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Paradise on Earth (21)

Chapter: 21. Poguelandia

Pair: JJ Maybank x Routledge! Reader

Summary: island paradise fades into memory when you and the pogues are rescued by a strange man

Warnings: language, violence, jealousy, kidnapping, plane crash, animal cruelty (i guess), guns, allusions to murder, let me know if I'm missing anything.

Word Count: 7.2k

a/n: idk if you guys listen to lana but i feel like jj x y/n are so 'chemtrails over the country club' coded

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You once believed that the Outerbanks were as close to peace and paradise as you would ever get. The waves on the beach, tanning on the boat, and beers that tasted like shit but were a refreshing lifesaver on a hotter-than-hell day. You were wrong.

Poguelandia was your Paradise on Earth.

You were aware of how insane it must be to be glad you were stuck on an island with absolutely no way of getting back to modern civilization, but the whole experience of this place was out of body. You were in the most ideal situation of your current stranded status.

You weren't alone, you had your family with you, with your combined strengths and skills you were all able to build a system on how to survive.

The first week was full of prep, foraging fresh fruit, gathering coconuts and wood, figuring out how to boil fresh water, and weaving a shelter from when it rains out of leaves and long sticks.

JJ made sure to claim the island with a flag made out of his white T-shirt and ash from the fires you all made to keep warm during the night. He climbed high up on top of a palm tree to tie the flag. Just as he said he would, it read 'Poguelandia' with a chicken laying back with its arms (wings) behind its head, chillin' in a coconut bra and Crocs, smoking a joint.

Sure, fresh water was a bitch and a half to make and food came straight out of the ocean but when you thought about it- the only difference between Poguelandia and the OBX was that the Chateau was a slightly more stable shelter. Well, that and here you had free food.

In all honesty, if there was a boat that miraculously did find a way to this island that could take you all home, you weren't sure if you would want to leave.

The only person whom you shared this confession with was JJ. He confessed he felt the same.

On week two with no sign of life, the reality of the situation slowly creeps its way into the group's minds, with plenty of time to think about what you wanted from life, if there was one past Poguelandia- this was what you wanted. The life JJ's described to you a million times before.

The boards were the only thing lacking, however, JJ was prepared to chop down a tree with his pocket knife and make one through trial and error.

Late one night, the others were fast asleep, you had taken a nap earlier during the day and were the last one still up, you took a walk to the beach and let the cool water trickle over your feet. You stood there with your eyes closed until you felt yourself shiver from the cold.

You were thinking about curling up by the dying fire and willing yourself to sleep, that was until you flinched at the 'Hey dude' you heard to your left.

"Hey," You replied once your heart calmed. "Thought you were knocked out."

"I was but then I felt someone was missing," He nudged you with his elbow. "Had to make sure you weren't eaten by a jaguar or something."

"I'm pretty sure if there was a jaguar here, we would know by now."

"Or would we? They really got that sneak attack down pact," He spoke in a knowing tone.

You nudged him back with two fingers on his shoulders, "Then I suggest we get hunting." JJ looked like a God in sunlight, but under the moon with the view of the water it made you want to kiss the life out of him. Neither of you ever acknowledged the moments in the dark of night during the summer when John B was presumed dead, you knew he didn't want to.

It was in the back of your mind constantly these days, you no longer pushed back on the thoughts that told you he possibly wanted more, you could file everything under him being a protective best friend and that he was only looking out for you cause he didn't want to see you get hurt, John B would kill him if he could've prevented something from hurting you. Including himself, a voice in your head urged you to consider.

"What?" JJ asked, a nervous smile peeking through. You blinked, realizing you'd been staring at him.

"Nothing. Sorry," You shook your head with a smile of your own. You both stood in silence for a minute before you gathered the courage to ask him, "If we had a way of getting off this island, would you?"

"Hell no," He responded without hesitation. "Nah, I mean, would you?"

You scoffed out a laugh, "No, Yes. No." It was a dream you didn't want to wake up from, waking up would be coming back to reality, realistically you couldn't stay here in this moment forever but it will be engraved in your mind for the rest of your life.

"I get it," He shrugged.

"Do you?" You questioned with no other underlying connotation but hope. He had nothing in the OBX, other than problems, disappearing off of the face of the earth was in his favor. You had... well, you had John B and the Chateau. Was it worth going back for the latter?

"Nah, not really, we've been living here." JJ spread his arms out and turned in a circle to compliment the island. "Best life I've lived on this here, Poguelandia."

"Yeah," You fixed your gaze back on the water.

"But you, I guess, you'd wanna go back to school or something," JJ sniffed.

You raised your eyes to look at him, he thought that you were concerned about school? With all that you've been through, that was the last thing on your mind, that's probably on top two of Pope's list. You supposed that if you were talking about reasons to go back, if you had to, finishing school would have to be a priority in getting your life together.

"J, fuck school."

He barked out a laugh til he was wheezing, hands on his knees, face red (from what you could see with the darkness), clutching his stomach as he gathered himself. "Fuck school." He nodded and coughed out the rest of his amusement.

"This was the goal, wasn't it? To stay, I want to stay."

"Yeah you do," He grinned. "If the lady wants to stay, we'll stay."

The deal was sealed with the handshake made years ago, on the last side bump and snap you both stood looking at each other for a second longer than necessary.

"I thought it'd be weird if I just said that I wanted to stay, we have no reason to go back, at least you and I don't."

"Now you know I got you, you stay, I stay. The rest of them can fuck off," He turned back to see everyone still asleep. "Not really, they should stay too, but you get what I mean."

"Yeah, dude."

Something slithered past your foot in the water and you jumped.

"Oh my fucking god!" You squealed, stepping away from the water and onto the safety of the beach sand. "Did you feel that?"

JJ bent a little, reaching his finger into the water, "What, this?" He splashed water up at you.

"JJ!" You giggled and kicked water at him in revenge. "Your ass is mine."

"Promise?" A bigger splash came your way.

~~~

You, Kie, and JJ were carving wood into spears to hunt for fish when Kie brought up the same topic you and JJ were talking about a couple of weeks ago. She thought aloud about potentially being rescued.

"Rescue?" JJ scoffed, "From what, Paradise? I'm not going back."

Kie glanced at you with an amused smile and continued to stare at JJ as he admired the island.

"Look around, we got everything we need, right here." JJ sent you a quick wink, causing you to smile knowingly as you finished wrapping the sharp rock around the rigid stick.

"Just like we talked about," Kie mused. You were taken aback slightly at the romanticism behind her tone.

With a nod of his head, JJ agreed, "Exactly."

The time on the island has given you time to reflect and accept what's always been there, and you are no longer going to deny the attraction in Kie's eyes when she looks at JJ. There had been a shift in the dynamic and you weren't sure how this would end. Last you checked, JJ was in love with Kie, Kie never batted a lash at that fact, you were in love with JJ- something you never openly confessed to anyone except Kiara. It's not like you needed to anyway, they all more or less knew.

"We ready to provide for the family?" JJ hops up and twirls the sharp stick.

"Let's do it," You dust off your shorts.

"Let's go kill something!" JJ practically skipped in excitement at the thought of action.

Kie cringed, "You don't have to say it like that."

"That's exactly what we're gonna do."

"It sounds barbaric," Kie didn't like the idea of killing an innocent creature but even she had to admit that surviving on fruit was simply not enough.

"Circle of life, Kie, unless you want to eat coconuts forever" JJ's mention of the fruit made your stomach turn.

"After the past month, I think I'm good on coconuts," She admitted.

The three of you traveled to the west side of the beach where there was known to be constant active sea life, as noted by JJ. He instructed you both on how to stand and how to stab the spear into the water, you and Kie practiced until JJ said he saw something moving.

"Remember, watch your shadow, they see that and they're gone" JJ warned you both. "Here we go."

You weren't entirely confident in your newly acquired skills but it was your nerves or your dinner, and you were starved.

You spotted something in the water, silver and gliding smoothly in its environment. "Guys, look!"

"It's a skate," JJ confirmed, "Get 'em."

"Got it!" You went in for the kill but it swam away faster than you could stab. "Kie, he's coming toward you."

"I can't," She hesitated. "I really can't."

JJ follows the fish and spears the stick into the water with a grunt, "Damn it, I missed it. Where is it?"

You snorted, "So do we all just suck at-" Before you could finish your sentence, Kie lifted the makeshift spear with the skate at the end of it.

"Oh my god," She exclaimed and jumped into JJ's arms.

"You did it!" You cheered her on despite the jealousy gnawing away at you.

JJ hugged her back with one arm, "We're having skate tonight!"

Your nose wrinkled at the blood that dripped from the fish, "Full Pogue." You murmured.

"Full pogue!" JJ repeated in a loud shout.

~~~

You came back heroes to the rest. Cheers echoed when you came back with protein.

You sat around in a circle with adequately full stomachs, a game of truth or dare started not too long ago, it went back to Sarah whose turn it was to ask.

"John B, truth or dare?" She took the hat made out of leaves and tossed it to your brother who chose truth. "If you could do it all again... what would you do differently?"

Your mouth formed an 'o' as you nodded, the question was a good one, you knew everyone had plenty of things they'd do differently from the beginning.

"Get the gold before Ward did," JJ spoke.

"Hide the cross a little better," Pope stated after.

"Not yell 'murderer' at Ward, maybe," Kie side glanced at you guiltily, her shoulders hunched in a shrug.

"Steal a couple of bottles of rum before we jumped off the boat," John B answered.

"Yeah, why didn't you do that, actually?" JJ whose back was facing the group had turned to ask him.

"Cause I was running for my life, maybe," John B looked at you all for help jokingly.

You chuckled, "I'd probably not sleep with Rafe." You winced at your own confession. Sarah's eyebrows shot up.

"Hold up," She let out a laugh of disbelief and straightened on her place on the log, "When was this?"

"Feels like long ago, at this point," You released a stressful sigh.

"Yeah, we've all made some crazy ass choices," Kie came to defend.

"I guess we're even now," Sarah eased back into her seat. "You're taste is despicable though."

You couldn't help but look at JJ for a second, to see if he had any reaction, he kept quiet and continued drawing random patterns in the sand with a stick.

Cleo broke the slight tension that was creeping its way in, "I would look both ways before crossing the street."

"Yeah, my bad," John B laughed.

"You're turn, chief." Cleo focuses on John B to ask the next person. He turns to Kie and asks her to pick, plopping the hat onto her head.

She chose, "Truth."

"If you could go to your parent's house on figure eight this instant, would you do it?"

She deliberates for a short while, "No chance."

"Seconded," Sarah agrees.

"Hear, hear," JJ lifts his coconut.

"The shower's tempting though."

You groaned at the thought of a shower, "I could use a good shower right now."

Kie throws the hat JJ's way, it falls to the sand before he picks it up, "JJ. Truth or dare."

"I mean, do you even need to ask?" He fixes it on his head.

She points to the highest cliff in view, "Big jump. Nobody's done it yet, dare."

There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his expression as he went straight up the cliff. The rest of you waited down below cheering him on as you saw his small figure standing on the edge of the rock.

"There he goes," You say to no one in particular.

Kie stands to the right of you with her arms crossed, shaking her head with a smirk, "He's not gonna do it."

"Oh, you think I'm not gonna do it?" Somehow JJ heard her from all the way on top. Part of you thought he wouldn't either, he's been up there for a few minutes now as if he calculating the height and the possibility of him dying from the rocks below, though you couldn't recall when was the last time he cared.

"He's gonna do it," Pope counters. "It's highly dangerous, zero reward? He's doing it."

JJ howled to the ocean, exerting the energy he would need to jump. He took several steps back before going into a run and his body hit the waves.

He swam to meet you all on the shore, Pope and John B tackled him into the water as soon as he was able to walk away from the waves that were calling to the group.

While the boys drowned themselves, you and the girls ran into the water, letting it cool you down from the heat of the day.

You didn't know the guys were done with their mini wrestling match, and let out a surprised scream at a pair of arms circling your waist from behind you and lifting you out of the water to then be body slammed in.

JJ emerged at the same time you did, you parted the hair from your face as you came up and launched yourself at him in an attempt to 'drown' him. It didn't last very long, his arms were around you once more and carried you bridal style out of the water, following the group back to the shelter.

"I actually thought I was gonna die, I'ma be honest!" He admitted.

"You looked like you were gonna die," Pope told him. "I thought you were gonna die."

"You can put me down now, thanks," You glared at him with no real malice. Your arms were still wrapped around his neck.

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm good."

You rolled your eyes, and only missed his warmth a little when he set you back on the ground to walk back where the others were already starting a fire for the night.

Silence befell the group as the sun went down and the sky grew dark, the lighthearted fun turned into a peaceful calm as you all sat around the pit of burning embers.

~~~

"Y/n, wake up," You felt your shoulder being pushed. You shoved the hand away from you, you had found a comfortable position a couple of hours ago in your sleep, you were in deep. "Come on."

With an irritated huff of your breath, you wiped the sleep from your eye and saw that mostly everyone was gone, Sarah was hovering above you. You sat up quickly, and your eyes widened at the sound of the blades of a plane.

You walked over to the figures of your John B, Kie, Sarah, and JJ. The latter looked back to you with a frown, an astute look at what lies ahead if the plane heard the shouts of your brother.

His voice cracked from how loud he was trying to make himself shout, "We're right here!" He waved with his arms stretched high.

Pope and Cleo were gone, and you knew that they went to start the signal fire Pope thought to build. Piles and piles of dried leaves and wood to a fire for whomever to see, smoke, an SOS.

You and JJ shared a frown, neither of you wanted to move. You couldn't help but notice Sarah's lack of enthusiasm as well, it didn't matter, none of you could stay.

John B wanted out, and Sarah would follow him anywhere. Kiara had her parents, and so did Pope, Cleo had nothing to lose either way.

You felt guilty for not feeling the sense of emergency the others did, dread overwhelmed you. Kie, and John B, screaming at the top of their lungs. The sound of disappointment as the plane flew into the distance, panic from almost being rescued became relief.

It came back soon again as the others noticed it turned back around.

"He's going to the pond," John B announced. "Come on, come on."

You grudgingly went along behind them, as JJ and Sarah did. John B and Sarah were the first ones to the plane. Cleo and Pope are close behind with Kiara trailing them.

JJ held your wrist as you were going to follow, you halted your steps and turned your neck to see that JJ had his head down, jaw set, he didn't want to leave.

You knew, and you didn't want to either, you twisted your wrist out of his grasp and abruptly brought him in for a hug.

"I know," You whispered in his ear. He gave you one tight squeeze and let you go.

"Come on," He encouraged you to come along with the quietest voice.

Pope, Cleo, and John B let out exhilarated cheers as they approached the man who opened the cargo door.

"What do we got here?" The man had a dark striped linen shirt, red shorts, and sandals. A hat dangled from his neck underneath his long brown hair tied back into a low ponytail, and aviator sunglasses to complete the look.

You thought it was a bit odd for a guy to just so happen to fly by the area when in the month that you've been here there hasn't been a peek of air traffic.

"Oh, you know, just a couple of castaways." John B always the leader, responded casually.

"Well, I'll cross that off the grocery list," A southern accent came through. You didn't like that you couldn't see his eyes behind his glasses. "Hold on, I got just the thing for y'all."

John B appeared to be hopeful, beside him, Sarah had said nothing. It didn't seem like she trusted this guy either. "Hey no, Look at this guy, you think he works for your dad?"

"Two things you need on a deserted island-" The guy continued.

"It's okay," You heard him try to convince Sarah when she shook her head in denial of his words. You didn't know if this guy worked for her dad or not but there was something off about him.

"First aid and rum," He brought out a red kit and a bottle, tossing the glass full of liquid at Sarah who let it fall into the water, Pope caught the red box easily. "So, what's the story? You guys sank a boat?"

"Jumped off one," John B shrugged. "Her dad's."

You narrowed your eyes sharply at the back of John B's head, he shouldn't be giving this guy a lick of information, but he was practically giving it all away. What if he was working for Sarah's dad?

"In-laws, man," The guy drawled out. "They're tough. Well, have no fear, Jimmy's here."

"Well, all hail Jimmy, guys!" Cleo declared. "Let's go."

"Welcome aboard the Flying Fish, y'all, I'm Jimmy Portis." He introduced himself as the group boarded the small plane. "I'll be your captain today, now, is this all? Seven of you?"

"Yeah, is that okay?"

You tuned out their conversation and hung back with JJ, not willing to go back but you knew that John B would drag you back over his shoulder if he had to. You'd like to believe that he'd accept it if you wanted to stay behind but the truth was you only had each other. He wouldn't leave you and you... you can't just leave him.

Your footsteps felt heavy while walking up the steps of the cramped plane, you said a silent goodbye to Poguelandia.

~~~

You sat in the back of the plane, across from Kie atop a box, it gave you flashbacks of the shipping container. Though this is much less spacious.

"What were you doing all the way out here?" You elevated the tone of your voice so it could be carried to the front of the plane for Jimmy to hear.

"I got a little guide outfit in Saint Vincent, I was spotting fish," He replies.

You didn't know much about fishing or fishing seasons but his story didn't feel right. He was flying a plane to spot fish, alone?

"What were spotting?" JJ asked a follow-up question. He was crouched behind the co-pilot seat.

"You know, the usual, Wahoo."

John B's head lifted and he caught JJ's eye, moving his head slightly, the small shake of his head was enough to tell you that what that Jimmy guy said wasn't right.

"I'd hang on to something, get a little spicy on takeoff," Portis warns you and puts on the headset.

You grab ahold of a hanging handle as the plane takes off.

The radio is rattling off stats you had no comprehension of, you were all officially in the air.

JJ beckons you all the move forward, so you all scoot to the front to hear him.

"Wahoo don't run in September," He affirms. "Ever, alright? So whoever this man is, he's not a fisherman."

"Maybe the run just starts earlier out here," Pope suggests.

"You sure about that?" The expression on JJ's face said it was highly doubtful. "In the Caribbean?"

"No, I know what this is, he's working for my dad and he's probably been looking for us the entire time," said Sarah.

"We gotta find out, start looking for some sort of clues," JJ trails off when he spots the bag hanging from the back of Jimmy Portis' seat. He signs for John B to distract the pilot while he- the certified Klepto- gets to snooping.

John B taps on the man's left shoulder as John B is behind him and gets him to look over while JJ works to the right of him. He begins to chat up the pilot with questions about his life and JJ digs through the bag, pulling out a book titled 'The loss of El Dorado'.

He opened the cover to find a picture of the coastal venture, the ship you had all escaped from.

Sarah grabs the picture and shows John B, "This is the boat we were on, with Eberhimi and the cross."

"So he was looking for us," Cleo said more than asked.

"He's working for my dad."

The aircraft shook suddenly, making you jump where you sat.

"Y'all better hold something, we got some unexpected turbulence up here!" Jimmy cautions you all.

You look out the window to see the mainland in view, "Guys, whatever's happening is happening fast."

"That looks like Barbados, I've been there with Terrence," Cleo recognizes.

"There's six of us, one of him, you know vote." JJ, as always, suggests violence. "We storm the cockpit."

"No, w

"Who's gonna fly the plane, dumbass?" John B rationalized.

"I've seen Pope fly simulators."

Pope stutters, "I crop-dusted for my uncle last summer, this is not the same thing."

"We are going to die," You accepted your fate.

Kie speaks up, "No we are not, and we don't have time to pretend that's a real option."

"Do you have an idea?" JJ snarks back.

"Something safe."

"Why don't we just wait until the plane lands somewhere safe and then we sneak out," Pope forms a plan. "If somebody comes to mess with us, we mad-dog them."

Nobody protested the idea, it seemed generally solid. Kie told JJ to put the stuff taken out of Jimmy's bag back before he noticed but as he was in the process of doing so, John B's distraction didn't work so well the second time and he turned his head, catching JJ in his bag.

"The hell are you doing?" Jimmy shoved JJ out and JJ pushed back, he was fighting with one hand and lost control of the plane.

You didn't have time to think, the plane was going down, and everybody flew to the front as the Flying Fish dove straight into the water.

The plane was filling up quickly, already halfway full, you coughed up water as you pulled yourself up from one of the hanging handles.

John B kicked open the door, and immediately protested, "Oh no, no, no, no. They don't look friendly."

"No, they look very unfriendly," Pope looked out next to John B.

"We gotta go."

The vessel was sinking fast, John B was helping everybody get out, Cleo went first, then Sarah, Pope dove out after, and JJ next.

"Y/n, come on!" John B yelled.

Your leg got caught on one of the ropes, "I'm going."

"What's wrong?" Kie panics looking at you.

"I got it, it's okay, go." You were busy trying to untangle your foot. You heard JJ call out for you guys to hurry before it sunk.

"Hang on!" She yells back at them and helps you.

"Shit," You curse, the rope that was tied around your ankle had given cut you from what you assumed was when the plane went down. It was twisted twice around your foot but you were both able to set it free. "Got it, Kie, let's go."

"Portis," She swims to the man who was unconscious, "Help me get him out."

Fuck, you curse mentally, this thing was sinking fast. You already wasted time trying to set yourself free, now you had to help out the guy who kidnapped you guys.

You and Kie carried him out with the help of the water, you were both struggling to swim yourself until you reached the shore with no sign of the others.

You grunted as you dropped your half of the man to the sand, two locals came to help.

Your ankle now stung with a medium-sized gash was sliced around half of your leg. You coughed out the salty water you swallowed while swimming with the man who was now alive.

"Thank you," His bloodshot red eyes looked at both you and Kie as he expressed his gratitude.

"You lied to us," Kie growled. "Who are you?"

"Kie," You saw men coming in ATV's. "We need to go."

You were tired of running, but what would happen if you didn't was worse.

"Shit," She hisses. "Let's go."

You ran ignoring the stinging sensation of the cut, the adrenaline helping you out, the panic and anxiety set in, and that made you feel more than the open wound spilling blood.

"Over here," you found an old wooden boat painted blue, rusty oil containers that could shield you from view. You both hid in between them, catching your breath for a good couple of seconds before you were found.

A man crouching down to look and Kie punched him, and you both ran. There were four men with vests and guns, two on either side. You went one way, she went the other, and you ran straight into them. By the sounds of the struggle, Kie got caught too.

You flailed your arms and tried to push down his arms from where they were around your waist but it was no use. You kicked your legs, and your elbow hit something but that made the man's arms crush you in his hold.

"Let go of me!" You screamed and growled. The other man grabbed your legs with no remorse for the cut. You didn't stop moving, you scratched the man who held you in his arms deep enough to draw blood.

"Fucking bitch!" He squeezed until you felt a deep pain in your ribs.

They didn't stop moving until they had you on the back of a trunk with your hands tied behind your back.

Kie was there, shivering in her place, you stopped fighting once you saw her. You supposed now you would have to accept whatever was going to happen together.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Fucking amazing," You grumbled. "Are you?"

"Never been better."

And who else showed his face other than Jimmy Portis?

"We saved you," Kie snarled.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry" He looked weak and spineless. "I'm gonna try to help you guys, okay? I swear, I didn't know it was gonna be like this. Look, if you don't fight, if you just do what they say, these guys probably won't hurt you."

He didn't know it was gonna be like this; meaning he was not high up on whatever fucked up chain this was, which meant his promise of helping meant nothing.

"What did Ward promise you?"

"Who?" He gave Kie a quizzical stare. "Just take my advice, do what they say. Good luck."

Another man with a vest sat in front of you both, giving you a hard glare, probably a buddy of the one who grabbed you. If the whole no-fighting thing was true, you were screwed, then again it didn't matter what you did- if he didn't know who Ward was then that meant you didn't know what you were dealing with and you were screwed anyway.

~~~

The anxiety pumping through your chest was overstimulating. Your body was shivering intensely, at first it was from the initial shock of the surfacing from the fresh water. Now you were sure the events of the day were catching up to you, putting a physical strain on your body, but you fought through it.

You observed the roads your kidnappers had taken, memorizing as many details as you could for when you would eventually escape. With Kie by your side, the both of you could surely find your way through this town.

The truck slowed to a stop, the driver rolled down his window to talk to an armed guard with an intimidating German Shepherd. One quick look and one of the two men standing in front of the gate, lifted it for the truck to go through.

You looked around at your surroundings and noticed this place was heavily guarded, practically a fortress. Miles and miles of land with men stationed not five minutes away from each other.

The estate was several stories high, again- guards posted everywhere. You and Kie were yanked to the front door, and let in by a housekeeper.

To the right of the foyer, you immediately notice the artifacts enclosed in glass cases.

"Take them upstairs, Orinoco room for this one-" The Housekeeper instructs the guard who grips Kie's bicep and takes her up. "Nazas room for that one."

The same man who you scratched snatched you similarly to how the other one did Kie, with more unnecessary force than needed in your opinion. "Up."

"Y/n?" Kie's neck turned to you.

"I'm right behind you," You reassured her.

He took you to a room next to Kiara's, he tossed you inside with a sneer, slamming the door behind himself without a word.

"Hey!" You yelled. "What the hell am I here for?"

No response.

You pounded on the door to hopefully get an answer, "Who do you work for? Why do they want us here?"

You grumbled to yourself taking in the room they stuffed you in, you were scared you admitted to yourself. They could have at least kept you both together, you knew they probably wouldn't do that since they could clearly care less about your comfort after kidnapping you...

The room had three windows with a nook, floral printed curtains, walls painted a coral color. The four-poster bed facing the door, your brows scrunched in confusion at the open wardrobe to the left of the bed with hanging identical red dresses. You walked over to it and plucked the note with the words 'pick your size' written.

The question 'What the fuck?' just gets deeper and deeper. You aggressively crumbled up the paper into a ball and threw it at the door.

You sighed and walked to the open door next to the one the guard shut, walking in, there was a mirror and a sink with a shower to the left. You took one look at yourself and winced at the difference you saw from the girl you were.

Aged, matured, whatever you wanted to call it- that was you. You stood straighter, your hair was frizzed and you were darker than your normal tan from the sun you took on Kildare. Your nose and cheeks were tinted red; burnt.

Your shoulder slumped from exhaustion, hold it together, you told yourself. You can break down later.

~~~

The shower was reviving, you felt refreshed your hair felt soft again, and you relished in the feeling of being clean and slipped on one of the dresses that were in your size. You were impressed with the size range the mysterious nabber had. They even had several pairs of heels to match, you released a laugh and felt delirious, this was unreal.

You admired yourself from different angles and did a double-take when you saw a third door. You went for it and turned the knob, it was unlocked, it creaked open and you gasped.

Kie's room. There she sat in a dress the same as yours, color and style, down to the heel. She had her head clutched in her hands, lifting her head up at the sound of the door.

"Kie, oh my god," You strode over to her with arms outstretched. She mimicked you into an embrace. It was comforting to know you weren't entirely alone anymore.

She sighed into you, "Did the guy tell you anything?"

You pulled away and shook your head with pursed lips, "No, did he?" You asked if her guard gave her any information.

"Dinner, at eight."

"Oh yeah? Just a casual sit-down dinner while holding us hostage," You replied sarcastically. "Sounds like an entertaining night."

"At least we have adjoining rooms," Her lips twitched upwards. "If Ward wasn't the one searching for us then who is this guy?"

"Didn't know we had so many enemies," You took the liberty to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Should we even be surprised at this point?" She rolled her eyes.

"Nope."

Your heart felt heavy.

~~~

A knock on Kie's door startled you both out of the reminiscent conversation you were having about the island, life in high school and how you both thought last year's summer was gonna go before this whole mess started.

The maid from earlier appeared you both scrambled out of the bed and fixed your dresses. You glanced at each other, you linked arms as you walked down the steps, and you resisted the urge to take Kie and run through the front doors where you knew you'd be shot down the minute you stepped foot out of the perimeter.

She directed you both to the dining room, a man was standing with his back to you, serving himself a glass of an amber liquid.

"Excuse me?" Kie spoke first in a shy tone.

The man turned and your stomach sank, Rafe. It was Rafe who stood there, in a white button-down shirt and blue blazer. His hair was buzzed, and you felt your heart in your throat.

"You," You hissed, marching up to him. "You were behind this."

Rafe sized you up, flashing one look at Kie, "Y/n, what?"

"I knew it had to be you and Ward," Kie jeered at him, a few steps behind you.

"What are you talking about?" He faced you both head-on, "Are you trying to weasel in on my deal, is that what's going on?"

"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know," A voice cut through from a room to the right of the dining table. A tanned man with a beard smirked as he strolled over to you three.

"Who are you?" Rafe stepped forward.

"Me?" The man in the grey suit pointed to himself. "My name is Carlos Singh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron. Ms. Carrera, and Ms. Routeledge, I do apologize for the rough tactics in bringing you here. But, please, come sit down."

Apology not accepted? You wanted to say but refrained from doing so, the air around him was not in the least bit friendly or open and inviting though it sounded like he was trying to be.

"Come now, I don't bite," He waved you all forward.

You dared to walk through the threshold first, sitting on a sturdy chair that felt expensive underneath you, Kie sat next to you with a round coffee table in between both seats.

Your eyes stayed narrowed at Rafe as he followed suit, visibly stressed, rubbing the lines on his forehead. "Rough tactics, what about me?"

Singh poured himself a drink, "Yes, Mr. Cameron, false pretenses. But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid. Sit down, we have a lot to talk about."

Rafe takes the chair across from you, leaving the one next to him, open.

"Why are we here?" Kie tensed.

"Well, Ms. Carrera, Routledge, Mr. Cameron, we share certain interests. Objectives."

"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe interrupts.

"It is, tangentially, it is about the cross." He confirms, "It's also about something much, much bigger than the cross by order of magnitude."

The man stood in front of a painting, "The completion of a grand quest. You see, the story goes that four hundred fifty years ago- a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads, and when they asked the Spanish soldiers where the beads came from the Spanish soldier replied he got them from a peaceful indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado.

"And for the next four hundred and fifty years, people tried to find that gold. They tried." Singh picked up a knife from the desk cabinet below the painting. "Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes; entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow, thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever, and it falls to me."

"It falls to me to complete the task," Singh strolled over to you, knife in hand. Your eyes never strayed from the hands that handled it. "To bring full circle a quest that has gone on for almost five hundred years, perhaps the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere. You three, are going to play a part in that."

"Ms. Routledge, daughter of a man who was interested in making history, don't think I don't know you're family history."

You cleared your throat, "Past, present, future. They all kind of mesh together in my head sometimes, you know."

"Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you said, okay?" Rafe chimed in, "How much are you gonna keep philosophizing?"

"You are direct, aren't you, Mr. Cameron?"

"What do you need from us?" Kie asked.

"I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want."

"Which is?" You couldn't think of something he could possibly want.

"An old manuscript, a diary, actually."

You kept your features neutral, giving away nothing, "A diary?"

You were starting to notice a pattern with people who talked, thought, and associated with the cross. All greedy fanatics.

"We don't know anything about a diary," Kie shrugged casually.

"How else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant."

"We would help you if we could but we can't."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that you know, because unfortunately, I don't believe you. you and your friend here," He pointed to Rafe, "Couldn't have found the cross without it."

"He's not our friend," You clarified.

"We can't all be friends," Singh's tone was grim. You didn't want to know what was gonna happen, knowing you couldn't give him what you wanted- even if you wanted to the diary was in Kildare.

"This is ridiculous," Rafe stands, "Okay, I'm out. I don't know anything about a diary."

He walks backward with hands half raised in surrender to then face one of the many, many guards in the house, gun across his vested chest.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?" Singh grew dangerously impatient with Rafe. "You have the cross, their friends had the cross at one point, so one of you has the diary."

Rafe's eyes bore into yours, you let him, your own gaze unwavering.

"And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your friend to tell me, once I have the diary- you'll be free to leave." He lightens his tone before it darkens again.

He leads you three up the stairs and into Kie's room, "I must warn you though, I am not a man of infinite patience. You have one day, go to the window for a little demonstration." He pats Rafe on the shoulder before exiting.

You heard the click of the lock, solidifying the trap. You clenched your fists, fingers cracking to help with the anxiety at what you were going to witness.

Rafe protests and yanks at the doorknob, Kie comes up behind you as you open the curtain, and then Rafe joins you on the other side.

You heard shouts, and then Jimmy Portis being dragged by another guy.

"Who is he?" Rafe being this close to your ear made you shuffle closer to Kie.

"It's Jimmy Portis, we know him," Kie responds for you.

You felt a stab of guilt, "He must've been trying to help us."

Singh looked up at the window where the three of you stood watching, he had a handgun, making it obvious of his intention. He walked out of view where Jimmy was, there was a cock of the gun clicking, and not a second later came the booming shot fired.

~~~

a/n: SEASON 3!!! thank you all for your love and patience, i love you all, let me know what you think

let me know if you'd like to be tagged :)

@jbassettjmaybank - @deanwherescas - @thtbwltts - @nerdypartytrashpsychic - @random-girl-army - @wisegirlies - @instabull - @sexyfoxlady - @bubs-world - @sdawn03 - @mendesclines - @obx-pogues-4-life - @mentalforfics - @p-prettybitch - @namacissi - @dczedhee - @inkandpen22 - @royalavenger - @ayeitsjustmee - @80strashbag - @onlyangel-444 - @freds-slut - @poppet05 - @itsjuststaticnoises - @ahnneyong - @lovepizza567 - @jasminfelling - @rana03 - @loki-loveer - @rana030 - @lostinatimeline - @boldlypessimistic - @clinelyn - @a-j-stuffs - @yunhobug - @syd223sworld - @strawberry--fawn - @mysticalavenuecheesecake - @itsmytimetoodream - @natashtessabeth12 - @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles - @chervbs - @or-was-it-just-a-dream - @newbooksmell777 - @afterzonee - @hana-1235 - @ilovesteveharrngton - @s1Ingwns - @jesssssmaybankk - @auspicious-manner - @mirellef2001

if your name is cross that means tumblr won't allow me to tag you, i'm sorry :/

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coffeeghoulie · 17 days

Text

Mushy May Day 28: Collecting Objects

The pack has a beach day, and Mountain and Rain spend it looking for a keepsake to take home.

Thank you so much to @forlorn-crows for putting Mushy May together, and to @ghuleh-recs for making us the dividers <3

"Will this do, tadpole?" Mountain asks, holding up something small between big fingers, covered in their human glamour.

Rain chirps curiously, straightening up from where he's been combing through the sand. Behind them, the lake laps at the shores, water stretching off to the horizon, sky and water the same bright blue.

The band's on an off day, Papa deciding that a lake day would be good for all of his ghouls. Mountain's grateful for it, eager to take off his shoes and sink his toes in the sand, connect to his element. Rain, Dew and Aurora had happily dove into the water the moment the bus had pulled to a stop, even though Rain is a saltwater ghoul. Any water is good enough for their magick.

Cumulus and Cirrus wade through the waves, up to their knees, talking to each other in quiet tones, while Aeon and Swiss playfight and tussle in the water. Swiss keeps saying something about planting palm trees, and Aeon rolls their eyes, splashing water at him every time.

Papa's on the shore, under an umbrella, eyes shut behind sunglasses. Should they approach him, Mountain knows the old man will insist that he isn't sleeping, just resting his eyes. His face is slathered in sunscreen that smells strongly of artificial coconut and zinc.

Rain trots over, squinting in the summer sun at what Mountain's holding. It's cobalt blue and about the size of a fifty cent gumball, just slightly translucent and glowing where the afternoon sun hits it. "Shit, sunflower, it's perfect," Rain gushes, holding his palm out.

Mountain gives him a crooked grin, depositing the bit of sea glass into his outstretched hand. He watches as Rain rubs his thumb over the wave-smoothed edges, a bit of glass buffered and polished into a pretty little gemstone. It'll get tucked into one of the nooks in Rain's bunk, along with all of the other stones the two of them have collected together, until they get back to the Abbey.

The collection gets split evenly between two places. Half of the rocks will line the shelf above the desk in Rain's room, organized by color. There's a pile for each tour Rain's been on, can name every body of water he took them from.

The other half will go to the greenhouse, to the bed of flowers that Mountain keeps, one plant for each of his packmates, former and current. They line the edges of the raised bed, curling around the snapdragons and jasmine, the baby's breath and catchfly and daffodils. The stones circle the morning glories climbing their trellis, tucked around the petunias.

It's theirs, the same way Cirrus and Cumulus buy magnets from every rest area and truck stop the band stops at.

"Did you find one for me?" Mountain asks, watching as Rain inspects the sea glass.

"Mhm," Rain hums, reaching wordlessly into the front pocket of his shorts and pulling out a stone. It's flat and almost perfectly round, and if the lake were calmer, water glassy and still, it would make an excellent skipping stone. It's a slightly marbled grey, basalt, if Mountain had to take a guess, but he's more than willing to bet that Rain selected it for its shape rather than any unique coloration.

"This is perfect, Rain," Mountain beams, auburn hair glinting copper in the light. Rain gives him a grin back, and even through his human glamour, his teeth are just a little too sharp.

"How about I put these with our stuff, and we actually get in the water?" Rain offers, shifting on his feet.

Mountain's brow furrows for a moment, poker face nonexistent when it comes to his water ghoul. "Shit, didn't mean to keep you from the wa-"

Rain reaches up, pulling Mountain down by the shoulders to press a quick little kiss to his lips, effectively shutting him up. "Don't apologize. I needed to get a rock for you."

Mountain smiles again, unsure if the warmth on his face is just the sun or a blush. He waits until Rain's back is turned, depositing their stones in one of the pouches of his backpack over by Copia, before calling out. "Last one in is on dishes duty when we get back to the Abbey!"

Rain splutters, scrambling through the sand, and Mountain just laughs.

#yes this is based on a beach off of lake michigan #i am not beating the midwestern allegations #dot's writing #mountain ghoul #rain ghoul #the band ghost fanfiction #the band ghost #(also if you get the fob reference in this one i am giving you a gold star lmao i can't help myself lol)#mushy may 2024

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hyunverse · 1 year

Text

elise ‧₊˚✩彡 lee felix

brother’s best friend!lee felix x reader. genre — fluff. just fluff. so much fluff wc — 1471 words. about — in which you and felix are just hopelessly in love with each other. note — a drabble for my 4k event! the song is elise by the greeting committee

“I’m outside,” the text reads.

It doesn’t matter that you get this variation of text almost every night. You’ll squeal every time. You’ll grab the hoodie by your coat rack and put it on, then sneak out through your window every time. You’ll get in his car and kiss him hello every time. Every single time. You’re weak for him and he knows it — loves it. Felix loves the way you’ll get into his car with a sheepish smile, grinning even more when you spot him smiling up at you too.

You couldn’t be happier to climb out of your window, his sweatshirt hugging your body and providing you warmth. With one foot already outside the window, you look back to your door to double-check the door lock. You nod once you see that it’s already locked, proceeding to climb out to the tree beside your window, careful as to not make any noise.

You’re not supposed to be outside after dinner. A curfew your family have set for you — the princess of the family. You’ve argued multiple times with your mother about the curfew set, saying that it’s unfair that Hyunjin, your older brother’s curfew is one hour later than yours — which your mother has argued back by saying that he’s older than you, albeit only a year older. It’s annoying, being a college student with an overprotective family.

Hence why you sneak out every time Felix wants to take you out on a midnight drive. For one, it’s past your curfew and secondly, you’re not supposed to be dating Felix — your brother’s best friend. Dating is already one thing, you’re still Hyunjin’s five-year-old little sibling in his eyes, but dating his best friend? If he finds out, his head would probably fall off from whiplash.

“Hi,” you softly greet him as soon as you open his car door, “I missed you.”

“Hello there,” he greets back, turning to face you, “climb in, pretty.”

One of his hands stays on his steering wheel, the other on his gear stick. Felix’s brown hair is messy, the side of his face glowing from the street lamp he parked his car under. You can see his freckles better under the fluorescent light, you have to hold back from immediately grabbing his face and littering kisses on each freckle. Not that he’d mind if you did.

You climb into the car, shutting the door close behind you. No time is wasted as you inch closer to kiss his cheek, earning a satisfied sigh from him. Like routine, he then drives off to somewhere else — somewhere none of your family members can catch you being outside past your curfew, somewhere Hyunjin won’t catch you making out with his best friend in the backseat of a BMW.

“You look so pretty,” Felix says the moment the two of you are seated in the backseat.

It’s cold. And dark — but none of that mattered when you’re with Felix. A paper bag of McDonalds sits on the front passenger seat as the two of you sit at the back, holding onto each other for dear life. Felix is glued onto your side, his head resting at the side of your neck. You can smell his coconut shampoo, his cologne and vanilla ice cream — he reeks of familiarity and you love it. You love everything about him, from the constellation-shaped freckles on his complexion to the depth of his voice as he speaks love mantras into your skin.

“You’re prettier,” you whisper back, as if he would break if you were any louder, “I don’t know what it is but you look extra prettier at night.”

He laughs. The sound makes you want to weep.

“That’s so back-handed, baby. It’s like you’re saying I’m pretty when you can’t see me well.”

You scoff, “that’s not what I mean! It’s just. . . the night light makes you glow in a different way. Or maybe it’s because you always have messy hair at night. . . it’s cute.”

Felix hums, then takes your hand into his. The moment he feels how cold your skin is, he clasps another hand on top of yours, warming it up by brushing them together. You take it as an opportunity to inch impossibly closer to his body, to the point where all you could smell is his coconut shampoo. He leans back against your body, before dropping your hand to wrap an arm around your waist.

“How has your mother never caught you sneaking out, hm?”

“No idea. Guess the world’s just on my side lately.”

“The things you do for me, love,” he chuckles, “love you so much. You know that, right?”

“I know. You’re worth everything ever, Lix.”

He feels like crying at the statement. But he doesn’t — instead, he closes the gap between you two with a kiss. A needy kiss. A hurried kiss. A kiss which screams his desperation and his love for you, one that’s breathless and passionate.

“Love you, love you so much,” he chants between kisses, having to pull away so often from his eagerness.

You pull away after a while, resting your forehead against his.

“You’ll be the death of me, Lix, swear to god.”

“Mm,” he hums, “hey. Wanna do something a little crazy?”

“Depends on how crazy it is,” you raise an eyebrow, “what do you have in mind?”

God, the things you do for him.

Upon parking his car somewhere secluded — far away from your family’s peripheral vision, you two end up climbing into the comfort of your bedroom. Felix’s idea of something crazy is letting him stay over for a night at your house, knowing full well that you’re dead if you get caught. Especially if it’s your brother who catches the two of you — you shudder at the thought of him questioning Felix’s intentions or some sappy shit like that.

“You haven’t made your bed from last time,” Felix points out, “the side I slept on is still messy.”

He plops down onto the bed, causing it to bounce a little. The last time you didn’t follow your family on a vacation, you had invited Felix to sleep over. It was roughly a week ago, and you haven’t made his side of the bed ever since. You left it messy, serving as a reminder that he once laid there, tangled in your sheets and your limbs. You like it that way.

“Mm,” you hum, taking off your sweatshirt and hanging it on your coat rack, “makes me think of you every night.”

Your boyfriend’s gaze softens at your statement.

“You know, if we get caught, it’s all your fault.”

He shrugs, “so? What are you going to do then? Spank me?”

“Ha-ha. Very funny, Yongbok.”

He laughs at your eye roll, before patting his side, inviting you.

“Come on, lay with me.”

You do as he says, falling onto your bed and into his arm. Your breath fans against his skin when you hide your face in the crook of his neck, your voice low as you start a conversation.

It’s meaningless pillow talk, yet meaningful at the same time. He knows he won’t remember the entire conversation tomorrow, but the small details will definitely stick. Details like what you saw at a jewellery store which you really liked, and a song that has been stuck in your brain lately.

Something about your company makes him sleepy. In a good way — not in a way where you bore him, absolutely not — but in a way where Felix feels entirely comfortable around you. He could strip himself off any shield and let you see him in all his vulnerability, but he knows it’ll be okay. That he’s safe. The sound of your voice talking about something along the lines of a tv show you’ve been hooked on all week slowly lulls him to sleep. Soon, he could feel his eyelids getting heavy.

“Lix?” you look up at his face, “sleepy?”

“Yeah,” he replies absent-mindedly, “let’s sleep.”

“Okay,” you utter, getting up to turn off the lights. A few groans elicit from his lips when you slip out of his grip, which you chuckle at. One thing you’ve learned about Felix is that he gets especially needy when sleepy.

“Come to bed quickly,” he demands, “want you.”

“Trying my best here, baby.”

“You know I love you a lot, right?” you hear him speak the moment you get back into the duvets beside him.

You could only hum, too overwhelmed by adoration to reply with full sentences. The duvet shifts as Felix adjusts his body to get closer to your figure. His eyes are still shut, breathing steadily and whispering absent-mindedly.

“So thankful I’ve got you,” the brunette whispers again, “you make my hard days easier, pretty.”

With a chaste kiss onto your lips, Felix falls asleep.

taglist (send an ask to be added) — @zoe8stay , @starlostseungmin , @bakugossanity , @hwajin , @sleepyleeji , @skizzel , @bbujiikseu , @asters-abditory , @byjeekies , @jdopes-recorder , @sherryblossom , @strayingawayy , @cb97whoree , @g4m3girl , @jeonginwrld

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myymi · 4 months

Text

“So, how's it feel to be the errand boy for once, Dread?” The echidna rolled his eyes before turning to give the bat an unimpressed frown.

“Shut yer mouth, Batten.” He grumbled, turning his attention back to the tree he was climbing. The woman snorted but ended up flying away to look for the little fox that came with them to the small island.

Once he collected the three coconuts this tree held, he looked around the island to try and get a glimpse of yellow or white fur.

He stiffened when something smacked into the back of his head, quickly turning to look behind him. He could see Batten waving him over, a certain glint in her eyes he wasn't used to seeing.

With a frown, Dread jumped down from the tree and ran over to where his fri– crewmate was. Batten pulled him behind a rock when he was close enough, motioning to keep his voice down.

“What's wrong with ye?” He whispered, raising a brow when the bat carefully peeked around the rock they were crouched behind.

“Look.” She nodded her head to tell Dread to take a peek himself. When he did, he figured he was seeing things.

He was pretty sure Sonic went back to his home.

“Who is that?” He asked as he ducked back behind the rock. It couldn't be Sonic, could it?

“Not sure.” Batten mumbled as she turned to face Dread. “I saw Sails with him.”

Dread felt even more confused now. Sails didn't go up to strangers without the crew with him. Was he fooled by this landlubber’s disguise?

The surge of anger that passed through his nerves at the thought of the youngest crewmate being hurt by this landlubber was a strange feeling, but he welcomed it.

He found he actually enjoyed protecting the crew. For once, it seemed to be more important than any treasure in the sea.

Dread drew his sword as he peeked out from the rock once again, surprised to see that the hedgehog was gone.

He slowly rose to his full height, eyes darting all around the surrounding area to try and locate the stranger. Batten stood up with him, carefully wrapping a hand around her own sword.

Dread nearly jumped out of his skin when a finger tapped his shoulder. He quickly whipped around, making sure to keep Batten behind him as he aimed his sword at whoever touched him.

Sails raised a brow at the echidna's actions, his head tilted to the side in confusion.

“Sails?” Batten asked, equally as confused as the little fox. Her eyes carefully scanned over the fox, looking for any injuries as his mechanical arm slowly lowered the sword pointed at his face.

“Aye, lad.” Dread sighed heavily, resheathing his sword, “Where'd ye go?”

“Just over there,” The kit jabbed his thumb to the right, exactly where that landlubber was standing moments ago.

Just as the echidna was about to ask the fox about the hedgehog, the stranger appeared at the youngest’s side. He had a lazy grin on his muzzle as he threw an arm around the other's shoulder.

“Get yer paws off Sails, ye landlubber!” Batten growled, pulling out her sword but refraining from pointing it at the hedgehog just yet.

Sails and the hedgehog seemed to exchange a glance at that, “Uh, it's alright, Batten.”

“What’d ye mean is alright?” Dread asked, glaring at the hedgehog. He was very quiet, “That ain't Sonic, Sails.”

“I know he ain't Sonic, Dread.” The fox rolled his eyes, gesturing to the mobian leaning against him, “His name's Tonic.”

“Tonic?” Batten questioned, the grip on her sword tightening.

Sails nodded, a paw resting on his hip as the hedgehog gave them a two finger salute. “He ain't sure how he washed up here, but he has no way to find his crew. Figured we could go ask Captain Rose if there's anything we can do for ‘em.”

“Are ye sure, Sails?” Batten looked down to the fox, her pose relaxing slightly when she saw how calm he was.

“He ain't gonna hurt us.” The kit argued, ending the conversation by walking away. Tonic was behind the fox immediately, not caring to stick around the bat and echidna without him.

“We're gonna keep an eye on tha’ one, right?” Batten crossed her arms as she looked over to Dread. The echidna nodded with a frown, not taking his eyes away from the hedgehog.

He didn't trust him. But Sails did, and he knows that kid has a harder time trusting people than anyone else abroad Angel's Voyage 2.0.

Black Rose might give him a chance for Sails, but he's absolutely done for if he does anything to hurt the fox.

It had become an unspoken rule between the crew after they had finally learned the full extent of the kit’s past.

Sails was their number one priority now.

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husbandhoshi · 2 years

Text

just a moment with you

pairing: hoshi x gn!reader

wc: 3.8k

summary: after a series of disasters, you find yourself on a long-winded detour from your senior trip with kwon soonyoung, local life of the party and the boy you may have just a little tiny crush on.

or the one where you fall in love with the boy you've fallen in love with every friday night.

notes: college!au, fluff, humor, friends to lovers, lots of alcohol mentions and romcom cliches

originally written for mads's @neonun-au birthday, and thank you to madison (@heartkyeom), vampy (@vampyrescript) , and eva (@bfwonu) for helping with edits!

It wasn't supposed to go like this.

You'd like to say you awoke to the smell of sandalwood, maybe room service or a foot massage.

Instead, you're roused by a hand cramp and the dull smack of your head against the window of Soonyoung's sedan as he speeds over what may be the deepest pothole you've seen in your entire adult life.

"Shit..." You blink, bleary-eyed, at the clock (4:39 PM, a full hour after you were supposed to get to the hotel), and then at Soonyoung, who's humming along to your music and driving with one hand as if absolutely nothing is wrong.

You've noticed he hasn't stolen the aux cord from you even though you were supposed to switch off ages ago. It's one of the many small graces you've noticed from him today—you almost forgive him for letting you sleep through the entirety of the playlist you curated specifically for this trip. He lifted your bag into the back of his car (fair, because it was embarrassingly heavy), bought you Starbucks (he probably needed the stars or something), and didn't lose his patience when you asked him the nth question about ballet (you have no explanation for this one. If you were him, you definitely would have lost it the fifth time you had to explain what a jeté was.).

Yet again, you feel like something more than just a casual friend in the leftovers car on your senior trip.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," he chirps. "Sleep well?"

You gaze out the window, watching the ribbon of green trees unfurl over the sprawling asphalt road. Once you get past Soonyoung's obvious speeding, it's nice, perfect even.

Until you remember you're on a trip to the beach. Not the middle of the forest.

"Soonyoung?"

"Yeah?"

"Where exactly are we?"

Without thinking, Soonyoung replies blithely, "I don't know. When you were asleep, Jeonghan called me and told me to detour and make a pit stop somewhere down this highway." A near comedic pause. "Also my phone's dead."

Then the music stops, signaling the death of your phone and the last tether you have to civilization.

You remember you're in Soonyoung's shitty 1990-something car with manual window cranks instead of phone chargers. And so it's just you, Soonyoung, and the road until you find some hillbilly death town to get gas at and figure out how to contact the rest of your friends, who are likely already sunbathing on the beach.

"So we're lost."

Soonyoung laughs, and it's almost enough to ease the wave of anxiety currently climbing your bones.

"Fuck. Oh my god," you groan. "We're in a horror movie, aren't we?"

"Ok, maybe, but we would totally survive a horror movie. Right? Come on. You're smiling."

"We are literally gonna be the first people to die. Like in the first thirty minutes."

For a moment you catch yourself tracing Soonyoung's grinning silhouette against the glow of the window, almost in admiration.

"What? You can't see me heroically rescuing you? I could absolutely take a zombie down. Seriously. We'd definitely make the hour mark."

"Not when you can't even keep our phones charged," you lament. "Or take the right exit. There, there, god, please check your blind spot!"

The town that you drive into is ripped straight from a postcard, thankfully, and not from the cover of a slasher movie.

It's almost incredible how, instead of drinking out of a coconut and watching Seokmin trip over his feet in an unnecessarily competitive game of beach volleyball, you're looking for parking spots on a street where it looks like cars haven't been invented yet.

But you don't really mind. In fact, as Soonyoung almost swerves off the road to point at a cute dog tied to a lamppost, you find this whole debacle a little endearing.

"Maybe we can park in front of this café and charge our phones there?"

"Yes, ma'am," Soonyoung replies, and that's how you find yourself seated in the cutest little booth, at a table so small, your knees are almost touching his.

In true disaster movie fashion, his phone charger is too frayed to be of any use, and so he peruses one of the sticky plastic-cover menus while you watch the slow creep of your phone battery to a serviceable percent.

"You like blueberry?" he asks.

"Sure."

You notice he's a foot tapper—always moving to some imaginary beat, never able to stay still. It'd normally bug you a little, but instead you're wondering what song he's dancing to. Almost as if reading your mind, he promptly sits on his hands and apologizes—"Sorry, 'm shaking the table," he laughs. "Bad habit."

"No, it's ok." You see an unreadable expression cross his face. But it's not a bad one—instead, it makes you curious. "I like trying to figure out what song you're thinking of."

"One of the songs from your playlist. I like your taste in music."

It flatters you more than it should, and to break the post-compliment tension you've invented in your own mind, you decide to call Jeonghan and set things straight while Soonyoung orders—blueberry pancakes and two coffees, please.

"Jeonghan, what the fuck," is the first thing you say to him, and Soonyoung laughs from across the table.

"Where are you guys?" is his languid reply, and, just as you predicted, you hear the telltale wail of Mingyu's voice complaining that Seungcheol was hogging all the shade. "Still driving?"

"What do you mean? Soonyoung told me that you told us to pull off at a rest stop."

"Hm?" He pulls the receiver away to holler at someone in the background (You can at least try to keep the ball in bounds, and someone, Seungkwan, maybe, yells something back). "Sorry, bad timing. I gotta go."

"What? Where? What the hell is going on?"

"You must have gotten lost." You can almost perfectly picture his nonchalant shrug, the dumb bucket hat he's got askew on his head. "Guess we shouldn't have put the two most directionally challenged people in the same car. Just stay the night wherever you are—we're not finishing all the alc today. Just most of it."

"Jeonghan—" And the receiver goes dead. "Jeonghan!"

It's over the welcome plate of pancakes Soonyoung ordered where you're able to fully contemplate your situation.

Of course it's the one time you're alone and sober with him where everything seems to go wrong.

You met Soonyoung at one of Jeonghan's parties. He was drinking from a wine bag, right from the spout, and it was then and there you knew you just had to be friends with him.

And it did happen—somehow, among college socialite Jeonghan's seemingly endless friend circles, you and the dance major fell into a steady rhythm of seeing each other on the weekends and vastly enjoying each other's presence.

Ever since, he was that friend for you. Your steadfast beer pong partner, the guy who texted you almost exclusively nonsensical memes and requests for philosophy notes (never without the pleading eyes emoji), and someone who was always down to split a milkshake with you at the midnight diner when the rest of your friends wanted real food (Isn't ice cream somewhere on the food pyramid? Soonyoung had always joked, to which Jihoon pointed out that Soonyoung ate like the pyramid was a circle labeled "junk". Says the guy who pisses straight Diet Coke, Soonyoung had replied, pouting, and it never failed to make you laugh.).

You had a comfortable friendship, one that was never less, never more, although you'd be lying if you said you never wished it was otherwise.

Now, looking at him, doused in the afternoon light and quietly listening to you ramble about your film minor, you never would have matched up this Soonyoung to the Soonyoung who did push-ups for an hour to attempt doing a keg stand by himself.

You push back the memory aching in your mind, that one night you walked him home after one too many margaritas.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" you had joked, and he turned to you, fully serious, and said you looked really pretty tonight. You remember the way his lips formed around the words, like it was the only thing he really knew in that moment.

And for once you felt relieved that he likely wouldn't remember a thing from that night, because you felt all the blood in your body, every single cell, rush to your head.

Maybe we both got a little too drunk, you had told yourself, but there was no way you could forget the way he had looked at you, and worse, that traitorous little flutter in the hollow of your chest.

He's saved you the last pancake.

"Whatcha thinking about?" he asks, more softly than you expect. "I know you're probably worried—" (Spoiler alert. You are.) "But...we're here now. Might as well have fun."

"I guess I can tolerate you for another 24 hours." You playfully roll your eyes, but not before catching the way he smiles at you. Yeah, he might smile at everyone like that, but this one, carved by maple syrup and sunlight, feels special.

"It'll be fun! Promise."

You make him pinky promise, even though you already believe him. You notice his hands are soft; you make him swear again just to hold them again, one more time.

As expected from a series of increasingly more unfortunate events, Soonyoung has dragged you into a souvenir shop for some tacky memorabilia to remember your trip by.

"Should we get them a postcard? We can write fuck you on the back," he says, scrunching his face up at the spinning rack of watercolor prints.

"Brilliant."

You join him by the display, and he promptly shows you the seven different postcards he was considering.

Too bright, too Hallmark, too Thomas Kincaid, you tell him as he shuffles through his stack,and even though he doesn't know who the fuck you're talking about, he takes your opinion like it's gospel and narrows it down to a painting of the sun over the lake, a big fat orange hovering above the little town you've found yourself in.

"If we're here, we might as well see the sunset. I think I saw a picnic area by the water," you say, watching him traipse over to a shelf of tourist trap hats. He tries one on, and you can't find it within yourself to tell him that, as cute as he is posing for you, it's not worth thirty dollars.

"Let's do it. I can show off my new hat."

Soonyoung grins at you, and it's like meeting him in reverse.

For some godforsaken reason, he knows what you look like mid-breakdown over a boy, and you know what his favorite hangover cure is (jasmine tea and a bowl of plain rice). And yet, you're both still figuring out the little things. When he pays for his goofy hat and the postcard, you catch that he has a little birthmark on his wrist.

"I still can't believe you cried watching Cars," you tell Soonyoung as you exit the gift shop.

"No amount of higher education could make me deny Mater's impact," he replies, hand over his heart, and you can't do anything but laugh. "Please tell me you'll write your thesis on him."

"Maybe if you look a little more pathetic, I'll think about it."

He doesn't hesitate to give you his best puppy eyes, and you actually feel your heart lurch a little.

"Hm. I'm listening."

And so you let Soonyoung lay out his master plan for your unwritten dissertation on Mater and Lightning McQueen's brotherhood, and it doesn't bypass you that he was actually listening to you talk about all that complicated movie lingo earlier.

He's a good listener even when he's not drunk. Actually, he's a better one sober, and it makes you feel kinda funny.

When he looks at you, stars in his eyes, you see the same Soonyoung that you've spent all those midnights with, except he still acts like he's known you for years you haven't had together.

You find yourself wishing that you knew him on nights other than Friday ones, that you knew his ups and downs, that you knew him as not just a drinking game partner, or a seatmate or another one of Jeonghan's friends or the guy you subject to mimosa therapy on bottomless Sundays.

You find yourself wishing you knew all of Soonyoung, and it's the moment you settle on that thought that you know you're doomed.

"So that's first position."

"Yup."

You watch Soonyoung's lithe fingers dance across the canvas of the tote bag you've laid out across both your laps, as you sit side by side on a bench by the lakeside. The air is warm and muggy with summertime, and there's no one out but the two of you.

"Arabesque into pas de ciseaux." A dash to stage right (the corner where your leg and the tote bag meet), and he pirouettes onto the bare skin of your thigh. His touch is featherlight, but it gives you goosebumps, something you desperately try to swallow down as his hand spins back for a final jump and bow.

"That's the jeté," you manage to say, and you can swear he's never looked happier to hear something.

"Yeah, you got it," he says, slow and soft. "See, you could do ballet too."

"Nowhere as good as you, not even close. I don't know if you saw me, but I've been to your shows before. You're incredible."

"No, I remember. I always look for you in the audience," he replies. "Because of that one time you asked me about my show, during that Chi Omega party." He lowers his eyes to his hands, now fidgeting in his lap. "You were the only one who did."

"I can't imagine not wanting to see your performances," is the only thing you can think to say (you're too busy fighting the butterflies in your stomach), but it seems okay, because Soonyoung leans on your shoulder. That mop of blonde hair smells like oranges and the sun, and you lean right back into him.

Some unexplainable feeling threatens to claw its way out of your chest.

It's familiar, intimate, too intimate. Yeah, maybe he wiped your tears with an McDonalds napkin when you cried in the drive-thru the day after you broke up with Minghao, but this is different. It didn't feel like a facehugger from Alien was going to fuck your shit up, not even close. (Although, Soonyoung's shitty jokes and the piss-poor absorbency of the napkin were more reasons to laugh than to catch feelings.)

"I like that about you," Soonyoung says. "You care."

"What do you mean? Of course I care."

"I don't know." He slips into that mumble talk again. "Sometimes it seems like all I am to people is the life of the party, that's all. Just the guy who's really good at beer pong. You're different." A pause. "Although, you've gotta admit, I have saved your ass more times I can count."

"Ok, fair. Never said I was the better half of our team." And when you manage to make him laugh, you add, "And I like that about you too. I don't think anyone else in the world would have let me go on that long about 70 millimeter film."

He laughs again, a pretty one that blossoms from his chest and shakes the two of you, bodies still connected.

The sound lingers in the air, and you let the dusk and the crickets and the smell of his cologne wash over you. You like how your knees are touching, how he rests on your shoulder like it's the most natural thing he's ever done—it's different than the Soonyoung that clings to you, crying about the power of friendship, because he can't walk straight after two beers, but you like it. You're coming to realize that they're two halves of the same picture, the same Soonyoung with a heart he wears on his sleeve.

It feels like an eternity before he breaks the silence. He sits up straight, and your stomach folds into itself a little.

"Do you remember that kickback we went to? Right after my Swan Lake performance?" Soonyoung's voice is low, casual, like he's sharing a secret between you and the universe. "We played truth or dare and you said you wouldn't mind kissing me?"

"Thought you were too drunk to remember. Everyone else was," you laugh, suddenly feeling too shy to meet the gaze you know is falling on you. You're falling, falling, careening down a mile-long cliff, with no intention to stop—somehow it's that part that scares you the most.

The memory's another one of those in-betweens, forgotten glimpses of a boy you felt only you knew. The sweaty, euphoric, post-practice Soonyoung you bumped into when your political theory class ran late, the whispered jokes in between tequila shots, the stumbling, drunken conversations about the universe and everything in it on the long walks home.

The fact that all of these little precious seconds also lived in Soonyoung's mind, that they're as real to him as they are to you, makes your heart feel raw, seen.

"How could I forget something like that?" is his simple response. The gravity of the moment settles into your bones; you're breathless, giddy. "I'm asking because—," he pauses, taking your expression into his eyes, writing you into memory. The sudden intimacy of it all makes you want to cry. "Because I want to kiss you. Will you let me?"

The words hang in between you, just one more secret between you and the universe.

Maybe it's hopeless, maybe it's just another one of those passing moments, but you don't think you would ever forgive yourself if you let it go by. And so you close the distance between the two of you, feel those heart shaped lips on yours.

At first he's so gentle, as if he's buffering a little. And then he clicks into motion, heart possessing his body, and kisses you back like it's a fairytale.

"You make me so shy," he murmurs. You're so close, you think he can feel your heart beating out of your chest. "I almost chickened out of it."

He punctuates his sentence with another kiss, which you gladly lean into. This one is more giggly, impulsive (Sorry, I couldn't help it, he says against your lips, and you're so happy you could die right here, right in front of the lake in the middle of nowhere, in the arms of the stupidest, hottest ballerino you know).

"Shy? Me?"

"Yeah. You're cool, and you're smart and funny—" You watch him stumble over the words as you meet his eyes, which is so cute, it physically pains you. "And you're good at karaoke, which is really fucking hot."

"Oh, so that's what got you, huh?"

You remember the night he was talking about, the one right after you were positively sure you flunked your stats final, where you rolled into Jeonghan's frat house two hours late looking no better than a wet rat. You grabbed the mic and lost your goddamn mind, which in no way was attractive or sexy, but you guess Soonyoung's of a different breed.

"What can I say, I'm a simple man," he replies, nose pressed to yours.

You're soaking into the moment, the hazy warmth of the lakeside and the way your heart seems to leap right into Soonyoung's lap every time his eyelashes skirt over your cheek. And then you remember everything else, like the fact that this is not some Lifetime movie and that you still have to find a place to stay and a way to get to the beach tomorrow.

"We need to get a room."

"Already?" Soonyoung almost jumps out of his skin. "I, uh—"

"Not for that, idiot," you scoff affectionately. "We're stuck here for a night, remember? Before we get to, you know, the trip we're supposed to be on?"

"Ohh, fuck." He looks at you with those big, vacant eyes, and you know he's totally lost the plot. "How the fuck are we gonna tell everyone we're, like, a thing now? We're a thing now, right?"

"I hope so," you laugh, reveling in the relief that floods through Soonyoung's features. "As for telling everyone, I’m starting to think they set us up, actually. It all kinda makes sense now."

You're not exactly anticipating Jeonghan's shit-eating grin when you tell him it actually worked, but you know this whole plot was him looking out for you in his own special way. (You're not keen on finding out just how obvious your crush was to everyone except the two of you, though).

Although, it does kind of feel like a Lifetime movie—when you walk to the local motel, your hands brush against each other with all of the pent-up tension of a first love, until you finally just grab his hand and feel it melt into yours.

"I've always wondered what this would feel like," he says, thumb brushing over the back of your hand.

"What, holding hands? That's supposed to come before the first kiss, you know."

"I mean we can kiss again. And just forget about the first one if you want to do it in order."

Who are you to deny him, you think, and gladly, gladly indulge him.

"Were you in on this whole thing?" you ask when you're finally able to pull him off you.

"No, but I get why, 'cos I can't really keep a secret," he replies, sheepish grin on his face. "Oh, wait, so you're saying Jeonghan got us lost on purpose. Ohhh."

His eyes get all big and shiny, and you know you're down bad when you find the fact that he just got it more than a little cute.

If he weren't so convincing, though, you would have thought this was a group effort, because when you open the door to the only vacant room in the entire motel, there is exactly one tiny little bed.

"You've gotta be kidding me," you laugh, but the second you see Soonyoung drop all the bags to immediately begin building a pillow barrier, you fall for him all over again.

And as if on cue, your phone dings with a text from Jeonghan.

You owe me a drink, it reads. Classic.

#emerging from my dungeon w a nice fun fluff piece :)#everyone say happy (belated) bday mads!#mine #hosh #hoshi #hoshi fluff #seventeen #hoshi x reader #seventeen fluff #seventeen x reader #hoshi scenarios #hoshi imagines #soonyoung #soonyoung imagines #soonyoung x reader #soonyoung fluff #lily destroys the tags <3

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firefly-in-darkness · 8 months

Text

Hopelessly Devoted

Pairing → Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary → You visited the Harvest Festival and your boyfriend, James 'Bucky' Barnes surprised you.

Word Count → 1.3k words

Warnings → none, fluffy lovey dovey stuff.

Beta → none.

Prompts/Bingo Cards

AFG Square Fill → Grease AU - @anyfandomgoesbingo

AF Fluff Square Fill → Carving initials in a tree - @anyfandomfluffbingo

Sebastian Stan Square Fill → Blindfold - @sebastianstanbingo

Writer's Note → Well, it's been a while since I wrote anything, let alone shared it on here. This was something I had written last year and just gone over it briefly so hope you enjoy it.

Summer was fading; the sun was setting earlier, and the cool breeze was picking up. Bright greens, blues, and yellows disappeared and replaced with oranges, reds, and browns. Fall was fast approaching, and you didn’t mind one bit. Cozy cardigans, knitted stockings, roaring fires, and hot chocolate were calling your name.

The town’s Harvest Festival was in full swing; pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes, and even hosted a fairground with a Ferris wheel and arcade games. Everyone from town was there, including you and your cousin, Danny. Who had conveniently just left you to show off his bowling skills to his girlfriend, Sandy.

"Hey Doll," the low timbre sent a wave of giddiness through your body.

"Hey yourself," you turned to James and returned his lopsided grin.

James was wearing all black and the trademark T-bird leather jacket. His hair wasn’t as slicked back as earlier. It was a little fluffier, and you prefered it that way too.

He presented a small stuffed teddy bear, "Told you I’d win something for you before night fell."

"And how much did that cost you? I bet the amount you spent would have bought three of these from the store!" You wrapped the bear in your arms as you teased your boyfriend.

"Where’s the fun in that?" He puffed out his chest in faux machoness, "Gotta prove my worth to a Zuko."

You giggled as he exaggerated and flexed his biceps. He turned his head to the side, and you kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, I love it."

His eyes sparkled with mischief, "Let's get out of here."

"What are you planning, mister?" Your eyes narrowed at him in jest.

“Follow me.”

Your gingham skirt and petticoat fluttered out and around you with each step as you skipped to keep up with James' longer strides. You bypassed the bright and colorful fairground. The laughter and joyful screams echoed with each stand and ride you left behind.

James didn’t stop at the coconut shy to show off his throwing skills or the Ferris wheel to charm you with whispered sweet nothings and to kiss you at the top. Instead, he diverted you to the exit and straight to his car.

James held the door open for you as you gathered your skirts and climbed into the car. He raced around the front with a massive grin, slid inside, and handed you the soft blue tie he had worn to prom last year. You'd only been on a couple of dates by the time prom had come around, but he'd made your heart swoon at the gesture of matching the color of your dress.

"It’s a blindfold. I want this all to be a surprise,” the quick explanation eased your confusion.

You nodded and placed the material over your eyes. It wasn’t thick enough to block out the light but obscured your vision enough to not see much in front of you. You tried to tie it but fumbled. James’ hands covered yours and took over.

“Are you going to tell me anything?”

"No, Doll. It will spoil it, but we'll be there in about 10 minutes."

Butterflies erupted in your belly, excited for what lies ahead. You thought of all the places that could be nearby and what the surprise could be. Maybe you were going to have one of those giant sundaes at Frosty Palace, or you were going to see a movie at the drive-in.

The engine started, and you released a small yelp. James laughed as you tried to regain your composure. The familiar sounds of the crackling radio filled the car. You relaxed against the leather bench and enjoyed the sounds of Bill Haley and His Comets.

The absence of Bucky's touch was brief as he held your hand while he drove. You're sure he could hear the race of your heartbeat, but you didn’t care.

The car pulled to a stop, and you heard Bucky open and close the car door before opening yours. A cool breeze wrapped around your exposed calves, and a shiver ran down your spine. It wasn’t long before Bucky's warm hand took yours. You climbed out of the car as gracefully as possible. A slight snigger from Bucky had you doubting how well you achieved that.

You focused on your other senses and tried to work out where you were. The soft ground under your pumps meant you weren’t on the sidewalk. Birds chirped above, the slight rustle underfoot and the sweet scent of flowers wafted around. You almost screamed at the feel of something tickling your legs. You managed to choke it down but earned another snigger from James.

"Barnes, you're cruisin'." You mustered up a stern voice.

You lost James’ touch without a word. Your heart dropped as you reached out to find nothing.

"James?"

"I'm here. Gimme a sec, doll."

Your heartbeat returned to normal, and the fear of being left alone was gone as quickly as it had entered your mind.

"Okay, I'm going to come up behind you now."

You felt the warmth before his torso pressed into your back. His body encircled, and a not-so-unfamiliar feeling ignited in your belly as he whispered in your ear.

"Hope you like this doll. You deserve the best."

James removed the blindfold, and it took a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the fading sunlight. Slowly, you looked out over the golden meadow. The blanket, a wicker basket at one, and James’ leather boots on the other, at the foot of the oak tree made your smile widen.

You turned to James with your hands on his chest, "A picnic? For me? Oh, you shouldn't have."

He smirked and lightly kissed your forehead, "I definitely should have.”

Your head rested on Bucky's lap, his arm draped across your waist underneath the makeshift blanket of his leather jacket. Stomachs full from sandwiches and treats. The peace of being close to one another brought unbreakable smiles to your faces.

"Y'know what, doll, I'm so glad Ma moved out of Brooklyn last year. I miss home. But I’d never have met you if I hadn't come here."

You grinned up at him and caressed his cheek, enjoying the scratch from the stubble on his jaw. James leaned into your palm and peppered a kiss there.

His face contorted away from adoration to neutral in a flash. You might have missed the shift if you didn’t know him as well as you did.

“What you thinkin’ about stud?”

“Nothing, it's silly,” his cheeks tinged pink, and he looked away.

Gently, you turned his face towards your line of sight, “This is silly.”

You pulled a ridiculous face with your eyes crossed and tongue sticking out while rocking your head from side to side. James chuckled, and the crinkle of his eyes warmed your heart.

“I love you,” you whispered against his lips.

“I’m hopelessly devoted to you,” He whispered back and kissed you once more.

After you enjoyed the last moments of the sunset, Bucky helped you to stand up. You brushed your skirt down and draped his jacket over your shoulders. Then you heard the sound of clicking and scraping.

You followed the noise to find James braced against the tree trunk. You unashamedly gazed at how his muscular arms and back shifted under his top. The propped foot at the roots gave an enticing shape to his behind in the already tight black denim. You almost missed him calling out your name.

Bucky moved away from the tree, closing and pocketing the pen knife to reveal his handiwork.

Yours and his name inside a heart, etched into the bark, for all eternity.

Tag List - it's been a while so please letme know if you would like to be removed from this.

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#Bucky Barnes x Reader #Bucky Barnes Fic #Bucky Barnes x Female Reader #Bucky Barnes Fluff #Bucky Barnes Fanfic #Bucky Barnes Fanfiction #Bucky Barnes #James Bucky Barnes

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scrapyardboyfriends · 3 months

Text

I see my predictive drawings have returned with Ryan’s latest post. Haha. Although I think that drawing was also based on a photo Daisy posted. He just likes climbing coconut trees I guess. 🤣

#ryan hawley: actual human

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wardenparker · 1 year

Text

Down the Rabbit Hole - Epilogue

Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

When Jack accidentally shoots a civilian on a mission he takes on not only the guilt of the man’s death, but inherits his soulmate as well. To you, it’s a dream job with more perks than you can imagine - but for Jack it’s a nightmarish complication. Even more so when he starts to develop feelings.

Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 7k Warnings: Family reunion, pregnancy, references to deceased spouse/child, cemetery visit, character death, vague afterlife references. Summary: Jack’s birthday on the ranch is celebrated with a new surprise. Notes: This story has been so near and dear to my heart, and my absolute love of one sweet cowboy has made it even more precious. A few people have asked and there is always a possibility of coming back to revisit our soulmate pairs, so we’ll just have to see if these two have any more stories to tell in the future. Until then - stay tuned for a preview of the next soulmate story - The Viper’s Bride - later today!

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12 ~ Ch 13 ~ Ch 14 ~ Ch 15 ~ Epilogue

"Grammy! Grampa!" The shout goes up through the house – two little voices in unison as the front door of the ranch house swings open and two sets of stampeding feet come thundering toward the front hall at top speed. Even though you and Jack are moving a bit slower these days, it's nice to see family, especially for an occasion like this one. The fact that all the two of you have to do is show up is something of a fringe benefit. The other half of your entourage is right behind you, as Jackson won't let you or his father carry your bags into the house from the truck. He's greeted with an equal screech of "UNCLE JACK!" and your two grandkids veer slightly off course immediately to launch themselves at their uncle.

“Already replaced.” Jack pouts, rolling his eyes playfully as the kids clamber all over the youngest. “Jane still loves us. Jane? Honey? Where are you?”

"We're not as fun to climb on as Uncle Jack is," you chuckle under your breath as your younger child stands tall for his two nephews to climb all over like a tree in the yard.

"Dad?" The voice from the kitchen is loud enough to be heard over the din without shouting. "Mom? I'll be right out; I'm just putting the finishing touches on the cake!"

Jack chuckles when your face falls, obviously hoping to get here before she had made dessert. “You know it’s coconut cake.” He murmurs, pressing his lips to your leathery cheek. The years have been kind to you, still as gorgeous as the day he had tucked tail and ran from you.

"Of course it is. My baby knows what she's about." That sense of pride in your children is as bright as it was for their first smile, first laugh, first step, first word – first anything. Jackson might be the one running the restaurant with you now, but his older sister is something of a miracle in the kitchen in her own right.

"You made it!" When Jane appears from around the corner a second later, her apron is covered in all the evidence of an enormous project gone very right and there's coconut flakes still under her fingernails, but she's smiling as wide as can be and holding out her arms to hug both of her parents at once. "Happy birthday, Daddy."

“Thank you, honey.” Jack doesn’t deny his birthday anymore, doesn’t insist that it’s not to be celebrated. The parties that have been held have been a joyous reminder of the life he has now, a bittersweet remembrance of what could have been, but the ache has lessened over the years with the annual visits to Daniels Ranch. “Kacey still workin’ or is he around?” He asks.

"I barely got him inside twenty minutes ago, so he should be out of the shower soon." Jane squeezes you both tight and smiles, happy despite being tired. That's motherhood in a nutshell. "His family should be on their way right about now. They didn’t want to overwhelm you by taking over the house right when you arrived but they promised not to be late for dinner."

“Hope he’s ready to drink some whiskey and lose money to me after the kids get to bed.” Jack chuckles, having brought a few bottles from the distillery.

"Kayce's on a budget this year." Your daughter rolls her eyes fondly and laughs. "I don't need him losing the house during the poker party after I just redid the kids' bathroom."

Jack snorts and grins at his eldest child. The long-standing joke about betting the house always amuses him. Jane had found she was soulmates with Aiden’s grandson when they were just nine and ten years old. So every summer they had come back, making sure the young soulmates had a solid foundation and the boy liked ranching better than farming. He now ran Daniels Ranch and the board had been dissolved just a few years ago.

"What can we help with, sweetheart?" Despite Jack teasing you that it's perfectly okay to slow down and even consider retiring now that you've officially passed into senior citizen status, you just can't help yourself. No matter where you are or what you're doing, you have to dig your hands in.

“Nothing.” Jane is just like you, a consummate entertainer. Loving to provide good food and good times for those she loves.

"I don't know how you do it." You shake your head and give Jane another hug just as you hear footfalls on the stairs in the next room. "When you and your brother were that little I was throwing potlucks and pool parties. You've got your great-grandma in you. She could do absolutely anything with perfect style."

“Mom, come on.” She snorts rolling her eyes. “The only reason you did that was because dad put his foot down about you not running yourself ragged.”

"Then somebody ought to tell that husband of yours—" The exaggerated words come with a smile, knowing Kayce can hear you from the stairs. "That he ought to be helping out, too!"

“Sorry.” Kayce rubs a hand through his still damp hair and grins sheepishly. “Had a problem with the calves out in pasture twelve. They keep escaping and turning up in the creek.”

"Don't trouble yourself, honey. We just got in." It's not that you have favourites by any means – but if you could have chosen a son-in-law by hand, you certainly couldn't have chosen anyone kinder or more loving for your only daughter than Kayce. "The boys are already climbing on their uncle, and Janie didn't leave a thing for me to help with. So I have nothing to do but give out hugs, I suppose."

“Well, I can accept one of those.” Kayce holds his arms out and wraps them around you for a hug. “Thank you for coming. It’s so hard to get away. And I know this is tradition.”

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world." Turning around to find where Jack's gone, you smirk when you see that he's snuck into the kitchen to admire his birthday cake and swipe a finger through the frosting bowl.

“Daddy!” Jane huffs, turning around to see where you are looking. “What?” Jack cries, pretending he hadn��t just stolen some frosting. “I had to test it! You know that’s my role.”

"He's worse than the kids," you laugh, shaking your head at him before looking back at Jane and Kayce. "At least let me help set the table? Don't make your Mama feel useless."

Jane narrows her eyes at you for a moment before she sighs, relenting. She knows how it can be to want to help and be told it’s not necessary. All while watching someone run around. “The birthday china.” She gestures towards the large cabinet along the wall.

“The birthday china.” Grateful to not be relegated to the position of old lady who sits in a chair just yet, you hustle into the kitchen while you listen to Jack play with your grandsons out in the other room. What the family calls ‘birthday china’ is actually the beautiful china dinnerware that Jack and Abigail had received as a wedding gift that had been relegated to the house’s cupboards and left behind when Jack left for Louisville so many decades ago. Now it is used consistently, every time there is an adult birthday to celebrate on the ranch.

Jack walks back into the dining room to watch you fuss over the place settings with a fond smile. Wrapping his arm around his daughter and squeezing her against him. He might not be as strong as he had been when she was a little girl, but he is thankful that Ginger has managed to keep all of you spry. “Thank you, honey.” He murmurs softly. “This is just what we needed.”

“You can come up as often as you want, Dad. You know that.” Jane settles against her father comfortably, always having been a bit of a Daddy’s girl and enjoying the comfortable presence of having him close by. “You are retired now. Even if Mom refuses to.”

“I know.” He shakes his head. “Still can’t get her out of that kitchen. It’s her baby now that you two are grown.”

"It was her baby even before we were born," she laughs softly. "That restaurant is my older sibling, and also somehow my brother's baby." The Rabbit-Hole, she always says, is just another member of the family.

“It’s woven into the fabric of our lives and most of your memories.” Jack admits, praying that his children are happy with their lives. He had given them the opportunities to do whatever they wanted and yet each of them had chosen a path that was damn near a family legacy.

"And some day when Jackson finally finds his soulmate, it'll be part of their kids' lives, too." It's more or less an open secret in the family, what Statesman is all about. And because they are so aware of the inner workings, Jackson always likes to say that his soulmate must be one of the agents. Who knows whether or not it's true, but it certainly does speak to his mischievous heart.

“That boy is just as stubborn as I was.” He chuckles, shaking his head as he looks over at where he’s rough housing with the boys.

"If we thought he'd be happy without knowing them, that would be one thing," Jane shrugs with sympathy in her eyes. "But I know he wants to find them. It'll happen eventually." After all, she knows how lucky she is. If Kayce hadn't broken his arm when he was ten, they might not have known they were soulmates until they were much older.

“He would be. He’s a romantic at heart.” Jackson doesn’t say much about it, but Jack knows the boy’s worried. He doubts the kid doesn’t have a soulmate, he’s just sure they’re playing hard to find.

“It’ll happen.” Jane hums confidently, always seeming like she knows something the rest of the family doesn’t. Her Mona Lisa smile always keeps everyone guessing. “Why don’t you get settled, Daddy? Aiden and Sheila should be here soon and we can all tuck in to this big birthday dinner.” She grins at him. “I’m gonna tell Kayce to get the grill going.”

“Shit.” Jack pouts at his daughter. “I’m gunna drink a beer and advise the boy on how to cook those steaks perfectly.” He teases with a wink. He tries not to interfere, but he’ll give his son-in-law a hard time on principle alone.

“Shocking that you would do such a thing,” Jane teases, waving her father off to follow the sound of roughhousing so she can say hello to her little brother. Though adulthood has kept them apart for a few years now, they still talk mostly every day and remain as thick as thieves.

Stopping by the fridge, Jack grabs two beers, knowing Kayce will want one as well. Grilling is horrible thirsty work and it seems only right to do it with a beer in your hand. Stepping outside, he watches as the younger man lights the grill. “Reports from the ranch have been really good.” He offers, striding over to hold out the beer. “Seems like everything’s going alright?” It’s a statement and a question. Giving Kayce an opening to talk about anything that’s on his mind.

“Can’t complain.” The younger man takes the bottle that’s offered to him gratefully and nods, looking out over the back yard of the much-larger ranch house since he finished the last set of renovations. “We just hired on two more permanent sets of hands.” He looks to his father-in-law curiously. “You remember the Pruitt family? They say they’ve been in the valley as long as the Daniels have, but that could just be big talk.”

“Pruitt...Pruitt…” Jack hums as he thinks back, looking over the yards towards the barns and bunkhouses. “Think I remember them. Seems like they were always kinda down on their luck?”

"Long as I've known them, yeah." Methodical in his work, Kayce goes about setting up the grill while the two men talk. He'd always thought of Jack Daniels as an unofficial uncle right up until the day he realized he was in love with Janie, and it had saved him a whole heap of fears that seemingly all of his friends had gone through with their own fathers-in-law. "Anyway, the two boys are just out of high school. They've been helping us during the season for years and gettin' pretty good with the work, so we were glad to take them on full time."

“I trust you made a good decision then.” Kayce has always had a good head on his shoulders and thought about the future. “You’ve done a damn fine job runnin’ this place.”

"We need everything to be running smoothly." The sheepish grin that Kayce flashes his father-in-law is broad. "Three kids is going to be a lot of energy running around this place and until they're old enough to be helping hands themselves, Janie wants to make sure I have the hands I need."

“Three—” Jack stops, a grin immediately blooming across his face and he reaches out to slap Kayce on the back. “Pretty soon you’re gunna have your own baseball team out here.” He chuckles, proud about another grandchild. “Anyone else know yet?”

"Not yet." Puffing up proudly, Kayce leans back on the porch railing and lets his smile take over. "Jane wants to tell everyone at once, but I figured...it's your birthday. Getting to be the first to know is like an extra gift."

“It damn sure is.” Jack beams, nodding in agreement. “‘Though I’ll let her think you didn’t say a word.” He promises, looking off towards the Daniels plot. Where Abigail and Timmy are resting. “Been thinking about things for a while.” Jack admits after a moment of silence between them. “I want to make sure that the trust for the ranch is in yours and Jane’s hands. Completely take it over.”

He wants to say that it isn't necessary. That he doesn't mind working for his wife's father. Because he doesn't – not really. It's a big company and a big responsibility to have the running of the whole thing. But Kayce also knows he can manage it now. After a whole childhood of watching his father run the family farm and being privy to all the ins and outs of Daniels Ranch, he and Jane can handle a big family and an even bigger business. They have the right know how and support system for that. "I'm honored that you trust us with the legacy," is what is says instead, looking to Jack with a nod. "This place is a hell of a responsibility and you know we take that seriously."

“I know you do, which is why you and Jane are the right fit for this place.” Jack huffs. “Something about working for yourself that makes it extra satisfying too. You – you have the spirit of a Daniels.”

"It helps that you were there every summer while I was growing up." Though the visits were never too long they always happened, and the two families had been close for practically Kayce's entire life. Getting visits from his grandparents' good friends had just been a thing that happened and it never seemed odd to him – and then he broke his arm in peewee football and all hell broke loose in their families as people started celebrating the fact that he'd have a scar from the surgery to fix it.

“It took a long time to be able to come back here. Your granddaddy’s sister used to love this place.” Of course Kayce knows the family history and respects it. “Figure that same blood runs through your veins as well. It calls to this place, and I’ve never had a doubt in my mind you were the perfect match for my little girl.”

"That little girl is a mischievous woman now." Moving while he talks means Kayce is pulling steaks from the cooler and counting things out to make sure he has enough of all the right cuts for the adults before he starts pulling out burger patties for the kids. "She's dead set on playing matchmaker for her brother. I keep telling her it'll happen when it's meant to."

“She just wants to see him happy.” Jack can’t blame her. She’s so settled in and focused on her life and the joy that she obtains from it, it’s not hard to want that for her little brother. “Plus, she likes to meddle. Too much like her mama.” He chuckles, turning and admiring you through the glass.

"Nothing wrong with that." After all, Jane's similarities to her mother were obvious just as easily as looking at her. "And I think...with being expecting again and all...she's enjoying the domesticity of the thing. First trimester's been a hell of a lot easier this time than with the boys, which has her thinking it might be a girl."

“A little girl.” Jack smiles and chuckles. “Oh I can’t wait to spoil her then.” He enjoyed having a little girl, and he knows Kayce will too.

“We won’t know for sure for a few weeks.” It doesn’t matter though; he knows he’ll love any child that he and Jane welcome into their family. “If it is, she’ll have two very protective brothers looking out for her.”

“Yes she will.” As rough as the boys could be, they were equally protective of each other. He has no doubt that would extend to another sibling. “She’ll hate it when she’s older.”

“She might,” Kayce admits with a laugh. “But her mama and I sure won’t.”

Jack can’t deny that, humming happily as he watches the meat sizzle on the grill. Life is damn good, especially for a man who never envisioned having this at one point in his life.

"You boys plotting the crime of the century out here?" When you stick your head outside to see how things are moving along, it's obvious that Jack and Kayce are just enjoying the afternoon together in peace, something that you're pleased to see every single time. "Kayce, your parents just got here, honey. Grandparents are on the way, they said."

“Yes ma’am, thank you.” Kayce nods towards you and then closes the lid on the grill. “We might as well go say hi. It’ll be a while.”

"Known the boy since he was in diapers, and he still calls me ma'am." You shake your head as Kayce walks past you into the house and hold your hand out to Jack. "Everything going well?"

“Everything’s coming up roses, sugar.” Jack hums, moving over to take your hand and pull you into his arms for a kiss. “Have I told you today that I love you?”

"Only twice." Decades later, you still melt a little every time Jack holds you tight. But it's still always so easy to tease him. "You're slipping a little, honey."

“Damn, I’ll have to tell you again.” He presses his lips to yours gently. “I love you, sugar. I wouldn’t have this life without you. I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you.”

"Happy birthday, Jack." Every year it got a little easier, until the bittersweet memories turned nostalgic and the day was no longer one to dread. Now it's a day for smiles and cake, for presents and playing with the kids – and then grandkids. It's a day that he's happy to wake up on instead of dreading. "I love you. So much."

“I love you too, sugar.” Jack promises, smiling at you. “And you’re gonna love our present today. It’s something for both of us.”

"Oh yeah?" You laugh a little, nudging your nose against his. "Did they replace the sleeper sofa with a great big, fluffy mattress for us?"

Jack snorts, shrugging. “I don’t know, that sleeper sofa is comfortable. And I’m not letting our daughter try to take it again.”

"I'm going to remind you that you said it was comfortable when you back hurts in the morning." It's just a little tease, but you can't help it. Enough years and decades with Jack and the joy in being together still hasn't faded from your relationship.

“I don’t think I’ll be complaining this time.” Jack predicts with a grin. “Only complaint you’ll get out of me is if she can’t have coffee in the house anymore.”

It takes a second, but your head tilts curiously just in time for the shit eating grin to spread across Jack's face. "No?" You're beaming right along with him in no time. "Number three? Really?"

“Just told me.” Jack nods. “He’s about to puff up out of his chest he’s a proud as a peacock.” He chuckles, knowing he had been just a proud when you were pregnant with Jane and Jackson.

"Are we the last or the first to find out?" Jane and Kayce have always been so proud of their family each time it's grown, you can't imagine that they wouldn't make a very big deal about letting people know. Kayce must have been busting at the seams to tell someone.

“The first.” Jack admits. “Kayce told me it’s because it’s my birthday.”

That earns him an amused giggle from you, and you shake your head fondly. "Granddaddy's privilege, that's what that is. Come on, love. Your daughter wants to know what else you want to do this week but hang around the house with the boys."

“Do you want to go with me to visit them?” Jack always asks. Even now. Never wanting you to feel uncomfortable, so it’s always a question. You’ve always come with him, but he won’t be upset if you wanted to stay and visit with Jane and the kids this time.

"Of course I do." He always asks, and your answer is always the same. "I've got to keep her updated on all the things you leave out of your stories." The gentle smile on your lips tips upward, and you lean forward to press your forward against his. "I know she's up there with Timmy and Grandma Jane and my parents looking down on us, but I still only get to talk to her once a year. It's tradition."

“It is tradition.” Jack smiles softly. “I want to be buried here.” He admits. “With you, if you want it. Surrounded by my soulmates.”

"I guess I always assumed you would be." In fact, no other alternative had ever really occurred to you. Not in all the years that have gone by. "It's your whole family up there. I always figured we would join them eventually."

“I didn’t know if you’d want that.” Jack won’t disrespect your own wishes. You have a say in this too.

Your fingers lace through his as easily as they did the very first time, and you let that soft smile warm through you. "I want to be with you. In this life and for whatever happens next."

“Whatever happens next.” The commotion inside causes him to turn towards the door and he grins. “Looks like Aiden and Sheila are here. Want to go say howdy?”

"We better, before Jane comes to get us." There's time to steal a quick kiss, but you're still smiling excitedly. "If she's waiting to tell everybody all at once, she'll be itching to give the news as soon as she can."

“Remember to act surprised.” Jack smacks your ass playfully as he guides you towards the door. “And I still want some birthday sex later on.”

He manages to get a little chirp of surprise out of you, and you just laugh. "Of course, cowboy."

“Damn straight.” Re-entering the house to join the chaos, hugs and back slaps are exchanged. Aiden’s claims that Jack’s getting old are countered by good natured ribbing about how only one of them is a great-grandparent. A testimony to how far Jack had come in his journey to healing from the loss of Abigail and Timmy.

You help Jane pass drinks around, still an entertainer at heart, and pretty soon even the kids have settled a little. "So, of course we know that everybody is here for Dad's birthday dinner," she beams at her assembled family, smile burning even brighter when you go to sit next to Jack and Kayce takes your place by her side. "But we just wanted to say thank you for coming and...give everyone a little bit of news."

Jack manages to school his expression to look just as expectant as everyone else around the table. “What’s goin’ on honey.”

The boys look positively bored, but Jane smiles at her young sons and beams out at the rest of her family. "Well..." She blows out a breath and squeezes her soulmate's hand. "In about seven and a half months...Jamie and Carter are going to be big brothers."

The squeals of happiness and gawfs of surprise are loud, making it a rush to jump up and hug Jane and shake Kayce’s hand or slap him on the back. The comedy of the scene is your two young grandsons clamoring to get to their mother as soon as possible, with five-year-old Jamie placing both hands on Jane's belly and informing his three-year-old little brother in his wisest tone possible that the baby can hear everything as long as you talk right at Mommy's belly button.

"At least he's chosen that as the speaker and not something else," you joke, going to put your arms around Jane and give her a tight hug. "Congratulations, Janie. You must be completely over the moon, huh?"

“Excited and wondering what the heck we were thinking.” Language is censored for the boys, considering Jamie had informed the youngest that ‘son of a bitch’ was the pain when you hurt your hand.

“You were thinking how much you love the baby phase,” you stifle a laugh so the boys don’t overhear. “They’re adorable before they learn ‘no’.”

“That word is going to be banned.” She rolls her eyes and laughs, still beaming as her hand caresses her stomach.

“I’m going to take you out for a little pampering while I’m here,” you promise her, remembering how much work two little ones was. She’ll be in it deep with three. “Shopping, eating out, even a pedicure while you can still see your toes. Mom and daughter day. What do you say?”

“That sounds wonderful.” Jane would never suggest that you leave Kentucky, the restaurant still your baby, but sometimes a girl just needs her mom. Especially when she’s pregnant.

“A whole day. Your Dad and brother can hang back with the boys or help Kayce out on the ranch.” Laying a kiss in her hair, you end up sniffling back a few proud tears. “You’re an amazing mama, Janie. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, mom.” Jane hugs you again. “I will take that as the highest of compliments coming from you. You set the bar very high.”

“We come from a long line of good moms. We got lucky that way.” Pressing a kiss to her hair, you step back before you can get too emotional, and wipe an errant drop of water from your cheek. “Gettin’ sentimental in my old age,” you joke. Everyone is well aware that you’ve always been sentimental.

“I want you and dad to come out when the baby’s due.” Jane automatically requests, just like you have been present for the others. She knows it’s a given, but you also don’t push and want her to call the shots.

“If you want us there, consider it done.” You hadn’t missed the births of your first two grandchildren and you certainly wouldn’t miss the third.

“I do.” Jane grins. “I think this might be the last one, from us anyway.”

“And three is a wonderful number. You’ll always be busy and you’ll have a house full of love for a very long time to come.” The way she just radiates happiness doesn’t make the wheels turning in her mind, though. You’re her mother. You taught those wheels which direction to move in. “But go easy on your brother, okay honey? He’s doing amazingly at the restaurant and he’s happy there.”

“I won’t say a word.” She promises. “I’m just worried about him.”

“I know, honey.” Spending half your lifetime always worried about your children because you love them means you have complete sympathy for that. “But he’ll find who he wants to be with. Soulmate or otherwise.”

“You’re right. I know.” Jane looks over at where Jackson is talking to Kayce’s grandparents and smiles. “As long as he’s happy.”

******

It’s that evening when you park the truck on the hill on the east side of the property, absorbing the last of the August sunshine as you both step out of the cab to visit Abigail and Timmy. It’s almost like going to see an old friend after so many years of this, and you still take Jack’s hand in yours to give it a supportive squeeze before stepping up to the matching headstones.

There is now a bench off to the side, allowing for a lengthier visit, or for Jack to sit down if his back is sore. “Hey, sweetheart.” Jack smiles as he sees how neatly Kayce has kept the family plot. He and Jane had taken over the flower gardens planted around the two headstones since Aiden wasn’t able to come out as often as he had when he was a younger man. “Told you that we’d be back.”

He says it every time, as though Abigail was there raising an eyebrow in surprise to see him, and you always chuckle a little. “Brought you a daisy,” you murmur as you put the flower down - your own tradition that has never faltered. “And some news.”

“Of course you’re gunna tell on me.” Jack teases, although he’s very aware of what news she’s bringing. “Timmy, you’re bein’ good for your momma, aren’t ya?” He asks, his heart aching like a tiny little arrow pierced it at the thought of his first baby boy.

Sometimes over the years, you could have sworn that a breeze came at just the right time to be an answer, or that you felt a flash of cold even in the August heat. Sometimes you could have bet your life on hearing a faraway voice. But it’s always a comfort to be here for your visit. “Of course he is,” you nod, squeezing Jack’s hand.

“I know.” Jack murmurs softly. “Wish I coulda seen what kind of man he woulda become.”

“He’d be thick as thieves with his brother and sister, and a mountain for his nephews to climb on, just like Jackson.” Of course Timmy would be older by now – outgrown the nickname and become Tim or Timothy – but you can’t help picturing him the same age as your own two kids.

“Yes he would have.” Jack chuckles and closes his eyes, imagining it as he holds your hand.

"Not a whole lot has changed this year, Abby." You've taken to speaking to Abigail so conversationally that sometimes you slip a little and call her Abby like an old friend. "But Janie just let the family know that she's expecting again. It'll be all any of us talk about for the next seven months."

“We’re getting older too.” Jack admits, feeling his age today for some reason. He’s lived twice the years without his first wife and son than he had with Abby. “Slower. You’d laugh at my groans getting up.”

"He sounds like a creaky mattress," you tease, imagining that you can hear the sound of a laugh in the wind.

“It’s what happens when you put my body through the rigors of being an agent for so long.” Jack rolls his eyes but he’s grinning at you. “Still think both of you would be given me hell if you knew one another.”

"I have no doubt." Lifting your connected hands, you press a kiss to Jack's cracked knuckles. There’s more time spent, laughter shared and small snippets of life from the Statesman grounds. Nearly an hour passes before you say your goodbyes and Jack leads you back to the truck.

"Gets harder to get into this thing every year," you laugh, letting your frustration at having to hoist yourself into the tall truck roll off your shoulders instead of getting upset about it. Approaching old age is a privilege that you don't take lightly.

“We might have to get one of those trucks with the fold down steps.” Jack snorts, smirking at you.

“Or convince our daughter to have one vehicle on the ranch that is less than five feet off the damn ground,” you huff good-naturedly. “I might never have been an agent, but I’ve still done a number on my knees.”

“All that runnin’ around in the kitchen.” Jack pats your knee fondly and looks at you before he starts the truck up. “I love you, sugar.”

“I love you, too, honey.” It’s not as easy as it used to be to lean over and give him a kiss, but you still manage it. “Let’s go back home and see the kids.”

“Yes ma’am.” He smiles softly and puts the truck in gear after he starts it. “Been thinking about maybe sneaking you off to the old foreman’s cabin.” Jack hums playfully. “Since it’s empty now.”

“Oh yeah?” The suggestion makes you chuckle, so glad that the attraction between you has never waned. “We could do that.”

“Yeah.” He might not be able to set a pace that completely wrecks you or pushes your – no longer needed – IUD out of place, be he can still make you shake in pleasure.

You hum, watching him as he drives back down the hill toward the main house. "I guess I know what we're doing tomorrow then."

“Still not too old to chase you around the bedroom.” Jack teases, winking at you playfully. His dark hair is nearly white and his craggy wrinkles are much deeper than they had been when you met, but he’s still the same cowboy.

Kissing the back of his hand again, you sit back in your seat and chuckle softly. "I sure as hell hope not. Though I don't know how fast I'm up to running these days anyway."

“It’s been a good day.” The setting sun off to the west is always a view he has loved, going back to when he was just a little thing running around this land. “The perfect birthday.”

"You say that every year." With varying degrees of sarcasm at certain times, of course. But today he seems as sincere as ever. And he's right – at least this time. It really has been a fairly perfect day.

“I mean it to.” He insists. “I’m a blessed man, sugar.”

"You're just excited to have a new grandbaby," you tease, giving his hand a squeeze. Of course you believe him - that he loves his life and feels blessed by it - but you also know for damn sure that a good part of his giddiness comes from that good news. As it should. Being a grandparent agrees with Jack.

“Of course I’m excited to have a new grandbaby.” Jack huffs. “I never expected to have a baby for the longest time, let along three grandbabies. Especially not with another soulmate. I’m damn blessed by you.”

That softens you and you lean against Jack's shoulder as he drives. "I love you, too, honey."

The silence between you is soft, welcomed like a warm blanket. So much time together had been spent that he can almost hear your thoughts. “When we find out what they are having, I want to see what kind of specialty dessert you’re gonna make for the restaurant.” Every one of the kids and grandkids have their own dessert that’s featured during their birthday month.

"Janie said she's been craving onions." Both of you chuckle as he pulls the truck into the driveway of the main house. "So I don't know if it will be a dessert this time. Maybe a tart or an onion tarte tatin."

“Interesting.” Jack chuckles. “If it’s a little girl, she’s gonna be a spitfire.”

"Because would be so unusual for a Daniels." The expression on your face is nothing short of amused. All of you are well aware that spitfire is a description that could apply to anyone in your family.

“Absolutely.” He agrees. “We’re just so…boring.” His eyes slide over to watch your reaction. “No passion.”

"None." You shake your head as solemnly as you can manage, barely keeping your face schooled into something serious. "We are a complete blank canvas. No emotions or opinions whatsoever."

“That’s us.” His chuckles can’t be contained now, rolling out freely as both of you describe everything the Daniels family is not.

"Come on, my love." Unbuckling your seatbelt and stretching, you lean over the center console again to kiss him. "I want to cuddle up with my passionless husband and watch a movie with our kids before bed."

“Sounds like the perfect ending to the best day.” Jack hums, counting his blessings for how lucky he is.

******

In the years since Jack had died, it hadn't made any sense to stay in Louisville. Working the line – or even front of house – at the restaurant was too physical to be sustainable for you and the place was running brilliantly in Jackson's capable hands. It turned out that his soulmate really was a Statesman agent, and you had watched your son take on much the same life that you had lived happily, with his husband.

Retirement had given you options, of course, but you hadn't wanted to be apart from Jack, so you had readily become a full-time grandma on the ranch in Montana. Every day saw another trip to the cemetery on the hill and spending time with your growing grandchildren. Six years went by almost in the blink of an eye, except for the ache of missing your soulmate. That never seemed to dissipate no matter how many wonderful memories you held on to. It lived in your heart each day to be swallowed down like a bittersweet pill, until the day that you had laid down for an afternoon nap and closed your eyes for the very last time.

“Hello sugar.” Jack’s smile is brilliant, young. The lines old age had given him are smooth, the dark spots on his skin clear, his stooped posture straight as he stands in front of you, looking just as hale and hearty as the day he had met you. Holding out his hand, he helps you up from the bed and pulls you into his arms. “I have missed you. So much, but I’ve been watchin’ over you.”

“Jack.” When you can practically jump up out of the bed and into his arms, there is no question of what’s happened. The moment holds only the barest pain, knowing what you’re leaving behind, but the joy you feel at being reunited with Jack completely outweighs it. “Honey, I missed you.”

“I was with you every step of the way.” Jack promises, right before he presses his lips to yours in a kiss that has been sorely missed in the past six years. Watching you and ghosting a kiss over your skin isn’t the same as you knowing it’s him.

“What happens now?” If you had ever worried that you would feel fear in this moment, that worry is soothed instantly by the fact that it’s Jack here to show you what comes next. Or maybe this is all it is, and kissing him really is your own private heaven like you always said.

“Well…sugar, there’s someone that wants to meet you.” Jack murmurs, pulling away and looking behind him with an equally brilliant smile.

“Finally.” A sweet, soft voice has a hint of a happy giggle in it. Abigail steps forward, looking beautiful and healthy although she is not rounded with child. She had appeared to Jack as she had been before the pregnancy. “I have so much to thank you for.”

“Abigail!” There is no question of who this is – you had seen so many pictures of her in your life that you recognize her as an old friend as the two of you fall into a deep embrace. “I didn’t think— maybe I should have— I’m so glad to finally meet you.” Though you can feel sobs shake you a little, there is no sadness. It’s more of a powerful wave of relief that washes over you in this moment.

“I wanted to come. I needed to make sure you know how much I appreciate you.” There’s no jealousy, no bitterness that you spent more time with Jack than she had. There is nothing but joy and elation at finally greeting the woman who has shown her so much kindness and respect. Abigail pulls back and smiles at you while Jack watches the exchange.

“I don’t know what to say,” you admit, feeling a little overwhelmed by the moment. Without fear, you’re left to simply adjust to whatever this next step is. “I’m just glad it’s the two of you here.”

Nodding, she steps back and allows Jack to take your hand. “Sugar, we will always be here.” He promises, and points with his other hand to the side. “And we can always watch over the kids and grandkids.”

You nod, taking Jack’s hand firmly in yours before reaching for Abigail with your other. Though you had never expected her to come, it’s an enormous comfort that she’s here. “I’m ready.”

Jack grins at you and winks. “Ready to go down another rabbit hole with me, sugar?” He asks, overjoyed that he gets to spend eternity with both you and Abigail. His soulmates.

“As long as I get to be with you, we can go anywhere you like.” It’s what you hoped for, when you thought of this moment, and the fact that it’s come true means you’re ready for anything.

“Then let’s get this train a movin’.” Jack squeezes your hand. “Heaven awaits.”

______ Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @katheriner1999 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @hardc0rehaylz @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle

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My Masterlist!

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Jack Daniels #Jack Daniels x reader #Jack Daniels x you #Jack Daniels x female reader #Jack Daniels x f!reader #Jack 'Whiskey' Daniels #Agent Whiskey #Kingsman Golden Circle #tw death #afterlife

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