the summer camp you grew up in was a dream come true. That was until Steve, another counselor, began to ruin it for you. A rivalry begins.

warnings: this fic will be 18+ in future chapters- minors DNI!! no use of y/n. (please let me know if I missed anything)

a/n: the camp name is named after a wildlife reserve in Indiana :) also! thank you for 120 followers!!! 🤍 let me know in the comments or my asks if you want to be added to the tag list! requests are open!

word count: 3.6k

Chapter 1 || 2 (coming soon!)

You were sitting in your room in your tiny apartment when you got the call. You’d rushed to the phone, having a feeling that on the other end, your dream job awaited.

You were correct.

Camp Patoka, the summer camp you’d attended every summer since you were old enough to, had accepted your application to be a camp counselor over the summer. You’d remained calm on the phone, thinking them in a professional manner, but as soon as you heard the dial tone and hung your phone back on the wall, you jumped up and down, squealing like a little kid. Your downstairs neighbor yelled something, so you stopped jumping, but he didn’t damper your mood.

The previous summer, you’d aged out of the camp and you’d applied to be a counselor, but they’d rejected you. It was the first summer since you were five that you hadn’t gone. But now, you were able to go back to your favorite place on earth. And you’d get paid to do it! Admittedly not much, but you didn’t care.

The first person you’d thought of was Robin. She was one of your camp buddies. You lived kind of far apart, but the two of you kept up over the years. At first, the two of you exchanged letters, but as you’d grown older, you called each other every once in a while. She was able to get the job last summer, and you were happy for her, but you’d wished you’d been there too. Spending the summer apart just didn’t feel the same. You’d spent it working as a bartender, and the regulars didn’t make up for the Robin-and-s’mores sized hole in your little heart.

You knew that they were calling everyone who’d gotten the job between now and three today, so you decided to wait until then to give her a call, not wanting to block her phone line.

At exactly three o’clock, your phone rang. You smiled and got up to answer it, knowing for sure who was on the other end.

“Hey Robin.” You said, trying to sound dejected.

“Oh no.. again?” She asked sadly, knowing how heartbroken you’d been last year.

You couldn’t help but smile, “Nope! I got it! Did you?” You said excitedly.

“Oh my god! Yes! I got it too!” She beamed.

The two of you giggled and did your respective happy dances before continuing the call.

“Robin, I am literally so excited! Did they give you your cabin assignment over the phone?” You asked, hoping the two of you would be on the same side of the camp.

Camp Patoka was divided into two distinct sections: Lakeside cabins and Woodside cabins. Lakeside was typically for the younger kids, as it was closer to the main pavilion and a lot of the activities. Woodside was for the older kids, as they were able hike a bit to where they needed to be.

The sides had fifteen cabins each, and each cabin competed in week-long competitions to see which cabin reined supreme. But, the two sides of camp also competed, and at the end of the summer, during the counselor’s party, you’d find out which side won.

“I’m in Woodside, cabin 12.” She said happily, “What about you?”

“Dude- I’m in Woodside cabin 11!” You practically yelled, happy to be able to be right next to each other the entire time.

“This is literally amazing!” She screamed, causing you to hold the phone away from your ear for a second and laugh, “I convinced my friend Steve to apply too, and he’s in cabin 8! We’re all so close to each other!”

The two of you finished up the conversation, excited to see each other after a full year apart.

A few weeks later, you were on your way to camp, your car filled with everything you’d need. You packed clothes for the entire summer, stuff for your bunk, and cute decorations for your cabin. You jammed out to the radio in the way there, windows down to enjoy the warm, early summer air that you loved more than anything.

You arrived at the camp around 9:30 in the morning, thirty minutes before you’d technically needed to be there, but you went ahead and found a good spot to park your car before getting out, stretching after the long drive.

You popped open your trunk and sat in the back, relaxing and waiting for the time when the other counselors would arrive.

Slowly, cars started pouring into the parking lot, and you finally saw Robin get out of the passenger seat of a station wagon. She immediately saw you and smiled, running across the concrete and tackling you into a giant bear hug. You laughed and hugged her back with an equal amount of force, giggling.

“Oh my god I missed you!” She said, her voice muffled by your shirt.

“I missed you too!” You beamed, a bit out of breath. She finally released you from the crushing hug and stood back, looking over at the man who’d driven her here and waved him over.

He was tall, lean, and had probably the most gorgeous hair you’d ever seen. He seemed confident, which is something you’d liked in a guy, but maybe a little overtly so. His sneakers crunched against the concrete as he headed your way. Once he arrived, he stuck out a hand for you to shake. “Steve.” He said simply.

You obliged, shaking his hand and introducing yourself.

“Steve and I went to high school together.” Robin smiled, “This is his first year as a counselor too, so you two can share war stories later on.”

You laughed, then hopped out of the trunk of your hatchback, “We ready to go check in?” You asked.

The two of them nodded, so you shut your trunk and walked with them to the main pavilion, chatting and catching up with Robin on the way there.

Once you were all checked in and ready to go, the three of you walked back to the parking lot to grab your luggage and head to your respective cabins.

You arrived at your car, lifting the trunk and lugging your two overly-packed suitcases out of the trunk before going to your front seat, grabbing your backpack out and slinging it on your back. You waited for Robin before the two of you walked to your cabins, Steve trailing behind the two of you.

He stopped at his cabin first, and Robin insisted that the two of you pause to head in and check it out before you continued to yours.

Steve unlocked the door and walked in, rolling his suitcase into the small room by the door where he’d stay before walking around. There were eight beds, excluding his own, a bathroom with two showers, and a center vanity with drawers and a large mirror.

You smiled and bumped Robin’s hip, “Remember when we stayed here?” You asked.

“That was in seventh grade, right?” She asked. You nodded, remembering the time a wasp flew into the cabin and the entire bunk of girls screamed while Robin just walked up and killed it.

“Well, this is home for the next two and a half months, huh?” Steve smiled. “You guys want help bringing your stuff to your cabins?” He asked. Robin nodded, and the three of you headed out, walking further down the little road to where the two cabins you’d be staying in sat. Steve offered to help with one of your heavy suitcases and carried Robin’s backpack on his back as you walked. Your cabin was first, and you invited them inside.

The layout was the same, but backwards. You and Steve rolled your suitcases into your area before you smiled at Robin, indicating that you’d wanted to go see her cabin. Her layout was the same as Steve’s, and she looked around for any bugs before giving a thumbs up, making you laugh.

Eventually, the three of you separated to get unpacked before lunch and training began at noon. You unpacked all of your clothes, folding them and putting them into the drawers in your tiny room that was open to the rest of the cabin. In order to have a little privacy, you’d brought an extendable shower curtain rod and cute curtains, something you’d seen your counselors do over the years. You set that up, then made your bed, flopping onto the twin mattress for a moment before sighing and getting up to finish decorating.

You turned on the small radio you’d bought, tuning it until you found a radio station that reached this far out into the woods, not really caring what music was playing but just enjoying the background noise.

You decorated your room first, stringing up lights so you wouldn’t have to use the overhead lighting, then hanging up a couple cute posters. You’d be living here for a few months, so you’d wanted to make it as homey as possible.

You then moved on to decorating the rest of the cabin, keeping it simple. A cute string of pom-poms over the mirror, a poster on the bathroom door with some encouraging words. You’d also brought dry-erase markers so you’d be able to write on the mirrors. You sat on the drawers in front of the giant mirror of the makeshift vanity area and got to work, drawing some cute little pine trees and writing ‘cabin 11’ in a cursive font. You made space to write the weekly schedule of activities for your campers, leaving it blank for now, as you hadn’t gotten it just yet.

You stepped back and smiled at your artwork. You weren’t the most amazing artist in the world, but you could make some pretty cute little doodles.

Before you knew it, it was nearing 11:45, and you heard a knock on your cabin door. Robin walked in, looking around. “Oh my god, your cabin is so cute!” She smiled, moving your curtains aside to look into your room, “Woah, it looks like you’ve lived here your whole life.”

You chuckled, “I wanted to make it feel like home!”

“No, I love it! I will definitely be hanging out in here.” She smiled, “But are you ready to head to the dining hall?” She asked.

You nodded and grabbed your lanyard, which held a spot for your name badge and you had your cabin key clicked into it as well. You’d also grabbed your backpack, which you’d packed with sunscreen, bug spray, an extra pair of hiking sandals in case yours ever broke, a mini first aid kit, and a few other small things that you’d need.

The two of you walked down to Steve’s cabin and picked him up, then trotted down to the dining hall together. You’d felt like Steve kept glancing your way, but you ignored it for the time being.

Training went by smoothly. They went over the map of the camp, handing out a few copies to every counselor, then ensured that everyone had their CPR and AED certifications up to date. They went over some housekeeping things like camp rules, the general schedule for meals and pavilion times. Then, they handed out the camp shirts for the year, as well as your schedule for the week, and the blank white flags your campers would get to decorate.

You and Robin swapped your schedules, looking them over. The two of you had the exact same schedule this week, and you likely would all summer since your cabins were connected by a deck and they typically grouped counselors by their location. She bumped your shoulder and smiled, and you smiled back, excited to spend the summer with one of your favorite people.

Once training let out, you and Robin linked arms and went to the lunch line, ready to eat the meal they’d provided. The two of you chatted about the schedule for the first week, excited to swim in the lake and ride horses.

Steve had made conversation with another male counselor, who apparently was his cabin buddy for the summer, so you and Robin ate your meal just chatting alone.

Once lunch was over, Steve walked up to the two of you. “Ready to head back?” He asked. Robin nodded and you followed the two of them out, making the familiar hike back to the Woodside cabins.

Robin spotted a bunny up ahead, so she made the two of you pause while she went to go investigate. The two of you watched as she slowly walked up to the tree line further up the road, wanting to check it out.

You heard Steve chuckle beside you, “She’s an interesting one.”

“Don’t go getting any ideas, man.” You said. Robin had actually come out to you first. She figured that if you would’ve freaked out, she wouldn’t have to deal with any repercussions back home, as you lived in a different part of the state. But when you ensured her that you loved her either way, she cried and hugged you. That was really the moment that solidified your friendship.

“Oh, I know.” He said, looking over at you, “Robin’s probably like, my best friend.” He hummed.

You nodded, trying not to giggle when Robin almost scared the bunny off by nearly tripping over a rock. “She’s definitely… really smooth.” You joked.

“Are you, like, into her?” He asked, not knowing your orientation.

You shrugged, “Well, we have made out a couple times, but it wasn’t serious. I kinda don’t have a preference, if that makes sense.”

He thought for a moment, then nodded. You could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears from the gears turning in his head. “So you’d say yes if I asked you out?” He said, raising an eyebrow. He’d definitely noticed how pretty you were. Even though you were in your camp clothes— a large tee shirt, shorts, hiking sandals, and a headband—he still thought you were good looking.

You felt a bit shocked. He said it so candidly. He also seemed a bit arrogant, which you had never been a fan of. “I don’t know you, dude.”

“Do you have to?” He said a bit suggestively, the old King Steve persona, that you had no idea about, peeking out a little.

You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, kinda.” You walked ahead a little, going to meet Robin. You turned backwards as you walked, “Stranger danger, and all.” You scoffed and turned back around, jogging up to your friend and linked your arms together to keep walking.

She frowned, your movement making the bunny walk away, “Hey!”

“I gotta talk to you.” You said, speed walking towards your cabin and pulling her along, kinda grossed out and really wanting to get out of this situation.

Once you had dragged Robin into your cabin, you shut the door and stormed into your room, flopping face first down onto your bed, “Ewww.. ew ew ew” you groaned into your comforter.

Robin trailed behind you, moving to sit on the bean bag you’d put in the corner of your little room, “What?” She asked, not aware of what just happened.

You sat up, kicking your shoes off and sitting crisscrossed on your bed, facing her, “Steve asked me out.” You frowned.

Robin only laughed, and you frowned, which made her try to surprise it, “And the tally begins.” She said, making a mental note to write it down when she got back to her cabin.

“What?”

“Steve… well, he’s a great guy and all, but he’s a bit of a player. Well, more of a reformed one?” Her statements only made you more confused, so she continued, “Steve dated half of Hawkins in high school. He was real hot shit. But since he graduated, he’s changed. He’s a lot nicer, and I think he’s looking for something more serious, but he doesn’t have the game he used to… we work at a Family Video, and I have a running tally of how many times he’s gotten shot down.”

You burst into peals of laughter at that, and she joined in. “Sorry,” you said between giggles, “You keep count?”

“Yep. And it looks like you’re his first victim of the summer. Probably because you’re the only person who knows his name right now.” She chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “You’re a victim of proximity.”

“That makes me feel a little better, I guess.” You shrugged, moving a stray piece of hair behind your ear.

“But, listen, if you do change your mind about him.. he’s a good guy. He’s one of my best friends, and I’m not trying to shit talk him or anything. I’d totally support it. He means well.” She sighed, relaxing in the cool air conditioning of the cabin.

“Boys are gross.” You teased, wrinkling your nose in disgust.

She nodded, “Agreed!”

The next couple days were spent in more counselor training, going over the safety precautions for each activity within the camp, as well as getting to know the entire team in the process.

By Monday morning, the first round of campers were arriving by 8am. You sat in pavilion, helping check campers in and pointing them towards their respective counselors. You even checked in one of your own, introducing yourself to her, as well as her parents. You pointed to where your cabin was gathering in the pavilion, saying you’d meet them over there in a little while.

Once all campers were accounted for, the camp director did introductions to the camp and herself before dismissing the cabins to go grab their stuff form cars and meet in their respective cabins. You led your group of preteens and their parents through the camp, giving a bit of a tour as you walked to the Woodside cabins. You helped get suitcases in the door to the cabin, then watched as your kids hugged their parents goodbye for the week.

You helped your girls get settled in, getting to know them. You wrote the schedule for the week on your mirror, then pulled out the blank flag and markers, sitting down with them to decorate it. Each counselor carried their flag around, making it easy for campers to spot their counselors, as well as having something unique to that group of campers. They ended up drawing out a little cabin in the woods, you finding out that one of your campers was an amazing artist, and they all drew little trees and birds, as well as writing their names at the bottom. You wrote ‘Cabin 11’ at the top in a cute font.

Once you were finished, you held up the flag, and all the girls nodded in approval before you grabbed the small PVC pipe that would act as your flag pole, and you slid the flag onto it, then stuck it by the door. You looked at your watch, and it was about time for everyone to gather at the pavilion again for the first games of the week before each cabin was dismissed for their first activity. You had arts and crafts today, so it would be a chill day to start off the week, which was nice.

You instructed the girls to get ready to go, and you did as well, putting your shoes back on and grabbing your backpack, as well as the flag. You stood by the door and once everyone was ready, you walked out, having them sit on the little benches on the deck while you knocked on Robin’s door. She smiled and opened it, ready to go as well. The two of you gathered your campers and started the hike back to the camp’s main pavilion.

“Should we teach them our favorite song?” Robin asked. You smiled and nodded, then the two of you walked backwards and led them through a song you’d leaned at this camp, showing them all the arm movements that went along with it, laughing all the way as you watched your campers open up and bond with each other quickly.

At the main pavilion, the camp director introduced the camp-wide competition, then started the first game: a weird version of rock paper scissors with body movements instead of just hands. The campers competed in their cabins first, then once the numbers dwindled, cabins competed against each other until one camper was victorious, winning 10 points for their cabin.

The two finalists were one of the girls from your cabin, and a boy from Steve’s, because of course it was. The entire camp cheered them on, and your camper emerged victorious, your cabin standing up and cheering excitedly. The director marked down the points as your camper ran back, your girls group hugging her. You looked over at Steve and smirked, feeling like you’d gotten him back.

This was the beginning of a beautiful rivalry.

Tag List: @mcueveryday @bebe0701 @emma77645 @edsforehead @manda-panda-monium @nina211544 @wendyfawcett @whisperinthewoods07 @aysheashea @emxxblog @shotgunhallelujah @theanxietyqueen17 @isabel-ffl-xoxo

[dawnthefox24]

Cole: *is watching the other recruits bond and spend time with each other as he stands on the sideline arms crossed a bit, soon feeling hard lump in his chest as he tips his hat down slightly trying to calm himself down feeling darkness creeping all around him*

Rein: CASSIDY MY FRIEND WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR!?*laughs a bit noticing him*

Cole:*tenses up a bit and smiled softly at rein masking his true emotions* Nothing much Rein just happy that everyone is bonding that's all.

Rein:* walks over to him and places a hand on his back guiding him towards the group * Than join us my friend, The holiday will be boring without you

Cole:*fallows Rein even though he doesn't really want too a * look Rein I'm flattered really but I think its best I stand on the sideline...

Rein: WHAT DON'T BE RIDICULOUS COME ON HAVE FUN!!!*he laughed*

Cole: Yeah...okay but just for a few moments than I'm heading off....*he explained to him calmly*

Rein: Aww don't be like that Cole come spend time with everyone okay

Cole: Yeah okay sure....*leans against the wall in the kitchen when Sojourn and Baptiste approached him*

Sojourn:*holding a cup of hot cocoa * Hey cowboy, how you feeling?

Baptiste: Feeling alright? Cole: *smiles softly at the both of them* Peachy a bit tired but over all fine

Sojourn: *smiles softly as she sips her hot cocoa* That's good you know that Hana girl...D.va I believe she's a bit like you, you know

Cole:*smiles softly chuckling* Yeah I know, I basically told her she reminded me of myself and her response was something I would say had to remind her

Baptiste:*smile softly listening not before snapping snapping fingers* Oh I forgot the real reason why I came over to you, Hana wants to speak too you for what reason I have no clue

Cole:*raised a brow at that and nodded* Alright do you know where she is?

Sojourn:*points to where Lena, Hana, Genji and Fareeha are playing a cooking game with each other* Over there and I'm not sure why but I think they need you to be the peace mediator

Baptiste: I think Hana is about to murder Lena... Cole:*rolled his eyes and nodded* Alright will do, talk to you soon Vivian, Jean.

Sojourn: Talk to you soon Cole and happy new years

Baptiste: Happy new years Cole Cole:*smiles softly and tips his hat* You two as well...

Cole:*walks over to where Lena was and her, Genji,Hana,and Fareeha are playing a their cooking game*

Lena:*Grins happily* YES!!! I WIN AGAIN!!

D.va: NO FAIR! I WANT A REMATCH!!

Fareeha: Come on Hana, my hands are getting tired, besides you always keep bumping into me when we're suppose to be working together

D.va: That's because you suck at cooking!!!

Cole: Is this the reason why I was called over? *he said breaking the tension*

D.va:*waves Fareeha off* Yes and you may go bird girl...

Fareeha:*Is ready to throw the controller at her head only too be stopped by Genji*

Genji: It's okay Fareeha, it's just a game you also act like this when playing every type of sports!

Cole:*snatches the controller from Fareeha* Fareeha, look tell you what I think you gotta help Angela out in the kitchen since I think she needs help baking some cookies

Fareeha:*looks away with her face slightly a bit pink before clearing her throat*Alright fine and Cole please win this stupid cooking game for Hana cause I swear she was complaining that you could do it better than me

Cole:*chuckles* Maybe

Fareeha: But you can't beat me in sports though

Cole:*rolls his eyes * Just help Angela out

Fareeha:*gets up and leave before slapping in the back of the head*

Cole:*winces and rubs the back of his head* STILL CHILD I SEE!!

Fareeha:*laughs and leaves*

D.va:*hands cole the control* here take it so I can finally beat Lena at this stupid game!!

Lena: Come on Hana, you can't beat me and honestly I think Genji is getting a bit...wait where did he go?*turns to find her gaming buddy disappeared*

Genji:*come's back with Hanzo basically dragging him over* Here Anjia, play with them.....

Hanzo:*rolls his eyes* I don't want to play any childish games mainly a Christmas cooking game

D.va: Looks like someone is scared of losing*teases*

Hanzo: You lost too Lena at least 13 times already....

D.va:...SHUT YOU'RE MOU-*get her mouth covered by Cole*

Cole: Please play one game with us Hanzo, trust me this will be the last game

Hanzo:* takes the controller and sighs softly* Alright than one game

D.va: Come on Cole let's not lose too them!! Cole: *chuckles softly holding the controller in hand* Alright I'll fallow you're lead okay

D.va: *is very serious with him* you better

*Soon Cole,Hana,Hanzo and Lena played together and finally Hana wins for once*

D.va: YES!!!! IN YOU'RE FACE LENA!!! I'M THE BEST GAMER EVER!!!

Lena:*rolls her eyes but waves her hands tiredly since they were sore* Good game and my hands need a massage..... Hanzo:*smiles softly* Second place isn't that bad Cole:*smiles* Good job Hana and great job too you as well Hanzo, didn't think you can keep up with me~ Hanzo:*rolls his eyes but smiles* You just got lucky is all ~

Cole:* chuckles softly* Ain't luck but none the less it was a cheap shot that to made my character trip

Hanzo:*rolls his eyes and set the controller down* What ever you say Cole now come along, I wish not too stay here in case Hana wants another game Cole: Alright than and Hana it's okay too lose you know D.va:*looks at him with a sour face* Losing are for noobs Cole: Whatever you say Hana, but come along and set the controller down were about too have cookies okay D.va: OKay but I'm going to do one solo game okay Cole: Alright just don't stay too long Angela: *yelling from the kitchen*The cookies are ready!! Cole:*gets up and has his hand out towards Hanzo* Shall we? Hanzo:*rolls his eyes as he get's pulled up* Insufferable as ever and I'm happy that you stopped mopping Cole:*seems a bit stunned* H-How did you- Hanzo: *looked away clearly flustered* I got Reinhardt to get you, I enjoy you're company you know since Hana would stop complaining about how Fareeha sucks and she wanted you instead... Cole:*smiles softly * I see well than at least he got me out no? Hanzo:*smiles softly* Indeed cowboy, now come on I want a cookie for Rein eats them all also Happy new years Cole: *smiles lovingly at him* You read my mind pumpkin and happy new years~

[until-the-brahmin-come-home]

Day 4: Strange Hoofbeats

Roadkill first rides Biscuit under...less than ideal circumstances. 646 words

Roadkill stared at Biscuit.

Biscuit stared back.

“Steady, girl,” Roadkill muttered, carefully reaching out a hand, palm up. Instantly, Biscuit reared up on her hind legs, then turned and galloped away. Roadkill cursed and dropped her hand down.

“I grew up on a horse ranch,” she muttered. “How the hell does Omen control that beast?”

“I didn’t know you grew up on a ranch!” came Omen’s chipper voice, causing Roadkill to jump in surprise. Roadkill turned and glared at the courier, who just smiled in return.

“You don’t even know my birth name,” Roadkill said.

“I didn’t know Roadkill wasn’t what your parents named you!” came Omen’s genuinely sincere reply.

“Really?” Roadkill asked, bewildered.

“I don’t exactly have any room to talk, now, do I?” Omen said, shrugging. They whistled, and Biscuit easily trotted over to them.

“Fair enough,” Roadkill muttered, watching as Omen fussed over the horse’s tack and saddlebags. There were plenty of weirdos in the wasteland – Roadkill certainly counted herself among them – but  Omen was easily one of the weirdest. What kind of idiot offered water and a ride to someone obviously dressed in prison garb? And yet, here they were, several week’s later. It had never felt like a good time to split, and Omen seemed content to be Roadkill’s travel buddy.

“I’m sure she’ll warm up to you eventually,” Omen said, giving Biscuit one last pat on the snout. “She just needs to know she can trust you.”

“I know that,” Roadkill said, counting the ammo for her messenger’s gun. Omen did the same with their own weapons. The mission was simple: clear out a den of radscorpions. In and out.

It was not in and out.

“Fuck! Fuck! Motherfucking poisonous bastards!” Roadkill screamed, aiming her shotgun and nearly vaporizing the last radscorpion in her rage.

“They’re…venomous…” Omen breathed, slowly bleeding from several puncture wounds in their gut.

“Not the point!” Roadkill snarled, crouching down to heft Omen’s arm over her shoulder. Omen slumped uncooperatively, and when Roadkill turned to check, she realized they had fallen unconscious.  “Damn it.”

Roadkill dragged Omen’s limp body to the cave entrance, then froze. Off in the distance, but certainly way too close for comfort, was a deathclaw. It was sniffing the air curiously, and Roadkill knew it was only a matter of time before the wind changed and it noticed them.

Twenty yards from the cave entrance, Biscuit stood.

“Biscuit!” Roadkill hissed, adjusting her grip on Omen. The horse huffed. “Biscuit! Please! Omen is in danger!” Biscuit tossed her head, before trotting closer. She stood remarkably still as Roadkill rooted around in the saddlebags for stimpaks and antivenom, both horse and bandit keeping an eye on the deathclaw all the while. The second Roadkill was sure Omen was relatively stable, she hauled them onto the horse before following, grabbing Biscuit’s reins.

The horse froze, and for a terrifying moment, Roadkill was sure she was going to buck both her and Omen off.

The wind changed.

The deathclaw roared.

“Hyah!” Roadkill shouted, snapping the reins. In an instant, Biscuit took off, Roadkill barely hanging on. Roadkill peered over her shoulder and watched the deathclaw give chase.

“Come on, Biscuit, come on!” Roadkill shouted, squeezing the horses sides. Biscuit, impossibly, galloped faster, the cracked earth flying beneath them. Roadkill pulled a grenade from her belt and threw it, half-blindly, behind them. The deathclaw roared in pain, and when Roadkill looked behind her again, she saw that she had caught its leg in the blast. The injury gave the horse enough time to gain a solid lead, and within minutes Roadkill lost sight of the beast.

Once she was absolutely certain the deathclaw was far behind, Roadkill slowed Biscuit down to a stop. Sighing deeply, she turned to check on Omen, only to find the courier propping themself up.

“See? I knew you two could get along!”

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

This is all i have 😭

159

    *

Holding the icepack to his busted knuckles, Levi’s anger was barely contained. At the opposite end of Hannes’s sofa sat Reiner, the fucking model fucking patient while Hannes stitched the alpha’s split eyebrow. Personally Reiner had gotten off lucky as far as Levi was concerned, had Armin and Erwin not separated them, Reiner would be in a body bag. Kenny was gone. Grisha wasn’t answering. And Eren had taken Renee and goddamn disappeared right in front of them.

  His omega had taken a phone call. Stupidly, Levi believed it’d been from Grisha seeing they’d been trying to contact him. When Eren hadn’t gotten through, he’d that his mate’s father must have called back. Barely an hour later, Eren had simply taken Renee and walked out. He’d said nothing. Left no note. No parting words.

  “Can someone please explain this so I can understand? You said Eren’s gone missing”

  Levi’s glare tripled after Armin’s question. Erwin had been the one to call the pair, Reine slogged in the face the second he was in Hannes’s living room. Bitterly, the alpha spat out 

“Ask you friend there. He’s all buddy buddy with Historia Reiss”

Sighing heavily, Reiner stuck to the same shit he’d been spewing. Levi wanted to throttle him within an inch of his life. His mate had been upset because of the blonde giant, and now he was gone…

“I told you I don’t know anything”

  Snarling, Levi didn’t care if his distemper was showing. Kenny had fucked off, yet Levi highly doubted his uncle was to blame for this shit

“Bullshit! Eren believed in you, and you went and did this! He was suspicious enough when he came home, but I told him he was overthinking things. Now he’s fucking gone! My mate and my fucking daughter are gone”

  Armin sighed. Erwin hadn’t told him anything, only that he was in town if Armin and Reiner would be interested in coming for dinner. Levi would have left to track the pair down himself, but fucking Eyebrows had taken option away

“I’m just going to put it out there, is there any way Eren left on his own? Like to see Grisha? I mean, we all know how they get along…”

“Tch. Because we didn’t fucking think of that”

Armin raised his hands in surrender, the normally annoyingly perky alpha looked exhausted. It wasn’t his fucking mate that was missing 

“Okay. Okay. I’m trying to narrow down what happened”

“He fucking happened. He shows up and Eren goes missing…”

  Reiner let out a growl, smacking Hannes’s hand away from his face

“I had nothing to do with this. We met for lunch, Eren was tired so Armin drove him home. We were supposed to meet tomorrow so I could give him his mail. That’s all that happened”

“Then why the sudden visit? Kenny gets shot, he wakes up, and you come walking back into our lives”

  Ever the annoying arsehole, Erwin clapped his hands

“That’s enough. None of this is getting us closer to finding why Eren left and where he went. My team is tracing Eren’s incoming and outgoing calls. Now, there’s no way Kenny could have orchestrated this, is there?”

  Yes, the questions needed to be asked, but every single question was only making Levi madder. What Erwin didn’t know was that Kenny’s shitty hat being left behind indicated his uncle would be back

“No. He ran when you showed up. He warned us something was about to happen”

“I’m aware of what both you and Eren said. I’m also aware that as far as we could find, Historia isn’t communicating with Reiner. Now, realistically, Kenny is more of a suspect than Reiner”

“Kenny likes Eren enough to do him fucking favours. If Kenny was going to take Eren, he wouldn’t take Renee with him. He can’t stand her crying”

  Eren hadn’t take any of Renee’s things, he hadn’t been dressed warmly enough for the night either. All of this stank to high heaven of Historia’s shit. Erwin gave a sympathetic sigh

“At least that narrows down things”

They didn’t need to narrow it down, they needed to go storm Historia’s fucking manor and get Eren back 

“We know who took him!”

  “If it was Historia, she had to have a reason, right?”

Armin was only thinking out loud, Levi rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. The kid was the smart kind of dumb if he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. Reiner was connected and he knew it. He fucking knew it. Hannes hefted a weary sigh 

“If Historia is involved, it may because she thought Kenny told us something he shouldn’t have. You both told me you have a deal with her for your protection”

  So Eren had said. Then he’d called Erwin over, well, over Reiner and caused Kenny to flee. Historia had to have known it was a high possibility and if she’d wanted Kenny that badly, then she should have made her move before now

“Obviously she’s made up her mind that we can’t be trusted. Grisha’s been meeting with her behind our backs. He wanted to hand Kenny over immediately to Shadis. He knew what that would mean”

  Armin sighed heavily

“I’m so confused right now. But, Reiner was with me, and he didn’t make any phone calls. Whatever was said was dire enough for Eren to drop everything and leave with Renee… What if he was commanded to? Alpha commands can work over a phone, but then again Eren carries recessive genes…”

A command. Levi felt angry all over again. He’d worried about a command from Kenny, not from an outside source over the phone. He hadn’t even… and Eren was susceptible 

“He dropped to being full omega after the birth of Renee… Commands work on him, even before he shifted to full omega… but…”

  Erwin picked up where Levi’s sentence trailed off 

“Historia can’t give commands as she’s also an omega. Ymir can. In any case, it seems I need to meet with Historia. Reiner, you’ll be staying here. I’m not accusing you of anything, and of course you are at liberty to leave. Armin, you’ll also remain here with Levi and Hannes. I’d like to talk with Grisha if you can arrange that. He hasn’t answered the phone…”

That was right. Grisha hadn’t replied to Eren’s attempt to call him… but if Grisha had given Eren a command, it wouldn’t have worked seeing he was Eren’s father 

“Eren called him too and got no answer. Shit. Fuck. He’s probably made a deal with Historia over Eren”

  Erwin merely raised an eyebrow. Levi knew he wasn’t being rational, but Eren had a knack for finding trouble and this time Renee was caught up in it too. He wanted to protest going with Erwin, his alpha angered that he’d even consider waiting at Hannes’s, but if he did go with Erwin, he might just wind up with another trumped up charge of assault. Eren hadn’t even taken a jacket, or anything warm… He should have stopped him. He should have been in the room, then Eren couldn’t have walked out

“Tch. Don’t fucking look at me like that. I know I’m staying put”

“I didn’t say anything”

“But you were thinking it”

    *

Watching Grisha board the private jet back to Marley, Eren held Renee tight to his chest. He was beyond furious, Grisha had tried going behind their backs winding up with him being detained by Ymir and Historia for his own good. Now he owed both of them even more, even if Ymir had put a damn command on him to get him outside the house and into the waiting car.

  Morning had long risen the light of the day stinging his sleep deprived eyes. They’d tried to have talk some sense into his father about the dangers of poking around, Grisha going on and on about how he couldn’t let Eren get any further involved. His damn father had gone and caused a metric ton of shit for all of them, Grisha begging him to come to Marley as if he didn’t have a life right there in Shinganshima with Levi. And despite Historia’s initial lack of wanting to be in her situation, she seemed pretty damn fine with it now. Shit it all. He wanted to go home. Renee didn’t belong out on such a cold morning, she’d cried herself to sleep in his arms and he felt like a terrible parent that she’d be so upset.

  “Eren, we’re leaving”

Nodding at Historia, all he could do was follow. He highly doubted this would be the last of the trouble caused by his father. The man didn’t understand a thing. Renee should have been at Hannes’s, warm and safe where they could all fawn over the little girl when she wriggled around and kicked, figuring out her own movements.

  Climbing into the back of the sedan with Historia, Ymir climbed into the front driver’s seat. He and Grisha had been under guard on the drive out the airfield, so the change up in company left him with a little more air to breathe. He’d have to go home and explain it all now… Levi would be panicked, probably thinking that Kenny had something to do with his disappearance. Leaning over, Historia readjusted Renee’s beanie

“Eren, you understand why I did this, right?”

“It’s a little late to be asking that. You put a command on me”

“It felt necessary. What is also necessary is your help”

“Then cooperate with Erwin. Or even Shadis, not that I trust him as far as I can throw him”

“They’re not you. You and Levi put a lot of powerful people in a bad position. I may not be able to protect you… I need your expertise”

  Eren highly doubted that. Historia had warned him, Grisha hadn’t listened, and now he was stuck

“And if I said all I wanted was quality time with my mate and daughter?”

“Then I would need to remind you that you owe me. Especially considering you sheltered Kenny”

“Because he showed up bleeding to death at our apartment without explanation. Historia, I want to be done with all of this”

“And you think I don’t? Kenny’s actions…”

“Wait. I don’t know anything about them. I don’t want to know anything about them. Kenny was only there because he owes Levi some answers”

“Nonetheless, my protection would be a different story should you be working for me”

“And then what? Levi and I risk jail? Risk losing Renee? Don’t give me that, Historia. If you want out, Erwin can get you out. He can get you, Ymir and your child, away from here. I’m sick of paying for doing my job. Just how much more do Levi and I need to lose before this over?”

“Eren they know your name. They know your face. Most of my father’s friends got shortened sentences because they could afford to pay through the roof for them. You’re not seeing the big picture here”

  Letting out a sigh, Eren kept his attention on Renee

“So I come work for you? Then what? Are you asking me to build a case on what I see? I’m not a detective anymore, I’ve resigned after what happened with Floch and I’m not sure I trust my judgement anymore. I’m a guy just trying to raise his daughter and keep up with his alpha”

“Kenny killed a small time group to keep you and Levi safe. He…”

“He acted on his own. I’m sick of cleaning up other people’s mess”

“You caused all of this. Whether you meant it or not. You can keep Kenny, and in return you help us”

  Historia was pushing too hard, showing that side of her Kenny had warned against. Not that he didn’t know it already existed. Now she was threatening not to help them… Maybe coming back to Shinganshima hadn’t been the best idea after all? All he wanted was to throw his past out the window and be happy with his family, and not have everyone’s shit continually pushed onto him 

“Look, Historia. I’m exhausted. I’m worried about my alpha and I’ve just had my idiot father sent away before he ended up with a bullet to the brain. I’m not in any position to make any kind of agreement”

“We’ll give you one week. Think about it seriously. This city is on edge and I can’t retaliate for any actions against you and your family at the moment. Think of Renee’s future. Erwin is waiting at the estate, we’ll have him take you and Renee home”

  Great. Just Great. Levi would be pissed and he’d have to explain to Erwin what happened… Shitty alphas and their damn shitty commands. He was so very sick of this shit. At least Ymir hadn’t put another damn command on him, Eren could feel her eyes on him, almost as if she wanted to skip giving him a choice. They’d both been offered a perfectly legal way out of their situation and their testimonies would have kept them out of jail, now Historia was acting like her father, and not the same girl with this all thrust upon her.

   Dropped off and picked up by Erwin, who was dismissed with a wave of Historia’s hand, Eren followed Erwin to his waiting car. Half of him had expected Levi to be there, and the other half feared why Levi wasn’t there. With no car seat for Renee, Eren opted for the back seat, buckling the belt around both of them. Too much had happened in too short of a space of time. Erwin not giving him a moment to recover, before the inevitable questions started

“What happened and what did Historia want with you?”

  Yep. There it was. Not even the faked courteous asking of how he and Renee were

“Grisha came sniffing around. She’s sent him back to Marley”

“Alive?”

“For now. What are you doing here?”

“You went missing and it seemed a fair bet you’d be here. Levi’s at Hannes’s with everyone else”

“He thought Reiner was involved, didn’t he?”

“Yes. I’ve left the two of them to resolve things. Did she say anything else?”

“She’s no longer going to protect Levi and I. Nor is she interested in turning witness on the dealings of her family. Kenny killed a group of small timers already, but if you read between the lines they’re Rod’s friends. I guess a year in prison didn’t change their minds about anything. They want blood”

  Erwin sighed as he started his car

“You do know how to make friends, don’t you?”

Eren cursed the day he’d ever accepted the assignment. All this shit should have been in his past, not continuously fucking dragging his family down 

“Don’t look at me. I don’t want any part of this shit. I just want to take Renee home and pretend that we’re not in danger of being murdered in our sleep”

“I think they’ll have to get through Levi first”

“If he doesn’t murder me. All of this shit is too fucking much. Wake me up when we get back to Hannes’s”

   Renee’s serenade on Erwin’s driving prevented Eren from dozing. Eren hoped Erwin was taking it personally. All of it had put him in a bad mood, especially falling victim to yet another damn command. He’d walked straight out the damn door with Renee. If he could have left her at home, he might have been able to handle the situation better. Still, Ymir knew exactly what she was doing, and what would shake him the most. He’d been naive to think that her being a parent would translate to any form of parental compassion. She’d sacrifice him and Renee and not a shed a single tear over it all. His daughter was goddamn innocent in all of this, and again he was left to wonder if he shouldn’t send her to be raised by Isabel given his track record since her birth. Quitting his job hadn’t lead to freedom, nor had biding his time. Historia was shaping up to be every bit as messed up as Rod, and now she was “letting them keep Kenny”. The very man they’d all been forced into lockdown over. What was Kenny supposed to do? Team up with him? Yeah. Because that would look great in front of the tribunal. His life was blowing up as Kenny had warned, but he hadn’t said he was the very hand grenade that’d cause the explosion.

  Parking in front of Hannes’s, Eren was out the door before Erwin could force him to talk. The front door opening, with Armin and Levi rushing out. His alpha looked ready to murder, a look Eren disregard as he walked straight up to him as slumped against him. Levi careful to take Renee from him, before kissing Eren on the shoulder. His mate smelling two seconds away from going apocalyptic on the world, but at the same time, smelling relieved more than words could say 

“It was her, wasn’t it?”

“Yep and we’re royally fucked”

“When aren’t we?”

“This is true. Fuck, I know I owe you an explanation, but I’m dead on my feet here”

[holdmecloser-gandydancer]

@blupjeansweek day 5: class swap

Lup stands outside in the cool dawn air, the sun barely breaking through the early morning haze. She peers around until she lays eyes on the horses hitched to the wagon she’s been told she’ll be traveling with. As the breeze snakes through the grass, she rifles through her knapsack and produces an apple; surely she could spare one as payment for these gorgeous beasts. Using a trick Taako taught her, she clefts it in twain with her hands and holds a half out for each horse.

“Here you go, buddies. Thanks for being such good sports about this,” she coos as they take hesitant bites. Eventually, they eat with more force until Lup’s left with nothing but horse slobber in her hand. Both the horses startle when they hear clanking armor. Lup turns and gives a little two finger salute to the man approaching. “Mornin’!” she says brightly.

His armor clangs against himself, his sword and shield clang against each other on his back, and he winces with each noise he makes. “Uh, morning. This our caravan, then?” he nods towards the wagon.

“It is!” She holds her hand out to him. “I’m Lup. You’re…Sildar, right?”

He gives her hand a firm shake; warm hands even in the chilly morning. “Please, just call me Barry.”

“Sorry, how the hell d’ya get Barry from Sildar?”

He snorts quietly. “It’s a long story.” Barry strides towards the back of the wagon and peeks inside, evaluating the rations they’ve been equipped with. “Seems to be a decent array we’ve got. You got anything you care to stow?” He sheds his knapsack and sets it back with the rest of the provisions.

“Sure, catch,” she says, tossing her own knapsack towards Barry. He catches it with ease and sets it near his own.

“So, what do you play?” Barry asks as he exits the wagon. Lup turns her back towards Barry and gestures at the instrument strapped to her back.

“I’m a violinist. Not to brag, but I’m pretty damn good.” She turns to face him again. “But I gotta say, I’m not sure why Lady Corvus insists on me coming with you. No offense or anything, I’m always down for a good journey but I don’t…get it? I mean listen, I’m a decent fighter and all that but I studied under the College of Valor. I’m more for recounting grand tales of glory, ya know?” She climbs onto the front seat of the wagon and stashes her violin beneath it.

Barry joins her at the front of the wagon, still grimacing with each clank he makes. “I understand the apprehension but I trust her judgement. Evidently, she has a great deal of faith in the two of us considering the small caravan we’re utilizing.”

“Or she didn’t wanna waste the resources,” Lup jokes. Barry looks at her gravely.

“Lup, really, do you think that lowly of us? I know her methods seem…unconventional but if she believes in us I have no reason to doubt her.” 

Lup snorts and smiles. “Lemme guess: devotion?” Lady Corvus had given her minimal information on her traveling companion, saying only that he’s a highly competent paladin who readily volunteered for the job.

He flushes and reaches for the reins. “Uh. Do you want to drive or should I?”

“Knock yourself out. I plan on sitting here and looking pretty, Pal.” She giggles at the pun. “Get it? Pal? I hope you’re ready for a veritable onslaught of gems like this, Barry.”

Barry sends her a sidelong glance before clicking his tongue at the horses, instructing them to move. “I suppose that will make the travel less boring.”

“You bet your ass, bud.”

--

It’s several hours later, the sun beating down even past the slight cover granted by the wagon’s overhanging awning. Lup inspects the map as she stretches her legs from her seat.

“Looks like if we keep heading east we should reach the Sword Coast in two days,” she says as she traces a path on the map with her finger.

“Four. We have to make a sizeable detour around Raven’s Roost. Word is there’s some kind of rebellion brewing and that is the last thing either of us need to get involved with. We ought to dip further south and go through Phandalin. Should give us time to rest somewhere more comfortable than here,” he jerks a thumb towards the back.

Lup frowns and furrows her brow. “A rebellion? How come?”

“Despot leader making life insufferable? I don’t know all the details but if you’ve seen one home-grown rebellion you’ve seen them all.” He shrugs at her as though this is as common as seeing a dog running around town.

“Maybe so but…I dunno, don’t you ever just feel urged to help out?”

“Lup, I’m certain that whoever is leading the rebellion is more than capable of fighting their own fight. Last thing they need is some random outsider coming in and trying to save the day.”

Lup rolls up the map and stashes it back in the tube. Barry’s probably right but she hates the thought of just sitting by when history is happening. That’s where she should be, not helping the most by the book paladin pick up Lady Corvus’s moody son from a mess he got himself into. She does her best to refrain from rolling her eyes like a petulant child but it’s hard; she wants real adventure, not adventures in babysitting.

--

“Okay, would you rather be thought of as a fierce warrior or leader with a good heart?” Lup braids and unbraids her hair for the fortieth time. Night is falling soon but Barry’s intent on making it a few more miles before they stop for the evening.  She’s concocted a game for them to pass the time all the while.

Barry hums quietly as he mulls the question over; he does this almost every time Lup asks him a question. He hums, audibly weighs the benefits of both, and gives a wildly thoughtful answer to every question Lup posits, even the most absurd.

“I think I’d like to be the leader with a good heart. Fierce warriors are vital, there’s probably going to always be some kind of conflict to be won. But to be a leader with a good heart, that means you want to do what’s best for your people above all else. I think that’s important.” Barry says at last.

“Good answer! I think you’re right but also I hate the thought of having to lead. Like, I could do it, no doubt, but I hate when people take me too seriously.”

“Leading’s not exactly for me, no. I guess I just want to be known for having a good heart.” Barry says, voice getting quiet, almost shy towards the end of his statement. Lup wants to say something, that it’s sweet that that’s how he wants to be known, but she stops when she sees a small campfire ahead, just off the path.

Barry cranes his head to see all he can though the fast-approaching twilight makes it difficult. Lup peers past him and spies a group of three adventurers sitting down to a meal.

“Bet we could share camp,” Lup murmurs as Barry brings the horses to a halt.

“Do you believe we can trust them?”

Lup grabs her violin from under her seat and stands. “Only one way to find out!”

--

“So, what’s your story?” the tall, pink tiefling woman, Ishte, looks at Barry expectantly. He blanches at the question.

“My…story?”

“Yeah. Everyone’s got one,” the stone-faced water genasi woman sitting on the other side of the fire chimes in. “I helped restore power to a goddess. Became a semi-demigod for about an hour while I was at it.” She shrugs and goes back to inspecting her crossbow for damage as though this is just par the course.

“I’ve been trying to hone my arcana but my godsdamn premonitions make it pretty hard,” the human sorcerer (Jade, Barry’s pretty sure) says. She pauses and cringes for a moment. “Y’all aren’t going through Raven’s Roost, are you?”

“No, he’s making us detour,” Lup supplies helpfully.

“Smart man,” Jade looks grim but offers no elaboration.

“Well, what’s your story then?” Lup asks Ishte, directing the fire off Barry.

“Eh, it’s not much. Helped an unhinged princess throw a birthday party for her girlfriend, saw a guy get punched to death in literally one hit, fought an ice golem, nothing too out there,” Ishte shrugs and drinks some tea from her metal mug.

Barry looks down at his canteen of water and fiddles with the strap. “I guess I don’t have…really anything of note.”

Lup scoots down the log and throws her arm around Barry. “This guy is too modest. See, he’s Lady Corvus’s right-hand man. He knows her movements even before she does. And out on the road? He’s already kept us free from trouble. Ya hear how loud his armor clanks?” Lup asks conspiratorially, looking around the fire. She’s met with three blank stares while Barry looks to her with a sprinkling of alarm. Grinning, she knocks twice on Barry’s armor and leans forward. “You don't need stealth when you're this powerful. This guy can cast a divine smite faster than you’d even believe. But you know what’s even cooler? Barry and I were fighting a couple of nasty dudes, all kinds of undead grossness going on with ‘em. This dude just lets loose this wave of holy light and ashes them! Craziest shit I’ve ever seen.” Lup subtly pinches the back of Barry’s neck.

He says nothing, electing instead to shrug as though it’s completely true and also no big deal.

“That’s pretty sick,” Jade acknowledges. “So, what’s your thing, then?”

Lup shrugs herself and smiles. “Beat Asmodius in a fiddle competition.”

“Oh, bullshit,” Ishte rolls her eyes good naturedly.

“Listen, I’m the best there’s ever been. Better than any man, god, fiend, I don’t care. You don’t have to believe me for it to be true.”

“She really is the best,” Barry affirms. Not a lie if he believes it, right? She played a few tunes for him earlier and she really is the best he’s ever heard.

“Well, glad to be in such good company then,” the water genasi picks at her food and reaches for a drink of water. The five of them all pass time, sharing harrowing and hilarious tales before deciding to retire for the evening.

--

“Hey, what was that last night?” Barry asks suddenly. They’ve been back on the road for a few hours now, fairly well rested, all things considered. They should reach Phandalin by nightfall.

“It’s no big deal, I knew you wouldn’t fudge the truth for yourself and that is quite literally one of the things I am best at,” Lup pulls the map out again. She’s certain she’ll memorize it at the rate she’s going.

“But why? I-I mean why’d you make me sound…cool?” He tightens and loosens his grip on the reins a few times.

“Barry, listen. You have your oath. You’ve got a cause you’re devoted to or whatever, yeah? I don’t have an oath but I have principles. I didn’t want them to laugh at you. You’re my pal, after all.”

He chuckles and glances over at her. “Well, thank you for that. I guess I owe you one.”

“Nah, it’s free of charge for ya. Comrade discount and all. Besides, being a captive audience for my genius is payment enough,” Lup says as she reaches underneath her seat and pulls out her violin.

“How generous.”

“I’m an entertainer first and foremost, gotta hone that craft! You’re vital to the process, actually.” Lup tunes the violin a little.

“Well, let’s hear this tune that beat Asmodius then,” Barry says wryly.

“You got it."

[happyocelot]

Hi! I'm not sure if you're still doing the first sentence prompts but I hope you're still taking these asks.

“What do you mean by leaving?” for NaruHina

Thanks!

Send me characters/pairings (and setting or anything else you want to see) and the number to one of the following first lines:

I wasn’t expecting any more requests! Lol.

“What do you mean by leaving?” Naruto yelled, his hand clenched against Tsunade’s desk.

The poor, long-suffering Hokage sighed. “Naruto, please list out the people on Team 8.”

He squinted. “Uh...why?”

“Just do it,” Tsunade said, not as sharply as she could have and should have been, considering how annoying Naruto was being.

“Okay, then...” He began counting on his fingers, “Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Kurenai-sensei?”

“Exactly. Do you see the name Uzumaki Naruto anywhere on that list? You can’t complain about not being on a team mission you have no connection to." Tsunade went back to her reading, what looked to be a long, rambling tirade from her newfound war buddy, the Raikage, about how hard it was to rein in a foolish, impulsive, and headstrong jinchuuriki.

Tsunade gave the pouting, fuming Naruto a side-glance.

I know exactly what you mean, Raikage, she scribbled down in response.

“But...but you can’t just send them all off on a long-term mission without telling me, ya know! Hinata was just telling me about the new ramen-eating record she broke when you called her team in, baa-chan!” At this point, his eyes were sparkling with theatrical tears.

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged a look of chagrin, glancing at the piles of pending missions stacked on the desk, eyes landing on one particularly stupid D-rank to catch a cat. If Tsunade recalled correctly, according to Sarutobi-sensei’s notes, this was the one mission Naruto always did hate more than any other.

Should I? she mouthed at her apprentice. Someone needs to do it, and Naruto can’t go on any big missions until his next medical check-up.

It’s a good idea, Shizune mouthed back. Besides, he needs to cool down for a bit and not overload his body so soon.

Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, then looked back up at Konoha’s resident village idiot.

“Very well, Naruto. If you want to go on a mission with Team 8 that badly, you can.”

“YEAH! That’s what I’m talking about, baa-chan! So I was thinking that S-rank missions might be too much right now with my arm missing, but – ”

“You’re absolutely right,” Tsunade broke in, trying her best to hide her smirk. “I’ll get you something lightweight this time.”

She passed him the mission details, taking glee in the shocked widening of his eyes.

His shout could be heard echoing miles away, but no one could figure out whether he was yelling in delight or horror. It was a mystery for the ages.

All anyone knew was that Naruto and Team 8 were assigned cat-catching missions for a long, long time, and Hinata was always packing some extra ointment for all the scratches Naruto kept sustaining.

***

It’s true that they’re a massive headache,Tsunade wrote in her missive to the Raikage. But I know just how to deal with them.

[mandareeboo]

You asked for drabbles, and lo and b3hold I do have a few. If you decide to keep asking, I'll send more sporadically if that's okay.

The Centaurs ask Horse what her equipment is and is for. Horse has trouble explaining that it's to accomdate and carry Rider, since the Centaurs don't know what a "Rider" is. They offer to take it off of her, but she isn't ready for that yet. Instead, they offer to take turns carrying it, so Horse doesn't get too tired.

"Rider and I... we're like one of you guys," Horse explained, watching out of the corner of her eye as Glendale bent her hooves to drink from a river. "When we're together, we're like a centaur. This stuff is to help her stay on me."

"So, you, like, piggyback them?" Zulius' eyebrows shot up. "That's a lot of work to try and replicate art. I kinda respect it."

"I run faster than Rider. It's just logical. And, besides- I like being able to keep my eye on her." She shook her head, reins jangling. "Though, I guess that didn't really work this time, huh."

Ched rapped a feathered fist on her chestplate. "Gonna be real, I just assumed these were, like, weird scales. To go with your weird face."

"They come off.... when Rider wants them too." Horse shrugged sheepishly. "Still don't have those opposable thumb dohickeys you all seem so fond of."

Glendale stood up with a jerk, accidentally splashing water her way. "Oh, I could keep those in my tummy for you! I get to hold onto things not my own and feed the gaping portal hole in me, you lose those you hold dear, it's a win-win."

Horse's ears flattened as she turned instinctively. "Absolutely not. Rider's going to need these when I get back to her!"

A soft pink hand on the back of her neck had her stiffening, but Wammawink didn't force the issue, gently patting her. "I'm sure your Rider person will understand if you want to take them off here and there. She wouldn't want your fur to get all matted, would she?"

"I... guess not. She always hatred it when I got rashes because we rode for too long."

She hooked her index finger under the side of her rein. "Let mama Wama carry the burden for a bit, huh?"

"Only if you promise to never call yourself that again."

"No promises," she sing-songed, and Horse rolled her eyes but bowed her head willingly.

Horse hadn't rode with a bit in a very long time now, but it was instinctive to smack her lips as the rein left her face, testing the sides of her mouth. Wammawink carefully wound the fabric around her arm and left it there, almost like a makeshift bracelet.

"Alright," she said. "Chest scales next."

"Ooh, ooh, can I wear them?" Durpleton raised both hands and made grabbing gestures. "I want weird chest scales!"

Horse looked at him, then his broad shoulders. "I don't really think physics is on your side there buddy, but go ahead. It's basically impossible to break these things." She moved to the side and gestured to a latch with her hoof. The plates unhooked and shifted outwards to make it easier to pull over her head. "It's heavy at first, but once you get used to it you'll never wanna take it off, promise."

A hand on her stomach made her jump, but Julius happily continued to unbuckle the saddle. "Gimme. I bet this will make my butt look even better."

"Guess that leaves the back scales for me," Ched hummed. The idea was undoubtedly daunting for the centaur bird, but he puffed his chest out. "Lay it on me, long-nose."

Glendale raised her hand. "Oooor I could wear it. On my body. Not in my portal tummy. Unfortunately."

"Oh thank glitter," Ched said. "Yes, please."

"You- you realize that's part of my saddle, right?" she asked. "I mean you could probably pry it off if you had to, but it's not supposed to seperate."

Zulius held the item up, scoffed, and tossed it to Glendale. "Oh, gross, nevermind."

The gentlest of breezes buffeted Horse's spine, and some instincts just couldn't be ignored. She hit the ground with a resounding thud, rolling and flailing her hooves in the air. Itches aplenty seemed to appear all at once, quickly vanquished with wiggles and whinnies of enjoyment.

"That's the stuff," she sighed, eyes fluttering closed with a smile. "Maybe Rider won't mind too much after all."

Wammawink ran her fingers over the worn leather and hummed. "I'm sure she'll understand."

[c-r-ash-crash]

New Life Chapter 4

Etho pushed himself to his feet, using the cave wall to steady himself. He rubbed at his face groggily. God, he hated moving to new servers. Especially if that server included permadeath. He slipped his mask on, and clipped his sword and makeshift scabbard onto his waist. He pulled on his gloves and rubbed the sleep from his eyes one last time. Up and at ‘em.

He marched out into the main room of the little shelter he and Bdubs had constructed the night before. He slipped silently into the small tunnel connecting the shelter to Bdubs’ tiny closet of a room. He stepped into the room and saw Bdubs passed out on the bed, sprawled out awkwardly. Etho couldn’t help a small smile at the sight. Then his hand brushed against his sword.

It would be so easy to kill Bdubs right now. His abdomen was completely unguarded, and there were no weapons within sight other than his own. It would be smart too. If what everyone else said was true, Bdubs was also on four lives. Taking one and knocking him down to his lime green life wouldn’t be a bad idea. He wouldn’t go red just yet, but he’d also be easier to take out if need be.

Etho shook his head, letting his hand fall back to the side. What was he thinking? He and Bdubs were allies. He couldn’t kill his fellow hermit. He wouldn’t kill him. Besides he wasn’t a red life yet. He wouldn’t be allowed to kill him. Not yet, at least.

Gently, Etho reached out his hand and shook Bdubs awake.

Grian rode through the forest, reins draped through his fingers. The horse he had found was a beautiful steed, snow white and muzzle speckled with spots of black and dark gray. His search for caves last night had been fruitless. But when he had found the horse, he had found a set of diamond armor tied to the creature's side. Part of Grian wondered if it was a gift from the universe. Most of him really, really hoped it wasn’t.

Suddenly, he heard two voices drifting through the trees. One was male, one was female. He recognized Scar’s voice instantly, and after a moment, he also recognized Lizzie’s. Quietly, he dismounted and wrapped the horse’s reins around a tree. “I’ll be back in a minute, buddy,” he murmured. Then he set off.

After a moment, the trees cleared to reveal a small river side beach and a cave plunging into the side of a small hill. Scar was sitting on the edge of the hill, and Grian could see a bright pink and blue smudge just inside the cave that must have been Lizzie. “You know, I’m actually the boogeyman,” Scar was saying. “So you should definitely give me a life.” Grian froze.

“Scar, don't joke about that!” he blurted out before he could stop himself. Scar leapt to his feet and Lizzie scrambled to see over the hill. “Oh, hey, Grian,” Scar said, grin growing wider. “Didn’t see you! Did you hear what I was telling Lizzie?” “About how you’re actually the boogeyman?” Grian said, eyebrow raised. “Do you even know what the boogeyman does?” “Well of course!” Scar said. “Then you know that if the boogeyman doesn’t kill someone in nine days then they become a red life?”

Scar’s face fell momentarily, horrified. But then his eyes lit up with mischief. Grian swore under his breath. “Of course I knew that,” Scar said, turning back to Lizzie. “Which is exactly why you should give me a life, Lizzie. If you do that then I won’t kill you this round.” “But why’s that such a big deal?” Lizzie asked. “I have plenty of lives to spare. It doesn’t really matter if you take one. Besides, this is just a game right?”

Grian flinched back, and Scar’s jaw tightened. “No, Lizzie,” he said quietly. “This is not ‘just a game.’” “Lizzie,” Grian explained, voice slightly pained. “If you lose all your lives, then you're dead. Like, permanently. It was a miracle we survived last time. I don’t know if the universe will let us come back this time.” The mood sombered. Lizzie simply stared as she processed what Grian had just said.

Then, suddenly, Scar clapped his hands together, startling the others out of their thoughts. “That’s exactly why you don’t want me to kill you, Lizzie,” he said. Suddenly, Grian had his arm caught in his grip and was pulling Scar into the trees. Scar stumbled along behind him, spluttering indignantly. Once they had reached the spot where Grian had left his horse, he shoved Scar up against a tree.

“This isn’t a game, Scar,” he growled. “Lizzie is a friend. And if she dies, she could die permanently. Don’t ever threaten people like that again. Our actions have actual consequences. This isn’t just some harmless scam you’re pulling. This is people’s lives, Scar. Do you not see how messed up that is?” Scar’s gaze hardened. “Grian, let me go. Now.” Grian didn’t move. “Grian,” Scar warned, much more firmly this time.

“Promise me,” Grian said, voice small and almost defeated. “Please, Scar. Promise you won’t pull a stunt like that.” “I promise,” Scar said. Grian didn’t notice the way he crossed his fingers as he spoke. Grian released his hold on Scar. Suddenly, Scar sprinted away and began untying Grian's horse from the tree. “What are you-” Grian said, but before he could finish the sentence, Scar was already galloping away.

Bdubs pressed his ear closer to the wall, listening for the tell-tale sound of lava. His brow furrowed, but then he pulled back. “This wall should be clear,” Bdubs said. “Who knows, maybe we’ll even get lucky and it’ll open into a cave.” Etho nodded silently, then gestured for Bdubs to move.

Bdubs stepped back as Etho raised his pick and brought it down on the rock face. A minute later, he had broken through the wall. He brushed away a few stray pieces of stone, and Bdubs tucked the item drops into his pocket. “Well, shall we see what’s on the other side?�� Etho asked. Bdubs nodded, and slipped through the opening.

There was indeed a cave. Quickly, Bdubs propped a torch up against the wall, and scanned the area. He saw a few veins of iron and coal, but otherwise, nothing truly useful. “No diamonds in here,” he called back to Etho. “There’s some iron though if you want that.” “I think we’ve got bigger problems,” Etho said from right beside Bdubs. Bdubs jumped. “Geez,” he muttered. “How long were you standing there?” Then he noticed Etho was staring intently at a darkened corner of the cave.

Bdubs followed his gaze to see Tango and Skizz standing in the corner, hands on the hilts of their swords. “Oh, hey guys,” he greeted. “How long have you been in here?” “Couple hours,” Tango said evenly. “Stayed here once we heard you guys coming though. You might want to consider being more careful. After all, we only have so many lives.” Bdubs’ hand strayed towards his sword. “We do,” he said, a hint of threat creeping into his voice. “I would be pretty careful if I was you.”

Suddenly Etho broke in, trying to diffuse the tension. “So, how’s the resource gathering been going, gentlemen?” “Pretty good,” Skizz, still slightly cautious. “We found a couple of diamonds.” “Oh, really?” Etho said. Bdubs could practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. “How many?” “Four,” Skizz said with a shrug. “That means two each.”

Before anyone could blink, Tango was entangled in spider webs, another cobweb item floating in Etho’s hand. “Well, gentlemen, it’s wonderful that you’ve found some diamonds. But let me explain how this is gonna go,” the ninja said, calmly, tossing the cobweb from hand to hand. “One of us is the boogeyman. If you want to escape with your lives, you’ll hand over those diamonds.” “We don’t even know what the boogeyman is supposed to be,” Tango scoffed. “That’s hardly a threat.”

“Oh, I’m happy to explain,” Etho said. “You see, the boogeyman is someone randomly chosen by the server every nine days. And guess what? They get to kill people regardless of how many lives they have.” Bdubs felt sick. Etho was literally threatening to kill their friends. Did Etho know Bdubs was the boogeyman. If Bdubs really thought about it, his strategy was a good one. Someone on the server was allowed to kill, and no one knew who it was. Using that fact to get better resources was a good move. Bdubs tried desperately to ignore how vulnerable Tango was right now, how close at hand his sword was.

Skizz’s hand crept towards his sword. “Ah ah ah,” Etho warned. “There are two of us. One of you is trapped, and one of us is allowed to kill. I wouldn’t try anything Skizz.” Bdubs’ stomach began to turn. It would be so, so easy to kill Tango right now. He shoved the thought down.

“What’ll it be, gentlemen?” Etho said. Bdubs’ hand brushed over the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, he drew it, and Skizz and Tango flinched back. He cut the webs away from Tango. “Get out of here,” he ordered. Tango and Skizz didn’t protest, sprinting out of the cave. Bdubs watched them go. The headache from yesterday was returning. He ignored how feverish his skin felt, ignored the growing nausea in his stomach. He should have killed Tango.

Pearl added another layer of stone to the small platform she and Scott had made. He was a few blocks above her, scanning the nearby forest for any signs of other players. She glanced up, ready to ask him what he was seeing, but stopped when she saw his expression.

He was sitting despondent on the edge of the platform, twisting his crown between his hands, rubbing his thumb over the rim. The poppy he had picked earlier was sitting by his side, seemingly forgotten. What had happened between him and Jimmy earlier. Clearly they had been friends, at least once upon a time. But it was clear that wasn’t the case anymore, or at least Jimmy hadn’t wanted that to be the case. She watched as Scott’s fists curled around the crown. He looked as if he wanted to fling it away. But after a moment, he relaxed. Pearl sighed affectionately, and began clambering up the tower.

Before she reached the tower however, she heard the sound of horse hooves, and glanced down to see Scar riding a beautiful white horse. “Hey, Scar!” she called down. Scar startled, but then he too called down to Scar. “Hey guys!” Scar called up. “What’re you up too?” “Just a quick break,” Pearl said, dropping back down to the lower half of the platform. “Nice, nice,” Scar said. “Say, Pearl, I can’t help but notice you’re on your dark green life.”

“I am,” Pearl said, not missing the way Scott’s hand drifted to the bow slung across his back. “Well, that means you have a few lives to spare,” Scar said. “You know, we have a give life command now, so you can just transfer lives to each other.” “Oh, really?” Pearl said. “And I assume you want me to transfer you a life?”

“Well, of course,” Scar said. “But if you need some extra incentive, I’m also the boogeyman.” “What does that mean?” Scott asked warily. “It means I’m allowed to kill you.” Pearl froze. Casually, Scott unslung his bow. “Lot of good that does you,” he said. “It’s two versus one. Besides we’re up here and I have a bow.” Scar’s face fell. Then, they heard the sound of soft humming drifting across the clearing. A few minutes later, Jimmy appeared at the edge of the little field. Scar’s face lit up. “You may be safe but Jimmy’s not,” he said. “What?” Jimmy asked, startled by the sudden acknowledgement of his presence.

“Hey, Jimmy,” Scar greeted. “Have you heard of the wonderful give life command?” “I have actually,” Jimmy said, pleased. “I bumped into Grian earlier. He told me about it.” “Well, then, surely you already know how to use it,” Scar said. “I’m not giving you my life Scar,” Jimmy said. “Would it convince you if I told you that I’m the boogeyman?” Scar said, a bit of menace creeping into his voice. “I could just kill you if I wanted too.”

Pearl didn’t miss the way Scott instantly loaded an arrow and aimed it at Scar’s head. “I’m not giving you a life, Scar,” Jimmy said again, a bit more nervously this time. “‘Cause then I’ll be on my red life, and I really don’t think anyone wants that. I have a spyglass, though.” There was silence for a moment, but then Scar shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll accept that.” Jimmy tossed it to Scar, and scampered off as quickly as he could.

Pearl didn’t miss how Scott waited until both Jimmy and Scar were out of sight before he let himself relax.

Grian clambered up the hill to the enchanting table that marked spawn. He opened the book that lay in the center of the table, and smeared lapis dust across his sword. He began to speak the enchantment, but suddenly, he heard something hit the ground behind him. He whirled around, brandishing the sword but relaxed when he saw Etho.

“Man, Etho, we really need to put a bell on you,” he joked. “Please don’t” Etho said lightly. “That sounds like it’d be a nuisance.” “Yeah, but you couldn’t scare the rest of us half to death all the time.”

Etho rolled his eyes, and tossed a crafting table to the ground. “Bdubs, where are you?” he called down the hill. “I’m here, I’m here,” Bdubs complained, appearing as he spoke. “Cool,” Etho said. “You can get our stuff enchanted after Grian.” Bdubs nodded. “Tables free,” Grian said, resheathing his sword. “I see your resource gathering has been going well.” “Yeah,” Bdubs said, rubbing lapis across his and Etho’s swords. “Took us a while to find diamonds, but eventually we did.” “Nice,” Grian said. “What are you making, Etho?” “Jukebox,” Etho said, tossing the item to the ground as he did so. “Yeah, we found this really cool music disc earlier.”

Etho slipped the disc into the jukebox and eerie music began to echo throughout the night. “You know,” Etho said. “Whenever you hear this, someone’s about to die.” Grian burst out laughing. “Oh man,” Grian said. “Please tell me one of you is the boogeyman so we can make this happen.” “You’re correct,” Bdubs said.

Suddenly, a sword was slashing across Grian’s chest. “Wait what?” Grian said stumbling, fumbling to draw his own sword. Before he could do anything though, Bdubs made another thrust at him, piercing his shoulder. Grian turned tail and spirited away. He reached the edge of the river, and was about to jump into the water when a sword plunged into his back and through his chest.

Grian was slain by Bdoubleo100.

[keioseth]

The Gilded Hearts

Ey yous, ye yous wit da dumb look on yous face. It's Valentione's an love is in da air. But are yous alone dis Valentione's? Do yous got no one? Gonna spend da night at home, alone, cryin? Nah, don't worry, buddy. Da Gil Tribe's got your back. 'Cause comin' up, we's got a SPECIAL Fight Night. Just in time for Valentione's an all yous lonely hearts out dere.

Gilded Hearts offers somethin a little extra den just da glory an cheers a da crowd for winnin, see? Three of our best have offered demselves as da prizes dis time around. Win da fight, win a date! Dis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not every day yous get a chance ta go on a date wit someone from da Gil Tribe.

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

OOC: On the 21st, we will be hosting our fight night as normal, but with the additional incentive of offering a date with a member of the Gil Tribe to the winners! G'okudo, G'iltless, and G'uido are the available dates to fight for. Little bios about them are below, under the cut. If you wish to participate, please sign up for who you'd like to fight for, either by contacting one of us before the 21st, or on the day of. As usual, we'll be opening at 9 est and beginning fights at 10!

The winners of each date will be contacted and a time worked out. Don't expect anything actually romantic, though, and don't be weird. Like most Gil Tribe things, the dates will mostly be comedic little mini-events, just centered around one Gil Tribe member and the winning contestant.

Name: G’okudo Tia  Profession: Gil Father’s Right Hand Nickname: Kudo/Okudo

About:

Always-dapper G’okudo is the embodiment of Gil Tribe principles (or so he thinks). One of the Gilfather’s oldest friends, he now attempts (and fails) to rein in the new Gilfather's more rambunctious behaviors, while also acting as both aide and bodyguard if need be.

Ideal Date:

His ideal date would be a night out, a candlelit dinner at an expensive restaurant. Classic date material. ------

Name: G’iltless Monhi Profession: Goddess of the Gilded Stage Nickname: Gilt

About:

In the center of the Gilded Markets rests the Gilded Stage, and dancer G’iltless Monhi captures the hearts and minds of her audience through her skillful, sensual performances. But there’s far more to this young woman than meets the eye! In an official capacity, she’s a dancer, waitress, and occasional mixologist, but behind the scenes, she puts her plethora of other talents to good use.

Ideal Date:

This kind-hearted diva is ready for a night out on the town! Dinner, dancing, and if you're lucky, a kiss on the cheek could very well be in store for the end of the evening. Think you can keep up? Prove yourself in the pit!

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Name: G’uido (Hank Mcoy)

Profession: Bodyguard

Nickname: Guido

About:

G'uido was one of the first non-tribespeople that G'en hired once he took over as the Gil Father. His accepted the position within the Tribe because of G'en's want to better the neighborhood the Tribe controls rather than exploiting it. He has a kind heart, often bending over backwards to help all those he can. That said, do not cross this gentle giant, he is an expert at hand to hand fighting and more than willing to tear a head from it's shoulders.

Ideal Date:  "A visit to a museum or a place of learning is always nice or even a simple night under the stars. Something mellow and intellectual, I have both brain and brawn after all."

-----------

Name: G'iletta Vito

Profession: Underboss

Nickname: Letty/Letti

About:

Do you like beauty? Money? Power? Well, this terrifyingly shrewd woman will not only dazzle you with her intelligence, she'll enchant you with her alluring demeanor. Fight for your life to try and prove you're worthy of a date with the first female Underboss in Gil Tribe history! The Gilfather's second in command has decided to take time from her busy schedule just for you.

Ideal Date: Something nice. Classy. A fancy restaurant, maybe? A night out on the town. Treat her right. Or we’ll break your legs.

[laurfilijames]

Wild Horses- Part 1 (Prequel to Slow Burn)

Pairing: Modern AU Fili x Female OC Prim

Words: 3,359

Warnings: injury (dislocated shoulder and deep cut, mention of concussion), blood, injuries being treated. Swearing. Illusions of sex/smut. Military personnel in a training activity. Sound of an explosion.

Summary: This is the beginning of the story of Fili and Prim. They meet in this chapter by accident and sweet Fili helps tend to Prim after falling off her horse, sparking their connection and attraction to each other.

A/N: My lovely and dear friend helped me immensely with this by not only being my beta and editing it (multiple times) as well as encouraging me through my many moments of doubt. She is incredible and I will forever be grateful to her for her kindness and amazing way with words. @guardianofrivendell this one's for you!

—————-

Prim could sense it.

The young, inexperienced horse she was on was going to spook. Apollo flinched at every bird that flew overhead and every rustle in the leaves on the trees and bushes that surrounded them.

She knew it wasn’t the best idea, going out for a trail ride alone on a green horse, but it needed to happen. If she was going to use him as a lesson horse to teach her more novice riders, he needed to be able to handle these types of situations so she wasn’t constantly worried about him taking off on them and someone getting injured.

Prim made an attempt to calm him down with a reassuring pat on his neck, “It’s okay, buddy, you’re alright,”

After a few minutes of walking soundly, Prim felt more comfortable and she was finally able to enjoy their surroundings. But it was short lived when a loud explosion sounded in the distance, causing her gelding to leap forward into a canter and take off quickly down the trail.

“Woah, woah! Easy!” she called out to him as she attempted to slow him down, seating her weight down hard in the saddle and trying to regain control with her reins. She spun him around in a tight circle to get him to stop, but he flung his head to the other side hard, hopping as he did and then bucked before taking off again.

Prim had dealt with horses spooking more times than she cared to count, but still the familiar nervousness fluttered in her stomach and in her head she knew if he didn’t ease off soon she was going to end up on the ground.

Despite her efforts, the poor horse wasn’t having it, proceeding to gallop full tilt through the wooded area with no destination in mind.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, a second explosion sounded, causing the horse to freak out even more.

Apollo suddenly left the trail and bolted into the bushes instead. Prim tried to dodge the low hanging branches as best as she could by keeping her face close to the horse’s neck, but couldn’t avoid a twig whipping against her cheek. The warm drop of blood trickling down her face went unnoticed.

Just as she made the decision to dismount, he bucked again and threw her from his back.

Prim landed hard on the ground, her body making a loud thud, pain instantly screaming through her left shoulder.

A wave of nausea washed over her, knowing something was broken or dislocated, but she refused to let herself pass out, she needed to get her horse back and help for herself.

She swayed a little when she brought herself to stand, exhaling through her mouth to try and breathe through the pain.

The weight of her arm hanging at her side was enough to make her want to vomit, so she supported it by gripping her elbow with her right hand. Her shoulder was definitely dislocated but she didn’t have the strength or knowledge to replace it on her own.

Just start walking, she thought, willing herself to move in the direction her horse had gone. Luckily the ground was muddy, so locating his hoof prints was easy.

She fought against the nausea and softly hummed a tune to try and distract herself. Her vision started to blur and she didn’t know how long she could stay awake. She needed to find someone and fast.

Sweat beaded down her face and Prim moved with as much speed as she could manage, hoping it wouldn’t take long to find Apollo.

“STOP! Stop! Hold your fire!” Fili yelled when he saw a horse gallop straight into the field his soldiers were practicing drills in.

What the fuck?

This was a first.

The horse was fully tacked, but missing its rider.

“Kili, can you try to grab it?” he instructed his brother. “I’m going to go look for its rider.” Judging by the bewildered look and how sweaty and terrified the horse was, the rider was most likely in rough shape.

Fili took off at a run into the forest, quickly tracking and following the hoof prints from where the horse had come from.

Within a couple of minutes he caught sight of the rider, a young woman staggering toward him, also following the tracks made by her horse.

“Hey, are you okay?” he panted, stopping in front of her. Her face was bleeding, a deep gash on her cheek just below her eye and she looked awfully pale.

“My horse took off-“ she began, wincing as her trembling hand tried to support her arm. Fili noticed right away that her shoulder was dislocated.

“Yeah it ran into our training area, he’s okay we’ve got a hold of him,” Fili explained, knowing the woman would be concerned about her horse’s safety.

“Sit down, I’m going to pop your shoulder back in,”

The woman’s eyes widened with disbelief, probably thinking she would be taken to the hospital for treatment, causing Fili to chuckle slightly at her alarm.

“It’s okay, I’ve done this before. My younger brother really liked climbing trees when he was little,“ he tried to assure her with a smile.

Fili wasn’t a doctor, but he had enough experience from being in the military and a brother to Kili to help with this.

He gently helped her to the ground, knowing every movement was sending searing pain through her arm.

“This isn’t going to feel good, I’m sorry,” he apologized in advance, knowing how much this was hurting her, and how much more it was about to hurt going back into position.

“Yeah, it’s fine, just fucking do it, please,” she nearly begged, her eyes shut tight.

Before he did anything, he grabbed a small stick and held it up in front of her face.

“Here, bite on this,” he instructed.

She opened her mouth and he placed it between her teeth, giving her something to clamp down on.

“Ready?” he asked, placing his hands on her, one on her collarbone and the other on her upper arm.

She nodded yes and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself.

With one swift motion, Fili pressed her arm up and back into its socket. She screamed through the stick in her mouth, tears springing from her eyes to mix with the blood and dirt on her cheeks.

“There, it’s okay, it’s done,” he soothed her, his concern switching from her arm to the gash on her face. The cut looked like it needed stitches.

She wiped the tears from her eyes quickly, seeming as if she was embarrassed for crying, only to look at her fingers that were now smeared with blood.

“Fucks sake,” she cursed, becoming more aware of her second injury.

“I think you need some stitches,” Fili explained. “I have some stuff back at the trucks. Are you okay to walk?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said as she stood too quickly, losing her balance slightly and grabbing onto his arm for support.

She looked at him for the first time and he couldn’t help but smile.

She was stunning.

Her eyes were green and vibrant despite the pain that showed in them.

“I can carry you,” he offered.

She nodded yes, and he was happy for it.

He stepped to the other side of her so it would be her uninjured arm that hung around his neck, allowing the previously dislocated one to rest on her body. He scooped her up easily, hooking her legs in the crook of his arm, his other hand clutching around her waist.

He walked a few steps before he felt her head rest against his shoulder, and for some reason it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Fili remained quiet as he walked the short distance back to the training area, not wanting to disturb the woman resting in his arms.

Kili sprinted over to him as soon as he entered the field, closing the distance quickly.

“Hey, is she okay?” Kili asked, looking over her condition as Fili continued walking to his truck.

“She dislocated her shoulder, I already fixed it, but I’m worried she might have a concussion,” he nodded at the cut on her cheek, “This is pretty deep too.”

He looked down at the woman still tucked up against him, “I’m going to set you down now, okay?” Fili stated, placing her gently on the open tailgate of his truck.

“Thank you, but I’m fine, really, I just need to get my horse and go-“

“I don’t think so, I need to dress this cut,” he insisted.

Kili walked over, holding the reins and guiding her horse over to them.

“Is he okay?” The woman asked, more concerned about her horse than herself. Fili smiled to himself as he watched her eagerly look over her horse, searching for any injuries from where she sat.

“Yeah, he seems to be fine now, just scared,” Kili explained to her as he pet the horse on the neck and spoke softly to it.

“Kili is great with horses, he’s in good hands,” Fili assured her, “you’re the one who needs looking after now,” he smiled.

As much as Prim hated feeling weak and vulnerable, regardless of being injured, she felt comfortable in the presence of this soldier. She couldn’t believe that she allowed him to carry her all the way here either, she just wasn’t that type of girl, always looking after herself. But there was something about him that made her feel at ease.

Prim admired his features as he gathered the supplies to clean and dress her face.

He appeared a few years older than her, his age given away by the fine lines that decorated the skin around his eyes and forehead. He was quite handsome, and his piercingly blue eyes made her chest tighten every time they looked at her.

He removed the black helmet from his head, revealing blond waves that were slicked back with sweat.

Prim lifted her arm to remove her own helmet, but was stopped by the pain that still lingered in her shoulder.

“Here, let me,” the soldier offered, moving his thick fingers to unbuckle the strap under her chin.

After taking off her helmet, he began to gently wipe the blood from her cheek. She couldn’t help but flinch when he touched it a little harder than she knew he meant to, the regret clear on his face.

She smiled despite the pain, “It’s okay, I’m fine,” she said, giving him permission to continue.

“It might need stitches,” he explained, his brows knitted together, “I only have surgical strips on me but I think they’ll hold.”

“I trust you,” she said, unsure exactly why she did.

He chuckled quietly, the sound rumbling through his chest that made his body move as he did it.

She wanted to hear him do that again.

She found it difficult to know where to look with him being so close to her face, making the act seem extremely intimate.

She took in the stubble that coated his cheeks that she knew had been shaved yesterday and grown back already, the indent in his nose that perhaps formed from it being broken, and the curve of his lips that were parted slightly as he concentrated on taking care of her cut. Then her eyes landed on his extremely curly, blond chest hair peeking out through the collar of his undershirt and she felt inclined to touch it.

Prim could tell even through his military gear that his physique was solid and defined.

Dirty thoughts stirred up in her mind as she continued to look him over, his gorgeous face a welcome distraction from the sting on her cheek and unrelenting ache in her shoulder.

Was he single? she wondered. Not possible.

Although his fingers were thick and his hands were dirty and calloused, they were deft and skilled and she imagined how they would feel on other parts of her body.

Would he be the type of lover who was gentle and attentive, yet capable of rough and eager pleasure?

Yes. Definitely, she decided.

As her thoughts continued that way, she came to the realization that he was standing between her legs, his thick torso a demanding presence against her inner thigh. It was enough to feel her cheeks heat up and she prayed that he wouldn’t notice or think it was from the adrenaline of her accident.

She needed to think of something else.

Letting her vanity get the best of her she broke the silence between them.

“It’s going to leave a nasty scar, isn’t it?”

His eyes moved from the cut where he was focused up to meet hers and smiled, revealing his dimples once more.

“You’ll still be beautiful,” he said and winked at her.

Fuck.

She was done for and she didn’t even know his name.

“Can I get the name of the soldier who saved my day?” Prim asked curiously as he removed his fingers from her cheek.

“Fili,” he answered with a grin.

Those fucking dimples.

“Thank you, Fili,” she beamed back at him. “I’m Prim.”

He looked up at her through his blond eyelashes, regarding her with something that hinted at amusement, “It’s nice to meet you, Prim,” his voice was husky and made her flush even more.

She liked the sound of her name on his lips.

“Well, I think I should probably head back, let you get on with whatever this is-“ she waved the hand of her good arm in the direction of where a group of soldiers stood waiting for instructions, “I don’t want to cause any more trouble,” she carefully slid off the back of the truck and took the reins from the man who’s name was Kili, dreading her walk back.

“You’re not riding back, are you?” Kili asked her, slightly alarmed.

Yes, she thought but decided to change her mind so as not to make them worried.

“Uhh, no, I’ll walk back, it’s only a couple of kilometres.”

She was definitely mounting up again as soon as she was out of sight, regardless of how her shoulder felt.

“I’ll walk with you,” the blond offered, and her stomach flipped.

“No, please, you’ve done enough. I don’t want to be anymore of a disruption,” she said, trying to maintain her pride.

“I insist. It’s no trouble. I can have my brother pick me up from your barn,” he explained with another smile. “And I’d like to make sure you get back okay.”

Prim swallowed, not only was he sexy as hell, he was sweet too.

“Only if you’re insisting,” she said with a sly smirk.

She looked him over, thinking maybe he was keen to be in her company a little longer as well.

Prim turned to Kili and thanked him for his help before starting through the field in the direction of the forest from where she came. She had Apollo’s reins clutched in the hand of her uninjured side with him following easily behind her, and Fili striding along with them to her left.

She typically never felt awkward or shy around anyone, usually exuding confidence and sometimes maybe even a little cockiness when it came to talking to men, but Fili made her feel different. She couldn’t think of anything to say to him and she cursed herself.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Good, considering. A little achy and tired, but I’ll live,” she couldn’t help but grin and look away because of how intensely he was staring at her, his blue eyes piercing.

“Make sure you get some rest,” Fili advised.

“I will,” she lied. She still had ten stalls to muck out and hungry horses to feed when she returned to the barn and it was going to take her twice as long with one arm hardly being of any use.

“So how long have you been training there?” Prim asked, wondering how she never noticed military training before today in the area she rode through so often.

“Not long, but we will be more frequently,” he explained.

“I should probably start avoiding this area then, right?” she quipped.

“I would recommend it,” Fili grinned.

Unless I want to see you again, she thought.

Fili took in the facility when they arrived, admiring the large arena and sprawling fields where multiple horses were scattered about, grazing in the sunshine.

“So you run all of this?” he asked, thinking what a demanding task that would be.

“Mhm,” Prim hummed as she walked into the barn and started untacking Apollo. “I took over the business from my coach about two years ago.”

“And you do everything by yourself?” Fili wondered.

She laughed, making him want to hear her do it over and over. “For the most part. I do have some students who help with chores in exchange for lessons, which helps a ton, but that’s only a few times a week.”

He watched her pause when it was time to remove the saddle from the horse’s back, prompting him to quickly offer to do it for her, knowing her shoulder couldn’t manage reaching up to lift it.

“I’ll get it,”

“Thanks,” she pointed to a saddle rack on the wall, “you can just set it over there.”

Fíli placed it down and turned to face her.

“Would you like to come out for a bite to eat and some drinks tonight?” The words came out of his mouth before he knew what he was doing.

He saw her hesitation and cringed, thinking he had crossed a line, and bit his lip as he tried to recover.

“It’s nothing big, just myself and Kili and his girlfriend, you don’t need to feel obligated though.”

He felt like an idiot. She was probably tired and sore and the last thing she would want to do is go out.

But he wanted to see her again. He refused to let this be it.

“I’d love to.”

Fili sighed with relief, happy she agreed.

Prim approached him, now standing close enough he could lean forward and kiss her if he was ever so bold.

“I’ll give you my number so you can let me know the details,” she held her hand out for him to place his phone in.

She tucked her bottom lip in her teeth in an effort to restrain her smile while she typed her information into his contacts before handing it back to him.

He laughed when he read what she listed as the name with her phone number; Horse Girl With The Messed Up Face.

“Just in case you confuse me with any other damsel in distress you happen to rescue,” she winked at him and he stifled a growl.

“There could be no confusion, Prim,” he assured her.

“Fili?” They heard Kili call from the main entrance, seeing him turn the corner and spot them. “Sorry to interrupt-“ he trailed off, making Fili take a step back from Prim.

“I’ll be right there, Ki,” Fili said to his brother.

Looking back to Prim, he instantly smiled. “I’ll call you later then,”

“I look forward to it,” she admitted, “And thank you, again for everything,”

“It’s nothing, I’m glad you’re okay.”

He watched her turn and walk over to a wheelbarrow and pitchfork that were leaning against the wall, concerned she was about to start doing a chore she shouldn’t because of her shoulder.

“Hey you’re not-“ he began, but she cut him off.

“The stalls aren’t going to clean themselves,” she retorted.

Oh, she was a stubborn one.

“No, no, you can’t do that, you’ll only end up hurting yourself more.”

She raised her eyebrows at him in a ‘well who the hell is going to do it then’ way, leaving him no other choice but to pluck the pitchfork from her hand.

“Kili!” he called over his shoulder, taking joy in the complaints spewing from his brother’s mouth when he realized what he’d been recruited to do.

“You’re not serious.”

“Incredibly.” Fili grinned at his brother, handing him a shovel.

————

[scarlett-hamiltonf1]

Smut w lewis hamilton please

Love is in the air and not even Lewis Hamilton himself is immune to it. Y/N Wolff is Toto's only child and a common face in the paddock. You are the mastermind behind the social media account and love to keep fans on their toes. Along with that profession, you ran a Public Relations company that contracted with F1 and most of the team used you along with many high-profile clients. With your father's knack for investing, you soon became extremely wealthy and successful.

Your life has revolved around racing for a long time. Of course, when your father took the reins at Mercedes you decided to stand by him even though you supported Redbull. Oh yeah, You and Max Verstappen are best buddies after the drivers got used to seeing you in the paddock all the time.

Everyone knew you as a really chill and friendly person, but the one driver you could not get along with was Lewis Hamilton. You publicly took Nico Rosberg's side in the conflict between the two and from there it went downhill. So here you are at the German Grand Prix watching Lewis meet Michael Schumacher's record. Something you had mixed feelings on.

"He's done it." Toto chuckled, while you huffed.

You wrapped your warm Mercedes jacked around you tighter. "Good for him," you muttered.

Your father looked up with a smirk. "You used to idolize Lewis, remember all the autographs you have framed in your trophy room back at home."

Your trophy room. The room held all your trophies from when you did Karting with the newer drivers. Your favorite was when you tied with Mick at a race, and your father's got in an argument over who really won. In the end, you and Mick decided that you would share the trophy and to this day every six months you take turns with it. Your second favorite was the first WDC Lewis ever won. He gave it to you, for your sixteenth birthday, six years ago.

"Maybe I did idolize him when I was a teen, but knowing him has proved nothing but he's just another rich arrogant F1 driver."

Toto laughed at you while giving you a side hug. "Well, let's go meet the champ and do our interviews."

You followed your father through the paddock to the podium where you met up with Mick.

"Hey, Mickie Mouse!" You exclaimed.

"Hey, Wolff!" he replied with a bright smile.

You basically grew up with Mick, and his family considered you an honorary Schumacher.

"Wanna go up with me?"

You looked over to your father who gave you an encouraging nod, so you followed Mick up to the podium. When you got to the door leading out to the podium someone stopped you and placed the first place trophy in your hands.

There was no time for you to protest as you and Mick were pushed onto the podium stage. You smiled brightly as the cameras landed on you.

Mick whispered a joke to you, to make sure you smile knowing you didn't like being in the direct spotlight for long periods of time...like now.

You stood behind Mick while he talked with Lewis before MIck stepped aside and let you walk forward with the trophy.

"Congratulations," You whispered to Lewis. "You deserve it."

Lewis smiled brightly at you. "Thank you Y/N." and he held out an arm to give you a hug.

You leaned is slowly and soon felt yourself wrapping your arms around Lewis's warm body. His scent seemed to draw you in closer as you felt like you were right where you belonged.

"Forgive me?" he asked while holding up his pinky.

You locked your pinky in his while smirking. "Let's get through this interview, and then we'll see," I replied.

The two of you split from Mick and went to an interview with Will Buxton. He already had a bit of a mischievous look on his face.

"Probably one of the strongest rivalries in the paddock, Y/N Wolff and Lewis Hamilton joining us," Will announced. "That hug up on the podium, was it coming to a truce?"

You chuckled. "I have a bit of respect for Lewis."

"Perhaps you need to learn to give more, Y/N." he quipped with a smirk causing me to look at him funny.

You smirked. "Would you excuse us for a second...I'm about to go save a few reputations," you replied before dragging Lewis to the Mercedes garage and into his driver's room.

"What' the hell!" he exclaimed.

"Teach me some respect? That's really classy Hamilton."

Lewis rolled his eyes before pushing your body into the wall and attaching his soft lips to yours. Your brain and body were telling you no, but your heart was saying otherwise.

"You've been in love with me for a long time." He whispered in my ear. "All I thought about was waiting in till you were eighteen to do this."

"I'm not in love with you!" you snapped.

Lewis dug his knee between your legs while rubbing against your throbbing clit.

"It is time you learn to respect a six-time world champion, soon to be seven." He stated. "But first...I need your permission."

You rolled your eyes. "I doubt you could do anything to make me respect you more, but I give you my permission."

With your words, Lewis through you onto the couch while stripping both your clothes off. He made sure to let you know, you were just there for the ride and had no control over the situation whatsoever.

For someone who was always controlling the drivers and trying to keep them from causing too much drama, you weren't used to being told what to do and not being the controlling one.

Lewis was quick to put a small kiss on your bundle of nerves before licking a long strip on your clit, causing you to elicit a soft moan, trying to be quiet as there were people in the vicinity.

"Lewis..." you breathed out, mouth agape as he sucked, bit, and licked your throbbing clit, already aching for a release.

You grabbed his curls harshly as you felt a bubbling sensation began to grow.

Suddenly there was a pounding on the door and Lewis pulled away harshly.

"Who is it?"

"Max, I'm looking for Y/N. She promised to go for a drive with me on the track." Max replied.

Lewis huffed. "Well, if I see her I'll tell her you were looking for her. Honestly, she's probably dealing with the press about my number of wins."

"Humble." I hear Max mutter in dutch. "Well, thanks! Congratulations again!"

Lewis turned back to me while I burst out laughing. A few moments later he began laughing as well.

"I think Max was divine intervention telling us this is wrong," Lewis stated and I agreed.

You smiled up at Lewis. "When you're off racing, I want you to remember that there's always one person rooting for you, who never stopped."

Lewis smiled as we got dressed, "To our graves?" he asked holding up his pinky.

"To our graves." I smirked.

Bonus:

You walked through the paddock to the Redbull garage. Max was waiting there with a nice Aston Martin, with a huge smirk on his face.

"So how long are you going to keep pretending you and Lewis aren't dating?"

I shrugged. "It's nice leading everyone on to think we hate each other, even my father."

Max raised a brow.

"I wouldn't be so sure, given Lewis bought a pent house in the same building as you, probably more than a coincidence." a voice send from behind you and you turned to see your father.

"Dad?" You exclaimed.

"Nor is it a coincidence that you have that ring around your neck!" he pointed out.

Well, there's the end to your little charade. You and Lewis started dating when you turned 18 but wanted to keep it a secret so you pretended not to like each other. You were even engaged, but you had been found out. Now you'll have to deal with your father, but that was for another day.

[wiypt-writes]

Riding High

Ch14: True Perfection Has To Be Imperfect

Chapter Summary: Frank gets the keys to the new apartment and the renovations start. Everything seems to be going so well for them all, until Fliss gets some news that rocks the very foundations they’ve been building.

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words.

Chapter Pairings:  Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

 A/N: As always, if you like and enjoy please comment and Re-Blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding High Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 13

 It’s your time, it’s your day, it’s never too late, to change lanes.

Frank could tell something was off the minute he pulled onto the yard. The usual chatter that rang out was absent and there just seemed a general air about the place that he couldn't identify. But it wasn't long before he found out why.

"Fliss is on the floor!" Mary’s voice loud with worry as she pointed into the paddock. Frank glanced over as he shut the door to his truck and felt himself grow cold. He broke into a jog, heading towards the fence and let out a sigh of relief when he saw she was moving.

“Wait here…” he instructed Mary before, with a flourish, he vaulted over the side of the paddock and jogged across the riding paddock.

 “What happened?” he asked.

 “Oh, hey Sailor!” Fliss grinned up at him, where she lay flat on her back, Thor led by her side, head on her thigh. “Just had a fall but everything’s working, just giving myself a minute to get my breath and what not.” “Nothing broken.” Joanne looked at Frank from where she knelt by Fliss, the reins to the big, black horse in her hands

Frank knelt down next to Fliss and looked at her as she reached out and gently ran her hand down his forearm. “How d’ya fall off?” “Oh Bronson got confused at the jump, was trying to dodge out to the right. I corrected him and he kind of took off, twisted mid-air and I got unseated.” she explained.

 “It was a pretty good show of acrobatics.” Joanne nodded in agreement.

 Thor gave a little whine and his head moved, his eyes looking up at Fliss who scratched his ear.

 “I’m ok, mate.” she said softly. “I’m good.”

 "This wouldn't happen on a boat ya know" Frank teased gently and she looked up at him, quirking an eyebrow as she propped herself up on her elbows.

 "Boats are boring...nothing like having a half tonne animal between your legs" she replied, causing him and Joanne to smirk.

“You’re terrible.” Joanne shook her head as Fliss simply grinned.

 “Okay, I’m good to go." Fliss sat up fully. Frank got up off his knees and held out his hand, gently pulling her to her feet. She dusted herself off and then turned to take Bronson's reins off Joanne.

 "Can you give me a leg up?" She asked and Frank felt his heart stop

 "You cannot be serious!" He spluttered back.

 "What?"

 “You’re getting back on?”

 “Yeah.” Fliss looked at Frank as if he was stupid “I’m not hurt, not really, just gonna ache like hell for a few days. It’s the same as riding a bike, you don’t stop if you fall off!” “It’s a little different to riding-“

“Besides,” she spoke over him, “he’ll be unsettled and if I don’t get on and end the session well it’s gonna be in his mind, and mine for that matter, for next time and it’ll just be a nightmare so…”

Frank knew there was no point in arguing with her. Instead he held his hands up and backed away as Joanne boosted her up.

“What happened?” Mary asked as he reached the paddock fence she was now perched sideways on, her legs hanging either side.

 “She fell off.” Frank answered simply. “She’s okay though. She’s back on.” They watched as Fliss gently walked the horse round before picking up trot, then canter and then turned him straight for the jump. Frank grimaced slightly but he needn’t have bothered, the horse cleared the fence and Fliss gently slowed him down, patting him.

 “Fucking crazy.” Frank mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

Whilst Fliss wasn’t seriously injured, she was certainly feeling the effects later on that night. Frank had called Verity, despite Fliss’ protests that she was fine, who had dropped round to Frank’s with some painkillers that were slightly stronger than your average ones. Fliss had taken two before dinner and as a result had started feeling a little bit woozy and light headed, commenting to Frank that it felt like she’d been smoking something funny. After diverting Mary’s questions on what that meant, they’d watched a bit of TV until Fliss announced she was thirsty.

 “I’ll get it.” Frank made to move but she stopped him.

 “I’m fine.” she sat up with a grimace, grabbing at her notoriously bad shoulder.

 “Baby, just-“ “Frank, stop it!” she said a little sternly. “I’ve fallen off more horses than you’ve had women.” “Wow.” he looked at her, and she snorted.

“I just mean it ain’t the first time and it sure as hell won’t be the last, kinda comes with the territory. I’m just gonna a bit bruised.”

 “Fine” he relented, and she pushed herself up off the sofa and walked slowly into the kitchen.

 A moment later he heard her groan “Fraaaaaaank.” “What?”

 “The soda’s on the top shelf. I can’t stretch my arm.” “What’s that? You do need my help?” “Stop being a dick.” she shot back, and with a wink at Mary who was laughing, he stood up and headed into the kitchen.

Not long after that they all ended up heading to bed. Frank knew that tomorrow was going to be a long day as he was getting the keys to the new apartment in the morning and they were starting the work straight away, Bill already scheduled to come and help. He’d booked as much time as he dared off work over the next week, given that he hadn’t been working there all that long but thankfully his Team Leader had been very understanding and Bill had said he’d take over on the days Frank had to be in.

Fliss stretched out, hissing at the bite of pain that coursed through her side and shoulder, the noise she made caused Thor to immediately spring up on the bed, nuzzling his face into Fliss' causing her to wince a little as he basically led over her like a huge teddy bear.

"Careful, buddy." Frank gently chastised the dog, reaching over to scratch his ears. He knew the animal was incredibly tuned into Fliss’ feelings, as were Cap and Heidi, the two horses she owned. It was something that genuinely amazed him and, if he was honest, made him smile a lot.

"Stupid soft git." Fliss muttered fondly, as Thor lay his head on her chest, teetering on the edge of the mattress, precariously, until a few seconds later he rolled and toppled off causing them both to giggle. The German shepherd shook himself off, shot them a scathing look, before he headed to his bed and flopped down with a loud huff.

"He didn't like it when you were on the floor before." Frank said softly, as she moved tenderly to lay her head on his chest. His hand reached round to card through her hair and down the side of her neck.

"No he never has." Fliss said gently "Ever since I got him he's been like that. He would always be the one that would lay by me, lick my face after...." she trailed off, the sentence didn’t need completing.  "He would growl something rotten at John when he started, but it was Loki that went for him in the end. That's why John killed him"

Frank stiffened, his hand stilling on the crown of her head, not quite sure he had heard right. "He killed your dog?" he repeated, questioningly.

"Yeah." Fliss swallowed. “He said he had bought him as a guard dog for the property not for me." She sniffed a little. "He poisoned him"

 "Oh, Lissy, I..." Frank sighed and she gently tangled her hand in the hair on his chest.

"I know."

 They lay still for a moment, her hand tracing shapes on his skin before she suddenly blurted out.

 "How do you do it? How do you make being with you so fucking easy?"

 "What?" Frank frowned.

 "This...I mean...you're kind, gentle, smart, funny, considerate. You know I’d half convinced myself you were gonna be crap in the sack to compensate it all but..." she shook her head. "I don’t get it."

"You don't get it because you spent almost four years living with a cunt who treat you like shit"  Frank said simply, anger flooding his system. “Lissy, I’m not perfect, far from it. I’m stubborn, opinionated, shit with words, I’m really untidy as you’ve noticed and, well, up until meeting you my longest relationship in the last ten years lasted for six months.” He shook his head. “All I do is treat you how you should be treated, with love and respect. Don’t put me on a fucking pedestal for being normal.”

She tilted her head and looked at him for a second, as Frank took a breath. That outburst had been a little uncalled for and harsher in tone than he’d meant, but he wanted her to understand that their relationship was normal. The way he treat her was normal. He was uncomfortable with this idea that she thought he was something special because he didn’t abuse her or hit her.

“I’m sorry I just…” he felt her stiffen besides him and he let out a soft sigh.

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound so abrupt.” He gently pulled her closer and nuzzled his face into her hair, kissing her head “You’re worthy of everything I said as a bare minimum. It’s not me being some kind of saint.”

“Can I put you on a pedestal for being gorgeous?” she asked after a moment’s pause and Frank snorted, shaking his head. “Well you are.” She protested at his response. There was another pause, until she broke the silence once more. “I do get it you know. Maybe I do appreciate you more because you’re not like him but, is that so wrong?”

“I’m not saying that, we’re together, we should appreciate each other.” he pressed. “I’m just telling you I’m not flawless.” “I know that.” she shrugged “Neither of us are. But isn’t that what makes this so perfect? It is because it isn’t. Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without”

“Confucius.” Frank raised an eyebrow at her, a small smile on his face as she looked up at him once more. Her eyes flashed and she grinned at him “How very philosophical.”

 She laughed “We’ll you’d know all about that, Professor.”

“Okay, here’s another one of his.” Frank grinned back. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall…”

“See, I told you I was right to get back on Bronson.” she quipped and at that Frank laughed.

******

Fliss woke the next morning to Frank gently kissing her cheek, softly running his hand over her hair.

“Morning Sweetheart.” he placed a mug of coffee on the side as she blinked and looked at him “How you feeling?” “Fucking sore.” she groaned. “What time is it?” “Half eight. I just packed Mary off on the bus.” “Half eight?” she sat up suddenly, immediately regretting it and winced once more. “Fuck, my alarm”

“Yeah I turned it off. Think the last batch of painkillers you took at three am wiped you out.” he sat on the edge of the bed as she shuffled up. She made to reach for her drink and let out a little huff of pain so Frank stopped her and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll ease off when I start to move about.”

“Well, don’t rush about.” He instructed as she took a drink of her coffee, before he saw her face fall.

“Oh, shit. I have a lesson to give at ten in St Pete’s…” she frowned, and Frank could she she was starting to worry so he gently reached out, tucking her wild auburn locks behind her ear.

“Just chill.” He shushed her. “Joanne called before.” He nodded to her phone “I answered and told her I didn’t know if you were gonna be in but she said she’d open up and reschedule your morning appointments. Then you can see how you feel this afternoon.”

For a moment he thought she was going to flip out at him effectively making a decision like that for her but after a second or two pause she gave a grateful smile and sat back against the pillows.

“Thank you.”

“Take your time, your mom and dad will be here in a bit. Then we’re gonna get the keys and start on the apartment.” Fliss grinned as she took another drink of coffee.“You excited?” “Yeah, yeah I am.” He said, honestly. “Just wanna get it all started and then we can move in.” She smiled and he stood up. “Your mom’s bringing breakfast, said something about her boys not being able to work on an empty stomach.” He arched a brow. “Her boys?” Fliss smirked over her mug. “You really have got her wrapped around your finger.” He chuckled “Well what can I say, I’m a likeable guy…” “Hmmm you’re something I’ll give you that.” she quipped, and he laughed, placing a kiss on her cheek before heading back out of the room.

It wasn’t long before Fliss’ parents arrived and they ate breakfast, Verity fussing over Fliss who kept assuring her and her dad that they were fine. Once they’d eaten, Bill and Frank headed over to meet his new landlord and after he handed over the keys, they got to work. For their first task they shut the utilities off and ripped out the bathroom, which wasn’t too big a job seeing as half of the damned suite was smashed up anyway. Once that was done they moved into the living room and tossed out the tatty old furniture that had been left before doing their first run to the local dump. Then they moved onto ripping up the carpet in the living room.

“Shit!” Bill spluttered as a cloud of dust rose up from where they had wrenched the offending item free from the tacks. Frank blinked, backing up slightly, before he stood up, arm across his mouth. “Didn’t think it would be that bad.”

Bill rose to his feet and they both moved away, Frank picking up a bottle of water that was on the side and rinsing his face with it. He tossed it to Bill who did the same, the pair of them looking at one another before snorting a laugh each, and shaking their heads.

“And I thought this would be the easy bit.” Bill wiped his face. “Was less hassle ripping out the bathroom.”

 It took them an hour or so to cut the carpet into easily manageable pieces, rip it up, and toss it into the back of their trucks. By now it was scorching outside, and also inside as the air con wasn’t on seeing as they had no power. This meant both men were dripping with sweat and Frank couldn’t remember ever feeling so damned warm or grubby in his entire life.

 By lunch time they’d pretty much cleared the lot. Carpets, broken light fittings, broken kitchen doors and also the old washing machine. Grabbing another bottle of water, Frank stood outside the apartment, hand on his hips and smiled at Bill who gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Good job, son.” he nodded. “It’s a blank canvas now. Dave will be here soon with the new bathroom, shouldn’t take us too long to plumb it all in, connections are already there. We can start the tiling tomorrow.”

Frank smiled and grabbed his T-shirt at the bottom, lifting it up to wipe at his face and as he did so he heard a sharp wolf whistle. When he emerged from his shirt he grinned and looked at Fliss who was slowly walking towards them with Verity, Thor following behind, both women carried familiar paper bags.

Frank made his way over and she stopped, where as Verity carried on, quite tactfully towards Bill and Fliss grinned.

“Hey.” she greeted him as he leaned down to give her a kiss and she wrinkled her face. “Gross, you’re all filthy and sweaty and…” She trailed off, her eyes glinting as her voice dropped slightly and she ran a hand up his arm to his shoulder “Actually…” “Behave.” he raised his eyebrow at her.

“Don’t wanna.” she pouted.

 He shook his head and nodded to the bag. “You bring me lunch, Honey?”

 “You need to keep your strength up.” She winked. “Mom drove us to Subway.” “I love you Verity!” Frank called as he fished out his Turkey sub and she grinned at him.

The four of them settled down where they could, Fliss sitting on the steps, Frank by her feet on the lawn and Bill and Verity perched on the tail of Bill’s truck. They ate together, Fliss telling Frank she’d postponed her teaching now until Monday to allow herself time to heal a little, which he was secretly pleased about. It wasn’t long after they had finished lunch that the new bathroom turned up the women left them to it.

Frank and Bill worked well together and between the two of them they had it fit in little under two hours and Bill connected the water back up to test it. When it worked properly Frank gave a nod of satisfaction and smiled. The suite was an off white colour, nice and with a modern large bath. It might have been second hand but you couldn’t tell, and Frank liked it.

“Not bad for a day’s work.” Bill smiled. “The tiling shouldn’t take too long tomorrow and then, well, it’s just a case of decorating and a new carpet.” At that point the two men heard footsteps and looked up to see Mary bounding in, followed by Fliss and Verity.

“Hey Stack.” Frank greeted her as she looked around. “Whaddya think so far?” Mary nodded appreciatively. “Least it has a toilet.” The adults laughed and Frank nodded “Yeah, I mean we can move in now.” “What?” she frowned “There’s no carpet in the living room!”

 “I was being sarcastic.” Frank replied and she narrowed her eyes at him.

 “Roberta says sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.”

“Well, she’d know.” he shrugged.

 “Am I staying there tonight?” She questioned Frank.

“It’s up to you.” he replied “We’re not going out are we, Honey?”

Fliss shook her head “No way, I ache too much, but I was thinking we could BBQ maybe? All of us?” “Ooooh, yeah!” Mary nodded, agreeably “Then Roberta can come too.” Frank shrugged “Yeah, I’m ok with that.” “Mum, Dad?” Fliss asked.

 Verity and Bill exchanged looks and Bill nodded. “I need to nip home and shower first but…” “No need.” Fliss shook her head. “We swung by and picked you a spare change up. You can shower at Frank’s.” “Oh can I?” Bill looked at her. She grinned back in response as Bill turned to Frank “That okay? You know, seeing as it’s your place, not hers.” Fliss stuck her tongue out at her father whilst Frank simply shrugged.

“She acts like she owns the damned place when she’s there anyway so it might as well be.” he teased and she glared at him, digging him in the ribs.

 “Shut up”

*****

The next ten days consisted much in the same vein. Frank had to work on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but Bill took over the painting for him, and then on the Friday, a week after they had started, they fit the new carpets. The Saturday they spent fixing on the new kitchen doors and plumbing in the washing machine and on Sunday morning Frank fit the final touches, screwing in the new light fittings and then it was done.

That afternoon, Frank and Fliss stood in the middle of the living room admiring the finished article. It smelt of new carpet and wet paint, a smell Frank had grown immune to having been breathing it in for god knows how long.

 “It looks great.” Fliss smiled, taking the fresh, light grey walls, darker grey carpet which was complemented by the brushed steel modern light fittings.

 “Yeah, not a bad job.” Frank grinned. “We can start moving the stuff over tomorrow.” At that point Mary barrelled in from the hallway and beamed “My room looks awesome, Fliss, come see!” She gushed. Fliss allowed Mary to pull her out of the living room and followed her down the hall to the room on the right. It was a good sized bedroom, and it was freshly painted in light blue, a colour Mary had chosen herself.

 “Frank says I’m getting a new cabin bed soon with a desk underneath and I’m gonna put it against that wall.” She rambled on. “And on that wall I’m gonna stick my shells and there I’m gonna have my shelves for my books and a TV…” Frank leaned in the doorway watching as Mary pointed everything out to Fliss, his face curling into a smile. He’d never thought something so simple as having her own room would make the girl so damned happy.

 “…and Fred can have his own basket, although he never sleeps in them anyway…” Mary was continuing and Fliss looked up and caught Frank’s eye. He smiled at her gently and she beamed back.  “…and I can put my photos here…”  Mary finished “What do you think?” “I think it sounds amazing, Stack.” Fliss said, smiling at her “I can’t wait to see it all finished.” “Okay.” Frank pushed himself up straight from the door frame “Let’s go grab your stuff Stack and head over to find out what V’s made for dinner.” “I hope it’s beef.” Mary said, skipping out “Her Sunday beef is the best.” “It’s chicken.” Fliss whispered as Frank laughed, dropping an arm round her shoulders as they made their way outside. He locked the door and they headed back to the apartment, Mary collecting her stuff. Once Frank had checked she had everything she needed he tossed it into the truck and turned to Fliss.

“I’ve been thinking.” he said, as Mary climbed into the seat.

“Sounds dangerous.” Frank rolled his eyes “I know we said we weren’t gonna move in together yet, but, well, how about you bring some stuff over once I’ve got all the bedroom furniture and then that way you don’t need to pack a bag when you come stay.” Fliss smiled at him. “A sensible suggestion.” she agreed, her arms sliding around his neck.

“It has been known.” He grinned, his hands dropping to her hips as he leaned down to kiss her. They both jumped as the horn on the truck sounded and Mary leaned across the seats.

“Come on, stop kissing, I’m hungry.” “How about we ditch her on the side of the road?” Frank spoke loudly to Fliss and Mary scoffed.

“Stop making empty threats, Frank.” she sing songed.

Frank looked at Fliss who burst out laughing “You have no idea how damned similar the pair of you are.” She smiled with a shake of her head. *******

 It was almost a fortnight later when Mary casually told Frank she had reached her decision about Evelyn. It was a Friday and she had been at University for two classes that morning, and was heading to normal school for the rest of the afternoon. Part of the reason that Frank worked late on a Tuesday was so that he could be flexible when it came to things like this and could pop out for an hour or so to go and pick her up when he needed to.

He greeted her in the hallway as always and she slipped her little hand into his as they walked back outside and over to his truck. She glanced in the paper bag which contained her lunch he had bought her from the deli near the boat store, a treat he liked to get her every Friday now he could happily afford it without worrying and she grinned.

 “Save it for when you get to School. Otherwise everyone else will be eating and you won’t.” She folded the top of the paper bag over and grinned at him as he eased his way up the freeway.

“You drive like an old lady.” she grinned and Frank took a deep breath, a smirk on his face. That was a comment Fliss had made to him on numerous occasions, one which he normally retorted back with some reference to her driving like a maniac.

“It's Florida. I'm blending in.” He said simply to Mary, smile still playing on his lips. She side-eyed him for a moment, in a way that made her look ridiculously like Diane, even though he knew, again, that was a habit she’d picked up from Fliss. Or Roberta for that matter. Frank had a feeling that as Mary grew up she was going to be a perfect candidate for the whole nature v nurture debate…

“I talked to Fliss last night.” Mary said.

“I know, you stole the phone off me when she called and ran off to your room.”

“Yeah, why didn’t she stay with us last night?” “It’s Thursday, she never stays on a Thursday. You know this. She had paper work to do.” Mary fell silent.

“What were you going to say?” Frank gently pressed her.

“Huh?” “You said you talked to Fliss. Was that all you wanted to tell me or…” “Oh, no.” Mary replied “I asked her about whether I should see Evelyn.”

Frank took a deep breath, his face remaining passive “Right, so what did she say?” “The same as you. That it was my decision and whatever I wanted everyone would understand and be okay with it and that no one would be mad…”

“Of course no one will be mad.” Frank looked at her. “Evelyn is your grandmother, and it’s your decision if you wanna see her. Not mine, not the courts, not anybody’s but yours. And no one, not even me, is gonna be upset about what you decide, you got that?” “I know. And I’ve made up my mind.” “Yeah?” She nodded “I want to see her.” “Okay.” Frank licked his lips. Truth be told he wasn’t sure how he felt about this but he meant what he said. It was up to Mary and at least now he would have some control over the access. “If you’re sure then I’ll call her on Monday and we’ll make some arrangements.” “Maybe she can come here, see our new place.” “Maybe.” Frank nodded, although he had a feeling that hell freezing over would be more likely.

There was a moment’s silence as both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Frank stole a glance at his niece as she sat looking out of the window, chewing her lip and he decided to move her away from the subject as he turned off the main road.

“How was school?”

“Fun.” Mary nodded. “Not like regular school fun. But interesting.”

Fun. Regular. Two words Frank had craved for Mary all her damned life, and it made him smile to hear her so full of life, so happy, so settled.

Mary’s attention flickered from him to the seat next to her and she moved her lunch bag to look at it.

“What is this book?” she asked, picking it up and flicking it open.

“Discourse on Method.” Frank said, giving her the title of his latest read “Rene Descartes.”

“What's it about?” she pressed.

“Existence.”

“Existence?”

“Yup. I think, therefore I am” he said, a small smile on his face.

“Well, of course you are. That's obvious.” Marry rolled her eyes and Frank supressed a snort. Everything was so logical in her little brain, there was an innocence to it all that he loved.

“I think about Fred, therefore, I am Fred.” she continued.

“Cogito ergo Fred?” Frank teased looking at her.

“He's a dude and he's a guy,” Mary grinned, “and he only has one eye.”

Frank let out a chuckle as Mary tipped her head back and continued in a loud, ridiculous voice.

“Fred! Fred! Fred! Freeeeddddyyyy, Fred, Fred!”

Frank laughed began to slow down, pulling up by the school.

“All right, here we are.” He glanced over and saw Mary was fiddling with her belt and opening the door. “Hey, wait till I come to a stop…” he started to protest.

“Then come to a stop already!” Without so much as a glance back she grabbed her lunch and shot over to the playground which was brimming with other kids. He watched, a small smile playing on his face as she made her way over, dropping her lunch to the floor and throwing herself into a game. Something that he would never have believed possible back in September when she’d first started. But here she was, almost seven months later, like she’d been there all her life. His attention flicked to Bonnie as the woman shot him a friendly wave and a nod, which he returned before he set off back to work before someone called the cops on him for sitting outside a school staring at a yard full of kids.

****

As he was winding up at work for the day, Jake called him, an impromptu guys night out was being organised for that night as Jake had a ‘pass out’, his words not Frank’s. Frank hesitated for a moment, he hadn’t planned anything with Fliss as such, but it was Friday, their night…

“Oh come on!” Jake snorted as Frank rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me Frank Adler is hesitating over a night out!”

“No, it’s not that…” Frank protested “We’ve just had a really busy fortnight and…” “Man you’re whipped. Already. What is this? Like month five and you’re already in the-”

“I’m not whipped, I just like spending time with my girl, what’s wrong with that?”

“Dude come on!”

“Okay, okay.” Frank sighed. “What time?” “Eight at Fergs, and if you don’t show I’m gonna come round your gaff and drag you out myself.”

Frank shook his head and cut the call before he dialled Fliss.

“Hey, Sailor.” She greeted. “I was just thinking about you.”

“About me or that thing I did to you on Wednesday night?” he grinned and she snorted.

“No, about you. Although now I’m thinking about that thing.”

Frank chuckled. “So what were you thinking about?”

“Oh, erm, tonight. Thought we could grab a pizza and head up to the marina for a walk, maybe grab a beer.”

“Erm, yeah.” He sighed. Shit.

“We don’t have to.” She responded, clearly reading his voice tone. “It was just an idea.”

“No, I do, I just….” He took a deep breath. “Well, Jake called, said the guys are going for beers and it’s been a while since we all got together so I was…” “Frank…” Fliss laughed softly “You don’t need to justify yourself. If you wanna go out, go out.” “You don’t mind?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Well, Fridays are kinda our night.”

“I know but, well it’s not as much of a big thing now Mary has her own room, we kinda get our own nights a bit more often.” “Ok, fair point.” he smiled and she laughed.

“Maybe I can wait for you at yours? I can go to Roberta’s for a little while with Mary.” “You don’t have to ask.” Frank smiled softly “You can stay whenever you want, you know that.”

“Well, that’s settled then.” she replied, before someone shouted to her and she retorted before coming back to Frank “Sorry baby, I gotta go but I’ll see you later.” “Ok, love you.” “You too…”

***** After Frank headed out, Fliss wandered down to Roberta’s with a bottle of wine and after more loud hairbrush-karaoke, Roberta had cracked open the Bourbon and the two women had sat on the stoop until just gone eleven when Fliss had headed back. Throwing on one of Frank’s T-shirts she crawled into the king sized bed (an excellent purchase decision that she had talked him into) and snuggled down into the new blankets (another excellent purchase decision), Thor jumping up and taking his position by her feet.

She can’t have been asleep long when she woke as Thor gave a low whine and jumped off the bed, nudging the door open and heading out into the hallway.

Then she heard a thud, followed by cursing.

“Shit. Who put that there?” She heard Frank groan, then he started laughing “Thor! Get down!”

There was more laughing, and protests which Fliss listened to for a moment, before she swung her legs out of bed and headed down the short hallway. She quickly checked the front door as she walked past to make sure he’d locked it behind him, and then headed into the living room to find Frank led on the floor as Thor basically jumped all over him, licking his face and wagging his tail.

“Some guard dog you are.” Frank laughed again as he attempted to push the dog off him.

“Good job you’re not a burglar then.” Fliss spoke, causing Frank to look up, grinning stupidly at her “Mind you, the amount of noise you’re making you’d be a pretty shit one…”

“Heeey…” he grinned, as Thor finally moved off him and he pushed himself to his feet. “There you are!”

“Here I am.” Fliss nodded, and she couldn’t help but smile at the look on his face. He was beaming at her, a stark contrast to how John was when he used to come home drunk, but then that was Frank all over, a completely different person, and she knew that.

“There you are, my girl.” He stopped in front of her, his hands falling to her hips. “C’mere…”

“Ok, someone had a good night.” She grinned as he placed a sloppy kiss on her lips.

“Yeah, it was.” He nodded and then he suddenly looked around “So the bedroom moved.” he turned back to her and whispered conspiratorially. “It’s not where it usually is...”

“No, you moved.” She laughed. “You moved apartments, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” He nodded, before he looked down at her, taking in her bare legs “Is that my T-shirt?”

“Yes.” “Take it off, thief.” “Okay, let’s get you to bed.” Fliss patted his chest.

“Yeah?” He arched his eyebrow grinning.

“To sleep.”

“No sleep.” He pouted, dropping his head to gently nuzzle at her neck. “Wanna give you some lovin’...”

“Yeah and how are you gonna do that when you’re too drunk to take your pants off?” Fliss laughed as she led him down the hallway.

“You can take em off…” He said as he stopped in the bedroom, looking round.

“Oh I can, can I?” She asked as he kicked off his sneakers.

“Yes…” he nodded as he sat on the bed. “I’ll allow it.”

“You'll allow it?” Fliss deadpanned as he started to undo the buttons on his shirt. Eventually he gave up and reached back, grabbing it behind his neck and with a tug pulled it over his head, tossing it to the side. He reached out to Fliss, pulling her close to him, his arms wrapping around her back as he looked up at her.

“I will allow it, but only because I love you.”

“Ok so let me get this straight.” Fliss chuckled as she ran her hand through his hair. “You're gonna let me take your pants off because you love me?”

 “Yeah.” He nodded.

 “I'm so lucky…” She snorted

 “Hey, I’m a catch…” Frank let go of her and flopped back on the bed.

 “I never said otherwise.” she grinned, moving to take his belt off.

“Ah ha ha see, you do wanna get in my pants.” “I want to get you in bed, so help me out here hot-shot.” With a grin Frank raised his hips and she tugged down his jeans, dropping them by the side of the bed.

“Come on…” she patted the pillows and Frank shifted, moving the right way onto the bed and after a bit of a battle with the covers he’d settled himself down, one arm thrown over his head as he watched Fliss who gently turned off the lamp and settled down next to him. Shifting onto his side, his hand gently ran up her thigh, resting on her hip underneath his T-shirt.

 “I love you.” He said softly, and she smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.

“I love you too.” she smiled “Even when you’re being a drunken idiot.” “I’m not drunk.” “Course not.” “Okay, maybe just a little bit.” he conceded after a moment. “But I do love you.” “I believe you.”

“So much, you know what? One day, I’m gonna marry you.”

 “Oh, are you?” Fliss asked, running her hand through his hair.

 “Yup, and then we’re gonna make little Franks and Flisses and…” he stopped as Fliss’ laughter filled the room. “Why are you laughing?” he asked her, his tone indignant “You don’t wanna marry me and make babies?”

 “Not after us being together for like less than 6 months.” she laughed.

 “Well that’s just rude…” he mumbled, dropping his head forward so it fell to her chest.

He stayed still for a moment, mumbling something else as Fliss continued to run her hands through her hair, and it wasn’t long before his soft snores told her he was asleep. With a fond smile she dropped a kiss to his head and closed her eyes.

*****

Fliss took great delight the next morning in telling Frank exactly how much shit he’d been talking when he came home, including telling her that he wanted to marry her and make babies. He’d groaned and banged his head on the table as he sat nursing a coffee, instantly regretting that as his head was pounding as it was. Thankfully, Mary had gone with Fliss to the yard and spent most of the day there leaving him to suffer in peace, firing abuse to the Circle Of Trust What’s-app group, his only slight consolation being they all seemed to be suffering just as much as he was.

He collapsed into bed on the Saturday at just gone ten pm and slept straight through to eight the next morning when he was woken by Fliss softly kissing him awake. He knew what she wanted, and happily obliged and once they were both spent and slightly sweaty from a particularly energetic sex session, they both showered and after a breakfast of Waffles and fruit, spent the rest of the morning browsing the IKEA website for a bed for Mary. They then headed over to Bill and Verity’s for the usual dinner before they’d all collapsed in bed at Fliss’ after watching a film together.

 Monday morning brought the usual routine, shower, breakfast, kiss Fliss goodbye, drop Mary at school, head to work, check the list of active jobs for the week, start one of said active jobs, pause for a mid-morning snack from the coffee shop, resume work. All standard stuff, so it was a little surprising when the routine of the day was broken.

“Frank?”

Frank popped his head up from the deck of the boat where he’d been working on the steering column and looked at Fliss who was stood in the open entrance to the workshop.

“Hey…” he smiled, “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you but…”

Because he was, he was always happy to see her, he was simply surprised as they hadn’t arranged to meet for lunch like they sometimes did if she was teaching over this way. He stood up and reached for a cloth to wipe his hands on before he climbed down from the boat and as he noticed the look on her face he frowned.

“Baby, what’s the matter?”

 “I err…I got a call and I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do and I just needed to see you and…”

 “Hey, hey.” he soothed, his hands on her arms “Calm down.”

She took a deep breath as Frank glanced over to Paul, his co-worker and nodded his head to signal he was heading outside. Paul waved him away and Frank dropped an arm round Fliss’ shoulder and steered her outside into the sun and out of the view of everyone.

 “What’s wrong?” he asked her and she nodded, taking a deep breath. He could see she’d been crying and he searched her eyes with his own as she looked at him.

 “I got a phone call…from the Victim Assistance Services.” Her eyes were wide “John’s been granted the right to a Parole hearing. They’ve set the date for 23rd May, six weeks.” Frank took a deep breath, concentrating on keeping calm despite the fact he could quite happily have kicked something there and then.

 “I don’t know why I’m so shocked.” Fliss continued “I mean I always knew this would happen, but hearing that he’s finally got a date...” she looked at Frank “If he’s successful, then he could be out by the end of June and…”

“Honey, just because he’s been given the right to a hearing, doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to get out.” “The woman on the phone said that there’s a better chance that it will be refused if I appeal. But if I want to do that then I’ll have to either go in person or do a written or recorded statement and I don’t know if I can…” A tear fell from her eye and Frank gently wrapped her arms around her, pulling her to him. “I stood in a courtroom last time, telling them exactly what he did to me, about how he beat me and degraded me, only to be told I that I was a liar, and that I liked it rough, that I egged him on and… I can’t….I can’t do that again Frank…”

 She was rambling into his chest and he could do nothing but pull her close and drop a kiss to her head.

“No one’s gonna make you do anything you don’t wanna.” he pulled away slightly, cupping her face in her hands.

“They’re sending me a letter.” she said “Explaining my rights and stuff in more detail.” “Want me to call Greg?” He asked, a sudden inspiration coming to him. “I know he’s a Family lawyer now but he did do some time with this type of thing a while back, if you’re happy to speak to him I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to help…”

 “I don’t know if I can.” she sniffed. “I don’t know if want him knowing every detail, I mean even you don’t know it all…” “I know.” he agreed. “And you don’t have to tell him anything to start off with, just ask his advice.” 

She sniffed gently, and looked at him. “I have to tell you don’t I?” She said softly, “All of it?”

Frank hesitated. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but if this was going the way it looked like it was going to go, he would find out sooner or later, and, as he looked at Fliss, he knew that no matter how hard it was, how shitty it was going to be to open up fully, she would need to do that herself to keep some control over the situation.

“You don’t have to do anything. But if you decide you want to, then I’ll listen.” 

He dropped a kiss to her head and pulled her back to him, gently rocking her to-and-fro as he squinted out over the harbour. 

**** Chapter 15

[we-are-inevitable]

bright lights, bright lives // javid

SMALL TOWN AU PART: One

A/N: AHHHH IT’S HERE IT’S HERE !! THE FIRST INSTALLMENT !!! AHHH !!

tag list: @angstyfangirl32 @orestes-fasted @angelslibrary @yahfancyclamwiththepurlinside @tarantulas4davey (if you’d like to be added to the list, send me an ask!)

Read On AO3!

***

The lights in the arena are blinding, casting harsh shadows on the dirt below. It’s intoxicating. The heat, the adrenaline, the anticipation- it’s addicting, captivating, and this right here, right here in this arena, is something special.

Special as he unloads the trailer. Special as he gets ready in the stalls. Special as he waits eagerly at the railing, watching his competitor make the traditional cloverleaf pattern in the dirt.

Everything moves in slow motion, and he feels his heart pound deep in his chest. He straightens his shoulders as the rider goes past him, heading to the stables again, and then, he’s moving toward the gate. And then, he takes a glance up at the crowd, taking in the faces and the excitement.

And then, the ‘go’ signal sounds through the speakers, and everything picks up the pace.

Jack Kelly is barely aware of pulling the reins and giving Dolly’s underside a gentle nudge, and then they’re off. The roar of the crowd is deafening as they go through the tight turns, the continuous loops around three barrels in the middle of the arena, and Jack is smiling- he’s smiling so wide it hurts, because this is where he belongs. Where he wants to be.

Here, under the blinding arena lights, at the best local rodeo in the state, with his favorite horse and a crowd cheering his name.

It feels like hours have passed by the time he reaches the finish line, and a loud blow horn sounds, signaling the end of his ride. Jack is panting now, watching the judges table with wide eyes, watching the timekeeper write down four little numbers- and then it’s announced.

“Jack Kelly’s time is: fourteen-point-three-two seconds.”

The crowd erupts into an uproarious applause. Jack lets out a breathless laugh as he watches his score be written on the blackboard, and covers his mouth with his hand. He hasn’t had a time that good since last summer- most of his times this year have been in the fifteen-to-seventeen second range- and knowing that they still have a long rodeo season ahead of them… It’s hard not to focus on the prospect of potential wins, but Jack gives himself a few moments to bask in the attention before coming back down to Earth.

There are still racers waiting for their turn, Jack reminds himself. You haven’t won yet. Don’t get cocky.

Regardless, Jack keeps his head held high as he drops off of Dolly and begins walking her back to his trailer. He rubs her side all the while, smiling wide. “I knew ya had it in ya, girl,” He whispers once he’s away from everyone else, and runs his hand along her back.

Jack’s quick to tie her reins to a post just behind the trailer. He drops the gate carefully, and walks up inside to check on her feed and water situation. Once he pours her some more water into the trough and adds some more hay to the feed container, he walks back out of the trailer- though he stops in his tracks when he sees someone standing next to Dolly.

A certain someone, with curled red hair, settled over her shoulders perfectly, with a black western hat seated snugly on the crown of her head. Someone wearing tight Wranglers, with a studded belt and a white button down with purple accents tucked into the jeans. Someone with dusty boots and a stare that could make even the strongest man weak in the knees.

“‘Scuse me, ma’am, I’m gonna need ya to step away from the horse,” Jack says with a smirk, leaning against the edge of the trailer. “What are you doin’ back here? Shouldn’t ya be gettin’ ready?”

Katherine makes eye contact with him, and flashes a grin. “There’s still six riders ahead of me. I just wanted to congratulate you on your race, Kelly.”

“Mhm. Sure.”

“Besides, I wanted to see what you look like before I wreck your time.”

“There she is! Atta girl,” Jack grins wide and laughs, then walks forward with open arms. “C’mere, Kath, give me a hug. I’ve missed ya, smartass.”

Katherine hurries toward Jack with a megawatt grin, squeezing him hard around the torso. “I’ve missed you too, Jack. We need to get together sometime!” Katherine huffs as she pulls away. “I’ll be around for a while, but we’re leaving again soon. I have a few races down in Texas that I'll be going to. You up for dinner at Cattleman’s this week?”

“When am I ever not up for dinner at Cattleman's?" Jack shakes his head. “I'm good any day this week.”

“Good,” Katherine smiles. She leans up and gives Jack a kiss on the cheek- an affectionate gesture. “Hey, I need to go get ready, but I'll talk to ya in a bit, okay?” She says with a smile, backing up. “I'll text you. Bye, Dolly,” Katherine gives the horse one more stroke along her side, then nods toward Jack. “Bye, Jackie.”

“Good luck out there! Give Shakespeare some love for me!” Jack calls after her while she walks away, then shakes his head with a grin as he walks toward Dolly. He unties the reins, leads her onto the trailer, and works on getting the saddle off.

Part of him wishes he had help, but… No, he has himself. He can do this. He’s been doing this since he first learned how to pull a trailer. It’s fine.

Fine, Jack remembers, as he sighs and hangs the saddle on the hook. He stays in there for a few more minutes, checking her over while humming to himself. There’s a lot left to do, and he still has to drive home, but eventually, Jack leaves Dolly safe in the trailer and goes out to walk around the booths set up outside the arena.

The rodeo is in full swing, and the energy is buzzing all around him. There are people lined up to get food at the concession stands, countless others milling from boutique booth to boutique booth, and kids playing in the dirt down under the stands. As he walks through the crowd, he hears bits and pieces of conversations- one little kid is going to be mutton busting, according to his enthusiastic comment to his buddy; a teenage girl has a crush on one of the bull riders; a mother and father plan to leave early so their children aren’t out too late.

It’s domestic. It’s a community. It’s a family that Jack is proud to be a part of.

Jack finally comes to a stop at the end of the concession stand’s line. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and squints to see the menu; it’s all typical food, like pulled pork sandwiches, loaded hot dogs, and burgers that rival even the best sit down restaurants. The sign says that the proceeds are going to a local 4H and FFA chapters, too, so… that’s better than getting something shitty at McDonald’s for a higher price, right?

Right.

Jack is still weighing his options when he hears a small voice from behind him ask, “Are you Jack Kelly?”

Blinking, Jack turns around, and he’s met with a young boy. He can’t be any older than ten, Jack notes. He has brown eyes, freckles, curly hair, and a crooked smile- he seems to be missing one of his front teeth as well. He’s wearing a cowboy hat, too; it looks a little cheap, which Jack can appreciate. He remembers how proud he was of his first one, too, even if he did get it from the dollar store.

“That’s me,” Jack responds with a smile, then tilts his head. “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Les!” The kid responds with an enthusiastic smile. “Les Jacobs! I watched you, earlier- you’re really cool!”

And, oh, if that doesn’t make Jack’s heart burst. He kneels down so he can look up at the kid- Les- while he talks. “Well, thanks! That means a lot. Y’know what?”

“What?”

“You seem pretty cool, too.”

The kid’s face lights up. His smile gets impossibly wide, and he giggles- an airy sound that makes Jack chuckle. “Really? You think so?” Jack nods, and Les bounces on his toes. “Can I get a picture with you?”

“‘Course ya can,” Jack affirms with a laugh. “Do ya got a phone?”

“I got a brother!” Les exclaims, and not even a second later, he’s gone. Jack watches him as he races through the crowd, and he grabs the hand of someone standing off to the side- a tall someone, Jack notes. A tall someone with dark hair and light skin that rivals Jack’s own dark tan. A tall someone with a piercing gaze that makes Jack take in a deep breath when they lock eyes.

He looks calm and collected, until Les starts running and pulls the older boy behind him. There’s a flash of panic on his face and, suddenly, his cold expression is gone. Instead, he seems to be scolding the boy, but he quickly calms down as they approach Jack.

“David, take a picture! Please?” Les asks, and the older boy- David, presumably- raises a brow.

“Did you ask for a picture first?” He asks, giving Les a look, and Jack steps forward.

It takes him a second to find the words, feeling a bit thrown off by the boy’s voice, but he soon nods and clears his throat. “I don’t mind if you don’t,” He says easily, and even goes as far as to put his hand on Les’ shoulder. “It’s alright. He’s a good kid.”

“He’s a menace,” David replies, though he’s grinning- until he winces when Les punches his arm. “Ow! Okay, don’t hit the one with the phone.”

“You deserved it!”

“I think that statement is incorrect,” David deadpans, then gestures for Les to get closer to Jack. “Let’s do this,” He grins, then pulls out his phone.

Jack squats down again and throws his arm over the younger boy’s shoulder. Before they take the photo, though, Jack reaches up and takes off his hat. He then hands it to Les, who looks at him with wide eyes. After nodding, Les races to put the hat on. It’s a little big and a little lopsided, but his smile is worth it.

With that, Jack looks over at the camera and shoots his best smile, as well as giving a little thumbs up. He doesn’t move until David puts the phone back in his pocket. He stands and looks down at Les, who is holding out his hat. After a split second decision, Jack says, “Keep it. It’s yours, bud.”

Les blinks, then looks down at the hat in his hands. “Wait- Really?”

“Yep,” Jack says with a grin, popping the 'p'. “Keep it! You deserve it, little guy. Like I said, you're cool."

“You’re awesome!” Les yells, jumping up and down. He then puts the hat on, looks at David, and says, “I’m gonna go show Smalls!”

With that, the boy runs off, leaving Jack in a fit of laughter. He smiles wide and shakes his head, then turns to face David. “Your brother’s sweet,” He says with a grin, taking a step forward. After a moment, he holds his hand out to shake. “Jack Kelly. It’s nice to meet ya.”

David stares at his hand for a moment, then grins and shakes it. “David Jacobs,” He replies, and bites his lip as he pulls his hand away. “Thanks for that hat. Les isn't going to shut up about that for a while," David laghs softly, and Jack does, too, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. David looks over Jack for a moment, head to toe, then clears his throat. "You, uh… You were really good out there.”

“Thank you,” Jack says with a smile, then rubs his arm. “Are you from around here? I ain’t seen ya before.”

“We just moved here,” David nods. “A few weeks ago. Uh, like… the first week of summer.”

Jack nods and clicks his tongue. “Nice, nice. I’ll make sure to remember that, Davey,” He responds nonchalantly, the nickname rolling off of his tongue. He can’t help it; giving nicknames is his thing, and it’s a thing he’s good at.

“Davey?” David repeats with a chuckle, and crosses his arm. “That was quick. Not unpleasant, though.”

“Well,” Jack starts, and looks David up and down. He’s pretty cute- for a guy, that is. Not that Jack is interested, because Jack doesn’t like guys, not like that, but… “Meetin’ you has been a very pleasant experience so far. I ain’t complaining,” Jack smirks, and shoots David a wink. He’s about to speak again until he hears a name call over the loudspeaker, and he quickly straightens up. “Shit-- Hey, I gotta go, my friend’s ‘boutta go into the ring, but-- I’ll see ya around, okay?”

David nods, and Jack gulps when he sees him smile. God, that smile… It’s nice, and Jack hopes he can see it again. “I-- Yeah! Yeah, I’ll see you around,” David responds quickly. “Uh- Good luck with the, um, scoring stuff! I hope you did well.”

“Thanks,” Jack says with a laugh, then points his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna… I gotta go, but--”

“Yeah, that’s-"

“Yeah- Okay, uh-”

“Sorry, I- Bye!”

“Bye,” Jack says with a breathless little laugh, and he stands there for just a few more seconds, holding David’s gaze, before he nods and takes off running back toward the arena, all thoughts of getting food flying out of his mind. He reaches the guard rail just as the signal goes off, and even climbs onto the first rung of the railing to cheer Katherine on. She’s going fast- really fast- and Jack can see that cocky smirk on her face. She knows she’s good, and Jack is undeniably proud of her.

But, even so, he can’t help but laugh when the timekeeper calls out her official time. Fifteen seconds.

Jack: one. Katherine: zero.

This will be fun to bicker over at dinner.