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yelena-bellova · 2 years

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Twenty Years Later: Joel Miller x F!Reader - Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Strangers in the Night

Plot: Joel and Y/n try their hardest to ignore and avoid their past while waiting on the cover of night to leave the QZ.

Warnings: M for violence, gore, language, allusions to sex, alcohol, unwanted advances (16+)

Word Count: 6.9k

A/N: Okay, let me just say, did not expect such a big reaction to this little 2.2k fic I thought up randomly. You guys wanted a series, so here’s a series. It’ll be 16+ from here so please specify your age in your bio if you’d like to be tagged. I’m really excited to write this one, hope y’all enjoy it! It's gonna be a wild frickin' ride...

——————————

May 9th, 2002, Austin Texas

It was unseasonably warm for spring in Austin. Summer was making an early entrance and driving everyone indoors. The bars were packed each night, but especially on the weekends. Something about the heat always inspired people to drink more.

The Miller brothers were seated at a table in the far corner of Dane’s, each nursing a Budweiser. Despite it being a Saturday, they’d worked overtime on a garage apartment conversion. It was in Joel’s neighborhood and he needed the money. Jobs hadn’t been ripe for picking lately, in going the extra mile with the clients he did have, he could bank on a few referrals.

“We’re runnin’ short on the 2x4s,” Joel told his brother, “And it wouldn’t hurt to-“

“Dude,” Tommy made a slicing motion with his hand, “You’re off the clock. Switch off for a while.”

“I’m just trying to get ahead,” Joel replied.

Tommy smiled, lounging in his chair, “Look, you’ve got two modes: work mode and dad mode. And guess what? You never come out of either. It’s a Friday night, you’ve got a sitter, why not just try being a single, not-offensively unattractive, guy?”

Joel’s eyebrows were permanently furrowed, especially around conversations like this. Tommy meant well, but he’d been trying to get Joel to find something outside of work and his daughter for years. It wasn’t happening.

“So you’re sayin’ I should focus less on keeping a roof over my daughter’s head and makin’ sure she’s happy?” Joel asked, leaning back in his chair, “I get that right?”

Tommy chuckled and shook his head, “I’m just saying…you’re gettin’ more and more like an old man the longer you’re by yourself. Wouldn’t hurt to find someone that makes you happy.”

It was easy to ignore Tommy’s ramblings, but Joel couldn’t deny there was some truth to what he was saying. After Sarah’s mom up and left them, he kept his heart guarded from the world. Sarah and Tommy were the only ones he had the space to love. No, not the space. He had all the capacity in the world to hold someone else close to his soul, he was just too afraid of getting hurt again.

A few feet away at the bar, Y/n twirled her wine glass in her hand. Navigating a new city and a new job was taking it out of her. There had been no catalyst in her decision to move to Austin. She wasn’t running from a bad relationship nor did she need space from her family, she’d just wanted a change. So far, aside from the random heat wave, she was enjoying herself. The people were friendly, the neighborhood was quiet…she could see herself eventually calling the place home.

As she enjoyed her own company, a muscly man approached the seat next to her. He didn’t even do her the courtesy of asking if it was taken.

He flashed a pearly smile at Y/n, “Havin’ a good night?”

“Mm-hm,” she nodded, not looking up from her glass.

“Haven’t seen you around here,” the man continued, “You new to town?”

Y/n politely smiled, wishing he’d taken the hint. “Sure.”

“Findin’ your way around alright,” he put his elbows on the bar, indicating he wasn’t going anywhere, “Or are you thinkin’ you need a tour guide? Someone to show you around? Help make you feel a little more comfortable?”

Y/n was fighting the urge not to laugh, she’d seen dogs in heat more subtle than this guy. “I’m doing fine on my own, thanks,” she replied, her will to smile fading with each second he stayed.

“I don’t know,” the guy dragged his fingers up and down the condensation on his beer bottle, “You seem a little lost to me, darlin’. I got a hog outside, we could head out…night scene’s pretty wild here.”

Y/n took another sip of her wine, “Not really a wild kind of gal.”

The man’s lingering stare was beginning to make Y/n’s skin crawl. It was like he was staring straight through her clothes. He leaned in to her, his arm grazing hers, as if the close proximity was imperative to what he was about to say.

“I got this theory that inside every woman,” he lowered his voice, “There’s a wild girl just waitin’ to come out. She just needs the right cowboy,” he paused, a smile spreading across his lips, “To let her loose.”

Concealing her annoyance, Y/n looked down at her glass bashfully. She peeked back up out of her eyelashes, “What’s your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

“Jacob,” she repeated sweetly, leaning in closer to him, “Going around trying to prove how big your dick is ain’t gonna make any woman want to touch it.”

Jacob pulled back a little, shocked at both the comment and how easily being foul mouthed came to this woman. Y/n scrunched her nose and gave a sugary smile before moving to get up from her stool.

Jacob grabbed her shoulder, not prepared to lose the battle. “Hang on there, sweetheart.”

“Let go of me,” Y/n was quick to say.

“I don’t think you quite understand what I’m offerin’ you here…”

“Let,” Y/n gritted her teeth, raising her voice slightly, “Go of me.”

Jacob began to close the space between their faces, “What’re you gonna do if I ain’t ready to say goodbye to ya yet?”

“Hey.”

Y/n turned to the two men who had approached while she was fending Jacob off. The one with the mustache swung his fist and landed a shiner on Jacob’s nose. The whole bar gasped as he stumbled backwards, clutching his now bleeding face. The mystery man placed an arm in front of Y/n, making himself the barrier between Jacob’s advances and her safety.

Once Jacob caught his footing, revealing just how tipsy he was, he clumsily stalked back towards them. The second man stepped forward and effortlessly threw a punch to Jacob’s abdomen, knocking him off his feet and to the ground. The other patrons actually clapped and cheered at the knockout.

The man shielding Y/n and his friend grabbed Jacob’s arms and pulled him to his knees. Dane, the owner, came out from around the counter and marched towards the door. The men dragged Jacob through the bar, taking no care to his hands and feet as they knocked into chairs and tables. With Dane holding the door open, they threw him out, earning another round of cheers from the bar.

Y/n watched it all with a hand over her mouth. The whole thing had left her more anxious than she cared to admit.

Her two saviors made their way through the room, earning pats on the back from most of the patrons.

“Are you okay?” The man with the mustache asked when they reached her.

“Yeah,” Y/n answered, trying to hide how her hands was shaking, “Are you?”

“Not the worst we’ve seen,” the clean shaven guy smiled, flexing his bruised hand, “But I think you’re gonna have to take a shower to get that creep’s touch off ya.”

Y/n chortled, the feeling of his fingers digging into her skin hadn’t left yet. “I’m really sorry you had to step in,” she said earnestly, “I’m not great with following through on my smack talk.”

“Nah, you were holding your own,” the cheerier of the two men laughed.

“Hey, can I buy you guys a round?” Y/n asked, “It’s the least I can do.”

“There’s no need,” the quieter guy shook his head.

“No, I want to,” Y/n insisted, looking between the two of them.

The one who had done most of the talking so far was the first to relent. “Fine, but we’re spotting your next glass. Just to try and restore the ever-deteriorating reputation of men.”

Y/n laughed heartily for the first time of the night. She liked them.

“Hey, Dane,” the talkative man flagged down the bartender and turned to Y/n, “What’re you drinking?”

Y/n held up her dwindling glass of rosé.

“Another rosé for the rosebud,” the man finished, winking at Y/n in a way that felt more playful than flirtatious, “I’m Tommy, by the way.”

“Y/n,” she took his extended hand and shook it before turning to the other man.

“Joel,” he pressed his palm to hers.

Y/n smiled, her eyes lingering on the man as they shook hands. There was a peace to him that she already knew she liked.

Y/n ended up at Tommy and Joel’s table, each of them sipping a victory drink and talking up a storm. It was one of the easiest conversations any of them had ever had.

“So you just picked up one day and,” Tommy made a swooping gesture, “Came to Austin?”

Y/n shrugged, “Just needed a change.”

Tommy whistled, “That’s brave.”

“I mean, it’s Austin,” Y/n chuckled, “It’s not New York,” she took a sip of the free rosé, “What about you two?”

“Nah, we’ve been here forever,” Joel answered, holding his beer to his lips.

Tommy raised his bottle to his brother, “Can’t even get this fucker to take a vacation somewhere.”

“Workaholic or homebody?” Y/n asked.

Joel was inhaling to answer when Tommy spoke up, “Both.”

“Nothin’ wrong with working hard or staying home,” Joel replied, throwing back a swig.

“Nah,” Tommy replied, smirking, “Only when you do it.”

Joel glared out the sides of his eyes at his brother. Y/n laughed against the rim of her glass.

“Well,” Tommy leaned against the table, “If you ever need a tour guide, we’re at your disposal. We’ll show you the real grimy hole in the wall places. Best food or beer in the city are always in the places you’d least expect it.”

Contrary to Jacob’s thinly veiled advances, Y/n took Tommy and Joel for exactly how they presented themselves. They were funny, they were gentlemanly, and they were the first people in Austin she’d met who she felt truly comfortable around.

Joel, who was naturally more quiet than his brother, had never felt more lost for words. He was trying to keep himself in check considering the happenstance of their meeting, but all he wanted to do was look at Y/n. When she laughed, something inside his stomach twisted. When their eyes met, his chest tightened. There was something about being around this girl that felt very, very different than anyone else.

“Well,” Y/n checked her watch, catching the late hour, “I’ve got the morning shift tomorrow and I can’t be too hungover. Thank you both for the company and the wine,” she smiled at Joel, “It was a big improvement on how the night started.”

“Yeah, we’d better go too,” Joel announced, rising to his feet with Tommy, “Gotta get a head start tomorrow before the storm moves in.”

Tommy gestured to his big brother, smiling at Y/n, “What’d I tell you?”

“I gotta side with your brother here,” Y/n smiled, scrunching her face a little, “Everyone needs a break. That’s kinda what weekends are for”

“See?” Tommy said, “Maybe you’ll listen to her.”

Joel was on the verge of busting out in to a grin. “Not my problem if you two are lazy,” he shot back.

Y/n and Tommy each gaped with laughter. Joel smiled, he’d wanted to hear her laugh one more time before they parted.

“Well, you two have restored the name of ‘men’ quite admirably,” Y/n grabbed her purse, “Thank you for what you did, really. If you hadn’t stepped in, tonight would have ended much worse.”

Tommy shook his head, “Don’t mention it. Just learn how to throw a punch,” he slapped his hand against Joel’s shoulder, “And I think we’ll both sleep better at night.”

“I’ll get on that,” Y/n chuckled. She wasn’t sure if it was the kinship she felt or the rosé had simply relaxed her, but she reached over to Tommy and gave him a one-armed hug.

“See ya around, Rosebud,” Tommy said, keeping his hand respectfully high up on her shoulders.

“See ya,” Y/n replied, pulling back to look at Joel. She wasn’t sure what she expected to happen, only that she wanted to memorize his face before she left. “Goodnight,” she said with a small smile.

Joel tried to ignore how his heart was thudding in his chest. “‘Night,” he replied.

His eyes followed her all the way to the door, till she stepped out into the steamy evening air. He wasn’t sure why he had to urge to follow her.

“You,” Tommy gripped Joel’s shoulder a little tighter, “Are fucked.”

Joel rolled his eyes at his little brother’s laughter, “The hell’re you talking about?”

Tommy fell back down in his chair, a hand resting on his chest, “You were fuckin’ smitten with her.”

“‘Smitten?’” Joel cringed, taking his seat and his beer, “What’re you, 14?”

“Fine, hot for, taken with, enamored, mesmerized,” Tommy chuckled, “Whatever you wanna call it…you liked her.”

Joel shrugged and took another drink, “‘Course I liked her. You liked her too.”

“Not like you,” Tommy shook his head, still grinning, “I think she liked you too.”

Pushing down the way his stomach jumped when Tommy said that, he glanced over at the door again. He looked back to the table, checking to see if she’d left anything. Maybe she’d have to come back. What would he do if she did? Would he ask for her number? Or was that too forward? He didn’t want anything he did to remind her at all of the asshat they’d tossed out-

“She didn’t leave anything, dude.”

Tommy’s voice brought Joel out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized how long he’d been staring at Y/n’s empty seat. There was no reason for her to come back.

“You’re fucked,” Tommy brought the conversation full circle, patting his brother’s shoulder and taking a drink.

Joel hid his disappointment, just like his infatuation; well, but not well enough. He looked down at his bottle, “Doesn’t matter. We’re not gonna see her again.”

Tommy shrugged, “Austin ain’t that big.”

Outside, Y/n was making the three minute walk down the street to her apartment complex. Her mind was no longer focused on the douche whose name she was already forgetting, all she could think of was how Joel smiled like he had a secret. How his laughter was reserved only for when he found something hilarious. How whether he was sitting beside his brother or punching out a handsy creep, he was completely relaxed. How his brown eyes were so warm, one gaze into them had given her goosebumps…

Y/n shook her head at herself, completely thrown for a loop. One encounter with one guy and she felt like there was some invisible string tugging harder with every inch of distance she put between herself and the bar. The chances of bumping into Tommy and Joel again in a city as big as Austin were slim. It was a reality she had to face. It was just one of those meetings that left you feeing like you’d experienced true magic. She was saddened at the thought of never sitting across from Joel again.

Into the night, with a total distance of seven minutes unbeknownst between them, Joel and Y/n each retired and prepared for their respective early mornings. Joel paid the neighbor who’d watched Sarah, Y/n called and checked in on her sister, who’d just had a baby. Joel kissed his daughter goodnight, Y/n finished up a load of laundry. They each changed into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and turned out the lights. It was then, in the sweet space between sleep and consciousness that they let their minds drift back to each other….

—————————

2023, Boston

Of course it was raining. Rain made everything easier.

Joel, Tess, Y/n and Ellie trudged through the streets of what was once downtown Boston. Y/n kept a hand on Ellie’s back at all times, untrusting of both the people around them and the ones they were traveling with.

Even with the utter chaos they were in the middle of, Y/n’s mind was overtaken by the holes being burned into the back of her head. Joel’s stare was unfaltering. She wanted to turn around and scream at him, but that would garner the attention they were trying so hard not to attract. That was fine, she had more than enough anger and more than enough time to let him feel it.

Joel, whose every move was made with vigilante like precision, was struggling to keep his thoughts in order. The past was so easy to put behind you when you never had to look at it. Faced with the person who knew it all, had seen it all…the second he’d laid eyes on Y/n, it had all come flooding back. He had to get himself in check. Y/n’s unfiltered hatred was helping him there.

They made it to Joel and Tess’ apartment without any trouble, the four of them filing down the narrow hallway. Y/n pulled as far away from Joel as possible while they waited for Tess to unlock the door, which wasn’t very far. Once it was open, Joel impatiently waved for Ellie to enter, saving the same glare for Y/n. Ellie entered apprehensively, while Y/n knew enough to know that they were Joel and Tess’ leverage. Without them, they couldn’t get their battery. They were safe, for the time being.

“Give us a minute, all right?” Tess stated more than asked, heading back out to the hall.

“What the fu-“ Ellie started, the door silenced the last two letters.

Y/n put a finger to her lips, standing beside the door and listening to the other side of the door. Tess and Joel were discussing which route to take, something that infuriated her. There was only one child in their party, she refused to let Joel make her anything other than an equal.

She threw down her backpack and threw the door open. “If you two are planing on excluding me from the planning side of things, let me know now so I can strangle you both,” she said, smiling sweetly.

“You wanna tell us what we’re really doing with this kid?” Tess fired back.

“Not particularly,” Yn replied.

“Then you don’t get a voice here,” Tess looked to Joel, “We leave after dark. Stay with them.”

Joel took a step forward as his partner walked off, “Wait, why do I have to — Tess! Tess!”

Tess turned the corner of the hall without ever breaking stride.

Joel sighed loudly, eventually looking over to Y/n.

“She’s lovely,” Y/n snarked, earning a signature Miller scowl.

Joel nodded towards the door and Y/n slipped back inside, he kept an overly safe distance between them. Y/n unzipped her backpack and grabbed her first aid kit, sitting down at Joel’s table to tend to her bullet wound. Joel shrugged off his pack and threw himself on the couch. Ellie was splitting the distance between them, holding a large book in her hands.

“So,” the girl started, “Who’s Bill and Frank?”

Joel looked up confused, as if he couldn’t imagine how she could have possibly heard anything from the other side of the door.

“Oh, come on, Tool Time,” Y/n chortled, as she opened the bottle of disinfectant, “This whole place is paper thin.”

“The radio’s a smuggling code, right?” Ellie asked, “60s song, they don’t have anything new. 70s, they got new stuff. What’s 80’s?”

Joel got off the couch and ripped the book out of Ellie’s hands, throwing it to the side. He glanced over at Y/n, who was struggling to keep her grunts quiet as she cleaned her wound. A twinge of pain ran through his chest as she scrunched up her face, trying to keep her breaths steady. His fingers automatically twitched to help her, but it wouldn’t actually help anyone. Instead, he fought his instincts walked back to the couch and laid down.

“What are you doing?” Ellie asked.

“Killin’ time,” Joel said, his drawl particularly noticeable.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure that out,” his eyes were already closed, just like the conversation.

Y/n began to use a q-tip to spread antiseptic cream over the wound, the cooling sensation dulling the pain.

Ellie took back the book and walked past Joel, “Your watch is broken.”

Four little words froze Y/n, hunched over the table with her supplies. She didn’t have to look to know that Joel’s eyes were open again. It was the second time today that they’d been perfectly in sync. The first was pulling their guns on one another and, to be honest, Y/n would have preferred to stare down the barrel of his pistol. Bullets were simple and easy to dodge, memories were more cunning and hurt significantly more.

Y/n finished dressing her wound, zipping the kit back up and throwing it in her backpack. She laid her jacket out to dry on the back of the chair and finally took a good look at her surroundings. She couldn’t have chosen a place more opposite to Joel’s 3-bed 3-bath in Austin. The floors creaked, the walls were stained, and the ceilings were uncomfortably low. Home was a fluid concept in the world they lived in, and the kind Y/n was thinking of was lost entirely.

“He’s fun,” Ellie grunted from her seat at the window.

Y/n scoffed, “You have no idea.”

If they’d be using the cover of night to travel, Y/n knew Joel had the right idea to sleep now. She pulled out a sweater from her backpack, bunched it up and set it on the ground across from the couch. Without any blankets, she made the call that a nearby rug would be the next best thing. She shook it out and placed it below the sweater.

“Try and get some sleep,” Y/n instructed Ellie, “You’re gonna need it.”

Ellie simply hummed and continued paging through the book. Y/n slipped under the dirty rug and sighed, she’d slept in worse places for much longer…

She took the moment of peace to finally take a good look at Joel. His eyebrows still furrowed as he slept, as if he was in a constant state of disapproval with the world. The rest of his face was softer, a strange contrast, but so very him. His chest rose and fell in a perfect rhythm. It was hard for Y/n not to remember how it felt to lay with her ear against his heart, lifting and lowering with him…

The QZ was small, and stories got around. Y/n had known for a while that Joel was in Boston. She’d also heard the stories of the things he’d done, the people he’d killed, and just how far he’d go to guarantee his survival. Despite not owing him anything, Y/n had refused to believe them. She adamantly denied the possibility that she could have ever loved a man capable of such hideous acts. The Cordecyps had changed them all in different ways, but she had to believe that Joel was still Joel…

————————————

“Hey.”

A mumble and a boot kick to the shoulder had Y/n startling awake. She rolled over to see Ellie, still sitting by the window with the book in her lap.

“How do you know him?”

Y/n squinted and sat up, her joints cracking as she stretched her limbs. The sky outside was pitch black, clearly she’d needed more sleep than she thought.

“He’s an…” she began to say, the complexity of the situation hitting her all over again. There was only one answer to give that wouldn’t invite any more questions. “I was friends with his brother a long time ago.”

Ellie’s seemed to accept it, “Where’re you from?”

“Texas.”

The girl’s eyes widened, “You lived in Texas?”

“Just for a little while,” Y/n replied, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes,

Ellie looked down at her hands and then out the window, “I’ve never been out that far.”

Y/n sighed, thinking about what it might be like to grow up never having known what the world used to be like. “You’re not missing much, kid,” she lied. She’d have gone back to Austin in a heartbeat, if it was at all possible.

“What’s ‘rosebud?’”

Y/n’s body went cold, as if she’d just been plunged into ice water, memories slamming into her like waves. A glass of rosé and belly laughter, a backyard game of football, soft lips whispering sweet nothings against her ear…

She looked over at Ellie calmly, “What?”

The girl nodded towards Joel, who was still peacefully sleeping. “He kept mumbling the word ‘rosebud,’” she replied, “Thought maybe it was a code word or something.”

It did serve as a codeword, containing secrets, laughter, and all the love that had once existed in Y/n’s world. Now the mere utterance cut her worse than any blade could.

“If it is,” Y/n got to her feet, not wanting to be anywhere near the word, “I don’t know what it means.”

Joel woke then, startling without any real physicality. He stared up at the ceiling, dazed from his dreams. No, nightmares. That’s what they were.

“You mumble in your sleep,” Ellie said, announcing her presence, “Something about ‘rosebud.’”

If that didn’t wake him up, nothing could. His eyes flitted across the room, looking for the woman who owned every inch of the word. When Joel couldn’t find her, he pushed up on one arm and found her sitting at his kitchen table with her back turned to him.

In his subconscious, he’d seen her as she used to be. Her eyes full of light, her smile like pure sunshine, laughter pouring out of her with a freedom so few people allowed themselves. He’d felt her soft skin against his, felt her lips pressed to his jawline, right between his neck and his ear. He’d known her for the first time in twenty years, only to wake up and find her ghost.

Joel swung his legs over the couch and rose, his knees and back aching. Getting older in a post-apocalyptic world felt extra cruel. He ventured over to the table, ready to test the waters and see just how bad of a time he was in for.

Y/n sighed in annoyance as Joel took the chair next to her. She needed distance she wasn’t going to get, from him and all that he reminded her of.

They sat in the most awkward silence either of them had ever known.

Joel was the first to break it, “You get some sleep?”

Y/n glared out the corner of her eyes at him, the first words he spoke to her after their confrontation and that was the first thing he said?

Joel’s chest tightened at her poisoned stare, he wasn’t going to get an answer. “Wound okay?”

“This whole thing’ll go a lot easier if you stop pretending to give a shit about me,” Y/n said quietly, the sharpness of her tone cutting through the volume, “We both know you don’t.”

The walls weren’t coming down. Joel knew that. He didn’t want them down. But after seeing her, full of energy and joy, he had to check and see if there was any bit of that woman left. His eyes scanned her skin, so many scars and scrapes where there had once been a smooth surface. Her hair was dry, streaks of oil laced like highlights through the strands. Her nails were chipped and caked with dirt underneath. But most noticeably, there were two prominent frown lines across her cheeks. That let Joel know that the woman he’d once loved was absolutely gone.

“What happened to Tommy?” Y/n asked. She couldn’t help herself, but she kept her tone frosty.

“Sent a message three weeks back,” Joel answered, his fist fidgeting against the table, “Haven’t heard anything.”

Y/n didn’t want to take any strolls with Joel down memory lane, but Tommy was…Tommy. She couldn’t deny that she still cared about him deeply. “Do you know where he is?”

“Wyoming,” Joel answered, looking past her eyes at the wall. He didn’t think he could handle speaking about his brother to her, of all people.

“Oh,” she said, “So you’re completely crazy now.”

That earned her a hardened gaze, as if Joel had anything else for her.

“I’ve never been on the other side of the Wall,” Ellie spoke up, “Look how dark it is.”

Y/n got up first, smoothing her tank top back down and leaning against the wall near the door. Joel followed, retaking his seat on the couch. They both pondered the same thing separately: how much life Ellie had missed out on just by being born in the wrong decade.

“You guys go out there a lot?” Ellie asked Joel.

“I guess,” he answered.

“When was the last time?”

“Maybe a year,” Joel quickly replied, he wasn’t enjoying all the questions, “What’s it matter?”

“But you know where to go,” Ellie clarified, looking too much like a kid, “So we’re gonna be okay.”

It was a fair question, and Joel couldn’t fault her for being scared. Fear was all she’d ever known.

“Yeah,” he answered, significantly softer than his last one.

Y/n’s eyes grazed the window, spotting the plastic butterfly that clung to the glass. After all these years, Joel had managed to keep it. It took all the self-discipline she had not to let her tears fall.

“So what’s the deal with you anyway,” Joel asked Ellie, “You some kind of bigwig’s daughter or somethin’?”

Both Ellie and Y/n knowingly smirked to themselves. “Something like that,” Ellie replied, “Oh, the radio came on while you were sleeping.”

“What?” Joel snapped to attention, leaning forward, “What was the song?

“He kept sayin’ like, “wake me up before you go-go?” Ellie answered, making Y/n and Joel feel much much older.

Joel knew what that meant, and it was nothing good. “Shit,” he whispered to himself.

Ellie’s smirk spread across her face, “Gotcha. 80’s means trouble. Code broken.”

Joel got to his feet, having used his patience up earlier in the day. “Listen-“

Y/n was between him and Ellie in a flash, sticking out a hand towards Joel. She was off limits, even for a light scolding. Luckily, the door opened up before anything could be said. Tess had returned.

“The spot under Lancaster looks good,” she reported, turning to Ellie after, “You got a jacket in your pack?”

“Yeah,” Ellie responded.

“Okay, get it. It’s time to go.”

Y/n stuffed her sweater back in backpack and went to retrieve her now-dry jacket. It had been a long time since she’d gone outside of the QZ, she couldn’t decide whether she was terrified or happy to step outside the fence.

Joel on the other hand felt like he couldn’t move. Between the fear over his brother’s safety, being close to Y/n once again and the daunting task ahead of them, he wanted to pause it all for a moment. Tess throwing his jacket at him was a good reminder that he didn’t get to take minutes.

As Y/n went to the window to check Ellie, her eye caught the butterfly in the window again. Much like ‘Rosebud,’ there was another name that she never said. She could practically see it weaved into the fine details of the creature, the bright blue against the dark black. When Joel’s back was turned. Y/n pulled the cling off the window and shoved it in her backpack. If they were going to do this, she needed to feel strong enough to do it. She’d give it back to Joel and face his wrath when the deed was done.

The four of them made it out and into the underground tunnels, landing in a lesser frequented area of the QZ. Joel climbed out first and scanned their surroundings, helping to pull Ellie out after. Y/n came through next, though Joel knew better than the extend his hand to her, and finally, Tess.

“Holy shit,” Ellie remarked, spinning around to take it all in, “I’m actually outside.”

Not half a second later, a helicopter made its round over them, searchlights shining off it. Tess pulled Ellie in and crouched behind a large piece of debris.

“Okay, we’re gonna take the left edge around the buffer zone,” Tess explained, “You stay close and you follow my lead.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Ellie nodded in understanding, glancing over to Y/n as if to get approval. Y/n nodded back, placing momentary trust that Tess would protect the girl.

“Same goes for you,” Joel said from beside her, his voice low.

Y/n glared over her shoulder, “I really don’t think you want me where you can’t see me.”

“Let’s go,” Tess ordered.

The four of them crawled under an abandoned school bus with Joel bringing up the rear. Walking while crouched was hard, but they managed their best and paused behind a car when a FEDRA patrol vehicle passed by. Once it was clear, they made their way through a rusted, metal pipe, stopping when the chopper passed over them again. Y/n caught a peek at Ellie’s face as the light shone on them, she looked terrified. Through her own nerves, Y/n reached over and took Ellie’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Joel watched the whole thing, if he wanted a glimpse of the woman he’d once known, he’d gotten it. Her heart was still there.

Their team hurried out of the pipe, rushing to hide behind another big piece of debris. A storm was starting, the lightning acting as temporary lighting for their path. Joel was leading the way when their presence was detected.

“Hey,” a FEDRA soldier shouted, “Hey! Don’t, don’t, don’t move.”

Joel hurriedly looked around for more, pushing Ellie behind him. He held his hands up in surrender, along with Y/n, Ellie and Tess. If they wanted to get out of this, they needed to play along.

The FEDRA soldier opened the visor of his helmet, getting a look at Joel. “You gotta be shittin’ me…”

“Okay, let’s talk this out,” Joel said calmly.

“Turn around,” the soldier ignored him.

“Hold on-“

“Get on your fuckin’ knees,” the soldier yelled, “Get on your fuckin’ knees!”

Joel wasn’t giving up, “Now, hold on-“

“What did I fuckin’ tell you, man? I said stay the fuck home,” he pointed to the ground, “Get on your knees!”

Y/n knew if he fought any harder, he was going to get them all killed. Taking matters into her own hands, she dropped. “Ellie,” she said calmly, “Get down.”

“Just get on your knees,” Tess said to Joel, “Just get on your knees.”

Joel listened and kneeled between Ellie and Tess, turning his back to the soldier. Ellie finally followed Yn’s directions and got down next to Y/n.

“Listen, you let us do this run,” Tess bargained, “We’ll split the cards with you.”

The soldier wasn’t having it, “Oh, will you?”

Y/n’s breaths quickened, knowing their chances of escape were slim. There had to be something to do. If she gave herself up, would he let Tess and Joel leave with Ellie? She didn’t particularly feel like dying, but Ellie was too important to compromise. They could get her the rest of the way.

“Hands on your head, eyes forward,” the soldier instructed. It was the eyes forward bit that bothered Joel the most. They wanted to control what they couldn’t even see.

“Hands on your head,” the soldier screamed, startling them all into doing it. He came up behind Tess, holding a device to her neck. Checking to see if they were infected.

Y/n’s heart stopped in her chest. Shit.

“Really, man?” Tess complained.

The soldier was undeterred, “Yep, we’re doin’ this by the book.”

Ellie nudged Y/n with her boot, signaling she knew what was coming. Y/n wasn’t sure how to offer her any assurance that they’d be okay.

“Unauthorized exit,” the soldier reported, “They’ll hang you for that.”

“Fine,” Joel tried again, “Everythin’ off this run and half off of all the pills.”

Their voices faded in Y/n’s ears. If she could move quick enough, she could spin around and shoot the soldier before he knew what was happening. It would give Tess and Joel a few seconds to get away.

Before Y/n could make a decision, Ellie stole her move and stabbed the soldier in the leg.

“Ellie!” Y/n and Tess cried in unison.

The soldier was momentarily dazed, stumbling backwards and trying to figure out where the injury was. Y/n took the opportunity to shove Ellie behind her. Joel did the same, jumping to his feet and standing in front of Y/n. It was pure instinct.

“Get out of the fuckin’ way,” the soldier yelled, aiming his gun past the adults.

Joel could talk his way out of a lot, but this looked grim. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.

“We can fix this,” he tried, holding up his hands as a barrier between them and the soldier.

The soldier was done listening to their pathetic attempts. “Move.”

Joel didn’t budge.

“Move.”

Y/n had been on the recieving end of a lot of guns, held by people who thought that God had abandoned the post-apocalyptic warland and it was their job to fill His seat. But the military regulated weaponry, the uniform, the expressionless face that wouldn’t fill with guilt the moment its body pulled the trigger.

It transported her back twenty years.

And she knew Joel was there with her.

He surged forward, letting out a gutteral cry as he tackled the soldier to the ground. He climbed atop him, pinning him, and began to throw one merciless punch after the other. The crunching of bone and squishing of flesh formed an awful, perfect, rhythm.

While Ellie watched and felt something awaken within her, Y/n felt something die. She watched the man she’d known in her past life as loving and tender become a necessary monster. People thought mourning was only for those who left the earth, but there were plenty of dead souls still breathing. If there was any debate as to whether or not her version of Joel Miller was truly gone, the proof was now and forever burned into Y/n’s mind. Someone else now inhabited in his body.

When the job was done, Joel sat heaving over the man’s body, looking down at his bloody and bruised fist. It was the closest he could ever come to avenging her. When he looked up, his eyes first fell on Ellie, who didn’t seem to mind the violence at all. It seemed she actually liked it.

Y/n’s eyes told a different story.

A well-timed lightning strike lit her up, and Joel saw tears pooling below her y/e/c pupils. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, anxiety mixing with terror. Joel knew exactly what she was thinking about him and for a singular second, he felt guilt. He felt guilt for causing her pain, for forcing her to see him as anything other than the man she’d known.

It passed as quick as it came. It had to.

Tess grabbed the dropped scanner and read the bright red screen. Y/n hurried back to the present pulled Ellie by her jacket away from Tess.

“No, no,” Ellie yelled, “No, I’m not sick!”

“Joel,” Tess called, beginning to panic.

“She’s not sick,” Y/n backed Ellie up, “She’s clean!”

“Joel,” Tess yelled again, putting space between Y/n and her.

Ellie pulled her jacket sleeve up to reveal her arm, “Look! Look! This is three weeks old! Nobody lasts more than a day! Does this look a day old to you?”

Tess examined the bite site, it looked more like a bad scar than an infectious wound.

“You would have fuckin’ killed me!” Ellie said in horror.

“I should fucking kill you,” Tess bit back, looking up at Y/n, “What the hell’s Marlene trying to pull?!”

“It’s true,” Y/n said, keeping one hand over her pistol in case Tess didn’t listen, “She’s clean.”

She looked past Tess’ shoulder and over to Joel, who was still watching her. It was a long shot to get him of all people to listen to her, but now, she was happy to bank on their history in hopes that he’d believe her.

“I swear it,” Y/n held a hand up, her eyes digging into Joel’s, begging for him to not raise his gun.

Joel stopped short at Y/n’s vulnerability, he was shaken in every direction just from the last thirty seconds. He felt his will to argue with her slipping away.

“They’re gonna catch us if we don’t run,” Ellie stated, she wasn’t wrong. They could argue elsewhere and keep their lives.

“Joel, we gotta move,” Tess called, interrupting the stare-off between Y/n and him, “We gotta move, Joel.”

Ellie and Tess were already making their way to the fence, but Y/n and Joel stayed a second longer. Neither one had much credibility with the other, not after the last time they’d been together. But at the moment, Joel had two choices. He could either die at FEDRA’s hands, or he could follow the woman he’d once trusted most in the world and believe her one more time.

He chose the latter, though he was far from believing.

Joel picked up the soldier’s rifle and gestured for Y/n to move, the two of them ran after Tess and Ellie, who were already slipping through a hole in the chained fence. Y/n pushed through it, coming to stand on the other side of the QZ’s limits and pausing for Joel. She knew he trusted her as far as he could throw her and she wasn’t totally confidant in turning her back to him. She waited till he came through and the two of them ran after Tess and Ellie, into the night and into the unknown…

————————

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warping-realities · 23 days

Text

Found Family

The sun was pouring through the dusty window of an old SUV, driven by a beautifull woman in his late thirties. But that light didn’t seem to warm the sour expressions of a couple of boys sitting in the car. The reason for their attitude was right outside the window, in the beautiful coastal town they’d just moved to. After a long and messy divorce, Amanda Sullivan (formerly Williams), the boys’ mom, decided it was time for a fresh start. Being an amazing cook, she chose to move to the picturesque beach town of Santa Maria, where she spent most of her childhood vacations, and open a restaurant there, bringing her kids, Robert and Benjamin, along for the ride. The two weren’t exactly stoked about the whole moving thing. They were in their senior year of high school. Robert, older than his brother by about ten months, had tons of friends and a sort-of girlfriend. Ben, on the other hand, had a tougher time at school and had never dated, which might make someone think he’d be more open to changes, but in reality, it was the opposite; he was even more pissed than his brother because it meant leaving their dad behind. He was always closer to his father than his brother. Amanda's second pregnancy, a few months after the previous one, was complicated and the boy was born prematurely. He remained small for his age, and his father was always his protector. At least he could count on having his brother in the same class to help him. That oddity made his classmates call them twins and the nickname stuck. Everyone called them that, except for their father, who always seemed to have a slight preference for his youngest son. A father who was distant and absent, but still their dad, and he knew the distance would only make things worse.

“Come on, boys, I know you’re bummed, but I promise you’re gonna love it here. I had a blast when I was a kid and loved it even more when I came back to find our new home and the best spot for the restaurant. By the way, this is the first thing I wanna show you: the restaurant space is right over there, close to the beach.” A smiling Amanda said, looking at her two grumpy kids, who got out of the car and followed their mom to an alley near the beach, filled with little shops. The restaurant that their mom had worked so hard to open was situated between an ice cream shop and a surf store.

“So, the place is perfect, right?” She asked in an excited voice toward her kids, who stared back at her with little enthusiasm. “You guys could at least pretend to be happy for me.”

“They won’t need to pretend for long, I’m sure they’ll feel at home in no time.” Said a cheerful male voice. The three members of the small family turned toward that voice and were faced with a handsome guy. He was sitting in front of the surf shop, with a surfboard beside him, in his 40s, with the sculpted physique of a hard-working man, long blonde hair, and a bright smile, radiating the energy of a guy who, despite his age, was still living life to the fullest. “Guys, this is Sean Hale, he’s been a great friend, helped me a lot with everything around here.”

“Happy to help, Amanda, it wasn’t long ago that Ollie and I were in the same boat, and we would’ve loved to have some friendly faces around. Speaking of which, here comes the devil. The boys and their mom turned in the direction Sean was pointing and saw what looked like a younger version of him, in the late teen years. The kid, Olliver, had the same blond hair, an enviable physique, and a youthful vibe.

“Hey, Dad! Mrs. Sullivan! Great to see you again, and I see you finally brought the twins with you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, guys. I know you’re not super hyped about the move, but Santa Maria is a magical place.” The two boys exchanged furtive glances, how the hell did this random dude know so much about them? Quickly, those looks turned angrily toward their mom, as if Amanda had been trash-talking them to her new friends. More pissed off than his brother, Benjamin spoke the first words of his day, although far from friendly.

“Fantastic, Mom, not only did you drag us to the other side of the country, but you also share our private stuff with the first people you meet.” He turned back toward the car, not even glancing at Sean and completely ignoring Olliver’s outstretched arm in a failed attempt at a high-five that was awkwardly met by a shy Robert.

“Hey, um, Ollie? Sorry about Ben’s behavior; just because we didn’t wanna move doesn’t mean we have to be rude to those who welcomed us so nicely. Also, I apologize to you for my brother’s attitude, Mr. Hale.”

“You can call me Sean, Robert, that’s what everyone calls me. And I get it; all this change can be a shock. It’s a shame Benjamin stormed off like that; I would’ve loved to explain to him that I’m not a complete stranger, actually, your mom and I have known each other for many years here on this beach, when we were younger than you guys are now. And we’ve crossed paths again over several summers until she never came back.”

“I had college on the other side of the country to attend, then there was the wedding and the kids, and my ex-husband hates the beach... but the truth is, when everything changed, I ended up being drawn back here, it was almost like a magnet pulling me back to Santa Maria.”

“I get you; when my wife passed away last year, I felt the same. I sold everything I had, moved here with Olliver, and opened the surf shop. I’ve always been passionate about the waves and have been bringing Ollie every summer to teach him how to surf, so it felt natural to open the shop and teach the sport to the tourist kids.”

“You surf, dude?” Olliver asked Robert.

“I can barely swim, Olliver.”

“You can call me Ollie or bro; our parents are old friends, we don’t need formalities. And about not knowing how to swim, let me help you; in no time, you’ll be owning the waves, and trust me, girls love a surfer, even if it is useless to me”

“Um, I’ll think about it, Olliver.”

“No thinking, and call me bro, bro. Let me show you our boards; I bet you’ll wanna grab one and jump in the water as soon as you see them.” Olliver said, dragging Robert inside the shop.

“Ollie, since you’re going in, ask Harry to come here; I’ll need his help unloading Mandy’s stuff.”

“Yeap.” Responded his son, already inside the shop.

“Sean, there’s no need for that; we can handle it ourselves.”

“I know that; from what I gathered, you’ve been managing on your own for a long time, even before the marriage ended, Mandy. But it doesn’t have to be like that; I’m here for you guys.”

“That’s really kind of you, Sean, and I can’t deny the truth in your words, it’s been so tough. Rob is upset, but that should pass soon, but Ben... Ben is different; he still misses his dad a lot, my ex was his idol, so being left behind... he’s really mad, and how does he deal with that? He refuses to admit his dad’s abandonment, so he chose to take that anger out on everyone else, including me.”

“That’ll pass, believe me; if you want, I can try to help, or maybe Ollie; the age proximity might make things easier.”

“Would you do that?”

“Sure, I’ll ask him to drop by your house tonight, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind; I’m really grateful.”

“You don’t need to thank me; it’ll be a great pleasure.” Sean concluded with a radiant smile.

…..

“This is the last one, Mrs. Sullivan.” Said a huge black young man, with a contagious smile, as he dropped the last box at Amanda’s new house. This was Harrison, Sean’s surf shop employee. A young man with massive muscles but an easy laugh and a laid-back vibe, evidenced by his head full of dreadlocks. It was a big shock to discover that a guy that big was only nineteen, having just graduated a few months ago with Olliver. But despite his size, the kid was so friendly and cheerful, exuding so much happiness that even Ben let his guard down a bit when he met him at the beach.

Speaking of Ben, Harry, as he preferred to be called, turned to him. “You’re a senior, Ben? So you’ll be classmates with my brother Micky; I think you guys could hit it off. You both give off the same vibe.”

“Um, thanks.” Ben replied, at least acknowledging it, before heading inside the house.

“I wonder what that vibe would be. Crybaby teen?” commented a much friendlier Robert, who quickly hit it off with Harry and Olliver and started to think that maybe this whole moving thing wasn’t so bad after all.

“I’d say more like a future family killer.” Harry replied, smiling, giving Rob a high-five.

The end of the day didn’t have any other significant events, being filled with the work of organize the house, which was already furnished. Thanks to the chores, even Benjamin loosened up a bit and started chatting, still a bit grumpy, with his mom, while Robert seemed like a different person, chatting excitedly at dinner about thinking over Ollie’s offer to learn to surf.

“You’re a terrible swimmer, Rob; just because you wish for something doesn’t mean you’ll get it, bro!” Ben commented with the first smile of the day.

“I think you’d be surprised at the power a wish has.” Someone said at the dining room door. Standing there was Olliver Hale in all his golden glory.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the door was open, Mrs. Sullivan. My dad asked to see if you needed help with anything.”

“Ollie, sweetheart, don’t worry, you’re very welcome; we’ve got everything sorted. Since you were so kind to come here, would you like to have dinner with us? Tonight I made my famous bolognese lasagna. Since I’ll be serving lighter dishes at the beach, if I were you, I wouldn’t miss out.”

“Oh, I certainly wouldn’t, excuse me.” Said the kid sitting next to Benjamin, who then stood up and stormed out, irritated, without saying a word.

“A tough crowd.” Olliver joked.

“What do you mean by that?” Robert asked.

“My dad asked me to come here and try to befriend you guys to make things easier for both of you. But from what I can see, Benjamin isn’t interested.”

“He’ll get over it; it’s just that things have been intense the last few months.”

“I get it, bro. And until then, I can dedicate all my time to you. Speaking of which, stop by the shop tomorrow after school for your first surf lesson.”

“Hey, I said I’d think about it, Ollie.”

“And I said don’t think. So, no arguments, surf lesson tomorrow afternoon. Wow, this is the best food I’ve ever had, Mrs. Sullivan; trust me, I’ll be spending a lot of time here. A new bro and food like this, I’ll be calling your place home soon.”

…..

Ben woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth after his impromptu exit from the dining room the night before; he locked himself in his room, kicked the bed, lay down, and cried himself to sleep, mad about his situation, missing his dad, and also embarrassed about his attitude toward Olliver. He and his dad seemed like cool guys, but they represented everything he hated most at that moment. Still, he would have to apologize to them for his behavior.

After a quick shower, he got ready for school and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. And to his surprise, he found himself face to face with Olliver, in an animated conversation with Rob. “I can’t wait for my first class, bro. Surfing is so awesome...”

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Benjamin abruptly interrupted, suddenly abandoning all thoughts of apologizing.

“Enough, Ben. Ollie stayed up late last night chatting with me, and I invited him to sleep here. We all get that you’re bummed, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude!”

“Until yesterday, you didn’t want to be here either, and now you’re all happy and making friends; I thought we’d find a way to go back home.”

“Grow up, Benjamin; this is our home now, you said that yesterday, just because you wish for something doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.”

“Bro, chill. Ben, can I call you that? I understand what you’re going through; when my mom died and my dad decided to move here, I wasn’t happy either, and I’ve known Santa Maria my whole life, but let me tell you, it’s a magical place...”

“Magical place, you’ve told me that already. And look, I’m sorry for my behavior, but... Hey, there’s someone at the window!”

“What?” the other two boys said in unison, turning to the kitchen window, but there was no one there.

“Ben, just apologize and we can move on with our lives.” Rob said to his younger brother.

“But it’s true, there was a black kid standing right there...”

“Alright, the choice is yours, bro.”

“But I...”

“Ollie offered to give us a ride to school; grab your stuff and let’s go; he’ll pick us up when we’re done so we can start surfing lessons.”

“I didn’t agree to that, and besides, I’d rather go to school alone.” Ben replied, leaving without having breakfast.

“A really tough crowd.” Olliver commented, watching the other boy leave the room.

Ben almost regretted refusing Olliver’s ride; it was tough finding his way to school, but he finally made it. The first days of school are always the same boring routine, and Benjamin thought he could count on Rob, but at that moment, he wanted to be as far away from his brother as possible, sitting as far from him as he could. Throughout their lives, they’d always been there for each other. But now Rob was a traitor, selling out for a friendship with a brainless surfer and the promise of learning a sport he had no talent for. And thinking about how much water his brother would have to swallow, with a certain malicious satisfaction, he scanned the rest of the room. To his surprise, sitting right in front of the class, looking at him with an unreadable expression, was the kid he saw at the window during breakfast.

Ben found out the kid’s name was Michael, but he had to wait until the end of class to ask what he was doing at the window in the morning. Which wasn’t an easy task, since the kid seemed to disappear from the world, leaving the classroom as soon as the bell rang. It was only during the period before lunch that he finally got his chance, when he walked into the classroom and saw the kid again and chose to sit next to the classroom door, blocking him from leaving without passing Ben. And that’s exactly what he did; when the kid walked past him without saying anything, Ben pulled him aside, trying to get some answers. But he was caught off guard by the kid’s expression; there was so much fear in his eyes.

“Let me go, please, I promise I’ll stay away, don’t do anything to me, I swear I’ll stop trying to figure it out...”

“Figure out what? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with them yesterday at the beach. You’re one of them.”

“What do you mean by ‘one of them’? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“If you’re not one of them yet, you will be soon; you’re too close to them. Now let me go.” The other kid finished, breaking free and running away.

“Michael, come back here, MICHAEL!!! What the hell is going on?”

……

Ben decided to ignore his brother’s text messages, first asking about lunch and then what he was doing after school. He also ignored his mom’s worried messages, opting to walk along the beach in an attempt to figure out what the hell was happening. It wasn’t until Amanda left an angry message saying she was really worried about him and that if he didn’t show up in the next fifteen minutes she’d call the cops, that a reluctant Benjamin called her to say he was heading home.

After a long lecture about her son’s childish behavior, she informed him that she would be staying late at the restaurant preparing things for the opening that would happen that weekend, but that there was food ready and that Rob was already home. With one last motherly plea, she asked Ben to make an effort to at least sort things out with his brother since apparently, that wasn’t going to happen with her anytime soon.

Sighing heavily, Ben entered the living room of the house, and upon doing so, received the biggest shock of his life. Sitting at the table, studying, was Rob, but this wasn’t the same Rob from that morning. Shirtless, with the sun-kissed skin of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, extra pounds of muscle, and light blonde hair almost golden, anyone would think it was another person, but the face and aura were all Rob, altered, but still him.

“What the hell happened to you, Robert?” Asked a truly desperate Ben upon seeing this totally strange version of his older brother.

“What happened is that I got tired of waiting, bro. If you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore, fine. So, once you grow up and stop acting like a crybaby, you can come talk to me.”

“I... I’m not talking about that, Rob. Your hair, your skin, your muscles, how did this happen?”

“Dude, this is what happens when you go out and live your life. If you had gone surfing today, I would’ve shown you how great it is.”

“But that’s impossible... Rob, there’s no way such a change can happen in a single day.”

“What are you talking about, Ben? Of course, it can’t happen in a day. I’ve been surfing for almost a year now, ever since our parents split and I moved in with Uncle Sean.”

“Uncle Sean? Rob, that doesn’t make sense. Sean isn’t our uncle, and we moved here yesterday. We met him yesterday. None of this makes sense.”

Apparently, Ben didn’t make sense to this different Rob either. Because he stared at Ben with a look that was probably a mirror of what Ben had at that moment. And with a sigh, he finally said, “Alright, Ben, if that’s how you want things, fine. When you’re ready, you can come talk to me, bro. I’m your brother, we are the twins, try to remember. I’ll always be here for you, as long as you don’t push me away like you’re doing now. I’m done studying, I’ll go help Mom with the restaurant stuff. Don’t wait for us, but if you decide to be yourself again, stop by to help; we’ll be really grateful for both decisions.” Concluded Rob, getting up, putting on a shirt, and walking out the door without looking back, leaving a stunned Benjamin standing there with his mouth agape in the middle of the living room.

….

Ben needed answers, more than that, he needed a way to get his brother back to normal so they could get out of there together. Talking to their mom was out of the question; she was probably the first one to be... dominated? Hypnotized? One person popped into his mind. Michael, he knew what was happening and thought Benjamin was part of it. He needed to find Michael and convince him to tell him everything he knew and fast.

The next morning, he woke up before sunrise, after a sleepless night where he had to pretend to be sleeping when his mom came to say goodnight. He hated doing that to her but wasn’t sure if she was infected or not; unlike Rob, she hadn’t shown any significant changes in behavior or appearance, unless you counted her sudden desire to settle in Santa Maria, which, despite his disapproval, was nothing compared to what happened with his brother.

Sneaking out quietly to avoid being seen, he headed to school, praying that Michael hadn’t freaked out enough to decide to skip classes. Apparently, some higher power heard his prayers, as Michael not only showed up for class that day but after a bit of persuasion agreed to talk to Ben. In an empty classroom, Ben started his plea for any kind of answer.

“I swear I’m not infected or zombified or whatever the hell is going on, but they took my brother and maybe my mom too; you’re the only one who seems to know something about what’s going on, so please, help me.”

Michael looked at Ben with unreadable eyes for a few seconds before sighing and speaking. “Okay, let’s say I believe you; what happened to your brother?”

“Long story short. My parents split up last year, after which my mom got it in her head to move us here and open a restaurant by the beach, dragging my brother and me along with her. Something neither of us agreed to. We didn’t even like the beach. Until we arrived here two days ago at least, when Rob started hanging out with Olliver Hale, and since then he’s been acting different, but that’s not the worst part; he seems different and acts like things have always been this way. Calling Olliver’s father ‘Uncle’ and we barely know the guy.” Benjamin replied in one breath, afraid of sounding ridiculous. But Michael just asked another question: “Have you met my brother, Harrison?”

“Harrison? Harry? The surf shop employee? Wait a minute, are you the Micky he was talking about?”

“No one, no one has ever called me that, at least not until a few months ago. So, please, keep calling me Michael. But yeah, that Harry. So let me tell you my story. Although I still don’t have the slightest idea if you have bad intentions...”

“I promise I’m not lying; you saw my brother at the kitchen window yesterday, and don’t deny it, because now I’m sure it was you. Wait until he shows up at school, and you’ll see the difference in him. Believing me is your choice, but you heard my story. I think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you, because I don’t have the faintest idea of what’s going on. I can only tell you what happened to me. But before I continue, you told me you met Harry. Take a look at this photo here and tell me what you see.” Michael said, handing Benjamin a worn-out photo. It was a picture of two skinny Black boys, both wearing glasses; one of them was clearly Michael, while the other could be some other brother or close relative, as the resemblance was striking.

“Benjamin, you’ve met Harry; now I present to you Harrison. We took this photo together a few months ago; it’s worn out because I keep it with me so often just to make sure I’m not crazy.”

“I don’t get it; this isn’t possible...” There was no way the kid in the photo was the giant Ben knew, even with steroids; there was still the height issue, Harry was at least a foot taller, and the hair, hair like that doesn’t grow overnight, even if it was some kind of wig...

“Think, Benjamin, you just told me about your brother; I’m telling you what happened to mine. I thought finally someone would believe me; you have no idea how many times I’ve tried to show this photo, without success, but no one believes me. It’s not like I have many people to support me; since our parents died, it’s always been Harrison and me, taking care of our grandma. Even so, I thought someone would remember, that someone would look at the photo and help me. All the other photos and videos show Harry, not Harrison; for some reason, only that one remained. But people think I’m trying to pull a prank or something stupid like that.”

“Michael, that’s not possible; no one changes that much...” Ben repeated.

“Your brother hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah, but he’s still... him. Maybe he already gained those muscles and I didn’t notice, and his hair might be dyed, and he could have a fake tan... maybe this is all a huge prank in response to my behavior... and maybe you’re in on it too; yeah, confess, Harry asked you to do this, didn’t he?”

“Don’t try to rationalize, Benjamin; I tried, and it just frustrated me even more; there’s no space for reason in what’s happening. But there’s an easy way for me to prove to you that I’m not messing with you. Tell me, have you seen your brother today?”

“No, that’s impossible; there’s no way this is real. You’re joking; you’re all joking. I get it, I’ve been unbearable the last few days, but doing this to me is bullshit. Stop messing around, Michael, I promise I’ll go home and apologize to my mom and Rob, and then I’ll apologize to Sean and Olliver too.”

“No, don’t do that; they’ll find a way to grab you too; I’ve been feeling that they’re close to getting me; I feel it’s an increasing attraction every time Harry is near me or when I get close to his work; they want you too, and if they took your brother and your mom, they definitely want you.”

“Why? Why us?”

“Because you must have something they care about. Let me finish my story. It all started when the Hales moved here a few months ago. Harrison was almost done with his last year, probably would’ve been the class speaker and would’ve landed a scholarship at a good college. He worried about what would happen to me, being left alone at home with a sick grandma. But I always told him those were opportunities he couldn’t miss. But then the Hales showed up, and Olliver became Harrison’s classmate. And my brother felt attracted to him like a moth to a flame. After that, everything happened so quickly; one moment Harrison was going to college, the next he was kissing Olliver Hale, talking as if he’d known him for years, and finally... finally he was Harry, like you knew him, that mountain of muscles, all smiles and joy, without a care in the world other than surfing, working a mediocre job, dating the owner’s son, and... me, I guess. Harry seems to like me just as much as Harrison liked him, but I... I can’t like him back... I need my brother, not him.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me Harry and Olliver are together?”

“Seriously, out of everything I told you, you choose to worry about two dudes being together?”

“No, that’s not it; do you think this... thing... happened to your brother because Olliver was into him? Because Sean seems pretty interested in my mom; on the day we arrived, I watched them from a distance, and he was flirting with her the whole time. Still... I don’t know what to say; I want to believe you because you believed in me, Michael, but this is too much.”

“Do you know where your brother’s locker is, Benjamin? Let’s go there.” Concluded Michael as Ben nodded.

There were still a few minutes until the bell, but standing in front of Rob’s locker was a big blonde kid with his back turned to the two approaching. When he turned around, Benjamin was even more surprised than the night before. It was Rob, but not really. This Rob looked way more like Olliver Hale’s younger brother than Benjamin’s brother.

“Good morning, bro, good morning, Micky. So good to see you guys getting along; if I’d bet with Harry, I would’ve lost!”

“R-Rob?”

“Sorry, bro, but I gotta head to football practice. Mom and Dad will be stoked to know you’re making an effort just like Harry, Micky, as long as you guys aren’t up to anything! See you at lunch, Ben?”

“I don’t...”

“No, no, bro, we’re having lunch the three of us, and after school, I wanna see you two at the shop. Mom and Dad had to leave town and won’t be back until tomorrow, so we can do something just us. I wanna introduce you to someone important, bro. See ya, please don’t leave me hanging.” And he walked towards the classroom, leaving behind two stunned boys. “What the hell was he talking about, about Mom and Dad? Our dad’s not here; he’s on the other side of the country, and they’d never hang out again, not after the divorce.”

“I don’t know, but I bet you’ll figure it out soon. And did you see how he talked to me, like he knew me, and I can assure you I never spoke to him in my life.”

“This whole situation is so complicated... At least we have proof we were telling the truth. Which leaves us with one question: what the hell are we gonna do about this?…” Michael and Benjamin decided to keep as far away from their brothers as possible until they had some idea of what to do; the problem was precisely that: they had no clue what to do. They vaguely discussed the possibility of investigating the surf shop, but that would put them directly in the enemy’s den. There was also the issue that, even if Michael wasn’t affected yet, that didn’t mean the same would happen to Ben, especially with him being so close to the center of everything. The two skipped lunch, and after class ended, Ben ran home, stopping to grab something to eat and locking himself in his room, hoping to avoid any conflict. Unfortunately, as soon as he got home, he found himself face to face with an irritated Rob.

“I don’t know why I was so dumb to think things were getting better, bro. I thought that after our talk yesterday, you’d make an effort to try to adjust, and when I saw you and Micky together, I thought you were finally starting to accept that this is our new reality.”

“Rob, how can’t you see what’s going on? You’ve completely changed!”

“Enough, Ben. I get that you’re bummed because our mom decided to move back in with my dad after all this time. But I want you to remember I was by your side when Ollie decided to move in with our dad because his relationship with your dad was crap. I stuck around for you. I expected the bare minimum of effort from you, just a little gratitude!”

“Rob, let me...”

“No, let me tell you something. My dad may not be your dad, but our mom decided to go back to him for a reason, and yeah, Ollie and I are super happy about it, and I repeat, we understand why you might be feeling bad. Ollie felt the same way when Mom married your dad; I was too young to remember, but I bet I felt the same way too. So, we get it, bro. And I’m sorry, but your dad’s a piece of work; he doesn’t give a damn about you, but my dad is here for you, just like he is for Ollie and me, if you let him.”

Ben was once again stunned by what he heard, to the point of standing there in the middle of the room, speechless, just staring at what should be his brother. “You’ve got nothing to say, Benjamin? Great! Then you can go to your room and lock yourself in there like you’ve been doing for the last few days. I was gonna introduce you to Jessica tonight and then take you to your first beach party, but you don’t deserve any of that.” Not knowing what to do, Benjamin went to his room, sat on the bed, and cried, for his brother, for his mom, but also because that distorted version of Rob was speaking the truth: his dad didn’t give a shit about him. And, most likely, Sean Hale would be a good dad, so maybe... But before he could finish that thought, he was distracted by a noise outside his room. Standing at the window, just like the first time he saw him, was Michael, waving and seemingly asking Ben to meet him outside the house. Benjamin quietly slipped out to meet his new friend.

“What? Why the hell are you here? You could’ve sent me a message.”

“I did! I sent several messages; when you didn’t reply, I decided to come find you. Sean’s out…”

“Yeah, I know, and apparently now he and my mom are the parents of Rob and Ollie. That’s what Rob was talking about this morning when he said Mom and Dad were leaving for a day. Dude, this is so fucked up. I lost my brother!”

“I know, I’ve had that same thought for months. Look, Harry asked me to go to some kind of party on the other side of the beach; Olliver and your brother are going too. With Sean out, this is our chance to at least check out the surf shop; it’s a long shot, but…”

“But it’s all we’ve got. And besides, I don’t know how much longer I can take this; I was about to give up when you showed up.”

“I know, I almost agreed to hang out with Harry when he hugged me. Dude, I just want my brother back.”

“And what’s worse is that they seem so happy.” Ben said, pointing to Rob leaving the house at that moment, accompanied by a pretty girl, both smiling and radiating total happiness.

“Dude, it looks like his hair grew even more in the last few minutes; this is so…”

“Fucked up, I know. Let’s go.” …

The two boys ran to the beach, with Michael leading Benjamin to the back of Sean Hale’s surf shop.

“How are we gonna get in?”

“I grabbed these keys when Harry hugged me.” Michael said, showing a set of keys with a mischievous grin, the first one Benjamin had seen. As soon as they entered the shop, Benjamin turned to Michael again and asked, “So, what are we looking for? Some kind of device, a spell book, some alien goo?”

“Maybe a bit of common sense?” Interrupted a deep, serious voice. Standing in front of the two, with an irritated expression, was Harry. “Boys, you’ve crossed every imaginable line. Michael, it’s about time we caught up, bro. Benjamin, your brothers are waiting for you in front of the shop so you can settle in too.” He said, holding Michael by the shoulders.

Benjamin took a good look at his friend’s face and, with an apologetic expression, ran out the back door. And he ran, ran until his legs hurt so much he forced himself to stop, collapsing in the sand and crying for the second time that day. And that’s how he stayed for hours until he fell asleep in the sand.

It was late evening when he was awakened by a deep voice. “Finally I found you. Hey, bro, what are you doing here? I know things aren’t great, but I thought we were friends; you know you can always count on me, Benji.” Benjamin, wiping the sand from his eyes, found himself facing a muscular black kid who looks... just like his brother.

“Mi-Michael?”

“Micky, dude. Don’t say it like we don’t know each other our whole lives.” Ben didn’t even try to argue this time, too worn out from all the weirdness; he just turned and run again. However, when he arrived at the main street he came face to face with Rob and Ollie waiting for him.

“Thinking about sneaking out again? No way, little bro. We’re going home; Dad wants to talk to you, and I can add that I’ve never seen him like this. Good luck.” Thinking it was better to just get it over with, Benjamin gave up and followed them...

Benjamin stayed quiet during the whole journey, he didn’t wanna argue with anyone; besides, he felt overwhelmed by equally large amounts of shame for ditching the closest thing to a friend he’d made in this town, guilt for what had happened to that person, and anxiety about what would happen to him. All of this was made worse by the fact that this new version of Michael - Micky - was nothing like the Michael Benjamin had known; Micky was cheerful, playful, and outgoing, and genuinely seemed hurt by being ignored by his supposed best friend. It was unbearable how nice he was, to the point that Ben couldn’t help but return the hand touch and the farewell hug offered by him when they finally reached their destination.

“See ya, bro. Chill, everything will be alright.” That was Micky’s farewell phrase. Before Robert turned to Benjamin.

"Benji, I don't know what's happening to you, but I'm really worried, bro. This isn't you, talk to dad and let him help you, little brother. I want my twin back." And then he hugged him, easily wrapping Benjamin's body with his long arms, and as much as he wanted to get away, he felt comfortable in that place. His brother smelled of coconut and salt, but underneath it there was still his own scent, which Benjamin knew so well.

Wiping away the new torrent of tears, he turned around and without looking back entered the house. As he entered the living room he found himself facing Sean Hale, sitting shirtless on the couch with a worried look on his face.

What do these people have against shirts? Was the first thought that crossed Benjamin's mind before he was hit with another feeling: the most intense anger he’d ever felt in his life. Standing in front of him was the guy responsible for the absurd situation he was in. But before he could say or do anything, Sean turned to him: “I think I owe you an explanation. I’m really sorry, Benjamin; it’s all my fault, I didn’t think it was necessary. But apparently, just like your buddy Micky, you have this crazy resistance to change, and for things to go the way they’re supposed to, changes need to be embraced.”

“You know when I’m gonna accept that? Only in your wildest dreams.”

“It’s funny you mention my dreams, Benjamin, because my part in this story actually starts with my dreams. My dreams of a big, happy family. But this story, our story, goes way back. Do you know why this town is called Santa Maria, Benji?”

“Don’t call me that, and I don’t care what this town’s called; I just want my brother and my life back.”

“And you’ll get it if you listen to me. Santa Maria was the name given by Spanish conquistadors to this land in an attempt to assimilate the native peoples into the Catholic faith when this part of the country was still under Mexico’s rule. When they got here, they heard a legend about a local female deity. A woman whose son had been killed and who, in her grief, threw herself off a cliff into one of the caves along the coast. Over time, this cave became a pilgrimage site for native women seeking help with their children. For Catholic preachers, the association with the Virgin Mary was obvious, and so a church in honor of the Mother of God was built on a hill, giving the town its name. The church was destroyed when the region was integrated into the United States. But secretly, over the years, countless generations of mothers sought out the old cave, praying to the virgin or the mother of the legend to intercede for their kids. When you’re a mom and you need divine intervention, the source of that intervention doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t get where this is going...”

“Please, just chill, Benjamin; you’ll understand soon enough. Your mom and I actually met when we were kids on this beach, and we heard all about the old legend together. Our paths diverged; your mom met your dad, and I met Lilly, my late wife, although, at this moment, that story is being rewritten, and soon I’ll forget it, which hurts me so much. But this is the path Lilly set for us. She and I came here every summer for our vacations. The tradition continued after Olliver was born, and the three of us were really happy here. But about a year ago, around the same time your parents started the divorce process, something terrible happened to us. Olliver came out, which wasn’t a problem for us; parents usually know about these things long before their kids, and we’ve always loved him as he is. But not everyone’s like that. One day, those who were supposed to be my son’s friends pulled what they thought was a prank on him, basically a huge act of homophobia. Ollie didn’t take it well, and one thing led to another, in this case, a beating followed by a coma. You have no idea how horrible it is to see your kid lying unconscious, fighting for his life, with doctors saying there’s no chance of survival. It tears you apart inside.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Sean, but I still don’t get what the point of all this is...”

“Hang tight, I’ll get to that part. Over the years, my wife also heard about the legend, and in her desperation, she went to the mother’s cave to ask for help. But the legends she heard were wrong; they spoke of blood sacrifices, of one life for another... and in her hopelessness, Lilly jumped into the abyss.”

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah, a terrible, sad decision, I think she decided she couldn’t live without our son... But her sacrifice awakened something, or someone. Santa Maria really is a magical place. And you and I both experienced it. The next morning, Oliver woke up, and within a few days, he was literally brand new, healthier than ever, stronger, taller. And only I seemed to notice. As for Lilly, her body was never found. I thought I’d never set foot on this land again, but a strange feeling in my chest, like a pull, kept bringing me back here. Until I finally gave in and came. The day my shop opened, that pull reached its peak, guiding me to the cave. And inside it, kneeling in prayer, was your mom, asking for help with her kids. So I knew what to do; I approached her and offered the help she needed. At that moment, I didn’t know something like what’s happening now was possible. Of course, not long after, Ollie met Harrison, and suddenly, I had an employee named Harry who was also my son’s boyfriend. Still, when you guys came here, I thought things would just flow naturally. But I realized I was wrong again when I watched the transformation happen with Rob, with a new set of memories about him entering my head, first of him knowing me his whole life and moving in with me right after Amanda’s divorce. Then the memory changed again, Rob and Olliver became my sons with Amanda, as if Lilly had never existed. At the same time this situation infuriated me, it also scared me. I looked for your mom at the same time she was looking for me, and when we were together, we both felt that pull again, so we came to the same conclusion: we should go to the cave.” He sighed and looked at Benjamin, his eyes sympathetic. “Now things get really complicated, Benjamin. When we arrived at the cave, both Amanda and I were overtaken by a force, something much bigger than the two of us. We were invaded by alien memories, of a mother hugging her son and her lover, both dead, in that same cave, and jumping off the cliff. Then, countless mothers kneeling there, begging for their children, the intervals between those visits getting longer and longer. Until the consciousness that was there fell asleep. Then, Lilly... I was forced to witness the prayer and sacrifice of my wife, Benjamin. In her final moments, she didn’t just pray for our son’s life but also for my happiness, so that I could find a family like I always wanted. She shouldn’t have done that; Lilly’s sacrifice gave the entity more power than it had in centuries, and it used it. It found another desperate mother seeking help and put her in my path, ensuring that Lilly’s last wishes were fulfilled. Ollie is happy with the boyfriend he always wanted. Harry never had the courage to come out until he met Ollie and always worried about leaving his brother alone with a sick grandma when going to college. Your mom wanted a stable father for her kids. Rob wanted friends and a girlfriend. Micky wanted a brother he could connect with. And me, I just want a family, a big happy family. So now it’s your turn, what do you want, Benjamin?”

“I want my dad back, my brother, and the life we had.”

“I figured you’d say that. But that’s not possible. The entity can’t grasp the concept of love between a father and son. The father of her son was the one who killed him when he found out about his relationship with another man. She made it very clear to me that I only got what I wanted because it was what was best for your mom and our kids. But understand, Benjamin, the power from Lilly’s sacrifice is running out. That’s why she summoned us to the cave; she doesn’t have much time to fit you in. I’m afraid your dad’s absence in the last few months is a side effect of my wife’s desire. Your mom would’ve liked to be here and tell you all this in person, but she took the first flight back to her old city this morning, trying to track down your dad, and she was successful... Benjamin, I’m sorry, but he doesn’t remember you or your brother; he’s got another family and another life.”

“No, no, you’re lying.”

“Look into my eyes, Benjamin. I’m not lying. I care about what happens to you just like I care about my other kids. Understand, the entity can’t be guided or have its power reversed. At this point, I have two sets of memories in my mind; in one, I’m the father of two boys; in the other, I have three. Your mom is going through the same thing; she’s desperate, Benjamin, please accept what’s being offered to you!

“I don’t know...”

“You want a dad and a mom who love you and are by your side; you want your brother by your side. Even if the flow of events were reversed, it wouldn’t happen the way you want, Benjamin; your dad and mom weren’t happy in their marriage. They were hurting each other, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit they were hurting you too. So I’m begging you, let me be the dad you so need. I want the set of memories with the three boys to be real. I’ll also be letting go of an important person in my life; Lilly will cease to exist for me, but it’ll be worth it; you’re worth it.”

“I... I...” Unable to respond, Benjamin closed his eyes and just nodded as he felt the tight embrace of strong arms around him...

…..

The sunlight streamed through the kitchen window of a big beach house, lighting up the space and an eighteen-year-old kid busy preparing breakfast for the rest of his family. This kid had golden hair like the sun shining on him and a smile so bright. He seemed carefree, humming a happy tune while setting the breakfast table. Distracted for a moment while making pancakes, he didn’t notice the handsome blonde man standing at the door, watching him with an admiring smile. “Good morning, Benji!” said the man, finally deciding to interrupt the kid.

“Dad, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Watch your language, kid.” replied the dad, still smiling. “It’s just that you remind me so much of your mom when she cooks.” Of his three children, Benji was the most physically similar to him, a little shorter than his brothers and with a more robust build. But his behavior was all Amanda.

“Someone had to learn how to cook since you and none of my brothers can whip up a dish that doesn’t make everyone sick.”

“Oh, the harsh truth. Speaking of your brothers, where are they?”

“Ollie hasn’t woken up yet, and Bobby spent the night with Jessica, so it looks like it’ll just be us for breakfast.”

“Couldn’t ask for better company, son. So, what’s on your plans for today?” said Sean, stacking pancakes and pouring a generous amount of syrup on top.

“Nothing much, Bobby will meet me here so we can go to school together, Micky will meet us on the way. This afternoon we’re gonna surf, and I promised to help Mom with the restaurant tonight.”

“Hey, how come I don’t get a hand at the shop?”

“Because you’ve got an employee and your two other kids to help you with that, and both of them are incapable of frying an egg so that’s up to me. Aaand do I need to remind you I’m already giving surf lessons to the younger kids with Micky?

“Alright, you win. You win.” Sean replied, still smiling.

“I always win, Dad; Mom always says I’ve got your face but her brains, and her brains always beat you.”

“Smart woman. But we’re talking about you, kid. And I just want you to know I love you tons and I’m super proud of you, son. You’re everything a dad could want.”

“I love you too, Dad, and I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Benji replied, finishing his meal in a hurry and getting up from the table.

“What’s the rush?”

“We gotta swing by Micky’s place before school, and you know how he is; he can take longer than Ollie in the morning, and I don’t wanna be late, we have football practice.”

“I get you’ve got a busy day, but stop by the shop before heading to your mom’s restaurant.”

“Sure, see ya later, Dad.”

He said as he ran out of the kitchen. In a few minutes he was back with his backpack on his shoulders and heading out the door to meet his brother who was waiting for him on the sidewalk. He was followed the whole time by the gaze of his father who, upon seeing his sons greet each other with the greeting of the moment, could not resist calling them, making them both turn around.

“Boys!!! Before you go, where’s my hug?” He asked, which was met with all the affection from his sons.

…..

That afternoon, Sean and Amanda were at the beach, watching their three sons running after each other like they were still little kids, the resemblance between them was so strong that anyone looking from the outside might think they were triplets. It was only on closer inspection that an outsider would realize that one of the boys was slightly older than the other two. After Ollie they had longed for a girl, but But what was the surprise for both of them when they discovered that they would be parents of twins? The pregnancy had been complicated and they had gone through some tough times but somehow everything worked out and the boys were now grown men or should have been...

“Looks like these kids are never gonna grow up.” Sean commented to his wife.

“What did you expect? Their dad never grew up.” was Amanda’s cutting reply.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“Stop whining. You know very well I prefer it this way. I wouldn’t have married you for almost twenty years if I didn’t love that goofy surfer vibe of yours.”

“So, no regrets about not going to college to be with me?”

“You know I don’t regret it; I have everything I could want, a job I love, three wonderful boys, perfect copies of their dad, the love of my life. I’m sure some higher power guided our destiny. And you, aren’t you happy with everything we’ve achieved?”

“I’m the happiest man in the world. And I’m super grateful for everything we’ve got. I think even in other lives I wouldn’t find a better family.”

…………..

One last word

So, this is a revised repost of a story I've always liked but didn’t get much attention around here, maybe 'cause it ain't an erotic story. Anyway, since most of my work is that kind of stuff, I rewrote this one so none of the characters are underage. If you’re older, you probably caught the 'The Lost Boys' vibe in this story, and yeah, that was totally my inspo. That was one of my fave flicks growing up, and being the weirdo I am, I always hoped the vampire boss would win and the kids would join his fam so they could all be happy draining blood on the California coast. My story ended up being way less bloody, of course, but still, it’s kinda how I wished the movie would’ve wrapped up. Judge me if you want!"

#male tf #mind change #reality change

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anangelwhodidntfall · 2 years

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You Could’ve Died: Tonowari

Avatar Masterlist

word count: 800

Request: tonowari x reader: Maybe the reader is a great warrior and has a near-death experience that scares tf out of her mate and kids

The second you heard that your kids were in danger from defending a Tulkan, you wasted no time in grabbing your spears and following Jake and Neytiri as someone went to find your husband and tell him what was going on. You climbed on your Skimwing and followed Jake out to where the demon shop was, where you saw your kids tied up making your hiss, as your kids were your entire world and if something happened to them, you would never forgive yourself.

You dove underwater and swam around to the backside of the ship and climbed aboard, where Jake's kids saw you and you motioned for them to be quiet as you ran up and cut the first guy's neck before untying them.

"Go to your parents' now." You said to them as they thanked you.

You continued to make your way through the ship killing each one of these people who dared take any of the children. Your husband arrived at the scene worried about his kids and you, but he knew that once the kids were in danger, these guys stood no chance. He watched as one of the guys aimed a gun at you while you were untying your daughter, so he threw his spear, killing him instantly as you turned and smiled at him.

"Thank you." You mouthed to him as he smiled at you as you finished untying your daughter.

"Let's go, Mama!" Your daughter said pulling on your arm as you saw that Jake and Neytiri were still struggling.

"Mama she right, we should get out of here." Tsierya said to you.

"Go to your father. Jake and Neytiri need my help. I'll be right behind you. I love you." You said to them as you placed a kiss on each of their heads.

Your husband couldn't understand what you were doing until he saw you helping the sully's and sent your daughters home which they didn't like knowing that both of their parents were in danger but he couldn't leave you.

You both helped the sully's rescue their kids and fight off the RDA. You were getting ready to leave when you saw Quaritch aim his gun at Neyetam, and without a second thought, you pushed him out of the way, feeling the bullet pierce your skin.

"NO!" Tono screamed watching you fall, as he swam over to where you were.

"Check for an exit wound!" Jake said as he swam over to where you two were, Tono lifted you and let out a sigh of relief when he didn't see one.

"There isn't one." He said holding you in his arms.

"We need to get that bullet out of her skin, as soon as possible." Jake said to Tono who nodded his head.

"Tono my love is that you?" You asked sleepily reaching for your husband's hand.

"Yeah, it's me, my love. Your gonna be okay, we're gonna get you some help, okay?" He said as you nodded your head.

By the time you guys returned back home, you were out cold as Tonowari carried you to the healer's tent to get help, and your kids became worried when they saw him carrying your unconscious body.

"OUT! ALL OF YOU!" The healer screamed as Tonowari took his kids outside of the tent, promising that you were gonna be okay, even if he wasn't sure himself.

It was about three hours later when the healers finally came out and said that they removed the bullet and you were now sleeping. Your husband walked into the tent and smiled at the sight of you sleeping and breathing. He placed a kiss on your forehead and took a seat next to you and held your hand until the healers kicked him out for the night.

"Daddy wake up, mama's awake." Your youngest daughter said shaking him.

"Come on dad, wake up. Mom's asking for you." A'onung said groaning as he tried waking him up earning a groan from him.

"Alright, I'm up!" He said as your children dragged or attempted to over to the healer's tent where you and Tsierya were at.

Your husband smiled when he saw you sitting up and holding your daughter, you sent him a smile back as your other two children came running over to you.

"Took you long enough." You said to him as he placed a kiss on your lips.

"Glad to see your awake, how are you feeling?" He asked you lacing his hand with yours.

"My shoulder hurts a bit but other than I feel fine. How are you guys doing?" You asked him.

"Better now that your awake, we were all a mess after what you did." He said to you making you sigh.

"I'm sorry I just couldn't let something happen to Neyetam, all I kept thinking if what was one of our kids, and they were in our situation." You said looking at him.

"I know you couldn't. I just can't imagine a world without you in it." Tonowari said kissing your hand.

"Good thing, you don't have to, my love." You said squeezing his hand with a smile.

#tonowari #tonowari x reader #tonowari x you #avatar way of water x reader

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odetodilfs · 10 months

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Looking for release

Pairing: dbf!Santiago García x sub!top!male reader

CWs: Reader is anywhere from 19 to his early twenties, age gap, underwear sniffing, slight scent kink, Santi has a hairy ass, praising, rimming, creampie.

Description: With guests at your house using your room and the couch being repaired, you have no option but to stay in your dad's hot best friend Santi's house. When he leaves the house shortly, you start exploring the place and make an awesome discovery...

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Your parents had dropped you off at your dad’s best friend Santiago’s house, you had guests coming over and they were too many for the guest room, so they had to use your room as well, and your couch was being repaired, leaving you no option but to go to Santi’s house. It wasn’t like you minded though… Santi was eye candy to look at, he had salt and pepper hair, dark brown eyes, plump lips and a pretty good physique for someone in their 40s, and you’d also seen he had a happy trail from when he and your dad bathed in the pool together. So a week with your dad’s hot best friend definitely wasn’t one of your complaints.

When you arrived at his apartment he was outside waiting for you already. “What’s up, boy?” he asked, hugging you. Boy… him calling you that was so hot. “Here, I got your room ready” he said while he smiled and helped you haul your stuff to what would be your room for the next week. “Do you need help here or can you do it yourself?” he asked, looking sexy as hell, like always. You spent the next 20 minutes organizing your clothes and plugging your chargers, etc. When you finished, Santi walked back into the room, “Hey, I’m just gonna go to the store for some bread cause I forgot we ran out, I’ll be back soon” he waved goodbye and left, leaving you alone in Santi’s house.

You roamed around his house, it was a well decorated one, unusual for a guy like him, the table was nicely set out and his couch was extremely comfortable to sit in. His kitchen was pretty organized aside from a few plates that needed washing, and the place had great lighting too. You looked at the pictures on his wall, some were just paintings and some were of him and his friends, they all looked attractive, just like Santi. As you kept exploring the house you eventually walked into his room… it was what you’d expect from a bedroom.. a bed, some clothes laying around and a work desk. You were in this extremely hot man’s room… you realized as you felt something stir in your pants. And in one corner of the room, right next to his bathroom door, there was a dirty laundry basket… you wouldn’t… right?

But your mind was pretty much clouded with the fact that those clothes were Santi’s dirty clothes… you opened the basket and looked inside… as if the gods knew what you wanted, you found Santi’s boxers… you wouldn’t.. right? Right?

Moments later you were walking back to your room, his boxers in your hands as you laid on the bed and… sniffed them. They smelt manly, it was clear he’d used these as the scent went into your nostrils and god did you enjoy it. You freed your rock hard cock and started to stroke it, desperate to cum… the effect his clothes were having on you… you needed this man carnally. You held the underwear to your nose and sniffed as you jerked off. It must have been 10 minutes that you were doing this until someone’s voice snapped you out of your horny frenzy, it was Santi. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, you thought this was it.. but he didn’t seem particularly angry, he seemed pretty chill for someone who’d just seen his best friend’s son sniff his dirty underwear… “is that my underwear, y/n?” he asked, with a slight smug. You realized there was no way out but to tell the truth.

“Y-yes…” you stuttered… your cheeks were boiling hot due to embarrassment and shame, “Tell me, y/n.. do you find me attractive?” he asked you, raising his eyebrow, but once again, he didn’t look nor seem mad.. you decided to confess, “Fine, yes I do.. since forever.. and I was just exploring the h-” you started “It’s okay.. can’t say I’d resist either if I found yours” he smirked lustfully, you couldn’t believe it.. your dad’s friend who you’d found incredibly hot for ages just said he couldn’t resist smelling your undies if he found them… so.. he basically just said he found you hot too..

“So… you’re looking for a release… I can give that to you…” he smirked, running his hand up your bare thigh, close to your hard cock, “But you have to work for it” he smirked, you wondered what he meant “What do I have to do?” you asked curiously, “Ever heard about rimming, boy?” he asked, god, the way he called you “boy” was so fucking hot. “Yeah” you replied, figuring out what he wanted, and you definitely weren’t gonna say no. “How ‘bout you eat my ass for a while?” he kept smug as he took off his pants and underwear, showing you his hole, spreading his legs. It was dark pink and his cheeks had some hair… it was driving you crazy. You nervously got between his legs and looked up at him, “Go on boy… feast on it..” he said as you pressed your tongue to his hole.

His ass tasted sweet and slightly musky, but it was incredible to you. You couldn't believe what you were doing… eating your dad’s best friend ass… but you definitely weren’t gonna stop now, you fucking loved it. You’d never done this before, but somehow your eagerness made up for the lack of experience, “Oh fuck- you’re good at this..” he mouthed as you hungrily ate him out, desperate to please him. “Such a dirty boy, aren’t you? Sniffing my underwear.. you really love scents, huh?” he asked, taking his shirt off as well, “I’ll show you scents later if you’re good~” he smirked, you nodded aggressively and whimpered as you ate his ass. God, he tasted so addictive.

You gently placed your hand on his asscheeks, wanting to feel his round ass but not acting too quickly either, “It’s okay boy.. touch it, indulge yourself..” he groaned, you grabbed his asscheek hard as well as his thigh as his taste spurred you on further. By now, you were licking inside him, having loosened that tight ring of muscle enough. “You can lick more places, boy..” he suggested, making you switch from his ass to his balls, they smelled like his underwear, but much, much stronger, not that you minded though. You licked and worshiped his balls for a while like you did with his ass while he complimented you with names such as “good boy”. You switched back to his hole and you were starting to get completely ass drunk. Your long forgotten cock was standing hard and leaking, you were so aroused it was almost overwhelming.

Suddenly, Santiago told you to get on the bed. You followed his orders of course, “You’ve been a very good boy for me, amor..” he said, that sexy smug on his face as he showed you his hole, “you can put it inside” he said, your mind went into overdrive, your cock was gonna be in Santi’s ass! “It’s big..” he said as he said “gonna enjoy making it mine..” he said with a smirk, the prospect of your cock being made into Santi’s toy for his pleasure was a synonym of heaven for you. He gave you some lube and you put it on your cock, it felt heavenly as you put it inside him, he was so tight and his hole had a vice grip on your cock. “F-fuck-” you had to moan, “Tight hm? Probably the tightest one you’ve had…” he smirked as he stroked himself. You slowly sank into him, inch by inch until you were finally balls deep inside him, you started to gasp in pleasure, you really wanted to start thrusting, but you knew better than that, you could tell Santi liked ordering you around.

It was a full minute before Santi told you to start thrusting.. and when you did, you could feel butterflies in your stomach, he was gripping your cock so hard inside him, you were worried that it was even gonna get squashed. “Holy fuck- Santi-” you weren’t sure if you’d last long, Santi’s hole was sucking you into him, almost trying to jerk you off, you grabbed his ass and buried your face in his neck, you immediately the smell of his cologne and his natural smell. God, he smelt so manly, so potent, so powerful, you felt the need to please him, that you needed to impress him in some way. You were so hypnotized with him that you completely forgot you were thrusting into him, “Just like that- good boy~" he moaned, “you’ve got a pretty big dick- feels good-” that compliment sent shockwaves down your body, this man who had a chokehold on you was saying you were doing a good job, you had to resist cumming.

You sped up, still careful and trying to last long enough to make Santi cum at least once, and there was the cocky son of a bitch, in absolute bliss, with no worries and dominating you without having to lift a single finger, while you were over here struggling to not cum. You needed to step up your game to make him actually moan loudly, so you sped up a little more, angled your dick just to the right angle towards his prostate and wrapped your hand around his thick, hard cock, “Fuck yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about..” he said, as the sound of slapping skin started to identify. However, the tables definitely hadn’t turned, you were still trying to impress Santi and his pleasure was still the priority.

The next 15 minutes were absolute bliss, you were definitely achieving your goal to impress Santi, the man was now moaning and praising you non-stop. However, your uphill battle with your orgasm eventually caught up to you. “Fuck- Santi- I’m gonna-” you were desperate, you didn’t know where he was gonna let you cum “No worries boy, just cum inside” he replied with a smirk, those words tipped you over the edge as you splattered a huge load in his hole, still thrusting. “Fucking Christ-” Santi cursed as he too finally reached his release, spewing his orgasm all over himself.

You buried your face in his neck and stayed there for.. 15? 20 minutes? You didn’t know, all you knew was that you had just had the best orgasm in your life with the hottest man you’d ever seen. “You want anything?” he asked you, you realized you were thirsty as hell, “Some water?” you asked.

“Okay, I’ll be back with it then,” he said as he stood up “Don’t clean up by the way, we’ve still got to do a lot more…”.

#santiago garcia #santiago garcia x male reader #oscar isaac #oscar isaac characters #oscar isaac x male reader #top male reader #x male reader #dbf!santi

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kkcauseway · 30 days

Text

Truths

Joel miller x younger f!reader

Summary I You babysitting Sarah is the norm. When you do so tonight it's so Joel can finally let his hair down and go drinking with Tommy- he's waited eleven months for it after all. You're already expecting a very drunk Joel to return home, and you're exactly right, but what you don't expect is the drunken confession that comes with it... Chapter warnings/content I slight age gap. Drunk Joel Miller, Joel being good at feelings for once because alcohol helps. Drunken confessions of love. Joel complimenting reader. So much flufffffffff gahhh! No outbreak, no use of y/n. A/N I Another of many cute drabbles that my brain decided to conjure up. I really hope you enjoy Joel being a sappy, in touch with his feelings guy when drunk.

Main materlist

You’ve baby sat for Joel since precious Sarah came into this world. As much as you know Joel would love to be a stay-at-home dad he can’t afford to be and so after taking two weeks off he looked for help and there you were. You’ve lived opposite Joel for years, he’s ten years your senior and has always helped your mom with the odd jobs that have needed doing round the house. This is your way to give back. More than happy to help him.

When he asked you last week if you minded watching her so he could have a couple beers with Tommy of course you said yes, who would you be to deny the man of that. You’ve been telling him for months that he deserves a night off. He’s the most selfless person on the planet he deserves to let his hair down and have a few hours off from parenting. His job is demanding and as much as Sarah is the best-behaved baby she’s still hard work.

He's waited a whole eleven months to go out, finally feeling ready enough to leave her on an evening and go let himself get jolly with his brother. You told him to get as drunk as he wanted, that you’d stay in the spare room, so Sarah had someone close at hand that was able if needed in the night. He was so appreciative of that.

With Joel and Sarah everything is so easy, you love helping out, getting to watch Sarah grow into the little girl she is becoming. Watching Joel be the best dad to her.

It’s around twelve that Joel makes it back, you had just stared to turn everything off and lock everything ready to go to bed when you hear the taxi outside.

“I’m backkk” he sings as he enters the house dropping his keys when he goes to lock the door from the inside.

You meet him at the door as he struggles to pick them up. “Here I’ll get them, go sit down” you laugh stroking a hand along his arm as he smiles up at you.

“Okay, thanks for always being so wonderful to me n’my f’mly.”

You can’t help but laugh at the way he slurs his words.

With the door locked and porch light now off you walk back to the lounge and find him slumped on the loveseat.

“Good night?” you question to his drunk sleepy frame.

“Such a good night, darlin’ thank you. I honestly can’t thank you enough for allowin’ me t’go. How’s my angel doin’ she get to sleep okay?”

“Out like a light, she had a bath then I read her a book and she’s had some warm milk. She fell asleep on my chest and didn’t even wake when I picked her up to put her to bed. Plus she hasn’t woke up since, I’ve been in to check on her twice she’s absolutely dead to the world, talking in her sleep and all, wonder where she gets that from” you jest.

He rolls his eyes with a scoff “one time, that was one fuckin’ time you heard me say some shit in my sleep when I was nappin’ and I ain’t never lived it down.”

“No, and you won’t ever, I mean your daughter can’t even talk properly yet and she’s fucking trying to string sentences together when she’s fast asleep, I say there’s no hope… she’s gonna be just like her daddy. Just like she is in every other damn way.”

“Well fuckin’ good luck t’her, why would anyone wana take after me.”

“Excuse me Joel Miller but we will have none of this negative talk thank you very much, I happen to think you’re amazing! And I can’t help but admire the way you are with Sarah. Honestly, I hope she does grow up to be just like you that will be so much fun!”

“You’re so beautiful, got such a way with words and know exactly how to make people feel better. You’re one in a million. Me and Sarah are more than just lucky to have you around. Thank you” he then bends to take off his boots.

You feel more than lucky to have them around too. You’re your happiest when you’re in their company. Spending time with them. Going on outings with them. If Tommy and Joel wana take Sarah out somewhere they always ask you to tag along especially now Tommy brings Maria. Maybe people think that Joel and you are in a relationship, that Sarah is yours. She definitely looks like she could be with her blonde hair and blue eyes that match your own. “Well I’m lucky to have you two too.” You reply with a big smile.

He chuckles as he struggles with his laces, and you watch the way his calloused fingers can’t get a grip on the knots, so you move to take them off for him as he looks up at you “you two too, that’s a tongue twister, you two too, you two too”

“You’re so stupid sometimes Joel Miller” you chuckle as you untie the laces.

“M’not” he pouts.

“You are, but I wouldn’t change you” you giggle having now taken off his boots and are moving them to their rightful place.

He laughs again as you make your way back to come and sit next to him. “ahhh, I like you darlin’” he sings letting his head fall back.

“Well I like you too, guess you ain’t too bad are yah” you giggle.

“No I-” he sighs sitting back up to look at you “I mean I really really like you; I want you to be mine.”

Did he really just say that?

“Wh- sorry what?”

“I want you t’be mine, forever”

“Joel you’re drunk” you chuckle.

“Yes, but I want you, I always want you every damn minute of every day. I can’t fuckin’ fault you baby you’re absolutely amazin’ at everythin’ you do, treat my daughter like she’s your own. Man I wana fuckin’ worship the ground you walk on for the rest of my life; I just can’t get over how amazin’ you are. And I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Fuck. Is this really happening?

“Joel” you stutter, “I don’t, I really don’t know what to say. I just, this is a lot” you move away from him slightly so you’re able to look him in the eye.

“I know you don’t believe me but s’true.” He mumbles as he leans toward you.

“Joel what are you doin?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“What?”

You’re surprised more so than anything that he’s actually asking permission. He’s pissed but still being a gentleman. That’s more than you’ve ever experienced before, but that’s how Joel has always been. Going above and beyond for the girls who mean so much to him in life. He respects women the way they should be respected.

“I wana kiss you so bad.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea Joel.”

“Please lemme kiss you, v’wanted to for so long. Just been too much of a pussy t’ever ask you.”

He leans forward more losing his balance, so you place your hands to his chest to push him back up “Woah, okay big guy listen, I’ll stay over tonight as planned just in case you or Sarah need me, but nothing’s happening, I’ll let it happen if you still feel the same way in the morning, okay? Now go to bed you need to start sleeping this off.”

As much as you want to believe what he’s saying you don’t know how much is the whiskey talking and the last thing you want is to embarrass yourself OR him.

He pouts but nods before standing from his seat and walking to the stairs staggering as he treks up. “I’ve already put you a glass of water on your bed side table, drink it please” you add.

He turns back to smile at you as you move to place his shoes by the front door. “Such a good girl” he utters as he staggers his way up.

It sends tingles through your whole body. ‘Such a good girl’ replays in your mind over and over as you find yourself eventually in bed falling asleep too.

—

When he wakes up, he wakes to the smell of coffee and that hasn’t happened in a long ass time. Plus he’s got a banging headache, but his heart is also going one hundred miles an hour.

That’s when it dawns on him- shit he told you the truth. He had a lot to drink, enough to make a fool of himself but not enough to forget and yeah, he did mean exactly what he said to you, and he will tell you that. He sits up in bed familiarising himself with his surroundings, the room still spinning slightly, he looks to his bedside table and finds the glass of water he downed last night refilled and some painkillers there waiting for him.

He smiles knowing that means you’ve snook your way into his room during the night to ensure he’s looked after. He quickly takes the tablets and downs the whole glass completely parched from last night’s shenanigans. His body shakes slightly but not from the effects of the alcohol, he’s nervous to face you.

After eventually dressing himself, he walks down the stairs watching you sat at the table feeding Sarah her porridge. Neither of them have noticed him and so he stands and watches for a minute before interrupting the bonding moment.

“Is that yummy?”

She shrieks in reply "yah!"

“Mmm yeah it looks sooo yummy, you’re such a pretty girl huh you want some more?”

“Mo!”

“Yeah, some more good girl you’re so smart!” You praise as you place another spoonful into her mouth. She’s always been quick at everything she’s already walking and she’s saying some words. She’s the smartest little girl and you’re so proud of her.

“She gets that from me.” He adds startling you. You jump in your seat.

“Jesus, you made me jump” you chuckle.

Sarah giggles at the sight of you jumping.

“Dada!” She calls.

“Hey babygirl, is that nice?”

She nods smacking her porridge covered chops together.

“How you feeling?” You quiz observing the way he squints at the light.

After pouring himself a coffee he comes to seat himself in the chair next to you. “Like absolute utter s. h. i. t”

“I bet, you were pretty out of it, said some crazy stuff last night.”

“I did?”

“You don’t remember?”

Of course he does but he likes this game “enlighten me.”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you, you said some things, there was this one point where I actually kinda started to believe you, but I knew it was all the drink talking. I won’t embarrass you by bringing it back up.”

“Darlin.” It comes out almost like a stern warning, shutting up your rambling instantly.

“Yeah?” You reply softly

“I know exactly what I said last night.”

“Oh, you do?” You drop Sarah’s spoon into the bowl as you stare at him.

“Yes, I do, and I meant everythin’ that I said. Absolutely every word.”

“Seriously?”

“M’deadly serious, I wouldn’t joke about somethin’ as important as this.”

You smile, “well that’s really good to know” and then you turn back to his daughter giving her another mouthful when she squeaks in annoyance of having to wait.

He sits on the seat next to you and admires your connection with his daughter. The way she reacts to you and just how natural you are with her. Your motherly instincts kick in instantly with Sarah and she’s not even blood. He’s been mesmerised by the way you handle Sarah since she’s been born, even back when Sarah’s mom was still around.

“Oh messy girl!” You coo when she puts her hand into her bowl and splashes it around.

“I got a plan” he grumbles as he places a hand to the small of your back sending goosebumps up and down your body.

“What’s that?” You quiz not taking your eyes off Sarah as you give her another mouthful.

“You and me Friday night, m’gonna take you out. I’ll get Tommy t’watch Sarah.”

You gasp at the feeling of him rubbing your back with so much care and in the fact that he’s going out of his way to take you out.

“We’ll go to that Italian you love. What do y’think?”

You turn to look at him with a smile. “I’d love that so much. Thank you, Joel.”

“My pleasure girl, just wana treat you the way you deserve and prove to you I want this and will always be in it one hundred percent as long as that’s what you want too.”

“It’s what I want.” You reply without hesitation, and he chuckles.

“Good.” He leans in placing a kiss at your temple and you close your eyes to savour the feeling of his lips on your skin for a few seconds before he pulls back away. When he does you both stare at Sarah who is looking back at you both with the biggest grin on her face. Showing off her few teeth.

You could get used to this being your life day in day out. You’ve already wished it were for months. And it seems it might actually happen now Joel has been truthful, you’ve hoped this would happen for a long time, have loved Joel for much longer than you care to admit, but it seems he’s felt the same and like you had just been too afraid to say something.

Bring on Friday night.

#the last of us #joel miller #no outbreak!joel miller #tommy miller #sarah miller #so much family fluff #domestic fluff #fluff #drunken ramblings #drunk Joel Miller #daddy joel

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its-storminghere · 3 months

Note

Carcar accidental baby acquisition where Carlos ends up taking in a baby and Oscar is the one to help him out

Okay so this trope can be really hard for me because for the life of me I don’t know how they get that baby but I’m doing this for you!! Sorry it’s actually about a toddler not a baby

Okay so Lando is hosting a big family event not related to F1, maybe his wedding (you can pick your own adventure on this one) Some F1 people are there including Oscar and Carlos but it’s a big group of people. Oscar and Carlos make some small talk at a couple of points but really they’re just mingling and enjoying the afternoon.

The children in lando’s family l o v e Carlos sooo much. He’s just the ideal of what a cool race car driver should be (as opposed to Lando who is just uncle Lando who likes to play video games and play golf with the adults, sorry Lando), but even better than that he’s FUN and he plays GAMES with them and he brings his DOG!! He’s been around enough over the years that the kids are devoted to him and obviously he loves being loved and he loves family

So plot plot plot, dialogue dialogue dialogue, Oscar is chatting with Lando and Carlos is near them getting a toddler game of footie going. Of course all the moms (and some of the dads) are all gooey-eyed about how good carlos is with the kids. Truly my own ovaries are screaming as I write this

And Oscar is seeing this and internally rolling his eyes because ohhh yes isn’t Carlos just the greatest, he’s so perfect with his hair and his driving like an asshole and his sexy voice - He hears enough about that at work, and now that they’ve been running into each other on the track all of his interviews mention Carlos too. But, he thinks, whatever, I’m here to support Lando in this unspecified special event

But then!!! The few security guys Lando hired are telling everyone to get inside because apparently there’s INTRUDERS who broke in that want to cause people harm!!! (Idk man)

So in the shuffle and the chaos one of the little kids attaches herself to Carlos and won’t let go!! Because her parents always told her to stay with trustworthy adults and she trusts Carlos!! He let her play footie even though she’s younger than the other kids!!

And someone the two of them end up with Oscar smushed into a small bathroom. And they’re trying to be quiet but the little girl is scared!! And Carlos sees that and he brushes her hair off her face and hushes her. It can be like a game!! He tells her. We’ll play with Oscar. I have to hide and you have to find me! The little girl’s sniffling stops and she looks up at them. Carlos looks at Oscar like back me up here man.

What’s Oscar gonna do but go along?? So he shows her how to cover her eyes with her hands and they count to 5 very slowly together so Carlos can “hide.” When they open their eyes the little girl immediately starts giggling because look Os-cah!!! Mr. Carlos is right there!! He’s hiding behind the shower curtain!!

And Oscar and Carlos make such a big deal about her winning and they tell her how smart she is. But now the game is over and they still haven’t gotten the ok to leave. So, Oscar says it’s his turn to hide, and while Carlos and the little girl count, he crouches behind Carlos’s broad back. He’s eye level with the hair just curling down Carlos’s muscular neck.

Before he knows it the 5 seconds are up and the little one is looking for him. Carlos looks at her very seriously, points behind himself, and winks. Then he turns and dives onto Oscar, wrapping his arms around Oscar’s torso and pulling him around so the girl can see him. And as Oscar feels Carlos’s big hands holding him, he’s like. Woah. Okay. Maybe Carlos is that great

And then the little girl hides and both guys pretend they can’t find her until they get the okay to go back outside. And they bring the girl back to her parents and she immediately informs them that Mr Carlos and Mr os-cah are her new best friends forever and they all need to have a playdate right now. Oscar is looking over at Carlos and thinking, yeah, maybe the two of us do need to have a playdate

#carcar #thank you to everyone who sent me prompts!!!#I am so delighted and excited to work on them all #love you all sending you forehead kisses #op81 #cs55 #ln4 #Oscar/carlos

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0cta9on · 9 months

Text

Unlikely Duet - 3

length: +4k words

Genre: Fluff

NewJeans Minji x Male Reader (OC)

(Author's Note: This took longer than I thought because of finals and I'm flying to the Philippines to see my family. Will probably take a while for the next chapter to come out, but I'll try my best :) )

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★

Yuno’s POV

As I enter my house, the stench of alcohol immediately assaults my nostrils. I turn to my left and see the familiar sight of my father’s unconscious body on the couch, crushed beer cans littered on the floor around him.

“Hey dad,” I muttered, my words dissipating in the stale air.

I go up the stairs to my room and toss my backpack onto my bed, grabbing my makeshift piggy bank I made out of an empty tin of peanuts from my desk.

“Only $20 left,” I sigh. “I’m gonna need to find a job again soon.”

As I go to change out of my school uniform, I take out the $10 bill I got from Winter out of my wallet. “Looks like I’ll be able to eat dinner tonight. Thanks Winter,” I smirk to myself.

After donning a comfortable hoodie and sweatpants, I descend the stairs, carefully maneuvering through the graveyard of beer cans. Before stepping outside, I stop and take one more glance at my father, still out cold. I grab a nearby blanket and drape it over him before stepping outside.

The chilly afternoon air hits my face as I walk to the nearby convenience store. The sunset paints the sky a gradient of bright tangerine with streaks of violet to contrast. The chime of the door signals my arrival as I enter the store. I grab a cup of ramen and a soda before heading to the front to pay.

“Cash or ca- Yuno?”

I glance up and see Winter on the other side of the counter, wearing the store’s uniform.

“Oh. Hey,” I utter, placing my items in front of her. “Didn’t know you worked here.”

Winter’s lips curl up into a smile. “I-it’s my first week here actually, I’m still getting used to everything.” She giggles shyly as she fumbles with the scanner. After a minute, she successfully rings up my items. “Y-your total is $12.59.” I take the $10 bill out of my pocket and sigh, disappointment evident on my face.

“A-actually,” Winter stammers, nervously wringing her hands. “W-we’re having a 50% off s-sale today, s-so your t-total is six bucks.” She flashes me a nervous smile.

I study her expression for a moment, her unconvincing smile starting to waver. I knew she was lying out of pity, but considering the alternative is to sleep hungry, I eventually gave in.

“I’ll pay the rest next time,” I say, handing her the $10 bill. Relief washes over her face as she takes the dollar with her trembling hands. I grab the plastic bag with my food and turn to leave.

As I open the door, Winter calls out, “W-wait! Your change!”

“Keep the change. It’s your money anyways.” I give her a small nod before exiting the store, the chime of the door echoing behind me. Turning the corner toward my house, I’m suddenly knocked to the ground as someone collides with me.

“Fuck, watch where you- Minji?” I look up and see the perpetrator to be none other than Minji, her face filled with fear as she silently mouths, ‘please help me.’

______________________________________________________________

Minji’s POV

I stretch my arms upwards as I let out an exhausted yawn. “That meeting took longer than I thought it would.”

Danielle and I walk side by side as we exit the campus, the sun already setting after the prolonged student council meeting. “Well, prom is happening next month. It’s a lot to prepare for,” Danielle says, mirroring my exhaustion with a yawn of her own.

My stomach grumbles, signaling my hunger. “Let’s stop by the convenience store on the way back. I’m starving.”

“I wish I could, Minji, but I have to get home ASAP to work on an english project,” she replies with an apologetic look. “Maybe next time.”

I sigh in disappointment. “I guess so. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” We wave goodbye as we part ways. On my way to the convenience store, I take a shortcut through an alleyway, hoping to get there before it gets too dark. Suddenly, a gray cat comes out of nowhere and looks up at me with its large seafoam green eyes.

“OMG, HI BABYYY,” I call out to it in a high pitched voice. The cat meows before walking up to me, rubbing its body against my leg. I crouch down and gently pat its head, the cat reciprocating my affection with a purr. “You’re a friendly little guy, aren’t you?”

Before I knew it, the once-orange sky had turned pitch black. I grimace as I realize I got too distracted playing with the cat. Suddenly, the cat skitters away as I hear footsteps approaching from behind me. I stand up and turn around, shivering as I see a rather disheveled looking man stumble towards me. As he gets closer, I can smell the strong stench of alcohol emanating from him.

“Heyyyy, you lost, girly?” he asks, slurring his words.

I slowly back away from him, not daring to make any sudden movements. My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest with each step he takes. “I-I’m fine. J-just trying to get home.”

He scoffs at me. “C’mon, come have a couple drinks with me first. Just a couple drinks, I won’t tell no one.” His pace increases, attempting to close the gap between us.

“I-I should really get home, I have school tomorrow,” I try to reason as I stagger backwards, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

“What are- what are you afraid of, huh?” he hiccups. “You think… you think you’re too good for me, huh? Fuc… fuckin’ bitch!” His drunk expression turns angry as he lunges to grab me. I swat his hand and make a run for it, weaving through the dark streets using the dim streetlights. Despite his intoxicated state, he manages to stay close behind me, just barely grabbing onto my backpack. As I turn the corner, I accidentally knock someone to the ground.

“Fuck, watch where you- Minji?” the person grumbles.

A wave of relief washes over me as I see that it’s Yuno I knocked to the ground. My voice hitches in my throat as I mouth a silent, ‘please help me,” towards him. In a flash, Yuno is on his feet, grabbing the drunk man’s wrist right as he’s about to grab my shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Yuno questions in a threatening tone as he shoves his man’s hand aside. I instinctively hide behind him, clutching onto his shoulders for support.

The man stumbles back, his eyes narrowing in anger. “Who the fuck… Who the fuck are you, man?”

“H-he’s my… um…” I stutter, struggling to find the right words that would make this man go away. Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted as I hear Yuno speak.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

“Y-yeah, he’s my… what!?”

______________________________________________________________

Yuno’s POV

I cringed at myself as those words escaped my lips, silently cursing my impulsive response. Fortunately, I couldn’t see Minji’s reaction as I focused my sights on the piece of shit who was chasing her.

“Boyfriend?” He throws his head back in laughter, teetering dangerously. “Whatever man, we were just- just having a fucking conversation, that’s all,” he slurred, staggering towards us. I braced myself for a potential confrontation, feeling Minji’s grip on my arm tighten with each unsteady step he took.

Suddenly, Winter appears out of nowhere, brandishing a can of pepper spray that she directs at the assailant's eyes. He crumples to the ground, shrieking in pain as he desperately tries to rub the stinging sensation from his eyes. I grab Minji’s wrist as the three of us run back to the convenience store, the attacker’s screams of agony echoing behind us.

“A-are you two okay?” Winter asks, her breath shaky with anxiety and exhaustion.

I nod, secretly feeling impressed by her swift reaction despite her typical timid demeanor. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, Winter,” I say before turning around to check on Minji.

“Are you alr-”

My words are cut off as Minji envelops me in a tight embrace, her sobs muffled against my chest. I stand there, my body tensing up while my mind goes blank from the sudden contact. Heat envelops my cheeks as I feel the warmth of Minji’s body against mine. Unsure of how to respond, I awkwardly pat her head.

“Uhh there, there,” I murmur in a feeble attempt to sound comforting. “You’re alright, Minji.” Winter ushers us towards one of the nearby tables in front of the store. It takes a while for Minji to regain her composure, her face still pressed against my chest as her tears slowly subside.

“How did you know we were out there?” I ask Winter while trying to subtly pry Minji off of my body.

“W-well, I originally followed you out to give you your change, but then I saw what happened and something just came over me. I-I always carry pepper spray just in case, but I’ve never had to use it until today,” she explains, her hands still trembling slightly as she tries to give me the money.

I sigh, succumbing once again and accepting the money from her. Despite her unassuming appearance, she’s surprisingly stubborn. Minji, who’s now calmed down, finally releases her grip on me, revealing her puffy eyes from all the tears.

“Th-thank you…” she sniffles, nodding towards Winter. “A-and sorry about your jacket, Yuno…” Minji tries to wipe away the wet spots on my hoodie, but to no avail. I glance down at the damp spot, then back at her.

“Don’t worry about it,” I responded in a soft tone.

The three of us sit in contemplative silence for a while, the only noise coming from the chirp of the crickets and Minji’s occasional sniffle. Winter is the first to break the silence.

“I-I should head back inside now or else my manager will yell at me,” she says, standing up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Yuno.” I nod at her as she leaves before turning my attention towards Minji.

“I’ll walk you home,” I state.

“Okay… Thanks, Yuno…” She sniffles in response, her gaze fixated on the ground. I grab my bag with the food that I bought and turn to lead the way, but I’m stopped in my tracks as Minji tugs on my sleeve. “Please… let me hold onto you… while we walk…” I nod in understanding, offering my arm.

We walk in silence towards her house, her fingers gripping my sleeve the whole way. I steal a glance at her to see if she’s okay, but her black hair covers her face, obscuring her expression. Her uncharacteristic silence mixed with the subtle eeriness of the night created a somber atmosphere, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for her.

We eventually arrive at the steps of her front door. I gently shake my arm to let her know we’re here, causing her to pop her head up as if she broke free from a trance.

“Are you okay?” I ask, my head tilted in concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay…” Minji replies in a small voice. She goes to open the door, but stops with a trembling hand over the door knob. “Y-Yuno…”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Can you… stay with me a little longer…?”

My body tenses at her odd request. I considered making up an excuse to leave, but I knew it wouldn’t be right to leave her like this, especially after what happened.

“Sure, I guess I can stay for a bit.”

Minji offers me a weak smile as we enter her house together. The familiar sight of her home feels weirdly calming despite me feeling out of place. I follow Minji to the kitchen and place my food on the counter.

“You should eat something. Maybe it’ll make you feel better,” I suggest, surrendering my ramen to her.

“Thanks…” she mutters, her eyes glued to the floor. As if on cue, her stomach grumbles, signaling her hunger. I hide my grin with my hand as her cheeks turn a slight shade of pink from embarrassment.

I take out the cup of ramen and fill it with water before popping it into the microwave. Deja vu washes over me as the two of us stand in her kitchen in silence, the microwave humming in the background. I take the can of soda I had bought and crack it open, trying to make small talk to distract her from the earlier events.

“So,” I began, awkwardly taking a sip. “How did your student council meeting go?”

Minji slowly glances up at me with a downcast expression, her glossy eyes reminding me of a sad puppy. Suddenly, she bursts into tears, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Caught off guard, I scramble to figure out what to do. “Aw shit, Minji, what’s wrong? A-are you okay? Do you need something?” I ask, panic evident in my voice.

Minji wipes away her tears with the back of her hand, struggling to compose herself. She takes a deep breath before speaking, her voice shaky.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just… everything,” she admits, exposing a vulnerable side of her that I’ve only seen briefly during our last encounter. “There’s a lot on my mind with the student council, and my parents are coming home soon, and then that guy in the alley– I thought he was going to… I don’t know, and then I bumped into you and now…” Her words trail off into a choked sob.

I hesitantly place a reassuring hand on her shoulder just as the microwave dings, signaling that the ramen is ready. I set it on the table, grabbing a fork from one of the drawers, and pulling out a chair for Minji to sit.

“Here, eat up,” I say in a gentle tone.

Minji nods and takes a seat. We sit there in silence as she eats, the sound of her slurping noodles filling the quiet kitchen. She steals occasional glances at me, her eyes no longer reflecting sadness, but something else - something I couldn’t decipher. She sets her chopsticks down, finally breaking the silence.

“Back there… Why did you say you were my boyfriend?” she asks, her voice steady but curious.

My cheeks flush with embarrassment from her question. I’m not sure if I knew that answer myself. I could have easily said ‘brother’ or ‘friend’, but for some reason ‘boyfriend’ is the word that slipped out. I hesitate, grappling for an explanation.

“U-uhh, y’know, it just, uhh, kinda came out. I thought it was the quickest way to get him to back off. Although, I guess it didn’t really work in the end…”

Minji chuckles at my awkwardness, her lips forming a small smile. “It’s okay. Thank you for that, I really appreciate it.”

Feeling a bit sheepish, I stand up to leave as she finishes the rest of her food. “I should probably get going now.”

“Wait,” Minji calls out. She looks down at her hands, seemingly lost in thought. “Yuno, would you mind… staying the night again? I just… don’t wanna be alone right now.”

She looks at me with pleading eyes, making it impossible to say no. After a moment’s consideration, I give in. “Uhh, yeah. I guess I can sleep on the couch again.”

“I’m not gonna make you sleep on the couch again, Yuno,” she says, sporting a grin. “You can sleep in my older brother’s room.” Minji gently grabs my wrist, leading me upstairs before I can utter a word. She swings open the door, revealing a nearly barren room with just a double bed in the corner and a drawer on the far side. “It’s not much, but it should be more comfortable than the couch.”

“Uhh, thanks, I guess,” I mumble, scratching my head.

Minji flashes me a bright smile, a welcome contrast to her earlier glum demeanor. “I’m gonna change into some pajamas. Make yourself at home,” she says as she disappears into her room next door.

I sink onto the bed, exhaling deeply. The mattress feels firmer than my own, likely due to being unused for a long while. As the room’s silence and emptiness offer no distractions, my mind swirls with numerous thoughts. Fate seems to be steering me toward Minji, though I can’t understand why. Mere days ago I could’ve gone an entire day without so much as thinking about her, but now I can’t go more than a couple hours without some unexpected encounter. On top of that, I’m suddenly met with new people that don’t avoid me like the plague. Yujin, Winter, even Minji’s friends don’t look at me the same way that other people do (Well, most of them at least). It all feels confusing and weird. But… It doesn't feel all bad.

My train of thought is interrupted by a knock at the door. “Can I come in?” Minji’s voice filters through the door.

I shake my head, ridding it of any stray thoughts. “Yeah, sure.”

She opens the door, revealing an armful of pillows and blankets barely contained in her grasp. “I brought some stuff so you’ll be more comfy. And, um…” she pauses, averting her gaze. “I’m gonna sleep in this room too, if you don’t mind.” I look at her in disbelief, which is quickly washed away as I watch her expression darken. Minji sits next to me on the bed, fiddling with her fingers. “I-I’m sorry if this is a lot, Yuno, I really am. I’m just really freaked out right now because of what happened earlier. A-and I know we don’t know each other that well, but I just feel… safe around you.”

My eyes widened slightly, feeling stunned by her words. “I didn’t really do anything though, it was Winter who stepped in,” I mentioned.

“I-I know, but if I’m being honest, I’d rather be with you right now than Winter.”

I felt my cheeks start to burn as she spoke. Minji’s eyes widened in realization at what she said, her face turning a bright pink. Flustered, she shakes her head at me. “I-I mean, umm, y-y’know because uhhh, I-I know you more than Winter kinda a-and, um, she uhhhh, w-well I just met her t-today a-and-” She grabs a pillow and buries her face in it to halt her rambling.

I couldn’t help but snicker at her reaction. I had never seen the student council president get so flustered about anything. It was almost cute, in a weird way.

“I know what you meant. Don’t worry about it,” I reassure her.

Minji removes the pillow from her face, still pink from embarrassment. “A-anyways, we should get some sleep now. I’ll, uhh, sleep on the floor.”

“No,” I protested. She freezes and turns to look at me. “You can take the bed. I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor in your house.”

Her lips form into a smile, her expression softening. “I appreciate your kindness, but you’ve done a lot for me already. This is the least I can do for you,” she says, using the pillows to create a makeshift bed on the floor.

“Minji-” She turns to face me and I suddenly find myself staring straight into her large, round eyes, mere inches away. I gulp, my body freezing as if it’s stuck in a trance. Everything goes silent except for the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. We stood there for what felt like years, the concept of time slipping from my mind as I analyzed the details of her appearance. The way her long, black hair frames her round face. The slight plumpness of her cheeks. Her heart-shaped lips. Unconsciously, I find myself slowly leaning in out of a desire to see more of her. I never noticed how soft her lips looked…

“U-um!” Minji exclaims, breaking me out of my trance. I quickly back away, not realizing how close I had gotten. “W-we can just share the bed, I guess.”

“R-right,” I stutter, my mind too jumbled to think about the implications of what she said. I fan myself, suddenly feeling very hot.

Minji picks up the pillows off the floor and uses them to create a barrier in the middle of the bed. “I-it’ll be fine as long as we don’t cross the line. Right?” she asks, looking to me for reassurance. I nod mindlessly, still reeling from our impromptu “staring contest”. We awkwardly lay on the double bed together, separated by a loose line of pillows. I turn my body away from her, feeling too embarrassed to even look in her direction.

“Um, goodnight, Yuno.”

“N-night, Minji.” I forcefully shut my eyes, praying that this was all just a weird dream.

______________________________________________________________

Minji’s POV

Hours passed as I lay there in my brother’s bed, staring at the wall. The exhaustion was killing me, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw that man’s face again. I would normally call Hanni at a time like this, but I didn’t want to disturb Yuno, who was snoring softly right next to me. I can only imagine what the girls would say to me if they ever found out about this…

While deep in thought, I felt Yuno shift in his sleep and suddenly found his arm wrapped around my waist. The barrier of pillows had somehow collapsed as I could feel the warmth from his body pressing against my back.

“U-uh, Yuno? Are you awake?” I whispered. I waited for a response, praying that he was awake, but all I heard was the sound of his snoring. Panicking, I gently tried to lift his arm off me, but his grip on me only tightened. My exhaustion completely drained me of my strength, making it impossible for me to shimmy out of his arms. In the end, I gave up and surrendered to his embrace. I’m not sure if I was going delirious from the lack of sleep, but I felt oddly comforted by his touch. My eyelids felt heavier and heavier as I lay there, feeling warm and safe. Instead of seeing the face of my assailant, all I could see was Yuno’s kind face as I felt myself fall into a deep sleep…

______________________________________________________________

“Minji! Minji! Minji!”

Thousands of people cheered my name as I finished my last song of the night. Lights flickered all around me like stars in the night sky. My heart swelled with joy as I stood upon the stage in front of my fans. It felt like a dream come true to be able to perform in front of everybody.

“Thank you all for coming tonight! You were a great crowd!”

“MINJI!!!” I heard a voice yell out in the crowd. Suddenly, the entire stadium fell silent as the spotlight shined on the source of the voice - Yuno. Confusion washed over me as he made his way towards the stage. Was he always this bold?

“Minji,” he said, taking my hands. “I have something I need to say to you.”

I tilted my head in uncertainty. Despite performing for this enormous crowd, I suddenly felt embarrassed with Yuno’s eyes on me. “U-uh, yeah? What is it, Yuno?”

His grip on my hands tightened slightly as he leaned into my ear, his warm breath on my earlobe. “Minji… I love you,” he whispers sweetly.

The crowd roars with cheers and screaming. I felt the blood rush to my face, rendered speechless by his unexpected confession. The previous chants of my name were now replaced with “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Yuno began leaning towards me, his lips puckered. With my body suddenly frozen in place, there was nothing I could do except shut my eyes and wait for the inevitable. The echoes of the crowd began to fade away until it was completely silent.

After a moment of nothing happening, I open my eyes, faced with the egg shell white wall of my brother’s room instead of Yuno’s puckered lips just moments before. Sunlight peeked through the blinds of the windows, melting away my drowsiness. A wave of relief and a slight bit of disappointment washed over me as I realized that everything that happened was all just a dream. As I moved to get up, a weight on top of me stopped me. I look down and see Yuno’s arm still wrapped around me. The relief I felt turned into embarrassment upon the realization that I slept in bed with a boy the entire night. A boy that I met three days ago.

I nudged his arm off of me, hoping that he didn’t wake up, and swiftly got out of the bed, tiptoeing to my room. After shutting the door behind me, I paced around my room, a thousand things running through my mind.

“We didn’t technically do anything, so it’s all good, right? But we slept in the same bed together… OMG THIS WAS MY IDEA!! MINJI, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?? It’s okay, it’s fine, we just… cuddled for a bit. Cuddling is okay, right???” I thought to myself, my hands squeezing my brain for an answer. The weight of my actions was too heavy for me to bear, causing me to collapse face first into my bed. My internal debate is interrupted as I hear a buzz from my phone. My stomach drops as I see it’s a text from my dad.

Dad: Your mom and I are on our final flight back from the conference. We’ll be home by the time you get out of school.

Minji: Okay. I’ll see you then.

I hit send and toss my phone on the bed. It hasn’t even been an hour since I woke up and yet I’m already under a lot of stress. With not much else to do, I decide to go and get ready for school, hoping that the rest of the day will be better.

______________________________________________________________

After showering and putting on my uniform, I peek into my brother’s room to wake up Yuno only to find the bed tidied up with a note perched on top.

“Went home 2 get my uniform. C u around,” it read. A subtle smirk forms on my lips at his thoughtful gesture. I shove the note into the pocket of my blazer and head downstairs, exiting the house. The morning air of spring fills my lungs as I step outside. Flowery scents waft through the gentle breeze of April. I shut my eyes, momentarily forgetting about all the worries I had earlier.

The buzz of my phone pulls me back to reality. Frowning from being broken from my trance, I take out my phone and discover a text from Haerin.

“Meet me in the lunchroom before class. I got you a coffee.”

My frown immediately turns into a smile at the promise of coffee. I quicken my pace, putting a little pep in my step. Walking through the gates of Evergreen High School, I exchange greetings with students and teachers as I make my way towards the cafeteria.

“Hello!”

“Morning, Minji!”

“Good Morning, Ms. Kim.”

The warmth from these greetings never failed to make my morning. I spot Haerin and Hyein sitting together at an empty table, smiling at me as I approach them.

“Good morning, Minji,” they say in unison as Haerin slides an iced americano towards me. I gladly accepted the drink and took a sip, savoring the refreshing notes of espresso as it revitalized my senses.

“Good morning, girls. Thanks for the drink, I definitely need it this morning,” I greeted them. “So what did you two want to talk about?”

Hyein shrugs. “Haerin just said to come with her to meet you here. I’m not exactly sure what this is about.”

Glancing over at Haerin, I find her staring at me with an odd intensity. “Uh, what’s up Haerin?” I ask, confused.

“I had an odd dream last night, a premonition if you will, and I think you’re the one that will be able to explain it,” she begins, her cat eyes unwavering. “You see, in the dream, I saw you getting attacked by this lanky-looking monster with red eyes, but then this shadowy figure came and rescued you. You started crying a bunch, and then I saw you cuddling with the shadow guy all night long. Did something happen last night, Minji?”

All the stress from earlier suddenly came back as Haerin recounts her dream. They sound eerily similar to the events of last night, but surely it’s just a weird coincidence. Even if she did manage to witness Yuno saving me, how did she know he slept over? Beads of sweat form on my forehead while Hyein dismisses Haerin’s revelation with laughter.

“Yah, have you been watching those cryptid videos again, Haerin?” she teases, chuckling. “I told you to stop watching those late at night, they give you weird dreams.” Haerin ignores her jab, her piercing eyes still fixated on me. Thankfully, the bell rings, saving me from potentially revealing something out of nervousness.

“Y-yeah Haerin, you need to stop watching those silly videos. A-anyways, I gotta go, bye!” I grab my americano and quickly exit the cafeteria, feeling Haerin’s piercing gaze lingering on the back of my head.

#newjeans #kim minji #newjeans minji #kpop fanfic #kpop gg #minji x male oc #newjeans minji x male oc #minji x male reader #newjeans minji x male reader #fluff #minji fluff #newjeans minji fluff

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the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf · 1 year

Text

You're waiting for a train...(2)

To Build Cathedrals

Robert Fischer x reader, Arthur x reader (if you squint)

description - You leave your dad to go look for a new architect as you and Arthur set up the workspace. But your mind is plagued with dreams of its own.

word count - 2.7k (ooo we're getting bigger)

warnings - allusions to sexual assault, mentions of death, allusion to child abuse

a/n - This chapter looks more into how y/n's mind is shaped much like her father's and we also see a hint of Arthur and y/n's relationship (and yes it is weird that she sees him as her uncle). I've realised this is gonna be a slow burn for Robert x reader because of the chronology of the inception plot I'm trying to follow; I promise it'll be worth it!

Previous Part Series Master list Master list

If you want to be added to the taglist - here

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Dad and I stood as statues outside the university. It all felt so familiar from my youth but when I walked through, I felt as absent as a stranger.

“He’ll want to see you.”

“I’ll leave the conversation to you. He doesn’t want to see me.”

“That’s not true.”

“I know what he thinks of me. You didn’t have a choice, I did. In his eyes, I chose wrong.”

Dad let his arm rest on my shoulder in a silent act of comfort. I sucked back the tears, so he thought I was okay. The reality was I wanted nothing more than to run in there and jump into my grandads arms. But I couldn’t, in good fait,h knowing he thought of me as the girl who abandoned her siblings for no life at all.

I wiped away a rogue tear.

“Anyways, Arthur needs me to help him set up. But I’ll be waiting at the warehouse, okay. And I promise I won’t leave to go anywhere without Arthur.” I raised my hand to cup his cheek, so he felt the sincerity of my words. I went to leave my father to his search.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find someone as good as you were.”

Without turning back, I shouted. “Find someone better!”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

*Cobb’s pov*

“You never did like your office.” Dad raised his head surprised to hear my voice, even more shocked to see my body.

“No space to think in that broom cupboard.” He quipped. “Is it safe for you to be here? Where’s y/n?”

“Extradition between France and the USA is a bureaucratic nightmare. Y/n is fine, she’s with Arthur.”

“I think they might find a way to make it work in your case.”

I made my way down and sat the meek gesture of toys on his desk.

“Look, y/n bought these, she thought the kids would like them. Saw them in Amsterdam.”

“It’s gonna take more than the occasional stuffed animal to remind those kids that they still have a father…and a sister. Y/n knows that.”

“She’s trying her best. She wants to make the best out of the situation she’s in.”

“The situation you put her in.” His voice became stern, and I cowered like a small boy.

“It was her choice. She said that she couldn’t let me go just like that.”

“She was your child; you shouldn’t have let her have the choice in the first place. The choice was life or death and you let her choose death just so you could imagine you still had a family and that it all hadn’t crumbled before you.”

“Yes. I am being selfish because I like that she’s still with me. I like having her here because without her I couldn’t cope.”

“You let her follow you into this life and it seems she suffers the consequences the most.”

“She told you?”

“She told grandma.”

“What the projections or the subjects do is unpredictable. Sometimes they respond to the presence put in front of them, in her case, a beautiful young girl.”

He looks down, ashamed of what he’s hearing.

“Look I’m just doing what I know. I’m doing what you taught me.”

“I never taught you to be a thief.”

“No, you taught me to navigate people’s minds. But after what happened, there weren’t a whole lot of legitimate ways to do that.”

He suddenly felt the meaning of my visit and retreated back into his chair. He punctuated the silence.

“What are you doing here, Dom?” I paused, wondering how to phrase this without inviting a lot of questions.

“I think we found a way home. It’s a job for some very very powerful people. People who I believe can fix my charges permanently. But I need your help.”

“You’re here to corrupt one of my best and brightest.” He taunted me by brandishing the end of his pen.

“You know what I’m offering, you have to let them decide for themselves.”

“Money.”

“Not just money. You remember, the chance to build cathedrals, entire cities, things that never existed. Things that couldn’t exist in the real world.”

“So, you want me to let someone else, follow you into your fantasy.”

“They won’t actually come into the dream. They just design the levels and teach them to the dreamers.”

“Design it yourself.”

“Mal won’t let me.” I saw his face droop at the mention of her. Already sighing at the sight of my delusion.

“What about y/n, she was always better than you were anyway.”

“She refuses. She’ll help with a maze or a paradox occasionally when she gets bored of our architects incompetence, but she won’t build herself anymore. I don’t know why. She won’t tell me.” He sat forward in his chair. Eyes pleading with me to bring y/n home.

“Come back to reality. Please.”

“Those kids are waiting for their father and sister to come home. That’s their reality. This job-this last job- that’s how we get there. I would not be standing here if I knew another way. I need an architect who is as good as I was.”

“I’ve got someone better.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

“Ariadne?” A perky petite girl runs to meet Miles’ inviting hand. “I’d like you to meet Mr Cobb.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

“If you have a few moments, Mr Cobb has a job offer he’d like to discuss with you.”

“A work placement?”

“Not exactly.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

*your pov*

I made it to the warehouse and walked in to see Arthur fiddling with different pieces of equipment.

“You look funny handling tech equipment in that suit.” I loudly teased to get his attention.

He turned towards me with a smile. “Thought you’d be with Cobb and the new recruit.”

“He can do it without me; besides I didn’t fancy the third degree from grandad.”

“He’s just protective. This job isn’t exactly made for you.”

“What? You don’t think I can handle myself?”

“Oh, don’t worry I know you can. The scar on my eye proves it.” We laughed together in a way we hadn’t done in a while. I’d always found comfort around Arthur. When I first left with my dad, I was young and innocent. I had no idea what I’d signed up for. So, once we started working with Arthur I began to loosen up a little as I felt I had someone I could truly trust. Yes, there were people like Eames who came around for the odd job and who I could rely on on the mission. But Arthur was different. I trusted him in a way that encapsulated my whole heart.

We began to unpack the equipment, preparing for when dad would be back to introduce the new recruit to dream-walking. I had just found some old deck chairs stuffed at the back that I dragged to the centre. They made a horrible squeak as the metal scraped on concrete.

“Are you okay?” Arthur pondered.

“Yeah why?”

“Just after Nash and that last job, I worried you would shut down.”

“This could be Dad’s chance to clear his name, I got no time to shut down.” I put on a confidence and winked his way before punching his arm as I passed for good measure.

“Anyways,” I spoke facing the window. “It’s not like I’ve not dealt with that before. It’s old news.”

“I know.” Arthur said solemnly, refusing to look my way. “But you shouldn’t.”

“Well, it happened, it happens, and it’s going to happen again.” I giggled through my tear-filled eyes. I felt Arthur’s presence behind me, bringing me into the lightest hug.

“You know I’m here for you. And if you don’t want to tell your dad when it happens, that’s fine but promise you’ll at least tell me. You know I love giving a guy a good punch, especially on your behalf.”

I turned around in his arms and found our noses almost touching.

“Thank you, Arthur. My knight in shining armour.” I could see the muscles in his neck strain as he very gently leaned in. I copied and moved until our lips softly grazed.

*SCREEEEECH*

We jumped back from each other, in a spook.

“That’ll be them I guess.” I quickly fled the scene and brushed my fingers against my lips. That was about to happen, wasn’t it?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ariadne gasped as she awoke. Her eyes were flamed, and her pupils darted around the room, trying to make sense of it all. The music bubbled throughout the room adding a flare of theatrics to the situation. This was her second time under, so I assumed her jerk meant she hadn’t woken up in the most pleasant way.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.” Arthur quickly reassured her. Calming her down through gentle caresses.

“Why didn’t I wake up?”

I answered whilst making sure Dad was okay. “Because there was still time on the clock, and you can’t wake up from a dream unless you die.”

“She’ll need a totem.” Dad announced, already leaving the room.

“Dad give her a minute, geez.”

“What? Dad? Wait what?” Ariadne was shaken and looked between Cobb, and I confused.

“A totem it’s a small, personal-“

“That’s some subconscious you’ve got on you, Cobb! She’s a real charmer.”

“Ah I see you met my mom.”

“She’s, his wife?” She asked breathlessly, looking up at me. I nodded sadly.

“So, a totem, you need a small object, potentially heavy, something you can have on you all the time.” Ariadne covered her eyes to mentally acknowledge what she had just been through. I knew none of Arthur’s words were registering. It was too soon. She needed to go away so she can see how addicting it feels. I remembered my first time. I was so scared, but it was a delicious fear. “Something that no one else knows.”

“Like a coin?”

“No, it needs to be more unique than that. Like this is a loaded die,” Arthur brought out his totem, similar to mine. “I can’t let you touch it, see that would defeat the purpose. Only I know the balance and the weight of this loaded die. That way when you look at your totem, you know that you’re not in someone else’s dream.” I stuck my hand in my pocket to feel my own. It was a picture of me, James, and Philippa but it has a small mistake on it. In the picture I have braces, when in reality I’ve never worn them.

I left Arthur and Ariadne to talk and went to check on my dad. He had the spinning top again. We both watched it spin out, helpless to do anything else. When it fell, he loudly exhaled. I knew he had to do it, I just didn’t know why.

We both re-joined Arthur to find that the girl had left. It was probably all too much for such little time. And any run in with Mal’s projection would make anyone uneasy.

“She’ll be back. I’ve never seen anyone pick it up that quickly before.”

“I’ll try not to be offended.” I said with a smirk. Dad kissed my forehead. “Of course, except you, sweetie.”

“Reality’s not gonna be enough for her now, I remember the feeling.”

“When she comes back, you’re gonna have her building mazes.”

“Where are you gonna be?”

“I gotta go visit Eames.” I quietly clapped and celebrated in the corner. Eames was my favourite person to work with and we’ve always had a great partnership since our first time when I was only 15. He was the one who taught me impersonation and forgery, much to my dad’s admiration. If Arthur was like my uncle, then Eames was my rebellious older brother, letting me get away with anything I wanted.

“Eames? No, he’s in Mombasa, it’s Cobol’s backyard.”

“It’s a necessary risk.”

“Well, there’s plenty of good thieves.”

“We don’t just need a thief. We need a forger.”

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Arthur had reluctantly gone home for the night. I promised him I would be fine sleeping in the warehouse since my dad was away. He didn’t trust me, but he knew he couldn’t argue with me. I mean I didn’t lie. I did want to sleep.

I got myself comfortable on the deck chair and let the sedative seep into my veins.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

*your dream space*

I opened my eyes in the lobby of the hotel. Over the years I had fashioned my subconscious in this specifically navigable layout. I could bury things on different floors, and revisit things in different rooms.

It was empty. Just how I liked it. Projections of your mind are easier to get rid of than you think. I clipped my heels all the way down to the large metal elevator. I entered into the 1920s style tiled lift and looked at the numbers. -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3.

My painted finger pressed harshly down into ‘1’.

The lift rung to life and pushed me up into the crevices of my mind. And as quickly as it started the doors were back open on to a brightly lit white corridor. The hall was as clean and perfect as I wanted to keep these memories. I opened up the door ‘101’.

Inside I saw James, Philippa and I dancing at the beach. As my projection pushes her feet through the sand, I curl my toes as I feel it soft beneath me. We are running about playing a game of tig as mom and dad look on from the picnic blanket laid out with food. The colours have faded like an old photograph, and I struggle to make out the different faces.

I decided to jump ahead a little and reach for room ‘111’.

I walk hand in hand down a beautifully decorated woodland path. Mom and dad flank me on either side. I stand tall, a child of 11, in the midst of my very own dream. That was the first time. Like the previous one it’s colours have all but gone.

I hurry back into the elevator and change the floor to number ‘2’.

This floor is harshly painted yellow, and its lights flicker incessantly. I trudge down the disgustingly patterned carpet to room ‘204’. My hand questions itself as it reaches for the handle. The door flies open into the living room of our house. I stand face to face with my mother in all her beauty. She is shouting.

“You are not my daughter; don’t you think I’d know if you were.”

My young voice shakes as it answers. “Mom, please, it’s me. You have to believe me.”

“You. Are. Not. Real.”

Her hand grasps the kitchen knife and raises it. I slam the door shut and hear the yelp of my self projection. I wait to calm my heavy breathing. I don’t want to remember her like this but it’s the only room she frequents now.

My limp body returns to the lift, and I finally reach for ‘3’. The box whirrs to life and almost gently raises me up into the final floor. This is my newest creation, where I store the unexplained and the prophetic.

I walk out onto the beautiful sage green corridor, adorned with expensive antique decorations. I make my way to room ‘301’. The door softly creaks open, and my eyes are blinded by a white light filtering in from an open window. The transparent net curtain hinders my eyeline. But in front of me I see the silhouette of a man. He is only wearing a pair of briefs and I am able to make out the lean but structured outline of his body. His hair is thick and luscious. A few chocolate strands have fallen to kiss his sharp cheekbones. I struggle to discern a face, yet I still feel stuck in this man’s gaze. Like his eyes have me in their grip. I push my way through the netting, but it works against me, rooting me to the spot. I struggle and I struggle. The constraint of the curtain becoming too much to bear. It’s difficult to breathe in my panic.

“Are you alright?” The strangers voice is the last thing I hear permeating the darkness before I’m woken up by the clock. The sedative wore off.

I sat there for a minute, gathering my breath. He was there. Again. He’s always there. No matter what I build, or where I hide, he finds a way through.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I wonder who that mysterious man could be ;)

taglist: @jonsncws @h-l-vlovesvintage

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ohlawdthebirds · 1 year

Text

Suit and Tie

Abby Anderson x gn! Reader

This fic was inspired by a drabble written by @toasty-melons! This one specifically.

Also, pretty sure this photo was edited by @abbystanaccount, but I could be wrong. Please correct me if I am!

You were a bit scared to approach the mirror. You weren’t sure if you’d like what you saw looking back at you, whether the suit would look as good as it did when you saw it in the store. Looking back on it, you were more than hasty in your purchase, not even bothering to check the size. But even if it didn’t look good, you had no other options. You silently cursed yourself for waiting until the last minute to find a formal outfit for Ellie and Dina’s wedding.

The original plan had been to wear a dress, sure, but as the wedding date got closer and closer, you found yourself wavering in your decision. See, the problem wasn’t wearing a dress, far from it. The problem was that you had recently found yourself leaning outside the comfort zone your wardrobe provided. Maybe it was the beautiful butches and studs your social media feeds graced you with, maybe it was your girlfriend donning a suit herself for the occasion, or maybe it was simply curiosity. Either way, the day before the wedding you rushed to your local mall and bought the first suit you saw.

The suit itself was nothing remarkable. A single-button black blazer with black slacks to match. Your dress shirt was a clean, crisp white and the tie that came with it was a skinny thing, the same midnight black as the blazer and slacks. It was simple and you’d paired it with the cutest chunky loafers you found in the depths of your closet. It was a miracle everything fit, snug yet comfortable enough to dance in once Ellie inevitably goaded the DJ into playing the entirety of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon.

You inhaled deeply, holding it for a beat before slowly pushing the air through your teeth. This would be good; things would be just fine. You stepped closer to the mirror, eyes immediately catching on the lopsided tie strung around your neck.

“Aw man, you gotta be kidding me,” You began fiddling with the tie, crossing it over itself to try and resemble something close to a Windsor knot. No matter what you tried, it kept coming loose. A quick glance at the Casio on your wrist revealed you had little more than an hour to finish up and head over to the venue. Your fingers quickened, frantic.

Heavy footfalls sounded from behind you. Your girlfriend, Abby, came into view in the mirror. You halted your tying, opting to pivot and stare at the eye candy she was.

God, you told Abby nearly everyday just how gorgeous she was (to which she would blush and scoff) but today? In a navy-blue three-piece suit, complete with brown loafers and her wire-frame glasses, your lover was something out of a sapphics wet dream. Her hair was out of its usual braid, blonde locks down and wavy at the ends. “You good, babe? Seem to be, uh, struggling with that.” Abby did a poor job of holding back a laugh.

You rolled your eyes. “Hush. I’m trying to get this tie done because we have to leave soon.”

Abby came closer, thick fingers reaching out to release the tie from your grip. “Want some help? My dad used to have me help him tie his ties when I was younger. Said it was a good skill just in case I needed to ever help out my husband or something.”

This time it was you struggling to hold back a laugh. “And now look at you. Not a husband in sight.”

Abby snorted at this, beginning to adjust the fabric and folding it over itself. “Nope, just someone I hope to make my wife someday.”

At this, you stilled. Looking up into those sky blues, you felt a smile creeping onto your lips. “Wife, huh? Well, you’re gonna have to wait until Ellie and Dina have their day, they’d kill us if you proposed during the reception.”

Abby completed the tie and straightened it around your neck, gently checking for creases and wrinkles. “I know, lovely, I know. That’s why I have an elaborate proposal planned. But you’re not gonna know when it’s happening.” At this, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Oh? And how do you know I don’t have a more elaborate proposal planned for you?”

Abby stepped back, smoothing down your shirt and buttoning your suit jacket. She dusted your shoulders free of lint. “You might, I wouldn’t know. I expect to be surprised, since you’re so confident in it.”

You shook your head, amused by your girlfriend’s antics. “Don’t worry, you’ll be plenty surprised. Now let’s get going, we don’t wanna miss the ceremony.”

As Abby turned to leave, you found yourself reaching out and turning your girlfriend back around.

“Wait.”

The confused furrow in Abby’s brow smoothed out once your hands began tugging across the fabric of her suit, similar to her movement on yours only moments earlier. You swept your fingers over her blazer, flicking off fabric pilling and loose threads. You slid your hands down her vest-covered chest, briefly tucking your hands into the spacious pockets and smoothing out the fabric within. Finally, you reached up and straightened her tie, making sure it laid flat down on her torso.

“There you go gorgeous. Now we’re ready to leave.”

Abby smiled at this, a soft one reserved for these more intimate moments. “Thank you, my love. Let’s go.”

On the way out the door, you found your hand drifting to your secure tie. “Your dad taught you well, babe. Maybe you can pass those skills onto Lev when he gets older.”

Abby barked out a laugh. “Absolutely, I’ll definitely do that. He’s gonna be the ring bearer in our wedding, after all.”

And off the two of you went, to celebrate your friend’s special day and begin planning one of your own.

#abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #tlou2 #this was inspired by my yearning to own a suit

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 10 months

Note

AITA for moving out right before my disabled grandparents get surgeries? (TWs for transphobia, child abuse, child neglect, religious trauma, the whole works)

Alright so I (19 NB, turning 20 in January) am trying to find a place to move out of state because my grandparents (who I currently live with) and dad don’t treat me (or my 18 year old brother) the best. I don’t feel like I have a lot of freedom to do what I want, because my grandparents (76 M and 74 F) are constantly asking me to do things they can do just fine on their own and they threaten me if I don’t comply. I was also raised to never question authority which includes them, so they act like me questioning their authority or opinions is me getting into fights with them. My dad (46 M) just enables them, telling me to behave and listen to them like I’m still a kid.

In addition to all this, they’re all transphobic. As mentioned before, I’m non-binary. My dad and grandma aren’t as bad and seem to be complying with my grandpa’s views, but my grandpa is HORRIFIC. I tried to explain my identity to him once and he straight up told me he didn’t care and didn’t want an explanation.

Outside of this, my grandparents are also Mormon, which has led me to end up with some religious trauma. They blame every one of their views on their religion, and are constantly telling me I’m never gonna be happy if I don’t start going to church again (something I haven’t done since I was 13 or 14).

My dad also told me he hopes I like my “newer brother” and how he’s changed because my brother is currently training to be a medic in the US military, and just finished his basic training. Aside from this being extremely off putting to me, this isn’t the first time my dad has sorta acted like I’m his golden child.

It’s worth noting that with how I’ve been treated my entire life, I’ve picked up people pleasing tendencies and can’t even say no. If I don’t want to do something I procrastinate until someone else does it then lie and claim I was going to do it.

Now all of this might have you like “NO YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT THE ASSHOLE” but here’s where I’m questioning that.

Both of my grandparents are disabled. My grandma had a stroke back in 2010 that still affects her to this day and as a result of it her balance is messed up so she has a hard time doing things on her own. My grandpa is having a knee surgery to help alleviate his disability (although a lot of his behavior is absolutely 100% just laziness). It’s making me feel bad for even considering leaving, but I’m so sick of being treated how I am. I feel like I can’t learn to say no until I’m cut off from my family. I don’t even remember most of my childhood and have a dissociative disorder, and I’m pretty sure those are linked (not remembering most of my childhood and having a dissociative disorder).

But I just. I genuinely can’t shake the feeling that I’m an asshole for moving out right before my grandparents get surgeries. So. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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shadfanfic · 2 years

Text

A rough week 2

Miss y/n?

daddy! Stucky x little! reader

warnings: angst, shy reader in this chapter, flufffffff, mention of blood, didn’t edit too sleepy 😎 (if i forgot something please tell me)

a/n: OMG! I love every single one of you!! Thank you so much for the likes and comments I’m so glad you like my story 🤍🤍

———

-flash back-

2 year before the chapter “you asked for this”

you covered your ears and closed your ears really hard trying to confess yourself that everything your going threw is a nightmare, your father is the most dangerous person off course the avengers enemy, your enemy too you hate him for doing stupid stuff and not listening to you when you tried to tell him you weren’t comfortable around his group cause the way they were looking at you not like their child, no

They looked at you in a really really disgusting way, you hide in the basement so they don’t find you cause you knew they were planning to do something bad to you-

“Hello?” You heard boy’s voice and you immediately stood up with a peace of sharp mirror in your hand trying to defend yourself with it “hey hey, I’m not trying to hurt you, easy” the guy said “B-back off” you spook and sob hard getting so nervous cause we weren’t able to see his face, you were so tired acting so mature and tough you just wanted to live a normal live without stressing every minute over your dad’s stupid choices and friends, “Please put that down your bleeding” the boy stepped closer and closer making you stepping back “I didn’t d-do anything! Please le-leave!” You cried and hit the wall behind you and he stood in front of you but not so close giving space off course “I know i know I’m only here to help you okay?” He said gently and hold out his hand “let me help you, may i?”

He leaned down and grabbed your hand gently taking the glass out slowly and hold your arm “I need to clean it” he looked at you now you recognise that voice,spiderman?

you just looked up at him with your puppy eyes and sob “Okay, come with me” he hold your wrist so he doesn’t hurt your bleeding palm “N-..no” you shock your head no immediately “what do you mean no?” He sighed at your crying face “Please no” you begged “okay okay fine, then wait here” he said and walk outside so fast

it was your chance to run away his nice yeah but what if he was only gone to bring his group?, you went to change your clothes into An outfit not a party outfit just a normal one, you cleaned your own palm painfully and warped it with some clothing

Taking a deep breath and walk into the room your dad’s in “dad?”You called in a really broken voice but emotionless face “Yeah yeah y/n” he looked down at you and you put a fake smile “I’m going out” he nod at that couldn’t care less and looked at his friends smiling happily and big

“Asshole-“ you whispered angrily and decided to walk out ignoring everyone who was trying to talk to you, this is your only chance to get away from this hell your dad is wasted from drinking

“Y/n!” You Heard peter calling, you turned around “Wait” he said and you just shock your head no and start running outside as fast as you can

“hey, no running in the hall young lady” a blonde tall guy talked to you and smiled a really sweet smile “vision, thanks” peter talked and smiled at vision then vision just walked away with wanda “If you don’t leave me alone I’m gonna tell my dad that the avengers are here” you looked up at him and he just smiled a bit “you well not cause you hate him and you hate this place too so” he reach to grab your arm but you stopped him “leave me alone” you spoke with shaky voice getting so mad and kinda scared of what’s about to happen, the avengers are here! All of them

“Oh look who it is!, the daughter! Okay kid out of here the party gonna start soon” tony stark came out of nowhere and ruffle your hair with a smile you just gluped and start stepping back trying to run but you only hit someone’s chest, you turned around and you saw a smily steve rogers “Miss y/n please go with peter” he smiled and you shock your head no angry “hey were still treating you nicely so you gonna listen or something bad well happen to you” clint talked and looked at you dead in the eyes then walk pass you and steve

You sighed and nod “Fine” you gave up and peter hold your hand “Thank you so much!” Peter said smiling and ran outside of the villa , he was walking to a girl and guy look like they were the same age as him

“hey! I’m mj! Annd this is ned!” The girl talked with a happy smile and the guy next to her waved happily “Your cool to be honest” ned smiled and you just stayed quiet, so confused at everything that’s happening so quick!

——after 2 weeks

You were in the avengers campus now, you don’t know why but you kinda like it here you not gonna lie, everyone is nice, caring and they definitely listening to you but you were upset about something, too shy to say what it was but you really need it, a stuffie the stuffie you always hold you got it a month ago yeah but still you loved it so much .. but they’re not gonna go to your dad’s big villa just for a toy..

“Hey y/n how are you” bucky came into the room with steve they both were Smiling big, you smiled a bit “hey bucky, I’m good how are you?” You answered quietly and started to blush a bit, your in a little space at moment and them coming into the room all of the sudden made you blush way too much “Your too quiet y/n, you wanna talk?” steve entered the room and close the door

“Uh i-..i don’t knohow what your talking about” you giggled nervously and blushes harder at the sound of their laugh “Well, we brought you something from your home” they both sat down in front of you with a soft smile “Oh?” You sat up straight getting curious “what is it?” You asked trying to see what they were hiding

“is that yours y/n?” Bucky asked and showed you your stuffie with a soft smile, “you like being a baby sometimes?” Steve smiled and hand you your notebook “s-..sorry” you glupped with teary eyes flustered from embarrassment “Hey, its all good y/n, its okay really we actually find that adorable”bucky smiled “Yeah .. y/n.. what would you feel .. if were, *sigh*” steve was talking but he was so nervous “We want to be your caregivers” bucky continued and giggle at steve nervousness “yeah that”steve giggled too turning pink, you smiled big with teary eyes and hold your stuffie hard and nod “okay” they both smiled big at your quick respond

—after a month—

You walked slowly to your daddies bedroom it’s 1am you woke up from a really bad nightmare.. your daddies leaving you for someone else, you start knocking the door super quietly immediately regretting it, what if they got mad? What if they were busy? They needed to sleep early they must start training at 5am .. you were so scared to make them upset or even bored, you never ask for too much your so scared of losing them

“doll face?, you didn’t hear me say come in?” Bucky talked with his sleepy voice while looking down at you he did opened the door seconds ago but you didn’t notice cause you were lost in your thoughts “Someone is thinking about allot of stuff huh” steve said and smiled when you looked at him “s-..sorry daddy.. sorry papa i just-.. I’m gonna go” you talked not looking at none just playing with your stuffies arm nervously and holding it so tight “Well not after i got up for you miss” bucky said in a really playful voice and pick you up with ease and enter the room locking the door “n-no i woke you up daddy?-.. s-sorry” you start to feel so bad for waking him up “yeah you better be sorry I didn’t like it” daddy looked you dead in the eyes and hold you so tight “So you gonna get a good punishment” steve closed his book and looked at you with a soft smile , bucky throwed you in the bed playfully making you squeal surprised “Now I can’t control the monster inside of me y/n I’m so sorry” bucky talked dramatically and start squeezing your sides and tummy randomly and so fast

You gasped and immediately start screaming and laughing loudly “d-..daddy” you laughter got louder and louder every second making your daddies laugh with you uncontrollably “P-papa he-help ! I CANT!!” You tried to curl up to protect your stomach but steve grabed your left thigh and hold it down with his big hand “take your punishment like a good girl baby or it’s gonna get only worse” steve said with a teasing tone in his voice making you more flustered as he started squeezing your thigh-

“o-okay !! OKAY ! I’LL DOHO ANYTHING!” You yelled with red cheeks and teary eyes

Both of them stopped and smile at you “Okay since you said anything!” Bucky laid down and hold you tight while steve laid in your other side warping his arm around you and bucky,

“I want you to never ever hesitate coming to us to say or do anything” bucky said in a serious tone and looked you in the eyes “Even if you think its something stupid” steve continued and smiled when you look up at him, you gluped and tear up a bit “P-..promise you n-not gonna leave me?” You asked with a really broken voice and sob “Awh baby, i promise! Your the best girl we could ever ask for, your amazing why would you think about that” steve sat straight and start wiping your tears away “I had a n-nightmare” you sobbed harder and this time bucky pick you up and put you on his lap “It’s all good now and as you said it was just a nightmare! We well never hurt you or leave you, You can sleep with us tonight” bucky offered and rub ur back “yeah and we gonna read you a story!, and cuddle all night”steve smiled seeing your small smile and excitement

“Your the best daddies!” You said and hug them both tightly with your tiny arms

————end of flash back

“We broke a promise bucky” steve said with teary eyes standing in front of your bedroom door “Hey steve, i know but lets fix it! She loves us there’s no way she’s that upset” bucky whispered trying to cheer up steve even tho deep down his chest hurts from feeling guilty -

“y/n?” Steve said in shock and you immediately sat up so scared -…

#stucky x reader #sebastian stan fluff #stucky x you #stucky #steve x bucky #stucky angst #stucky fic #stucky fanfiction #sebastian stan fanfiction #daddy sebastian stan #daddy!stucky #daddy stucky x little reader #daddy steve rogers #steve rodgers x reader #chris evans fic #daddy chris evans #chris evans

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average-dilf-enjoyer · 1 year

Text

KINKTOBER

Day 1: Voyeurism/mutual masturbation + Robert Small (Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator)

Pairing: Robert/Dadsona

Rating: Explicit

Word count: 1.2K

Warnings: Slightly dubcon if you squint, idk this is just pure filth

A/N: I’ve been really busy and haven’t been able to write much, so I had to rush this. Not my best work, but I tried!

——————————————————————————

You didn’t mean for it to happen.

You and Robert had spent the night hanging out, and it was fun. You went bar hopping, smashed a car window with a rock (it was an accident!), snuck into the movies, got pizza, almost got into a fight with a couple of kids (also an accident)- you felt like a teenager again. And when he invited you inside back at his house, well… how could you say no?

You weren’t intending to sleep with Robert.

But you did.

The whole thing started out innocently enough. Robert told you ridiculous stories you knew were either lies or so exaggerated they might as well have been while you wondered if maybe what he was telling you was somehow true. Somewhere in between his telling of the time someone was murdered right in front of him in Spain and the story of when he was chased by two bears at once during a camping trip, neither of which you believed for even one second, you became extremely aware of your need to use bathroom.

“Hey Robert, where’s your bathroom?”

He gestured to the hallway across from where you were sitting on his couch. “Left door at the end of the hall.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right back,” you assured him, then rushed off to relieve yourself.

Not even ten minutes later, you were finished up. When you walked back into the living room, though, Robert was gone. ‘What is this guy’s deal?’ you thought, confused as to where he could have vanished to in the last few minutes.

And then you heard it. A groan. It was quiet, barely there, but still. You heard it. Was that Robert? Was something wrong? What was going on? “Robert?” you called.

No response. Of course.

Against your better judgement, you decided to try and find the source of the noise, and oh boy, did you find it.

You peeked in a doorway and saw Robert on his bed, pants and boxers halfway down his thighs, dick in hand. Your face immediately burst into flames. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” you shouted, slamming the door. Holy shit, what did you just do? Why did you look in there? Why was he masturbating with his door open?!

You stood there stewing in your own embarrassment for a moment before you remembered that you probably shouldn’t be right outside his door. You turned to leave, but just as you took a step-

“You can come in.”

What? You hadn’t heard him move, so you assumed that he wasn’t decent… but maybe you were just too busy being mortified at yourself to pay attention. You tentatively cracked open the door and peeked inside. He was sitting on the edge of the bed now, facing directly towards you. His cock still sat hard and very noticeable between his legs. ‘Oh, he wants me to see,’ you finally realized. “Robert..?”

“Hey.” He sounded so casual, like he wasn’t sitting right in front of you with his dick out.

You looked at the floor awkwardly. "Hey. Uh... if you need privacy I can leave." You refused to meet his gaze. Looking just felt like a really bad idea.

"Do you want to leave?"

It was such a simple question, really. But it was fucking loaded with consequences. But you couldn't help the fact that your dick was getting hard at just the insinuation of what might happen if you said no, and he looked so fucking good. The words fell out of your mouth before you even had time to think about it.

"No."

Robert smirked, fucking smirked, and that's when you knew you were done for. "Good."

You watched as he took his dick in his hand again, keeping his eyes locked on you as he stroked himself. You felt weak and uncomfortably warm, unsure of what the hell you were supposed to do or how you should respond.

Lucky for you, he sensed your apprehension. "You gonna just stand there?" he questioned, eyes flicking down to the growing bulge in your pants.

"What do you want me to do?" You felt fucking stupid, standing in the doorway watching your friend (?) jerk himself off.

He chuckled. "Masturbate."

You nodded and moved to undo your belt. You liked how simple he made it. Yes, or no. There was no third option, no guessing, no games. It felt easier that way.

"Yeah, that's it," he groaned once you slide down your underwear. "You sure you wanna do this?" One last chance to back out. You should have taken it, you knew it. But your dick was already out and so was his. It felt a bit too late to turn back, and honestly, you didn't really want to.

So you nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

He nodded in return. “Alright.” His eyes moved to your dick and then back up to your eyes, looking at you expectantly.

Shit, this was embarrassing. Masturbating by yourself was fine, but in front of another person? That was a whole different story. But you were in too deep. Hesitating would only make things more awkward. You closed your eyes as you took yourself into your hand. Meeting his eyes felt like too much right now. Maybe you could just pretend he wasn’t there. Except you could feel his eyes on you and you were still standing in his doorway, and you could hear him too- the sound of his hand sliding up and down his dick, his quiet groans.

You opened your eyes slightly, curiosity overcoming your shyness. Oh, wow. His eyes were on you, half-lidded and dark with lust, while his hand pumped his cock, which was fucking beautiful- long and thick and wet with precum. You moaned and let your head fall back as you squeezed your hand tighter around your cock, looking up at the ceiling.

“Look at me,” Robert rasped.

You knew there was no arguing with him, so you tore your gaze from the ceiling and met his eyes. You were panting now, that familiar pressure building up inside you. You moved your hand faster, chasing your release. And from the looks of it, Robert was doing the same.

“Shit, you look so fucking sexy,” he groaned. “Fuck.”

“So do you,” you managed to reply. You thought you sounded fucking stupid, but he seemed to like it, because he started pumping his hand faster.

“Shit,” he grunted. “I’m gonna cum. You gonna cum? You gonna cum with me?”

You nodded eagerly. “Yeah, yeah, ‘m gonna cum with you.” Your orgasm was fast-approaching now, your mind foggy and all senses other than pleasure numbed.

Within moments he was cumming, and you followed shortly after, spilling onto his carpet. You propped yourself up against the doorframe, panting. “Holy shit…”

Robert just laughed and laid back on the bed. “Yeah…”

You looked down at the floor, where your cum was seeping into the carpet. “Shit, it got on the floor. Sorry.”

Robert propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at you with that dangerously attractive smirk. “Trust me, I don’t mind.”

You laughed lightly. “So, uh… that happened.”

“Yeah. It did.” Robert sat up fully again, a playful look in his eyes. “Give me a few minutes and then it’s round two. Sound good?”

You grinned. “Very.”

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

But God, were you glad it did.

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collecting-stories · 1 year

Text

Pablo Neruda - Usnavi de la Vega

Request: no

Summary: reader has a crush on Usnavi and invites him to dinner. Just a bunch of fluff really.

A/N: I don't even know for sure how long this has been in my notes. Literally found it the other day and figured it was high time to finish it and post it here. Even if no one really cares about In the Heights anymore.

Broadway Masterlist

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

The sight behind the counter shouldn’t have been a surprising one. It was more common than not that you would find Marco here, chin just level with the counter despite the stool that Usnavi let him stand on. He thought the bodega was the coolest place on earth and frequently told the owner that when he was Sonny’s age, he too would work there.

His Spider-Man bike was chained up outside, evidence that he’d ridden straight here after school despite your constant reminders that he needed to come home first.

“Someday I’m gonna report you as a missing child…they’re gonna think Usnavi kidnapped you.” You remarked, the bell jangling as the door shut behind you. The fan set up in the corner blew passed you as it oscillated, trying to keep the store cool in the early heat of June. You took quick stock of what you could see, noting the absence of any adult supervising your seven-year-old. “Speaking of, where is Usnavi?”

“The cooler broke again,” Marco replied. The thud of his small feet hitting the floor echoed in the space and he came around the counter to hug you, “I got a gold star on my story about Puerto Rico,” he mentioned, pulling away to go retrieve the paper that had already been pinned up to the bulletin board behind the counter. No doubt Usnavi’s doing.

“Wow, that’s so great baby,” you took the papers that were stapled together, looking over the story that he’d recited to you three times that morning. “You’re like a little Pablo Neruda.”

“Who?” Marco took the papers back, hanging them in their rightful place once more. A couple of his drawings accompanied the story. Once Usnavi had even hung a spelling test up so everyone could see it. You appreciated the sweetness, the willingness to help whenever you needed it, having someone around that your son could rely on, but it didn’t stop the occasional pang of something indescribable in your chest. You didn’t want Marco to get his hopes up…god knows you kept waiting for something you were sure wasn’t going to happen. Despite Carla constantly insisting that Usnavi had feelings for you.

“Yeah, feelings of friendship. Feelings of ‘look at this poor pathetic girl I’ve known my whole life, still can’t make it out, got a kid now cause she was too stupid to see when her boyfriend was lying to her.”

“Trust me, the only thing Usnavi’s thinking with when you come in the store is-“

“Oh god Carla!”

But you couldn’t help feeling more than a little hopeful everytime you saw one of Marco’s tests or drawings hanging up, as if Usnavi was just as proud as you were. As if Marco had a dad (or at least a father figure) who actually cared about him.

“Pablo Neruda wrote love poems,” Usnavi’s voice sounded from behind you. “He’s your mama’s favorite.”

You turned to look at him and he winked as if the two of you were co-conspirators. Like you were in on the same secret and it made your heart pick up speed just a little bit.

“Who else is gonna write me love poems?” You managed to say, rather proud that you’d even mustered a sentence together.

The smile didn’t leave Usnavi’s face, even after you turned back to Marco and told him to get his stuff together so you could go home. While you were used to the moaning and protesting that usually accompanied this request you were rather taken aback when Marco hopped off the stool without question and started gathering his school supplies off the counter.

“Can Usnavi come over for dinner? He said Sonny’ll be here soon to help and that means he wouldn’t have to hang around too…can he?” Marco asked, eagerly, looking to Usnavi, “do you wanna come over for dinner?”

“You’re going to abuela’s for dinner, remember?” It was Wednesday and Wednesday meant dinner with your ex’s mom.

“Well, then you and Usnavi can have dinner.” He suggested, toothy smile (minus a noticeable one in the front).

You thought about saying that you were more than positive Usnavi had better things to do than come over to your place and eat dinner with you but your mouth worked before your brain could intervene and suddenly you heard yourself saying, “what’d you say? Wanna have dinner with me?” to Usnavi.

Maybe it was the heat or the work trying to fix the cooler that had him flushed but you swore he looked almost nervous when he nodded his head, like the offer was too good to be true. “Yeah, definitely.”

Usnavi wasn’t one to get his hopes up. Benny constantly swore that you were basically in love, (“you’re practically raising Marco together, now if you could just get together”), but Usnavi didn’t want to take the chance and look like a fool. Not to mention, he liked Marco a lot and he didn’t want you to think he had some ulterior motive for being nice to your son. He wasn’t expecting you to want to be with him and he didn’t want you to think he was.

You told him seven o’clock and he got there at 6:45, standing at the bottom of the stoop and contemplating the flowers he’d brought. You didn’t say it was date or even imply that this was anything more than you offering a meal while Marco was at his abuela’s. Maybe you just didn’t feel like eating alone. Or maybe you felt bad because Marco had offered dinner and you didn’t want to be rude. Maybe the flowers were overkill, maybe you were allergic.

“You stand outside all night, you’re never gonna get a chance,” Daniela teased as she walked passed him, bumping her hip against his playfully.

“We’re just having dinner,” Usnavi didn’t bother to ask how Daniela already knew about the dinner. No doubt everyone in Washington Heights knew about dinner.

“Yeah?” She plucked a flower out of the bunch, “hoping for dessert?”

Usnavi choked on his reply, swallowing down the last bout of nerves and heading up to the door before Daniela could continue teasing him. You were on the second floor, the black and white tiled hallway was missing a piece right beside your door and when you complained the landlord told you there was nothing he could do. Now a large pot sat over it with monstera growing next to a welcome mat that you changed out for the seasons. It was getting close to valentines and the mat had red and pink X’s and O’s.

The green door was cracked open, a “come on in” gesture that Usnavi had encounter a few times before when he’d offered to keep Marco while you worked and then walked the boy home at the end of the night. He rarely saw you without your son and it occurred to him as he pushed the door open that this would be the first time he was at your place without the seven year old buffer leading the conversations.

“Uh, hey, the door was open,” Usnavi offered as he walked in, shut the door behind him, and walked further into your apartment. He was still holding the flowers, down by his side, their petals directed at the hardwood floor.

“Hey,” you moved away from the frying pan to give him a hug, laughing gently at the sight of the bouquet. “Are those for me?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” he apologized, whipping them up so fast a few petals fell off. “Daniela stole one, actually.”

“Well they’re beautiful, thank you.” You took the bouquet from him and Usnavi watched you move around the small kitchen, grabbing a vase and filling it with water and arranging the flowers. He thought about something Abuela Claudia had told him years ago about knowing when he was in love and he turned away, looking around the rest of the small space as if he’d never been in it before.

“Sonny didn’t mind watching the store I hope,” you mentioned, looking for something to say. It felt different without Marco there. Not the sort of different that made it awkward, despite you grasping for something to say, but the sort of different that felt like talking and having dinner were the furthest things from your mind. The sort of different that had you thinking Daniela and Carla and everyone else in the Heights that had an opinion on it was right.

“As long as I bring him back something,” he replied. He’d made it to the bookcase near the front door, looking through all the books at eye level first. Pablo Neruda caught his eye and he took the book down, skimming through the pages.

“Whatca got there?” You asked, coming over to look around his shoulder at the book he was holding in his hands.

Usnavi tilted his head to look back toward you, “estás aquí. Oh, no te escapes," he began, reciting the poem as you stood there listening, dinner forgotten. His voice was smooth, the way it always was but somehow different too. Sweeter, like honey.

That different sort of feeling that you were trying not to fall into settled over you as you listened to him read. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, and when he finally reached the end of the poem and he looked over at you, the fall you were trying to avoid suddenly crashed over you.

“...quiero hacer contigo lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos,” he recited, eyes meeting yours.

“¿Es así?” You were only just barely aware of Usnavi placing the book back on the shelf, the thin volume of poems falling to the floor from its haphazard placement. He turned into your space, kissing you without hesitation.

Benny always said he was too slow, that he overthought all of his actions before he did them, and that what he needed to do was just act. It wasn’t advice he ever actually took. Usnavi just wasn’t the kind of person who acted on impulse. And then all of the sudden he was holding your face in his hands and kissing you in your living room. Impulsive, absolutely. When you finally pulled away, only to catch your breath, Usnavi smiled. That irresistibly boyish smile that always gave you butterflies. “Dinner?” He asked, only to avoid any more impulsive acts like telling you he loved you.

“Dinner can wait.”

The door to the apartment slammed open and Marco came through, kicking his shoes off as he called out, “Mama! Mama!”

Behind him, the door shut, his grandma stepping into the kitchen and looking suspiciously over the food that was left on the counter, still in the pan though the oven was off. The door to your bedroom was open and before Marco could make it that far you appeared in the hall, holding a zippered sweatshirt closed, semi-nervous smile on your face.

“Hey baby, how was dinner?” You asked, hovering near the door of your room.

“Abuela made dulce de leche! I brought you a piece!” He held the tupperware out toward you proudly, “Is Usnavi still here?”

“Uh, he’s...he’s in the...” you floundered, trying to think of something to say. He was very much still there, on the other side of the open door, pulling his clothes on as fast as possible.

“Why don’t we put this in the fridge Marco,” your ex’s mother suggested, taking the tupperware back from you and putting her arm around your son’s shoulders, “wait for your mama and this Usnavi to join us.”

If you didn’t know you’d hear an earful from her about almost getting caught by your son, you would have thanked her for intervening when she did. Instead you just ducked back in your room, closing the door so you could change quickly, clocking Usnavi standing there with a massive grin on his face.

“Don’t smile at me like that,” you whispered. An empty warning, really.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he replied, grin still in place.

“Come on, I still owe you dinner.” You held the bedroom door open for him to go out first, “and now we’ve got dessert too.”

Usnavi stopped in the doorway to kiss you, “I’ve already had mine.” When you smacked his arm he only laughed and continued into the kitchen, Marco’s excited greeting putting a smile on your face as you walked into the kitchen after him.

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

The poem Usnavi reads is Pablo Neruda's Everyday You Play .

Translations:

estás aquí. Oh, no te escapes - you are here. Oh you do not run away

quiero hacer contigo lo que la primavera hace con los cerezos - I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees

¿Es así? - is that so? / it's like that?

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