#campbell eliot fanfiction

[purestxblood]

BORN TO DIE ▷ Campbell Eliot (chapter sixteen)

╔                                                             ╗  you think he took me?  you think i knew not what i did  when i laughed and placed those  crimson seeds upon my tongue? ╚                                                            ╝

I don’t normally share my fan fictions here on Tumblr, sticking solely to Wattpad and leaving one-shots for here. However, I’ve seen a lot of people asking for Campbell one-shots and The Society smut. LOL So I wanted to share a chapter on here. 

This chapter is mainly smut and is definitely, for mature audiences. If you want to read the rest of the fan fiction you can find it on Wattpad under my username: purexblood or by clicking this link here. 

Enjoy xx

THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME LENA AND CAMPBELL WERE ALONE IN A ROOM WITH the sole intent of having sex. Lena was the type of girl to remember all encounters from the date and place to whether or not they made it past first base and woke up from a celebration of making it home.

This had been the second time Lena drunkenly found herself with Campbell in Harry's guest bedroom.

It had been too familiar to her yet she didn't feel anxious or nervous like she did prior, she felt calm as if she was at home – except the two were everything but calm and collected.

This time was different than the rest.

They weren't two teenagers awkwardly undressing before the other in exchange of a first kiss. They were two deviled souls ready to give into their sinful desires and ravish the other.

Lena was quick to pull Campbell up the staircase, the two drunkenly toppling over the other as they took dramatic strides up each level. In the past the two had been subtle with their sensual cues, now they didn't care of the rumors that they knew would transpire once everyone sobered up.

They were both loud and obnoxious, ignoring all stares and curious yet judgmental eyes of those watching the two wrap in each other's affection as they sought an empty room.

Their hands didn't unhook from the other as if they each feared the moment their touch withered, their moment would cool astray.

With her back pressed against the door, Lena wrapped her hands around Campbell's neck, intertwining her fingers together so her grasp wouldn't break. Their lips met in a heated desperate kiss, both fighting for dominance but not one giving up power to the other.

Campbell's hands caressed Lena's cheeks before sliding down her jaw to palm her throat. His two hands tightened around the sides of her neck as he took control of their kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth massing his against hers. Her hands went to his hair and she fisted his locks, moaning as his grip on her neck tightened with each stroke of his tongue along hers.

Their bodies pressed together and his left hand snaked from her neck down to her chest, cupping her mound tighter before returning down to her thigh. His hand roamed her upper thigh to between her legs, his index and ring finger pressing against her short clad core in a teasing manner to give her a soft sense of pleasure.

Lena moaned as his fingers pressed into her but groaned and bit his bottom lip harshly when he pulled away, leaving her heat aching for his touch. Campbell smirked as she roughly tugged on his lip between her teeth and his hold on her neck with his right hand squeezed. She was certain she'd wake in the morning with remnants of his fingers upon her flesh and the idea turned her on more than his grip.

His left hand squeezed her thigh and she automatically jumped, lifting herself to wrap her legs around his waist, his free hand now wrapped around to support her against the door. She could feel his erected member press against her jeans and with one swift move he grinded into her core, his lips twisting into a smirk when she pulled away from their kiss to moan loudly.

Campbell could hear a snap of a camera and out of his peripheral vision see a classmate with their phone directed towards the sensualized pair. His lips trailed to her neck where he suckled and nibbled on her skin between her shoulder and neck, his eyes casually flashing from being closed to watching the girl take their photo.

While most would be disgusted over the fact someone was interrupting their intimate moment and taking a photo or video for the purpose of gossip, Campbell became aroused from the subject.

Lena and Campbell were everything but intimate at that moment. Sure, they were nearly dry-humping and exchanging wet kisses against Harry Bingham's guest bedroom door but they weren't secluded and paid no mind to the fact people were drunkenly watching.

Campbell liked the idea of his classmates watching. He finally had Lena right where he wanted her and now everyone would know it. No more secrecy.

Lena Dobson finally gave in to the hands of Campbell Eliot. Lena was his.

What Campbell didn't want was exposing the most vulnerable parts of his love. Instead of toying with the lingering eyes and giving them a show, Campbell's hand fell from her neck and went to the doorknob, twisting it open to shove them both inside.

With his hands underneath her bum, Campbell carried Lena to the bed and threw her across the mattress. Lena burst into a fit of drunken giggles as she bounced on the fluff while Campbell slammed the door shut and twisted the lock into place before turning and pouncing atop of Lena.

His legs straddled her waist and his mouth went to her lips, his body moving along hers as she pushed herself higher up the mattress to rest her head on the pillows. Their lips met and her hands went to his shirt, lifting the material up to pull it off him – his hands doing the same but slowly lingering as his knuckles brushed the sides of her bra laced breasts.

Lena allowed Campbell to pull her shirt off while she kissed him back, taking control to deepen the kiss and occasionally suck on his tongue then pull on his bottom lip in a bite. She could hear the moans vibrating through Campbell and feel his smirk when she bit his lip which caused her to bite harder each time.

Underneath Campbell's touch, Lena's body melted and became submissive to his fingers so each time he moaned and grinded his throbbing member into her heated core made her feel confident that she had served dominance.

Campbell broke the kiss and trailed his lips down her neck while his hands roamed her lower stomach up to her breasts. One at a time each hand fiddled with her bra straps before he slid them down her shoulders, loosening the bra to pull down each cup.

His mouth continued to taste each part of her skin until he took his time worshiping each breast. While one hand groped and massaged one mound, his lips were pressing open mouthed kisses to the other, his tongue flicking her nipple before grazing with his teeth and sucking hard.

Lena's breathing hitched into pants and her back arched, her hands going to his head. There had been plenty of times a guy kissed her in intimate places but none had ravished her body as if it were their last breath.

Using Lena's arch of pleasure as leverage, Campbell snuck his left hand behind her back and unhooked her bra, pulling the material off her and tossing it to the floor.

His eyes took in her semi-nude body to her face. Lena's lips were slightly swollen from kissing, her bottom lip puffier than the top with a faint purple color from being bitten numerous times to her caramel eyes staring at him with lust and intensity.

"What's a matter daddy?" Lena's lips twisted into a smirk and her hand went to cup his cheek then slid down his jaw to his neck where she mimicked his action and slightly choked him with a tight closed grasp, "cat got your tongue?"

Campbell's eyes hazed with lust as she tightened her hand around him, his own smirk matching hers. His free hand went to her own neck where tiny blue hues began to form from where his fingers were prior and Lena's eyes closed.

"Not one bit princess."

They were in a battle, both turned on from each other's act of dominance but it was Lena who loosened her grip around Campbell's neck and pulled him down to press their lips together once more.

Campbell's hand around Lena's neck dropped to her nude breasts, massaging and groping them as he trailed his fingers down to her shorts. His fingers teased her, lightly trailing underneath her waist band before popping the button and sliding the zipper down.

He wanted to tease her and have her begging for him to thrust inside of her but his desires overpowered his pride. Lifting up her waist, Campbell pulled both her jeans and underwear down to where Lena could kick them off.

His hand palmed her heated and wet core, before lightly tracing her slit slowly with his fingers. Lena pulled from this kiss and moaned as his fingers teased her flesh, her legs widening as he explored her bits.

Campbell smirked as Lena closed her eyes, the sensation of pleasure clouding her senses the moment he pressed his fingers to her clit and began making circular motions.

It took all of Lena to hold herself together and not cum right then and there. It had been a long time since she had been pleased but even then no one had worked her like Campbell was doing.

Lena's lips parted as she moaned while her hands caressed Campbell's chest until she palmed his member. Her hand moved back and forth along his clothed groin in the same motion he was making with her. With her other hand, she popped his button and snuck her hands into his boxers, freeing his erection.

Campbell moaned in sync with Lena as she wrapped her hand around his shaft and began pumping, her grip tightening around his length with each thrust. They both teased each other with their hands, Lena occasionally grinding into his hand to create harder friction whilst Campbell thrusted in her hand.

Their lips met in a heated sloppy kiss while they moaned into each other's mouth, losing sensation in each other's hands. Lena was the first to pull away, her hand going to stop his wrist from his fingers moving against her clit.

"I want you," she said breathlessly, pressing her lips to his chest.

Campbell smirked and stood from the bed to slide his jeans and boxers off before returning to Lena.

Their bodies were pressed, skin to skin, and for a split second neither one of them made a gesture.

Campbell and Lena weren't saints, they were West Ham's sinners and together they both warmed various beds of other's but this moment was different. It seemed like they were frozen in time together in their most vulnerable state, giving themselves to another for the first time ever.

Their pupils were dilated of darkened pleasure and Lena's fingers carelessly strummed his strands that were sticking to his forehead in sweat. His member pulsed against her wet core begging to be filled.

Campbell softly placed his lips against hers while his hand ran across the side of her face to cup her chin. While he deepened their kiss, his opposite hand lifted and parted her leg to hoist around the side of his waist.

Lena moaned as she felt the tip of his erection press into her entrance then pull out, teasing her with each stroke. A groan vibrated from Lena's mouth to Campbell's and he chuckled into their kiss.

While he was not only teasing her but himself as well, he still enjoyed frustrating her with each touch or lack of. Their tongues battled once more and right as Campbell went to bite her bottom lip, he thrusted inside of her.

Lena's head tilted upward, exposing her neck to him while she lightly whimpered. Campbell's body stilled as she adjusted to his length stretching her before he pulled out and thrusted inside once more.

Her eyes opened and were met with his, staring deeply into her. They didn't have to say anything to know the truth running through their minds.

Campbell continued his motion and Lena wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck, pulling him towards her so she could kiss his neck. Her teeth nibbled on his shoulder, her bites becoming harder with each harsh thrust he made inside her. While her mouth worked on his chest and shoulder, Lena's nails dug down his back. Teeth marks and scratches pierced his skin with tiny hints of pink blood seeping through the tears.

His skin stung from her teeth biting wounds and nails pressed to his back but the pain only heightened his pleasure causing him to thrust harder into her. Lena's tight wet walls clenched against his member and with each thrust her hips lifted to meet his rhythm.

In a synchronized round, Lena and Campbell's moans filled the air. They were in their own aura of body against body and were forgetful to the fact there was a party occurring right out their door. If it wasn't for the raging music, it was certain their moans could be heard from the other side – the idea sending a different wave of pleasure through Campbell.

He continued his rhythm and picked up the pace, his hand going to her neck. With his right hand, he cupped her skin and tightened his hand around her to lightly choke her.

Lena's body was on overdrive. Every part of her felt on fire; from his length pumping inside her, to his lips on her skin, and his grasp around her neck. The moment his fingers tightened around her neck, her lips twisted into a satisfied tight lip smiled until she moaned in pleasure.

His hold on her neck made her vision darken until she saw red and dark blue stars all while pleasing her to the core. Lena was a puddle underneath Campbell and the harder he thrusted into her and choked her, the more pleasure she felt.

Campbell groaned in pleasure from feeling her walls tighten around his erection and seeing her smirk in pleasure from his hand around her. He had tried to choke multiple of his lovers in the past but not one of them were into it. While he had found some pleasure in their distaste of his choking, there was something different about finding a girl who genuinely was turned on from the sexual action.

With each thrust, Campbell could feel his member throb, knowing he was nearing his peak. His thrusts became messy while he rushed to push and pull himself in and out of her while Lena arched her back and lifted herself to meet his thrusts to allow him deeper access inside of her.

His hand continued to tighten then loosen on Lena's neck and it was when he felt Lena's body begin to wiggle and buck into him that he knew she was coming undone.

Lena erupted into countless throaty moans as his thrusts devoured her. Letting go of her neck, Lena gained her breath but only for a second for Campbell was quick to kiss her.

With one last thrust, Lena's toes began to curl as she lost herself in pure ecstasy, moaning into Campbell's mouth. It was all Campbell needed, to feel her cum around his girth that sent him in to his own release.

He wanted to continue pumping inside of her to ride out his ejaculation but instead pulled out and used his hand to pump himself until he came on her lower belly.

Lena watched and fought to catch her breath while his release coated her tanned skin and immediately began to pool in lust. Campbell's chest lifted then fell as he caught his breath while pumping out his remains.

Reaching for his shirt, Campbell wiped her stomach clean before tossing the shirt to the floor and plopping himself on his back right beside her.

They were shoulder to shoulder, the room quiet besides the sound of their pants. Not one of them said a word to the other, both at a loss for what had occurred between them.

Campbell turned his head to look at Lena, who was staring straight up at the rotating ceiling fan. She could feel his eyes on her and turned her head to meet his gaze.

Their eyes locked in a heated exchange and Campbell's left hand went to Lena's right, intertwining their fingers. Their fingers teased the other, lightly brushing against each other's tips before locking their hold.

Lena Dobson had found her drug and now that she had fulfilled her desire all she wanted was to devour herself in Campbell Eliot until she couldn't breathe, which would oblige with a grin because she was finally his – and always would be.

[randomestfandoms]

Who We Were Then: a The Society fanfiction

The people of West Ham often forgot that Allie Pressman and Sam Eliot were cousins. Actually, the people of West Ham usually forgot about them period. If they did think about them, it was only ever as Cassandra’s sister and the deaf kid, not as actual people. But Sam and Allie had grown up together, they were cousins, they understood each other in a way that no one else could. Sam knew how Allie both loved and hated the relative safety of Cassandra’s shadow, knew how easily her parents overlooked her in favour of their perfect, and sick, eldest daughter. Allie knew how Sam felt like his parents never saw beyond his deafness and sexuality, and just how terrified of his brother he really was. But they weren’t just cousins — after all, Cassandra and Campbell were their cousins too. No, Sam and Allie were best friends and had been for their entire lives and that? That changes everything.

Welcome to my The Society fic series, City Is A Graveyard! Who We Were Then is the first of five fics in the series, and it’s a pre-canon AU in which Sam and Allie are best friends as well as cousins! Basically, it was born from me going (and I quote) “Listen you’d can’t give me a traumatized teenager with sibling issues and imposter syndrome and a traumatized teenager who’s gay and deaf and have them be family and expect me to care about anything else ever”, especially when you throw in Lord Of The Flies on top of that!

Rest assured, Becca is still the iconic best friend we know and love (to both Sam & Allie), Will is still one of Allie’s closest friends, Grizz is always everyone’s favourite, and we’ll still have plenty of pre-Hallie goodness (leading into full Hallie in later fics), but I was disappointed by how few fics I could find that really explored the Pressman-Eliot family, so here we are!

I will eventually make introductions for each fic in the series (and hopefully I’ll get to writing it soon), but here’s a breakdown of the plan for anyone who’s interested

Who We Were Then — pre-New Ham, some of Sam and Allie’s childhood but mostly focused on their junior year leading up to getting on the busses in 1x01; pre-Hallie & Grizzam

Fear Can’t Hurt You Anymore Than A Dream — no New Ham AU, where the students come back from a camping trip and the world is exactly as they left it, will follow the end of their junior year into senior year; eventual Hallie & Grizzam

Maybe There Is A Beast (Maybe It’s Only Us) — canon AU, the kids get off the busses in New Ham, exploring how a closer bond between Allie & Sam (and how that changed their junior year) would change the events of the show; still eventual Hallie & Grizzam

It Sounds Better Than It Is, This Business Of Surviving — post canon, the kids make it back to West Ham and have to find a way to return to ‘normal’ after everything they’ve been through; Hallie & Grizzam

We Are The Kids That You Can Never Kill — post canon, the kids make it back to West Ham only to find that everyone who died in New Ham woke up back in West Ham at their exact time of death, now they all have to return to ‘normal’ surrounded by people they’d mourned and people they’d killed; Hallie & Grizzam

I’m very excited about this project and will definitely be trying to make more edits & posts about it (and hopefully writing it lmao) so if you’d like to be tagged in anything for it, feel free to let me know!

[infinitefandomimagines]

Consequences - Harry Bingham x reader

WARNINGS: ANGST, LANGUAGE, CRYING, 

REQUEST: Hiiii, I saw that you were taking The Society requests and I was curious to know if I could submit a request for the reader being with Harry and finding out about Harry, Campbell and Lexie’s scheme with Allie and Will and being super conflicted. If possible could it be super angsty? I love your work so much, thank you for taking the time to read this even if you don’t decide to write it. Love ya xo

+

Hello!! Love your work, can I please request a Harry Bingham angst imagine?

-

You weren't supposed to find out, that much was obvious. The shock on Harry's face the second you confronted him in his room told you he didn't plan on telling you, and the disappointment on your face told him how screwed he really was.

"So what exactly was your plan, huh? Keep me in the dark forever, or just until you and Lexie were the new rulers of New Ham?" Venom dripped from each word as you tried to mask just how truly hurt you were, how betrayed you felt.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but as far as you were concerned those questions were rhetorical, you weren't finished saying your part.

"On day one you said it was just you and me, that no matter what we could trust each other, that we would have each other's backs. We promised-You. Promised." Your voice was starting to betray you, shaking as your emotions tried to break through, but you refused to cry, refused to let yourself lose control. "Did you even think of how this genius plan of yours would affect me? How it would affect anyone who isn't you?"

"Campbell promised you'd be safe, I made sure-"

"Oh yeah, cause Campbell is so fucking trustworthy!" Your voice was slowly climbing in volume despite your attempts to stay as calm as possible. "Campbell doesn't give a shit about me, or you, or anyone in this town, he only cares about himself. Can't you see he's just manipulating you? You really think you're gonna be the one making the decisions? You're his fucking puppet Harry."

"Give me some credit, I have it handled, I-"

You cut him off again, "Can you honestly tell me that you've actually thought of the consequences of your little plan?"

Y/N-"

"I mean honestly Harry do you think of anyone but yourself? Did you even consider-"

"Would you let me fucking talk?" He yelled, a bit louder than he intended. The outburst startled you, the surprise clear on your face. Harry let out a frustrated sigh, running his hand through his hair, "I wanted to tell you, alright? But we couldn't risk telling anyone who wasn't involved and have the plan getting out."

"And what exactly was this plan of yours? Have the guard, the people we all trust to keep us safe, storm Allie's house, and what? Arrest her? Then what? Take over by force and arrest anyone who gets in your way?"

"I know it sounds bad-"

"Bad?" You were shocked at how ignorant he was, did he really not realize his harmful this could before the town? "Harry everything is finally working, stores haven't been raided, people are doing their jobs, an expedition is set to go out soon, and the committee on going home is actually making progress. This town is fragile, even the smallest shift in structure could cause a panic. Your plan would shatter this town."

"You're telling me you're seriously okay with picking up trash every day for what could possibly be the rest of your life?"

"Yeah it sucks, I don't like it either, but it works! What Allie is doing works."

"Yeah well not for me," he fired back, the two of you now in a big yelling match, "Okay, this place sucks! Everything about it sucks! The food, the jobs, the housing, the leaders." Harry felt bad for yelling at you, he hated fighting with you no matter how big or small the argument was, but everything was getting so heated that it was becoming too easy to say regrettable things

"We're on our own! We don't get to live in luxury anymore, Harry! We have to make sacrifices in order for things to work around here, I know you think you can do better than Allie, and who knows maybe you can, but this is our life now, we can't do much better!" Your voice was starting to get raw and scratchy from the amount of yelling, tears stung the back of your eyes, and you were beyond exhausted.

"Yes we can, we can do so much better! Why can't you just trust me on this? I thought we promised to have each other's backs?" He said the last part almost mockingly, and you felt your anger skyrocket, so much for trying to remain calm and collected.

"No!" You yelled in his face, "No, you don't get to throw that in my face, not after all the shit you've pulled! Going behind my back, lying to me, lying to everyone in this town!" Your voice got weaker with each word, finally reaching your breaking point.

Everything was so fucked up, Harry's head was so far up his ass that deep down you knew there was no changing his mind, and the right thing to do was so obvious, you needed to tell Allie and Will, so why weren't you already doing that? Why were you still here trying to convince Harry to change?

You knew why, and you hated it, hated how head over heals you were for him, hated how you still believed in him, hated how even after everything he'd hidden from you, you still loved him. You were stressed, angry, conflicted, but above anything you were just so tired. Tired of the fighting, the yelling, the chaos, the unshakeable feeling something horrible could happen at any moment, you just wanted to be home, back with your family. You'd give anything to have your old life back, Friday night football games, date night every Saturday with Harry, stupid high school drama and cast parties.

You sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, hunched over with your elbows resting on your knees and you head in your hands, the tears you'd been holding back finally finding their way to the surface. Your body shook as you took in ragged breaths, small sobs escaping your lips.

It seemed as though your breaking point happened to be Harry's as well, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt you, that's why he was so adamant with Campbell about you being safe no matter what, that you would have a say in what happened after he was finally in charge. He knew you wouldn't like the plan the second it was made, and maybe that alone should have told him there was a flaw or two with it, he considered you one of the smartest people in both West Ham and New Ham, but it was the only way to fix things and have a better life. Right?

But seeing you like this? It almost made him want to throw the whole plan out the window. Almost.

Harry took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he crouched down in front of you, his mind searched for some magic phrase that would make everything better, but he knew there was no such thing.

"Y/N," he whispered softly, "Baby look at me."

When you didn't budge he gently gripped your wrists and pulled your hands away from your face, revealing red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He held your hands in between his, lifting them to his lips and placing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

"I am so sorry I didn't tell you, I should have been honest with you the second Campbell mentioned the plan," your jaw tightened at the mention of Campbell, telling Harry to keep him out of the conversation. "I never meant to hurt you, and if I could go back and do it all over again I would, I'm sorry, Y/N."

He was genuine, and that gave you the silver of hope you needed to believe that maybe, just maybe, you could stop him from doing something he couldn't take back.

"Then tell Allie, stop all of this before it gets out of hand, run for office and try to win fairly," you pleaded. "Please, Harry."

Harry took a deep breath, his eyes fluttering shut as he prepared to answer. He didn't know who this would hurt worse, you or him.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," he couldn't even look at you as he spoke, his gaze meeting the ground instead. The sliver of hope you'd felt before had been crushed, your heart dropping into your stomach when it finally hit that there was no changing his mind. You were now the one with a choice, tell Allie and betray Harry, or support Harry and go against what you felt was the right thing to do.

"It's not fair Harry," you said in a small, squeaky voice, "It's not fair for you to put me in this situation." You were right, he couldn't argue with that.

"You don't have to do anything, just keep quiet and I promise you will be safe, but if Campbell finds out you know and you're not on board. . . Just, can you promise me you won't say anything?" Harry's eyes finally met yours.

"I don't know, Harry," you whispered, looking down.

"What?"

"I don't fucking know, okay?" You raised your voice, standing up abruptly. "You're asking me to chose between you and what I know is right for this town! I- I just need some fucking air."

You pushed past Harry, wiping stray tears from your cheeks as you rushed towards the door. You gripped the cold metal knob and pulled the door open. However, a hand came down on the door, pushing it shut.

You whipped around to see Harry, his arm extended past your head, leaning against the door to prevent you from opening it again. You let out a sharp breath, scoffing at how actions. You looked up at him in disbelief, but it seemed as though he couldn't quite meet your gaze.

"Open the door, Harry," you said in a dangerous and low voice.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave." His tone held a sense of pain in it. He didn't enjoy what he was doing. Nonetheless, he shifted his body so that he now stood with his back pressed to the door, completely blocking your only way out.

"Fucking what?"

"I'm sorry, I can't until I know you won't tell Allie and Will."

You reached for the doorknob again, even though you knew your efforts would be unsuccessful. Harry grabbed your wrist, his grip was gentle, but that didn't do anything to calm the rage bubbling up inside of you.

You instantly ripped your wrist from his grip, giving him a few choice words in the process. Frustration and anger burned inside of you, and you could feel more tears stinging the back of your eyes.

You turned your back to Harry, walking over to the window at the far end of his room. Soft footsteps echoed from behind you as Harry hesitantly walked towards you, choosing to stop a couple feet away from you.

"Y/N I-"

"Just get out, Harry." You said coldly.

"What?"

"If you won't let me leave the least you can do is give me some space."

There were a few seconds of silence before you heard Harry sniffle. "I'm sorry," he whispered in a broken voice. When you heard the door open and softly close you turned around to make sure he'd actually left.

When you saw he did, you collapsed onto his bed, letting out all of your emotions.

Everything was so fucked.

[cap-winter-barnes]

MASTERLIST

MARVEL

Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

3am 

You Love Her / Part Two - Coming Soon

Dessert Sounds Good / Part Two

Five Years

Midnight Coffee

Hello Again

The Graveyard Shift

Best Kept Secret / Part Two - Coming Soon

Grilled Cheese

Peter Parker/Spiderman

I’m Here

Answerphone

Quentin Beck/Mysterio

I Trusted You

PEAKY BLINDERS

Alfie Solomons

A Broken Bottle of Whisky

Treat Her Fair | As Long As I Have You 

Back to Margate

Home

Uninvited

THE SOCIETY

Campbell Eliot

Don’t Be Like That

Alone Until You

Four Words

My Hero

SUPERNATURAL

Dean Winchester

I Almost Lost You

Not Just Friends 

Just a Scratch

Better Time Than Ever

It’ll All Be Okay

No Matter What

Secrets

Sam Winchester

You Lied To Me

Talk To Me

HARRY POTTER

Fred Weasley

Give Me Time

Draco Malfoy

Excuse Me?

HENRY CAVILL

Geralt of Rivia

The River

Jealousy

Angel - Coming Soon

August Walker 

What They Did To You

This Isn’t Goodbye

Don’t Lie To Me

[wroughtbetwixtfanfic]

Wheels Set In Motion, Ch 1.

Fandom: The Society.

Summary: As the situation in New Ham takes a dark, mysterious turn, Campbell is faced with a threat he never saw coming. With few allies and the past coming back to haunt him, he is forced to deal with a world that is crumbling fast, and choices with grim consequences.

Rating: Explicit.

Tags: Minor Character Death, Canon Divergence, Mental Health Issues, Addiction Recovery, Unhealthy Relationships, Teen Pregnancy, Past Rape/Non-con, Campbell Isn't The Dad, Brother Feels, Attempted Murder, Supernatural Elements, Gay Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Campbell has mild ASPD and is actively trying to not be awful

Word Count: 5654

Part Three || Ch 2 || Ch 3 || Ch 4 || Ch 5 || AO3

A day passed, then two. Grizz was gracious enough to take care of Campbell. He kept an eye on him when he could, making sure to let him have time to go to the bathroom, stretch, get food and water, and he gave Campbell a pillow to lean his head on at night. Luke and Clark took shifts when Grizz needed a break, and they were far less accommodating. They put water inches away from where he could reach, laughing while watching him struggle.

"Knock it off," Grizz snapped when he saw it happen. That was the last time they tried it. "Christ. I'm sorry." Campbell fought against the burning, sharp feeling in his chest. "It's whatever. They just need some way to feel powerful. Fucking wimps." Grizz didn't argue. Day two oozed by, and Campbell's shoulder had gone from aching, to throbbing and painful, to numb. His legs cramped and he was dizzy from a lack of sleep. Thankfully, Allie decided to visit him that evening. For a moment, Campbell had hope that she was letting him free; that hope evaporated when he saw the look in her eyes. "Allie, it's been days. Is all this really necessary?" he still tried, jiggling the handcuff. "Just uncuff me and lock the door or whatever. I'm not gonna jump out the window." Sitting on the bed, Allie shrugged. "Maybe." "I'm going to get pressure sores or something." "Yeah. That's what we should be worried about." "It is. I had nothing to do with killing Cassandra." "That's all you have to say?" Campbell gave an exasperated groan. "What else is there? Goddamn it, Allie, this is ridiculous. Your sister and I were cousins. Family. We were friends." He gestured to the air. "Besides, what do you expect? Huh? I can't prove it didn't happen. Can he prove it did?" "I can't tell you that." "I've barely spoken to Dewey our whole lives. Harry doesn't even like him, not that I can remember, anyways. He's always been a fucking asshole who just hangs around for scraps." "Then why did he accuse you?" "Are you really that fucking dense? You know my reputation." Oh, she knew his reputation all too well. Allie's eyes blinked a little too fast. A nervous response. "Answer the question." "I was the most obvious pick. It was a desperate move. You asked him if he had help, didn't you?" Campbell leaned back against the radiator. Allie wasn't as outwardly icy as Cassandra, but she was equally ruthless. It was hidden under the surface, waiting for just enough power to roar to life. "What did you promise him if he named names? What did you say would happen, if he didn't?" "That has nothing to do with--" "It has everything to do with it. People will tell you anything if they think their life is in danger. Big fucking duh." "I need to know what happened that night. Just tell me." "He killed her. It's that simple." "Alone? Because I don't think so." Allie leaned forward. "If not you, then Harry." Campbell snorted. "Harry? No, no." "Then who?" "Are you asking for my opinion?" When Allie stood and began to pace, Campbell rolled his eyes. Oh, that was rich. She imprisoned him and then wanted his insight. "Harry's a scared little puppy. Too bold for him. Too much effort. He can barely get out of bed these days, and he didn't really hate Cassandra like that, anyways." "Who do you think did it, then?" Humoring her, Campbell gave the question some thought. He examined everyone on the party list, and even the town populace in general. He couldn't think of anyone else who would have been that desperate for Harry's approval. "No one. Dewey did it alone. Just an entitled white boy who hates strong women. Pretty much the story with any shooter." "Classic misogyny," Allie mumbled. She chewed on her thumbnail. "Was that really all it was?" Campbell tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but there wasn't one. Everywhere hurt. They hadn't let him have any visitors-- not even Sam-- and her was starting to go from bored to annoyed. If she hadn't chained him up like a rabid dog, maybe he'd have been more sympathetic, but the only one who had his sympathy was in the ground. Everyone else was just grinding on his last nerve, but he couldn't escape to calm down. "Allie, are you gonna let me go?" "I haven't decided yet." "But if I'm innocent--" Allie's mouth pulled into a little smirk. "You think so? Maybe you didn't do this, but that doesn't mean you're innocent." "You're joking." There was no way in hell she could just detain him for some personal grudge. He felt his adrenaline start to kick in, but goddamn it, all he could do was tug uselessly at the handcuff. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Sitting back down, Allie rested her chin on her hand and stared at Campbell. "Are you scared of me?" A big mistake on her part, saying that. Campbell perked a little, stopping to analyze that question. Are you scared of me? She'd mistaken his desire to get the fuck away from her as fear. And she wanted him to be scared. She wanted him afraid of her... because she'd always been afraid of him. Hate, fear. It made people do terrible shit. Like, for example, threaten to keep one's cousin locked up-- or worse-- just because they'd been a prick. That, combined with Sam's story, must have made Allie afraid. Campbell smiled, relaxing into the handcuff and focusing his gaze on her. "You have no evidence against me. I didn't do shit, and you know it. So, let me guess. You're keeping me here because you're all scared of me." He grinned as her expression froze. "And, what? You finally have a way to deal with your Campbell problem? I'm guilty of being fucked up in the head, so I deserve to be locked up? Or worse? Is that it? I'm the kind of weirdo it's acceptable to pop in the head and get rid of." "I didn't say anything about killing anyone." He laughed. "Let's drop the act and stop being coy, Allie." Campbell's smile faded as he dug through his memory for every little bit of information he had on Allie, and her personality. Every little thing that made her weak. "The thing is, if you do that, you're gonna have to be the one to pull the trigger. That's how it is, as the leader. But you don't like to make tough choices, do you? You're not Cassandra." Her nose twitched in disgust. He had her. "Fuck you." "You can't kill me and not Dewey. That wouldn't make sense. So then you, you've killed two people. And Allie, you might be all kinds of fucked up, too. I don't know. But I do know you're not like me." "So what? I don't have to be." "Yeah, you do. How are you gonna sleep at night, knowing you're a murderer? Knowing that you killed your own family just because people are ignorant and afraid? Because you're ignorant and afraid?" "I..." "You'll never get rid of me, cousin. We'll visit you," he whispered as he leaned forward, close enough that he could see the tears springing up in her eyes. "Cassandra and I. Every night in your sleep." Allie swallowed, standing quickly and walking towards the bedroom door. She stopped, her hand on the doorknob. "Maybe I'll just have to live with that." But the calm in her voice faltered, and that was all he needed. Campbell chuckled, and Allie retreated out the door, shoving her way past Sam and heading downstairs. It was enough to soothe that ache in his chest, in his fingers, that commanded him to rip and tear and make her suffer. But then he saw Sam looking at him with that look, and Campbell felt the wind leave his sails just a touch. "Are you Plan B?" Campbell asked as Sam came in the room. "No. I'm not supposed to be in here." Sam sat next to Campbell on the floor. He tucked his knees up to his chest, and signed slowly. A small mercy, considering Campbell was operating on a total of twenty minutes of sleep. "I just wanted to see you." "You know I can't stay locked up like this." "I'm going to see what I can do. It just doesn't look very good right now." "If she decides to kill me..." Sam's signing turned sharp, angry. "I won't let her do that. I won't." "How do you plan to stop her?" "I'll get Grizz to let you go. I'll take you home, stay with you until she backs off." "Thanks for the sentiment." Campbell glanced at the watch on Sam's wrist. It was just past midnight. Day three had begun. "Go get some rest, Sam. You look almost as shitty as I do." Because he hadn't been sleeping, either, Campbell realized as Sam rubbed his face and gave a long, weary sigh. "Goodnight, Campbell." "Night, Sam." Campbell waited until Sam was gone before kicking over the empty soda can Grizz had brought in at dinner. It was bullshit. They locked him up for days without any proof at all, besides the words of a convicted murderer, chained to a radiator like a fucking animal. Allie outright threatened that she would keep him like that even if he didn't do it. And to put all that on not only him, but Sam? Sam was innocent. He didn't deserve to worry like that, especially not over Campbell; was Allie really that desperate for revenge? Sleep that night went the same way it had since he'd been arrested. Trying to get comfortable, but the metal of the handcuff chaffed and bit into his wrist, the radiator coils pushed into his neck and back and shoulders, and the hard wood floor made his hips ache. He could hear noise from other rooms. He could hear when everyone went to sleep, and then there was just silence. Silence, except for the creak of the floor outside his room when whoever was guarding him moved around. Creak. Campbell startled awake out of the half-sleep he'd just slipped into. He tried again. Ten minutes, twenty minutes went by. Creak. He woke up again. All night long, and eventually, Campbell gave up like he had before and settled into a sort of zoned-out trance. Grizz came by and made sure he had lunch. "It's nothing fancy," he said as he gave Campbell water, a cheese sandwich, and dried cranberries. "But I know you don't like meat and you're on prison rations until Allie makes up her mind." "How's that looking?" Campbell wondered, poking at the food. His own hand didn't even look real anymore. "Any progress?" "Not much. People are starting to whisper." "People have been whispering. They're starting to get pissed." Grizz peeked out the door. "I'm worried she's gonna lose it. People want answers, leadership, and I believe in her but she doesn't believe in herself. People are gonna notice that." "It's because she has to want it." "She doesn't want it." And there was the problem, right there. A teen girl suffering the loss of her big sister, forced to step into her shoes, with the responsibility of an entire society on her shoulders. Campbell knew what their family was like. The pressure there was to be perfect, to compete against one's sibling, to see one's parents pick a favorite when one couldn't live up to the high expectations. It was a lot to try and handle. Allie, forever in Cassandra's shadow, unable to be the perfect little baby that her parents wanted. Campbell could understand how it felt, but at this rate, she was gonna snap. And then someone would take things from her. Oh, no. What a shame. Except it would be, because everything Cassandra worked for would be gone, if things landed into the hands of the wrong person. There were footsteps on the stairs, and Grizz ducked back out of the room before they were seen talking. Luke's voice rose up from outside, muffled. A better guard than Clark. Luke, at least, would come in every so often and ask Campbell if he needed anything. He still didn't stop Gordie from hovering near the door and glaring. Maybe if Allie didn't try and do him in, one of the others would. It wouldn't be surprising. What was surprising was, later that night, Campbell heard shouting from downstairs. Grizz had returned to his post at Campbell's room, but quickly shut the door once the yelling began. Campbell strained to hear, but he could only tell who was arguing, not so much what they were arguing about. He could hear Will and Luke, faintly, but Allie moreso. It didn't last long, whatever was happening. Soon, the door swung open and Allie stomped in, slamming the door behind her. "You're right." Campbell tensed as Allie sat down across from him. She looked angry, with her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. "What?" "I've been scared of you my whole life. And for just one second, I wanted you to know what that felt like." She crossed her arms. "But you didn't, did you?" "I'm not scared of you. I'm worried about what you might do." "And what did you think I was going to do?" "You know what I thought." Allie studied the floor. "I thought that maybe I'd keep you here, locked up, to teach you a lesson. Some people have told me it'd be easier to just get rid of you. That it'd be safer for you to be gone, before you actually do anything to hurt people." "And?" He kept his tone even, but he felt his heart begin to slam harder as his brain tried to figure some way out. "What did you decide?" Standing up, Allie reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. She unlocked the handcuffs and waited for Campbell to get to his feet. She latched onto his wrist and led him out the back door, away from where everyone else was. Allie opened the door and shoved him onto the back porch. "Get out." It hurt to walk, and his legs felt like lead and jello at the same time, but Campbell didn't wait around for her to change her mind. He didn't even think to text Elle or Harry; he just raced home as quick as he could. Campbell could hear the piano playing from inside. Who was that? The playing stopped when he entered the home. Elle's voice floated through the silence. "Who's there?" Campbell felt a wave of relief as he turned the corner and saw Elle. It was a new sensation. A little spark of joy, a feeling of being home and safe. She was there, and she was alright. They all were, for now. "I'm free." "How..." Elle stood, stammering. Her eyes were wide. "How did you get out?" "I didn't do anything, so she let me go." "Oh." Tilting his head, Campbell walked up to Elle and stroked her cheek. She looked more like a deer in the headlights than a concerned girlfriend. "Are you okay? I thought you'd be happy to see me." Elle threw her arms around Campbell's neck, burrowing her face into his shoulder. "I am! So much." She kissed his cheek, running her hands through his hair. "So much. We were so worried." We. Campbell glanced up, seeing movement behind Elle. Harry stood in the doorway of the room, dark circles under his eyes and a blanket curled tightly around his shoulders; he kept his distance, but once Elle had left for work, Harry followed him upstairs. Campbell knew it was inappropriate for Harry to sleep beside him, but Campbell was too tired to stop him. That was the excuse Campbell made for himself, anyways. Harry sunk his fingers into Campbell's shirt, nestling close. Campbell fell into a heavy sleep, finally comfortable in his own bed. When he woke up, Harry was still there, sniffling softly with red-rimmed eyes. He didn't seem to notice Campbell was awake. Not until Campbell lightly wrapped his arms arms around Harry, anyways; Harry jumped a little, but then leaned into the embrace. "I thought they were gonna..." His voice broke. "Fucking dicks." Campbell softened his voice. "Hey, it's okay. They didn't do anything to me. We're going to be okay now, alright? Everything is going to be okay." "How do you know that? If they try again--" "Then there will be hell to pay." Campbell knew it was an idle threat. If Allie and her minions came for him again, no one would be able to stop them. Elle and Harry didn't have enough power to stop them. Still, Harry relaxed a little at the words. "Trust me." Harry's mouth twitched at the corner. "Never." "Smart boy." The house was cooler than usual as the sun went down; clouds were forming, and there was a breeze, heralding the chance of rain. Campbell was loathe to move away from the warmth of their blankets and shared body heat, but Elle would be home soon and they had their own jobs to get to. Harry bit his lip and gave Campbell a look that was almost pleading-- not yet, just a few more moments-- but Campbell stood and threw on fresh clothing. He couldn't give in to the desire for closeness. Neither of them could, especially not now when tensions were already so high. Maybe once things calmed down... If they calmed down. Elle gave Campbell a quick peck on the cheek as they passed one another on the porch. Campbell was tempted to say fuck work, and just stay home with Elle to make some coffee and watch a movie, but he had to try to be on good behavior. He couldn't give Allie a reason to fuck around with him again. But it sucked, like it always sucked, and he was happy when it was time for dinner. Elle joined him and Harry for it, and after a bit of clean-up, they could go home. Campbell was glad to get home and finally get a shower, but a closer look in his closet revealed something that made him pause. He hadn't noticed before, but there was a familiar pair of jeans and a shirt hanging there that hadn't been there before. He knew, because those were the clothes he wore the night Charlie disappeared. There was still a trace of blood on the jeans. Neither Harry or Elle had asked about them. It could have been either of them that washed the things, but Harry's idea of putting clothes away was tossing them on a chair and hoping for the best. No, the meticulous one was Elle. "Hey, babe?" Campbell asked Elle when she came back to the bedroom. He held up the shirt and wiggled it. "Where'd you find these?" Elle gave them a quick glance before heading into the bathroom to brush her teeth. "Under the bed. I did the laundry while you were gone." A pause. "There was blood on your jeans. Are you okay?" Fuck. Campbell followed her into the bathroom, kissing her shoulder. "Oh, yeah. It's just allergy season. I get nosebleeds sometimes. Sorry, I didn't want you to worry." She couldn't say anything with a mouth full of toothpaste, but Elle nodded. Campbell thought he saw a flicker of... something, but his eyelids felt like lead and his body was sluggish. He needed sleep, and Elle snuggled up to him just as close as usual, so what was there to worry about? He was just tired, and letting his disorder run off with him like it often did. He was home. He was safe. Campbell was just crawling out of bed when the text came in. Allie had made a decision; she was calling everyone to the church at 8am. Half an hour. Elle was already stumbling around getting dressed, and Harry had fallen asleep in the clothes he wore the day before, so they made it to the church with a handful of minutes to spare. They hadn't eaten. Elle looked like she wanted to be ill, and Harry was silent and shaking; neither looked hungry, and Campbell wasn't going to force himself, either. When they got to the church, Campbell stopped a few yards away. "Go in without me," he said. He remembered the shouts and cheers of the people when he got arrested. Campbell could picture their snide, smug faces in his mind. "I'll wait here." Harry stopped, while Elle went inside. "Are you sure you'll be alright out here?" "Of course." The real answer was actually of course not, and Harry knew this. Still. Harry followed Elle into the church; he was nothing if not obedient. Campbell tucked himself into a shaded spot, out of view, and waited. The air was thick and warm already, the start of a hot day. Campbell had just started to doze off when the church doors slammed open, and Dewey was dragged out kicking, screaming, cursing. Campbell only heard one sentence-- fuck you, you goddamn bitch-- before Dewey was stuffed into the guard's SUV. When Allie came out a few moments later, she looked stoic. The guard members at her side were less so. Grizz was hard to read, but there was a little wrinkle between his eyebrows, and Luke had his eyes fixed on the ground like somehow he wanted to sink into the concrete. Campbell stood and approached. Everyone but Grizz tensed, but Allie muttered something to her herd and they backed off. "Campbell," Allie said. She shoved her hands in her pockets. "You weren't at the meeting." Campbell shrugged. "Being there wouldn't have helped any, right? Anyways. Thought it'd be a good idea if I gave you some space this morning." "Then why are you here?" "For the same reason I was there for Cassandra. I knew it'd be hard for you." Allie stared hard at him, before turning her gaze a little over his shoulder. She was ashamed of her choice. Or, rather, of what she felt she had to do. "We're executing him tomorrow." "Solomon." Campbell tilted his head. The closer he looked at Allie, the more she looked away from him. "You're actually splitting the baby." That made her look at him. Allie pursed her lips, defiant. "I did it for Cassandra." "I know you did. I would have done the same thing." A dig, just to make Allie squirm. Campbell would have enjoyed the queasy look that flitted across her face, if it hadn't been about Cassandra. "Good luck." Maybe she sensed that he meant it, that good luck, because for a single heartbeat of time she looked at him like maybe he wasn't some sort of monster. But then she turned on her heels and headed off, with her lapdogs at her heels. A better reception than he expected, anyways. Campbell turned his attention to Elle and Harry, who emerged from the church and headed towards him. "I can't believe it," Harry mumbled. "She's really going through with it." Elle's lips were pressed into a thin line, but her tone was even. "So what?" She shrugged. "He murdered Cassandra. People who do terrible things deserve what they get." "Maybe, but..." Campbell walked a few paces ahead of them as they went home, trying to tune them out; it wasn't something he wanted to discuss. He knew that, in the end, what he said to Allie had almost been true. It was so very tempting to take the easy route, and Campbell was very sure that the death penalty was the easy route-- easier than having to watch over an inmate for fuck knew how long, anyways, and have him using up resources. That didn't mean he agreed with the death penalty, especially since Cassandra had been against it, and Campbell had heard all the arguments against it from her. In normal society, it didn't deter crime at all, it was more expensive than life without parole, and innocent people sometimes were killed. But this wasn't normal society. The society they were in now was tiny, brittle, and scared. Resources were finite. The guard was already stretched thin. Regardless of what Cassandra would have wanted, regardless of what should have been true and factual, they were playing by different rules now. He didn't care to hear moral debates about it. Most people didn't, it seemed like. Lunch, work, and dinner were quiet. Somber. There were some whispers, but it wasn't surprising that there was so much gossip. It was an execution. Campbell could see Harry sink further into himself with every comment, though; Campbell couldn't exactly offer him comfort, not with everyone else watching them like hawks. It seemed that even with Allie declaring them innocent-- or, well, not worth punishing-- people still were eager to find some excuse to condemn them. They were halfway home when Harry just... stopped. Campbell turned back, following Harry's line of sight. He was staring down the street, towards the spot Cassandra's body had been found. "It's my fault," Harry said. He sounded far away. Faint. "I killed them both." "What are you talking about?" "If I hadn't opened my fucking mouth, if I hadn't said what I did..." Campbell slid his hand under Harry's chin and turned his head so that Harry was looking at him. "No. You're not gonna do this. Just because someone says something fucked up doesn't mean someone else has the right to go murder someone over it." Campbell cut Harry off before he could protest. "It was Dewey's fault. He chose to do what he did." Harry gazed at Campbell, the pulled away and kept walking. He didn't say another word, not until they got home. Muttering to himself, Harry went to his room; Campbell followed, wondering what the hell was going on in Harry's mind this time. Harry dug out all the pills he had left, and a few bags of other drugs. Heading into the bathroom, Harry threw open the toilet, dropped the baggies in it, and flushed. They both stood there, watching the drugs vanish. Once they were completely gone, Harry looked up at Campbell. "Will you help me?" There was no question about it. Campbell went through the house and dumped all the alcohol down the drain. It pained Campbell a little. Some of the bottles were old, expensive, and it's not like he'd personally planned to go completely sober himself. Harry needed it, though. Harry needed Campbell and his support. Campbell was in no way sober, and never would be. He'd given up on that idea. But he could try to be, for Harry's sake; he knew what it was like to give up drugs, especially ones like cocaine, and Harry would need all the help he could get. "Thank you," Harry said when they were done. He frowned as he looked around the kitchen, as if unsure of what to do now that it was all gone. "I just... I can't anymore. You know?" "I know. It's gonna be hell for a while. Are you ready for that?" Harry shook his head. "No, but I can't go through this again, Cam. I don't have it in me. If I keep going on like this, one of these days I'll just..." He hesitated, then gave Campbell a weak smile. "Anyways. I think I'll go to bed." Campbell didn't want to leave. It was gonna be a rough night, and it was only going to be rougher for the next week or so. What if it was all a big show, and Harry was going to do something foolish the minute Campbell left him alone? It happened, sometimes. Professionals always said that it was when depressed people started acting better to worry most, because them being calm could be a sign that they'd decided to end their lives. Harry didn't seem calm, he just seemed ready to try and help himself. Still, if-- Harry was staring at him with a knowing look; he stepped closer, and leaned his forehead against Campbell's shoulder. Of course he'd seen the look on Campbell's face, and read it for what it was. He didn't say anything. Campbell didn't, either. It was a brief, wordless comfort, and then Harry ducked into his room and shut the door. Elle was in her pajamas by the time Campbell got upstairs. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she took her make-up off in the bathroom. "Sounded busy down there." "It's fine. Harry's decided he's gonna get off the drugs and the alcohol." Campbell sunk onto the bed and tossed his shirt into the laundry hamper in the corner. "I was helping him dump the alcohol in the house." "Really?" "Yeah, I mean, he kinda lives here now, too. I didn't want him to be tempted." Rinsing off her face, Elle turned off the bathroom light and flopped next to him in bed. "I guess it's a good idea. We don't really need alcohol. Too bad we couldn't have used it in the garden next spring though, to keep the slugs away." "Pretty sure Harry would have mainlined it all by then." "Good point." Campbell watched Elle as she fiddled with her necklace. Her hands kept slipping. "Do you need some help with that? Here." "It's okay," Elle said quickly, ducking away from his hands. "My hands were just damp still." "Are you feeling alright? You've seemed kind of on edge all day." "It's been a rough day, Campbell." "I know, I just... Do you wanna talk about it?" "No. I'll just be happy when it's over and we can move on." Elle tucked herself in and turned off her bedside lamp, but she stayed sitting up n the faint half-light, her eyes on Campbell. "You looked uncomfortable earlier. Don't you think people who hurt others deserve to be punished?" Campbell felt a cold trickle down his neck and spine. "What do you mean?" It was a strange question, and the fervid look in her eyes made him want to just stand up and leave the room. "Is this about us? Because I've been trying really hard to be better, and I know that doesn't change what happened before, but--" "I was just talking to Becca about it, during work." "Becca?" "She thinks it's true." "I don't doubt it. She's always been pretty passionate about her beliefs." Whatever he said, it triggered some sort of change in Elle's attitude. "Yeah." Rolling over, Elle laid down and pulled the blankets over her. "Sorry, I guess I just need some rest. Goodnight, Campbell." Campbell sat up a little longer, then laid down, too. Weird. Weird, but no one seemed to be getting good sleep lately. Maybe, after tomorrow, people would be less... whatever the hell was happening to people. He just wanted things to go back to how they were only a little while ago, sipping lemonade on their porch and admiring the work all three of them had done together. He just wanted to get his head right with Grizz's help, and try to heal things with Sam, and make sure Harry stayed safe and healthy. Campbell wanted to prove himself to Elle. All this death and murder and trial business was making people senseless. The phone rang at 4am. Picking it up, he slipped out of the bedroom and into the hall. "Hello?" "I can't do it." Allie's voice was strained. Whispering. Campbell shut the bedroom door, and headed across the hall to Elle's bathroom. "Too late for that, cousin. If you back out now, you'll look weak. Weak leaders don't survive long." "How can I?" Allie rasped. "How can I take someone's life?" Campbell sat down roughly on the bathroom floor, leaning back against the cool, tiled wall. "Not lightly. But we both watched Game of Thrones, Allie. You remember what Ned Stark said at the very beginning. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." "You're quoting a television show?" "Am I wrong?" A long silence, and a sniffle. "No. I guess not." "Well, then." Campbell traced the small cracks in the floor. He tried to think of something soothing, but there wasn't anything to say. "Do you want me to do it?" "Campbell." "Allie, answer the question. Do you want me to kill him for you? You and I could go out there together, without anyone else around. You don't have to even tell anyone it was me. No one would have to know." "You'd tell them." "I wouldn't." "Why? Why are you offering?" "Why are you calling?" "I..." Allie gulped. She didn't answer, not for a long while. "I don't know. I thought maybe... I guess I just wanted to talk to someone who wouldn't waver." "There you go, then." "I can't ask you to do it. I have to, don't I?" Campbell had never been close to Allie, and while the despair in her voice didn't stir any pity in him, he could acknowledge that it was a shit situation. "You passed down the sentence, Allie. You gotta swing the sword. Even if it fucking sucks." Allie let out a short, shaking breath, and hung up. Campbell waited for a few minutes, then got up and went back to bed. He didn't fall asleep. The best he could manage was laying down with his eyes closed, listening to Elle's soft snoring, and try to clear his mind of everything that had happened. Impossible, but he could sleep once it was over, done, and there was closure. Once it had been laid to rest, literally, everything would start to heal. A lie, probably, but it was a comfortable one.

[pleasecallmeeds]

love looks good on us

I’ve posted the first three chapters of my new Grizz/Sam fanfiction on ao3! It’s called Love Looks Good on Us. I don’t know how many chapters it will be right now but at the present I have almost seven completely written. They kind of come in threes so far so I’m just posting three today o.o 

Here’s an excerpt of the first chapter: 

“You know you didn't have to walk me home, right?” 

I can’t deny I’m happy to see him. I wanted to talk to him as soon as I left. I wish it was just me and him in the woods, with no responsibilities. I can talk to Sam for hours, I know that. I never really talked to him that much before, so we have years and years of stories to share. I want to know every single thing about Sam Eliot, and I’m not afraid to admit it to myself anymore. If I’m stuck in this world, and God only knows when we’ll return, I’m not going to spend it in denial, or lying about myself. I’m gonna be open, and I’m gonna be free, and I’m gonna be honest. When I look at Sam, there’s a little glimmer of hope that he might feel the same way, but something is always holding him back. I wish I knew how to unlock it. 

“I know, but I wanted to.” 

The thing about talking to Sam is that you have to always look at him when you talk. You can’t just avoid a conversation with him, or say something with your back turned. You have to say it to his face. It’s a blessing and a curse. 

“Isn’t Becca waiting for you? Are you just coming with me so you can pick up diapers or something?”

“Kelly is keeping her company.” Sam stops abruptly, so I turn to face him once again. “I was scared, you know. I was scared you might not come back. But you did.”

“I promised you I would.” I step closer to him, and I can feel him tense up. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admits. “Even in the hospital, I was just wondering what you were doing out there. If you were cold, or if you were hungry, or if you were lonely, or if…if you were still upset with me, and that if you died, you would die being upset with me.”

“Sam.”

“It made me sick to my stomach.” I clutch his coat, digging my fingers into it, and pull him closer. 

“I’m okay. I’m right here. I would read Walden each night before I went to bed, and then I wouldn’t be able to sleep because you were all I could think about. Because I was too busy wondering what you were eating, or who you were talking to, or if you were safe, or if fucking Campbell would somehow do something to you, or if--” I don’t like that thought. I didn’t like what I was going to say, so I stopped, but I’m already in too deep.

“If what?” 

My head drops, and I don’t want to say it, but that’s the thing about Sam, right? You can’t avoid it. He takes his finger and props my head back up, and my eyes lock with his baby blues, and I just melt, right there, in his arms. 

read the first three chapters here!

thanks :D

[mulvs]

Request!!

Hey there!

I am dedicating this blog solely to writing fanfiction.

I seem to struggle with writers block and would really appreciate requests from you guys! I will list the people I most enjoy writing for but feel free to request anyone, I may not be able to write it for you if I don’t know the person requested or feel I wouldn’t do a good job portraying what you want. But I shall try my very best!

CHARACTERS:

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS:

- Sgt. Donny Donowitz

- Lt. Aldo Raine

- Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz

- Hans Landa

- Shosanna Dreyfus

- Frederick Zoller

- Bridget Von Hammersmark

- Lt. Archie Hicox

- Major Dieter Hellstrom

- PFC Utivich

- PFC Hirschberg

- Cpl. Willhelm Wicki

- Perrier LaPadite

- PFC Omar Ulmer

STAND BY ME:

- Gordie Lachance

- Chris Chambers

- Vern Tessio

- Teddy Duchamp

- Richard “Eyeball” Chambers

- Ace Merrill

- Denny Lachance

- Billy Tessio

- Charlie Hogan

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN:

- Enoch O’ Connor

- Miss Alma Peregrine

- Jacob Portman

- Emma Bloom

- Abraham Portman

- Olive Abroholos Elephanta

THE MAZE RUNNER:

- Gally

- Newt

- Thomas

- Minho

- Teresa

- Frypan

- Alby

- Ben

- Zart

- Brenda

- Aris

- Janson

- Jorge

- Vince

- Lawrence

TWILIGHT:

- Bella Swan

- Edward Cullen

- Jasper Hale/Cullen

- Emmett Cullen

- Rosalie Hale/Cullen

- Alice Cullen

- Dr. Carlisle Cullen

- Esme Cullen

- Victoria

- James

- Laurent

- Jacob Black

- Seth Clearwater

- Leah Clearwater

- Sam Uley

- Charlie Swan

- Paul

- Emily

- Jared

SONS OF ANARCHY:

- Jackson “Jax” Teller

- Tara Knowles

- Gemma Teller

- Nero Padilla

- Clay Morrow

- Harry “Opie” Winston

- Lyla Winston

- Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz

- Filip “Chibs” Telford

- Kerianne Telford

- Bobby “Fat Elvis” Munson

- Alexander “Tig” Trager

- Happy Lowman

- Wendy Case

- George “Ratboy” Skogstrom

- Herman Kozik

- Rane Quinn

- Otto Delaney

- Keith McGee

- Cherry

- Luann Delaney

DIVERGENT:

- Eric Coulter

- Tobias “Four” Eaton

- Peter

- Will

YOU:

- Joe Goldberg

- Karen Minty

THE SOCIETY:

- Gareth “Grizz” Visser

- Allie Pressman

- Cassandra Pressman

- Campbell Eliot

- Sam Eliot

- Kelly Aldrich

- Elle Tomkins

- Will LeClair

- Bean

- Helena

- Harry Bingham

- Gordie

- Luke

RIVERDALE:

- Sweet Pea

- Jughead Jones

- Archie Andrews

- Cheryl Blossom

- Toni Topaz

- Kevin Keller

- F. P. Jones

SHERLOCK:

- Sherlock Holmes

- Moriarty

- John H. Watson

- Mycroft Holmes

- Inspector Lestrade

- Molly Hooper

- Mary Morstan

SUPERNATURAL:

- Dean Winchester

- Sam Winchester

- Castiel

- Crowley

- Lucifer

- Charlie

- Bobby Singer

- Gabriel

- John Winchester

- Mary Winchester

- Jo Harvelle

- Meg Masters

- Arthur Ketch

- Bela Talbot

- Kevin Tran

- Jody Mills

- Adam Milligan

- Chuck Shurley

I am more than happy to attempt any character on this list or not. PLEASE SEND REQUESTS! :) I am also happy to do cross-overs and ships, as well as writing two characters together. Every type of request is welcome, be it, polyamorous, gay, lesbian, smut, fluff, kink, mental illness or any other subject that may be difficult to ask for, all is welcome here and I will do my very best with the knowledge I have!

I look forward to writing your stories! Request away!

Mulvs :)

[ao3feed-grizzam]

by K_houston

Grizz Visser returns from his expedition to everything just as he left it, except for the fact that Sam Eliot now has a daughter. Eden Gelb has become the most important thing in the red haired boy's eyes and there's nothing that Grizz can do to change that. * * * -Lexie and Harry are not running New Ham -Campbell didn't pull his dumb shit -Everything is fine. Yay!

Words: 1142, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Society (TV 2019)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Eliot, Gareth "Grizz" Visser, Becca Gelb, Eden Gelb

Relationships: Sam Eliot/Gareth "Grizz" Visser

Additional Tags: Falling In Love, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut

[purestxblood]

BORN TO DIE ▷ e i g h t e e n

The entire Campbell Eliot fan fiction can be found on Wattpad here . However, I wanted to share this ‘smut’ one-shot/chapter. Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, drugs, and sexual content. 2, 754 words. Enjoy :-) xx

THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME LENA AND CAMPBELL WERE ALONE IN A ROOM WITH the sole intent of having sex. Lena was the type of girl to remember all encounters from the date and place to whether or not they made it past first base and woke up from a celebration of making it home.

This had been the second time Lena drunkenly found herself with Campbell in Harry's guest bedroom.

It had been too familiar to her yet she didn't feel anxious or nervous like she did prior, she felt calm as if she was at home – except the two were everything but calm and collected.

This time was different than the rest.

They weren't two teenagers awkwardly undressing before the other in exchange of a first kiss. They were two deviled souls ready to give into their sinful desires and ravish the other.

Lena was quick to pull Campbell up the staircase, the two drunkenly toppling over the other as they took dramatic strides up each level. In the past the two had been subtle with their sensual cues, now they didn't care of the rumors that they knew would transpire once everyone sobered up.

They were both loud and obnoxious, ignoring all stares and curious yet judgmental eyes of those watching the two wrap in each other's affection as they sought an empty room.

Their hands didn't unhook from the other as if they each feared the moment their touch withered, their moment would cool astray.    

With her back pressed against the door, Lena wrapped her hands around Campbell's neck, intertwining her fingers together so her grasp wouldn't break. Their lips met in a heated desperate kiss, both fighting for dominance but not one giving up power to the other.

Campbell's hands caressed Lena's cheeks before sliding down her jaw to palm her throat. His two hands tightened around the sides of her neck as he took control of their kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth massing his against hers. Her hands went to his hair and she fisted his locks, moaning as his grip on her neck tightened with each stroke of his tongue along hers.

Their bodies pressed together and his left hand snaked from her neck down to her chest, cupping her mound tighter before returning down to her thigh. His hand roamed her upper thigh to between her legs, his index and ring finger pressing against her short clad core in a teasing manner to give her a soft sense of pleasure.

Lena moaned as his fingers pressed into her but groaned and bit his bottom lip harshly when he pulled away, leaving her heat aching for his touch. Campbell smirked as she roughly tugged on his lip between her teeth and his hold on her neck with his right hand squeezed. She was certain she'd wake in the morning with remnants of his fingers upon her flesh and the idea turned her on more than his grip.

His left hand squeezed her thigh and she automatically jumped, lifting herself to wrap her legs around his waist, his free hand now wrapped around to support her against the door. She could feel his erected member press against her jeans and with one swift move he grinded into her core, his lips twisting into a smirk when she pulled away from their kiss to moan loudly.

Campbell could hear a snap of a camera and out of his peripheral vision see a classmate with their phone directed towards the sensualized pair. His lips trailed to her neck where he suckled and nibbled on her skin between her shoulder and neck, his eyes casually flashing from being closed to watching the girl take their photo.

While most would be disgusted over the fact someone was interrupting their intimate moment and taking a photo or video for the purpose of gossip, Campbell became aroused from the subject.

Lena and Campbell were everything but intimate at that moment. Sure, they were nearly dry-humping and exchanging wet kisses against Harry Bingham's guest bedroom door but they weren't secluded and paid no mind to the fact people were drunkenly watching.

Campbell liked the idea of his classmates watching. He finally had Lena right where he wanted her and now everyone would know it. No more secrecy.

Lena Dobson finally gave in to the hands of Campbell Eliot. Lena was his.

What Campbell didn't want was exposing the most vulnerable parts of his love. Instead of toying with the lingering eyes and giving them a show, Campbell's hand fell from her neck and went to the doorknob, twisting it open to shove them both inside.

With his hands underneath her bum, Campbell carried Lena to the bed and threw her across the mattress. Lena burst into a fit of drunken giggles as she bounced on the fluff while Campbell slammed the door shut and twisted the lock into place before turning and pouncing atop of Lena.

His legs straddled her waist and his mouth went to her lips, his body moving along hers as she pushed herself higher up the mattress to rest her head on the pillows. Their lips met and her hands went to his shirt, lifting the material up to pull it off him – his hands doing the same but slowly lingering as his knuckles brushed the sides of her bra laced breasts.

Lena allowed Campbell to pull her shirt off while she kissed him back, taking control to deepen the kiss and occasionally suck on his tongue then pull on his bottom lip in a bite. She could hear the moans vibrating through Campbell and feel his smirk when she bit his lip which caused her to bite harder each time.

Underneath Campbell's touch, Lena's body melted and became submissive to his fingers so each time he moaned and grinded his throbbing member into her heated core made her feel confident that she had served dominance.

Campbell broke the kiss and trailed his lips down her neck while his hands roamed her lower stomach up to her breasts. One at a time each hand fiddled with her bra straps before he slid them down her shoulders, loosening the bra to pull down each cup.

His mouth continued to taste each part of her skin until he took his time worshiping each breast. While one hand groped and massaged one mound, his lips were pressing open mouthed kisses to the other, his tongue flicking her nipple before grazing with his teeth and sucking hard.

Lena's breathing hitched into pants and her back arched, her hands going to his head. There had been plenty of times a guy kissed her in intimate places but none had ravished her body as if it were their last breath.

Using Lena's arch of pleasure as leverage, Campbell snuck his left hand behind her back and unhooked her bra, pulling the material off her and tossing it to the floor.

His eyes took in her semi-nude body to her face. Lena's lips were slightly swollen from kissing, her bottom lip puffier than the top with a faint purple color from being bitten numerous times to her caramel eyes staring at him with lust and intensity.

"What's a matter daddy?" Lena's lips twisted into a smirk and her hand went to cup his cheek then slid down his jaw to his neck where she mimicked his action and slightly choked him with a tight closed grasp, "cat got your tongue?"

Campbell's eyes hazed with lust as she tightened her hand around him, his own smirk matching hers. His free hand went to her own neck where tiny blue hues began to form from where his fingers were prior and Lena's eyes closed.

"Not one bit princess."

They were in a battle, both turned on from each other's act of dominance but it was Lena who loosened her grip around Campbell's neck and pulled him down to press their lips together once more.

Campbell's hand around Lena's neck dropped to her nude breasts, massaging and groping them as he trailed his fingers down to her shorts. His fingers teased her, lightly trailing underneath her waist band before popping the button and sliding the zipper down.

He wanted to tease her and have her begging for him to thrust inside of her but his desires overpowered his pride. Lifting up her waist, Campbell pulled both her jeans and underwear down to where Lena could kick them off.

His hand palmed her heated and wet core, before lightly tracing her slit slowly with his fingers. Lena pulled from this kiss and moaned as his fingers teased her flesh, her legs widening as he explored her bits.

Campbell smirked as Lena closed her eyes, the sensation of pleasure clouding her senses the moment he pressed his fingers to her clit and began making circular motions.

It took all of Lena to hold herself together and not cum right then and there. It had been a long time since she had been pleased but even then no one had worked her like Campbell was doing.

Lena's lips parted as she moaned while her hands caressed Campbell's chest until she palmed his member. Her hand moved back and forth along his clothed groin in the same motion he was making with her. With her other hand, she popped his button and snuck her hands into his boxers, freeing his erection.

Campbell moaned in sync with Lena as she wrapped her hand around his shaft and began pumping, her grip tightening around his length with each thrust. They both teased each other with their hands, Lena occasionally grinding into his hand to create harder friction whilst Campbell thrusted in her hand.

Their lips met in a heated sloppy kiss while they moaned into each other's mouth, losing sensation in each other's hands. Lena was the first to pull away, her hand going to stop his wrist from his fingers moving against her clit.

"I want you," she said breathlessly, pressing her lips to his chest.  

Campbell smirked and stood from the bed to slide his jeans and boxers off before returning to Lena.

Their bodies were pressed, skin to skin, and for a split second neither one of them made a gesture.

Campbell and Lena weren't saints, they were West Ham's sinners and together they both warmed various beds of other's but this moment was different. It seemed like they were frozen in time together in their most vulnerable state, giving themselves to another for the first time ever.

Their pupils were dilated of darkened pleasure and Lena's fingers carelessly strummed his strands that were sticking to his forehead in sweat. His member pulsed against her wet core begging to be filled.

Campbell softly placed his lips against hers while his hand ran across the side of her face to cup her chin. While he deepened their kiss, his opposite hand lifted and parted her leg to hoist around the side of his waist.

Lena moaned as she felt the tip of his erection press into her entrance then pull out, teasing her with each stroke. A groan vibrated from Lena's mouth to Campbell's and he chuckled into their kiss.

While he was not only teasing her but himself as well, he still enjoyed frustrating her with each touch or lack of. Their tongues battled once more and right as Campbell went to bite her bottom lip, he thrusted inside of her.

Lena's head tilted upward, exposing her neck to him while she lightly whimpered. Campbell's body stilled as she adjusted to his length stretching her before he pulled out and thrusted inside once more.

Her eyes opened and were met with his, staring deeply into her. They didn't have to say anything to know the truth running through their minds.

Campbell continued his motion and Lena wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck, pulling him towards her so she could kiss his neck. Her teeth nibbled on his shoulder, her bites becoming harder with each harsh thrust he made inside her. While her mouth worked on his chest and shoulder, Lena's nails dug down his back. Teeth marks and scratches pierced his skin with tiny hints of pink blood seeping through the tears.

His skin stung from her teeth biting wounds and nails pressed to his back but the pain only heightened his pleasure causing him to thrust harder into her. Lena's tight wet walls clenched against his member and with each thrust her hips lifted to meet his rhythm.

In a synchronized round, Lena and Campbell's moans filled the air. They were in their own aura of body against body and were forgetful to the fact there was a party occurring right out their door. If it wasn't for the raging music, it was certain their moans could be heard from the other side – the idea sending a different wave of pleasure through Campbell.

He continued his rhythm and picked up the pace, his hand going to her neck. With his right hand, he cupped her skin and tightened his hand around her to lightly choke her.

Lena's body was on overdrive. Every part of her felt on fire; from his length pumping inside her, to his lips on her skin, and his grasp around her neck. The moment his fingers tightened around her neck, her lips twisted into a satisfied tight lip smiled until she moaned in pleasure.

His hold on her neck made her vision darken until she saw red and dark blue stars all while pleasing her to the core. Lena was a puddle underneath Campbell and the harder he thrusted into her and choked her, the more pleasure she felt.

Campbell groaned in pleasure from feeling her walls tighten around his erection and seeing her smirk in pleasure from his hand around her. He had tried to choke multiple of his lovers in the past but not one of them were into it. While he had found some pleasure in their distaste of his choking, there was something different about finding a girl who genuinely was turned on from the sexual action.

With each thrust, Campbell could feel his member throb, knowing he was nearing his peak. His thrusts became messy while he rushed to push and pull himself in and out of her while Lena arched her back and lifted herself to meet his thrusts to allow him deeper access inside of her.

His hand continued to tighten then loosen on Lena's neck and it was when he felt Lena's body begin to wiggle and buck into him that he knew she was coming undone.

Lena erupted into countless throaty moans as his thrusts devoured her. Letting go of her neck, Lena gained her breath but only for a second for Campbell was quick to kiss her.

With one last thrust, Lena's toes began to curl as she lost herself in pure ecstasy, moaning into Campbell's mouth. It was all Campbell needed, to feel her cum around his girth that sent him in to his own release.

He wanted to continue pumping inside of her to ride out his ejaculation but instead pulled out and used his hand to pump himself until he came on her lower belly.

Lena watched and fought to catch her breath while his release coated her tanned skin and immediately began to pool in lust. Campbell's chest lifted then fell as he caught his breath while pumping out his remains.

Reaching for his shirt, Campbell wiped her stomach clean before tossing the shirt to the floor and plopping himself on his back right beside her.

They were shoulder to shoulder, the room quiet besides the sound of their pants. Not one of them said a word to the other, both at a loss for what had occurred between them.

Campbell turned his head to look at Lena, who was staring straight up at the rotating ceiling fan. She could feel his eyes on her and turned her head to meet his gaze.

Their eyes locked in a heated exchange and Campbell's left hand went to Lena's right, intertwining their fingers. Their fingers teased the other, lightly brushing against each other's tips before locking their hold.

Lena Dobson had found her drug and now that she had fulfilled her desire all she wanted was to devour herself in Campbell Eliot until she couldn't breathe, which would oblige with a grin because she was finally his – and always would be.

[purestxblood]

Should i start uploaded my Campbell fan fic to Tumblr?! OR are you guys cool w/ reading it on Wattpad ?!

The prologue and first chapter are up on Wattpad now & you can read by clicking this -> here 

also if you have any the society fan fic up anywhere please send them my way . i’d love to read them.♥

[purestxblood]

BORN TO DIE ▷ campbell eliot

campbell eliot (toby wallace) "there is a little story, i'd like to tell about this little boy who came from hell."

Read the fan fiction: here . 

[purestxblood]

BORN TO DIE ▷ campbell eliot

At dusk, death came to me in the form of a man.

[campbell eliot x oc] | fanfiction available here: born to die ▷ campbell eliot

The fanfiction will be fully available on Wattpad, however, I wanted to give you guys a snippet on here! I’m having a lot of fun with this one so far so I hope you guys will too. Enjoy :-)

warnings, mentions of liquor and drug use. x

THE WALLS VIBRATED IN A SOOTHING UNION AS MUSIC RADIATED through the speakers of Harry Bingham’s first floor living room up to the second floor guest bedroom. With the door sealed shut and lock in place with Lena Dobson’s back pressed against the white wood, there was absolutely no way the brunette and Cambpell Eliot were to leave the room. Not that either wanted to of course.

For a second Lena was a deer in headlights as his eyes roamed over her frame, taunting her with his dark gaze and crisp smirk. Her eyes followed his movements as he placed a pink circular pill onto the tip of his tongue and chased the drug with the bottle of vodka held in his opposite grasp.

“Aren’t you afraid of my darkness?” he asked with mischief and a hooded gaze while holding out his index finger with a pill laying on the tip. Lena puckered her lips and tilted her head to the side in an innocent and teasing manor before pushing herself off the door and closing the gap between them both.

They were inches apart, his hand creating a small space between their faces. Not once did their eyes break from the other, both of them battling the other for dominance. Lena licked her lips and formed a smirk of her own, “nope.” Grabbing ahold of his hand, Lena kept eye contact and bent slightly, wrapping her lips around his finger and sucking until the tip of her tongue met the pill to take it in her own mouth.

Campbell’s smirk widened as he closed the distance by tightly gripping Lena’s hip and pulling her against him. Lena let out a soft moan as she felt the bulge in his pants rub against her. They were nose to nose, their eyes toying with the other.

Taking the bottle from Campbell’s hand, Lena brought it to her lips, “you haven’t even seen mine yet.”

[purestxblood]

I’m 50 chapters deep into my Campbell Eliot fanfiction on Wattpad, should I start posting it here for those to read who aren’t on the Wattpad app?!

[wroughtbetwixtfanfic]

Wheels Set In Motion, Ch 4.

Fandom: The Society.

Summary: As the situation in New Ham takes a dark, mysterious turn, Campbell is faced with a threat he never saw coming. With few allies and the past coming back to haunt him, he is forced to deal with a world that is crumbling fast, and choices with grim consequences.

Rating: Explicit.

Tags: Minor Character Death, Canon Divergence, Mental Health Issues, Addiction Recovery, Unhealthy Relationships, Teen Pregnancy, Past Rape/Non-con, Campbell Isn’t The Dad, Brother Feels, Attempted Murder, Supernatural Elements, Gay Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Campbell has mild ASPD and is actively trying to not be awful

Word Count: 7961

Ch 1 || Ch 2 || Ch 3 || Ch 5 || AO3

The edge of his mattress dipped. He didn't know when he drifted off, but Campbell stirred when a cool hand rested on his forehead. He shifted in his bed just a little, enough to feel the heaviness of someone sitting beside him. "Mmn?" "Campbell." That voice, soft and imploring, made Campbell jerk awake and sit up in bed. "Cassandra?"

No reply. Of course there was no reply-- he was alone. He was breathing hard. His clothes were soaked in a cold sweat, and there was the sour taste of bile in his mouth. A fever dream. Nothing more. But Campbell could still feel that soothing touch on his skin, and maybe Harry had come in to check on him. Campbell managed to get up, wandering into the hallway. He'd just stepped out of his room when he heard a loud thud from the bathroom, followed by coughing. "What are you doing in there?" Campbell knocked on the door. "Elle?" A faint reply. "Go away." What the fuck? Campbell blinked blearily at his phone as it buzzed in his hand, notifying him of a text from Will. People getting sick fast. If you're throwing up or having trouble standing, go to the hospital. Taking everyone there for safety. "I just got a text that people are sick. Are you?" "Go away!" Goddamn it. "Elle." He pressed his ear to the door and could hear her say something, but he was done being polite. "I can't hear you. I'm coming in, okay?" Opening the door, Campbell was greeted by the sight of Elle on the floor, eyes rolled up in her head as she shook and her back arched unnaturally. She was foaming at the mouth, and Campbell could hear her making choking sounds. "Oh, shit. Fuck." He knelt at her side, trying to remember what some kid in 11th grade had told him about his epilepsy. Campbell gently cupped her head to keep it from hitting the side of the tub. "Harry!" The scream that had come from him didn't sound like his own voice. He couldn't fall apart, he couldn't, not now when Elle needed help. Harry was at his side, it seemed, almost instantly. He rushed into the bathroom, cursing under his breath as he helped Campbell move Elle to her side so she wouldn't aspirate on her own vomit. Harry's hand rested on his and squeezed. Grounding. He said something, but Campbell didn't hear it; Elle had stopped seizing, and they didn't have time to chat. "Get her to the car," Harry ordered as he helped them down the stairs. "I'll drive." Campbell rushed outside as Harry got the keys. He was right on Campbell's heels, opening the door and helping Campbell get Elle onto the back seat. Campbell held Elle's head in his lap, keeping her on her side and making sure she didn't fall as Harry peeled out of the driveway towards the hospital. Even speeding, it didn't feel like they were moving fast enough. "Stay with me, babe. Come on. Hang in there, Elle. We'll get you help." He leaned closer when he heard a strange noise come from her throat. She felt cold, and he couldn't feel her chest moving. "Harry, I don't think she's breathing. She's not breathing." "Pulling up in a minute, hold on." Campbell buried his face into her hair. "I love you, Elle, don't leave me like this." The car screeched to a halt, and Harry jumped out and opened the door. He helped Campbell get Elle out of the car, and into Campbell's arms; Campbell took off towards the emergency room doors as fast as he could. There was no one there, but as he rounded a corner it became clear why. The sound of throwing up, the smell of sickness in the air, the way people were moaning and crying... and exactly three people running around. Kelly, Gordie, and Will, all trying to scramble for supplies and figure out what the fuck to do. "Help! Goddamn it, someone help!" Campbell yelled. Fuck everyone else. At least they were conscious. "She had a seizure or something." Kelly dropped the book she was holding and rushed over. "Is she breathing?" "I don't know!" "Pulse and breathing, but it's weak," she answered as she checked Elle's neck, and pressed her ear to Elle's nose and mouth. Kelly turned to Will, who had appeared next to them. "She had a seizure, maybe. Help me get her to a bed." They got her a bed in the corner, and everyone descended on her at once, shouting. Campbell paced back and forth, trying hard to not to shout at them to just do something. But then Kelly managed to place an IV and hook Elle up to a bag of fluids, and everyone let out a sigh of relief. Campbell sank into the chair next to Elle's bedside, head between his knees. He could breathe now. They would save her, they had to save her. It had to work. "Campbell?" Kelly's voice was surprisingly soft. "Are you okay?" He looked up at her. Okay? How could he be? But then his brain caught up to their situation, and he realized Kelly had no idea who was and wasn't sick. "I'm fine. Just dizzy." "Did you throw up?" "No, I just. Woozy." "That's still worrying. We'll get you something to drink. Okay?" But then Will came tearing over, and there was another flurry of activity. Allie's crashing, Campbell heard Kelly yell; they all rushed to the bed a few rows down. Campbell stood, tempted to go-- he was family, for fuck's sake-- but what if Elle woke up? He didn't want her to come back to an empty room. He sat back down, watching her face for some sign of consciousness. Nothing, but at least she was breathing, and as the minutes ticked by her color went from grey to a drained sort of pink. Harry walked in a while later. It had only been half an hour at most, but it had felt like days. "Sorry. I needed to give Sam and Grizz a ride here," he said as he moved to Campbell's side. "How is she?" "I don't know." Sitting in the chair next to Campbell's own, Harry put his arm around Campbell and pulled him close. Campbell sunk against him, closing his eyes despite himself. "People can see." But Harry didn't move, and Campbell didn't fight him. He sighed and let sleep claim him, even it was for just a short amount of time; Harry was warm and comfortable, and sleep meant he didn't have to endure the sensation of his stomach contents trying to escape up his esophagus. A murmuring voice woke him not long after, though. Helena had entered their section, a Pedialyte in hand. "Kelly thought you might need this," she said. Helena held out the drink. "How are you?" Campbell accepted it. "Tired, mostly." He opened his mouth, intending to ask what was going on out there, when loud coughing and sputtering came from the hospital bed. "Elle?" Helena was right at her side, talking quietly to her as she took Elle's pulse. Campbell couldn't hear what Elle was saying, but Helena's voice was clearer. "No. I mean, yes, but you're going to be okay." She made her voice gentler as Elle kept talking. "Elle, you're going to be okay. Kelly put in an IV. See?" And that was when Campbell felt his world crash down. Elle stared at her arm, and began to shriek. "What? No, no!" She clawed at her arm, at the line, at Helena. "No, no, I don't want it! No, no!" "Elle! Stop!" "No! No! Take it out!" Campbell tried to come over and help as Kelly and Gordie ran over, but the moment she saw him, Elle let out a piercing wail that sounded less like the woman he loved and more like some sort of unnatural thing clawing it's way out of her lungs. Harry grabbed Campbell by the arm when he froze, pulling him out of the room and guiding him towards a side hall. They stood there for a moment, not speaking. Harry had his hand over his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. Campbell had the opposite problem. He had a million thoughts running through his head, and not a damn one would come out. From the main room, someone came their way. Grizz. He looked worried, but at least he looked fine otherwise. Campbell focused on him. "Are you okay?" he asked as Grizz drew closer. Focusing on other people was easier. "Is Sam sick?" "Hey, no, Sam's fine. We're both fine. Uh..." Grizz ran his hands through his hair. "Becca needed Sam, and I came with to be supportive. I'm, uh, I'm just gonna go get Gordie and Kelly some snacks. Keep their energy up." Campbell followed Grizz as he walked away, cutting him off before he got too far. "Wanna fill me in on what's going on?" "Man, I know you already know." "Pretend I don't. Talk to me." Grizz looked at the floor and shuffled his foot. "Fuck. Sam told me that he and Becca fooled around, and she got pregnant by accident. I guess he didn't know until prom. I'm glad he told me, and it's not like I can judge people's journeys or anything." "But?" "It's a lot. I need some time to think." "You gonna be okay?" "Yeah. I guess. I just need to get used to it. And now all this happening, and I have to leave soon... Fuck, I hate it. It's confusing. I just wanna focus on one thing at a time and make sure everyone else is okay before I freak out about my freshly minted love life." Campbell stepped aside. "Well, good luck. Looks like we all need some." "Tell me about it." Grizz paused a few paces away. "You know, I always wanted to be a dad someday. I don't know, maybe we could... I don't know." Campbell didn't answer. He didn't have anything worth sharing. Grizz wandered towards the cafeteria, and Campbell went back to Harry, who was standing at the end of the hallway and staring towards Elle's bed. They couldn't pretend forever that nothing had happened. Elle's reaction had been visceral and undeniable. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong. Helena thought so, too, judging by the way she was storming towards them. "What did you do to her, Campbell?" she snarled, as quietly as she could. "That was not normal." "I don't fucking know, okay? I know what everyone thinks, but I didn't hurt Becca or Elle. Sure, sometimes I'd punch a wall or yell, and I know that's shit, but I never laid a hand on her. We were trying to work things out." "Is that what you think?" "That's what she told me!" Campbell snapped. "She said movie night that she wanted to try." "And Harry? What about you?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Elle and I were friends, at least that's what I thought. We spent time together. I mean, I've been living with her and Campbell for months. I never heard or saw anything that would make her react like that. Sure as hell didn't do anything myself." "Right." Helena looked between them. After a moment, she folded her arms across her chest and settled her gaze on Campbell. "I feel like I shouldn't believe you, but she's awake and said she wants to go home with you two once she can. And I can't stop her. But if I find out you--" Campbell held up his hands. "You've got guns, Helena. We know." Helena pursed her lips and left, hopefully to go pray over Allie or preach abstinence to helpless victims. Whatever. Campbell leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, drinking the salty-sweet concoction Pedialyte called 'fruit punch' while Harry approached Elle's room.  He didn't come back. Not for several hours. Campbell spent the time pacing, dozing on a cot her found in a random corner, and reading random pamphlets and medical books laying around the nearby rooms. The hospital had grown more quiet as the night progressed into early morning. The sound of retching and people running around gathering supplies faded to soft conversation, and occasionally snoring. Kelly was still awake, making rounds and checking up on everyone; she'd even stopped by to offer Campbell another Pedialyte, which was probably just her professional integrity at work, but he was grateful all the same. Harry came back around sunrise. "She's sleeping." He looked washed out under the fluorescent lights. Older. Drained. "Do you wanna come back? Kelly said that maybe said she was just hallucinating or something." Going back to that room felt like walking to a funeral, but until Elle said that she wanted things to be over, he wasn't going to just abandon her; Harry stayed with Campbell, both of them at Elle's bedside and waiting. She'd been sick. She'd had a seizure. He'd never had one himself, but from what little he knew about them, they could make someone disoriented. Maybe he could have been convinced that was all there was to it, had Elle not said something to Helena, and had Helena not been so furious. What had Elle even said? He didn't know, and probably never would. At least Elle was alive. She was starting to open her eyes, even though she only stared at the ceiling before closing them again. As the morning went on, she began to shift in her bed, before finally trying to sit up. Gordie, who had come to hook up another fluid bag, helped her up and made sure she was comfortable. Elle didn't speak. Not until Kelly came back to talk to her, and see how she was feeling. "I feel better," Elle said. She glanced at Campbell. "Really, I just want to go home." Kelly nodded. "Alright. Let's finish this IV bag, and see how you are. The others are looking good, too, so hopefully we can have everyone out of here soon." Soon, as it turned out, was three hours later. Will left to go make sure lunch-- breakfast, for some-- was ready, and Kelly came back to remove the IV from Elle's arm. Campbell looked away when he saw blood. Kelly muttered something to herself, but managed to get the site cleaned up and bandaged quick enough. "What now?" Harry asked. "Are we out of the woods?" "I hope so." "And you don't know what happened?" Kelly shook her head. "We're working with a very limited pharmacy, a tiny lab, and outdated medical books, Harry. We're just lucky no one died." She rested her hand on Elle's shoulder. "Not sure if there'll be any long-term side effects, but I think you can go home now, if you want to." "I wanna go," Elle mumbled. "Alright. Let's get you up, then." Harry held out his arm as Elle got out of bed, and together, they headed towards the exit. She was wobbly on her feet, and she couldn't walk too far without needing to pause and catch her breath, but she was walking. Campbell lingered behind, catching Gordie's attention. "Hey. I just wanted to say thank you for helping her." "It's our job to keep the town safe," Gordie answered. "Make sure she drinks water. Whatever this is, she'll heal faster if she stays hydrated. No more than a liter per hour." Without waiting for a reply, Gordie moved on to the next patient. Campbell shrugged it off, and joined Harry and Elle. Harry stopped to pass Elle off to Campbell; Elle accepted Campbell's support, but she kept as far away from him as possible. When Harry came back with the car, they both helped her in. Harry glanced at him, waiting for him to get in the back with Elle, but Campbell shook his head. Sighing, Harry tossed the keys to Campbell. Campbell slid into the driver seat and clenched his fingers around the wheel. He focused his eyes on the road, tried to remember to breath, and shoved every thought down as far as possible. They had to get home. They had to make sure Elle rested and recovered. Campbell got her up the stairs, and into her own room. Elle pulled away from him and stumbled towards the bed, yanking her clothes off and tossing them to the floor. "Do you want me to get you something?" "No." "Kelly getting in that IV was pretty badass," he tried as she climbed into bed. Maybe saying something nice about someone would help? Talking about it? Isn't that what people did following something traumatic? He had no idea. Elle didn't answer. She just crawled into bed. "Can I get you some water? I'm supposed to make sure you drink water." "No. Sleep." Campbell hesitated. She was only a few feet away, but it might as well have been miles. He shook his head and left, going back downstairs and sitting in the living room with the lights still off and the curtains still closed. Harry eventually came in with something for them to eat, but Campbell ignored the food. He didn't feel hungry. "C'mon," Harry said softly. "You gotta eat." "I don't gotta do anything." For a long time, Harry didn't say anything. Eventually, he set whatever it was aside, reached out, and laid down on the sofa next to Campbell. "I know it hurts." His head rested on Campbell's leg. "I didn't realize it before. How much I care about her, too." "She's gonna leave, you know." "Yeah. I know." Harry held still as Campbell stroked his hair. It was a small, minuscule comfort. When everything was going to hell, at least it still seemed like they were each other's emotional support humans, Campbell thought with a wry smile. Yet, it did hurt. Campbell had always thought that seeing it coming would make it easier, but it didn't. In the end, it was all the same. He'd failed. As a partner, as a person. He'd made too many mistakes and hadn't done enough to correct them. On one hand, he wanted to say fuck it. Hadn't he done his best? To hell with anyone if it wasn't good enough. On the other hand, he knew how everything looked, and that he had just enough blood on his hands to make it seem credible. That was his fault. They hadn't even been together that long of a time, but they'd been through so much together, and she was the first person Campbell had ever actually been with. He loved her, and it was such a shitty, terrible fucking way for it to end. The little flame of hope he'd carried with him had snuffed out in that hospital room. And regardless, once his brain and it's crossed-up wires decided that someone didn't want to be around him, that was it; it flipped a switch that was hard to flip back, even in the best of situations. All that was left was to just deal with it, but... Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Once she felt a little better, he determined. He'd help her find a new place to go, if that was what she really wanted. Hell, it was for the best even if it wasn't what she wanted. He'd let her see parts of him that weren't pretty, and it was too much. It wasn't Becca or Helena or Elle's fault. It was just an unfortunate truth. But then there was a knock on the door the next morning, and when Campbell opened the door, he was face to face with a reality he hadn't expected. Luke, looking grim, with Will behind him. "Can we come in?" Luke asked. "It's about yesterday." Campbell stepped aside to let them through. "Yeah, I guess. What's going on?" "Can you get Elle and Harry, too?" "Luke, Elle's sleeping. I can't--" Will cut in. "Please. It's important." Shit. Campbell rubbed his face. He was willing to piss off Luke, but Will was another story. "Alright. Fine." Luckily, Elle was awake enough, and Harry was already chatting Luke up by the time they got back downstairs. "So, you were just about to explain." "We just wanted to go to everyone who cooked at home and ask some questions," Will said. He seemed calm, but his eyes were worried. Something wasn't right. "To see if we can figure out what happened last night." "Alright, well, we don't have anything to hide." "You checked out food to cook at home. What did you bring to the church?" Elle leaned against the counter, her arms crossed tight in front of her. She looked small in her big maroon bathrobe. Frail. "It was just a pumpkin pie. Nothing special." "You make it yourself?" "I did." Luke turned his gaze to Campbell. "Your boyfriend didn't help you?" "No." "Did Harry?" "No! I said I made it myself." Campbell eyed Elle. She was still pale, and obviously uncomfortable. It was a useless waste of her energy, to drag her out of bed. "Why are you doing this? Why the interrogation?" "Because people got sick. Will and I are just trying to figure out how." "Okay, so they got food poisoning. Is that a crime?" Luke exchanged a glance with Will, who shrugged. "It's not just normal food poisoning." He looked back to Campbell. "Alright? We think somebody put poison in a dish." Poison. Harry, who had been silent the whole time, sat down hard on a kitchen stool. "Are you serious? Like, to try and kill people?" "What did you put in the pie, Elle?" Will asked. It clicked then, as sure as anything ever had before. Campbell turned to Elle, studying her every little expression. It made sense, terrible sense, all of it. Elle's evasion and then sudden interest in working things out. Suggesting they should stay home, just the two of them, and her freaking out when Campbell wanted to go to the church with the pie. Her trying to eat as much of it as possible, so no one else got to it. Fuck, her talking to Becca. To warn her, no doubt. To protect the baby. Why she acted so strange at the hospital, and was so defensive under questioning. It was Elle. Elle had poisoned the pie. Her eyes darted over to Campbell, then between Will and Luke. "Condensed milk, pumpkin, spices, eggs." There it was again, that quick look at Campbell. Afraid. She was afraid. "It was just a frozen crust." Luke nodded. "Can we take a look around?" "Uhhuh," Campbell volunteered, before Elle could respond. "Go ahead." He wanted to see her face. He wanted to watch her eyes, the way she looked and breathed and moved, as Luke searched the kitchen. Campbell knew he was right. He felt it. Now, he just needed to confirm it. And Elle, Elle was the worst at lying. She would give it away without evening meaning to. Luke began to dig through the cupboard under the island. Nothing, not yet. Harry spoke up, his voice sharp. "This is fascist bullshit. Elle got sick. You think she poisoned herself?" "We're just investigating," Will replied. "No one's blaming her. We're talking to everyone, and just seeing what we can find out." And then Luke opened the door to the cupboard under the sink, and Campbell saw it. There. A tension in Elle's jaw, a slight lift of her shoulders. Impossible. Impossible, except her saw it there written all over her face. Campbell smiled and turned back to Will and Luke. "I had a big slice of the pie myself, before we got to the dinner. It was great, and besides a little vertigo from a sinus infection, I'm fine." He reached out and picked up his allergy meds from the counter. "See?" Luke stood up and moved away from the cupboard, eyeing the meds. "Yeah, I see." "I think you guys should be talking to someone else." Elle let out a shuddering sigh, turning away from them and leaving the kitchen. "I'm going back to bed." Campbell didn't even really hear what was said between Harry, Luke, and Will after Elle left. He just looked out the window while his thoughts flew in every direction. Had it ben intentional? Of course it had. Had she intended to kill him, or just make him sick? But he'd seen how bad everyone had gotten ill with just a piece of the pie. If he'd eaten much more than that, he would have been more than just a little dizzy. Had he really been so bad? Campbell knew he'd been a dick, and he knew his outbursts-- even if they were only directed at a wall or coffee cup or pillow-- were scary. But had he really hurt her enough, that she'd decided to kill him for it? "Cam?" Harry's voice brought Campbell back to the present. He blinked, turning to look at Harry. They were alone. Harry's eyebrows were knit together, and he was searching Campbell's face. Worried. Campbell walked to him and nuzzled his shoulder, speaking in barely a whisper. "I need you to go in your room, lock the door, and call Allie if I don't come get you." Thankfully, Harry didn't question him. He just frowned and went to his room; a few moments after, Campbell could hear the lock click, and the sound of music. Good boy, Campbell thought grimly as he turned his gaze to the stairs. What was waiting up there for him? He had no clue, now. If Elle would use poison, would she wield a more direct weapon? Maybe not, but any animal would bite if put into a corner. Taking a breath, Campbell climbed up the stairs and stood in the door of Elle's room. She was sitting on the bed with her back to him; she jumped when he hit a creaky spot on the floor. "You scared me." "I always have, haven't I?" "What do you mean?" Elle stood, keeping the bed between them as much as she could. It was so obvious, now. "Why are you staring at me?" Campbell stopped when he was just outside of arm's reach. He tried to find some part of him that was tender towards her. She was frightened. Desperate. Knowing that still didn't soften the sharp edge to his words when he spoke. "Will you tell me what you used?" "Used for what?" "You know for what. In the pie." "I don't know what you mean." "Let's not play this game, Elle. You tried to kill me." Elle's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Campbell, please." Elle sobbed as he took a step towards her, an instinctive move to try and comfort her, but there would be no comfort. She was shrinking back against the wall and shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering. "No. No." "Come on, you..." Campbell resisted the urge to try and hold her, feeling sick at the terror in that single word. How had he created this? "Just admit it. I'm not going to do anything to you, babe. Just tell me what you did. That's all I'm asking." Swallowing hard, Elle met his gaze. She was crying, and her voice sounded so broken, but he managed to hear the single word she breathed out. "Antifreeze." It was as if the room itself had been holding it's breath, and with that confession, it exhaled. Campbell closed his eyes for a moment. Something like relief flooded him, but it was cold. It wasn't soothing, but a severance of emotional attachment from ration. When he opened his eyes, it was like he was looking at a stranger. "You want to leave me? You want to get away? I get it." "You don't get it at all." "Don't I? You're afraid of me. Everyone's always afraid of me." "You throw things and yell at people. You get into fights. I hear you killed Sam's bird, and Charlie vanishes. There's blood on your clothes. Then Becca tells me you raped her, and she's pregnant." "Elle, I didn't fucking hurt Charlie or Becca!" "How can I believe you? Of course I was afraid! I'm terrified! What was I supposed to do?" Campbell waved his arm towards the door, struggling to keep himself from shouting. "You should have left! The door's right fucking there!" "I didn't feel like I could! I thought if I tried, that you'd... you'd..." "I'd what, Elle? Beg you to stay? Chase you down? Force you to come back?" When she didn't answer, Campbell just chuckled a low, bitter laugh. "You know, I loved you because I thought maybe we were alike. No one else understood. Maybe that's the problem. We're too much alike." Something shifted in Elle's face. Her jaw clenched, and her gaze turned hard. "No. I'm nothing like you." "Oh, my little poisoner." Campbell managed a forced smile. He took in how she looked just then, and made sure to etch that hateful look into memory. It would be useful, when it was time to move on. "You have an hour to get out. See if I try to stop you." Elle didn't react. She just stared at him, then picked up her phone and texted someone. She didn't speak as she began to gather up her things from the room. Ten minutes later, the front door opened, and there were steps on the stairs. Helena stepped into the room next to Campbell; she glanced at him, but didn't say anything. She just moved past him and went to Elle, a couple of empty suitcases in hand. Campbell followed them until they were done packing, and out the door. Elle paused on the porch, looking back. Her eyes were red, but she was no longer crying. Good. Campbell slammed the door shut and locked it. He leaned his back against the door, sliding down it and sitting on the floor with a loud thump as his legs turned to jello. His heart was thrashing hard in his chest and suddenly everything felt lighter. Spinning. Gone. She was gone. That was it. Not with a bang, but a whimper. The door to Harry's room clicked open. Of course Harry didn't listen. No one ever movie-- Fellowship of the Ring-- and left the room, coming back ten minutes later with a large plate of pizza rolls. He flopped down next to Campbell, setting the food between them. The idea of eating made Campbell want to gag, so he watched the movie and ignored the smell of tomato sauce and cheese. For a time, anyways. Half an hour in, and Campbell found himself nibbling on a pizza roll. It didn't feel real. It was cold and tasteless to him, but Harry wasn't eating them either and Campbell didn't want them to go to waste. Of course, halfway through, Harry began to munch on them too. How many times had he done that same trick, when Harry wouldn't eat? When the first movie ended, Harry got up to put the second one on; at some point, Campbell found himself leaning against Harry again, closing his eyes and listening to the movie more than watching. When Campbell opened his eyes again, there was morning sunlight filtering through the window, and they were both twisted in that awkward fell-asleep-watching-tv position. He couldn't move. He was tucked under Harry's chin, with Harry's arm curled around his waist. If he tried to wiggle loose, Harry would wake up, and... ... And, what? What did it really matter? They hadn't done anything. Even if they had, Campbell didn't belong to anyone. Not anymore. The reminder was sharp in his chest. He had almost forgotten, for just a few moments. But then the events of the day before came rushing back in and suddenly Campbell needed to move. He needed to go take a shower, clean the house. Erase what he could. "Mmn?" Harry grunted as Campbell began to try and wiggle free. "Oh. Hold on." Campbell rolled out of bed once Harry lifted his arm, heading upstairs to the bathroom and running a shower. He scrubbed every inch of skin he could, and part of him wanted to laugh over the sad irony. Last time he felt his skin crawling like this, it was after he'd had Cassandra's blood on him, and Elle had been there to comfort him. Now, Elle was gone, and he wanted to wash away every atomic trace of her from his body. He threw on his favorite clothes-- jeans, t-shirt, flannel-- and combed his hair, shaved, and preened more than usual. Just because he felt like trash didn't mean he had to look like it. Once he was done, he trotted down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. Campbell opened the cupboard under the sink. Sure enough, there was a large jug of antifreeze. He set it on the counter, inspecting it like maybe it would give him some sort of answers. "Cam? Are you okay?" Campbell didn't speak at first. Harry's voice was rough from sleep, but he said those words so softly that Campbell almost answered honestly. "You should go get breakfast, Harry. I'm gonna stay home and get some work here done." "No. You were here for me when I needed you. I'm not leaving you here when you need me." "I don't..." Campbell faltered, an objection sticking on his tongue. Need. He didn't need anyone. Still, the words wouldn't go, not when Harry came up behind him and rested his cheek on Campbell's shoulder. Prick. "I don't want you making a big deal of it. I don't even care." "You're a liar." "Fuck you." It came out sharper than intended, but Harry didn't even flinch. "Where do we go from here, then? What do we do?" Campbell snatched the antifreeze and turned, hurling it across the kitchen. It hit his mother's china cabinet, shattering the glass and several dishes. "She poisoned the pie." Campbell hadn't intended to tell Harry, but it slipped out when he saw the questioning look in his eyes. "Elle put the antifreeze in the pie. That's why she wanted to stay home. She was trying to poison me." "But that's..." Harry looked between him and the thick green syrup spilling out over the kitchen floor. He pressed a hand to his mouth. “Why? Why would she do that? She could have killed you.”

“Pretty sure that was the point.”

"Campbell, you have to tell Allie. That’s attempted murder." "Do you really want Elle put on trial? Do you want what happened to Dewey to happen to her?" The flash of hurt in Harry's eyes said no, he didn't. He moved to stroke Campbell's cheek, but stopped himself just short. "I'll stay home and help you clean up. Okay? Let me help." Campbell was still shaking from anger, but managed to mutter an agreement. Well, fine, if Harry wanted to go hungry in order to clean up a mess that wasn't even his, then that was his prerogative. They threw open the windows and got to work. Campbell cleaned up the chemical and the broken glass, chucking the fractured plates and cups into a box and throwing it all out the door. Harry helped him get the cabinet itself outside. Good riddance to the ugly piece of shit, anyways. Campbell mopped the floors, twice, to make sure it was safe. Harry, meanwhile, had washed all the blankets, sheets, pillows, everything. He'd also shut the door to Elle's room. Or, what had been Elle's room. It was noon when they were done. The house smelled of cold air and decaying leaves, with a wisp of cinnamon and clove from the hot apple cider Harry had brewed for them on the stove. They curled up on the sofa, both ignoring the texts they were getting on their phone. It was Gretchen asking where they were; they were late to work, and the text had turned vaguely threatening. "Fuck it," Harry grumped. He was carefully avoiding any mention of Elle, thank fuck. "They haven't changed the work lists in months. The church floors can handle not being swept for one day." Campbell sipped his drink and rolled the situation over in his head. "I don't get what Allie's doing. I would have thought she'd fix it by now." "Thought wrong, I guess." He'd been opening his mouth to answer, but then Campbell's phone dinged, and this time it was from Allie. "Speak of the devil. She's called a town meeting for after lunch." Harry sighed, but went and got dressed. Not that Campbell wanted to go, either. He already hated it, but now? He'd rather run over his own foot. It was interesting, though, that Allie was calling for a meeting when she'd been so sick herself. If it was something that couldn't wait, what could it possibly be about? Curiosity drew Campbell in, even if he wanted to ignore the text. As it turned out, it was worth the effort. "I wanted to give you all an update on the incident that happened on Thanksgiving," Allie said once everyone had settled down. She still looked pale, and a bit wobbly, but she sounded as cocksure as ever. "Based on the symptoms, we believe that a dish was intentionally poisoned." People began shouting questions. One of Lexie's crones spoke up through the frantic, shocked hubbub that rose from the crowd. "How do we know it was poison?" "We don't know for sure." Talking louder, it was easier then to hear in Allie's voice a distinct, painful rasp. She wasn't fully on the mend. Not yet. "We just, you know, we've ruled out any other possibilities and we're trying not to take any chances." "Yeah, no shit. But what the fuck are we gonna do about it now?" "From now on, no food cooked at home is allowed in any of the common areas. The safest place to eat is the cafeteria. We're just trying to keep people from getting hurt without changing the way we live too much." The loud roar faded into murmuring. It wasn't an unreasonable request, but it meant no food sharing even between friends, not out in public. Inconvenient, but not inconvenient enough that Campbell felt like turning Elle in. Elle hadn't turned herself in, either, obviously. They wouldn't have all been there, otherwise. Besides. Allie hadn't specified what poison. Did she not know? Or was she withholding that detail in case they discovered a suspect? "There's one more thing," Allie continued. "It's been five months since my sister died. I know I've added so many rules, and I know I'm adding more right now. I've asked you to do so much. I just think that the person asking you to do all these things, asking you to grow our own food soon, should be given authority by you." "What is she doing?" Harry whispered. Campbell narrowed his eyes. "Something really fucking foolish." "I think that we should elect a mayor and four council members, that way it's an odd number in case of any ties, and... I'm running for mayor. Anyone else who wants to run, just sign up. There'll be an election in three weeks." Everyone around them cheered, but Campbell just crossed his arms and leaned against the back of the pew. Was she serious? Her popularity was at an all-time low. People were angry and growing desperate. Of course, she made a good point. But now? Three weeks would put them out around Christmas time. Whoever got elected would have to try and get them all through winter. Not to mention, they would have to deal with whatever came of Grizz's expedition. What if they never came back? What if they did, and they found something? Harry shook his head as the meeting ended and they went home. "She better hope that no one else decides to run. The last thing we need is some political bullshit." "Of course someone else is going to run. People have been angry for a long time." "But who?" "Don't know. There's a few people I can think of who would do a good job, sure, but none of them seem the type to rock the boat." Will, Gordie, and Bean would all run for council before they'd run for mayor. Helena was too loyal to Allie. Blake and some of their friends from the LGBTQ community would do well, if they threw their hat into the ring, but would they upend leadership at a crucial point? If they thought Allie was leading them into disaster, yes. But she wasn't. Campbell didn't think Allie's rule was effective, but he could agree that she wasn't going to get them all killed over the winter. Or so he'd thought, before she'd announced the election. New, untested leaders? That could definitely get everyone killed, and Allie didn't seem to see that. "I've heard that Gwen's been irritated with Allie," Harry pondered. "But she's going to be on the expedition with Grizz." "What's Allie done to Gwen?" "I can't think of anything." Campbell went over the possibilities. "Maybe it has to do with Lexie. She's been gunning for Allie's head since Allie took over." "True. She really fucked things up with that improv skit at Thanksgiving." "But would she actually run?" "Who knows. Everyone's going fucking batshit." And that was true enough. This place was changing people. For the better, in Campbell's case, or at least he thought so. Worse, in other cases. "We'll just have to wait and see  what happens." Harry frowned. Yeah, that's what he was afraid of; Campbell understood the worry, but there was nothing that could be done until they had a better idea of what the town was up against. For all either of them knew, no one would challenge Allie at all, and hand-wringing would be a waste of energy. They were raking up the leaves in the yard before work when the sound of crunching leaves made Campbell stop. He turned, tilting his head as Grizz came jogging up. "Hey, Grizz. Shouldn't you be getting ready?" "Yeah, but uh..." Grizz's eyes flicked over to Harry for a split second. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a second?" Campbell looked to Harry, who nodded and went inside. He would be glad for an excuse to get out of the cold. "What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost." Grizz studied the ground. "I need you to promise me that you'll take care of Sam, while I'm gone. Especially if, I don't know, if something happens." "Yeah, of course." Campbell wasn't going to tell Grizz nothing would happen. They both knew there was a chance that Grizz wouldn't come back. "I'll check in on him." "No, that's not-- It's more than that. I need you to protect him." "What do you mean?" "It's this town. There's something... When we first got here, there was some Bible verse on the church wall. You've been weighed and found wanting. Remember?" "I remember you asking if I did it, yeah." Grizz began to pace a little. "There's other stuff. Kelly was talking about some guy that showed up. Some guy named Pfeiffer." He didn't notice the way Campbell tensed. Pfeiffer. Campbell knew that name from the papers that he'd told Sam to destroy. "Did you know that Pfeiffer, it means piper in German?" "All names mean something. What about it?" "Like, the pied piper. Do you know that story?" "Yeah. The guy that uses his music to get rid of some rats." "But that's not the end of the story." Grizz stopped and came closer to Campbell, but his gaze was focused over Campbell's shoulder, distant and distracted. "See, that town has him get rid of a rat infestation, promising to pay him. The guy steals away all of the town's kids because the parents didn't pay him for his services." Well, then. Campbell leaned against the side of the house, thinking over that information. It was too weird for it to be some coincidence. "That's creepy." He drummed his fingers along the handle of the rake. "You know, it's also weird how that dog showed up, too. No one's pets are here. Not even people's fish or small animals. Nothing, but there's some dog no one's ever seen before now." "Border collie. A herding dog." The faraway sound in Grizz's voice didn't help Campbell's unease. "So, what are we thinking? A parallel universe? We're brought here by some pied piper person, and his dog's been spying on us?" "It sounds ridiculous, when you put it that way." "Doesn't mean it's wrong. What does this have to do with Sam, though?" "Nothing, everything, I fucking don't know. There's something wrong with this place, Campbell. Something besides a parallel universe. Something besides snakes and weird eclipses and people being weird. And now I have to go out there, and I'm scared." Scared. Of what? Campbell reached out and put a hand on Grizz's shoulder. Grizz jumped, his gaze meeting Campbell's. "There's something you're not telling me." Campbell realized that Grizz hadn't just been staring over Campbell's shoulder. He'd been staring at the woods. "You've seen it, too, haven't you?" "I need to go." "Grizz!" But Grizz had already pulled away, heading back towards the road. He paused at the edge of the yard, looking at Campbell with a hollow, haunted expression. "Whatever you do, Campbell, be careful. Please. Keep Sam close." Campbell didn't go after Grizz as he left. Instead, he dropped the rake and headed inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. He stared into space, his mind going back to the dark shape he saw in the woods the night the dog vanished. His mind also drifted to the other things he couldn't explain. One instance in particular wouldn't get out of his head. Suspicious, Campbell popped his head into the kitchen, where Harry was munching on stale cereal. "Hey, Harry?" "Yeah?" "The night Elle... You know. Did you come upstairs and check on me?" Harry shook his head. "No. Why?" "Nothing. I must have been dreaming." Turning, Campbell sped upstairs without further explanation, looking around his room as if there would be some clue there. Of course there wasn't, but what was there was a book on occult shit that Cassandra had given him after she'd done a paper on alternative religions. He cracked open the book and began to scan the pages, hunting. Gordie had his explanation, and Campbell accepted it as much as anyone else did; it was science, even if it was a strange sort of science. It was scary enough as it was, without entertaining the supernatural. But, what if...? "Campbell?" Harry came up the stairs, stopping in the doorway. "What's going on?" "Grizz was worried." "Worried? About what?" Campbell sighed. "Promise not to laugh?" "Promise." It took a while to explain, but Campbell told Harry everything. The church wall, the papers Sam had found, the bus driver, the things that Campbell had seen and heard, the fact that Allie had said she'd seen things, too. And now, Grizz, who had been too afraid to even say what he'd seen. At the end of it, Harry came over and sat down on the bed next to Campbell, eyes wide. "Are you sure you haven't gone back on drugs?" Campbell shook his head, and Harry let out a shaking breath. "What the fuck are we dealing with, then? What the fuck does any of it mean?" "It means we've got bigger problems than the election."

[wroughtbetwixtfanfic]

A Gamble At Terrible Odds Masterlist.

A canon divergent storyline for Campbell, using (in my experience) a more realistic take on conduct disorder and ASPD instead of Hollywood "psychopath" stereotypes.

While people with conduct disorder can be violent and abusive, the diagnosis exists on a spectrum, and neither ASPD nor "psychopathy" should be diagnosed before the age of 18; this is one thing that rubbed me the wrong way on The Society. Hopefully I can succeed in presenting a more understandable and less sensationalized vision of his behavior.

Please note that while I present his relationships as unhealthy and his behavior as questionable, I don't intend to make him a violent abuser, to bring his character more in line with my experiences of how an emotionally neglected teen with moderately reduced empathy would behave, provided they were trying to be better (and seeking outside help).

PART ONE: A Memory Of The Smell Of Smoke. tumblr || AO3

PART TWO: Love, Blood, And Rhetoric. tumblr || AO3

PART THREE: Stamped Into Memory. tumblr || AO3

PART FOUR: Wheels Set In Motion. tumblr || AO3

PART FIVE: Hollow Protestations Of Faith. tumblr || AO3

[wroughtbetwixtfanfic]

Wheels Set In Motion, Ch 3.

Fandom: The Society.

Summary: As the situation in New Ham takes a dark, mysterious turn, Campbell is faced with a threat he never saw coming. With few allies and the past coming back to haunt him, he is forced to deal with a world that is crumbling fast, and choices with grim consequences.

Rating: Explicit.

Tags: Minor Character Death, Canon Divergence, Mental Health Issues, Addiction Recovery, Unhealthy Relationships, Teen Pregnancy, Past Rape/Non-con, Campbell Isn’t The Dad, Brother Feels, Attempted Murder, Supernatural Elements, Gay Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Campbell has mild ASPD and is actively trying to not be awful

Word Count: 7613

Ch 1 || Ch 2 || Ch 4 || Ch 5 || AO3

The house felt empty.

Campbell went about his life, because he didn't know what else to do. Elle kept to herself, going to work and coming home. Rinse and repeat. It felt like the same fucking song and dance they'd been through before-- come together, pull apart, come together, pull apart, like some sadomasochistic ocean tide. She did her own thing, and Campbell focused on work and Sam and Harry, because it kept Campbell from getting destructive.

Sometimes, they would sit together at mealtimes, or mull about the same part of the house. Someone would crack a joke, or hum one of their favorite songs, and just for a second they would forget. They would smile at each other, and Campbell felt that little flicker of affection, but then Elle's face would fall and she would look away. He still saved the little mini candy bars out of the rations he got, and left them on her nightstand. If he noticed her laundry stacking up, he'd wash them while she was at work and fold them neatly. Campbell knew there was some deeper feeling on the other side of the bomb shelter door that was his heart, but what could he do, besides what he was doing? It would have been easy to be angry, but Campbell didn't have the energy to spend on that, or on pining after Elle like some lovesick child. It hurt, fuck it hurt, but in the end there wasn't anything he could do to convince her. Even if there was, he didn't want to. She needed to decide for herself what she believed, and where she wanted to be. It was like seeing a houseplant dying. He could try and water it. He could give it sunlight, and talk sweetly to it. But at the end of the day, if the roots were rotted out, he couldn't save it. All he could do was mourn the loss. Harry, on the other hand, was still there. Harry needed him. Campbell was mopping a hallway when he heard a commotion from the next room, where Harry was working. The two week break had ended. Harry was back to work. He was making an effort, but Campbell could tell that he was still run down. Tired. And, well, they all were tired. But Harry was the kind of tired that a good night of sleep couldn't fix. Campbell saw that look in a few people's eyes. No one talked about it, but it was there. It was there a lot more often, lately. A few people were less than sympathetic. "That's against the rules," a redhead was snapping at Harry. "No shift-shirking. I'll tell the guard." Harry was standing there, head bowed as he curled in on himself. "And you wonder why no one liked you in school." "I know that you used to strut around like you owned the place, but what exactly makes you think you're so special now?" "Nothing." The redhead, someone Campbell knew from a few classes over the years, stomped out of the room and past Campbell. Gretchen. Not usually a cruel person, but he made a note in his head to let Allie know about Gretchen's tendency to text her girlfriend when she was supposed to be working. Just in case. Harry managed to slink his way out into the hall, once no one was looking. "I've only been working three days," he mumbled. Campbell could see that Harry's hands had little cracks in the skin. "I never knew I was this weak." "You're not weak. It's just cold, and your skin is dry. C'mon. Follow me." They ended up at a little room where Campbell had stashed some health care supplies. Band aids, ointment, alcohol wipes. Harry watched as Campbell took his hand and gently cleaned up the abrasions. "That's not what I meant. It's.... I want to work. I do. But I wake up, and I feel so heavy. Every move takes so much effort. It hurts." Campbell slowly massaged Neosporin into the cracks, frowning, and then wrapped the wounds in a loose bandage. "Yeah, buddy. Depression is like that. It sucks." "I used to see kids online or in movies and I'd think, wow, just pull yourself together. But how? How do you do it when all you want to do is sleep?" "Get help, usually." "You're the only help I have." "That's frightening." Harry rested his other hand on top of Campbell's own. He sounded angry when he spoke, but his gaze was soft. "It's not frightening to me," he said. "I want you to know that. I don't care what other people say." His hands were warm. Campbell stared down at them, counting off the days in his head since he'd last felt meaningful touch. Eighteen days. Not long, really, but he'd gone most of his life without it and he'd just started to think that maybe it was something good. Something he needed, after all. To be without it again made him more uncomfortable than he thought it would. Still. He didn't want to, he couldn't, give up on Elle yet. "You say that now, but wait until you end up with a foot sewn onto your hand or something." Before Harry could reply, Campbell pulled away and went back to work. The next day was Sunday, and Sunday was-- officially, by Allie's rules-- mandatory community meeting day. Campbell tried to act like he was paying attention, but Helena was going on and on about improv classes, football, and family shit. Blah. Allie came up on stage and that was slightly more interesting. Thanksgiving on Thursday the 22nd, bring recipes to Will for ingredients if people wanted to cook something to bring to the community dinner. "Next," Allie announced, "we have an update from the Committee on Resources." A voice rose up from the audience. Lexie. "What about the Committee on Going Home?" "Gordie and Bean promised me a report by Thursday." "Are we going home?" "Not before Thursday." Campbell could see Lexie's face from his position in the pews. Her eyes were narrowed, jaw clenched, as other kids in the crowd giggled. She was embarrassed. Angry. A bad movie on Allie's part, mocking people when her leadership was already in a precarious position. Luckily, Will got up there fast and began to explain the results of the food audit. It was the last sentence in his report that drew an audible gasp from those gathered. "We'll start to run low by next summer." "So we're all going to fucking starve?" another person called out. "Not if we prepare now." Will gave the crowd a confident, assured smile. It was tight around the edges, and it didn't reach his eyes, but he was trying. "We knew this was going to happen. We have time to find solutions. Grizz has come up with a plan that will help us. Grizz?" Grizz froze, but then joined Will on the stage. Compared to Will, he was stiff and awkward, but at least he managed to not throw up. "Uh..." He cleared his throat. "We're gonna start looking into options for gardening and farming. There's been a few options suggested that we're exploring." Grizz glanced at Campbell. So, they had listened to Campbell's suggestion after all, but decided not to do shit about it yet. "And after Thanksgiving, I'm going to lead a search party to look for alternative food supplies." "Does he not remember what happened last time?" Harry wondered, a little too loudly. "Emily died from a fucking snake bite." Ignoring the unsettled buzzing in the room, Grizz continued. "If anyone wants to join me, I'm looking for four or five volunteers to come along with me. We all know what happened to Emily. This time will be different. We know what to expect now, and we can better defend ourselves." Lexie, apparently, wasn't done with Allie and Company yet. "Even if this all works out, who's gonna work the land?" "We will," Allie spoke up. "All of us. Some of us already know how. They can teach us what they know, and the rest, we'll learn from books. Just like how we learned to do everything else around here. What other choice do we have?" No choice. They all knew that was true, even if no one wanted to admit it. Helena had been right, earlier, during her big long speech-- they were trapped. What else could they do, except fight to survive? Campbell sighed, standing up to leave when the crowd was dismissed for the day. He'd made it a few paces when he realized he was alone. Going back, he nudged Harry a bit with his elbow. "Hey. Earth to Harry." "We're just kids." He was staring down at his hand, running his fingers over the bandages. "How are we supposed to handle all of this, alone?" "Kids a lot younger than us have been figuring this shit out for eons. We can do it." Harry sat for a little bit longer, then pushed himself to his feet and trudged after Campbell. Elle got home not long after they did. Instead of going up to her room like she usually did, she lingered around the living room while Campbell tidied up. "Do you have any plans?" she asked. "I thought maybe we could go to movie night." Campbell blinked at the sudden offer. Elle was looking at him with some measure of expectation in her eyes; maybe she'd decided to believe him, after all. "Sure. I'd like that, if you want to go." And it was as easy as that. Harry stayed home, giving Campbell a nod of encouragement as they headed out the door. They went to the movie, got popcorn, and laughed and leaned on each other like a normal couple. Campbell tried to ignore the tone of the movie. 500 Days of Summer wasn't exactly the most cheerful of RomComs. He tried even harder to ignore the niggling feeling in the back of his head that something was wrong. Again. Like always. It was a sudden thought in his head. This isn't normal. How was it healthy, for him to constantly be wondering what was going on? How was it healthy for Elle, if she felt like she had to pretend all the time that things were fine? Maybe they would have stood a chance back home, outside of the rat cage they were in now, or maybe if Cassandra hadn't died. But here? In the new world? Maybe they were just fooling themselves. Elle must have picked up on his mood. On the way home, she slowed down a bit and took his hand. "I know the last few weeks have been crap. But I've missed you. If you say you weren't involved, I believe you." "You don't have to pretend," Campbell replied. "It's okay." "But it's too hard to live like this. I just want us to go back to normal." "It just doesn't really feel that way, Elle. I don't know. I get that it's terrifying, but I'm innocent and I'm gonna find some way to prove it. If you want to keep your distance until then, I'll understand." "I don't want to. Why don't we try and patch things up over Thanksgiving?" Elle asked, curling her arms around his waist and peering up at him with an adoring expression Campbell couldn't resist. "We could stay home, just you and me. I'm sure Allie won't mind." Campbell buried his face in Elle's hair. He slid one hand behind her head and rested the other one her hip, and breathed her in. The breeze was cold, and carried a hint of woodsmoke. He memorized the way she fit in his hands, before kissing her forehead and letting go. "Sure. If that's what you want." Allie was sitting out on her porch the next day, drinking tea and staring off into the woods. No one else was around. Odd for her. She barely seemed to notice Campbell approaching, but then he stepped through the scattering of crunchy leaves on the walkway, and she snapped out of whatever trance she'd been in. "Hey, cousin. How are you?" "I was just..." Allie glanced back at the woods, then shook her head. "You shouldn't be here. It's not exactly Campbell-friendly right now." "You too, huh?" "It doesn't seem your style, but I guess we never really know anyone." Campbell turned his eyes to the trees for a moment, too, thinking. "Be careful with Lexie. I just thought I should let you know that she's not someone you wanna piss off. She's popular, and a lot of girls who hate you like her." "Noted." "I'm serious, Allie." "Fine. I'll keep an eye on her. What do you want?" Shrugging, Campbell kicked at the leaves. "Elle wants to have dinner at home on Thanksgiving. Just the two of us. Can we do that?" "Elle wants to stay home?" "Surprised me, too. So? Can we get a free pass?" Allie looked him up and down. She looked away and chewed on her thumb, jiggling her leg as she considered. "Might be better if you do. Until we can figure out what to do about you and Becca, it's only going to piss people off to see you." "Is that something that can be resolved?" "I think so. But you know that if she's right about what she said and it was you, there's no way in hell I'm just letting you go again." "Fair enough." "I'll let Will know you're staying home. Have Elle give him the list of what you guys need, and we'll make sure it's ready for pick-up the night before." "Thanks, Allie." "Campbell?" Allie called after him. He stopped, looking over his shoulder. Allie pulled her jacket in tighter around herself. "You told Cassandra everything. Everything. She wouldn't have just let you walk away, if it'd been you." "Maybe. Whatever keeps you from throwing me into the fucking wine cellar." "Sometimes I think I still see her. Out of the corner of my eye." It was just blurted out, like some sort of terrible secret. Campbell paused, then kept going without responding. Same, he wanted to say, but what good did it do to dwell on memories or hallucinations or imprints left behind? There was nothing he could say that would give Allie the comfort she needed, or soothe the pain left behind by Cassandra's death. Better to say nothing at all. Besides, the dead were dead. The living had plenty to worry about. Campbell was in the middle of his work shift the day before Thanksgiving when Sam showed up, deep creases on his forehead and a jittery, restless energy around him. At first, Campbell wondered if Sam had shown up to see one of his friends-- he and Gretchen had been part of the school LGBT Alliance group-- but he headed right at Campbell with the same look he'd had when they'd first arrived in the new world. Something a few paces beyond worry. "Can we talk?" Sam asked, signing only. "Somewhere private?" Campbell nodded and followed Sam outside the main work area, where no one would easily see them. "What's wrong?" he signed back. "You look like Queer Eye got cancelled." Sam tried to laugh, but broke into tears instead. "Becca's pregnant." Fuck. Campbell moved closer, inviting contact; Sam immediately mushed himself against Campbell. Sam was whimpering something, but like hell if Campbell understood it. Pregnant. Becca was pregnant. Campbell's first reaction was almost something like victory-- a baby meant blood, blood meant a blood test, blood test meant potential vindication. He shoved that thought aside and focused on what his real reaction should be. Was Becca healthy? Was she getting vitamins? How would they manage complications? Hell, who was going to help her give birth? It wasn't something anyone could do on their own. And if anything happened to Becca, Sam... "I don't know," Sam continued. "I found out prom night, and then everything happened and I thought we had time to figure things out. But Kelly found out, and other people will soon, too, and I just... I don't know what to do." "What do you mean?" Sam hesitated. Oh, there was more to the story. He let out a long, slow exhale, his hands shaking when he answered. "We agreed to tell people I'm the father." "You?" Campbell thought over it. Becca and Sam were best friends. Sure, people could ask questions, but people did weird stuff all the time. People sometimes dabbled, and after all, bisexual people existed. Who was to say? Plus it was a softer story. Unfortunately, there was one big flaw. "Will people go for it, considering what people overheard at Halloween?" "We're not kids anymore. I've learned how to lie." "Well, then. Why are you worrying?" When Sam didn't answer, Campbell ran the situation over in his head until he found the puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. Okay, so there were two big flaws. "Something happened with Grizz." "He came to the library and tried to flirt with me in BSL, and I said I'd teach him ASL." Campbell tried to bite back a smirk. "How about that." "It's not going to be funny when he wants nothing to do with a teen dad!" "It'll be less funny if he hears it from someone else first. Tell him a good story, Sam. You experimented with her nine months ago, the condom broke, and you just want to be honest with him. Reasonable, right?" "Is it really that easy?" "Cross my heart." Sam studied Campbell's face. Whatever he was going to say, the ping of both of their phones going off at the same time cut him off. Community alert. "Time for the first group to pick up their food rations," he said, sighing. He glanced up from his phone. "Are you sure you don't want to come to Thanksgiving dinner?" "I feel like this dinner is kinda the last shot between me and Elle," Campbell admitted. "But I'm sure you know about those rumors, too." "Not really. I try not to listen." Campbell groaned while Sam chuckled quietly. "Seriously, funny guy, if you're set on the idea then maybe you could stop by after. We can eat walnuts out of the can and throw darts at a picture of dad." Sam rolled his eyes, but there was a tiny smile on his face. "A real family holiday." He rested his hand on Campbell's shoulder before he left. "Good luck, Campbell." "You, too. Go get 'im." Harry approached as Sam left, watching him walk away. "What was that about?" "It's nothing," Campbell muttered. Harry looked over at him and raised both eyebrows. Campbell let out a tiny growl. "Fine. It was just boyfriend troubles." "And he said something about Elle." "What, you can read ASL now?" "I thought you'd have been more concerned about the fact I was spying on you." Campbell shoved the broom he was using to the ground, giving it a kick for good measure. "Everything's going to hell, okay? The last thing I needed was this shit with Becca, but I can't even be mad about that because it's not like it's my life at stake or anything. Still, now things with Elle are fucked up. They've been fucked up for a while. I just don't see how we can bounce back from this when she doesn't trust me. Shitty Thanksgiving food isn't gonna fix anything." "No." Harry stepped into Campbell's line of fire, resting one hand on his cheek. "Hey. Breathe, okay? What's going on with Becca?" "Like you don't know." "I've been sleeping eighteen hours a day. I don't know anything." Campbell leaned into Harry's touch. The whole story came spilling out in one go, and Harry's eyes went wide. "I promised I wouldn't say anything," Campbell finished. "But I'm guessing she thinks it was me, and told Elle. Who fucking knows." "Jesus fucking Christ. I had no idea. I never heard anything about it." "No one bragged about it around school, either." "That's scary shit. Poor Becca. Why is this coming up now, though?" "Becca..." Trailing off, Campbell shook his head. Sam shouldn't have told Campbell in the first place, but Campbell sure as hell didn't have the right to pass the news along. It wasn't his secret to tell. "I guess it all got to be too much to keep to herself." "I guess. Damn. And Elle?" "You can't tell me you haven't noticed how she's been acting." "I have, but I guess I just... I was hoping it would blow over." "Either it'll work out or it won't. That's just the truth of it." Harry brushed Campbell's cheek with his thumb, then pulled back and picked up the fallen broom. He handed it to Campbell. "Look. I'll go to the Thanksgiving dinner with everyone else so you can have the house to yourselves. Have a nice night. Relax. Be your charming, vaguely exasperating self. Things will work out eventually." What answer could Campbell give? He managed to mumble a thank you, took the broom, and kept working. Campbell had always known that his life would be different than it would be for people who weren't like him. In a lot of ways, he was still lucky. He'd had a roof over his head and access to resources a lot of people didn't have. He'd had some sort of support structure, and managed to pull himself out of the dirt enough to work towards some sort of recover. Some sort of normal. But he wasn't like everyone else. His biology and brain chemistry had seen to that, and he knew it was going to be a lifelong struggle to maintain a balance between what felt natural to him and what he knew society demanded. Maybe losing Elle was the price for getting Sam back, for making a friend in Grizz. When one door opens, some other door closes. Campbell knew it was the ASPD telling him that it was already over, time to brace for impact and be ready to move on when the fatal blow came, but it felt so real. So true. Elle had already been through enough. Her mouth said she wanted to keep trying, but he could see it in her eyes that the time of death had already been called. They just didn't know when it was, yet. But... One more try. One more chance. Thanksgiving morning, they went to the cafeteria to pick up their take-home rations. It was as fancy as it got, these days-- boxed stuffing, instant mashed potatoes with instant gravy, a can of cranberry sauce, and a turkey. Elle sneaked away with a small bundle of goods wrapped in plastic grocery bags. Mysterious, but Campbell wasn't about to pry. When they got home, Campbell tried to help unpack the food, but Elle swatted his hand away from the bags. "Can you get the bowl?" Campbell snagged the mixing bowl Elle had gestured to and handed it to her; Elle was busying herself with the food, and didn't even look at him. "This makes me happy," he said, trying to start some sort of conversation. "Our first Thanksgiving together." "Good." When he went to open something for her, Elle put her hand on his chest. "It's gonna take me a few hours, so I need you to get out of the kitchen." "Oh. I thought..." "It's okay. Go amuse yourself. Go and take a nap." The casual tone to Elle's voice didn't really do much to mask the dismissal. Maybe she was just nervous about cooking? Campbell stepped out of the way, but stopped near the edge of the kitchen. "I was just hoping to help. I never really liked Thanksgiving before this." "No? Why not?" "I mean, you know what my parents were like. Holidays, special occasions. They didn't really want me around other kids. Other families." "You did tell me about that." "Forced affection and merriment really isn't my thing." Campbell noticed the odd look Elle gave him. "It was just difficult, seeing that they actually felt all those Hallmark movie things towards each other. They really missed each other. Just eating together made them happy. They really were sad to say goodbye." Elle stopped arranging the ingredients. "But you didn't feel those things." "Maybe I gave up, when I realized they didn't feel that way about me. They never missed me." Moving towards Elle, Campbell stroked her hair. It hit him then, how much he wanted her to stay. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He knew he sounded desperate when he spoke again, when he cupped her face in his hands, but Campbell needed some assurance. Any assurance. "This is different, though. Right? We're different." "Campbell." Elle took his hands and moved them from her face. She stepped back, and for a moment, Campbell thought that was it. She was done, it was over, they couldn't go on like this. Instead, she reached into the plastic bag and brought out a can of pumpkin. "It was going to be a surprise, but..." "Really? I thought you hated pumpkin pie. You like, literally gagged when you saw it at the Halloween party." "I mean, I do, but you don't." She gave him a little kiss on the cheek before shooing him. "Now get out of my kitchen so I can cook." Had he just misread the situation? Campbell left the kitchen confused, and more than a little torn. Was he just seeing a catastrophe where there wasn't one? ASPD did involve seeing threats where there wasn't any, and overreacting. Like a self defense mechanism dialed up to twelve, it whispered that every little thing and every single person was a danger. Campbell knew it wasn't true. Maybe in this case, it also wasn't true that Elle wanted to leave. Maybe she really was just stressed out and worried about what Becca had said. Maybe she really did want to stick it out and give him a chance to prove himself. She had before, hadn't she? Maybe this time was no different. She just needed time. Campbell wandered off to Harry's room, helping him get ready for the group dinner and playing a few rounds of Smash Bros. It didn't feel right letting Elle do all the work, but if that was what she wanted, well, they both knew to just stay out of her way. "I should go watch the football game," Harry sighed once it was three o' clock. He stood and stretched, grabbing his jacket from the back of his desk chair. "Try and be social or whatever. You gonna be okay if I do?" "Yeah. Go watch people get concussions." "I'll have my phone on. Text if she tries to go all Sid Vicious on you." Campbell snorted, but kept his eyes on the television screen. He could see Harry lingering in the doorway, just for a moment, but then he was gone. Harry said something to Elle on the way out-- they both laughed-- and then the front door shut. The silence felt strange. Campbell popped in a Walking Dead DVD and settled in to binge watch for a few hours. The sky outside had turned dark by the time Elle peeked her head into the room. "Hey. I think it's gonna be ready in about twenty minutes. Can you come set the table?" "Sure, babe."   At least it was finally something to do. Campbell hopped up and gathered the plates, the silverware, napkins; by the time Elle came into the dining room, he'd managed to get everything in place and light some candles. The dim, golden lighting was perfect. All the food, plated up, looked perfect. Campbell found some holiday music, some classical stuff that he'd swore he'd never listen to once he'd moved out on his own, and put it on. It wasn't his taste, but it seemed appropriate. All that was left was to bring in the food. Elle was hovering around the food in the kitchen, staring hard at the slices of carved turkey. "I know you don't like meat, so I didn't know if I should bring the turkey out here, or if you wanted something else instead." "Hey, it's okay. I mean, I have to get over it eventually, right? Why not tonight?" "Are you sure? Because I could--" Cutting off a tiny piece of the least gross-looking slice of turkey, Campbell shoved it in his mouth. The taste was foreign and made him want to gag, but he managed to get it down without flinching. "See? It'll be really good with the cranberry sauce." "I'm glad it's okay. Sorry if anything tastes funny, or something. It's the first time I've ever made anything like a traditional American meal." "Seriously? Why not?" "My family's from Ireland originally, so my mom's idea of Thanksgiving was a little different. You know. Lamb stew. We never did the whole, turkey and stuffing and decorating." "Why are we sitting here, then?" Campbell wondered. "We should be at the church with everyone else. We could even bring something to share. The pie or something. Be neighborly." "But I already made all this food, I wouldn't want it to go to waste." "C'mon. We can put it in the fridge and save it for leftovers. I mean, I don't wanna even see half of those people, but you liked Helena and Becca, and the improv class is doing something fun tonight. A traditional Thanksgiving really is best with friends." "No, no. I just, I had my heart set on a romantic evening, just the two of us." "We eat almost every meal, just us." Campbell couldn't puzzle out the sudden shift in Elle's mood. "Or with Harry. I thought maybe you'd like some variation." Elle met his eyes, then glanced at the food. "Maybe it would be nice to walk over there and see everyone. Do you want to try a slice of pie while I get ready to go? I don't want to take it if it tastes bad." "Deal." She gave him a smile as she cut him a generous slice, handing it over as she left the room. Campbell let out the breath he'd been holding; whatever weird argument that had been starting up seemed to have, thankfully, settled. He snagged a fork and took a bite of the pumpkin pie. Right away, Campbell could taste that there was something weird about it. It was too sweet, in an almost sickening way. Too much condensed milk? Maple syrup, maybe? Making sure Elle wasn't looking, Campbell gently slid the rest of the slice into the garbage can and covered it up with some pieces of trash to hide it. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, and it wasn't like it was objectively disgusting. There were just only so many compromises he could make in a night. Turkey, he could try and deal with. Pumpkin pie with a pound of sugar? No. Leave that to the carb fiends at the church. "Was it okay?" Elle asked as she came back in. "I've never made a pie before." Campbell offered her a bright smile. "Yeah, it was great." He picked it up and headed towards the door, slipping his feet into his sneakers. "Ready to go?" She eyed the pie in his hands, but nodded and followed him out the door. The walk to the church was quiet, but at least the weather was mild and the sky was clear, with stars glittering overhead and leaves swirling around their feet. The church was humming with activity inside, though more than a couple people fell silent when they saw Campbell. Well, whatever. He ignore them and focused on Allie, who was moving toward them at a brisk pace. "Campbell. Elle." She smiled, but it was strained. "I didn't expect to see you two here." What the hell were you thinking by coming here, Campbell translated in his head. "I wanted to bring Elle. It's her first actual Thanksgiving." He held up the pumpkin nightmare for Allie to see. Allie's eyes went right to the missing slice. "She made pie." "Wow. Well, if you guys want to take a seat, feel free." "Cool. Thanks." Elle reached out and grabbed his arm as he moved towards the table to set the pie down. "Campbell, I can do that. Just let me--" "I'm right here. I can do it." "But I made it. I should be the one to put it over there." Campbell stopped and looked to her. Her voice sounded almost frantic, and honestly, the pie wasn't anywhere close to good but she couldn't possibly be that worried about it. He set the pie down among the other pies, and led Elle off to the side where there weren't any people to listen in. "Babe, are you feeling okay? You've been acting weird all evening." "I'm just not feeling well. I feel sick in my stomach. Can we just go?" "It's probably because we haven't eaten all day." "Please..." Elle curled her arms around herself. "Please don't get mad." Campbell noticed, then, that there were tears in her eyes, and she winced when he went to try and comfort her. His stomach sank as he saw the one thing he had hoped not to see. Fear. "Woah, hey. I'm not mad, sweetheart, I just don't understand what's going on. Do you... Are you worried I'm gonna hurt you?" "You act one way sometimes, and then another, and then people say things and I just want to make you happy. I thought this would make you happy." Her hands were shaking when she reached up and touched his face, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I want you to be happy with me." He wanted to be sick. "I get it. We've had a lot of ups and downs since we came here. I'm trying my best, Elle. I am happy with you. I really am." His throat squeezed shut. Fuck, he didn't feel all that great, either, and all this wasn't helping. "Can you just try? Just a few bites or something? If you still feel sick, we can go home." Elle sniffled. She didn't say anything. She just turned and headed out to the main floor, heading towards the table where Gretchen, her girlfriend, and a few others were chatting. Campbell got her a plate of food, but she picked at it, and at that point he didn't really feel like eating. It had been a mistake to push her. He tried to plan out the apology in his head and find some way to save things, but Elle's words kept playing in his head. People say things. The way she shrank from his touch. It was time to let go. For now, anyways. Maybe someday he would be better, and could prove that he wasn't the piece of shit people kept saying he was, but obviously it wasn't the right time. Campbell had wanted to protect her. He'd hoped that maybe, together, they could stay sane. But he had once been afraid he would hurt Sam, inevitably. Instead, it looked like the one he was going to hurt most was Elle, and there was only one way to keep her safe. Like Sam, he had to let her go, and hope that someday it would work out. Things had seemed calmer, at least, until Elle mumbled something about more potatoes. She took her plate and vanished into the crowd without a word, leaving Campbell to sit there alone with Gretchen looking at him like he was sprouting devil horns. Campbell sunk his head into his hands and pretended he was anywhere but there. After a few minutes, hen Elle didn't come back, he decided to go looking. He found her arguing with someone else over her pie. Elle had taken a huge slice, and the other girl-- Lotus, maybe-- was giving her shit over it. Campbell sidled up next to Elle and fixed Lotus with a cold glare, and thankfully, Lotus backed down. Not before taking the rest of the pie with her, but still. "Are you okay?" he asked Elle, who looked pale. "What happened?" Elle smiled weakly. "I just wanted to make sure all my friends got some, but I guess Lotus thought I was taking it all for myself." "Well, screw her, yeah?" "Yeah. I'm just gonna go say hi to a couple of my friends." "Sure. I'll be here." Campbell was loitering around the punchbowl, waiting for Elle, when a hand glided along his shoulders. He could smell a familiar hint of cologne. "Hey, Harry." "Hey." Harry leaned against the wall next to him. "I thought you were staying home. What happened?" "Long story, but I guess we're going back home. She said she felt sick." "Do you need me to drive you guys?" Unfortunately, Helena stood up and gave a speech just then, and announced that she and Luke were getting married. Campbell hissed at the cheering, a headache building up behind his eyes and making his vision start to swim. What the hell? Maybe they had some sort of cold, or something. It was the season, and it wasn't like anyone had gotten their flu vaccines, or knew what new or different diseases the mirror world had. "Yeah, that might be good." He took a step, and the ground under him spun ever so slightly. Fuck. Why had he even tried? They should have just stayed home. "Let me go find her." "Alright. I'll meet you at the door." Campbell scanned the crowd as Harry left, trying to find Elle in the hustle and bustle. Maybe Sam or Grizz would know where she was? But he didn't see them, either. Allie's table was empty. Helena and Luke were with the rest of the guard. Where was she? Had she just left on her own, without even saying goodbye? Campbell felt a bubble of nausea form in his stomach at the thought, but then he spotted her with Becca near the bathrooms. Both of them were huddled together and making sharp, urgent gestures. Campbell had no idea what was going on with them, and he wasn't about to find out. It would be easier to just wait until they were done talking. It didn't take too long. Elle spotted him waiting, and hurried over. "Can we go home now?" she asked. Elle was hunched in on herself and looked out of breath. "Please? I want to get out of here." "Harry's getting the car. C'mon." He put his arm around her as they walked outside, more to hold himself steady than anything else. Campbell could feel Elle shaking, hard, but was that illness or anxiety? Was it the cold weather? He didn't know anymore. All that mattered was getting home before whatever was going on got even worse. Harry helped them both up the steps, and got them upstairs. Elle shrugged them both off and headed to the bathroom, grabbing her pajamas along the way. "Are you okay?" Campbell followed her into the bathroom. He just wanted to lay down and sleep, but he couldn't leave Elle to fend for herself if she was sick. "Do you need me to get you anything?" Elle shook her head, but when he got closer, he could see that she was sheet-white and sweating. "I'm gonna take a bath and get sleep." "Yeah, me too." Campbell knew that he should leave and let her do what she needed to do, but he hesitated in the doorway. "Look, Elle... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed for you to go when you didn't want to. I just thought it'd be fun." Silence. Campbell waited another heartbeat, then went to his room and laid down. He closed his eyes, willing the universe to stop spinning. It was bad enough of a day, wasn't it, without everything churning? Campbell burrowed under his blankets, swallowing over and over as he began to hypersalivate. His stomach was reeling, but his body wouldn't vomit. Not yet. "Cassandra," Campbell whispered to the air. "I wish you were here." He could play the game he played on the bridge, before. If he just held still, very still...