#but if i'm overstepping anything here do let me know and i can change it!!

[clemencetaught]

POST - IT NOTE ! ( from Patrick to Deva )

when there is no paper one must learn to adapt ( post-it note meme w/ @uroborosymphony )

“Excuse yourself from the group half past nine and leave through the southwest exit. She’ll be on break for fifteen minutes.”

( Slipped into Deva's pocket while on the way to an event. )

“6 males and 4 females, all between ages 18-23. 74 is among them. Snow’s not happy; the council wants to put them all on the chopping block- will let you know if I find out anymore.”

( Slipped into Deva's notes. )

[itsgrimeytime]

show me || Rick Grimes (TWD)

rick grimes taglist: @golden-hoax @mgparker

AVAILABLE ON AO3

dialogue prompts: “Why are you mad?” “I’m not mad, I just think you can choose better people to kiss.” (2) + “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t feel the same as I do, then I’ll leave you alone.”  (36) + “I’m tired of being on the sidelines.”  (43)

Summary: You and Rick had something, you weren't quite sure what it was. After a few drunken mistakes during one of the dinner parties at Alexandria, Rick wants to make things crystal clear.

TWS: TENSION, blood, gore, gun violence (violence in general), alcohol, drunkness, drunken kisses, kind of dark!Rick, jealousy, possessiveness, protectiveness, all things consistent with TWD.

[[A/N: The vibes are in with this one, girlies. Kind of listened to Boyfriend by Dove Cameron for this one. SO... Be ready for that. Thanks for reading!!! ]]

Your head hurt after the night before, you couldn't quite remember why. Well, other than the drinks.

It had been the first dinner party after Alexandria, you were nervous and just kept sipping. Somebody kept giving you more, even though, you remember distinctly Rick (big hands and blue, blue eyes) warding them off. They continued when he wasn't by your side -beer after beer and maybe something... else? You couldn't really remember.

You gathered pretty quickly that Rick was mad at you that day, something about the way he composed himself -the steaming rage enveloping him, and it only continued for days.

Day after day, and nothing. Usually, you could read him like a book, but now, all you got was well, that he was mad at you. Not even to get you started on the way everyone else was distinctively ignoring your questions like Rick had told them to.

So, you stepped out of your comfort zone -you went straight to the most honest Alexandrian you knew. Or the one who would speak to you over Rick's head -Deanna.

There was something deep in your chest that told you somehow this was betrayal, but you had been driven far past that point. (One blue-eyed glare and complete head turn to ignore you past that point.)

"Hey," you spoke, a little uneasy.

"Hello, Y/N!" she smiled, big and bright, "-I'm glad to see that dinner has been going so well-"

"That's actually what I was here to talk to you about," you echoed, direct in your tone, "-last dinner party, I... I don't remember what happened."

"Nothing bad, I can assure you," she hummed, continuing to walk down the street, "-I'm well aware of anyone overstepping."

"Right, well, I'm glad, but-" you spoke, a little impatiently -eyes darting around, "-I don't remember."

"Nothing wrong with getting a little drunk," she spoke, something in her shifting, "-we understand the change is-"

"Deanna," you interrupted with finality, "-please, just tell me what happened."

She paused in her steps, turning around to fully face you -head on, and something in you shrunk at her inquisitive gaze. She looked at you a bit like a puzzle for a moment, before her eyes seemed to light up in understanding like she knew exactly what the issue was.

"Let's..." she began, slowly, "-Let's talk inside, shall we?"

You merely followed her up the steps and into her house, like a sheep to its shepherd -you were desperate. If she could help, you would just about do anything.

"I was wondering just what was with him," Deanna muttered to herself, "-makes so much sense now."

She led you to her living room, where the room was much the same in her own home, but she had photos -framed and set pristinely of faces you didn't quite know. Ones you doubted you ever would.

"Sit," she motioned, "-we have much to discuss."

"Much?" you questioned.

"Well, no, it's-" she started, but faltered for a moment, "-rather complicated."

"Complicated?" you questioned further, raising your voice.

"Look, I'm going to just tell you to avoid any further confusion. You kissed someone, can't remember who now-"

You paused, faltering for a minute, "That's it?"

"Rick saw," she finished as if it was some big reveal.

You and Rick had a thing, a very slight thing that neither of you had really even commented on or talked about. Hell, you hadn't even kissed the guy, but there was something there, a deep buzz under your skin. And something in the apocalypse was something, sure, but not if he didn't talk to you about it. Not if he-

You stopped your train of thought, "So?"

"Aren't you-" she seemed to pause, being taken off guard, "-Aren't the two of you together?"

"I'm sorry?" you asked, "-No, we're not... not really. He doesn't- It doesn't matter, drunkenly kissing a guy is no reason to get this pissy."

"It is if you're together."

"Deanna," you started, "-don't push your luck. Look, I have to go sort this out, do you-"

"Oh, no, please," she answered, quickly, "-I can't get a word in with the man right now. Fix it, go."

That's how you wound up here, ready at his door -he couldn't ignore you at his own home. You'd get him to listen.

"Rick," you addressed, direct as soon as the door opened and you saw the blue of his eyes, "-hey."

He seemed to still at your voice -frozen for a moment, before wordlessly moving around the kitchen. He was gathering up dishes, at a sure pace before, but now he'd begun much faster. As if he was trying to get away from you.

"Alright, enough-" you said, waltzing up to him, and turning his face to yours, "-why are you mad?"

Rick looked at you for a moment, and something in you almost grew shy at the attentiveness. Blue eyes dashing along your face like you were fresh water and he had been stranded in the desert.

And then, he stopped. Lifting his soapy hands to take yours off his face -a slow, gentle movement. The opposite of someone mad, you noted.

"Do we need to talk 'bout this?" He echoed, a little helplessly if you were honest.

"I don't know," you answered, "-you tell me. Can you not be mad if we don't talk about this?"

"I'm not," he sighed, turning back to the dishes -this time doing them leisurely, "-I'm not mad. I just..."

"You just what?" You asked, pointedly.

"I just think you can choose better people to kiss," he grumbled out so low you weren't even sure you'd heard him correctly.

But something in you fired off like a rocket.

"Seriously?!" You yelled out, a sort of toned frustrated yell, but still a yell, "-you are pissed because you don't approve?"

"That's not-"

"Well, I got good news for ya, Sheriff, I don't even remember who I kissed last night-"

"That's because he made ya so drunk-"

"-And on top of that, I can kiss who I want, when I want. It's not like you have any control over that-"

"I want to," he grumbled out, even lower.

You stilled, "I'm sorry...?"

He didn't speak for a moment, washing the soap off his hands -you watched the water trail down to his elbow. Scrubbing away at the dish towel, he dried them and turned to face you.

Rick's steps were slow and sure, you could hear the clink of the tile under his boot. And your heart started pounding with anticipation, maybe he was mad. Why was he getting so close-

He was just in front of you now, finger trailed under your chin, "Tell me to stop, if you don't want this."

You turned your head down to look at the tile, something in your breath catching that you could barely breathe. You just needed a second-

He flicked your eyes back to him, and you could feel his breaths on your lips, "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't feel the same as I do, then I'll leave you alone."

"Rick-"

He raised an eyebrow, "I asked a question, Y/N."

"How do you feel?"

He roamed closer, eyes dashing between the two of yours and your lips, "I think you know, sweetheart."

You opened your mouth.

"But," he interrupted, "-if ya insist."

Rick pulled back slightly, hand leaving its trail to, instead, hold your wrists -gently, as his thumbs rubbed into your wrists. With another breath, he kissed your palms -pressing his lips there ever so slightly.

"I'm tired of being on the sidelines," he spoke, low and soft, "-I... I want it to be us. Together."

"Together?" You echoed.

"Like you stay in my house, you sleep in my bed, we go to dinners together instead of so... so far apart-"

"And you can tell me who to kiss?" You added, playfully.

"And I'm the only one you can kiss," he corrected with the smallest of grins, but there was something hard in his eyes. Something serious.

"So," you spoke, expectantly, "-kiss me then. So, I can see what I'm stuck with."

"Stuck?" He laughed, slowly leaning in, "-Oh darlin' you're gonna be far from stuck."

[gemini-sensei]

Can you please do shy!Eli with a reader who has been best friends with him and Demetri since they were little kids. As they grow together, reader realizes she has a crush on Eli, and starts getting all touchy with him in a "playful" way. Because she doesn't really know how to flirt. She slips love letters into his books and locker...

One day Kyler starts picking on the three of them. And reader (usually too shy) gets pissed off and fed up bc he's calling her fat in an insulting way for the hundredth time. And goes too far with bullying Eli this time, so she does something about (kicks his ass).

Later on Eli thinks about that moment, how badass she looked standing up for him... And finds another love letter. He notices it has a little heart on it, the same way reader always draws hearts. Eli doesn't know what to do at this point bc in his mind, she's way out of his league! Plus, what if she's just playing a silly prank on him? It might not even be her!! He's overthinking.

Later on reader goes to Eli's after school, and he's rambling on about one of his new favorite games, she kisses him. He realizes it was her who'd been leaving letters around for him...

And you take it from here bc my mind is blank 💀

Reader getting absolutely fed up with Kyker that she finally stands up to him sparks Eli to realize that he has a crush on her. He can't help but admire the way she speaks up for herself and how he shouldn't be calling her fat because it's not even a real insult. She calls him out for harping on her body all the time with "For someone who claims to be better than me, you sure are paying a lot of attention to me and the way I look." It makes Kyler faulted and he switches it up to make fun of Eli, taking it too far and making him cry. And Eli doesn't want to cry in front of Reader, so he runs and hides from her until he can go home.

When he finds another letter, he opens it immediately because the sweet words inside make him feel better. The writer doesn't talk about his lip but instead about how handsome he is and smart and kind. He reads it over and over again until his tears dry up. Only then foes he notice the little heart on the paper. It's so distinct to him because he's only been watching one of his best friends draw it forever.

But that can't be right. Reader wouldn't leave him notes like this. Even though he's crushing on her and he'd love for it to be her, he doesn't know if he can handle that. Besides, he can't be certain that the letter is from her. So he puts it away and tries to think of something else.

Before Reader comes over, he washes his face and changes his clothes because he still doesn't want her to know how upset Kyler made him that day. He's shocked to open the door and see her black eye bruising.

"What happened?" he asks, so very worried.

She huffs. "I beat up Kyler's sorry ass. I couldn't let him just get away with saying what he did."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't say that. You've got nothing to apologize for."

He invites her inside to check out the new game he got. He gushes about how much fun it is and she asks him about the fighting style and story and everything. It helps him forget about what happened at school and about the letters. He's able to just relax and sit with her as he shows her the game, showing her the game play and art style, pretty much everything that he's excited about with it.

He doesn't realize she's not paying attention to the game at all but instead watching him. She's enamored by how animated and excited her gets about these kind of things. It's cute. Even hot.

And as she sits there watching him, a surge of courage comes over her. The days earlier encounter with Kyler left her feeling confident and strong, so she takes that with her now as she leans in to Eli. She reaches out and gently turns his face to her and kisses him, shocking him so much that he drops his gaming controller. She thinks she's overstepped when he doesn't do anything and is about to pull away when he surges forward and kisses her back harder. It turns from a simple little kiss to a messy molding of lips against each other for the first time.

When they do part, he's breathless while she's giggly. His mind ig running a million miles a second as he realizes she is the one who's been leaving him love letters. She's the one. She's the one. She's the one.

She always has been the one but he's so overjoyed by the realization that she feels the same way, he can't think of anything else. Let alone say or do anything but stare at her in total wonder and admiration. That is until she kisses him again and pulls him out of his amazed stupor.

He kind of asks a dumb questions afterwards though. "What was that for?"

She laughs and touchs his arm, that playful flirtiness coming out of her. "You're such a dork sometimes... it's super cute. And hot."

"Y-you think I'm hot?" He stutters.

"The hottest."

She might make him short circuit. But as he remembers all her letters and the things she's always thought of him and said of him. He looks down to try hiding his face, but she cuddles up to him and tilts her head to look at him.

"Wanna go to Golf n' Stuff?"

"L-like a d-date?"

She nods and he nods back, so they get up and go hand in hand to their date.

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 38]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.3K

"We should take it to the vet tomorrow." You said as you and Yunho hovered over the kitten. You placed some wet cat food onto a paper plate and he was so quick to eat it up. Yes, you also learnt that the kitten is a boy.

"We should but the only free time we have is between morning and dinner service. Plus it's Friday so we're going to be busy." Yunho said.

"I'll do it after the morning shift then." You smiled.

"And by 'I', you mean 'we'." Yunho laughed and pressed his forehead against your temple. Instead of hovering, he sat on the floor and pulling you to sit on his lap.

"There, we can watch him like this." He said, resting his chin on your shoulder with his arms around your waist.

"It's late, you still have to drive back." You stood up. Yunho nodded in agreement.

"You can handle the little one?" Yunho chuckled. You hummed, smiling softly as you looked over at the kitten that was rolling all over your rug, happy to have a full belly of food.

Although Yunho wanted to ask to stay the night or thought that you would offer him that option, he didn't want to overstep so he willing got his coat to leave. Maybe you just wanted the house and your bed to yourself since you had all 8 of them over last night. He understood that you needed to recharge.

"Goodbye. I'll see you again tomorrow." Yunho said, gently stroking the kitten's head with the back of his finger.

"Thanks again for tonight." You said, looking up at him as he got ready to leave.

"No need to thank me. Have a good night, I'll see you tomorrow?" He tilted his head. You nodded and tip toed to give him a goodbye kiss before he headed out the door.

"Alright, let's set you up for the night." You said to the kitten. You cleared the used plates and brought the animal crate to your room.

"Here." You placed some blankets inside, making sure it was warm and comfortable before placing the kitten inside.

"There, all comfy for you." You chuckled. You didn't buy a cat bed because you didn't know if the kitten will be permenantly staying with you so you just grabbed a crate to ferry him around.

After making sure the kitten was settled, you went to remove all your makeup and take a shower. However, mid shower, you didn't expect a little black shadow to push open the bathroom door and enter. He let out a loud meow to establish his presence.

"Geez! You scared me!" You jumped slightly, placing a hand over your racing heart. But he just sat there, staring back at you with a tilt of his head.

"Don't be clingy like a golden retriever." You said, snickering. Once you stepped out, you changed into comfy home clothes.

"Hey, Hwa... I'm home." You said to Seonghwa with the phone on speaker as you did you skincare.

"Hey, sweetheart. I was about to call you. You don't have to come in for morning shift, you know? You can go home and rest after your morning session. We understand."

"I know but you guys can't keep giving me all these exceptions, it's not fair and unprofessional of me." You sighed.

"It's not exceptions. We're friends, practically family. We do it for anyone that needs it."

"I know that... And I'm really grateful for the 3 of you being so supportive. But it's fine, really. I'll be okay. Working would serve as a good distraction rather than just laying in bed." You said, finishing up your nightly routine of skincare. You took the phone with you as you did your laundry.

"But-"

*meow*

"D-Did you just meow at me?"

"What?! No, that's not me. I have a... house guest." You turned the call to a video call, turning the camera to show Seonghwa the kitten that was now curled by your feet.

"I thought you were only having dinner with Yunho's family! When did you get a cat?!"

"It's a long story. He's just staying with me until I can get him to a vet tomorrow and decide what to do with him." You informed.

"It's actually really funny, (y/n). You compare Yunho to a golden retriever every chance you get and now, it's like I'm seeing two of you. Can barely tell the difference."

"Very funny, Hwa. You'll be glad to know that Yunho's been making fun of me the whole night, comparing me to the kitten. That's utter nonsense, I am not a black cat or like one." You scoffed, stroking the kitten as it sat on your thigh.

"Sure~ Like how Yunho denies that he's an overly excited golden retriever puppy."

"You know what, see you tomorrow, Hwa." You scoffed and hung up while he was busy laughing at you. You picked the kitten up and placed him in his crate.

"Stay here. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight." You stroked its head and went to bed.

-

When Yunho arrived at the restaurant the next morning, he looked at his phone. He had sent you a morning text and asked about the kitten but you haven't opened the message.

"Maybe she's busy." He shrugged, it was a Friday morning after all. You probably didn't even have time to look at your phone like always. But when he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see your crew already working without you there. Yunho went to the locker room but you weren't there either.

"She's coming in late. Had something to attend to." Seonghwa spoke as he mixed the cake batter.

"Oh... Okay, thanks." Yunho frowned slightly, scratching his head as he went to the front. You didn't mention this to him last night. Did something happen to the kitten during the night?

"Sorry, the number you have dialled is-"

Yunho chewed on his bottom lip, you were not answering your phone or your texts. He straightened up and went to call Seonghwa out.

"What's up?" Seonghwa asked with raised eyebrows as he leaned against the counter.

"Hyung, (y/n)'s okay, right? It's just, I was with her last night and she didn't mention that she had anything on this morning that would make her late... So I'm just worried..." Yunho rambled.

"She's fine, Yunho. There's not much I can tell you... But rest assure, she's okay. But she's not contactable." Seonghwa placed his hand on Yunho's shoulder to give it a light squeeze and gave the taller a small smile. Yunho nodded his head slowly.

"As long as she's okay. Let me know if you guys need any help in the kitchen." He forced a smile.

"We will. And yes, she's okay. If she wasn't, I would have told you. She should be coming in soon." Seonghwa nodded and headed back to the kitchen to continue baking.

"What's up?" Wooyoung tipped his head at Seonghwa when he saw the older come back in.

"Asked about (y/n). You know she's uncontactable and he's worried because she didn't tell him that she'll be late today." Seonghwa said.

"Oh... No wonder he's worried. Wait, she hasn't told him yet?" Jongho asked as he took the cookies out of the oven. Seonghwa shook his head with a soft sigh.

"It's her decision to tell him. We all know how private she is..." Wooyoung reminded.

Just then, you walked into the kitchen, yawning with two big cups of coffee in your hands. Not even saying hi to your team, you went to the locker room to put your things down first. You leaned against the shelves, taking long sips of your coffee. You needed coffee immediately so you bought two cups.

"Hey." Seonghwa popped in.

"Hey, Hwa, sorry. I'll be right out." You grabbed your apron and tied it around your waist. He hummed and went back to the kitchen to wait for you.

"(y/n), are you okay?" San tilted his ehad when he saw you come out, setting your cups of coffee aside.

"Morning, San. Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for stepping in to help." You chuckled and went to wash your hands. With you around, you were able to take over and San went back out to the front.

"They don't need you anymore?" Mingi asked as he filled the machine with more coffee beans.

"Nope. (y/n)'s here so I think they got it handled." San informed.

"(y/n)'s here? Like here in the kitchen?" Yunho blinked. San raised an eyebrow at his question but nodded his head slowly, with much uncertainty and confusion. Yunho put his things down and went to the kitchen.

"Jagiya~" Wooyoung was hugging you from the back, rocking you from side to side with a smug smile on his face. You were unbothered, cutting up something in front of you.

"Woo, this isn't very safe when I'm using my knife." You said but of course he ignores you.

"We should discuss the dinner menu for tonight so I can get started on prep." You told the rest of the team.

Throughout the time he has been with you, Yunho has been learning how to read you. You were functioning and speaking fine to your team but there was exhaustion on your face.

"Kicking it old school, tonight's pasta is bolognese." You smiled and the boys clapped.

"Traditional style, of course?" Jongho asked and you nodded.

"For fish, let's do a mi cuit salmon with microgreens, buerre blanc, potato puree and pickled beetroot." You said, waving your hand to get your thought processing out. (Mi cuit is French for half baked. Salmon is sous vide at a low temperature until firm but still has the texture, look and taste of raw salmon)

"I think we should do a wet brine for the salmon before putting it into the sous vide." Seonghwa suggested and you wrote it down.

"We should do pork chops with stewed apples and blue cheese sauce." Wooyoung raised his hand.

"Alright. We can throw the pork chops into the sous vide machines. If we have the sous vides going, let's do some chicken breast for classic caesar?" You tilted your head.

"We still have those smaller, thin cuts of beef... What can we do with them?" Jongho reminded.

"Let's leave it for tomorrow." You said.

Yunho quietly observed how you continued to lead the discussion on the food menu for dinner. Like the professional you always are, you didn't let whatever was bothering you affect your work.

"Dessert, let's do sticky toff. It's been a while!" Seonghwa was quick to throw his suggestion in.

"I question the personal motive behind that suggestion but I do agree that it's been a while. So we're doing individual sticky toffee puddings with caramel sauce and vanilla custard? Or should we do ice cream?" You chuckled.

"Ice cream is better since we already have caramel sauce." Wooyoung said. You wrote down everything and pinned it up.

"Alright, let's finish up here and start on some prep work. Then I'll continue after you guys leave." You said. They nodded and you got to work right away.

"We'll do the cleaning." Seonghwa and Wooyoung did it while Jongho assisted you with prepping.

"Hey." Yunho came in.

"Oh, hey." You smiled. But of course, Yunho wouldn't just greet you with a smile. He came over to hug you tightly, quickly planting a kiss to the top of your head.

"You want a coffee?" He offered. You shook your head, nodding over to the two cups of coffee you had brought in with you.

"Is it okay to be drinking so much coffee at once?" Yunho tilted his head.

"Nope!" Seonghwa answered for you, making you roll your eyes. You scoffed loudly to show Seonghwa you were ignoring him and patted Yunho on the hip before going back to help Jongho with the prep. Having already missed the morning stuff, you didn't want to lag behind, you wanted to make up for the work that you didn't do.

You noticed that Yunho was strangely quiet but you couldn't put your finger on it. Usually, he was loud and excited when he sees you but today, he greeted you and left obediently.

"Is Yunho okay? Did something happen when I wasn't around?" You asked Jongho.

"Nothing happened but Yunho hyung was worried when he didn't see you this morning. Didn't know where you were..." Jongho informed.

"Oh." You replied, continuing your prep work.

"Fridge?" Wooyoung came over, seeing the containers of prepped ingredients that you were done with. You nodded and he helped you bring them all to the walk in.

"You guys should head off soon, I"ve got it covered here." You said, checking your watch.

"Don't stay too long. We'll see you tonight, princess." The boys all left without argument. Wooyoung hugged you tightly and gave you a big kiss on your cheek, to which you scrunched your nose. Jongho gave you a brief hug.

"Don't overwork yourself, sweetheart, hmm?" Seonghwa stroked your head. You hummed and he hugged you before patting your head with a soft smile.

"The crew just left?" Yunho came in.

"Yeah, I'm finishing up on the prep. After that, we'll go back to mine to pick up the kitten for the vet?" You asked.

"Sure. Do you need help in here?" Yunho leaned against the metal counter.

"Help me fill the big bins with water? I'll need to clamp the sous vide machines and get it heated." You pointed. Yunho helped you do that while you cooked the caramel sauce for the dessert.

"What else is there to do...?" You thought out loud and went over your list of things that you could prep.

"(y/n), why don't I pick the kitten up from yours then we can bring it to the vet from here?" Yunho suggested.

"Oh, sure." You were surprised at his suggestion but you weren't against it. You gave Yunho the key to your place and he left to pick the kitten up. Now you were worried, Yunho and you were always together, given the opportunity. It was odd for him to suggest he go ahead and pick the kitten up first.

"I'm done with my duties." Hongjoong came in, finding you alone. Honestly, he thought he would find Yunho in here with you.

"Can you bring that tray of meats to me, please?" You requested. He brought over the vacuum pack sealed pork chops for you to dump into the heated sous vide water.

"Where's Yunho?" Hongjoong asked, continuing to help you were he could.

"Oh, he went to help me pick something up from my place. He'll be back soon." You informed.

"Are you alright, (y/n)? Is something bothering you?" Hongjoong noted how you were slightly distracted as you were doing whatever you were doing.

"I'm probably overthinking it but Yunho's just acting a little weird today so I'm wondering if everything's okay." You shrugged.

"Hmm, from what I know nothing happened today in the store and he's been fine... You know, the usual Yunho... I'm sure it's nothing, don't be too worried. We all have our off days, even energetic puppies." He gave a comforting smile.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Hongjoong." You laughed in agreement, it was funny to hear Yunho's friends refer to him as a puppy too. Subsequently, the other boys came in to offer help too.

"All these in the fridge?" Yeosang checked.

"Yeah. But keep the trays separate, they're portioned according to the different dishes." You said.

"Sure." He and Mingi brought it whatever you were done with. With their help, you were done relatively quickly. Just in time, Yunho pulled up to the restaurant.

"Bye, thanks guys. See you tonight." You waved to them before hopping into Yunho's passenger seat.

"Thanks for going to pick him up." You said.

"You're very welcome, love. Are you tired?" Yunho softened, reaching over to cup your cheek. You shook your head, leaning into his touch and closing your eyes. You let out a long exhale.

"Shall we talk after the vet?" He asked. You hesitated for a while before nodding, even if your heart was pounding nervously against your chest. With that, Yunho drove to the vet clinic where you had made an appointment for the kitten this morning. He helped you carry the crate with the kitten.

"Hi, I have an appointment?" You went to register at the receptionist counter. Yunho watched your back as you signed the kitten in.

"At least just now when I went to pick him up, he wasn't trying to maul me." Yunho said to you as you took the seat beside him to wait for your turn.

"Maul you? I highly doubt that tiny kitten can maul someone so much bigger like yourself." You laughed.

"He's opening up to me. See? I have that effect on black cats." He coughed, sending you a mischievous grin and side eye.

"I'm not a black cat." You scoffed, picking up the crate and looking at the kitten inside. It let out a small meow and pressed his nose against the gate to try and sniff you.

"Cutie. I hope you slept well." You giggled. He clawed at the gate to show his frustration of being locked up. So you caved and let him out of the crate. However, instead of putting him in your lap, you set him down in Yunho's.

"Since you claim he's comfortable with you now." You laughed, leaning against his arm.

"I said he didn't try to maul me, I didn't say he's comfortable with me." Yunho rolled his eyes but watched as the kitten tried to get comfortable, curling up in his lap.

When the nurse called you, you held the kitten in your arms while Yunho held the crate and entered the vet's office.

"Good afternoon. What can I do for you today?" The vet smiled. However, her smile seemed to grow bigger when she saw Yunho walk in.

"We found this kitten last night in the park, abandoned in the box. We're not sure how long he's been there. So we just want to make sure he's fine." You explained.

"Oh, sure. That's so nice of you to take him in, I'll just do a general check of him." She said, staring at Yunho as she spoke. You raised an eyebrow of amusement at her behaviour and her suddenly flirtatious smile, she was obviously very taken to Yunho's good looks. I mean, who isn't?

"Thank you, doctor." Innocent and ever-so kind Yunho smiled back with bowed his head. He came to stand by your side as the doctor examined the kitten.

"From what I see, judging by his posture, he's about 4 weeks old? But he's malnourished." She said.

"Good that you cleaned him and fed him." She smiled at Yunho.

You were not jealous and you knew how Yunho was. He wasn't deliberately flirting back with her, he was too kind and gracious to anyone he meets. He can't help his golden retriever tendencies.

"Actually, my girlfriend did it all, she's amazing. The kitten isn't too friendly with me yet." Yunho grinned.

"Oh..." The vet cleared her throat awkwardly at the mention of the word 'girlfriend'. You had to purse your lips to stop yourself from laughing at her expression.

"Let me just do some scans and bloodwork. You can wait outside, we'll call you again when we're done." The doctor said a little more uncomfortably now. You nodded and headed to the exit but Yunho quickly grabbed your hand, making you give him a look.

"She kept smiling at me, I felt oddly violated." Yunho whimpered softly to you.

~

Series masterlist

[catsfor2]

hands ellie x artist!fem!reader

pt2 but can be read standalone  pt 1 an: shocked to see the interaction on my first post (also super, super happy, ty :))honestly, i like this part more than the first one i wrote. pls. pls request/submit asks, i will gladly do them ! !

@prettyplant0

warnings: UNEDITED, mild smut, fluff, hand + finger kink, mild drug use (alcohol + weed)

You were undoubtedly not a party person. Not that you'd really had the chance to figure that out too many times, but after the first 20 minutes of tonight, you knew for sure.

Ellie however? Not the life of the party or anything, but the loose and confident energy she held was undeniable. She had the ability to make you swoon from across the room. And clearly the rest of Jackson has also noticed, as they huddle around her almost magnetically.

You absolutely were not trying to avoid anyone, but somehow, you have been left out. Sidelined. Othered. It's strange, as most of the town had quickly familiarized themselves with you and your creativity. But now, in this tattered party shack off the edge of the woods, you were nobody again.

"Hey! Hey! Are you fucking listening?"

Suddenly, Ellie's in your face, waving her bottle of beer around as she shouts. She laughs before taking another swig. "Are you thereee?"

"Oh fuck, sorry. Kind of zoned out I guess." You say.

"I see that. Why are you over here?" She asks.

"I don't know, I kind of-"

She cuts you off by grabbing your arm and hoisting you off the low couch. She pulls hard enough to hurt.

"Doesn't matter- we're playing pong. You don't need to do anything, I just need a partner, so..."

"Yeah, fine. Are you, like, drunk drunk? Right now?" You question, almost regretfully, not wanting to overstep. It's just that her hands are climbing up and down your arms, mindlessly, almost like she just can't help but to feel your skin.

"Well...ha...kinda," She rolls her eyes, "why?"

Before you can answer she speaks again, the hand resting on your shoulder starting to drift upwards towards your ear.

"Actually- don't tell Dina- but I'm kinda high right now also," She says, her voice getting quieter as she continues. Her fingers fiddle with the jewelry on your left ear again. You changed them for the party, (something almost unnoticeable to the average person) but Ellie can't seem to keep her hands off of them.

You pause.

"Um, why shouldn't I tell her?"

Ellie stares at you for a moment, like she's deciding on whether or not to tell you the truth. It almost hurts to see her not automatically say what's on her mind.

"Cause last night I got fuckin- I got fucked up, basically. Dina made me promise to not drink and smoke together again,"

Her hand inches up to your forehead as she talks, where her thumb starts to fidget with the clips spread through your hair.

"And Dina always tells me, 'Ellie you're like an insecure guy when you drink. Always trying to pick people up and lift random shit,'" She takes the last swig of her beer before tossing the bottle on the couch.

"And yeah, I do that, but at-"

"Get in here dicks, pong's starting!" A voice yells, cutting Ellie off.

Jesse whips a ping pong ball at the back of Ellie's head, successfully taking her attention from you. He quickly picks it up before letting out a warm drunken laugh.

"Oh shit, is Ellie putting the moves on you? Y'know more than three beers and she's-"

"Shut the fuck up Jesse. Y/N, lets go.

Jesse just laughs again while Ellie grabs your hand to lead you to the kitchen.

"You didn't mention that Ellie," You look up at her, hyper-aware of how often she stares at your lips ever since that morning in her house. "are you a player?"

She scoffs before flicking your head.

"Uh, no. I just...like talking to pretty girls at parties," Her flannel whips behind her as you finally enter the kitchen. "is that a fucking crime or something?"

People crowd around a table, set with various cups, all filled slightly with some sort of liquor. Dina and Jesse stand at the other end of the table, attempting to un-dent the only ping pong ball they've found so far.

Ellie's arm snakes around your waist before you hear her voice beside you.

"I might need to hold onto you, by the way, I've had--like--four beers and a shot."

Your face heats as you think of all the people in the room seeing her arm wrapped so tightly around your midsection. As you fumble to say yeah, of course Ellie, she glues the side of her body to yours, making sure her hand stays firmly on your waist.

Ellie almost falls over trying to get closer edge of the table.

"Hey everyone! Hey! From now on, y/n is my designated pong partner! No fuckin' arguments."

A shocked laugh escapes you immediately.

"Ellie!...Jesus..."

"What? You're my girl right? I've got to let 'em know you're my girl," She assures.

"Well with the way you've been holding me..."

Ellie's smile widens.

"I feel like they'd figure it out..." You finish.

"Yeah? And how have I been holding you?"

Your eyes dart back to Dina and Jesse and all the other people in the room before meeting up with hers again.

"Like...like I'm gonna...run away, or something," You say.

"Yeah, well...what if you do?" Her grip on you loosens just a bit. "You did the other morning. You were all yes Ellie, touch me, and then when I went for the pencils and came back you were gone!"

Your blushed cheeks turn an even darker shade of red. Your voice comes out slightly shaky when you talk.

"I--I got nervous! I'm sorry! And with the way you were so mad at first?"

You let out a breath of air you didn't realize you'd been holding. "I was questioning if you really wanted me there at all."

Her eyebrows crease. Then, almost as if to block you from view, she turns the both of you so that your back is facing the wall closest by. Her face gets near enough to yours that you smell the yeasty tang of those four beers on her tongue.

"Oh sweetheart. I almost fingered you after knowing you for like, 10 minutes. You think I don't want you?"

Your skin warms as you process what she's saying. You want to back up and let her crowd you against the wall. The way her hips shift against yours, not touching but close enough to feel every jut sets your insides buzzing. You can't repress a shiver from the sensation. Or the cold- your skirt is on the shorter side.

"Reeally cute when you get speechless like that," Ellie breaths out, tugging at the neck of her flannel and taking it off. "here. Since you wanted to wear something you know you'd freeze in. Like an idiot."

You spacily grab it out of her hands, and as you do, she takes it back from your grasp while shaking her head.

"I got it. Arms out, c'mon," as she starts to put her flannel over your shoulders, she continues. "I have an idea. How about weee...ditch this party. And smoke the joint I have hidden in the shed right now."

"Are you sure? You're already pretty drunk-"

"I won't smoke that much. Maybe a hit or two. I'll let you have most of it," She grins.

Reluctant to make her miss the rest of the party and lively night in general, you keep pushing.

"Yeah, but, the pong game? Right?"

Ellie laughs, throwing her arm around your shoulders and resting it there. Her bicep being so close to your face makes you dizzy. It feels dirty to admit you don't mind how strong she smells there--unsurprising after a night of partying.

"Just let me treat you, alright? High under the stars. Forget about your worries. That kinda shit." Her finger twirls a strand of your hair as she waits for you to answer.

"Yeah. Of course. That sounds really...lovely." You say, too focused on the weight of her body across your back.

"Ok. Good. Great. I'm gonna tell Dina we're going."

Instead of walking over to Dina, Ellie simply screams over the jumble of conversation until Dina hears, and responds, also screaming across the noise.

"Perfect. Let's head out, pretty lady."

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

You've only taken three hits, but you know you feel something. The greeny ash taste in your throat hasn't gone away, despite you consistently sipping your water.

"How's it feeling?" Ellie asks you, relishing in her fourth puff despite telling you earlier she would take less. You don't mind.

You'd both been slouched on the floor upon a blanket, picnic style, Ellie leaned against your side and her hand starting to creep up the outside of your thigh.

"Good...I guess. I feel warm. Like, cozy." And you did.

Truthfully, you were also a bit on edge. Like, sexually on edge. The blanket heat of the weed with Ellie's presence has you constantly wet and burning. Aching. Of course, that's not something you'd tell Ellie.

"Are you gonna teach me how to roll it?" You ask. "I want to do it next time."

"Next time?" She questions, dramatically opening her eyes.

"I, I mean, you want to hang out with me again...right?"

"Obviously! I'm fuckin' with you," she covers her mouth to laugh before grabbing your hand.

"And, no, I'm not teachin' you how to roll. I'll do it for you. No need for you to learn sweetheart."

When Ellie says things so simply like that, especially in that tone, you have no choice but to go along. You can't bring yourself to push back against something that makes you feel so tingly.

"Oh. Ok." You mumble, staring at her hand encompassing yours.

"It's far easier to just let my hands do all the work," She squeezes your thumb. "right?"

"Yeah-yes. Far easier." You say.

Ellie drags her thumb across your knuckles. Her eyelids droop slightly, eyes shaded a light pink, and her is face flushed from the alcohol. She's so, so beautiful, and you wish you could will the courage to tell her.

"I wore the skirt 'cause I thought you'd like it." You voice, eyes unable to meet her's as you talk. "Do you?"

She lets out a breath.

"Fuck. Fuck, of course I fucking like it. You're so pretty in it." Her hand inches under your skirt, finally grasping towards your upper thigh and edging the hem of your panties.

A brisk exhale escapes your lips as her fingers drift, navigating the plush of your hips expertly. As if she's already planned on where and how to touch you.

"Hey where'd you go? Keep your hand on mine," Ellie grabs your loose hand, which had wandered to your side, and places it firmly on her hand grasping your underwear. "and don't let go."

"Ellie..." you huff, burning hot all over.

"What, this is too much for you? I haven't even done anything yet."

You feel her palm, big and warm, cup you through the fabric and knead, forcefully but slowly rubbing your clit and watching your face for a reaction. Your hand still clutches over hers and you can feel her muscles flex in tune with the heavy pressure on your folds.

Your mouth parts open, lips shiny and untouched as your head looms closer to Ellie's. Her eyes remain locked on yours as her fingers move faster, and it becomes difficult for you to keep your hand on hers as she speeds up.

"Hah--Ellie," You gasp, eyes a bit watery from the sudden stimulation.

Something in her eyes shift and her face is moving closer to yours, her free hand enveloping one side of your face. Ellie kisses you hastily, smearing saliva over both of your mouths. Your teeth clack together, and her tongue is rampant, licking deeply into the kiss. She sucks and bites at your lips, ravaging them, while her other hand still palms you consistently, the strength of her entire arm grinding against your pussy.

The hand on your face reaches to fondle your breast, clawing at your shirt with force to feel underneath your bra. Her hand, despite its size compared to yours, still can't grab your entire breast. Ellie lets out a groan at the sight of you spilling out of her fingers.

Interrupting the both of you, a small metal trinket falls out of the band of your bra and onto the floor.

"Oh--shit, I forgot I was keeping that there," You say, immediately picking it up and holding it to your side.

"Uhm...what is that?" Ellie asks, eyes still partly drawn to where your skirt has ridden up, exposing a part of your ass.

You notice her gaze and mindlessly fix your skirt before picking the item up. The star-shaped rock on the front of the ring took you hours to tediously chip down due to the tiny size. It was worth it to possibly please Ellie.

"It's--well, remember the ring?" You rotate it forward, showing off the small star emblem like its a priceless diamond. "I made it. For you."

"Holy-holy shit! That's so fucking cute! You're so fuckin' cute!" She says in between short laughs. "I can't believe you actually like...made it." She puts the ring on the middle finger of her left hand, pleased with the way it fits perfectly.

"Y'know, now, you jus need to wear something that has a star like mine. So we match."

Her words make you smile wide, also while painting your face rose.

"I actually—my belly," You lift your shirt a tad, exposing the bottom lace of your bra but also the tiny piercing on your bellybutton. "the shape is a star, but-I swear, completely unintentional."

"Oh, shit. That's...cute." She murmurs, leaning closer to your stomach to give it a kiss. "Yeah, 'unintentional', my ass."

You slap her wrist lightly. "Oh shut up,"

Her hand again travels up your legs to reach your thigh, only to pause and retract for a moment. Ellie then takes the ring off of her left hand and triumphantly places it onto her right.

Oh.

"Ok, Ellie, that's like a tiny bit gross-"

"I'll clean it. I promise. I just feel like- I need to baptize it, or something, y'know?" She assures, lips curving up into a sly smile.

"Shut up." You quip. "You really must be high or something."

“We’re both high babe. It fucking reeks in here.”

[synnthamonsugar]

Sending an ask instead of commenting because I prefer to keep discourse away from my blog. but, I have to get some of this off my chest. it's bound to be lengthy, so don't feel like you have to read/respond. you just seem like maybe you'll get my point. Read this as one big I statement because of course it's my opinion and I'm not out here reading everyone's minds.

On that last post. I think a lot of people have gone and manic-pixie-dream-girl'd Eris beyond recognition, and that some of shippers (not all, ofc) have spent so much time with their own headcanons & fanfic that they've forgotten how their real dynamic is. It's easy to project a relationship onto them if you're already looking for one. People see them bicker and go "aw, they're arguing like an old married couple!" when, no. They're just arguing.

Drifter definitely flirts with her, but she doesn't reciprocate and I don't even think that it's necessarily serious. That man would flirt with a wall if he thought it would be funny. He seems like the type to tease people that way regardless of gender or attraction to them.

I don't deny that there's something between them. knowing the lore as I do I think it's safe to say that they're somewhat close, whatever that can even mean for either of them, but for fucks sake close isn't always romantic. Are they friends? Maybe. Can either of them have friends at their level of stability? I genuinely don't know. I don't think that we've been given enough to go off of, honestly. I don't like the idea that they're going to magically have their trauma cured by dating each other. She doesn't need him to "file down her teeth", and I don't think that he would. He definitely seems to benefit from her input, though. I don't feel like their relationship is very balanced in that. There's plenty of lore to back up him getting and using advice from her, and it being helpful to him, but I haven't seen much the other way around. He's immature in a way that she isn't, and people seem to think she's going to settle for that.

I don't care who people ship or what their headcanons are, that's all their own business. If I don't like it, it's not like I'm going off on their blogs in the space they've made themselves about why I don't agree with them. I prefer to just back off a bit, let them have their space and I'll have mine. But I don't always see that respect going both ways, and it starts to really bother me when people try to project their headcanons onto other blogs and onto the developers. Almost anything I see of them independently, it seems someone has to show up with "but where's [the other one]", and I've seen shippers go after multiple people for asking that their fanart of the two isn't tagged as ship art. It's just overstepping at that point.

Of course, I don't like lumping a bunch of people under the single label of drifteris shippers and calling them all a problem, I'm well aware that it's probably a loud minority silent majority type situation and I'm not going to assume someone's like that just because that's their content. But a lot (that I've seen) are.

On the misogyny part, I've definitely seen it in some. I'm a guy, so I'm probably not going to have the world's best explanation of why, but what gets to me is mostly the over-romanticism of Eris as his quirky goth gf. It's dumb and often comes off as objectifying. Sometimes it's like people think she's some edgy egirl twitch streamer. I find it strange how much fanart of her changes her appearance too, given we can barely actually see her. And sometimes it winds up painting Drifter as this douchy dudebro that he just isn't. One of the best things about his character to me is that he has his attitude without the shit treatment of women that comes along with it with most similar characters in games. I don't understand the need to turn around and twist him into someone that pushes her boundaries, which is pretty necessary to read their arguments as flirting.

I don't know what else to say, it's late and I'm tired and I'll probably feel stupid for letting myself get wrapped up in fandom discourse but I might as well say it while the conversation is happening.

(adding in case you do post this) v

No shade to shippers that don't fit the description I've put here. If you're reading this and go "Hey! I don't do that!" then obviously I don't mean you. You're all just doing what makes you happy and, hey, go for it. Tumblr is a great place for that. It's only an issue (imo) when that crosses the line into expecting everyone else to have the same headcanons or ignore what is canon. Go make art and fanfic and whatever you want, there's plenty of people who will appreciate it. I'm glad the positive side of the ship fanbase helps boost both of their stories, I hope it winds up driving Bungie to put more content in of them, together or apart.

Thank you for the thoughtful message Anon. Honestly I cosign all of this and wish I could respond to each of your points, but will at least try to cover a few of the ones that hit most with me.

Replies under the cut, since this is a long one ...

I think a lot of people have gone and manic-pixie-dream-girl’d Eris beyond recognition

I've thought about this for awhile. Eris is frequently written as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl insofar as being the offbeat catalyst for a jaded man's journey to a better version of himself.

He seems like the type to tease people that way regardless of gender or attraction to them.

Whether you ship them or not, it's odd seeing Drifter's canon characterization as a recklessly charismatic flirt lost in fanon. That special significance is placed on his flirtation with Eris, and not with the Guardian, Orin, Efrideet, or Rahool, or the others I'm probably forgetting.

Of course, the Guardian is a blank slate the player can project motives onto, and the others are characters whose interactions with Drifter are limited to lore. His & Eris' interactions stand out. That still doesn't mean it's inherently romantic; I've platonically flirted, held hands, snuggled, danced, bed-shared, and other things fans would dedicate thousands of words of shipfic to were I a fictional character.

Though reading it as such is fine (and I'll concede, probably lines up with the authors' intent, since we know some of them are shippers), nothing in the lore is explicitly romantic. Note, authorial intent, word-of-god and canon are all separate things, as much as fandom conflates them.

An aside, it's interesting how fanon surrounding Drifter paints him as socially anxious, touch starved, romantically awkward ... until he meets Eris. While I understand the utility in shipping — to emphasize the One True Love aspect since serial monogamy, much less polyamory, is unknown to most, especially F/M, shippers — it also comes off as "did not read the lore" at best, and "perpetuating negative stereotypes about Asian men" at worst.

Can either of them have friends at their level of stability? I genuinely don’t know.

This is why Eris' and Drifter's dynamic peaked in Arrivals & Beyond Light. The tenuousness of their alliance, the acceptance and rejection of each other's flaws, the trust between them that wasn't earned but necessary to survive. It was fun, tense and compelling and I wish more of the fandom focused on this era of their relationship.

I don’t like the idea that they’re going to magically have their trauma cured by dating each other.

Cosigned. The idea that love can mend any wound, heal any trauma, or fix any flaw is textbook amatonormativity, and has unfortunate implications when applied to Eris' story. I shouldn't have to detail why "woman overcomes trauma with the affection of a man" leaves a bad taste in my and many other fans' mouths, especially when it's favored over her longer-standing relationships with other characters. Why is her bond with Ikora ignored? Zavala? Asher? Mara? Why is so much of her growth pinned on one man, when there are other, deeper relationships that have existed since practically the beginning of Destiny's narrative? Why is there so little shipping surrounding Eris and these other characters?

Almost anything I see of them independently, it seems someone has to show up with “but where’s [the other one]”, and I’ve seen shippers go after multiple people for asking that their fanart of the two isn’t tagged as ship art.

I don't typically engage with popular Destiny ships, but I draw Mara Sov frequently. By herself, and, frequently, in non-Marasjur pairings. Not once have I gotten a "Where's Sjur?" comment, or even a "Where's Shaxx?" for that matter, as pushy as the "helmet stayed on" bros are. Meanwhile, I expect these comments when posting Eris art, particularly Eris F/F. I've had this happen in art I've drawn of her and Drifter with a disclaimer that the art is platonic/not to tag as ship! At that point it's not misunderstanding, it's entitlement.

I don’t like lumping a bunch of people under the single label of drifteris shippers and calling them all a problem

Agreed. I'm technically an Eris/Drifter shipper in the sense of consuming and producing art & fic for them, though I've pulled back from interacting with that part of the fandom because [waves hands generally]. I have no issues with drifteris as a ship, nor enmity drifteris shippers as a whole, but the individuals who engage in rude behavior.

what gets to me is mostly the over-romanticism of Eris as his quirky goth gf.

I'm going to repost what @/unsaelig said, since it's a salient point:

"I have no actual way of proving this, but given how much it’s been a staple, for the past 9 years, to speak of Eris as an unpleasant, unstable, worrying, suspicious individual, and given how much people like to fixate on how Eris & Drifter’s dynamic “softens” her and makes her more palatable and conventional, I do strongly feel Drifter is probably brought up with her as a “package deal” so often because in their eyes he “defangs” her & makes her much easier to take."

I do think there's a popular fandom read on Drifter as a funny, quirky guy who's a little out-of-pocket, an edgier fandomified-and-flanderized Cayde-6, if you will, and that Eris has to naturally follow by being an inoffensively gothy dommy mommy. It's perplexing, it's objectifying, and it makes me wonder what people are actually shipping them for if they sand down their characterization so much.

I don’t understand the need to turn around and twist him into someone that pushes her boundaries, which is pretty necessary to read their arguments as flirting.

The misogyny - amatonormativity combo again. Before anyone comes for me because I like enemies-to-lovers: sword-fighting your beloved to the death over a pit of lava isn't normalized, but saying that boys who bully girls are "just flirting" is. "I hate my wife", "I wish my husband was dead" and "ol' ball and chain" 'jokes' are. The patriarchy instructs men to disrespect women, and tells women to be flattered by the disrespect of men because at least you're receiving a man's attention. It's neither cute nor funny, and I equally dislike it when empoweringly reversed so that the man is the target of the insult.

No shade to shippers that don't fit the description I've put here. If you're reading this and go "Hey! I don't do that!" then obviously I don't mean you.

Cosigned completely. I know I have reputation as an arch-hater, but I have nothing but respect for people who are shipping them in ways that don't play into tired stereotypes of M/F relationships. (Or misogyny, or racism, or...)

Sometimes I wonder if I should try to put more good Eris/Drifter out there, but most of the time I fear I would only be stemming the tide; I am just one person with limited resources, and there is so much out there that my work will go unnoticed and my time is better spent boosting small ships that need the help.

Mostly I wish there was more focus on Eris and Drifter as individuals, in the game and in the fandom, further exploration of their bonds with other characters, and an environment where a wider range of gen and ship fic/art could flourish.

[tswaney17]

I Do Bad Things with You - Part 39

Happy @elriel-month fam!! Of course, we're going to celebrate the "What If" prompt with an IDBTWY update. 😏 I'm very excited to share this piece with you and cannot wait for the following two parts (which may be my two favorites of the series). While this is my official last fic of Elriel Month, I will be sharing something tomorrow about an upcoming project, so be on the lookout for that. Grab a snack, this is a long one. Much love to you all! 💙💜💚

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Catch up here.

Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘

Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW

Word Count: 9,655

He had everything planned. Called Elain’s boss and got her approved time off. Packed their bags and hid them in the closet until their flight. Now they were in the entryway of the apartment.

His plane was currently sitting on the runway, waiting for them.

The only thing left to do was to tell her.

Azriel was waiting at home for Elain to get off work. She was scheduled a half day—per his request—and would be home any minute.

As if waiting for her queue, the elevator doors pinged open and she stepped out, startled at the sight of him standing there in a pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and sneakers. “Oh!” she breathed, moving further into the foyer. “This is a surprise…what are you doing here?” Her honey-brown eyes darted to the two suitcases and back to his. Brows furrowing, she asked him, “Are you going somewhere?”

A half smile curled up the corner of his lips. “No,” he said, letting her confusion grow just a hair more. “We’re going somewhere. A little trip for a few days.”

That had her eyes widening and she crossed her arms, propping a hip on the foyer table. “Az, babe.” Fuck he loved when she called him that. “I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten this but I can’t exactly work remotely for my job.” The teasing tone of voice had him chuckling.

“I’m very well aware of that, my sweet. We’re each taking the next four days off.”

“I have to request time off, Azriel—”

“You did. Or I did, I should say. I called your boss last month to ask if you could take these four days off for a surprise trip I was planning for you.” Her brows shot into her hairline. “He readily agreed, saying that you never take time off and it was well-earned.”

Her arms went slack at her sides. “You called my boss to request time off for me?”

He nodded. Fuck, Az hoped he didn’t overstep.

“And you planned a whole trip?”

“I did.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Is this the reason we moved Nesta and Cassian’s baby shower to next month, closer to her due date?”

He flashed a cheeky smile. “Perhaps…”

“And it’s just us?” she asked.

“Just us,” he confirmed. He didn’t feel it was necessary to bring the whole protection detail with them. It was a last-minute, short trip. And they would be together the whole time. He wanted to give Elain this sense of normalcy. The privacy of just spending time alone together.

Elain was silent as she stared at him. Emotions flickered across her face, the most prominent of them: shock. “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me,” she whispered, eyes glistening.

Relief washed over him at her words—the disbelief that someone took the time to plan something just for her. “We need to get a move on; why don’t you go change so we can head out in say,” he glanced at his watch, “a half hour?”

An airy giggle escaped her. “Can I shower first? I still feel like I have the hospital on me. And I need to pack.”

“I’ve packed for you.”

At that, she laughed. “Now that makes me nervous.” Shaking her head. “I need more than lingerie, Az.”

A deep, rumbling chuckle burst out of him. “Not that I wouldn’t mind you parading around in lingerie—or nothing for that matter—for the entire duration of our trip, I promise you I packed you real clothing.” And he had; grabbed some of her things and bought a few new pieces, such as the silk robe and a swimsuit.

Elain pursed her lips to keep herself from smiling as she moved closer to him, stepping into his arms and kissing him. “All right. Let me freshen up and then we’ll leave. Where are we headed?”

Azriel dropped his lips to her pert nose, loving the way she scrunched it up. “It’s a surprise, my lady. Now, go get ready so we can leave.” He gently pushed her towards the stairs and then swatted her behind, making her yelp.

“And wear something comfortable!” he called up to her.

“Okay, Dad!”

Oh, she was definitely going to get it for that comment. In the front pocket of his suitcase was the little toy he bought her. And, boy, did he have plans to use it.

~~~

Within half an hour, Elain was downstairs, dressed in leggings and an oversized sweater, and sneakers. She looked positively adorable. “Is this okay for travel?”

In truth, she might be a little warm when they got to their destination, but he had a car lined up and could kick the AC up if she needed it. “It’s perfect. Let’s go.” Az shrugged on his sweatshirt hanging off one of the barstools since it was still winter in Velaris. Grabbing both of their luggage, he escorted Elain down to the garage.

“You’re still not going to tell me where we’re headed?”

He shot her a wink, pressed the button to close the hatch of their car, and went to open her door for her. “Nope,” he stated, popping the p sound.

Elain huffed exasperated, climbing into the passenger seat.

He held her hand the entire drive, every once in a while, bringing her knuckles to his lips to brush a kiss to them. But when he pulled up at the airstrip where his jet was housed on the backside of the airport, he turned to look at her and found both surprise and a hint of fear shining in her eyes.

It was not what he was expecting. Cutting the engine, Az twisted in his seat to face her more fully. “El, love. Talk to me.” He kept his voice quiet, not wanting to startle her but begging her to speak her mind.

Elain let out a weighted breath. “The plane…I—,” she hesitated looking for the right words. “It reminds me of that day.”

Fuck, he’d been so stupid not to think about how her kidnapping might have instilled a phobia of flying. Azriel took note that Gavriel and Dorian were still standing at the top of the stairs to his jet, waiting for their queue to approach. “Elain, I am so sorry. I didn’t even think that you might have an issue with planes after that incident.”

“How could you have known? I didn’t even know until seeing it.”

He squeezed her fingers in reassurance, brushing his thumb across the backside of her palm. “If you want to turn around and go home, we can, but I want you to know that this is my jet and those two pilots up there,” he watched her eyes glance at the two males. “I trust them with my life. They will get us to our destination safely, I promise you that. But the choice is yours.”

She sat quietly, looking at the plane until finally, a small smile crept onto her lips. “I supposed I shouldn’t be shocked that you have your own jet.”

Azriel tipped his head back and laughed, exposing the strong column of his throat. “No, you really shouldn’t.”

“It’s why you said the plane wouldn’t leave without you for your last business trip, right?”

He grinned. “Indeed it was.”

“I would’ve looked completely idiotic showing up at the airport for you and you never showed.”

“Cerridwen would’ve taken you to the airstrip, not the airport.”

She looked at him then, golden-brown locks sliding off her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me you had this?”

Az shrugged. “I thought I could use it to my advantage one day.”

“Ah, yes. Well, you succeeded.”

He stroked the backside of her hand again. “So, love, what will it be? Home or away?”

Elain looked between him and the plane. Leaning across the center console, she kissed him, fingers skimming delicately across his jaw. “Let’s go on an adventure,” she breathed against his lips.

Smiling, Azriel cupped the backside of her head, pulling her in for another slow kiss. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, begging for entry and when she granted him access, he took full advantage. Popping the trunk, he jumped out of the car and made his way to her side, helping her out.

Both men had reached them, collecting their bags from the back, and met them at the stairs.

The older one, with hair golden like the sun and tawny eyes, spoke first. “Mr. Knight, it’s good to see you.” Releasing Azriel’s hand, he focused on her. “You must be Doctor Archeron? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She took his hand, shaking it. “Just Elain, please.”

“Elain,” he said, tasting her name on his tongue. “My name is Gavriel and this is my copilot, Dorian.”

The dark-haired man shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Elain.”

“It’s great to meet you both. How long have you been working for Azriel?”

Az slid a scarred palm to settle on her lower back.

“I’ve been under Mr. Knight’s employment for about five years now,” Gavriel explained. “Dorian got his pilot’s license in the Airforce and is new to flying private jets. He’s been with us for just over a year now.”

“Gavriel is Aelin’s uncle, Elain. And Dorian a friend of hers since school,” Azriel told her.

She looked at him standing next to her. “Ah, so she took advantage of her position with you,” she joked.

All three men burst out laughing.

“Something like that,” Dorian said, grinning.

Gavriel waved a hand in the direction of the stairs. “Your chariot awaits, my lady. We’ll do final checks once inside and get cleared for takeoff.”

Nudging her up the stairs, Az watched as Elain took in her surroundings, her eyes darting around the cabin of the plane before settling on him. He could read the slight nervousness she was trying to hide but was pushing through. “Where would you like to sit?”

She looked at the couch, then the table. “Where do you recommend?”

He thought about it. “The table allows you to sit facing forward, which is preferable if you get motion sickness. The couch is more comfortable.”

“I don’t think I get sick, so let’s try the couch.”

Guiding her there, Azriel sat her down and reached into the seats to buckle her in.

A small smile played on her lips. “Why do I get the feeling you like strapping me down?”

Dorian choked, nearly dropping the suitcase he was storing in the upper cabinets.

Elain’s face went scarlet at realizing she was overheard and buried it into his neck.

He laughed, putting his arms around her as the young pilot scampered into the cockpit and shut the door. “While tying you up has its appeal, let’s save that for when we don’t have two others present.”

She groaned into his throat. “I did not mean to say that out loud. Or at least in the presence of others.”

Az pushed her back to kiss her cheek. “Fret not, my love. Dorian’s got a bit of a reputation as a ladies’ man. It’s likely nothing he’s never explored.”

“Fine, but that doesn’t mean he needs to know what we do in private.”

He brushed a rogue curl behind her ear. “All of my close employees sign an NDA. He won’t speak a word. I promise you he’s probably heard worse. Nuala has a mouth on her, especially when she talks about her fiancée.”

Elain shuddered. “Remind me not to ask about said fiancée.”

“Noted,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. Sitting down next to her, he fastened his seatbelt and settled his large hand on her thigh.

The engines roared to life and Az felt Elain tense next to him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he tucked her close to him, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “We’re okay,” he murmured into her hair.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts as we have been cleared for takeoff. We will be cruising at ten thousand feet today. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight.

Hoping to ease Elain’s discomfort as they took off, Az focused on peppering kisses along her cheek, and her neck, tugging the collar of her sweater away to grant himself access to her shoulder.

It worked. Elain started giggling during the ascent. “Are you trying to seduce me?” she sighed, head tilting to the side and offering more of her skin for him to taste.

He smiled into her throat. “Depends. Is it working?” His tongue lapped at the soft skin behind her ear, teeth nipping until he knew she’d have a bruise there.

She hummed in contentment. “Perhaps.”

Once the plane leveled out and Gavriel gave them the all-clear to move about the cabin, Azriel unbuckled his seatbelt and went to the bar, pouring each of them a glass of champagne.

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly up at him, taking the glass from his outstretched hand.

He plopped back down next to her, clinking their glasses together. “Just a few hours until our destination.”

Elain took a sip, contemplating the information. “Still not going to tell me where you’re taking me?”

“Nope. It’ll ruin the surprise.”

She chuckled, leaning into his frame. “Well, I suppose we should just relax then since you aren’t being helpful.”

He kissed her forehead, and then her lips, savoring the sweetness of the champagne on them. “I suppose we will.”

~~~~~

When Elain looked out the window and saw the ocean, she finally figured out where he was taking her. “We’re going to the Summer District.”

“Well, technically we’re in it already,” Az grinned.

She leaned an elbow on the window ledge, staring out at the blue water. “Is this another business trip?” She wouldn’t be upset if he was utilizing this opportunity to do business and as a vacation.

He reached forward, gripping her chin to force her gaze to his. “You said you wanted to go somewhere with a beach.” She had—when he asked her where she wanted to vacation during their video call. “No side work. Nothing is pulling me away from you for these next four days.” His thumb swept under her bottom lip. “Just us.”

Smiling, Elain nipped the pad of his thumb.

Thankfully, the descent didn’t make her as nervous as the ascent. She didn’t think her fear of planes was completely conquered, but it was a good step in the right direction. And as long as she had Azriel by her side, it wasn’t something she couldn’t work through.

A car was waiting for them when they landed. Back in the passenger seat, Elain took in everything around her. They were in the city of Adriata. A beautiful, bustling, glistening city with towering buildings, amazing architecture, markets on nearly every corner, and everything else you could imagine in a coastal town.

They drove in companionable silence until Azriel continued past the city’s edge. “Where are we going?” she finally asked him as houses became few and far between.

A curve of his lips. “To where we’re staying at.”

She looked at him then. “We’re not staying in a hotel in the city?”

“If I don’t stay in a hotel for business trips, did you think I was going to subject you to it for a vacation?”

Elain huffed a laugh. “You’re an overspender, you know that?”

Azriel quickly looked at her, his face giving nothing away, and then back at the road. “Baby, you have no idea.”

Well, she got the idea when he pulled into the driveway of a large home with an unattached guest house, and…Jesus fuck, was that a sale pending sign in the front lawn? Her golden-brown eyes widened. “Azriel, where are we?”

A boyish grin took over his face. Clicking the button to pop the trunk, he told her, “Come on.”

Grabbing their bags from the back, Azriel met her at the front door, unlocking it and letting her inside. He put their suitcases down in the foyer and shut the door behind them.

Elain took hesitant steps into the house. It was beyond gorgeous. The open floor plan allowed for easy access from the kitchen area, divided off by a built-in bar, to the living and dining room. The color scheme was a combination of white with blue-gray and wooden accents. Large bay windows encased the entire side of the house that faced a beautiful pool, a private beach, and the open ocean. Sitting on the back porch was a full patio set with an L-shaped couch and two chairs.

She stood frozen in the center of the living room, in awe of the entire home.

“Azriel,” she started, “did you buy this?”

A large hand came down onto her shoulder, fingers squeezing. “Technically, we bought this.”

Elain whipped around.

“Well, technically we’re in closing dependent on you.”

“On me?” She blinked. “What are you going on about?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his forehead to hers. “I wanted to purchase this house together. With both our names on the deed. The application is basically done—they just need your approval to add you to the mortgage and then we’ll sign.”

“You want to move?”

Azriel laughed, pulling back to look down at her face. “No, love. Not move. But we could use a summer home.”

She gaped. “You want a what now?”

“A summer home,” he repeated. “A place that is ours where we can come vacation at when we need to get away from everything and everyone.”

Elain’s eyes darted between his, hearing him but still not quite understanding. “I—why?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Because I want to. Because you mentioned you wanted to go to someplace with a beach and this area has some of the best ones in the country. Because I fell in love with the house when I was last here and could picture us vacationing here. I could see you here, sitting out on the beach or by the pool. I imagined you actually relaxing for once. You don’t do it nearly enough.”

Listening to him, Elain realized that he knew this place better than he was letting on. “This is the house you rented for your business trip, isn’t it?”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “It is. The owner had said I was his last rental before he sold it—with all the furnishings, I might add. He was in the process of putting it up on the market. I simply told him not to bother. That I would purchase it under the assumption that you agreed.”

“It’s not my money, Az.”

He frowned. “Elain, what I have is also yours. And if you decide you don’t want this house, then I’ll pull it. But if you do, this will be our home here.”

She hesitated, glancing around the room. Gods, it really was a beautiful house.

“Before you make a decision,” he interrupted her train of thoughts, “at least let me take you on a tour to help you decide.”

Taking her hand, Azriel led her through the kitchens, showing her the pristine countertops, state-of-the-art appliances, and cozy knickknacks that were sporadically placed all over. Elain could picture the two of them making breakfast together, her sitting on the counter providing unnecessary instructions while Az laughed at her antics, refilling her mimosa or cup of coffee and kissing her.

Tugging her through the house, he took her to the living area, upstairs into the bedrooms—there were five in this house alone and apparently two more with a full bathroom, kitchen, and living room in the guest house. There was enough room for their entire family, and then some.

They traveled back down the stairs to a small library-like office with a nook facing the ocean. It was a quaint room, filled with dark furniture that reminded her of a castle library.

And then he pulled her to the final room, a game room of the sorts with a dart board, a foosball table, and a pool table.

Elain ran her fingertips over the wood of the table; brushed them along the velvet grass.

Azriel wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do you play?”

She shrugged. “I know the basic idea. You use the sticks to pop balls into pockets, right?”

His chest rumbled with the force of his laughter. “I mean, that’s the gist of it. You use the cue stick to push the white ball into your designated solids or stripes. The first one to sink their balls and then the eight ball wins.”

“Sounds fascinating.”

Scarred fingers slipped under the hem of her sweater, rubbing at the skin of her hipbones. “Do you want to play?” he murmured, lips pressed onto her cheek.

Her lips curved up. “Why don’t we make it interesting?”

A light kiss on her jaw. “Hmm? What did you have in mind?”

Elain tipped her head to the side. “Winner gets to pick the next activity.”

Azriel’s mouth brushed the shell of her ear. “That seems like an unfair advantage for me.” The ghost of a whisper sent shivers running down her spine.

Her toes curled in her sneakers. “Then I suppose you should think about what it is you want to do next.” Twisting her head, she told him, “Rack them up.”

After giving her a final kiss, Az did as he was told, prepping the balls and then handing her one of the cue sticks. “Do you want to break?”

She shook her head. “No, you go ahead.”

Azriel leaning over the table to line up his shot had heat pooling between her legs. His trim waist, broad shoulders, and the delicious curve of his ass were all on display for her. The balls clanked together, sending a colored one into the corner pocket. He grinned at her. “I’m solids.”

He worked his way around the table, sinking two more balls before his third shot went wide. Lips pursed, he muttered a foul curse.

Elain just smiled sweetly at him. “So, I just hold it like this?” she asked, purposely pulling her elbow wide.

“Ah, so this is why you wanted to play,” he smirked, leaning over her and adjusting her hold. The cradle of his hips pressed into her ass, fitting her perfectly.

“Something like that,” she told him as he helped her shoot and sank her first stripped ball. Leaning up, she pulled his cheek forward to kiss. “I think I got it now.”

Truth be told, Elain was good at pool. Like really good. Competition-worthy. But, he didn’t need to know that yet. She grabbed another easy shot in the side pocket. But for her third, she lined up for an off-the-side wall, opposite corner pocket. With a steady breath, she sank her third stripe.

Looking up at him, she grinned at his wary face. He wasn’t quite there, but she knew he was close to catching on. Sidling between him and the table, she murmured an “Excuse me,” giving him a slight poke in the stomach with the end of her cue stick as she bent over the table and rubbed her ass against his crotch.

He hissed, shuffling to the side slightly, and laid his large palm over the small of her back.

Ignoring how his touch lit an inferno inside of her, Elain shot the next ball across the table, between two of his solids, and right into the corner pocket.

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve played this before?” Az asked, eyes narrowing at her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her fourth shot ran down the side of the table and into the bottom corner pocket, but her fifth just barely missed the side hole. She made an indignant noise, leaning back up off the table.

Using the same move as she did, Azriel slipped between her and the table, pressing his body against hers. He sank the first shot by using his ball and tapping it into another. Then pocketed the fifth ball right behind it. But his sixth missed giving her a perfect spot for her final three shots.

“Eight ball, right corner pocket,” she called, indicating with her cue stick. Elain shot, bouncing the black ball off the side and sending it hurtling into its correct pocket.

Azriel stood there, leaning on his cue stick in complete disbelief. “You hustled me!”

The corner of her mouth curled up into a devious little smirk as she snickered. “Perhaps,” she answered cheekily.

“You little minx,” he growled, dropping his stick to the floor and sweeping her up into his arms. Their mouths crashed together for a heated, passionate kiss.

Legs wrapping around his waist, Elain dropped her cue, letting her fingers slide into his hair and tugging it at the root.

He groaned, pulling back far enough to rest his forehead on hers. Breathing harshly, he asked her, “So, since you hustled me for the win, what are we doing next?”

Catching her breath, Elain gave him her answer. “I think we should christen the house, starting with this table.”

That had Azriel shifting back to look at her face. He slowly cupped the side of her cheek. “Christen it as in we’re buying it?”

The sweet hope in his voice had her heart melting. She nodded. “Yes, I want to buy this house, Az. I want this to be our summer home. One where we can have our family come to enjoy and take vacations.” She kissed his lips softly before adding, “I want this home with you.”

Making a choking sound, Azriel surged forward and kissed her greedily. His tongue slipped between her lips, stroking hers until she was moaning. Needing to feel her skin, he yanked her sweater over her head, leaving her in her bra, leggings, and sneakers. Guiding her to lie back on the table, he removed one shoe, kissed her ankle, and then repeated the motion with her other.

Elain grabbed the hem of his shirt, having discarded his sweatshirt earlier, and tugged it over his head. His black locks went wild in disarray but it somehow made him even sexier. Her fingers went to his belt, deftly undoing it and the button of his jeans.

He tore her leggings off to reveal the scrap of lace she wore. Azriel’s eyes went wide as he took in the matching set. Lightly brushing the pads of his fingers over her cup, he asked her, “Did you wear this for me, love?”

She smiled bashfully at him. “I did. Do you like it?”

Blown-out eyes, framed by a ring of hazel glanced up at her. “Fuck yeah, I do. It’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to rip them right off you.”

“No need to be an animal, Azriel,” she teased, flashing him a sultry smile.

He swept his hands down her body, savoring the feeling of her delicate skin beneath his palms. “Baby, you have no idea.” Sucking on her neck, he slipped his hands beneath her to unhook her bra, pulling it off her and dropping it unceremoniously on the ground at his feet.

His mouth traveled down her chest, pulling her nipple into his mouth and grazing it with his teeth.

Elain arched off the table, moaning at the sensation that tugged at her core.

Fingers slipping between her legs, he stroked her over the fabric, feeling the dampness that had formed. “Fuck, you’re so wet already,” he swore, sliding the garment to the side and pushing his finger inside of her with no resistance.

She cried out, hips undulating towards his hand. Pleasure coursed through her body when he brought his thumb down to circle her clit. “Stop playing,” Elain growled, using her feet to push his pants and boxers down his thighs.

A wicked little smirk formed on his lips. “And what if I want to taste?” he demanded, pumping into her with a second finger.

“Suck your fingers. I just need your cock. Now.”

Surprise lit his face. Elain was never particularly vocal, nor demanding in bed. She’d sometimes tell him what she wanted from him, but it was typically out of desperation. Not as a command.

Azriel pulled his fingers from her and placed them against her mouth. “Taste yourself.” His voice brooked no room for argument and Elain wrapped her lips around his digits, drawing them further into her oral cavity until the tips touched the back of her throat.

Breathing steadily through her nose, she sucked his fingers like it was his cock, lapping her tongue around each to clean the slick of her off.

Pumping his hand into her mouth, Az rubbed himself against her, coating his cock in her juices and providing just the right amount of pressure to her clit.

She moaned around his fingers as he thrust into her in one movement, burying himself to the hilt. Elain clawed at his back while he readjusted her legs around his hips, locking him to her.

Azriel set a brutal pace, using the leverage from her jaw to snap into her.

Elain having been on the precipice of an orgasm, crested just after a few strokes of his cock. Her body shook as he fucked her through it, pulling his fingers from her mouth and replacing them with his lips.

A string of spit followed his fingers, but he didn’t care as he crashed their lips and teeth and tongues together in a bruising kiss.

Yanking himself out of her, he grabbed her off the table and set her back on her feet. Twisting her around, he bent her back over, raising her hips.

Elain felt her release drip down her thighs, and then Az’s fingers stroked through her still-spasming entrance, collecting the slickness and bringing it up to her back hole. She moaned as he fingered her rosebud, head bowing. “Are you going to fuck me there?” she asked, shaky from the intensity of her last orgasm.

“Do you want me to fuck you here, love?” he inquired, voice guttural.

She moaned as one of his fingers slipped inside, gently thrusting in and out of her ass. “Yes.” The word was purely a whine.

Azriel made some deep, throaty sound, leaning over her body to kiss her shoulder. “Such a good girl for me. Letting me do the most sinful things to you.” He bit the junction of her neck, sucking a mark into her skin that had her sighing at the tingling feeling. “One day, I will claim your ass, Elain Archeron,” he all but growled. “But not today. I don’t have the proper equipment with me at the moment for your first time.”

Elain flipped her hair over her shoulder to look at him. “Promise?” she cooed.

A groan rumbled from his chest. “Fuck me, Elain. You will be the death of me someday,” he snarled. “I promise to fuck your ass until you’re limp with pleasure.” Without waiting for a response, he sheathed himself back inside of her, hips snapping into hers until the room echoed their skin slapping skin and heavy breathing.

Her fingers dug into the velvet grass of the table, and when he wrapped her hair around his other wrist, tugging it until she was arched, Elain couldn’t stop the pathetic whimper from escaping her.

“You have the tightest fucking cunt, baby,” he moaned. “Fucking you is like a dream every time.”

She couldn’t even form words to respond; only able to clench around him until he swore.

Picking up his pace, he brushed his lips to the shell of her ear, commanding her to let go.

And let go she did. Screaming, Elain ripped into her pleasure from both his cock and his fingers. Some slur came out of her, though she couldn’t tell if it was his name or just a bunch of sounds jumbled together. It may have been both for all she knew.

Azriel’s thrust became sloppy as he chased his own high. Slamming into her a final time, he came, teeth clamping onto her shoulder over the mark he already made and intensifying it.

They both collapsed onto the table, Az’s weight adding to the table edge that dug into her hips, but she was too far gone into her hazy pleasure to care.

He gave her one more gentle stroke, causing her to whimper before he tugged himself out.

The loss of him had her clenching around nothing, but she felt their combined releases dripping from her convulsing pussy,

His fingers made quick work, swiping the mess up and shoving it back inside of her. “Hold that in for me,” he growled.

She was barely coherent enough to process his words, but she managed to do as he ordered.

“Hang tight,” he murmured, dropping a kiss to her sweat-soaked back.

Truth be told, Elain wasn’t able to move an inch. She was too tired, too sated to even think about getting up off the table. She heard fabric sliding down his legs as he shucked off the rest of his clothing, and then she was being gathered up into his arms and carried up the stairs to the master bathroom.

Azriel gently set her on the counter, making her hiss from the cold porcelain as it touched her heated skin before he set about starting the bath. They stayed in the tub far too long as they slowly made love again in the warm water, Elain riding him and christening yet another room in their new home.

~~~

She woke the following morning before sunrise, internal clock off from the two-hour time difference compared to Velaris. Carefully, Elain slipped from Azriel’s arms, smiling at the grunt of protest he let out. His hands reached out searching for her body. Tugging the sheets up to his shoulder, she went to the dresser and pulled out undergarments to put on.

Grabbing the silk robe he surprised her with, Elain slipped it on, tying it at the waist before quietly closing the bedroom door behind her and making her way downstairs.

She put the coffeepot on, poured herself a mug, and added her creamer that was somehow, already in the fridge. Azriel must’ve had someone come in and stock the fridge with necessities. They had ordered a pizza to be delivered last night, neither having the energy nor desire to go out for dinner after their multiple rounds. They managed to christen the game room, their master bathroom and bedroom, their private balcony under the stars, and the kitchen/dining areas after eating some much-needed food.

Elain perched herself on the couch facing the ocean, tucking her feet under her, as she watched the sunrise in glorious shades of orange, pink, and gold. It was much warmer here than in Velaris at this time. She was perfectly comfortable in her bra, underwear, and silky robe. Elain basked in the warmth and beautiful sights for a good hour before she heard movement upstairs.

Soon enough, Azriel was coming down the stairs bare from the waist up. His grey sweatpants hung deliciously off his cut hips giving her a perfect view of his Adonis belt, defined abdomen, and beautifully swirling ink over his muscled chest and shoulders.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. “You weren’t in bed when I woke. I had plans to give you the proper wake-up call this morning.” His voice was still heavy with sleep, taking on a rasp that had her toes curling beneath her.

“Sorry, my love. My clock is still on Velaris time. Plus, I wanted to watch the sunrise.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked her curiously.

“Because you don’t get enough sleep as it is. And you looked too peaceful to wake.”

Azriel’s eyes traveled down her form, taking in the robe she wore; how it split at the top revealing much of her chest. He reached down and slipped his fingers into the fabric, parting it even more to see what, exactly, she had on underneath. Those deft fingers gripped the tie and pulled, opening it up for him to see her in another matching lace set. He groaned, head tipping back towards the heavens. “You’re going to kill me in this outfit, El.”

Her nipples hardened at his words and a smirk tugged at her lips. “Perhaps you should take it off, then.”

He sank to his knees in front of her, large, warm hands, gripping her thighs and untangling her legs from underneath her. “Two rounds this morning. I have a lot planned for us and we need to get an early start.”

Surprise lit her face, not having realized he planned a whole day for them. Though, she shouldn’t have been shocked seeing as this entire trip was completely his doing. “What are we doing today?” she asked, sucking in a breath at the heated look in those amber eyes.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he murmured before ripping her panties down her legs and settling between her thighs. “But first, breakfast.” Throwing her knees onto his shoulders, Azriel feasted on her until she was coming on his tongue.

Two hours later, they were dressed, fed—properly this time—and stood outside on the driveway arguing.

“Azriel, I’m not getting on that deathtrap,” Elain said, arms crossed over her chest.

His first surprise of the day was a motorcycle. A fucking motorcycle. She stared at him in disbelief as he tried to coax her onto the back of it.

“El, love, my sweet,” he tried, using nearly every pet name he had for her, “this is the best way to view the city.”

She rolled her eyes at the attempt but didn’t budge. “Do you know how many people show up in the emergency room from a motorcycle accident? How many die from it?”

He sighed. “Those people likely don’t give the vehicle the respect it needs to be ridden—”

“And what about the other people on the road who don’t respect them?” Elain interrupted.

“Do you think I would do anything to put you in danger, Elain? I promise you that you’ll be safe with me on this. Please, just give it a try. I know you’ll love it.”

She hesitated, arms dropping uselessly to their sides. “I’m in a skirt, Az.”

“So? You’ll be pressed into me. Nobody will see a thing.”

After a few moments of them staring at each other, he finally snapped, “For god’s sake, Elain. Get that cute butt on the damn bike so we can get to our next stop on time.”

She narrowed her eyes at him for the words, but it was exactly what she needed to take a hesitant step forward. Then another until she was standing right in front of him and letting him put a helmet on her, snapping the clip under her jaw.

Azriel flicked the visor down over her eyes and guided her onto the bike behind him. “Hold on tight,” he told her, starting the engine.

It roared to life and she wrapped her arms around him, grabbing ahold of his belt and the waistband of his jeans as he gently kicked off the ground and slowly drove out of the driveway and onto the street. Elain squealed, tightening her hold on him as he sped up.

They drove through the city, taking in the sights and all its offerings. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Viewing the city from the back of the bike was incredible. The feeling of the salt air as it whipped at her skin, the glistening ocean to her side, were balms to her soul. She felt free as they rode through the bustling city.

He pulled onto the pier, parked, and shut off the engine before helping her off the bike. Unclipping his helmet, he hung it on the handlebars, then moved to remove hers. A dazzling smile took over his face at the sparkle she knew was shining in her eyes. “How was that?”

Rolling her eyes despite the stupid grin, she lied, “It was awful. I hated it.”

Azriel laughed. “Your face says otherwise, love.”

She giggled, feeling young and carefree. “Fine. It was fun. Exhilarating, even. You were right about it being the best way to take in the city.”

A self-satisfied smirk pulled up the corner of his lips. “I’m thrilled you enjoyed it.” He kissed her, tugging her close to his body. “Come on,” he murmured, grabbing her hand in his. They walked down the pier taking in the sights and sounds of the carnival located at the end.

They shared a cookies and cream milkshake, though Az only had like four sips of it and left the rest for her. Finally, they reached the end of the pier where a giant, modernized Ferris wheel stood.

Elain planted her feet when Azriel tried to tug her forward. “A Ferris wheel? You know I’m terrified of heights.”

That damn smirk appeared on his lips again. “You were also afraid to get on the plane and the motorcycle, but you did. And did you not tell me it was fun just an hour ago?”

“But that was different!” she spluttered.

He crossed his arms, raising a brow into his dark hair. “How?”

She stared at him like a petulant child, but she knew he was right. There wasn’t a difference between her facing those fears and this one.

“I promise you’ll love this. That Ferris wheel gives you the best view of the city. And the ocean. It’s beautiful. Plus, you’re completely enclosed in the glass container, so you have nothing to fear.”

Elain grumbled a “fine,” letting herself get pulled into the line. The pods could hold up to twenty people each, so it took no time in reaching the front.

Handing a wad of cash to the person working, Az told him, “We want this pod to ourselves. That should cover the fee of a full group, plus pay for the twenty people behind us.

The worker and Elain both gaped at him, but it was the kid who was handed the cash that stuttered, “Y—yes, of course, Sir.”

He escorted her into the glass enclosure, letting the doors snick shut behind them. Guiding her to the other side that faced the ocean, Azriel sat her down and took a spot next to her.

It was completely private, not able to see into the one above them or below. And with the bottom half of the glass frosted, they were nearly hidden from anyone at ground level.

Twisting her head, she looked up at the male next to her. “Why did you do that?” Elain took his hand in hers as the wheel started to spin, sending them to the next spot while the pod below them was cleared out and re-loaded.

“Hmm?” he asked, glancing down at her.

“Why did you pay off the kid to give us this entire pod? What was the purpose?”

He leaned over, kissing her cheek. “Because I wanted to experience this moment privately with you. Is that such a bad thing?”

She shook her head, golden-brown hair swishing with the movement. “No, I suppose it’s not. It does make us look like rich assholes, though.”

Azriel tipped his head back and laughed, exposing the strong column of his throat. The ink tattooed upon the base of it. The sunshine enhanced the golden hue of his skin. He looked stunning in the light.

When the ride lurched again, she gripped his hand tighter.

“I also requested it so I could help you through your fear.” He placed his scarred palm on the upper part of her thigh, fingers dangerously close to her center.

“Azriel,” she hissed, trying to close her legs, but was unable to with his grip. “We are in public.”

“Technically,” he started, sliding his hand further between her legs, “we’re in a private pod that nobody can see into.” Gripping her knee, Az hooked her leg over his, spreading her for him.

The next movement had Elain sucking in a breath, releasing his hand, and grabbing at his forearm. Her nails dug into his skin, not that he seemed to mind.

He stroked her over the fabric covering her, doing a 1-2 swoop with two of his fingers. “Relax,” he whispered. The touch had her legs spreading apart, giving him ample room to work. “Close your eyes.”

Her head fell to his shoulder as her body shuddered. A small whimper passed through her parted lips as she did what he said, eyes shutting.

Azriel kept touching her until her underwear was damp and then slid them to the side to plunge his middle finger inside of her. Twisting his body, he threw his arm behind her shoulders, pulling her snuggly against his chest as he worked her, murmuring words of praise into her ear.

“You’re such a good girl, Elain. Look at you, facing your fears with my hand between your thighs.” His lips pressed into her hair, just above her ear. “Fuck my fingers, baby.”

And she did, withering against his hand, desperately looking for the high he was drawing from her. Her hips thrust forward, searching for the friction on her clit. “Az,” she mewled.

His thumb gently pressed down on where she needed it, but he didn’t give her what her body so desperately craved. “Easy, baby. Take it slow.” He drew small, tight circles on her clit, sending bolts of pleasure cascading through her.

She felt it in her fingers, her toes, running up and down her spine.

Lost in her thoughts, in the pleasure she was receiving, Elain stopped thinking about the movement of the Ferris wheel until Azriel breathed, “Open your eyes.”

Somehow, she cracked open one eye and then the other and looked out at the expansive, glittering, blue ocean. Her breath came out in short pants, but she couldn’t deny the beauty of the sight before her.

“Look at you, at the top without a care in the world.” Azriel peppered kisses to her head, and her cheek, twisting her face to meet her lips with his. “My beautiful, strong, sexy girl.”

Her head tipped back against the crook of his elbow. “Az, please.”

He hushed her, curling the finger inside of her. “Soon, baby.” He waited until they started to move again before he really started working her, stroking her so deep that his ridged fingertip grazed the smooth patch of skin that had her moaning. His thumb focused on grazing her clit, adding a delicious amount of friction that finally sent her hurtling over the edge.

Fusing their mouths, Azriel swallowed her cries, helping to cover up the fact that she was orgasming in public and making it seem like they were just making out.

Elain was panting when they reached the bottom and blinked dazed eyes open just as he pulled his finger from her twitching pussy, using his hand to clean her up as best as he could, and then proceeded to suck his digits clean.

“You are filthy, sir,” she managed to get out.

He just smiled greedily down at her. “It’s not my fault I crave you every goddamn minute of the day.” He nodded his head towards the ocean in front of them. “And look. You’re riding now without a hint of fear.”

It was true, she realized, as the Ferris wheel made its second trip around. She had no qualms about looking out or being high in the air. “Sneaky trick,” Elain muttered, pulling her leg from off his lap. “But I am going to need to find a bathroom when we’re finished to clean up.”

A heated look glazed over his darkened eyes. “I could get down on my knees and clean you up with my tongue if you want me to.”

It wasn’t a question and fuck her if she wasn’t tempted to say yes. But they were already at the top and coming back down and knew they wouldn’t have the time. Plus, his head between her legs was more obvious than his hand. “Down, boy. You’re going to get us caught.”

The expression on his face told her he didn’t give a shit about getting caught. Azriel thought she would be the death of him, but boy was he wrong. He would one day kill her with those heated looks and sinful smiles.

“Give me your panties.”

Her face heated. “What?” she squeaked.

He raised a brow imploring her to listen to him.

The fact that she couldn’t say no to him should’ve concerned her, but it only made her ache for him even more. Shakily, she grabbed the hem of her underwear and tugged them off, handing them to him.

Azriel balled the fabric, working quickly to wipe at her center, cleaning her up, and stuffed the garment into his pocket.

She stared at him. “You expect me to go commando?”

He shrugged. “Looks like you have no choice at this point.”

“My skirt is flowy!” she hissed. “Any gust of wind and I will flash everybody!”

“Guess you shouldn’t have worn a skirt—”

“You picked this outfit out…” Realization dawned on her. “You fucker, you planned this!”

“Such language,” he mused. “I should put you over my knee for that.”

Heat rushed between her thighs at the thought and Elain crossed her legs.

That wicked grin spread onto his lips, noticing how his words affected her. “Interesting…”

The look on his face promised sinful delight, something they could not explore with their current predicament. “Let’s get lunch after this,” she said instead, deterring the subject to somewhere safe lest she let him do something incredibly reckless. Moreso than what he just did to her.

He definitely saw the change of direction and let her have it. For the most part. “Perfect,” he purred sounding more like his brother than himself. “I just had the most delicious appetizer.”

Blood rushed to her cheeks, but she couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from her chest. “You’re truly wicked, you know that?”

“Very much so, baby,” he grinned.

Oh boy, was she in a lot of trouble with this one.

They were sitting at a café along the edge of the ocean. Getting off the pier had been challenging as the wind whipped around them. Elain ended up gripping her skirt in two handfuls and pinning it against her legs. Azriel, the bastard, smirked the whole way back to the motorcycle but took pity on her when she awkwardly tried to climb onto the back of the bike, helping her tuck her skirts under her legs so it wouldn’t blow. Despite how much he was clearly enjoying this, she knew that Az was very territorial when it came to her and would absolutely not be okay with anyone seeing her naked.

They gorged themselves on seafood, Elain ordering a shrimp scampi and Azriel a seafood medley. They were each nursing a glass of white wine when they heard his name being called.

“Azriel!”

Twisting around, they saw a couple walking towards them. Both the man and woman were stunning, with rich skin tones and strong builds. But what was most striking was their bleached hair color that looked too natural to be dyed. She assumed it was a genetic thing that they both must’ve shared, meaning they likely were related.

Upon closer inspection, Elain noticed that they had similar features that confirmed there was some distant family resemblance. The man, however, had startling turquoise eyes while she had deep brown ones.

“Tarquin,” Azriel greeted, rising out of his seat to shake hands with the man. “Cresseida, it’s nice to see you again.”

Tarquin…the name was familiar… And then it hit her. This was the man whom Azriel had spoken so fondly of. Whom he partnered with for his business.

Her boyfriend indicated to her. “Please let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Doctor Elain Archeron.” She reined in her smile at the whole doctor thing. He really was insatiable. “Elain, this is Tarquin, the owner of Summer Systems, and his cousin who does all the actual work at the company, Cresseida.”

Ah, so she had been right about the family resemblance then.

Tarquin seemed to catch his astonishment at the girlfriend introduction, schooling his features to shake her outstretched hand. “It’s lovely to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you and your company.”

“Funny,” Cresseida said, her tone of voice a bit sharp. “We had no idea that Azriel had a girlfriend. Or that he was even in a relationship.”

Elain saw it for what it was. A test to see how well she could handle the hostility and function in a role at Azriel’s side. “Yes, well he’s very private. And not one to gloat.”

A snort cut through the tension and her eyes shifted to the man in question, seeing the utter delight in her hazel irises.

“I like her,” Cresseida announced, surprising even her.

Tarquin shook his head at his cousin’s antics. “Since you’re in town, you two should come to the company party tonight. We’re doing a celebration over our partnership. Something I wanted to give the employees for their hard work in getting everything finalized.”

She saw the refute on Azriel’s face, knowing he had told her this was a vacation and not for work.

“I appreciate the offer,” he began, but Elain interrupted him.

“We’ll consider it.”

All three of them looked at her, surprise clear in the raise of Az’s eyebrows.

“Well,” Tarquin began, amused by her outspokenness. “I hope to see you both there. Azriel, I’ll forward you the invite so you have the details.” Clasping hands with her boyfriend, the cousins bid them goodbye.

Once they were alone, Azriel asked her, “I thought we said no work on this trip?”

She shrugged a single shoulder, taking a sip of her wine. “We did, but I thought maybe it could be fun.”

His phone dinged with an incoming message. Glancing down at it, he read the text out loud. “It’s semi-formal.” Meeting her gaze, he smiled. “Looks like we need to go shopping.”

~~~~~

Azriel was pinning his cuff links when Elain stepped out of the closet in the most alluring dress he had ever seen her wear. It wasn’t just the sexy cuts exposing the middle of her torso from the crisscross front, nor the open back and the high slit hitting just below her hipbone. It was the various shades of blue, the most prominent of them being cobalt, his absolute favorite color, despite being partial to wearing black.

She gave him a shy smile. “Can you zip me up?”

The crossed straps zipped between her shoulder blades, and then a second zipper ran from below her ass to just past the swell. The cuts of the dress allowed the cute dimple of her back to show.

Gripping one zipper, he tugged it up and then the second. “You look stunning,” he murmured, kissing the backside of her head.

“Thank you, handsome,” she answered cheekily.

Gods he wanted nothing more than to slowly peel her out of that dress, but he loved seeing her in it too. Shrugging on his suit jacket, he took Elain’s hand, and out they went.

The party was gorgeous, hosted at a restaurant with a large patio area that had been rented for the evening. Twinkly lights were strung across, giving a romantic glow to the air. Dinner consisted of three types of fish, potatoes, and a green salad. It was one of the best dishes he had ever tasted.

Now, he and Elain were slow dancing with a few other couples, her hand in his, head tucked into his chest.

Her fingers stroked the hair at his nape.

“I love you, Azriel,” she whispered, almost as if she was afraid to break the trance that fell over them.

He looked down at her, surprised by the sudden declaration. “I love you too, Elain.” Unable to help himself, he leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head. Even with the heels, she was still several inches shorter than him, the top of her head only coming up to his jaw.

She hummed in contentment, melting further into his embrace.

They danced for a while longer before he asked her if she was ready to leave. He could see the exhaustion that lined her eyes, even if she tried to hide it from him. They made their way over to Tarquin to bid him goodbye.

“I’m glad you two could come. You’re more than welcome to join us or visit anytime.”

Azriel smiled, glancing down at the woman tucked under his arm. “Well, you might just see us more. We’re buying a house here. A summer home for us to vacation at. And to stay when I’m on business.”

Pure delight lit those bright, turquoise eyes. “That’s fantastic! Congratulations to you both. It’s been a pleasure to welcome you into our partnership and get to know you. Both of you.”

“It was great to meet you, as well, Tarquin,” Elain murmured from her sleepy state.

The other man gave him a knowing look. “I’ll let you go so you can get her home. Let me know the next time you visit. I’ll host something at my house.”

“Thanks, Tarquin,” Azriel answered, shaking the man’s hand.

He managed to get Elain into the car, but as soon as it started moving, her eyes drifted shut and she slept the whole way home. Az looked at her peaceful, sleeping form, and thought that he couldn’t wait to ask her to be his wife.

~~~~~

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[that-one-anxious-mango]

You + Me = US (3) : The Finale.

Summary: In the conclusion of Y+M = US, you awake and finally have a long overdue conversation with Austin, who makes a confession nn of his own.

Contents: Angst if you squint. Crying. Good Ole' hurt and comfort. Major Fluff. A happy ending as promised :) Allusions to childhood trauma.

A/N: Hello Beautiful Humans! I hope you are all well! This is infact the last installment of Y+M=US! Thank you so much for all the love, support, and interaction. It means the world to me that you all enjoy it! Now as some have voted a discussion board about this piece of the Days of Our Love Series is posted along with some guidelines. Thanks for reading!

Much love *hugs*

Arie

P.S Feel free to comment , reblog, or send me a letter :)

Taglist: @wacoshuffle, @purejasmine, @louisejoy86

---

It'd a total of eight hours since you'd been admitted to the hospital, and it had been eight hours of you sleeping the day away.

By now it was almost eight thirty in the evening and Austin was still in his same spot in the hospital church across from your bed, only now he too was sleeping.

In time everyone had came and laid eyes on you and left letting Austin know that if there were any changes or he needed anything, not to hesitate to call them.

But what he truly needed was for you to wake up.

Coming in the room to check on you the nurse made her rounds taking your vitals and such.

Just as she was about to leave the room she looked over to Austin.

She knew that the poor man hadn't left this room much besides stepping in the hall to speak to people. And she figured that somebody has to nudge him to eat something and go for a little walk to get some air.

The nurse smiling walked over to Austin.

" Mr. Butler..." She gently shook him, " Mr. Butler." She tried again successful this time.

Opening his eyes he slowly sat up fully in the chair before becoming alert when he noticed that it was the nurse before him.

" Excuse me. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to nod off. Is everything alright. Is my wife, okay." He questioned eyes darting between her and you, who was still sleeping in your same position.

Still smiling she says, " Oh yes. Mr. Butler everything is quite good. Her vitals are already starting to improve and the baby is doing great." She informed the frazzled man. " No need to worry."

He nodded, "Oh." He sighed, " Good. That's amazing."

" Yes it is. I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you. But I know that you've been so dutiful sitting here beside your wife all this time...but and hopefully you won't believe I'm overstepping my boundary, I believe that now may be a good time to go downstairs to the cafeteria and maybe get yourself a bite to eat. " She suggested hoping he wouldn't take offense. " It'll be good to stretch your legs and shake it off. Keep your strength up. We can only help our loved ones get better if we're making sure we still feel good also." She finished.

Austin looked at her taking in what she had said while glancing to you. He wouldn't lie to himself and say that he hadn't gotten a bit stiff and his stomach feel like it was touching his back a bit. And still though, he felt like all those feeling fell to the wayside because of how strong his urge to be near you was.

What was he gonna do if he left and something happened while he wasn't here.

What if you woke up and he wasn't here so you thought he'd just left you.

What if.

It was the same two word combination Austin always encouraged you to try and rid from your vocabulary because of how anxious they made you.

And look at him now being a hypocrite.

Sighing he said, " While that sounds good. What if.." He cringes, " If something happens and I'm not here." He questioned.

Understanding his concern the nurse said, " I know. But I assure you that myself and two other nurses are about ten feet away at the nurses station and will be at her bedside in a second if anything transpires. " She affirmed motioning out through the glass.

Deciding that he did in-fact need to care for himself too he exhaled, " Okay..then. I guess I'll go and grab something. I can bring it up back here, right? " He asked.

She nodded, " Of course that's no problem, Mr. Butler."

Offering the nurse a small smile Austin then got up stretching with a quiet yawn. Walking over to you he ran his hand against the top of your head to lean down and kiss your forehead. " I'll be back baby." He whispered reaching down to grab your hand and rub it before exiting the room along with a nurse that was all smiles.

--

After about thirty minutes of going down to the cafeteria and having himself a little walk outside to get some air while having a quick phone convo with Ashley T.

Austin had returned with a nice apple chicken walnut salad and lemonade in tow.

When he walked in he glanced at you before going over to the chair to sit down and eat with a sigh.

But unbeknownst to him, you were awake.

You'd actually woken up around thirty minutes ago when you'd felt something touch your hand. When you opened your eyes for the first time and noticed you were alone, you had closed them again. Not sleep, but just resting.

He hadn't gotten two bites into the salad before he was slightly startled by your somewhat hoarse voice, " Well is it good? " You joked.

Immediately dropping what he was doing, in a flash he was kneeled down at your bedside.

" Hi baby. How you feeling? " Austin asked silently hitting the bottom overhead the page the nurse.

He couldn't hide the soft smile that graced his face as he thanked God that you were awake and okay.

" A little funny..but good. " You blinked looking around.

He watched as you tried to slowly sit up but he quickly stopped you, " Whoa, baby.. Hey..take it easy. It's okay just relax." He kneeled down next you running a hand against your head. 

Soon the nurse came in who quickly assessed you and let you know that everything was stable and the baby was healthy. 

At the mention of the baby you felt your face drain with color at the remembrance that Austin was in-fact in the room, and he knew now. Awkwardly you avoided looking at him until she left you again just before informing you two that the doctor had been whisked away to do a emergency induction but would be by to check on you and your status as soon as she could. 

Once it was just the two of you, you started to ask more in-depth questions about what happened.

" So I just all of a sudden passed out? " You broke the lingering silence looking toward your fiancée as you recalled the information just given to you by the nurse.

With a sincere look he responded, " Yes. You were out with Alana and Avery at Lunch. They say you got up to use the bathroom, complained about being dizzy and the next thing they know you passed out and hit the floor. Thank god you didn't hit your head or fall the right way on something else..because babe this could have been way worse than some exhaustion and minor bruising." Austin stated shuddering a little at the possible thought of you having been seriously injured.

" Oh my gosh." You whispered trying to piece the afternoon back together the best you could. But every time you got to the part about lunch things did get a bit fuzzy.

You remember being there, you remember little pieces of conversation, and you could remember seeing the family and the feeling you got...but after that it went..well blank.

" Oh my gosh is right. " He parroted grabbing your ringed hand in his to kiss it and draw your attention back to his serious demeanor, " Do you know how big of a scare you gave me today. Huh, baby? Do you know the thoughts that ran through my head when I got a call from your sister all the way in Texas telling me that the love of my life was unconscious and being rushed to the hospital." He vented having a sense of worry attached to his voice.

You felt terrible. 

" Grace knows..." You started.

" Yeah, she does. I've been on the phone with her on and off most of the day. She's trying to figure out some time next week she can move around the come and see you. Says she just wants to lay eyes on you herself." He informed. 

Nodding since you knew that sounded like your sister, your mind then wandered to your friends, " Right...Does everyone else know? Did someone call Bea, Phoebs, Lana, Lexie? " You listed your girls. 

Oh they know all alright  He thought gritting his teeth a little. Part of him wishes he could go into full detail about everything that had transpired today. But he ultimately knew this wasn't the time nor the place to bring such things up when you were still in a semi-delicate state like this. 

So instead he went, " Yeah they know. They've been here and gone. Stayed awhile too all of em'. Even Santiago and Sprite were here. I told them I'd give them a update on you...and the baby.. whenever you were awake."

At the mentioned of the baby, you could sense the anxious energy radiating off of Austin that you too shared. You knew he'd had to be dying to ask you so many questions, but for your sake was suppressing those feelings to give you some peace of mind.

His hand shot out to cup and caress your face while turning it so he could get a good look at you.

You carefully leaned into his touch as your eyes watered thinking about all the grief and stress you'd caused this man by the actions you'd made. You felt terrible that you'd kept this from him but at the time your mind had been convinced that it was something to hide.

" Mama.." He started, " Why didn't you tell me? " He questioned. His eyes were pouring into yours now in search of something beyond a simple answer.

" I would've been there for you. I wanted to be there for you." He confessed.

You felt like your heart was about to jump out of your chest. The look at his face was so pure and beamed of dedication.

You could tell that he was largely hurt that you had kept this from him by the gaze of his eyes. 

" I wanted to but I was scared.." You meekly answered letting tears begin to race down your face. This was it. Your breaking point.

You couldn't hold it in anymore.

“ A-and I-m so-so." You choked out not being able to completely get the words out that were being disrupted by the sobs that came from hoarse throat.

" Shhh. It's alright honey.  I know It's okay. I got you."

Cooing at you Austin gently got up from his kneeling position to come around to your bedside and gently shift you over so he could climb in beside you and wrap you in his arms while draping the blanket over you both. Placing a tender kiss to your forehead, Austin continued holding on in efforts to calm you. He was careful to wait to feel your body relax some and breathing slow before he decided to begin softly speaking,

 " Now, Y/N I need to be honest with me and know that whatever your choice I support you. But do you wanna have this baby?" Austin bit the bullet and asked holding his breath.

Truth be told he was in love with the idea of you carrying his child, but nonetheless he was in love with you more.

So, he'd support whatever decision you wanted to make, even if it might hurt.

Sitting quiet for a moment while thinking back to all the negative things that had swirled around in your head for the last three weeks.

All the doubts and stress. Worries about how a baby would affect yours and Austin's life, worries about how'd you be as a parent, and overall worries about the experience period. 

You almost felt like you shouldn’t be doing this.

But, when you thought back to the little family at the tea shop earlier and how happy they were, and the vision you had of being even happier with Austin and your baby that way.

All the doubts, stress, and worry while still being there felt small...they felt conquerable. 

And that realization is what mustered you have the measly courage to be able to say , " Y-yes I do. I really do actually."

At the moment Austin could feel his chest fill with air again and this invisible anchor pulling his heart to the floor release.  

That was it, you were having his baby...and he couldn't be happier. 

Even, still considering that the choice affected him just as much, you quickly followed up with a question of your own, " But do you wanna have this baby? I mean I know I want to...but at the end of the day this is about both of us." You posed.

You knew Austin was finally getting the recognition for his career he deserved and he was absolutely smacked with so many projects and things. So, you didn't want this to be something that held him back or messed up the plans you'd made together. You'd talked about kids possibly sure, but those musings definitely were imagined further down the line.   

Without the slightest hesitation he answered, " Baby...I never wanted something more than to have this baby with you. " He affirmed touching his forehead with yours. " It'd be the greatest honor and joy of my life besides when I become your husband. And that's something you can count on." He declared.

You didn't hide the grin that took over your face at his assertion. 

" You mean it? " You asked knowing you shouldn't have but you couldn't help it.

You knew he was rolling his eyes, " Again for the thousandth time, woman. You know I wouldn't lie to you. Of course I mean it! With everything I am.

" Well good. I only ask because I know that your finally starting to get good projects that your invested in and you have career plans and I-" You began to ramble but he stopped you mid way

" Hey look at me. Look me right in my eyes when I say, " He began positioning so that your faces were only inches away from each other and the eye contact was undeniable, " You are pregnant with our baby. OUR BABY, honey. There will never...and I mean never ever ever ever," He emphasized " Be anything more important than you two! " He moved to rub at your stomach. 

There wasn't much to see really to the blind eye. But to Austin now since he was finally close enough to see and more importantly feel you, he noticed the slight change around your tummy and it made his heart swell. 

" I know you're scared and I understand that it's a scary journey for anyone. But I need you to know there is no one in the world I'd rather want to do this with. To carry our baby and raise them to be just as sharp, kind, and beautiful as their mama. You aren't going to be anything like your mother, you hear me? Because I know that fear is hurdling through you. " Austin held your chin making sure you looked just at him, " You are going to be an amazing mother because you're a amazing human being, babe. And I'll be here everyday God willing to remind you of that." 

" So, all the things I've said I need you to get that through our your pretty little head. My babies are my priority and you're going to be a phenomenal mother to our child. You got that? " He questioned needing to make sure he was making himself completely clear.

Body swirling with joy and to your surprise excitement all you could do was truthfully nod. 

On cue you felt a soft pinch administered to your thigh, " Y/N...Don't let this new pregnancy brain get you in trouble. Act like you still know what's what. " Austin warned with you knowing that even though he couldn't administer a punishment right now due to your condition right now, he would tuck the reminder in his pocket to bring out later. 

Shallowing a breath while squirming a little under his touch you replied, " Yes I got it, daddy." 

Smiling he tapped your thigh, " Good. Now give me some sugar before I get up to go and get you and our baby something to eat." He directed.

Not hesitating at his request you leaned in to place a kiss on your mans lips that almost took your breath away when you felt it become needier and needier at the way you both gently grabbed at each other and moved closer wanting to make up for the time lost that you could've been wrapped up with each other.

Quickly Austin had to remember that you were on the mend and needed to take it easy, so he pulled away making you huff and whine at the ghostly feeling of your lips not being on his. He just smiled at you pecking your cheek once more then whispering, " I love you. Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N and soon to be baby butler." He added and you giggled, " Forever, always, and beyond." 

Grabbing his hand to interlock with your, " And we love you Austin Robert Butler..soon to be papa butler. Forever, always and beyond." 

-

It was around midnight now and you'd long eaten the food brought in for you. Now the two of you were back together laid up in the hospital bed. One of his hands resting on your stomach while the other was interlocked with yours as you played with his fingers.

Your head was comfortably on his chest, and his on top of your head. 

You were just about to allow yourself to go back to sleep when you felt his head leave yours and reposition so he was able to stare at your face.

Opening your eyes, you playfully frowned as you looked at Austin who all of a sudden was looking back at you with a rather large cheshire cat smile like he'd had the most wonderful thought.

" What? " You yawned. " What is it, my sweet baboo? " You tiredly continued.

He still just stared until his casually spoke, " Marry me." He said taking your face into his palm. 

You giggled sleepily, " What? "

" You heard me. Marry me? " He repeated leaning in to place a soft kiss to your lips.

When he pulled back you blushed, " I'm sorry Mr. Butler but I'm pretty sure we've been over this bit before dont'cha think? " You flashed you're ringed finger to him.

He laughed, " Of course I remember one of the best days of my life. But ztill, I want us to get married. " He said. 

Still looking at him funny you went," Aus, we are getting married what are y-"                                          

" No, honey. I mean as soon as you feel better and get back into the swing of things. I want us to get married, I don- no I can't wait any longer." He expressed rubbing your ringed hand in his.

Taken a back you blinked a little in disbelief, " B- I- Austin what about all the wedding plans we'd started with Beatrice, honey. I mean when I brought eloping up you didn't want to hear really. In fact I remember you insisting we waited." You reminded him of his apprehension to the idea when you brought it up.

Your man was nothing if not traditional in many aspects when it came to your relationship, so it was no surprise to you when he gently shot down the idea and wanted to go ahead with the  'normal pace of things'.

" Yeah that was before when I thought I could be more patient and withstand the months that go into the planning and all to give you the traditional wedding you deserve. But I can't...I need you to be my wife as soon as humanly possible, mama. " He declares. " We can still have the ceremony and everything else as planned." He assured kissing your cheek. " But the sooner your wagon is hitched to mine...the better." He sighed rubbing your shoulder.

Still puzzled your mind allowed itself to wander.

" Austin..is there something in particular that made you all of sudden want to do this...like did something happen?" You mused wondering what could have prompted this idea. 

Putting his mouth in a line Austin was tempted to tell you the truth that besides the fact he was in love with you and wanted spend the rest of his days beside you, he also wanted to marry you not only because he detested the fact that today he had jump through hoops to be granted all types of permission for things pertaining to you from other people and as your husband he would be direct next of kin in all situations, but he also couldn't lie and say that Alana words didn't ring around in his head.

He's the fiancée.

Thinking back to the whole situation he could feel himself begin to get upset and he knew that you would pick up on his slightest change in his attitude. So he instead mentally took a beat.

He figured that eventually this would be a conversation later after you were home and well.

" Just..I want you to be my wife and I don't ever want anyone to be able to say different going forward." He stated. " And that's that."

Your eyebrows scrunched in confusion as you were about to question his mutli layered statement but he stopped you by placing a kiss to your lips.

" Dont....just don't." He quietly whispered rubbing your shoulder.

Searching his face yourself you could tell by the way he tensed and the glossed over look in his eyes that silently told you that he wasn't ready to go where ever the two of you needed to go...you did just need to to leave it alone...for now.

So, instead of prying you smiled , " Alright, fine Mr. Man...when are we going to the courthouse, then." You teased going to hold his face in your hands.

Smiling back so hard you'd think his cheek bones would crack, he leaned in to place a hardy kiss to lips. When he pulled back he spoke in a accent that was all too familiar to you, " You mean when are we going Viva Las Vegas, baby." 

[billys-pretty-babe]

Strong Enough to Bring Sun to the Darkest Days

Pairing : Billy Hargrove x Platonic!Fem!Reader

Warnings : mentions of depression, suicidal ideation and anxiety

Word count : 708

A/N : today has been extremely hard and i just needed an escape, this most likely won't be as good as my others but i just needed a distraction.

You hadn't seen your best friend in two weeks, you were currently holed up in your bedroom, having your mother make any unwanted guests to leave and unfortunately, that included Billy. You barely had the energy to drag yourself out of your bed to do some form of hygiene, most of the time, it was the bare minimum.

Your episodes became more frequent, more harmful to your mental health with the thoughts of wanting to go to sleep one night and not waking up the next. The first few days, you spent endless hours crying until you could no longer cry, just get the burning sensation of the tears and the burning in your nose.

At night, you felt nauseous when you were left home alone, afraid something would happen, your teeth would chatter, your hands would shake and your heart rate picked up, you thought your heart was going to explode.

Your parents left once again, both having a night job and as soon as the deadbolt locked, the anxiety settled into your belly as you bit your tongue, trying to swallow your lunch back down, deciding on skipping out on dinner. Not even an hour had passed before you heard footsteps in front of your window.

You tried to be rational, trying to tell yourself it was just a stray animal until someone's knuckles hit the window quickly, three taps. You tried to smile, you knew exactly who it was, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do it. You got up, your body aching from being in your bed, your bed having an indent in the shape of your body.

You pulled the black curtains back and there he was. Billy smiled, wiggling his fingers as he pointed at your latch, wanting you to unlock your window. He unlocked it and peeled the window up, listening to it creak from not being used for fourteen days. Billy ducked under the window, letting himself into your bedroom before you quickly shut the window, latching it and closing your curtains.

"What're you doing here," you asked as you made your way back to your bed, laying in your crater, the mattress hugging your body, trying to provide you comfort. Billy looked at you, tossing his leather wallet onto your bedside table, moving you over so he could sit beside you. "Why are you shutting me out?" You shrugged, you couldn't tell him you were getting bad again, he had helped you so much.

He reached for you, not wanting to overstep any boundaries by grabbing you. You reached out as well, grabbing his slightly calloused hand. "I'm getting bad again," you said quietly and he nodded, nudging your body over so he could lay beside you. "I know," he said just as quietly. "I wanted to give you some time but I was getting worried, but I haven't seen you in two weeks. They usually only last a couple days." You nodded, "They've been back to back." He nodded once more.

He squeezed your hand tightly so you'd pay attention to him, "I love you and I'm here if you ever need me. You can come to me whenever you need something or someone, okay?" You nodded, moving closer to him as you placed your head on his shoulder. "I love you too, B." He smiled, pressing a kiss to your forehead, and you smiled as you felt his smile.

"Can you stay the night?" He nodded as he moved his head to one of your pillows. "Already got a change of clothes in the car, sweetheart." You nodded. "Thank you for everything." He smiled, "You don't need to thank me. I'll do anything for you, you know that." You nodded, twisting the silver ring on his finger.

"Scoot, my ass is hanging over the bed." You laughed and moved for him as he moved so he was on the bed. "Go to sleep." You nodded, knowing how much sleep you'd been getting lately. "Love you." He smiled, "Love you too, sweetheart." He pressed a kiss to your forehead once more before holding you tightly, gently pressing your ear to his chest, where his heart would be.

One finger traced your features softly, lulling you to sleep.

[thispatternismine]

ATLA live action impressions part 2

Following on from last night's post, here are my impressions of eps 5-8

Still really loved it. Gonna be tarred & feathered for this but I actually like it better than the animated show

Highlights:

Ozai giving Zuko credit for finding the Avatar. There's this weird idea in the fandom that Ozai never intended to take Zuko back. Even though we saw him do exactly that at the beginning of Book 3. Yes he set an impossible task, but when Zuko (apparently) achieved it, he was like 'ok yeah cool - you have met my standards'. Sure, there's no way Zuko would have continued to meet those standards if he'd stuck around, but Ozai did actually keep his word. The fact that he does it to make sure Azula knows she's overstepped & remind her she's replaceable, is an especially nice touch

Getting to see how Azula is treated by her father. I've seen way too many people try to claim Azula was never abused because she wasn't literally set on fire like he was. Never mind that she avoided that fate only because she was able to meet his standards. And having to constantly strive to meet the standards set by someone who thinks 'find a guy who's been missing for a century' is a suitable task to set his kid is abuse.

Another annoying tendency of the fandom is to flanderise Ozai into some diabolical caricature who spends all his time thinking up new ways to torment poor Zuzu, so having that scene of him banishing Zuko was a nice touch. He genuinely believes he is being a good dad & raising his kid to be strong (note: This isn't me saying Ozai is right - I'm saying he thinks he's right.)

The 41st Division 😭

Iroh & Ozai interacting with each other

Gyatso!

I spy some female soldiers! A problem with the animated show was that it's all well & good deciding that the Fire Nation has female soldiers, but bias is a thing & 99.9% of the time if you ask someone to draw a soldier it'll be a man. Yeah sure they all stayed to guard the Fire Nation that's why we didn't see any till Book 3 suuure

"Anything you need." "It has to do with Koh." "Anything but that." DYING

Aang's whole speech to Zuko about how helpful his notebook was (let's be real Iroh probably sighed & told him it was a waste of time so this was the first time he heard 'Hey good job on the Avatar research!') & the way they bonded before he unwittingly set Zuko off

"Quit it before they think there's something wrong with you. More than there already is."

"The Firelord deems your performance... below average." OOF. Pretty sure that's the worst thing you can possibly say to Azula. She'd much rather be told she sucked outright than just 'meh'

Waterbender Yue

Non-arsehole Hahn

Using Kuruk lore from the Kyoshi books!

I like the changes to the NWT siege. Having the spirits' mortality be an occasional, temporary thing to gain an appreciation of life that occurs during a full moon when the powers of those who will protect them in that state are at their peak, makes more sense than permanent vulnerability that relies on nobody finding out. Also never made sense that a naval officer was stationed in a fucking desert & was able to just take time off to go through a spirit library, so having Zhao find his info from the Fire Sages works better IMO. I do hope we'll still get the spirit library though

Ozai's lil eyetwitch when Azula backtalked him like if you agree

Haven't mentioned yet but I love the costumes in this

Also never mentioned Momo, the Real Hero of ATLA

Sokka continues to be awesome

Lowlights:

June calling Iroh cute & fawning over him. Normally I'd think it's unfair for the live action version of a character to be held accountable for what the animated version did, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Like og!Iroh's groping of June being treated like a joke has been called out many times so they fucking had to know what they were doing

Why isn't Azula's fire blue? We got like 1 second of it & that's it. Maybe consistent blue flames are a power up she'll obtain later idk

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Anyway, first scene of that Jack/OFC I may do something with.

The first time Jack meets Ava, it's for official reasons. 

"Major Kidd, Nurse Mathers is here for your one o'clock," Jack's secretary says through the intercom. 

Jack stands and pulls his jacket smooth. He leans over and presses the response button. "Send her in," he says. He walks around his desk so he can greet her by the visitor chair. He has no idea why this particular nurse has asked to see him, but if there's one thing he feels confident about as he figures out how the fuck to be Air Exec, it's that he knows the rules for greeting someone in an office. You don't sit behind your desk unless you're trying to send a message, and Jack has no message to send. 

The door opens. Nurse Mathers thanks Jack's secretary–Clea–and then walks into the office with sharp posture and a serious look on her face. 

"Nurse Mathers," Jack says, holding out his hand. "Major Jack Kidd."

"Major," she replies and shakes his hand with a solid grip and a polite smile. "Thank you for fitting me into your schedule."

She's got a twang that reminds Jack of Lemmons. "Would you care to sit?" he asks, gesturing to the visitor chair and the couch instead of mentioning it. It's not a conversation for whatever this meeting is. It was written into Jack's calendar in Clea's hand when he came in this morning, and when he'd asked, Clea had simply said Nurse Mathers said it was a minor health issue with the men in the field hospital.

"No thank you," she says. "I won't take much of your time."

Jack takes a step back so there's a polite distance between them. He tucks his hands behind his back "What can I do for you, Nurse Mathers?"

She puts her hands on her hips and breathes out hard through her nose. She glances at his office door, then meets his eyes. "Frankly, Major, I need you to give the injured men a brief pep talk about not masturbating during my nurses's rounds."

Jack closes his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry?" he asks, opening his eyes.

"Masturbating," Nurse Mathers repeats. She's meeting his gaze directly and doesn't look uncomfortable about it. "Forgive my bluntness, Major, but it's the medical term. I prefer to let it exist without comment, but my nurses keep trying to do their jobs and walk up to beds to discover–"

"You don't need to repeat it," Jack says. 

Nurse Mathers huffs a laugh. "I wasn't planning to," she says. "You're about as pink as a dogwood blossom."

"Well, I'm only a Major, not a nurse. I don't know the medical terms for…that."

Nurse Mathers grins, and it's got a warm, open quality that Jack likes. The kind of smile that is clearly inviting you to join in, not mocking you. He smiles in return, though he knows his is smaller. 

"I'm having my girls put up a schedule between the bunks," Nurse Mathers says. "It just tells them when the shift change and rounds occur. I don't plan to say anything directly to them about why they're there. But I think if you or your CO could make a pointed but subtle speech about not making my girls's jobs har–more difficult, that would be helpful."

"If I don't make the speech myself, I'll make sure the person who gives it will be listened to," Jack offers. 

Nurse Mathers nods. "Good. Thank you." She drops her hands from her hips, and Jack is suddenly aware that she's smaller than he'd thought. Noticeably shorter than him and boyish in frame. She has a great deal of hair, rolled into thick victory rolls, and her uniform is slightly too large in the way that Jack recognizes from his own boys. When one's not quite a small but not quite a medium and hasn't had the time to get things tailored yet. 

"Shouldn't your head nurse be speaking to me?" Jack asks as his brain fills in all the rules of working with the Red Cross nurses. One of several new things he's learning as Air Exec.

"Nurse Green gives shift leads a long string," she says. "I left a note on her desk that I would be speaking to you. If I've overstepped, she'll tell me, and I won't bother you again."

"Well, whatever she says, I hope you don't have to bother me for this particular issue a second time," Jack replies.

Nurse Mathers gives him another smile, as open and welcoming as the first one. He feels himself giving a larger smile than his own first try back. "If the conversation needs to happen again, it will only come through Nurse Green," she replies. She straightens her shoulders and schools her face into a polite mask. "Do you have any questions, Major?" she asks. 

Jack thinks for a moment. He realizes he does have one question, but it's not appropriate. At least not as a direct question. "Do they need more books or stationery?" he asks because it seems like the most polite way to ask <em>why are they jerking off so much</em>. 

"We have everything they need to keep themselves entertained in several ways," Nurse Mathers says, and her polite mask cracks on the left side of her mouth where the tiniest smile breaks through. "But young and active people having to stay mostly still will get bored no matter how many quiet and sit-still activities you can give them."

"I see," Jack says, and he knows his complexion is giving away his blush again, but Nurse Mathers doesn't look away from his eyes. "Thank you," he says. "No more questions."

"Thank you for your time, Major," Nurse Mathers says. 

"You're welcome, Nurse Mathers," Jack replies and walks her to the door so he can open it as politeness dictates. 

Once he closes it behind her, he stares at his hand on the knob, and then thinks <em>knob</em>, and then he presses his free hand to his mouth to muffle his laugh. 

Of all the "health issues" to set a meeting for, he thinks, and he has to walk to his couch and press a pillow to his face to make sure his laugh doesn't carry.

[macravishedbymactavish]

Checkmate (David "Hesh" Walker x GN! Reader)

TW: Traumatized Hesh, mentions of Canon Ghosts ending. Maybe if the mood strikes I'll make this a series. It's been sitting in my drafts forever.

| Blog HQ |

"I only run when being chased" he replied smoothly, giving you a boyish smirk. Face slowly falling when your expression didn't change. Remaining serious.

"Then who's chasing you?" You asked in a soft tone, watching as the gears behind his eyes started to move. Trying desperately to brush this off with humor, but realizing:

Shit, you have a point.

"Right now, you and the staring" he chuckled dryly. Eyes looking everywhere but at you. The question made him uncomfortable, nervous, vulnerable.

"You play a lot of things off as jokes. Like nothing truly bothers you -- I don't think that's true though. You don't either" you reached forward, grabbing your drink to take a sip. "It's safe here. You can open up"

"If I open up anymore, I'll break my spine" you resisted rolling your eyes at the metaphor. "I'm an open book. Ask me anything" he challenged.

"What happened on the train?" May as well aim for the throat. "Why did you decide on the checkmate plan?" You watched as he clenched his jaw momentarily. Letting a long breath out through his nose, finally looking you in the eye before he spoke. Eyes begging for understanding.

Understanding that he tried. He's trying.

"You know exactly why. Everyone knows why. It's what had to be done. Ask Merrick, he'll agree" The walls were slowly being built back up, he was closing off again.

"What would have happened if you didn't?" This session felt like a chess match. Except he was the only one playing. Planning every move 5 steps before he needed to make it, planning how to retreat, to attack, to divert attention. Right now, he was using his silence as a defense. Waiting for you to continue before confirming his next move.

"David.." You sighed, leaning forward. "This isn't an interrogation, if it was they wouldn't have sent me. Your dad, brother, friends all want you to be okay. That's why I'm here. But I need more information before I can do much".

His eyes pleaded for you to understand he was trying.

Your eyes pleading for him to see you were doing the same.

"It's selfish. If I let him go, he would've kept hunting us. If I let him go, dad would never be avenged. Rorke would have never paid for what he did if I didn't make the call!" He slammed his hands on the table between you two. Expression immediately filling with remorse.

You watched as his face became an open window for the internal debate he was waging. Trying to differentiate what was reality and what wasn't. His mind and surroundings providing different feedback.

"I made the hard call to avenge my family. I know I fucked up and I have to live with that daily. My dad's dead, my brother is gone. I have nobody left." His voice broke as he leaned back, hands shaking as he fell deeper into that rabbit hole.

"Hesh, look at me" you requested, watching as his eyes cast down toward you. Posture still leaned back into his chair. Knowing he was now looking at his friend, not the psych personnel. "You're safe here. You're safe with me".

They're not gone. You saw them yesterday. You desperately wanted to affirm; but you knew that would be overstepping boundaries. Not that accepting your friends case wasn't overstepping. Your neck was on every line, every chopping block, under more risk for scrutiny because of this. Your heart ached day after day working on this; but how do you say no when

A) Resources and personnel are limited

B) Said friends father all but begged you to take this.

"There's a side of him that seems to be reserved for when you're around. He knows you, he trusts you. I'm not sure if I'd trust anyone else with this." Elias explained, sitting across the desk from you. The clinical piece of your mind wondered how much sleep he's gotten since that day. The personal piece knowing next to none, and it's rude to ask.

"You know there's policies, rules and ethics against this." Your heart broke saying the words "I can refer you to a colleague here who'd do fantastic on the case. I'm happy to overlook from an arms length away, but I really shouldn't be the one taking on his case"

"I understand that, but please. If anyone can get him out on the other side. It's going to be you."

How do you say no to that? You've known the Walkers for majority of your adult life. You've grown close to the trio. And if nothing else, Hesh did save your ass. You owe him at least this.

"Thank you" Hesh whispered, reaching his hand out to lay it atop of yours. Holding back a soft sigh, you decided enough was enough for today.

"Anytime. If it's not asking too much, can I give you some homework? Something to occupy your mind while you're cooped up in here" you vaugley gestured to the area around you. An office within a ward. You gave a small smile when he agreed, pulling an old, blank notebook from your bag.

"They won't let you have pens or anything in your room" you cursed yourself for the oversight, making a mental note to speak with the staff later. "When you can though, write out exactly what happened? Even point form. Help give me a full understanding of what happened, why it happened" you explained, handing the book over to him.

--

"How'd it go?" Logan jogged up behind you in the hall later that day, hope radiating off him in waves. It crushed him when he was advised against visiting his brother, especially right now.

"Confidentiality, Lo" you teased lightly "but we have a long way to go. We all knew that" you shrugged.

Hopefully this path leads to some resolution, clarity and forgiveness.

"Is the reason I can't go visit him confidential too?" Coming from anyone else - you may have found offense in the statement. A bite of sarcasm and resentment. Not with Logan - his intentions were clear:

He just wanted his brother back.

"Until we fully figure out what's going on in his head, and how to make positive progress we can't let you guys see him. He's still adamant that you're dead." You gave the youngest Walker a sympathetic look; knowing how close the two were before all this. He nodded, as much as he hated it he also understood.

"My arm is healing pretty well. All things considering" he smiled, pushing the sling off his body to show you. "Doc said I should be able to lose this thing in the next week or so"

You fell into easy conversation with Logan, both of you pretending like your hearts weren't chipping bit by bit. Listening to him give you updates on his broken arm, the movie he convinced Keegan to watch the other night. You told him about the latest recipe you tried for supper, and what you were planning for your coworkers birthday.

Anything to avoid what you both really wanted to talk about.

Taglist: @bloodonmyhands-1221 @bowtruckleninja @v1naco @ai-luni

[kay-wren]

I'll Come Running - R.C. - Chapter 15

Rafe and Jessie drove back to the mansion after their less than stellar evening. The food was great, the company not so much. Rafe had his hand on Jessie's thigh the whole way back to the house, Jessie couldn't think straight because of it. Not a word was said on the way back, yet the message was clear.

"Stay there." Rafe demanded when the car came to stop at the steps she had walked up by herself just hours ago. He exited on his side and Jessie caught a glimpse of him unbuttoning his blazer as he walked around to her side only to open her door. Smooth move, Mr. Cameron Jessie thought, but she wasn't falling for it. Rafe didn't say a word, only looking at his wife with a clenched jaw and sharp eyes as he held the door for her and held his hand out for her to take, to which she hesitantly obliged. 

Rafe walked Jessie up the marble steps, every step seeming heavier than the last as Jessie's mind raced trying to determine what was happening next. Still, no words from Rafe, only him opening one of the double wooden doors to let Jessie in the main entryway. Jessie heard the heavy door creak to an ominous close behind her. 

"I'll let you go change into some more comfortable clothes, I'm going to do the same myself. Meet me in the living room." Rafe said rather pleasantly for a change. He didn't sound intimidating or condescending, almost kind of sweet to Jessie. What really were his plans for the rest of the night?

Jessie went quickly up to her room, only having one thing on her mind: calling JJ back.

She put him on speaker phone as she frantically changed out of her dress.

"Hello?" She heard JJ, he sounded less than thrilled.

"JJ! Hey, look, I'm really sorry about earlier, I didn't mean anything that I said, I was just stressed and nervous and- anyways, I've gotta get back down there with Rafe but I need you guys to be sure you're listening to these conversations. I don't know what Rafe is trying to pull but-"

"We've got you, Jess." JJ said assuredly through a clear sigh. That was all the assurance she needed to know that JJ really had forgiven and forgotten earlier. The pogues always had her back.

She sighed. "Thank you, I love you." And with that, she hung up.

Jessie looked in the mirror, observing her plaid pajama shorts and her oversized white t-shirt. She wondered what Rafe was up to. What did he mean by his words at dinner? She hoped he wasn't going to overstep, because she sure wasn't going to go down without a fight. She was his wife by legal document only. She tiptoed down the stairs to catch a glimpse of Rafe in the kitchen looking in the fridge.

"You can come all the way down here, no need to spy on me, Jess." Rafe explained, not once looking away from the fridge. He knew she was there the whole time. He knew his Jessie. She did the walk of shame into the large white kitchen, with only warm stove light to illuminate it. Rafe slid her a long, skinny aluminum can— a high noon, her favorite.

"You remembered." Jessie smiled.

"Yeah, well, you're my wife so." Rafe smiled back knowingly.

She melted into the thought of him still paying so much attention to her. She tried to snap herself out of those butterflies but she couldn't, much like four years ago. Damn it.

"Thanks but I'm not drinking." She replied as she slid the can back to him. He caught it.

"Sure you aren't." Rafe sassed, taking one drink in each hand and walking towards the living room. She followed suit. She plopped herself down on the large white couch and watched as Rafe set the cans in front of them. 

"It's unopened. I'm not going to poison you." He said with a flirty tone. Jessie just laughed, he could see right through her sometimes. She finally took it off the coffee table and cracked it open. As she did so, she watched Rafe fiddle with something on his phone, she heard the Bluetooth connect with what were apparently speakers all throughout the house. Surround sound. That was a new one for Jessie.

All of a sudden she heard a song play through the speakers.

"John met me down on the boulevard, cried on his shoulder cuz life was hard."

Jessie couldn't help but smile, he remembered that too. No words were said, yet they both understood. Rafe walked over to Jessie and took her hand the same way he did that midsummers night, sneaking his other hand around her waist as he waltzed her through the living room.

"Jess," he began. "Putting aside every reason that I have to be upset with you, I really do just want to get to know you again. I've missed you." Rafe said sincerely. She could tell he meant what he said, she secretly wanted to know the same about him. She still couldn't give in.

"I can't." Jessie pleaded.

"Why not?" Rafe whined.

"I've got my new life to protect. I left years ago because I didn't want you to find me Rafe." She whispered as she moved her arms to wrap around his neck. His arms followed suit wrapping around her waist.

"Why are you so afraid I'll find you?" He asked annoyed but still softly to not turn her off to the conversation.

"You remember our very last conversation?" Jessie asked.

Of course he did. How he left things was his biggest regret in life. That's part of the reason he delved deeper into drugs after Jessie left, he couldn't stand himself. Using was the only way he felt a little less like crawling out of his own skin.

He just nodded with shame as he played with the skin of his lips between his teeth. He sniffled.

"Can we talk about something a little lighter?" Rafe petitioned. "Like, maybe that first night we started dating?" He began to chuckle. "I remember, I was so out of it that you wouldn't let me go home. You knew my dad would kill me." He said through laughter.

"Of course he would've killed you. You ran away with your forbidden love and then got drunk, high, and coked out." She laughed with him.

"Yeah so you snuck me into the Chateau and we slept there. I remember the pogues were pissed when they found you and me sleeping in bed that next morning." Rafe stated with a wide smile.

"Especially John B after I let you borrow some of his clothes." Jessie proceeded.

"Oh my gosh, and you remember the look on JJ's face when he woke us up and I was shirtless?"

"Ugh, I just knew he was about to puke." Jessie answered with happy tears in her eyes.

"This is how to disappear, This is how to... disappear."

They both sat in comfortable silence listening intently to that particular lyric.

"I loved disappearing with you." Rafe commented in a much more serious tone this time. "I've missed disappearing with you." He whispered.

"It is what we were best at." Jessie hinted with a soft smile.

They both were immediately taken back to all the nights that summer they had sneaked into and out of each other's rooms just about every night. They couldn't stand to sleep without each other.

"It's a wonder we never got caught." Jessie said.

"Well not by anyone that mattered anyway. Sarah caught us that one time but she loved you so." Rafe trailed off. Jessie just looked down at her feet, remembering it all too well.

The song ended and with that so did their slow dance. Rafe guided Jessie to the large, plush, white couch filled with the biggest pillows imaginable. The couch was a dream that Jessie sunk right into. They continued to drink their high noons as they reminisced on their glory days.

- - -

A few stories (or twenty) later and Rafe suddenly went quiet as he played with the top of his aluminum can, flicking the tap with his fingers. Jessie could tell he was thinking. She could always tell when he was thinking a little too hard.

"What're you thinking about?" Jessie questioned as she booped his nose, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. Rafe simply looked up and clinched his jaw out of... anger? Jessie wondered who he was angry with.

"Just can't help but think about all the times I treated you badly." Rafe looked back down in shame, as if he couldn't bring himself to look Jessie in the eyes as the memories flooded in. "All the times I... let the drugs take over." His voice cracked and he looked up at Jessie with a tear rolling down his face.

Once Rafe caught a hold of the drugs Jessie had been encouraging him to use it was all down hill from there. Sure, they had good days and bad days, like any couple, but Rafe's troubles grew more serious as he craved coke more and more each day. What began as a way to take the edge off of an argument with his dad quickly became a vice to help him cope with every little inconvenience. Soon it became a continuous state of existence for Rafe, as he felt like he couldn't get through any day without a hit. Then the excuses started to roll in, Rafe was always at Barry's, ditching romantic dates for ragers where he could sell cocaine, and always finding a reason to use again. This was always the difference between him and Jessie. Jessie knew when to stop, she only used when she had to.

Despite the painful memories of all the times Rafe put the drugs before their relationship, Jessie wiped the tear from Rafe's face. She knew Rafe better than anyone in this world, and she could tell he truly did not want to become the man he did. She still feels responsible for that.

"Yeah, I remember it Rafe." Jessie responded softly. "But I also remember every time you protected me by any means necessary... like that night with Luke..." She assured him.

That took her to the night that Rafe proved his love for her like she had never seen before.

***

Rafe was pulling up to Jessie's house late one summer evening to sneak into her bed. He pulled up on his motorbike to hear yells from who he assumed to be Luke. He also heard screams from Jessie as well. Not sparing any time, he ran right to the front door, not caring if Luke saw him.

"You worthless piece of shit!" Luke yelled.

Before he could make it halfway up the drive he watched Jessie's body fly through the old screen door of that house and hit the hard ground beneath her. The memory still played in slow motion in Rafe's head to this day. The wind was clearly knocked out of her as she rolled around.

"You're gonna get me some more damn drugs!" Luke yelled as he ran out to Jessie and kicked her in her side, not helping her breathing situation. Luke reached down, and grabbed Jessie by the collar of her shirt and started punching her in the face repeatedly. Luckily he only got a few licks in before Rafe tackled Luke to the ground. Jessie could only roll around on the ground almost lifeless as she spit out blood and gasped for air.

Rafe handled it, he was filled with so much rage he could've taken out a million more Lukes. He punched Luke in the face again and again and again until he was almost unconscious. However, he stopped before he beat him to a pulp so Luke could hear what Rafe had to say. Rafe grabbed him by the neck and brought his bloody face close to his.

"You better hope I kill you, " Rafe breathed heavily still on top of Luke and choking him out. "Because if you live through this there will not be a place for you to hide that I won't find you. If I catch you around my Jessie again, you won't have enough fingers to plug all the holes in you." Rafe fumed as he landed a few more blows to hopefully kill the man, but he at least left him unconscious for who knows how long.

Rafe immediately went over to Jessie and picked her up off the ground.

"Hey baby, hey, hey, hey," Rafe begged as he held her limp body in his arms. He could see her right eye was already swollen shut and her lips were bleeding. He had to get her some help right away, but he only had his bike. He called Sarah.

Rafe couldn't help but let out a few sobs as he held Jessie's face in his hands. How could someone do this to her? He wondered what could've happened to provoke her dad to beat his own daughter to a pulp. Rafe just continued to whisper to Jessie sweet nothings to get her to stay with him.

What felt to Rafe like hours later, Sarah showed up with Topper in his jeep.

"Rafe?!" Sarah screamed across the yard as both her and Topper ran towards him.

"What the hell man?!" Topper yelled. "Why were you even on this side of the is-"

"Topper not now!" Sarah exclaimed. She knew exactly why Rafe was there, and thank god he was. Sarah dismissed Topper's questions as Rafe carried Jessie to the car. Rafe knew exactly where they needed to go.

[viilpstick]

Anyways!!! Here's the very very beginning of the event, it's not the event itself it's more of a prologue, and like I said I'll formally post it later once I have stuff figured out (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ enjoy!

Tagging @justm3di0cr3 too!!

•••

“Uhm… I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, Isabelle but…” Poppy began, using her spoon to mix the sugar in her tea, staring at it nervously. “You seem a bit… off today.”

“Off?” Isabelle repeated, lifting her eyebrow.

“I must agree.” Adeline explained. “You’ve been sighing and frowning more than usual. Don't tell me…” the blonde gave her a knowing look and Isabelle rolled her eyes. 

“No, it doesn't involve Leona. Different from what you believe, Delih, my world doesn't revolve around him.” Adeline pouted and Poppy let out a small giggle. Isabelle sighed. “I must return to my kingdom this friday and start preparations for the ball.”

“Ball?”

“Ah, you must be referring to the Rose Ball.” The blonde said, a happy smile on her face as Isabelle nodded, but Poppy just continued confused. Adeline chuckled. “In Roseneuve, that is, our housewarden’s kingdom, there's a ball held once every 10 years to celebrate the end of the curse of The Cursed Beast and the bravery of The Fearless Princess for breaking said curse.”

“Wait, our Fearless Princess?” 

“Indeed. My kingdom is where the story of the wonderful princess our dorm is based on originates from.” Isabelle continued and Poppy grinned, a little 'oh!' escaping her lips, making the older one smile from such reaction. Still, Poppy tilted her head in confusion.

“Wait… but why are you upset, Isabelle? Isn't it an honor to prepare for this event? I’d be over the moon!” 

“Well… it should be but… let's just say my considerate older sisters decided to throw all the responsibility onto me this year.” Isabelle clicked her tongue in annoyance. “They're exactly 7 and 10 years older than me, yet they fail to have basic decency… I'm the youngest one yet I'm expected to take care of such an important date…!” Isabelle breathed in and out, trying to calm her nerves and sipped her tea. “Well, it's not like complaining will change anything, so nevermind all that.”

“That's a shame… I wish I could help you in any way.”

“Me too, but unfortunately said ball is destined only to royals and nobility.” Adeline said, sipping in her own tea and Isabelle groaned, hand on her forehead.

“Do not remind me… to think I have to deal with such people…” she complained, but then lifted her eyes to Adeline, her eyes shining in delight as an idea popped in her head. “Wait– that's it! Adeline, Poppy you two are geniuses!”

The two girls looked at each other and then to their housewarden, tilting their heads almost at the same time, creating a comic image. “We are?”

“Papa always insists that in every ball if I want to bring friends over, I can! Exceptions can always be made for the Desrosiers’ acquaintances!” Isabelle clapped her hands in excitement. They didn't need to know that her father only said this to encourage Isabelle to make more friends, and they definitely didn't need to know that it failed hundreds of times. “I must call papa immediately– oh, that is, if you two want to come with.”

“I’d be delighted!” Poppy cheered and Adeline seemed to think it through, an anxious expression on her face.

“Delih? What is it, would you not like to come?”

“No, no– well, it's just…” she looked between the girls and sighed, letting cautious out the window. She could always use her Unique Magic to flee if someone happened to figure out her real status. “I suppose it would be fun.”

“That's wonderful! Oh, girls you two are the best.” Isabelle quickly got up and kissed both of her friends’ faces, running away to her room and letting most of her tea untouched. Poppy sighed dreamily.

“A ball, a royal ball at that! I wonder what Epel’s gonna say once I tell him!”

“Yes, I wonder…” Adeline mumbled, half of her hoping Malleus wasn't invited this year, and another one hoping he did.

ADELINE USING HER UM TO RUN AWAY IS SO REAL LIKE- "Oh, aren't you the princess of-" WOOSH!

she was there than she is no longer there

mah istg i am SO EXITED to see what you are up too LKJAKAJKLJ

giggling as i will anxiously wait for the rest frfr

[chibipsycho-v3]

Hello Hello! It's me again!

Heehoo request time/lh

I'm feelin' very hurt/comfort cause anxiety is being a bitch like always. Same peeps from before btw!

Basically, just some general anxiety comfort will do. Whether that's headcanons or a oneshot or both like last time is up to you. But I would like to add a personal tidbit if that's fine.

How they would comfort their partner who's ashamed of how they feel.

I'm sorry if that's a bit too personal or if it's just oversharing in general, I just could use some comfort about that, y'know? Totally up to you if you want to answer this request or not friend.

Have a good rest of your day/night!

*hands together* I am sorry that this took so long to get to you I won't bore you with my RL But I wanted to get these just right before I posted them. I did these in a headcanon style this time, it was the format that flowed- for some reason?

Anyway I hope you feel better, friend. I have some similar struggles from time to time and while I can't rightfully say I know your pain, I feel for you and with you. So we can all sit here and get some comfort from some nice 'bots~

P03 comforting a partner who is ashamed with how they feel

Something is bothering you, P03 can tell. He's not very perceptive with mood changes in others, but he's been around you long enough to recognize it.

At first, he doesn't say anything. He figures if you wanted to talk about it, you would. He does soften his words around you, though.

P03 finally can't take it and he pulls you aside to ask you what the problem is. If someone's bothering you or something, he'd have a few choice words with-!

In the quiet of the backroom, away from prying eyes, you tell him. But once you tell him what's bothering you, his face can't quite settle between sad and upset.

He doesn't say anything quite yet, but- if you were okay with it- he would pull you close and hold you against himself.

He tries to come up with words, but- Oh, he's terrible at this. But you're not feeling good and he's gonna try his damnedest to relieve that feeling.

So P03 tries to offer the words he needed in the past. That he can see you're not feeling good. That you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. That he's proud of your efforts. It may take him a minute (this poor 'bot is awful at discussing emotions, especially his own) but he may even tell you a little about his past to show you're not alone.

Once you've calmed down a bit, he turns his attention to the factory- and calls an early shutdown for the day. His workers are understandably confused, but he tells them not to question it.

He's not going to just comfort and run, he's gonna stick close to you for the rest of the day.

You want to talk more about your problems? He's listening. You want to discuss something else? He's got plenty of subjects and things to distract you with. You want to cuddle? He'll find a blanket for you both. If you want something to eat or drink, he refuses to let you do it yourself and brings it to you.

He wouldn't put this effort out for just anyone, and if pressed by someone he'd deny he did it, but P03 does care about you.

"I don't want you to feel ashamed. I am proud of who you are. Tell that to the thoughts that are trying to scramble you up."

The Archivist comforting a partner who is ashamed with how they feel

The Archivist can tell your mood is off the moment that your demeanor changes. She says nothing in front of others, but as soon as the two of you are alone, she'd ask if you were feeling alright. She wants to give you a chance to talk on your own if you wish to.

If you do tell her what's bothering you, she gives you a look not of pity, but of sympathy. She'd offer a hug if you'd like it, and she squeezes your shoulders gently.

All of her files are set to the side for you. She wants you to feel better, but she doesn't want to overstep a boundary.

But first, your comfort is her priority. That file the Archivist built on you tells her all she needs to help you out. She'll get your favorite drink in your favorite spot with possibly even a playlist of some soothing music to help you de-stress. Any other comforts you need are easy enough for her to get her claw on.

If you need a distraction from your problem, she has no end to interesting subjects the two of you could talk about or things she could show you to take your mind off of things.

She doesn't want to goad you into telling her anything, but she insists that you can tell her anything; she's a really good listener, after all. If you want to be left in solitude, she'll let you calm down by yourself if that's what you need.

But if you want to talk, she's there to listen. The Archivist loves to listen to you, though to hear the hurt and shame in your words, see it in your face… It tugs at something in her circuits.

She'd do anything to make you feel differently, but of course it's never as simple as that. So she tries to understand your position. She might ask gentle questions about why you might feel this way or what she could do to help- but if those questions upset you, she would immediately backtrack.

Your state of mind is her top concern and she tries her best to be attentive and understand.

"You're my sweet partner, and nothing could ever make me ashamed of you. I wish I could change things for you… But I can stand by you through your troubles. Always."

[clericofshadows]

I've been thinking about learning how to use the Private Message Terminal LE1 mod for my own personal use by adding messages from Zaeed to Regis after various missions... I've written a few for fun so far :)

Post Spectre Annoucement:

Regis,

So, you're now a goddamn Spectre, huh. Does it give you any sweet perks you're willing to abuse? I heard they have their own line of Widows that's a step above the stuff us plebs have to... obtain through various methods, if you catch my drift.

Good luck out there. Hope you and Kaidan are doing well out in the black. Hey... with that Spectre status... you aren't technically just Alliance, so they won't be able to do a goddamn thing about it if you decide to go public.

Tell him I said hi.

-ZM

Post Feros:

What the bloody hell...

Back on Omega you were telling me all about your stint as an instructor, and now you're dealing with fucking ancient alien beings and mind control thralls... next time you're on the Citadel I'll wire you some credits so you can buy yourselves a goddamn drink. Fucking hell.

Kaidan was telling me all about the damn Thorian. Think he was about to have as dirty of a mouth as you when talking about exterminating that thing. I guess his limit is horrors beyond our comprehension.

I definitely don't get paid enough for that shit.

-ZM

Post Noveria:

Again?

Really, Regis? You just got done telling me about a fucking thorian, and now you've brought the rachni back to the galaxy?

Hope you know what you're doing, but you have a bleeding heart underneath that asshole exterior.

Don't mean I won't be swearing your name if you've doomed us all.

I'm joking. Mostly. Fucking rachni. What kind of circus are you running up there?

I want to be there for the next run.

-Zaeed

Post Virmire:

Idiot.

Yes, you're a fucking idiot. A goddamn, self-sacrificing, son of a bitch. But it's just like you to give a middle finger to a no-win scenario. I'll need to meet that Williams one day. She must be a good one if you were that determined to nearly get yourself killed to save both her and your boyfriend.

I hope the brass isn't giving you hell for what you did. Kaidan was telling me about what was lost. Stay safe and stop giving me more grey hairs than I already have.

Oh, and I told Kaidan to keep you in the doghouse. Let me know if I'm overstepping...

-Z

Post Therum:

Standing your ground.

After all that's happened, you still had to go after that matriarch's daughter? I won't be forgetting that rant you gave me. Thought you reserved that kind of tone for your worst enemies.

In any case, melding ain't no joke. Done it a couple of times and it doesn't just change you, it changes them. And you're one hell of a man, Regis, with a lot going on up there.

If you need some more resources, I can lend you some annotated maps I have around here somewhere. It's got all kinds of shit I've gathered from different nav points over the years.

Don't let up.

-Z

Extras I haven't decided on where they will go:

Chances

To think that it could have just been easily you activating the beacon and Kaidan saving your ass... you think he would've gotten the fancy new title instead of you?

Nah, I'm just playing. Be careful out there. Happy to hear you two were on the same ship, and now I'm worried about you.

And don't keep all that shit bottled up in your head. I'll lend an ear if you don't want to bug Kaidan.

-ZM

----

I don't get the brass. They sent you on a diplomatic mission disguised as an assassination, and they were shocked that you actually killed the motherfucker?

Eh, I know one or two of them in the higher ups. Chances are, they are as fucking happy about it as you are but have to be nice about it. Kaidan called me up and said this would've been the perfect mission for me.

I'll look into him and see if there's anything that might interest you and your command.

-Zaeed

----

Small galaxy.

Been a while since I've worked with Urdnot Wrex. Interesting to hear that he's joined up with your crew.

Not a bad guy. Has some decent morals. Does shoot first and maybe asks questions later. And I know that's not your damn style, so be careful with that.

A quarian, a krogan, your boyfriend... and that marine you and Kaidan both keep singing the praises of. Sounds like a good crew.

Hope they have your back.

-Z