#darren x female reader

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[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

It's Okay To Ask For Help

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.4k

Warnings: angst, unwanted touching (grabbing one's ass without permission), creepy men

Summary: Things don’t look good from where you are. You work at a run-down bar, you’re a single mother trying to keep a roof over your head, and you’re trying to give your daughter the childhood she deserves. You don’t see yourself going up from here until reconnect with Spencer Reid.

Square Filled: bartender au (2022) for @spencerreidbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

“Sweetheart! Another round!”

You have to keep the disgust off your face as you pour the man another round of whatever he is drinking. Sweetheartisn’t the worst thing you’ve been called at your job, but it’s the way he said it that has your skin crawling. You slide him the beer and pull your hand away fast enough before he can reach out and touch you. He grabs his beer and goes back to talking to his friend but keeps one eye on you.

You move to the other patrons of the bar and push the creepy man out of your mind. It’s not that you hate this job, you hate the people that come in. You’re the only female bartender which warrants unwanted attention from men nearly twice your age. Your boss isn’t any better as he usually lets this type of behavior slide, but at least he doesn’t try to touch you every hour.

The alcohol is running low so you step off to the side to grab some more while your coworker mans the bar. You walk into the back and bend over to grab two bottles when you feel someone press against your ass.

“Damn, baby, I have been thinking about this ass ever since I stepped foot in the bar.”

You stand up so fast that you would have gotten dizzy if it hadn’t been for the stranger groping your ass.

“Get your hands off me!” You turn and push the man away. “You’re not even supposed to be back here!”

“Come on, darling, just give me ten minutes of your time. I promise to make it worth your while.”

You’d slap him if you thought that would keep him away from you. Fucker probably likes that shit.

“No! Get the fuck out of here!”

You’re loud enough to cause your boss to enter the back room, and you look at him with wide eyes that have tears threatening to spill out.

“What’s going on here?”

“Sorry, man, I was trying to find the bathroom.”

“It’s the other hallway,” your boss points.

“Right. Thanks, man.”

You don’t wait for the door to fully close before talking to your boss.

“That man was lying. He came in here and grabbed my ass! I want him thrown out of the bar!”

“Whoa, calm down. That man has paid a lot of money tonight. I’m not going to just throw him out,” your boss sighs.

“He grabbed my ass. Don’t you care that he assaulted me?”

“Don’t be overdramatic. I’m sure he was just looking for the bathroom and accidentally knocked into you.” Your mouth opens. You can’t believe your ears. “Kevin is getting swamped out there. Get the alcohol and get back to work.”

You stay in the back room and cry for the next ten minutes. You’d quit if you didn't need this job. You have a daughter at home to support, and her father is only doing the minimum to help you. The court ordered him to pay you a thousand dollars a month for child support, and that barely covers your rent. You still have to work long hours just to put food on your table. You can’t afford to lose this job because no other place will hire you.

You’ve applied for other places and have even gotten an interview once, but nothing ever came of it. It’s like they back out as soon as they hear you’re a bartender at this bar, or the fact that you’ve got tattoos that you can’t exactly cover up with normal clothes. You don’t have any on your face or neck, but you do have some on your hands and chest. Darren, your boss, only hired you because of the way you look in a crop top--at least that’s what you believe.

You wipe your tears and join Kevin behind the bar to continue as if nothing ever happened. The man is gone but that only; means two more people just like him replace him. The only thing getting you through this shift is the fact that your sister is kind enough to watch Delilah until you get off at five in the morning. She’s agreed to the arrangement since she leaves for work around the same time you get off.

You’re saving what you can even if it’s only fifty bucks a paycheck, but it’s not nearly as much as you’d hope. Something needs to change or else you’ll drown in pain.

The rest of the shift goes by relatively smoothly, and you leave just as the sun is peeking over the horizon. You drive to your sister’s house where she is getting her lunch ready for work. Her husband is already out of the house since he’s a contractor and works before the sun is out, and Delilah is still in her pajamas watching cartoons in the living room.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asks.

“No. Just a rough night, I guess.”

“You really should look into getting another job.”

“Yeah, I know,” you sigh. “Are you ready, Delilah?”

“Yes, Mommy!”

You leave with your daughter and head back home where you get her ready for school. You drive her to the bus stop and watch as she gets on. After the bus has left, you manage to make it home without crying. As soon as you step through the door, the waterworks are in full effect. Once that dam has been opened, it’s hard to close them. After a quick shower, you crawl into bed to try and get some sleep. You don’t have blackout curtains so the light still shines through the dark curtains, allowing you to see all the artwork you’ve hung on the walls.

You’re a good artist but you can never make any money off it. If you could, you’d be doing that full-time instead of bartending to a bunch of assholes. You manage to fall asleep until three when you leave to pick Delilah up from school. Your shift starts at seven in the evening so you have a little time to spend with your daughter before dropping her off at your sister’s.

“How was school, baby?”

“Good! I got to sit next to Lily today. Her and her Daddy are going to the fish zoo this weekend. Can we go?”

You chuckle at what she calls an aquarium. Your smile is lost when you think about Lily and who her dad is.

“You mean Lily Reid?”

“Yeah. Can we go? Pretty please?”

“Sure, baby. That sounds fun.”

You’ll have to work a double in order to pay for it, but you’ll do it if it means giving your daughter a normal childhood. Back before you had your daughter, you used to live right next door to a man named Spencer Reid. You two were joined at the hip and did everything together, often spending the night in each other’s apartments to keep each other company. You never did figure out how you felt about him until he left for the FBI academy.

By then, it was too late. You haven’t seen him since.

There are rare times when you see Spencer drop his daughter off at school before he goes to work, but you hear about him more than you see him. Delilah and Lily have a lot of after-school playdates at your sister’s house when you have to go to work early or need a bit more sleep, so you hear about Spencer from your sister. She knows about the two of you and often tells you about how he’s doing. She’s rooting for the both of you even though you don’t think he’d be interested in you now.

It was rough work but you managed to make it to the weekend without too much of a problem. Kevin agreed to take your shift on Saturday so that you can spend it with your daughter, and you agreed to take his Monday so he can have at least two days off in a row.

“Come on, Mommy!”

Delilah practically drags you into the aquarium hoping that Lily is there waiting for her. Spencer and Lily aren’t there yet so you two decide to wait in the large waiting area. The place is a large glass tunnel where you have an unobstructed view of every sea creature swimming by. Due to the excess water, the entire room has a blue hue to it. Delilah is mesmerized by the animals and runs over to the glass to press her face into it. You’re kind of nervous at seeing Spencer after all this time because you finally figured out how you felt about him after he left.

You were in love with him… you might still be.

You take out your phone and take pictures of her posing in front of the animals and some when she’s not even paying attention. She looks to the right and squeals when she sees her best friend.

“Lily!!”

You watch the two little girls run and hug each other, and your eyes lock on Spencer’s. Seven years apart but it feels like no time has passed when you look into his eyes. The girls go off to explore while still being close enough to you and Spencer.

“It’s been a long time. How have you been?” you ask.

“Still in the FBI and catching bad guys.”

“That’s so cool to be in the FBI.”

“Not as cool as you might think. How have you been? What are you up these days?”

“Bartending at the moment. Remember Skull Bar?”

Spencer stops walking and looks at you in shock. “You’re still bartending here? Didn’t you hate that place?”

He must remember the nights when you’d come home crying because you hated how you were treated by sleazy customers.

“I still do, but what am I going to do? I have Delilah to support, and it’s not like her father is helping much. I should ask for more since he is making a lot of money, but I haven’t had time to go to the courts.” You two continue walking after both of your daughters. “I miss living next to you.”

That’s your way of telling him you miss him dearly even if he doesn’t pick up on it.

“You know, the apartment next to mine just opened up. You two can move there. I know Lily would love it.”

It hurts knowing your lives would be much better staying at a place that doesn’t have broken appliances, but how will you ever afford it? You can barely afford the dump you live in now.

“Spencer, it’s a nice thought but it’s not like I can afford it. I make good tips but bartending barely puts food on my table. I can barely afford the twenty-five hundred dollar rent I have now. Apartments in the city cost a lot more. I appreciate the offer, though.”

“Are you still drawing? I remember you always making me something. You were and probably still are incredible.”

“Some but it doesn’t pay the bills, so I had to put it on the back burner.”

“You’re talented enough to make it a career.”

“Well, when you know of a job that will benefit me, let me know.”

Spencer nods in thought and you two continue to walk after your kids in silence. His phone rings and he steps off to the side to take the call while still following the girls. You look at Spencer and admire him without him knowing about it. He’s grown a lot since you last saw him not only physically but mentally. He must have been through a lot of shit to have that faraway look in his eyes.

He ends the call ten minutes later and walks back over to you. Lily and Delilah are busy petting the sting rays which will give you another twenty before they’re ready to move on.

“I’m going to say something, and I don’t want you to shut it down immediately. I want you to think about it,” Spencer says.

“Okay…”

“My team is looking for a sketch artist, and I know you’d be perfect for the job. You have the skill. It pays well, better than bartending, and the benefits are so much better. You and Delilah would be taken care of.”

You gasp at the thought of finally leaving that shit hole, but you remember the promise you made Spencer. You bite your lower lip to prevent yourself from denying it. After two minutes of thinking about it, you release your bottom lip.

“What do you think I’d say to that?”

“That you’re not a charity case and you don’t need help.” He’s right. You would have said that. “Just think about it. Think about Delilah. It’s still within the school’s boundaries so she doesn’t have to switch.”

You look at Delilah and Lily who are laughing from the water the sting rays are splashing. This job would offer you a more normal schedule and allow you to spend more time with her. You’d be able to provide her with a better childhood.

“Your office is on the other side of town from where I live. My car isn’t that great.”

“I know of a place a lot closer,” he smirks.

“Is this a ploy to get me to move in next to you?”

He shakes his head with a smile. “Sometimes people need help, and it’s okay to ask for help. That doesn’t make you a bad mom or a bad person. It makes you strong because you’re doing it to get better.”

Tears well in your eyes at the opportunity being presented to you. You don’t hesitate to give him your answer.

“I’ll take it.”

You pull Spencer in for a hug and wrap your arms around his neck. Spencer wraps his arms around your waist and closes his eyes from the feeling of you being back in his arms. You pull away from him but don’t step away from him. He glances down at your lips wanting to kiss you but not wanting to overstep.

“You owe me ten bucks,” Lily says loud enough for you two to hear. “Look at them. They’re gonna kiss. I told you bringing them here was a good idea.”

You giggle at the thought of both of your daughters being little masterminds. Well, if money is on the table, you better make Lily ten bucks richer. You lean up and kiss Spencer, finally feeling like everything is right in the world.

x

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[thedovesaredying]

Monsters in the Dark | Nikto x Reader | Part 3

Third chapter of the Cowboy!Nikto series. Nikto has some emotions and has no idea what they mean or how to deal with them. Original Cowboy concept based on the AU by @ghouljams

A/N: Finally got enough time to work on this chapter after weeks and weeks of hectic stress with work and university. Thank you to all of those still following along with the story, I'll hopefully have the next part out soon. Fun fact: The story of a horse getting hurt running into a fence because they were so excited to see someone is from one of the silly yearlings at uni lol.

Warnings: Minor medical proceedures, Nikto getting a little jealous.

Masterlist: CoD Masterlist

First | Previous | Next

Nikto can’t help wondering if there’s anything that can ruin your seemingly perpetual good mood. Even with your body dripping with sweat and elbow deep inside of a cow, you’re still somehow grinning brightly at the farmer standing beside you. Doing a part of your job that some would consider... unpleasant at best, you’re able to act as if it’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done.  

One of the other farm hands, a man about your age, if a year or two older, is acting a little too interested in what you’re doing, however, and Nikto’s jaw is aching with how hard he’s grinding his teeth together. They make a soft groaning sound as they suffer under the pressure he’s subjecting them to, but unfortunately, it’s the only thing keeping him from snapping at “Darren” when the man crowds close to you with what he must think is a suave grin.  

“Alright, I can feel the cervix now,” you hum, and he can see the way your arm twists slightly within the animal, “it’s pretty easy to manoeuvre it around.” You frown to yourself, seemingly oblivious to the way that annoying brat leans a little closer, “the reproductive tract isn’t very heavy.” 

“And what’s that mean, darlin’?” Darren asks, and Nikto can’t decide what he hates more, the tone the other man is using to address you, or the way he thinks it’s okay to place a hand on your shoulder. The gelding underneath Nikto snorts, shifting uncertainly as he likely senses the tension brewing.  

“Oh,” you blink at Darren, as if only just noticing him for the first time, “normally you wouldn’t be able to move the cervix around so easily if she was carrying a calf, I’d be able to feel at least a little weight to it.” You reach a little further into the cow, taking a few moments longer before adding, “I can also feel the horns of her uterus, and there’s no fluid I can feel inside them.”  

Darren is nodding, but his gaze is far from focused on the animal or what you’re actually saying to him.  

You pull you hand slowly from the cow, removing the palpation glove and dropping it into the bin beside the cattle crush. “Looks like this girl’s open, I’m afraid,” you say, grabbing the can of cattle paint and spraying a bright green streak across the animal’s tail, “and that’s the last of the girls done.”  

Pulling the release lever, the heifer is let out of the crush and into the holding pen with the rest of the females you’ve checked for pregnancies. While most of them have little blue marks to indicate a successful insemination, a few of the younger ones weren’t lucky enough to take this time around.  

Darren looks as though he’s about to say something further (more than likely something stupid and obnoxious), but before he can do anything more than puff up his chest, Mr. Roberts is snapping at him.  

“Darren! Get your ass into the paddock, boy!” The old man has a scowl on his face that would have recruits shaking in their boots and a voice with a harsh snarl to it from years of smoking. “The hell do I bother paying you for?” he grumbles, watching as the younger man near enough trips over himself in his haste to get back to work.  

Nikto can’t help admiring the man for his no nonsense approach to his work. He’s friendly enough toward those who work for him, and when Nikto was looking for employment, took him on board with no questions asked. The elderly cowboy has made it clear that he could care less about where someone comes from, only that they can do an honest day’s hard work.  

“Well, thank you for giving us a hand with the ladies,” the old man’s tone softens drastically, and he offers you a firm handshake, “I know those big business farms have all that fancy new technology and blood tests to make checking for calves easier, but I much prefer the old method.”  

Although he would never admit it aloud, it’s rather… sweet, the way you beam at Mr. Roberts and nod along to his words. “Of course! A blood test would be useful for determining how long the baby’s been gestating for, but there’s nothing wrong with the palpation method to find out if they’re carrying anything.” 

Roberts seems pleased by your response, offering you an elusive smile, before giving you one final nod, “I’ll see you around town in a few days, and I’ll drop your payment off at the clinic.”  

There are a few final pleasantries exchanged, all of which Nikto ignores. He was supposed to be getting the horse tacked down and set out for the day. Getting distracted by you while doing your job was just an unfortunate happenstance. He urges the gelding onward with a gentle tap to the animal’s side, leaving you to the business of packing up all of your tools in peace.  

He dismounts once reaching the stable, giving the horse a firm pat on the shoulder before leading him into one of the nearest stalls. He can’t know for certain if anyone else will need Murphy before the end of the day, seeing as the horse belongs to Roberts, but the least he can do is ensure he’s comfortable until he’s turned out for the end of the day.  

While “Murphy” isn’t exactly a name that Nikto would have chosen for a horse, given it’s a little too human for his own tastes, apparently, the gelding was named after Murphy’s Law, seeing as the poor animal seems to constantly be getting into trouble. Anything that could possibly go wrong for him can and will. He’s only just recovered from a nasty gash he’d received to the front of his chest after getting a little too excited to see Nikto coming to greet him and crashing directly into a barbed wire fence.  

Nikto starts untacking Murphy, starting with the bridle and moving his way backwards. He gives the gelding a quick brushing down and picks out his hooves to ensure there’s no stones or injuries that’ve gone unnoticed. He leaves Murphy to his dinner while he works on cleaning off the bit of the bridle and applying oil where the leather has begun to dry out. It’s a difficult job with only one properly functioning arm, but he’s not about to ask for any assistance with such a mundane chore.  

When he gets back, however, he’s startled to find you standing there, stroking Murphy’s mane while the horse happily munches on a mouthful of hay. You’re cooing at the animal happily, giggling when Murphy starts trying to nibble at your shirt once running out of food.  

You turn and offer him a smile, face still a little warm from the sun outside and with several strands of your hair poking out in odd directions. He finds that the look suits you, oddly enough.  

It’s only when you call his name that he realises that you’ve been trying to speak to him and he’s just been there staring at your face like a complete idiot. He shifts his grip on the halter he’s holding and clears his throat. “What do you need?” He settles on eventually, deciding that’s the least offensive way of telling you he hasn’t heard a word spoken to him.  

Thankfully, you don’t seem to be too upset by it. “I was just asking how poor Murphy is doing, I know he had a nasty scratch recently,” you’re looking at Nikto, but your words are said in the same, high-pitched coo you tend to use whenever you’re talking to Sputnik, accompanied by a rather overdramatic frown.  

He rolls his eyes at you, but finds he isn’t entirely annoyed by the antics. “Fine. His wound has healed well,” he says while reaching over to try and guide Murphy’s head a little closer. He may not be a trained veterinarian, but Nikto has seen plenty enough injuries in his life to be able to tell when one isn’t healing well. Murphy, of course, decides not to cooperate, instead trying to press the side of his fluffy face up against you.  

Getting the halter over the horse’s head with one hand is rather awkward, especially with the way the animal insists on moving about. You reach out, and he’s about to snap at you for trying to do it for him. He’s had enough of people trying to treat him like an infant recently, as though he’s not a dangerous killer.  It was suffocating enough when it was hospital staff and physiotherapists, but even a civilian thinking he’s too incapable to perform such a simple task? 

But then, you simply grab the buckle in one hand and hold it in position for him to secure himself.  

It would be far faster and more efficient for you to take the halter and do it yourself, yet you stand patiently without comment, and wait as he pulls the strap over the horse’s head and fastens the catch in place. He’s not sure why the thought of you specifically treating him like a weak child had him prepared to lash out quite so aggressively, especially when he’s brushed off similar actions by other people with only a few choice words and a particularly icy glare.  

You return to eagerly cooing at the horse before he can force himself to offer any kind of thanks, and he quickly pushes down the uncomfortable tangle of emotions trying to crawl their way up from his stomach.  

“Are you finished for the day?” You ask after a few moments of silence. He gives you a nod and you’re quick to ask, “how’s your girl been holding up?”  

“Our girl?” he asks slowly, forehead scrunching up. Do you think he has a partner or some kind? Why would you think there’s a girl in his life? Has he done something to make you think he’s married or dating someone?  

“Sputnik,” you clarify, and his face must do something odd because you snort at his reaction. “Why, do you have another girl?” 

Nikto can’t help automatically scoffing at the question, shaking his head at the very thought, “нет, we have no one.” He sees your eyebrows raise slightly, as if surprised by that, but you quickly school your expression back into its normal, carefree smile.  

Your expression quickly turns into something playful, however, as you add, “really? A big, handsome man like you?” He’s not sure how genuine your teasing tone is, “surely you’ve got the ladies lining up.” You have this way of joking around with him and asking questions in a way that doesn’t make him want to immediately tell you to ‘fuck off’. It’s a strange feeling, and he’s not entirely sure he likes it.  

“You are just crazy,” he counters, going to cross his arms over his chest, only to realise he can’t and instead settling for just letting them rest in place. He sees your eyes travel down the length of his damaged arm, stopping at where it abruptly ends. You don't comment on it, however, and he’s annoyed by how glad he is that you don’t. You likely didn’t even notice his injury until now, given he’s been wearing his prosthetic covered by long-sleeved clothes and gloves every other time you’ve met.  

“Wow, so rude,” you grin, trying to playfully shove his shoulder, only to pout when he’s entirely unmoved by the action. He’s been called rude many times in his life, but this is the first time he’s ever found himself pleased to hear it from someone.  

The sound of the stable door opening has you pulling your attention away from him and toward Roberts, who has just entered. You give Murphy a quick pet to the side of the neck, and Nikto a final grin, offering up a brief, “I’ll see you around.” 

Roberts waves as you leave the stables, waiting for the large door to close before he turns to look at Nikto, one of his bushy eyebrows raised. “So, when’re you gonna marry that lovely girl?” The old man asks, leaning against the stall door with an upward twitch of his lips.  

Nikto near enough chokes on thin air, whirling around on the cowboy with a startled, ��что?”  

The old man just sighs heavily, shaking his head, “just make sure you do it soon, yeah? We need another vet living out here on a permanent basis,” he ploughs on, “she already knows the area and she’s a lovely young lady.”  

As quickly as he arrived, Roberts wanders off again, heading back to work and leaving Nikto standing in the middle of the horse stall. He takes a long moment, just staring at where the old man had been a few moments ago while his brain slowly processes everything. Surely he wasn’t being serious, right?

-

Translations

“да,” - “Yes” 

"что?” - "What?"

[lokisprettygirl]

Rain to his Fire (Modern! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon 80s Au) (18+)

Series Masterlist

Chapter 1

Summary: In 1985, you were assigned as a custodian in the King's Landing Psychiatric inpatient and wellness center after your mother's passing. Your job was mundane and boring, but that was until a new patient arrived, a young man with a wild and eccentric personality, harbouring a secret that will change your life forever.

Warning: 18+, discussion of mental health (it's a fic based in a mental health facility), the fic would contain several mentions of several disorders like mpd, did etc, if something triggers you don't read, smoking.

“Room 393 needs cleaning up, new guy is coming” you heard your supervisor Mona so you sighed and quickly nodded. Working as a custodian in a mental health facility wasn't ever really a dream job for you but you didn't have any option at the moment. Your mother had worked all her life for the center and when she passed, as per her request beforehand, the job was immediately offered to you, and you had debts to pay so you couldn't really deny that offer.

At thirty you didn't really see your life heading towards anything better anyways and you didn't really despise working here. Helping people feel good at times. Your job wasn't limited to cleaning services, you would often get assigned to patients who needed a caregiver for physical and emotional needs.

King's landing psychiatric inpatient and wellness center was a six floor building at the outskirts of London, it was established in 1955 and your mother had started her job the same year, it's been thirty years now and two years since she had passed, she was living nearby because she was married and had a child, you on other hand didn't want to travel back n forth so you chose to live here itself as a permanent live in staff of the wellness center.

You were accustomed to seeing patients coming in for various disorders, most were delusional at worst or suffered from some sort of dysphoria. However, the patients at the King's Landing Wellness Center were not usually considered dangerous and you had never felt threatened by any one of them except a few women who lashed out at you and pushed you around last year. But with time, you had learned to provide them with the care and attention they needed instead of judging them for the outburst.

“Are you listening y/n?” You snapped back to reality as Mona called your name and gathered your cleaning cart to go fix room 393, there was this girl that had just gotten released from the facility, Tanya, she was a shy, quiet girl in her mid twenties with a debilitating case of multiple personality disorder.

You mostly kept to yourself at the facility as you didn't want to get involved or too overly attached with the patients.

The moment you took the mattress off to deep clean the bed, you discovered a piece of paper underneath. Curiosity got the better of you, and you decided to open it. Once you saw the writing on the paper, a feeling of unease coursed through your body, the words seemed almost ominous

“They are going to hurt me. I know, I'll never get out of here, if you find this please make sure to check up on me please”

You sighed before you folded the paper and placed it inside your apron quickly before it would get lost. What did she mean you wondered? The centre was under the supervision of three doctors. Doctor Vis was a man in his early forties and he was the most feared of all three because of his unorthodox methods of treatment but the other two doctors, Lisa and Darren seemed more approachable.

As you made your way out of room 393, you saw Doctor Vis standing in the hallway, having a conversation with another man. The other man stood with his back against the wall while Doctor Vis stood uncomfortably close to him, he was handcuffed so you assumed that he was being aggressive in his therapy session, as you walked past them you looked at the man briefly and normally you'd have looked away but this time you couldn't for some reason, he had a shiny silver hair that you had never really seen on a man before and it caught your eye immediately. The uniform he had on wasn't a surprise as it was a dress code for the patients, a white shirt and same coloured trousers.

His eyes met yours briefly and he smirked so you looked away immediately ,

“You didn't tell me you hired such beautiful chicks around here to be your servant-” Daemon had barely finished his sentence before Vis grabbed his collar to warn him. Vis looked as you walked past them and turned to make left into the hallway, disappearing out of their sight.

“Don't make this more difficult than it already is you moron”

Dr. Vis escorted Daemon into the room where he was immediately uncuffed. With the doctor now gone, Daemon let out an angry roar before throwing the chair into the room's window, shattering it into pieces.

“New guy is here” you mumbled as you reached the canteen. The rest of the staff members, including those from the pantry and cleaning services, were already gathered at the table. Shyla, who was the same age as you approached you. But in contrast to you, Shyla appeared to have a backup plan in mind after her tenure here.

“Oh god have you guys seen him, he's really hotttt in a really weird way”

You gulped as she said that, she always lived on the edge, it was unprofessional and unethical to talk about patients this way. Besides, he wasn't hot at all.

“Cut out with the heart eyes girl he must be a cuckoo to be here”

Another woman, Dina , intervened as she whispered very quietly, you didn't appreciate her language but then she wasn't wrong, sane people didn't come here.

“Hey y/n, new patient broke the window in 393, clean it up”

Mona suddenly entered the canteen so you sighed but then you were left feeling confused.

“How did he break it? Those windows are supposed to be unbreakable” you asked her curiously as the windows in the patient's room were specifically designed to withstand extreme conditions and were built to be unbreakable for security reasons.

“Don't question what's and how's, do your job girl” she glared at you so you picked up your cleaning cart again.

As you entered room 393, you spotted the new patient on the bed, seemingly engrossed in a book. Your brow furrowed as you took in the sight of the debris of shattered glass scattered around the room. Quickly, you grabbed a broom and began the cleaning process, starting from the corners to ensure that you picked up every last shard. As you swept, you couldn't help but feel puzzled as to how the window was broken in the first place,

“You shouldn't be doing such things, they are not afraid of sending violent patients to the lone ward” you mumbled so he looked up from his book and then glanced at you from top to bottom before he let out a snicker.

“Awnnn do you get paid to offer advice around here or cleaning is your only area of expertise?”

You glared at him as he said that but you remained calm, you couldn't raise your voice with patients even though you had been wanting to do it for a long while now.

“Sir im just-” you cringed internally as you addressed him as sir, it wasn't a norm but then you didn't really know his name yet. He had changed out of his uniform so you couldn't even read the name tag.

“Do your fucking job girl and get out”

You cut back on your words as he spoke rudely to you, perhaps he was admitted for extreme anger issues, whatever it was you just wanted to get out and not see him at least for a day.

You missed Tanya, she was a sweet girl, and you hadn't forgotten the note you had found under her bed this morning but then she wasn't exactly stable in her mind, people often scribbled down their most intrusive thoughts in their free time, and there was abundance of that around here. Besides you had bid her goodbye, she had hugged you warmly and she seemed happier for once.

During the lunch service you saw his smug face again as he sat down in the corner of the cafeteria, his eyes met with yours and he gave you a small smile but you didn't return it. Though you didn't want to take his words personally, he was dealing with something and that's why he was here.

“Mrs Rodriguez, are you finished with your food?” You asked the elderly lady so she snapped out of her thoughts and nodded but as you raised your hand forward to pick up her plate she grabbed your hand,

“Simon thinks i should eat less” she mumbled almost fearfully and your heart clenched for her, Simon was merely a figment of her imagination.

“Well he's wrong because you are eating as much as you should” she let go of your hand and smiled as you said that to her. When you reached around his table you noticed that he hadn't even touched his food,

“Are you going to eat sir? Your half an hour is almost over” you asked him so he chuckled. New patients in the center had strict rules and regulations to follow during the beginning of their treatment.

“Who should I be asking around here for a smoke?” He asked you and your brows furrowed.

“That's not allowed, i will help you with a nicotine patch if you're feeling restless -” he rolled his eyes as you said that.

“I don't need that shit” he grumbled under his breath so you looked at the time. Looking at him you couldn't really tell what actually was wrong with him, well besides the anger issues obviously, he seemed almost normal, almost self aware which really wasn't usual around this place.

“Please finish your food, dinner service is around 8 and a man of your size won't get any nutrition from the snacks we offer during tea time” you spoke a bit sternly and the corner of his mouth curved into a small smile.

“What's your name y/n?” He asked you so you looked at him baffled, he clearly read your name on the badge and he said it as well.

“I don't know your name either” you mumbled politely so he gave you a smile

“Daemon”

“Have an easy day Mr. Daemon, first few days are always difficult” you ultimately grabbed his plate as you left because he didn't seem to be in any mood to eat at the time.

Around evening as you finished your shift you made your way to your room at the fourth floor to take a shower and relax a bit. You took out the note you had found under Tanya's bed and placed it inside your cupboard safely, a part of you continued to feel uneasy about this thing, another was thinking about Daemon.

Why was he there? What had he done? You were not allowed to enquire about these things unless or until you were told the information by the authorities.

Daemon couldn't really sleep at night, how could he? He was locked up in here and was being treated as if he was crazy but he knew what he was and he wasn't delusional about it either. Even as sleep came for him he had a horrible nightmare that had him tossing and turning in his bed again so he woke up and stepped out of his room quietly as the room was starting to suffocate him. That's when he found the window at the end of the corridor and that was all he needed.

Around 2 at night, you were enjoying a peaceful moment to yourself on the terrace of the building, taking a break with a cigarette. As you were absorbed in your own thoughts, you heard a loud thud sound from behind you. Startled, you jumped and quickly turned around, only to find the new patient, Daemon, standing there. You couldn't believe how he had gotten there, he didn't have the key to the door and you clearly remembered locking it when you had gotten in. The terrace was strictly off-limits to patients for obvious reasons.

“What..are you doing here, you can't be here mister” you almost sounded frantic and kind of scared to be honest. And why didn't he have a shirt on? It was freaking cold out here. And why was he so freaking ripped?

“Hooking me up with a bloody nicotine patch when you got this sweet thing right here?” he asked you as he approached you so you took a few steps behind you until you had hit the ledge. You quickly threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it under your flip flops before he could attempt to steal it from you.

“Now that's a waste of a good cigarette” he almost seemed offended with his brows furrowed and scowl on his face.

“Look, don't come near me alright?” You warned him so he crossed his arms and stepped closer to you despite your warning.

“I'm not going to harm you, I can, don't get me wrong.. but I won't”

Was that supposed to make you feel better?

“Please come with me, let me take you to your room .. please”

As he heard your gentle voice his teeth gritted together. “Please just listen to me ..it's only best for you” You brought your arm forward to grab his forearm but you flinched away as soon as you had touched his skin.

“Are you sick? You're burning like a furnace” You asked him worriedly so he scratched his scalp before he looked around and took a deep breath “And how did you get here?”

“I'm not sick, do I look sick to you?” He asked you so you shook your head but that was pointless, if he was a regular smoker, perhaps he was feeling the withdrawal.

“Just one puff, I'll be indebted to you forever darling, please, what do you want me to do beg? I can beg on my knees .You want that?..”

“Ohhh shut up for god's sake -” You cut him off mid sentence as he started to ramble but the stupid smirk on his face was still there. “I'll lose my job Daemon -”

“Nobody will know”

“I can't do it.. please understand please..”

He sighed and the pleading look on your face made him willing to listen to you ultimately.

How did he even come up here? You had come via the main entrance and it was locked from inside. As you escorted him back to his room, you mumbled a quick good night but he suddenly grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you against the door, your heart was right into your mouth at the moment for several different reasons, you had been pushed over by several women at the facility but never a man, especially not a man like him who seemed so strong and so unstable. If worse comes to worse you knew you wouldn't be able to defend yourself.

“Daemon let go of me” you mumbled sternly but his hands were on your upper arms, holding you tightly still. He wasn't hurting you, not yet at least.

“Shhhhh shhh shhhh” as he whispered in your ear you were going to scream but nothing came out of your throat, not even a squeak, you feared that he was going to touch you inappropriately, if this wasn't inappropriate as it was, but then he placed his nose on the crook of your neck and took a sniff. Like a wild animal he sniffed you, literally.

One sniff, two sniff, and then one two three at once, you couldn't help but wonder why you weren't feeling as uncomfortable as you should have in a similar situation.

“What are you doing?” You asked him gently to not aggregate him so he looked you right in the eyes before he cupped your cheeks and stared at your lips, his nose rubbed slightly against yours before he closed his eyes, grunted a little and finally stepped away from you. His chest was heaving from breathlessness, same as yours as you both stared at each other for a moment. What the hell was that?

“Get out lady”

He mumbled so you immediately got the fuck out of there, you were looking behind every step of the way to see if he was following you but he wasn't. At the end of the corridor you stopped as suddenly, your feet came in contact with a piece of fabric on the floor, and when you bent down to investigate, you realized it was Daemon's shirt but it was completely shredded in several pieces - the same shirt he had worn this evening.

The realization left you feeling even more puzzled and disoriented. How had he managed to enter the terrace when it was locked from the outside. It seemed impossible. It was impossible. Or perhaps there was another way? Or maybe you were going crazy yourself? Now that was possible.

As your head hit your pillow you ran your fingers over your neck, right where he was sniffing, he seemed so...so primal in that moment, so animalistic, if that was the right choice of word. Did you atleast smell good? God you hoped so. Or not. He was a patient, you had to keep that in mind, he had issues.

The next morning while Daemon was away for his therapy session with the doctors you decided to clean up his room, he had left you feeling a bit unnerved last night with his strange behavior but you weren't really scared of him and then you wondered why you weren't scared of him after what he had done.

The iron bars on his window were the first thing you had noticed as you had entered the room. As you heard loud footsteps approaching the room you quickly collected your stuff to prepare to leave.

As Dr. Vis entered with Daemon he looked at you and spoke politely “Will you please step out ?” Vis asked you so you nodded immediately.

“Yes doctor, I'm almost done” you grabbed your cart and walked past them, your eyes met with Daemon and he seemed angry, but also really sad? His eyes were read and teary, such a contrast from his snarky demeanor yesterday.

As the door slammed shut, you found yourself in a state of morbid curiosity. So instead of minding your own business as you should have, you pressed your ear against the door instead, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside. Why did he look so sad?

“You had promised you wouldn't start with the absurdity right off the bat” Dr. Vis yelled at Daemon and that bothered you. Why was he yelling at a patient like this on his second day?

“Absurdity? You think me speaking of my true self is absurd?” Daemon asked the doctor and you didn't understand what was happening, what was he suffering from?

Dazed and confused as you reached the staff area Shyla walked around the table with a smirk on her face so you finally gave in.

“What?”

As you asked her she slammed her hands on the table in a dramatic manner.

“I found out why the new guy is here”

You weren't the one to gossip but you really wanted to know why Daemon was there? Why was he here? What was hurting him?

“How did you find out?” You asked her to seem disinterested as you didn't want to make your interest apparent.

“I have my source girl” she patted herself on shoulders so you crossed your arms together.

“Uhuh and what did your source tell you?”

“Well you're not ready for this-"

“Just spill it already” you chuckled as you spoke but the way she was stalling had only gotten you more curious.

“He thinks..now listen to this..he thinks he's a dragon” she mumbled excitedly so you stared at her all perplexed.

“What?”

“The new guy believes that he's a human dragon hybrid or something like that.. unbelievable right?”

Oh well!! That was a big problem huh.

👀👀����👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

[siriusleee]

vi. klaxon

Zombie Apocalypse AU | SIMON RILEY x f!READER

↳SUMMARY: The world is trying to knit itself back together after fracturing apart. You're trying to put yourself back together with it; Simon Riley is just trying to stay alive. ↳WORD COUNT: 1.6K ↳TAGS: mentions of cannibalism, mentions of shooting things, mentions of dying. smut to come. canon typical violence to come. additional tags to come as the story progresses. female reader. no mentions of "your name". reader is given a nickname later on.nc-17. ↳AUTHOR'S NOTE: Much shorter than usual, but hey, we can only do what we can do. ↳TAG LIST: There will not be a tag list for this story, as Tumblr has issues with letting me tag people. To get notifications of updates, please subscribe on AO3 or turn on notifications for my blog.

additional chapters | ao3

It’s like waking up in an alternative universe; it takes your eyes and brain a solid minute to remember that you shouldn’t be waking up to the sight of trees and clapboard buildings. Somewhere between awake and sleep, you’d started dreaming about your winter camp and everyone who used to travel with you. 

Darren. Alyssa. Trevor. Caleb. James. 

The memories of them push you out of bed. The concrete floor is freezing beneath your feet. The clothes you were given the day before are still folded neatly on the floor beside your pack; you were clean for the first time in years and you didn’t want to sweat in your sleep. 

You try to finger comb your hair, but it snags on the tangles; you give up halfway through and throw it up with a piece of elastic you ripped from a pair of old underwear you found in a pharmacy a few months ago. Someone around here must have a pair of scissors sharp enough to give you a decent enough haircut. 

Through the little window, you can see the sun is watery - you have to find your jacket despite how ratty it is. Winter is rolling in way too fast for you to be without one. The last time you’d seen it, it was at the end of the bed in the med bay - you’d left it behind in the sudden surprise at waking up in an unfamiliar location. 

The hallway is already empty; the sound of your boots reverberates off of the empty walls. It’s like walking through a crypt; you can almost imagine eyes peering down at you from the dusty corners of the place. 

Frost covers the grass and it crunches beneath your feet. Your stomach rumbles and you wonder if there’s anything for breakfast to eat in the mess hall. Just crossing the little courtyard turns the tip of your nose frozen, and your fingers stiff. The med bay is unlocked, and inside it's as freezing as it is outside. There are no lights on - no doubt that even though they still have electricity, it must not be able to run all the time. 

You prop the door open with a rock so that just a little bit of light filters into the room. Your breath fogs up around your face, and you do your best not to trip and fall. The medical equipment glows in the weak sunlight pouring in from the doorway. You retrace your steps from the day before. There, at the end of the bed you had been placed on, is your jacket. It’s still coated in dirt and mud, but it’ll keep you warm for the time being. You wrap it around your shoulders, the smell of the forest surrounding you. 

A choking shout cuts through the med bay, broken off after half a second. A sliver of ice slides through your veins - it came from behind the med bay, through the thick concrete wall. It can’t be the mess hall directly on that side - Ghost had taken you around the entire building to get there yesterday. There’s a set of double doors, thick, durable metal that leads into an unknown part of the building. In the past, it would have been something that would overtake you with curiosity, and you’d be compelled to open the doors, but now they give you the creeps.

There’s a crash against the wall, and it makes you jump. The doors at the end of the med bay open, and you scramble backward, dropping down to your knees. Heavy footfalls cross the concrete floor as you skitter beneath the medical beds, squeezing between the thick shadows between the two of them. You press yourself onto the floor, trying to blend in with the shadows. You press your mouth into your forearm to muffle your breath. You have no idea if it’s alright for you to be here, and you don’t want to find out. 

The person’s face is shadowed, but from the lilt of their body, you think it might be Doc. You watch them walk towards the front door; the sound of the rock you used to prop the door open being kicked out of the way fills the room and the heavy door slams shut.

The only sound in the room is your breathing as you wait to see if the door will open again, and if anyone will strut back through; the seconds into minutes and no one interrupts the silence. Scrambling to your feet, you jerk your jacket up and exit without a sideways glance to see if anyone's noticed you sneaking out of the Med Bay. You're alone in the little courtyard.

The Dining Hall is almost empty - the food is nearly gone as you grab a mismatched plate and try to even your breathing. Two women crowed in the corner together point at you without abashment, and you ignore them as you peer at the little breakfast: potatoes cubed and boiled, steamed cabbage, and some kind of white bean. Your stomach grumbles; it's no Belgian waffle with syrup, but you put just enough on your plate to carry you over and find a spot to sit out of the line of sight of the women who are still staring at you. 

You're spearing the beans one by one, trying to make their earthy flavor last on your tongue when the shape of Ghost fills the Dining Hall door. You do your best to ignore him as you move on to the potatoes, cutting the cubes into smaller pieces and thinking about how they'd taste drowned in butter. 

"You should have woken up earlier," he says, standing on the opposite side of the table as you. 

"I'll remember to tell the valet to wake me up earlier tomorrow."

The sarcasm feels good on your tongue - a weight you didn't realize you missed carrying. Ghost settles onto his heels; above the dirty white of the skeleton, his eyebrows crinkle. The wrinkle they form is natural like he was born with it. You can imagine him as a baby, soft and sweet with that little wrinkle between his eyes.

The silence is unnerving; you scrape your fork against the plastic plate just for a sound. The two women in the corner stare at the two of you, and you realize they're waiting for you to finish eating so that they can clean up. You scarf the last few bites down and resist the urge to lick the plate clean. You hardly have the last bite in your mouth before Ghost snatches the plate from the table.

He doesn't have to tell you to follow him, you just do. He hands the plates to one of the women: a pretty blonde who looks at him with barely contained awe. The look on her face irritates you, and you resist the urge to say something to her.

"I'm going to show you around," Ghost says, pulling you back outside. The mud on your jacket cracks and falls off in clumps as you slide it on to avoid the chill.

"How many people live here?"

It's a struggle to keep up with Ghost's stride; it takes two steps for you to keep up with his one. The soreness in your legs is still there, but the feeling of warm food and a safe night's sleep fills you enough to ignore it.

"Depends."

He doesn't finish his sentence, but his steps slow enough that you can fall into line with him. You follow him around the edge of the building to the part of the base you haven't been able to explore. To your left the gate the two of you arrived in yawns above the two of you; the fence disappears into the distance, behind more brick buildings. 

"The garden is over here,” he says, gesturing to a chain link fence in the middle of a grouping of squat buildings. Inside the fence, women kneel in the dirt. Burlap sacks cover some plants, and others are being pruned by a few men. 

“That’s the storage locker,” Ghost points at a building just on the other side of the garden. A pair in ratty black fatigues sit outside, guns slung across their shoulders. 

“It’s guarded at all times?”

Ghost nods, lifting one hand to wave in response to one of the guards who waves at him.

The rest of the tour is quick: a second set of unused bunks, a building full of cars and trucks that look mostly unused, and the generators (also behind two guards who look like they haven’t slept in years). The last place he takes you is the armory; you spot your bow locked up behind the iron bars, the few arrows you had left leaning against the wall.

“Can I get that back?” You ask, fingers lingering on the cold metal of the lock. Ghost shakes his head; you don’t miss the way his fingers roll together, and you wonder if he’s wishing for a cigarette. 

“When you need it.”

His replies are infuriating you; you envision yourself kicking him in the back of the knee as you follow him out of the doorway. The sun is directly overhead by the time the two of you make it back outside. You flex your fingers in the rays, drinking in the little warmth that it brings in. 

You’re going to ask Ghost what next - a question that you’re not sure borders on the philosophical or the practical - when there’s a sound like a klaxon that comes through the entire compound. Ghost’s shoulders stiffen, head tilted just so. A second alarm repeats through the compound, and he walks away from you without a word.

“What is that?” You ask, jogging to catch up to him. His steps are quick, and it takes the breath away from you to keep up with him.

“They’re back.”

[imawkwardlysoc]

please don't be in love with someone else

Song- Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Pairing- tim mcgee x female! reader

Warning(s)- Just lots of dialogue if that counts (sorry about that)

Wordcount- 1,414

Summary- A reader has to come to her sense on who she wants in the future

“So,” I walked into the lab, twirling myself in my outfit. “What do you think?”

“Oh my,” Abby jumped up and down while clapping. “You look so cute!”

“I have to agree.” I looked over to see Tony, Ziva, and Tim walking into the lab.

“That dress is cute,” Ziva complimented my ash blue wrap dress with white polka dots scattered around it.

“Thanks,” I thanked them and I faced my lab partner. “You’re sure you’ll be fine when I’m gone?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she reassured me. “Now go on your date. Who knows? Something might happen.”

“Yeah,” I put on my denim jacket and threw my bag over my shoulder. “Well, I’m gonna get going now. See y’all tomorrow.”

All of them said their goodbyes and I headed to the elevator. Pressing the button, I waited for a little bit before the doors opened and I walked in.

“Hold the elevator!” I heard Tim’s voice and I pressed the hold button. “Thanks.”

“It’s no problem,” I smiled.

“So, you have a date with Darren?” He asked.

“Yeah, I do,” I nodded my head and let out a chuckle. “I have a feeling that he’s going to propose.”

“Really?” He raised his eyebrow. “How do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know to be honest.”

“You don’t know?”

“I mean,” I sighed and leaned against the elevator wall. “We’ve talked about it once but never talked about it again.”

“Well, do yourself with him for the rest of your life?” The agent asked.

“This is turning into an interrogation,”I let out a laugh as I switched the elevator off. “Why do you want to know McGee?”

“I’m just wondering,” he explained. “Marriage is a serious thing. You’re going to spend the rest of your life with that man and possibly have kids together.”

“And we’ll figure that out kids later,” I told him.

“Again, do you see yourself with him forever?” He asked again.

“Again McGee, why do you want to know?” I started to become agitated.

“Because he doesn’t deserve you!” He waved his arms in the air. “You don’t deserve him!”

“How do you know who I deserve?” I scoffed.

“Because of the amount of late nights we spend together while working on a case and your rants about the guys you go on dates with aren’t fitting into your standards,” he answered. “You also talk about how much Darren disappoints you but you’re still with him. Why is that?”

“Because I love him!” I turned the elevator back on again.

“Even though he disappoints you constantly?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I sighed with a questioning tone and whispered the last part. “Even though he’s not you.”

With the doors opening, we walked out of the elevator feeling tense from the conversation we just had. Giving Tim a small smile, I started to make my way out.

“Hey Y/N,” I looked over to see Tim. “Just think about it okay?”

Nodding my head, I walked out of the building and got into my car. Throughout my drive to the restaurant where I’m meeting Darren, I thought about the conversation that happened in the elevator.

Was I really in love with Darren?

Is he the right person for me?

With the sound of a honk knocking me out of my thoughts, I saw the light was green and continued to drive. Pulling up into a parking spot, I got out of the car and walked into the little Italian restaurant. Looking around I saw Darren sitting at one of the tables in the back more dressed up than usual. Walking up to the table, I greeted him with a kiss on the lips and sat down across from him. Opening the menu, it took me a few minutes before ordering what I wanted to eat. With wine being poured in our glasses after ordering, we clinked glasses and I took a big sip of wine.

Throughout dinner, I conversed with Darren about his day at work. Since he’s the press secretary for a freshman congressman, it was mostly about setting his boss’ agenda for election season. I really tried to listen to him but the conversation that Tim and I kept on replaying in my head.

“Hey, are you okay?” Darren asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied. “Just had a busy day at work.”

“Constantly running blood tests and fingerprints?” He let out a light chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” I gave him a smile.

He knows that I’m a forensic scientist but he doesn’t know that I work for NCIS and a field agent if needed.

Wrapping up dinner, Darren suggested that we should take a walk in the nearby park. Agreeing to that suggestion, we grabbed our things and headed out of the restaurant to the park.

Looking up at the sky, it turned from its normal blue color to a hue of orange, yellow, and purple, indicating that the sun is setting. The cool spring wind blew the cherry blossoms off the trees which landed in my hair. I could see the anxious feeling that Darren was radiating off of him as we got closer to the gazebo.

“Can I ask you something?” He faced me and grabbed both of my hands.

“What is it?” I started to feel my heart beating rapidly.

“I wanted to make this whole speech but I know you like it when people are straight to the point,” he chuckled, getting down on one knee and pulling out a velvet box. “Will you-”

“No,” I interrupted him.

“What?” He questioned

“No, I’m saying no,” I told him. “I know what you’re going to ask and I can’t.”

“Why?” He questioned while getting up from the ground.

“I just can’t,” I looked at him. “I don’t imagine us together and I’m sorry about that. You’re just not the person that I want to marry.”

The sound of rain soon filled my ears as tears formed in my eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Walking out of the gazebo, rain started to pour down on me. Without any care of the world, I walked in the rain back to my car. Shutting the door, I started to let out a bunch of tears. Leaning back on my chair and closing my eyes, the image of Tim entered my head.

He’s the only person I want to be with. I want to be with him, not a person not like him. I just hope he feels the same way.

Looking at the time on my phone, I started my car and made my way to the apartment. Parking my car when I reached it, I got out of my car and locked it before climbing up the stairs to the level where the apartment was. As I got closer, I heard the sound of typewriting muffled through the front door. Knocking on the door, I heard the typing stop and the sound of footsteps.

“Y/N?” Tim opened his door. “What are you doing here and wet? Come in.”

Walking into his apartment, he gave me a towel and thanked him. “I told him no.”

“So he did propose?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I confirmed.

“Why?” He questioned as I saw him going into his room.

“Because he’s not the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with,” I explained. “He’s just not-”

I let out a groan and covered my face. “Just not what?”

“He’s not you McGee!” I confessed and got up from my seat. “He doesn’t listen to me while I rant about work. He doesn’t geek out with me about the latest Doctor Who episode or the next Nintendo game. All he does is talks about politi- umph”

With Tim’s lips placed on my lips, the towel he gave me dropped onto the floor, I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist. Fireworks started to explode in my stomach as we continued to kiss. His kisses were more soft and tender than Darren’s. They were more passionate which I love. Detaching our lips, we looked each other in the eyes with our blushed faces while catching our breaths.

“You don’t know how long I waited to do that,” he whispered.

“Too damn long?” I chuckled. “So, what now?”

“A trip to the Air and Space Smithsonian next week?” He suggested. “I heard they have a new exhibit about Pluto.”

“That sounds great.”

[tommyshelbyswh0re]

“whatever you want”

heatbreak high- dusty x reader (female)

summary- you and dusty hooked up a year ago and he ignored you after, the past comes back when the incest map is revealed.

warning- SMUT SMUT SMUT 18+

what the fuck. how do they know all of this.

y/n - blowjob to spider

- handjob to ant

-shagged dusty

for one, you had never ever touched spencer. never. you wouldn’t even dream of it. and ant? well that was sort of true but it literally lasted all of 10 seconds.

however, you did shag dusty. about a year ago and afterwards he was a dick to you so yous haven’t really spoken since.

“you shagged y/n?” spider shouted to dusty causing you to turn round and glare at him. you see, you were a very private person and mainly stuck to yourself. you didn’t have drama with anybody you just liked your own company.

“shut up spider. your just jealous because i wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire” you snapped. spencer had tried to sleep with you in the past but you were having none of it.

“oh really? because according to this map we got very close” he had such a smug look on his face.

“piss off spencer” you held your middle finger up at him.

after that there was a whole assembly about the events. you had later found out that it was infact amerie who made the map. honestly, you couldn’t give a fuck. so what? we’ve all had sex with eachother oh well. you were then told you all had to join a programme called SLTs. it was to teach you about respecting eachother and yourselves. you just sighed and put your head down.

the next day after school was the cemetery party. you went with darren, amerie and quinni and got separated pretty fast. you were to busy searching through the cooler of alcohol to realise dusty had snook up behind you.

“we’ve ran out of tequila if that’s what your looking for” he said, making you jump.

“shit” you placed your hand over your heart. “don’t sneak up in me like that” you looked his way before resuming your search.

“can we talk?” dusty asked.

“about what?” you asked.

“a year ago”

“what about it?” you played dumb.

“cmon y/n you know what i’m talking about”

“oh when you took my virginity and then freaked out on me and avoided me like the plague” he looked down guiltily.

“yeah” he cringed. “about that, look i’m sorry. i was an asshole but i didn’t know what to say when you told me you were a virgin afterwards. i thought you’d get clingy because it meant something to you”

“well if you thought it meant something to me you shouldn’t have avoided me and made me think i did something wrong. and by the way, it didn’t. i wasn’t expecting you to commit to me jesus christ” you rolled your eyes.

“look you did nothing wrong okay? it was good i just didn’t know what to do in that situation and panicked” he said looking you in the eye whilst grabbing your hand. all of a sudden someone warned everyone that police were heading your way so yous both ran. after you got over the gate, he grabbed your hand and started to pull you with him.

“where a we going?” you asked.

“my house” he said simply. he was still walking at a fast pace.

“why?”

“to carry on this conversation” he looked back.

—

you had gotten to his house and was sat on his bed. “i’ve not been here since that night” you smiled.

“it’s not changed much?” he asked for your opinion.

you stood up and started walking round his room looking at things. “i wouldn’t notice. didn’t really get a tour last time.” you joked. you felt his appearance behind you and turned around to look at him.

“i really am sorry y/n. before that night we were friends and i messed that up aswell” he shook his head.

“dusty, don’t worry about it. i’m over it” you smiled at him.

“okay” he took slow steps forwards until your back was against the desk in his room. he place his hand on either side of you on the desk so you were trapped.

“what are you doing?” you questioned whilst your heart was beating through your chest.

“a do-over” he smirked and leant in, nudging your nose with his. after a couple of seconds of him do that, you got frustrated and smashed your lips against his. you wrapped your arms around his neck and he resting his on your waist. your tongues were wrestling for dominance and eventually he won. you pushed your hands against his shoulders to push backwards towards his bed, once he was sat in the edge of his bed, you straddled his lap. breaking the kiss, he gripped the back of your hair to pull your head back and instantly peppered kissed along your neck making you moan.

his hands grasped your ass. you broke his kisses on your neck you life up your shirt. you didn’t wear a bra. “fuck” he whispered staring at your boobs. you lifted his face with your hands and kissed him again whilst simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt.

once his shirt was unbuttoned you kissed down his chest until you were on your knees in front of him. “can i?” you said looking into his eyes to which he nodded very quickly. you unzipped his fly and reached into his underwear pulling out his hard dick. you licked your way up the vein on the underside of his dick that went from the bottom all the way to the head. once you got to the head, you swirled your tongue around it and wrapped your lips around the top, using your hand to work the rest. “fuck. i need more y/n” he moaned. you spat on his cock and gradually took more into your mouth until you gagged. you then rocked your head up and down his dick. he eventually got sick of your agonising pace and held your head whilst he mouth fucked you. this made you gag multiple times but you pulled through. you could feel he was about to come so you tapped his hand in order to let him know to stop.

once he did, you stood up taking off your pants and underwear . he stood up aswell and turned you so your back was facing the bed and he was infront of you. he pushed you down and climbed on top on top of you with one of his legs inbetween yours. he kissed you and and grinded his now bare leg up and down your pussy. you moaned aloud. “fuck dusty” you whispered in between kissed. he turned you around and kissed down your spine. he pulled you onto your knees so you were in doggy. he kissed your ass cheeks individually and then licked a stripe from your clit to your asshole and dipped two fingers into your dripping wet cunt. “wow” you whispered. “you like that?” he asked you bending down to your ear. you moaned in response. he curved his fingers which made him continuously hit your g-spot. you scream out. “fuck fuck fuck” you moaned. he sped up. “im gonna cum” you warned him. “come on y/n” he encouraged and you released all over him. “jesus christ” you whimpered.

“we aren’t done yet” he smirked. he lined himself up with your entrance and slowly pushed in causing you to sigh. “shit” he moaned. “so fucking wet” he said under his breath but you heard it. you arched your back and put your arms forward to grip his pillows and he gradually fucked you harder and faster. he leant forward and gripped your wrists behind your back. “dusty” you moaned his name multiple times. all you could hear was your skin connecting as you started to push backwards to meet his thrusts. “you feel so fucking good y/n” he lifted a hand off your wrists and slapped your ass. “im going to cum again” you warned him. “let go y/n” and you did. but you weren’t expecting to squirt. “oh my fucking god” you screamed in relief. he then pulled out pumping his cock a few times and came on your ass. “fucking hell” he whispered in disbelief.

he let go of your wrists allowing you to fall forward so you were face down completely flat on the bed. he collapsed at the side of you and looked at you worriedly when he saw your face in the crook of your elbow.

“hey are you alright?” he asked with concern laced in his tone.

you held up a finger asif to tell him one minute. “let me just lay here for a sec” you laughed causing him to laugh with you.

“i did not think you were a squirter” he rubbed his hand up and down your back.

“neither did i” you finally looked at him. “that’s never happened before” you told him.

“well hopefully i can do that to you again?” he asked.

“you can do anything you want to me after that” you smiled.

[ansbobcar]

Infodumping/venting about the lack of Mashle fanfics on most fanfic platforms

WARNING: This isn't a vent. This is a mashle fanfic idea dumpster fire with MANGA SPOILERS.

I'm so heartbroken discovering that there is barely any mashle x oc content out there even x readers or character x character. I have so many tiny plot point ideas for a Rayne/Rain x fem oc/reader. Which resulted in me beginning to write my own oc, Darren Randel. Her name's stolen from my random ass mha oc Darren Halston. Darren Randel is lowkey different (she's less edgy/and emotionally unstable) even though they both have brown hair.

PLS TELL ME IF YOU'RE GONNA STEAL OR GET INSPO FROM THIS PLS BECUZ I WOULD LIKE TO HELP.

SO-

What was the original plot idea you may ask?

Infamous girl from rival school transfers to Easton Magic Academy because she fell in love with Rayne Ames lol.

Lowkey unoriginal right?

So then I added an extra spin to it borrowing a key romance drama plot point from See You in My 19th Life: Darren only gets 3 chances to confess and have her feelings be reciprocated by Rayne, and if he rejects her feelings. She'll give up (on that romance).

The ending of the fanfic is bittersweet: She doesn't get Rayne. But they stay close friends.

OH BUT HERE'S WHAT I'M TRYNA FIGURE OUT TO ADD MORE OF THAT BITTERSWEET FEEL TO IT:

1. Darren confused her initial crush on Rayne to be love at first sight/romantic feelings when she actually felt like she had a friend/that sense of trust in him compared to others.

1a. As a result of that she kind of decides to nullify all her chances of getting him.

1b. Regardless of this plot point she still ends up developing actual romantic attraction for Rayne and still doesn't get her feelings reciprocated.

2. It turns out that Rayne ALSO developed feelings for Darren over the course of the fic but he still rejects her advances due to either:

a. Her newfound realisation that she confused her feelings of attraction for something like companionship or trust. (1a)

b. His new position and role as Divine Visionary and the fear that she would be in more danger than she already was. (For context: her former school Walkis has so much beef with her existence for the 4 ish years she was there that they want her erased from existence and the Bureau of Magic is extremely alert about her whereabouts due to that and her skills which will be explained in the OC Profile section below).

c. Typical fears of a dude who for most of his life before Easton was seen as a nuisance alongside his younger brother Finn. (Big headcanon.) Doubt he cares/he probably would shove in the aristocrats face if he was dating her honestly (fake dating plot point???)

_ _ _ _ _ _

OC PROFILE:

Fyi - I haven't completed her complete information so I may have removed some parts.

General Info:

Name: Darren Randel

Other names: “Renren”, “Walkis Traitor”, “Wandless Psycho”

Sex: Female

Age: 18 (from the start of Mashle canon timeline)

Birthday: February 18th

Blood Type: A

Height: 168cm

Occupation: 3rd Year Student at Easton Magic Academy

House: Adler

Affiliation: Easton Magic Academy (current), Walkis Magic Academy (former)

Dominant Hand: Left

Good Subjects: Magic Geography (it better exist), Magic Zoology

Bad Subjects: Magic Mathematics, Magic Biology

Hobbies: Cooking, Running at 4am, Pestering Rayne whenever possible

Favourite Food: Mussel/Seafood Pasta

Favourite Word: “Antidisestablishmentarianism”

Favourite type of the opposite sex: “People think about those?”

Dislikes: Her sense of justice being challenged, Bunbun, People who hate Rayne Ames

Frequently visited school spots: School Garden, Training rooms, Dormitory kitchen 

Appearance: 

Her hair is orange brown with cornflower tips. The way she styles her hair hides one of her lines. The main line that is shown juts out just under her cheek from her forehead while the other one only juts out slightly from the side of her eye. She’s more of a sports person than a bookworm. When she manifests her third line, it appears across and under her eyes. She switches between 3 types of bottoms. Pants, Long skirt, shorter skirt of which she wears jogging leggings underneath but they’re all dark blue you know.

Lines: 2 + 1

Skills/Abilities: 

General Magic: Offensive Magic - Due to the competitive environment of Walkis, she has a general grasp on nearly all learnable offensive magic spells. Being able to cast them with ease compared to more typical and unlethal spells. Her speed at casting these spells were unmatched during her time in middle school.

Personal Magic: Impart - Darren’s magic essentially allows her to balance out either magical power, strength, and weaknesses between her targets (living and non living) or with herself. It’s essentially cheating at life. The magic is highly confusing due to the fact that she doesn’t have to chant the words to the magic and its essentially treated as a debuffing magic (which is wrong because she aims to fight everyone on fair terms).

Impart Zero - It dispels a spell.

Impart Seconth: Impartial Vice - Instead of deducting and balancing their power, like a water dam. Water is added to balance both sides.

Summon: Themis (Goddess of Justice) - When summoned, the user’s wand transforms into a dull sword whilst Themis appears with blindfold with a scale in hand

Themis Inclination - Themis appears and buffs her attacks’ range but she rarely utilises this due to how lackluster it was against Rayne (ineffective) and other people

Impart Thirds: Divine Mercy - It’s essentially renders its' target a painless death. It's an instant kill move.

Impart Thirds: Divine Tears - Unlike Divine Mercy, this one's pure torture. (To be developed later) (Tears of Themis reference?)

Wandless Casting: Her aptitude to cast magic without a wand has earned her infamy and wanted death since she enrolled into Walkis in middle school. It has also made her wanted by a few subdivisions of the Bureau of Magic, namely Magic Talent and Magic Research Administration.

Immense Speed: Exactly what running at 4am, and doing marathons before starting class does.

Immense Endurance: Due to the fact she does running as a hobby, her stamina/endurance in terms of speed/running is more than decent. She can withstand advanced offensive spells typically used by the police.

Equipment:

Basic Wand - She prefers to not wield a wand though finding it too rudimentary for her purposes, hence many assume she cannot unleash her secondth and thirds magic (to which she has). It stays in her cloak mostly.

Infinite Storage Fabric - Lining her uniform’s robe it has the ability to store anything it can consume within its’ own subspace. She stores majority of her items in it. Even though it’s mass doesn’t change due to how many things there are, it still is a heavy fabric. It will help fish out whatever the user who is currently wearing the cloak wants to have.

Resistance bands - She carries it around to do some exercise. Especially when she’s in the kitchen

Thick Rope - She carries this around as well but its to apprehend anyone she sees.

Photo album of Rayne Ames - She carries this with her at all times alongside a self printing camera. Don't worry, she gets permission to take the pictures.

Family/History:

The Randel Family while not aristocrats or anything, take pride in their magic aptitude which is a recent cut above the rest. Born as a two-liner magic user, she was put on a pedestal with unwanted attention, which is why she has a hime cut to hide her other mark. Her parents treat her like a trophy child and place their expectations on her.

She’s an only child but has an extensive selection of uncles and aunts 5 each. But she prefers her grandma over everyone else.

She had a tendency to break her wands while practising magic as a kid. Due to this her family/parents decided to just stop supplying wands (cuz it was costly) which resulted in her adapting the way she casted magic spells without the use of a wand. During her entrance exam into Walkis, she was ridiculed for not having a wand and got into trouble while getting the highest score of her batch in terms of magic.

_ _ _ _ _ _

I was tempted to add a Modern Magic/unmagic AU of this as well based on the anime endings which I find to be completely confusing even though they're fun. (SERIOUSLY, HOW IN THE WORLD DO RAYNE AND FINN HAVE FANCY OLD CARS THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN WHEN THEY'RE CANONICALLY ORPHANS UNLESS DIVINE VISIONARY IN MODERN AU IS A SUPER RICH POSITION-)

[visionsofmagic]

❉ from sweet to hot ❉

a/n: soo, after writing a story about Lance I wanted to write one for Darren because I am fond of him, he is so cute! He is my second favorite lover after Lance so I will keep writing about Lance and Darren probably. if you have any other request for other lovers, you can write them to me or in comment!

also, I want to write a series about this game because I want to add some plot scenes of lovers as well to the main story of the game. I hope I will begin to write soon, so new stories will come, don’t forget that!

enjoy the story!

character/pairing: Darren (from King’s Choice Game) x f!reader

summary: as being the new queen of the island, y/n, has some sweet moments with her inventor, darren, but sweet moments turn into hot ones.

word count: 1.2k

warning!: darren comes to story after a time so some of you can see spoiler in this story, so, be aware.

fluff, kissing, short story, sweet moments, intimacy, teasing (a little), and from fluff to hot

⇁ ⇁ ⇁

The kingdom is going to be better from day to day thanks to your management style of it; people have began to love you, honor you and to see you as one of their own. You always appreciate their behavior and feelings towards you because you was like a scared little cat in the first place. You didn’t know what to do, how to do things right and you had so many hard times to replace your family’s place. People said, ‘How can this lady rule our home, our country?’ over and over again. It took some time for them to get used to you. So, you had hard times. However, you never regretted. You never gave up either. You keep trying your best to make people assimilate your presence. You protected some of your people who are just trying to keep living with their jobs that they love to do.

One of these people was Darren. Darren is a cute man who is someone your age. He has a red colored hair and he is fond of inventing and developing new things with his weird tools which really impress you. The first time you saw him was the moment that he had an argue with one of your knights, Greg, while he is trying to took Darren’s tools away from him because his inventions were not that good at those times. You were surprised at that moment. Things that Darren invented or developed were new to you. You were amazed that he was so committed to what he was doing despite his constant failure. That’s why you offered him the chance to work in your kingdom, keep doing inventions but this time with kingdom’s supplies.

Besides all that, there was another reason you wanted to help him but you kept denying it because the reason was that you began to feel a special feeling towards Darren. It was there like the sun. You kept denying it, yes, but you kept visiting Darren again and again. You visited him in your good days, bad days and ordinary days. You didn’t need to a reason to visit him because you always tell him that you came to his work place in order to see how he was doing. You said that you visit every special worker of the kingdom. Yes, you visited them, it was true but you never visited them as much as you did with Darren.

So, here you were; leaning against the large wooden desk of his large, tool-filled study room right in front of Darren who is currently working on his new invention with great focusing. One of his built arms was your sight and you were able to see his arm muscle’s contracting and hardening movements before your eyes from the work he was doing. You wondered how a person could be cute and hot at the same time.

“What are you working on Darren?” You asked.

He turned at you while smiling widely, “I will not tell my lord. You have to wait to see it!” You nodded. You knew that you had to wait ‘till Darren being ready to share his invention with you, after making the perfect one. “Okay Darren, I will wait, don’t worry.”

You loved watching him. You loved his facial expressions and body movements while he was doing his beloved job. The love in his eyes made you happy but you wanted him to look at you like that too.

You took a deep breath which made Darren to look at you for a second before going back to his work, “Do you feel bored my highness? I am truly sorry that I can not make you feel excited but my new invention will make you better, believe me my lord!”

You chuckled at his words, he was really a gentleman. “Don’t worry Darren, I am not bored and please don’t call me with ‘my lord’ title when we are alone. Call me with my name, please.”

He nodded, not looking at you directly, “As you wish, y/n.”

You raised one eyebrow; did he just say your name in a hot tone or you just did you misunderstand because you wanted to hear him say in that tone? You didn’t know the answer but you wanted to hear your name coming from him in that way for one more time. You left your place, walking towards Darren which made him tense a little. You smiled because you knew that this tensing was good, not bad. He was really different today, you admitted. So, you didn’t see any reason not to tease with him. “And Darren,” You said his name in low tone too. He didn’t turn to your side but you knew that he was listening you carefully, “I never feel bored while I am with you.” You saw his hands be stunned for a second. You felt brave thanks to his body language that gave you hint of the fact that he liked where this conversation will go. You liked too.

“I really like watching you Darren.” You kept saying his name.

He stopped doing his job and turned to you, “Y/n,” Your heart stopped hitting for a second. The way he said your name was exciting. “I really like when you watch me.” His voice was different. A moment ago, his voice was all innocent and sweet but now, it was low and has a little feverish tone, causing your skin to burn with sudden heat.

There was no word that comes from you. There was just you and him, staring to each other’s eyes with intense looking, as if knowing things that will happen soon. You wondered whether his body heated like yours did, whether his heart began to bit like yours did, whether he was ready for it like you or not.

Your questions answered when he stood up, turning his whole body to you. He took two steps to stay right in front of you. Both of your body wasn’t touching but it was not a reason to keep your body to heat up more. You realized how his body was built after he stood up. Most of the times, you focused on his face and hands but now, his tall and muscular body was standing right in front of you and you saw how much good he was looking. You really liked him. Maybe, loving him more than liking.

“Tell me, y/n,” He said, “Do you want to watch me doing different things?” You were too stunned to speak. Was he really trying to raise your intimacy to a level that no one has*?

You tried to speak but your voice didn’t come out. Darren smirked at you. Then, his forefinger touched your chin to lift it up. Now, your head was right under him, lips are ready to meet with each other and eyes are focused on each other. “I am waiting for your answer, y/n.”  You swallowed from thirst of your mouth. The strings were in his hands now. He looked like having the power of a king which made your body tensed in excitement.

You wet your mouth to sound smooth, “I want,” You said, “I want to watch you while you making different things Darren.”

“I see.”

This was the last word he said before kissing you deeply and keeping kissing every place of your body ‘till the night. The night that Darren showed you the most beautiful view to behold.

⇁ ⇁ ⇁

a/n: * In here, I wrote ‘no one has’ because even if we know that y/n or mc of the game will have other lovers, like Ian who introduced as first lover in the beginning of the story, I wanted to make Darren one truly lover in this story because I just write this story to him, not for other lovers. So, you can imagine Darren as your one truly lover or you can think about other lovers as well. For the second option you can read that part as, ‘Was he really trying to raise your intimacy to a level that just a few people have?’

⇁ ⇁ ⇁

love, rose. ♡

[ghostiiess]

[NSB HEADCANONS] - christmas with them!

synopsis: it's christmas and you spend the holidays with them!

warning: some swear here and there, darren being dirty-minded and pervert, mention of the word ass… i think that’s all? let me know if there’s more!

type: fluff

members: all of them

merry (late) christmas everyone! i hope you all day wonderful holidays 🤍 thank you very much for this wonderful year that we had together! i can’t believe it’s actually been one year that i started writing about the boys! 😊 thank you for all the support, the likes and the love!! it is so much appreciated <33 happy new year in advance and may 2024 be the best year for you :)

reblogs and likes are very appreciated!

OLIVER MOY

BEST HOLIDAY ON EARTH??

we know oli, we know how he is, we know how boyfriend material he is…

so is it really a surprise if i’m telling you that you would pass an amazing time with him during christmas? not really.

he would spoil you so much!

« what? can’t i treat my girl right? »

he would make sure that you know that you look extraordinary beautiful

he would hype you up so much

« oh my god… you’re so beautiful, omg » he said while covering his mouth with his left hand

he would giggle.

he would also have bought matching pyjamas

« so i got the santa one and you got the reindeer! isn’t it so cute? »

cutest boy alive, no cap (yes im a simp)

he would write the cutest things in your christmas card

“thank you for making the world a kinder place”

“thank you for existing and making me a part of your routine”

“thank you for always being you and always making the world a greater place”

“you’re making fall in love with you more and more everyday”

crying bc he’s so damn sweet 🤧 i love him sm omg

random thoughts: oliver would sing you christmas song

and maybe… he would even ask you to sing with him? lol

oliver would literally heal your inner children, with his family 🥹 in one nsb video (or was it in seb’s? i forgot, sorry) all the nsb boys came to see oli’ and seb’s mom and dad, and omg that was so cute

he’s a gentleman, he’s a golden retriever, he’s a boyfriend material, so of course he would make sure you’re always feeling okay and comfortable around him

« this is our christmas baby. we spend it together, so as much as i really love my family and spending my holidays with them, i want you to be comfortable and happy during this time. so if something isn’t right or you want to take a break, please let me know, alright? »

i just see oliver caressing your back and whispering sweets nothing to you :((

anyways, let this boy give you the best because you truly deserve it <33

(others members’ part under the cut!)

SEBASTIAN MOY

FUNNY HOLIDAYS!!

this man’s so funny

sebastian could do anything and it would be funny, i truly don’t know why

so obvs, he would try to pull little pranks on you (not as much as kane, but still)

« babe, look! there’s a mistletoe! looks likes you have to kiss me! »

« babe, you’re supposed to kiss me on the lips not on my cheek! »

“wdym it wasn’t specific enough!! i thought you’d knew what i wanted!”

he would def convince his younger brother (mateo!!!) to pull a prank on you and oli

sebastian would be the type to give you a big, big Christmas gift that is in a box, that box is in another box, and that box is in another box… just to make you wait for the gift

and the gift be like « free pass for a kiss! »

“isn’t this the best gift ever?”

what can i say? he loves your kisses (and your hugs)

did you see his stories?? if not, expect him to put (almost) EVERYTHING on his ig/sc stories

he would def watch them all over the holidays too 🫣 don’t tell him i told you that

seb would give you sweet treats, like chocolates, massage, bubble bath if you’re into that kind of thing… things he know that will make you smile and make you feel good

“i could give you another thing to make you feel good…” then he would smirk

“I WASN’T TALKING ABOUT THAT, OMG?!! You are so dirty minded, omg”

anyways like oli, he would be very considerate of your feelings

« you okay, babe? »

« is everything’s alright, baby? »

he cares sm about you

i feel like he would randomly hug/kiss you out of nowhere and smile

« nothing’s wrong, you’re just really pretty »

“mine”

RYAN NGUYEN

would def heal your inner child, 100%

the holiday with him would be so funny (and prob iconic too)

ryan’s family sounds so lovely and so cozy… (you wouldn’t be boring at their house)

last year, ryan did a q&a with his sisters and it was super cozy and super relaxing to watch

so i think it would be the same if you spent the holidays with him

lots and lots of animes nights

you’d also be a pro at videogames too

ryan would have matching pyjamas sets for you

« i thought we could wear it during the holidays.. »

he would def hold your hand all along the festivities, like this man’s whipped for you

« what? can’t i hold my pretty girlfriend’s hands? »

his fam would love you sm

ryan would def be a bit jealous that you’re passing more time with grace & ava (his sisters) than him

“can’t you talk with them later? -_-”

“i’m not jealous, what are you talking about?”

would ask his mom to cook your favourites meal :D

« yeah, i asked my mom to cook your favourite! »

ryan who def make videos with you and spend a lot of time with you, including cuddling because even though it doesn’t look like that, ryan’s a simp for your cuddles and your hugs and your kisses

would def put a lot of mistletoe around the house and use the excuse « it’s just for decorating the house »

indeed, he only want to kiss you 24/7

yes, he likes it that much 😌

JUSTIN PHAN

spending holidays with him seem so fun

trust me, you guys would have matching outfits too lololol

he would literally go to target to shop some matching things with you

and also buy you random things that you probably don’t needed, but that he bought because he thought of you when he saw them

also, i’m just seeing him going to target with you to shop for last minute christmas present

ofc, he would pay for your things

because he’s that gentleman with you

and also bc he never want to see you pay when you’re with him

“it’s the holidays, can’t i spoil my girl?”

“shut up, let me pay for you”

“you’ll pay next time!”

“wdym i said the same thing the last time? i didn’t!”

he would make sure you’re always comfortable, always happy and always smiling

he would hold your hands during dinner if you’re stressed/anxious/nervous

justin seems the type to be super romantic

he would literally give you a christmas card and thank you for every things you did for him

a bit like oli!

“thank you for always making me happy. the world needs more people like you”

he would literally give you cute stuff

like hello kitty stuff bc we all know how jp like hello kitty 🫶🏻

believe it or not, justin’s the biggest simp for his person

so expect a lot of compliments coming towards him

the type to say: “my mom likes you more than me, i’m sure of it”

KANE RATAN

i can’t tell how much i like this man

yes im a simp, and what abt it? 🤭

would def help your inner child too

he would always try his best to always make you smile/make you happy when you’re with him

he would always support you in anything you do

he would also give you a shoulder to cry on if that’s something you need

“babe… don’t cry…”

“it’s okay, i’m here..”

“idm if my tshirt get wet… i have others tshirts, don’t worry about that baby”

“I’m so so sorry about what happened when you were younger… do you want to talk about it?”

to me, kane’s the definition of the word “fluff” and “comfort”

he would literally make your days brighter with his smile 🤭

no bc his smile is so cute

he would give you ALOT of gifts

his family is kinda a bit rich lol (check their hide n seek video and the price of the mansion… 🤩) so… yeah.

would be the type to buy you plane tickets for a special destination

“wdym?? baby, it’s plane ticket! we’re going to travel together!”

“i know you always wanted to go there, so… i thought it could be the perfect moment to go there together!”

sweetest holidays with him :(

“what do you mean i bought you too much gifts? baby, you deserve it”

he would def make activities with you and his siblings and let you win on purpose

“me? made you win? there’s no way i did that!”

kane would make you do pranks with him on his brothers / sisters

but junior (his younger brother) wouldn’t let that slide so you’d literally do pranks on kane hahaha

“baby, what?? i thought you were on my team!”

“god, and i thought you’d side with me for this prank”

spending holidays with kane seems so great and fun 🫶🏻

DARREN LIANG

the sussiest holiday ever, ngl

i never saw in one nsb videos darren not being dirty minded, sorry not sorry 😭

so i rlly hope you’re not innocent, bc if you are… well, let’s say he won’t let that title up

bc this man says the most random ever things ever and turn them into dirty things, so if you’re still innocent after spending like 2-3 weeks with him… this is impressive

darren could turn everything not suspicious to something very suspicious (but we like him like that 🫶🏻)

would definitely not hide his true ‘personality’ to his family…

atp, i think his fam is aware that their son is dirty-minded

mostly during the Christmas presents part…

“didn’t give you much gift, bc i thought i could be your gift for this year”

“what? didn’t meant in that way… unless..”

“oh yeah!! this present is so cool!! i heard it could hide hickeys pretty well! isn’t that so cool?”

ofc, darren isn’t only naughty and pervert 😂

He’s also very caring and sweet :((

So ofc, if he see you being uncomfortable due to this comment or his moves or anything he’s doing, he would stop

No need to ask him twice

We all know how good dar’ is with cooking, so ofc he would cook something for you and his fam for Christmas

might even do it with you

He would have bought you matching aprons! and you know him…. the images or texts on it would be anything but wholesome

Being with Darren during the holidays also mean he would take good care of you

He would buy you a ton of skincare if that’s something you like

He would also help you with your routine (would never let you sleep with makeup/unclean face)

“Baby, let me take your makeup off”

“let me wash your face”

“Just sit on the counter and let me do the rest, okay?”

“Stop moving!!!”

“Wdym it tickles, baby it’s my fingers…”

“Are you saying my fingers are tickling you? 😏”

Funniest (and sussiest) holidays, I’m telling you

REGIE MACALINO

Darren part 2? Jk

This man’s a keeper 🫶🏻

He would make everything so funny, so fun, so cool, like it’s the regie macalino we’re talking about

I think regie would be the same guy he is in the videos, with you

he’s very nonchalant

He would def sleep on your shoulder while his family is opening xmas gifts

“Wdym wake up?? I wasn’t sleeping bruh”

“I was resting my eyes, that’s not the same thing”

He would also try his hardest to make you blush ☺️

And if you can’t blush, he would try his hardest to make you smile

i’m just imagining him, on the other side of the couch, giving winks here and there

AND HE WOUD BE HAPPY TO SEE YOU TRYING NOT TO SMILE/BLUSH

“I ain’t doing anything, whatcha talking about?”

He would def (10000%) says dirty things in front of you and act like he didn’t mean it in that way

“Damn that’s a cool sweater… wonder how it could look on the floor…”

“Why you’re looking at me like that, stop being dirty minded y/n”

Regie would def laugh his ass off because of what he’s doing to you

i just know he would be so proud of himself

btw, during the holidays, expect to go in the snow

Regie’s so cute when he first saw the snow 😔 like give him the chance to see snow again, pls?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go see the nsb’s video where they go play in the snow lol

He would do snow angels with you 🥹 and call you his angel

“You just did yourself in the snow…”

“eww that so cringey of me, I’m sorry”

“wdym you liked it? damn, you’re a simp for me, bruh”

taglist (open): @nsb-rkive @kentisbaby @firebenderwolf @hyuneee0 @yawnzzznnn @ghostyycat7

[littlemisspascal]

Love Triangles Part 2

Pairing: Dieter x Female Reader

Word Count: 2000+

Summary: You’re a horrible person, pining for a soulmarked man who isn’t yours to pine over. Not just a horrible person, but an absolutely terrible soulmate too.

Warnings: Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Language, Soulmates AU with Identifying Marks, Reader has no name or physical description except for being shorter than Dieter + has a bony shoulder, Reader’s work is purposely ambiguous, Literal sleeping together, Mention of drugs/edibles, Mention of sex

Author Note: Thank you everybody for the kind support 💗

PART 1 // PART 3

A week after your first meeting, you discovered Dieter was your next-door neighbor when he invited you over to watch movies and have dinner together. You’d opened your mouth to say thank you, but I already have plans (plans of making a blanket nest and eating ice cream while watching rom-coms, but he didn’t need to know that) except your tongue betrayed you, instead asking what time you should arrive and if you should bring anything.

“Gimme thirty minutes,” he’d answered, grinning that infectiously happy smile of his. “And bring whatever you want, Pidge. Popcorn, candy–oh!” His eyes lit up. “Do you have any KitKats?”

The soulmark ordeal, while absolutely crushing to your spirit, had ultimately been a total misunderstanding. And you knew avoiding Dieter wasn’t fair, especially when he had no idea about the emotional turmoil you experienced. He might not be your soulmate, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still be in your life. 

So you’d replied, “I might keep a bag or two, but I only share them with friends,” and hoped he understood, hoped he would accept.

There had been the barest hints of hesitation, smile losing some of its brightness at the corners, before it stretched impossibly wider across his face, one brown eye cheekily winking at you. “Good thing we’re friends then, Pigeon.”

Now, three months later, you and Dieter have perfected the routine of meeting at his place every Friday night for movies and junk food. 

Instead of a tv, Dieter has a projector hooked up to his laptop and a collection of action movies containing more fiery explosions than actual lines of dialogue. Instead of a couch, his bed claims the majority of the living room space, sheets always messy and unmade like he’d just woken up mere seconds ago. Instead of a beautiful scenic view of the park across the street, the windows have been concealed behind solid black curtains. You made the mistake once of attempting to look outside, wanting to compare his view to yours, and Dieter had hissed at you. Hissed.

He may be cute, but he’s also the weirdest fucking oddball you’ve ever encountered.

Dieter’s an artist. An artist whose artwork falls within the extremely niche category of grotesque verging on perverted which only appeals to a very small, very selective group of clientele, but nevertheless he’s pretty damn skilled with a paintbrush. He set up his studio in the room that was originally his bedroom, claiming the space better suited his brain waves but you’re 99% sure the truth is that he prefers the room because it has no windows through which villainous sunbeams can sneak in. You’re also convinced he’s a secret vampire given his love of total darkness and odd sleeping schedule.

Whether he’s one of the undead or not, it’s a pleasant surprise discovering how nice it is to spend time with Dieter. You often find yourself seeking his company throughout the week when you’ve finished work or you’re just simply bored. Mostly you’ll talk with him about the current events unfolding within the building: the number of views on Krystal’s newest TikTok video, whether or not Darren’s telling the truth about convincing James McAvoy to narrate his documentary on skittles, what’s the current status of Lauren and Dustin’s marriage, etc.

A less pleasant surprise is the realization your initial feelings for Dieter aren’t quite as dead as you thought. In the process of getting to know him better, those emotions rise like a phoenix out of the ashes, triggering a warm stirring within your chest whenever Dieter laughs at one of your jokes or dances in his bathrobe and boxers to a Beck song. 

You’re a horrible person, pining for a soulmarked man who isn’t yours to pine over. Not just a horrible person, but an absolutely terrible soulmate too.

(Readers might be wondering, what else can be shared about the current events? To which I, the author, would answer, “22.4 million views. No, Darren’s a lying liar who lies. Currently on again, but only up until Lauren finds out about Dustin’s latest affair with their fifth marriage counselor.”)

~~

It takes your sleep-addled mind a few seconds to comprehend the harsh, grating sound responsible for waking you up is Dieter snoring. His face is squashed so firmly against your neck you’re amazed he can even breathe. Blinking away the last traces of slumber, you start piecing together more details. The navy tufted headboard behind you and the multitude of pillows piled high on the memory foam mattress quickly lead to the realization you’ve fallen asleep in his bed.

The projector resting precariously on a stack of paint cans offers the only light source in the room, a giant white square on the wall with black text asking for the user to press the power or resume play button. You search your brain for memories, remembering coming over for your weekly movie night (Instant Trouble. The first five minutes involving a shark, a missile launcher, and a dozen mannequins confirmed it deserved the negative score it received on Rotten Tomatoes), eating an excessive amount of chocolate, and then Dieter had laid his head on your shoulder, complained it was too bony to be comfortable, but still he stayed.

Still you both apparently fell asleep. 

Miraculously, you’re able to slip your phone out of the pocket of your watermelon-patterned pajama pants without waking him, eyes bulging when you see it’s almost ten o’clock in the morning. You’ve never spent the night here before, preferring to leave either a little before or a little after midnight depending on when the movies ended. This is whole new territory for you. What do you do now?

The screaming of your full bladder makes the decision for you. Twisting and curling your body in a feat of gymnastics deserving of an Olympic medal, you slide out of bed, replacing a pillow beneath Dieter’s still-snoring face, and hurry for the bathroom.

Washing your hands after you finish, you refuse to look at your reflection in the mirror, knowing if you do you’ll immediately look at the spot where Dieter’s mouth had been pressed against your skin, and then you’ll start grinning or, even worse, giggling like a bashful schoolgirl, and then it’s just going to keep spiraling from there. 

You really need to get a grip.

Dieter’s half-awake when you open the door, the lamp on his nightstand outlining him in dim orange light as he struggles sliding his arms through the sleeves of his inside-out robe. It shouldn’t be cute watching an adult man stumble out of bed like a newborn foal trying to find its balance, but your heart doesn’t get the memo, helplessly melting into a soft mushy pile. 

“Mornin’, Pidge,” Dieter says, and his already low, husky voice is apparently raspier after he wakes up, hoarse like he’d been screaming or moaning or–you shut down that train of thought. 

“Tramp,” you respond, just enough self-control left in you to keep your voice level. “Sleep well?”

“Mmhmm,” he hums, a sound which will echo in your brain for many months to come, and his lips curl into a satisfied smirk. “You make a good pillow.”

You roll your eyes and start kicking through the blankets covering the floor in search of your shoes. Your hunt reveals an empty KitKat bag, Dieter’s crocs, and some dirty silverware that never made the short distance to the kitchen. There’s an eight second panic attack where you think your favorite yellow converse are lost forever, only to breathe a heavy sigh of relief when you see them in the corner by the floor mirror–another one of Dieter’s peculiar interior design choices you’re certain can be traced back to the bag of edibles he thinks you don’t know are stashed behind his replica Oscar trophy. Idiot.

Yawning, Dieter wonders, “You’re leaving already?”

“Um…” You pause in the middle of tugging your left shoe on, too lazy to undo the laces, and consider your options. There’s really only two: you stay or you leave. And it isn’t safe to stay–not with how your silly crush is affecting you, making your heart melt and filling your stomach with butterflies. 

Before you can give an actual answer, Dieter starts talking again, scratching at his scalp thoughtfully, “We could go get coffee? Or donuts? Shit, what time is it? I gotta cancel with Kate first, but then…”

He keeps talking, but you stop listening. 

Kate.

How could you forget about her? Seriously, how could you when almost every morning you wake up hearing a squeaking bed frame and muffled grunts and other miscellaneous sound effects of their sex marathon next door? 

You’ve never met or seen Kate, so you have no idea if she’s Dieter’s girlfriend or if it’s purely sex between them or if she’s…something far more important to him, if she has a matching triangle soulmark. All you do know for sure is that she makes him happy. You can tell just by the way he talks about her.

“Kate’s my motivation. She changes me, makes me better,” he’d told you once in the early stages of your friendship during a shared elevator ride. You remember his expression and tone had been uncharacteristically solemn, but his brown eyes remained soft. Full of fondness. You remember your heart had fractured all over again. “Nobody else challenges me like she does. That's why I stick with her.”

Kate’s an elusive ghost coming and going out of Dieter’s apartment without leaving any trace of her presence behind, which would strike you as odd except everything about Dieter’s odd. Odd and beautiful and easy to fall in love with. Whoever this Kate is, you hope she knows how lucky she is. 

Your breath hitches, recognizing the familiar stinging sensation behind your eyes. Oh no. No, no, no. You refuse to start crying in front of Dieter, not now, not over this.

Fuck, Kate could be on her way over right now. The mere thought of meeting her, of seeing her here within this space—this weird and precious bubble Dieter has created with his dirty laundry and paint supplies and mismatched furniture—forms a sickening pit in your stomach. Your skin feels too tight, mouth dry and ears stuffed with cotton. You need to get out of here. 

“Where did I lose you, Pigeon?” Dieter asks, his voice an arrow piercing through the storm of panic. 

Your lips part without consent, but you harshly sink your teeth into your tongue before the words can escape, before you ruin this entire friendship. You can’t lose what you never had.

“Pidge?” Dieter sounds concerned now, forehead scrunching with lines that have your fingers twitching with the urge to soothe. 

You need to get out of here right fucking now.

Swallowing thickly, you ram your other foot into your shoe, ignoring the pinch of pain from your toes in protest of the harsh treatment. “I-I just, uh,” you rack your brain for an excuse, any excuse, and it hits you when you spot your work badge clipped to your bag. “I just remembered I gotta finish making a PowerPoint for work.”

“On a Saturday?” Dieter watches with a raised, incredulous eyebrow as you adjust your bag over your shoulders, trembling fingers struggling with untwisting the strap. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Yeah, well, not all of us are tortured artists who get to plan their own work schedules whenever a visit from Mary Jane and her friends inspires them,” you shot back, sharper than you intended.

You’re almost out the door when fingers wrap around your hand. Another static shock of electricity zaps at your skin and you make a mental note to buy more dryer balls at the store. Slowly turning your head, you stare at a paint stain on Dieter’s shirt, knowing if you met his gaze you’d see nothing but distress and confusion and the truth would come pouring out of you. Nobody wanted to experience that trauma.

“Pidge…” is all he says, but there’s so much emotion packed into the one word you could drown in his voice.

Squeezing his hand reassuringly, you bob your head, praying he doesn’t comment on your wobbly grin or the fact you’re still avoiding direct eye contact. “It’s all good, Tramp. Rain check on those donuts?”

Dieter says nothing. You can practically feel the hesitation emanating in waves off his broad frame as he stares at you, eyes roaming your face. 

And then Dieter sighs, a quiet breath of air that has you biting back a wince.

“Yeah, of course,” he agrees at last with a sniff. “Rain check.”

“Rain check,” you repeat again like an idiot because he’s still holding your hand, thumb softly running over your knuckles. All your instincts are screaming at you to flee through the open door, but your heart says stay and your stupid feet remain glued to the floor with indecision.

Then Dieter’s letting you go, turning around with a halfhearted wave over his shoulder as he heads for the bathroom. And the realization he’s dismissing you hits like a gut punch.

You leave in daze, the short trip down the hall to your apartment a total blur. That was odd, you think. Even for Dieter’s standards. Inside the privacy of your apartment you lean against the closed door, curling and uncurling your fingers against your soulmark, forming a fist. 

The differences between your mark and Dieter’s are as equally marginal as they are monumental. If only yours had been drained of color, if only more had been added to fill in his—all of this would be so much simpler. 

But when has life ever been known to be simple?

[something-tofightfor]

Locked Down Part 16: The Escape

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Female Reader

Word Count: 8,237

Rating: M. Some swearing, just a little angst. (a mention of some spice but nothing graphic)

Summary: Dieter’s gone, but that doesn’t mean you’re not in contact. But with him on the other side of an ocean, you’re free to pay more attention to your surroundings - and growing discontent with the rest of the cast. 

Author’s note:

This chapter (and the next) are much different than the others in this story - and have been a challenge to write. Please enjoy. 

Catch up on the other parts here: Locked Down Masterlist

The only immediate thing that Dieter leaving changed for you was the amount of sleep that you got per night. 

For the first few days, you missed him terribly - waking up and going to sleep alone were rough, and it was common for you to startle awake in the middle of the night, hand reaching for the empty space in the bed that he’d previously occupied. The cologne helped slightly - you’d sprayed the pillowcase the third day after he left, the scent of him filling your nostrils again, but it wasn’t the same. 

And even though you still spent time with the other crew - and on one occasion, had a drink with Carol, letting the woman vent to you for a full hour about the way things had gone on set that day - you were always back in your room relatively early, preferring to fill your time with Netflix in the background and your video files in front of you. 

You spoke to Dieter once a day over the phone and texted back and forth frequently, but the 8 hour difference was difficult to match up with your filming schedule - Dieter was waking up as you were finishing your workday, and by the time he was ready for bed, you were either sound asleep or already at work. It’ll be easier when we’re on the same continent. Aside from the distance, though, not much else was different. The two of you still flirted back and forth with each other via text and pictures, and Dieter remained interested in how the shoot was going and how you were handling the final days of a disaster production. 

He’d been right - things did get worse the closer to the end of the shoot you got. Darren snapped at everyone constantly, and in turn, the cast and crew’s moods dropped every single day until everyone was counting down until the daily wrap was called. 

But on that Friday night - the second one after Dieter left - you were sitting in the chair on your balcony under the starlight, smoking some of what Dieter left you when your phone vibrated with a text alert. It was Dieter, squinting into the camera with the beach  - and the ocean - behind him. Fucker. You didn’t call him, instead putting on your biggest and best frown and taking a picture to send him in return, a winking emoji coming back through only seconds later. Asshole. 

You were happy for him, though, the man getting a well-deserved break between work assignments and taking a couple weeks to relax, but you were also annoyed that while he was enjoying the warmth, you were stuck in chilly England for at least another few weeks. And then it’s back to land-locked Atlanta. Deciding to send him a final message - Don’t forget your sunscreen. Call me later if you want. - you stood and headed back inside, crushing the remaining section of your joint beneath your shoe’s sole. 

He didn’t call though, and you fell asleep while watching a movie, waking up with your arms wrapped around Dieter’s pillow only as the sun began to shine through the panes of glass in the balcony door. That’s the longest I’ve slept in a week. It wasn’t even 8 am, but you felt refreshed, choosing to get dressed and get breakfast before returning to your videos, trying to decide whether or not you wanted to text Dieter to say goodnight. 

He made the decision for you, your phone ringing and showing you a picture of his face on the screen as you walked down the hallway. “Good morning, Dieter.” 

“It’s midnight here.” He sighed, clearing his throat. “I was gonna call earlier, but I lost track of time.” Assuring him that he didn’t need to explain himself, you started down the stairs. “Met some friends and we hung out for a while on the Boardwalk, got something to eat.” He coughed. “Haven’t seen any of them since last year, and it was … really fucking nice.” 

“Good.” You were curious about who he’d met up with, and knew that all you’d have to do was a quick search online to find out if anyone had caught pictures of it. But I’m not going to. “Sounds like you had a good day, then.” 

“I did.” Dieter paused, the silence hanging heavily between you. “Woulda been a better day if you were here, too.” 

“Next time.” You spoke around a lump in your throat, nodding even though he couldn’t see you, and as you turned the corner toward the dining area, you spoke again. “You gonna be on TMZ, Dieter? Should I look out for pictures of you on your beach adventure?” He laughed at that, the sound warming you as much as the sun had likely warmed his skin. 

“Maybe. You wouldn’t believe the shit that they’ve been taking pictures of because everyone’s still staying inside. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got pictures of us, even though they’re nothing good.” 

“It’ll go back to normal. As soon as more people start getting back into their routines, they’ll have to diversify and then it won’t just be people following celebrities around to take pictures of them shopping at Target or putting air in their tires.” You’d reached the main hall, peering in to see that some of the cast and crew were there already, plates of food in front of them. “I just got to the dining room. I need to eat and then get back to editing. I was supposed to have everything done for the week last night, but it was a really shitty day, and I -” 

“I should sleep anyway. Gotta meet my agent tomorrow, and since it’s the first damn time in six months, I probably shouldn’t be half asleep.” No, you shouldn’t. “I’ll talk to you later?” You told him that you’d be around whenever, and then hung up, tucking your phone back into your pocket. Hearing his voice had cheered you up immensely, the smile not leaving your face while you picked out your breakfast and then sat at a table to eat it, scrolling through your phone while you did. 

A few minutes later, another message from Dieter pinged through, a link popping upon the screen. He wasn’t kidding. You clicked on it, waiting for the page to load and burst out laughing as you saw that someone had taken pictures of Dieter and his friends - two men and a woman that you didn’t recognize, the four of them sitting on towels in the sand and then at two picnic tables as they talked and ate. Dieter shirtless in pictures was different than seeing it in person - every detail of his body on display in stunning quality right on your screen - and you couldn’t help zooming in, eyes roving over his skin, which was slightly more golden than it had been the last time you saw him. Your food looks good. And I’m glad that you’re still social distancing. 

He replied back, a series of dots and the eye roll emojis, and you told him to go to sleep, darkening the screen as you returned to your breakfast. A few minutes later, you heard your name and looked up, finding Gunther standing next to your table, a worried look on his face. What now? “I’ve been asked to have you get your camera and meet the rest of the cast in the lounge in twenty minutes.” What? “Gavin has an announcement to make.” 

“Do you know what it is?” Groaning, you rubbed at your forehead. “I have so much footage to go through today, I -” “I don’t. But I have an idea.” Gunther leaned in, lips pressed together. “And you’ll want to be there.” He stood back up, nodding. “Twenty minutes, please.” The man turned and walked away, likely heading out to the other cast’s rooms, and even though it was the last thing you wanted to do, you stood from the table, gathered your trash, and then left, too. As you waited for the elevator, you couldn’t help texting Dieter, chewing on your lower lip. I think shit’s about to hit the fan. Gavin’s got an announcement. 

— 

Shit hitting the fan was an understatement. 

You arrived in the lounge before just about anyone else had, setting one camera on a tripod in the corner of the room where you could see everything to begin with and waiting, perched on the back of one of the couches with the smaller camera in your hands. 

The moment other people started arriving, you started recording on both, making your way slowly toward where you figured Gavin would stand to deliver whatever announcement he had to make. Gunther nervously stood on one side of him, Pippa on the other, and while you watched from a safe distance away, camera focused on the cast’s faces, you felt your anxiety ratcheting up. 

The man didn’t sugarcoat anything, and so when Darren slunk into the room a few moments later, you were ready, the announcement causing a shocked ripple to pass through the room, angry voices filling it moments later. A month of reshoots. Absolutely not. 

There was no reason for it - the excuses that Darren and Gavin gave about the studio wanting a certain scene to go a different way, dialogue not landing with test audiences, stunt sequences and special effects needing to be combined in a different way … it wasn’t the cast’s fault, and they weren’t happy about it at all - Carol leading the charge as they railed against the two men and the woman that had delivered the news. 

“There’s no fucking way I’m staying here for another month for that. It should take days, not weeks.” She crossed her arms and stood nose to nose with Darren, eyes blazing. “You can’t keep us here. You can’t make us -” “Well, we can, because the contr-” “No, actually our contracts only accommodate reasonable extensions, Gavin.” Dustin spoke up, head shaking back and forth. “This isn’t reasonable. And things need to be renegotiated if -” “Yeah, I mean I have another job lined up, and I need to get out of here.” Sean was on his feet, the man nervously fidgeting with his sweatshirt’s zipper. “I gotta get back home and get to my lifestyle brand’s development thing, and we all need to see our families, and this is …” “If any of you leaves, it’s a breach of contract, and you’ll owe the studio -” You couldn’t tell who was saying what, Howie’s voice louder than anyone else’s until the redheaded woman cut through it all, her voice shrill. “This whole thing is a fucking breach of contract, Gavin!” Carol’s hands were waving around, her curled hair tumbling down and over her back. “We haven’t been allowed to leave in months, just to work. There’s nothing in here that says it’s our fault that the fucking special effects people can’t figure out how to accurately depict a fucking Cliff Beast’s dick exploding, so -” “The studio gets what the studio wants.” Gavin crossed his arms, straightening his back. “You all signed contracts. You are here until the end of the filming process, and I don’t know what to tell you about it.” “Dieter and Lauren got to leave.” Krystal spoke up, the girl still seated. “They -” “Lauren almost died, and Dieter finished his scenes.” Dustin cut in again, moving to stand next to Carol. “So they aren’t involved in this. This is about us, and about the fact that -” 

“Reshoots begin Monday. We’ll film the end of the movie as soon as we finish with - “

“Fuck it.” Carol turned away, heading for the door. “Fuck this. I’m going to call my agent, and he’s going to…” Her words faded as she left the room, everyone else quiet. Oh, shit. This is … 

“This is bullshit, Darren, Gavin. Fucking bullshit.” Dustin left next, followed by Sean and then finally Krystal,  Howie trailing out afterward and glaring daggers at the three men and Pippa, who’d shrunk back almost nervously. 

When it was just you, Gavin, Darren, Pippa and Gunther in the room, you backed away, trying to stay quiet, but Gavin’s eyes swung toward you, an annoyed smile on his lips. “Get that? That’s some good BTS, right? And when the movie comes out and the reshoots are a success, the fight will seem -” “You’ve got your work cut out for you, if I’m being honest.” You lowered the camera, clicking it off. “They’re pissed. And I’m not too happy, either. I do have an actual job I need to get back to.” You said nothing else, moving back to your main camera and turning it off before you packed it away and exited the room, leaving the other four to stand in shocked silence. What did they expect? 

Hurrying back to your room, you decided that it was too late to call Dieter, instead opting to send a long voice message to him, hoping that when he heard it, he’d call you back. Whenever that might be. Cross-legged on your bed once more, you returned to your laptop, trying to figure out how to tell Carmen that your time in London had likely been extended again… but instead of doing that, you just pushed the computer away and flopped back into the bed, eyes on the ceiling. This is fucked. 

— 

He messaged you back while you were eating dinner that night, Dieter’s response exactly what you’d thought it would be:  Holy fuck, that’s going to end badly.  That was putting it mildly, and even though you knew that he wouldn’t have time to talk about it until later, you didn’t get to speak to him that night, because you ended up smoking the remainder of what was in the bag, the weed hitting you hard and knocking you out before 10. 

You slept through the night again, waking up to a growling stomach, and decided to order room service instead of risking running into anyone. You were determined to enjoy the final day of your weekend and didn’t want to ruin it by having to deal with anyone’s bullshit, opting to lounge in bed with the balcony door open until your phone rang that night - Dieter again trying to get ahold of you. “The cast group chat is insane right now.” He began the conversation with a laugh. “I wish you could see it. I think they’re staging a rebellion.” That’ll be interesting. “Seriously, though, next week on set could be really interesting, so make sure your camera’s rolling.” 

“You know what’s funny?” You laid back, phone held to your ear. “I’ve recorded hundreds of hours of footage over the last five months, and … maybe twenty five minutes is going to be used? I guess it could be up to like an hour depending on what they choose to release for promo, but like … what’s the point? They have someone here taking daily stills, but if all I’m responsible for is the BTS footage, they won’t need 99% of what I turned in.” 

“It’s still good to have it, though.” He cleared his throat. “And you’re getting paid no matter how much they use, so…” It was true - it didn’t matter what they did with the footage you filmed, you’d done the job you were hired to do. “If it gets bad, though, call me. Doesn’t matter what time.” Assuring him you would, you asked how his meeting had gone, trying to change the subject. “Really fucking good. He’s trying to line up something for after Valley, but I told him that it had to be the right project, you know? Would love a series, maybe. Something that keeps me consistently busy, sort of a regular schedule instead of flying all over the place for a movie every couple months.” 

“There anything on the radar?” You wanted to listen to Dieter talk, the man’s voice soothing even though it was slightly faraway, the result of your phone’s speaker. “A guest starring role somewhere? A lead for something that’s been picked up for at least a couple seasons?” “I’ve got options.” He laughed. “Booked a couple print campaigns that I’m going to be able to do while working in Montana, they’ll fly me back to LA or to New York for a weekend for those, but that’s not what I’m talking about, so …” He kept going and you closed your eyes at the sound of his words, the man launching into descriptions of a couple potential future projects. Before you knew, it, you realized that you’d been on the phone with him for three hours, and it was nearly midnight. 

“Dieter, I hate to do this, but I need to go take a shower and then get to sleep. I missed dinner, so I want to wake up early and get breakfast.” “I miss your shower.” He nearly purred the words, his voice dropping. “Miss you and your shower, actually.”  

“Yeah, well, I miss you too.” Rising into a sitting position, you eyed the bathroom door. “My shower at home is definitely not designed with two people in mind, so -” “Then I guess you’ll have to come to LA, because mine is.” He said your name, refocusing your attention. “Still want you to. As soon as you can.” Good. I want to, too. 

“As soon as possible, Dieter.” Standing, you began to undress, letting your clothes pile up on the floor. “I hope you have a good rest of your day, because you have plenty of it left.” Assuring you that he would, and telling you to enjoy your shower, Dieter ended the call and only a few minutes later you were standing underneath the spray of hot water, Dieter’s face in your mind and your hand between your legs. 

— 

Monday and Tuesday passed without incident, though the entire cast was on edge, their performances stilted. Dutifully, you recorded everything you were meant to, moving carefully around the studio with the camera and focusing on the most likely first sources of trouble - Carol and Dustin. 

But they were well-behaved, going through the scenes and taking direction. It seemed to you like they were biding their time, and by Wednesday, you realized that that’s exactly what everyone was doing. It took them longer and longer to come back on set after bathroom and meal brakes, each of the cast members making excuses. They’re testing Darren and Gavin. Seeing what they can get away with. It was interesting to watch all of them working together, and finding the weaknesses in the studio’s security measures, but everything came to a head on that Thursday, in the middle of a full-group scene. 

Carol disappeared first, the woman claiming that she needed to go back to makeup to get a touchup on her face after she’d accidentally rubbed her eye. Dustin was next, needing a bathroom break. Krystal’s excuse was that because of her age she was due a break, and Howie’s exit was preceded by the man answering a phone call and then wandering down one hallway and away from the set, holding up a hand and telling the assistant that trailed after him that he’d be right back. Sean was the last person to leave the stage, the man’s eyes flitting between you, Darren and Gavin before he sprinted toward the trailers, yelling about needing to get a drink of something, his voice fading the further away he got. That was interesting. “Are you leaving too?” 

Gavin snapped at you, the man’s eyes narrowed. “Uh… no?” You frowned. “I don’t need to.” But you did take a seat in one of the chairs, keeping the camera focused on Darren as he wandered around the cameras, hands behind his back. The more time that passed, the antsier he got, his chest heaving as he checked his watch. After ten minutes, he made an announcement for everyone to come back - but no one did. Oh, this is really interesting. Five minutes later, he made another, his voice strained as he stressed the importance of finishing filming on time. 

Gavin acted then, the man looking over at Pippa, who was speaking rapidly into her walkie, one hand pressed against the earpiece she wore. “Pippa where -” “We need to go.” The woman took off running for the main doors, Gavin and Darren following, you close behind. “They’re trying to leave. They’ve stolen a bus, and are threatening to drive away from the property.” Good for them.  When you reached the parking lot, you saw that one of the security guards had blocked off the path of the shuttle, which was being driven by Sean - the man’s eyes wide as he laid on the horn. Oh, this is going to be amazing footage. 

You paid no attention to what anyone was actually saying, instead focusing on what was unfolding in front of you - Darren and Gavin banging on the door of the shuttle, the shorter man attempting to claw it open, Pippa screaming into the headset, her arms flailing wildly as she shouted out orders. Anika, Gunther and Ronjon were even standing outside and watching, the blonde’s mouth twisted upward into a smirk. You made your way closer, keeping the camera on the vehicle, and finally one of the windows cracked open and you heard Carol’s voice, the woman’s face pressed to the glass as she yelled. “We’re fucking leaving. All of us are going and you can’t keep us here anymore!” 

“Yeah! Our agents agree and they said it’s bullshit that you’re trying to pretend like you own us! You don’t!” Krystal joined her, Sean still revving the engine, though he couldn’t go anywhere. “We’re so out of here.” 

“Everyone get out of the shuttle right now!” Gavin stomped his foot and Darren began banging on the door again, everyone’s voices mixing together. As you rounded the open space, you noticed something. If he backs up and guns it to the right, he can get around the security and to the driveway. “We need to finish the movie, and -” “FUCK CLIFF BEASTS!” Something flew through the air, exploding dangerously close to Gavin’s feet, and you realized that it was one of Sean’s drinks, likely thrown by Gus, whose arm was sticking out the window, middle finger in the air. “We are fucking out of here!” You had to laugh - the whole thing was absurd, but at the same time, you understood… and part of you wished that you were on the bus with them. Wonder if Dieter would have gone and left me here. You thought he would have joined them, wanting to show solidarity with the rest of the cast, but you also thought that he would have asked you to go with him. I’ll never know. 

Sean revved the engine again, and you realized that he likely couldn’t see the escape path because of the other vehicles. He didn’t think this through. You knew that backing up was the only option aside from the security car moving, and so you made a quick decision without lowering the camera, deciding to use it to your advantage - and as a reason for you to step between the security SUV and the shuttle. 

The man glared at you, but you only widened your eyes, mouthing the words “back up” and then tilting your head to the left, hoping he’d understand. It took him a few seconds, but then you watched as he grinned, nodding once before he opened his mouth, turned his head to the side and hit reverse, the shuttle moving abruptly. “GET OUT OF THE WAY!” The security guard screamed at you, but you didn’t listen, instead turning to capture the path of the shuttle as Sean navigated around the other cars and down the driveway, the sound of maniacal laughter erupting from the cracked open windows. 

When you knew that the security vehicle wouldn’t be able to cut them off, you moved around the SUV and toward the long driveway, focusing on the back window. It was open, too, Dustin’s face pressed into the space. “See you later, assholes!” Good for you. You filmed until you couldn’t see the shuttle - or the security SUV - anymore, and then turned around, the camera still rolling as you zoomed in on Darren and Gavin, the two men furious. 

“You did that on purpose. You helped them.” Yeah, I did. Gavin was fuming, the man’s cheeks red. 

“No, I did what you told me to do in October. I got the shot. I got the best possible footage.” Frowning, you continued. “Maybe Dustin saw the open exit out of the window?” You fought back a smile, shrugging. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

“I hope so. We have a movie to finish.” Darren was running his hands through his hair, laughing nervously. “Just a few more weeks, a couple more scenes and -” 

“I do not think they are coming back.” Anika’s voice cut in, and you swung the camera toward her. “We loaded all of their belongings onto the shuttle this morning.” 

You burst out laughing at that, and soon after, the woman joined you. Oh, good for you, Anika. Wow. Gavin finally stopped fuming, instead balling his hands into fists at his sides and staring up at the sky, his jaw locked. “I’m going to go and call the studio. Pippa … you need to keep in contact with the security, find out where they’re going and -” “On it, boss.” The woman pulled out her cell phone, tearing the headset off of her head and replacing it with the other device before turning back toward the front doors. 

“What am I supposed to do?” Darren’s whine was loud, the man’s eyes wide. “I -” “I don’t fucking know, Darren!” Gavin’s outburst caught you off guard, Anika jumping next to you and Gunther and Ronjon gasping from their positions by the door. “I don’t fucking know.” He disappeared inside, too, followed by Darren a few moments later, and only when the door had shut behind them did you turn the camera off, lowering it and turning to Anika.

 “Well that was interesting.” She pressed her lips together, still trying to suppress a laugh. “I think … I think that means I get the rest of the day off.” 

 “We should get a drink.” Gunther gestured for the doorway, one eyebrow arched. “I know the bartender.” 

 You laughed again, and then the four of you headed back inside - and straight to the lounge. 

 — 

 Dieter didn’t stop laughing for almost ten minutes when you called to tell him what had happened on set, and you joined him once you’d gotten the whole story out, switching to a FaceTime call so that you could show him some of the footage as it played on your laptop. “Oh, that’s fucking incredible.” He wiped at his eyes, teeth visible as he grinned. “Fucking Howie, man.” 

 “Dieter, it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.” You’d watched through the playback countless times in the few hours since the cast had left, and while you were still waiting to find out what the outcome was for the movie, you figured it was over. There’s no way they get them to come back. “Would you have gotten on the shuttle? Let Sean drive you -” “Hell no.” He shook his head from side to side, blinking furiously. “I would have been the one driving!” Snorting in reply, you arched a brow. “And I wouldn’t have left you there, if that’s your next question. They’ve been planning this for a week, and I would have clued you in when it was time, too.” 

“A week?” You couldn’t believe it, Dieter’s eyes widening at your question. “You kept this from me for a -” “I did tell you they were planning a rebellion.” He winked. “And yeah, I had to keep it from you because you needed to be just as surprised as the rest of the crew. I’m not saying that you would have given them away, but I didn’t want to do anything that might have given fucking Gavin a reason to terminate your contract and not pay you what you’re owed.” It made sense - and you appreciated his looking out for you. 

“That’s probably for the best.” You shut your laptop and laid back, holding your phone above your face. “You know, they told me I had to stay here until they find out for sure what’s happening, so I might still be here for -”

“Book a flight home as soon as you can.” He sobered up immediately, expression serious. “They aren’t coming back. The movie isn’t getting finished. Everyone’s agents are involved. Studio will be on it within a day or two, but unless they can figure out how to salvage an ending with what they’ve already shot, I don’t think the world’s ever going to see Cliff Beasts 6.” 

“Holy shit.” You breathed the words out, mind racing. “That means that all the footage I shot won’t be for anything, I -” 

“You’ll still get paid. You did what you were hired to do. You had nothing to do with production shutting down. Might be a couple weeks short, but … it’s better than nothing.” He was right - and since you’d been getting paid weekly, you knew that you really had nothing to worry about, especially since you’d spent very little in the months you’d been in the hotel. “I hate to cut this short, but I need to leave. I’m doing a final chemistry test with Jennifer today. I guess there’s some rewrites they’re thinking of doing, and they need to see what works.”

“That’s fine.” Taking a deep breath, you rubbed at the bridge of your nose. “I’m going to go and deliver this footage, see what -” 

“I’m serious. Start looking for flights home. The sooner you book, the better.” He sounds sure. “I’ll talk to you later, alright?” You agreed and then hung up, gathering your flash drives and stepping into the hallway, still trying to contain your smile. Talking to Dieter was always a bright spot in your day, and the conversation stuck with you until you stepped into the production office - good mood disappearing almost immediately. 

It was a madhouse, Pippa pacing in the corner of the room, Darren sitting in a chair with his face buried in his hands, Gavin on the phone with someone and nearly screaming, along with other assistants and crew frantically typing on laptops and shuffling through papers. I’m just going to put these in the file and - “Why are you here?” Gavin lowered the phone, his attention on you. “Do you need something?” 

“I’m just dropping off the week’s footage, Gavin. At the very least, we won’t be shooting anything else until Monday, and …” You held the bag of drives up. “Everything’s labeled and cataloged up through this morning, so I figured that it’s better if you have it now.” The man’s lips were pressed into a thin line, phone held tightly in his hand, but then he nodded, rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t leave. You’re still on contract, and -” 

“About that.” You scratched the back of your head. “If they don’t come back, my job’s done, right? When do you think we’ll know if -” “We’re working on it!” He snapped at you, nostrils flaring. “Jesus, you’d think that in these circumstances you’d be happy to have a job, but all of you just seem to -” “That’s why I’m asking. I do have a job, Gavin, one that I’ve already put off returning to as outlined in my initial contract because we got behind. If I don’t need to be here, I need to be back there for that. If the movie’s shooting, that’s one thing, but just having me sit around in this hotel and wait?” You cocked your head to one side. “That’s not good for the studio’s bottom line, right?” I don’t give a shit about the studio, but I need to pretend. “Just let me know, please?” 

Reluctantly, he nodded in your direction before going back to his phone call, the man dismissing you as he turned his back toward you. Gaze flicking quickly around the room, you lowered your eyes to the file that was already full of your previous memory cards and flash drives, adding the neatly labeled bag you held to it before you turned and left the room - and the noise - behind you. 

Fuck that, I’m going to look into a flight home. 

— 

It turned out that leaving the country was much more difficult than you would have imagined with all of the COVID restrictions much different for international travel than they’d been when you flew to London. To get onto a flight, you’d need proof of a recent negative test from an approved location, as well as to fill out updated and much more intricate customs forms. And since you’d been in Europe for so long on a work visa, the process was even more convoluted. 

But with Dieter’s advice in mind, you were able to schedule a test and book a flight home for the following Thursday - the day after he was supposed to fly to Montana. The timing was almost comical, but it gave you something to look forward to, and it became even more real when you sent Carmen an email to update her on what was happening. It might change last minute. I’m not sure yet, but unless something drastic happens, I’ll be back in Atlanta late next week, and probably able to start work again at the end of the following week… depending on another negative test. 

You also managed to schedule a vaccine appointment in Atlanta for a date just beyond your recommended quarantine time period, wanting to get it out of the way. For the first time in months, you had concrete plans that didn’t involve carrying around a camera or work, and it excited you more than you were willing to admit. You texted Dieter with a screenshot of your flight information and he replied back with a smiling shot of himself - and a pile of suitcases behind him. Looks like we’re both about to get on a plane. 

Things were falling into place, and when - on Sunday afternoon - you were summoned to the lounge by Gunther, even more lined up. 

There were about thirty of you in the room along with Gavin and Pippa, and the mood was nothing less than tense. But none of the cast is here. Just crew. Nervously, you all waited, the man at the head of the room checking his watch a few times before he started speaking. 

“The Cliff Beasts 6 production has officially come to an end. Apparently the entire cast were able to convince their representation and the studio that working conditions were not … conducive to finishing the movie. As of tonight at midnight, you are all officially relieved of your duties. Consider the movie wrapped, and please begin to make plans for travel home.” He paused, glancing over at the woman next to him, who used one hand to gesture at the space in front of her. “Because this is so sudden, your accommodations here are good until Wednesday, but if you don’t need them, please feel free to leave. Thank you for your hard work during these unprecedented times.” That’s it? 

You felt the mood of the room change - a mixture of relief and surprise coming from everyone, voices rising as people started trying to ask questions. But Gavin just turned and walked from the room, Pippa following. Well shit. There was no reason for you to stay, and so you left, too, quickly making your way from the lounge toward the reception area and the elevators. Guess I need to start packing. 

But the sight of Anika at the front desk stopped you and you diverted to where she was standing, idly tapping her fingertips on the top of the wooden desk. “Can I help you? Is there something that you need?” She sounded bored but friendly, and as she asked, you realized that you actually did have a few questions for her. 

“Actually, yeah. I don’t know if you heard, but the movie’s officially done, so we’re all… free to go.” Her eyes widened, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “They said we can stay until Wednesday if we need to, but I actually have a flight out on Thursday night, and was wondering if you could recommend a hotel in London for a night or two, since I need to go into the city and get my final COVID test before -” 

“I will take care of everything. Do you trust me?” You nodded, watching her closely. “We have your information on file from when you first checked in, so I can use that to book your room in London, if that’s alright?” Assuring her that it was, the woman’s smile widened. “How many nights do you want to stay there?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe two? Just enough time to get my test in and see some things? I know the airport’s really far from the city, but -” 

“Give me an hour.” She sighed. “Doing this for you means that I do not have to do it for anyone else.” The woman winked at you, and you grinned back, giving her a wave as you headed for the elevator, thanking her. What a difference. But wait. 

“Hey, Anika?” You stopped about fifteen feet from the desk, turning back to look at her. “Do you want to get dinner with me tomorrow? We can go whenever you get off of work, but I thought it… would be nice.” She looked surprised but still agreed, her eyes lighting up. “Great. Let me know about the hotel and everything, and what works for you tomorrow.” 

— 

It didn’t take you long to pack everything - leaving out only what you’d need for the next two days - and by the time you were done, Anika had sent up an envelope with your travel information in it. 

She’d booked you a hotel in the middle of SoHo, using her connections to get a severely discounted rate, and had scheduled cars to get you from Clifton to the hotel and then from the hotel to the airport. Your testing location was only a few minutes’ walk from where you’d be staying, and she’d included an updated list of restaurants and places that were open during the pandemic, highlighting a few that were either highly recommended or personal favorites of hers. 

That in hand, you emailed Carmen again, telling her that as long as your test came back negative, you’d be home on schedule. Checking off all the boxes. You updated Dieter, too, asking if he had any recommendations for things to see or do in London, and in a spur of the moment text, told him that you were meeting Anika for dinner the following night, asking if he thought it was strange. No. Not strange. Good. And make sure you visit Hyde Park. 

You texted back and forth with him for a little while longer, answering messages while you looked through what Anika had set up and checked different sites online, trying to come up with a plan for the few days you’d have in the city. But why do I need a plan? I have ideas… I’ll just wing it. 

Waking up the next morning, you realized that you’d fallen asleep with the light on and your laptop open, phone unplugged next to you on the mattress. You had a few missed messages from Dieter, and even though it was the middle of the night for him, you replied to them, fingers flying over the keys. 

There was a steady stream of people leaving the hotel throughout the day - some of the crew coming to say goodbye on their way out - and by the time you left your room to meet Anika for dinner, you were exhausted. 

She was still in her uniform when she sat down in the booth across from you, but for the first time in the months you’d been in the hotel, you watched as she untied her scarf, folding it and sticking it in her pocket before letting her hair down, fingers moving through it to loosen the style. “It was a very long day.” She sighed, covering her face with both hands. “I forgot what it is like to be busy here. So many people checked out, there are so many rooms to clean and -” “So you’ll have a drink with me.” Cocking your head to the left, you stared at her. “Or maybe two.” She laughed but agreed, and for the next twenty minutes, the two of you made small talk as you worked through your first round, looking over the menu. Once you ordered your meals, you leaned back in the booth, the fingers of one hand wrapped around the bottom of your glass. “I’m sorry, Anika.” 

“For what?” You saw the quick flash in her eyes, the woman knowing exactly what you were referring to, but not wanting to admit it. “You have nothing to apologize for.” 

“The thing with Dieter just kind of happened. I tried to stay friends with him and nothing else, but we kept meeting each other on the balcony, and then we started talking and it just … happened.” 

“I know.” She used both hands to hold her drink, turning the glass slowly on the table. “I was … I am jealous of you. I have been a fan of Dieter’s for years, and I was so excited he would be staying here.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “It was stupid. To think that a movie star would -” “Anika, it wasn’t stupid. Look, up until like, Christmas, I wasn’t sure that it was going to be anything more than casual, while we were here. Dieter’s… Dieter, and he’s got his choice of men and women, you know?” She nodded, eyeing you cautiously. “And I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with the way you just went for it with him. You knew what you wanted, and you let him know, and I really think that under any normal circumstances, it would have worked.” 

“Maybe. For a little while. But it would not have been real.” She sipped her drink. “We don’t know each other. I live here, and he lives in Hollywood, and -” She sighed. “It would not have lasted. I saw the way he looked at you, even before … in the beginning.” She chewed on her lower lip for a minute. “And the way you look at him? I thought … I was worried that you didn’t care about him, but then he almost … when I saved him?” 

“I froze. And you didn’t. And I am endlessly thankful to you, Anika, and I know he is, too.” Your food came then, but the two of you ignored it. Instead, you focused on the woman in front of you. “I just want you to know that I was never trying to … flaunt what was going on between us. I never wanted to make you jealous, or upset you. But there were only so many places for us to go, and seeing you was -” 

“That did make it worse.” She smiled as she reached for her fork, twirling a mouthful of pasta onto it. “Seeing you together all of the time. But you are good for each other. You make Dieter happy. And he deserves to be happy, with someone like you and not his terrible ex girlfriend.” 

“Well there’s something we can definitely agree on. She was awful to him.” That got a giggle, and as you started to eat, too, the conversation shifted again. This isn’t over though. I know she still has something to say. 

When you finished eating, the woman insisted on using her discount before you paid for the meal. However, the two of you remained seated, sipping on your third drink of the evening. “Do you get some time off after everyone’s gone?” She looked relieved, nodding slowly. 

“Yes, thank God. The entire hotel is closed for two weeks for a deep cleaning, and I plan on going home and sleeping for most of them.” You laughed loudly at that, closing your eyes as you nodded in agreement. “Are you Dieter’s girlfriend?” The question was sudden, and it caught you off guard. Of course she asked.

She wasn’t accusing you - instead, the woman was merely curious, her eyes focused on your face. “No. Not … yet.” You reached for the necklace you wore, finger slipping through the band of the ring before you bent it at the knuckle. “We’re seeing how things go. He’s shooting another movie, so we wouldn’t be able to see each other for a long time, and just in case something… changes? It’s easier to just call this a friendship right now, even though …” 

“You are wearing his ring.” She pointed at your necklace. “It is very important to him. And that means that you are very important to him, too.” She ran her fingers through her hair again, finally looking away. “You two are not just friends and I hope that both of you decide to admit that very soon.” She smiled again, tapping on her phone. “Especially since the Internet is trying to figure everything out already.”

“They are.” You groaned. ‘Two pictures, Anika, and one of them was from a fucking Tik Tok. These people need to get lives, and not worry about his.”

“They aren’t just worried about him, they’re worried about you, too.” She wet her lips. “They are very thorough. And some of them are very …” She leaned in. “They write about him. About his characters?” The woman’s eyes widened. “It is crazy, the way they -”

“Anika, are you telling me that you read Dieter Bravo f-” She looked horrified but you only laughed, covering your face. “That’s funny.” 

“Don’t tell him!” She backed away, waving her hands in front of her face. ‘I didn’t even mean to find it, I -” She laughed nervously. “Some of it is not very good. It does not make sense. I think he would be … surprised to know that it exists.” 

“He doesn’t watch his own movies and shows, did you know that?” You balanced your chin on your hand, elbow on the table. “So I’m sure he doesn’t know it exists. Would be kind of funny to tell him, though.” She laughed again, but you saw that she was still anxious, waiting to see what else you’d say. “I won’t tell him, Anika. Your secret’s safe with me.” And now I have to admit, I’m kind of curious, too. “It’s too bad no one’s going to get to meet Gio… or, well, probably won’t get to meet Gio. That terrible accent would have been a focal point for a lot of people, I’m sure.”

“And the eyeliner.” She pressed her lips together. “I am sorry we did not become friends sooner. We… I spent too long trying to…” “No, it was both of us. And it was really unnecessary. So I’m sorry, too. Again.” You shrugged. “We can make up for that now, though.” Taking a deep breath, you scratched the side of your neck. “I’d be happy to call you my friend, Anika. Dieter or no Dieter. I don’t know when I’ll be back in Europe, but -” “I want to visit the United States when the pandemic is over.” She beamed, the smile changing her demeanor entirely. “New York City and Los Angeles and Miami and Las Vegas. I want to see it all, so maybe … maybe when I come there, we could see each other again.” “I live… sort of near Miami,” you agreed. “But yeah, any of those other places would work too, as long as I’m not working.” Using the pen that you’d signed the bill with, you wrote your phone number down onto one of the napkins on the table, sliding it to her. “My number. And if you want to add me on Twitter or Instagram or whatever, you can.” She took the napkin from you, eyes focused on the numbers. 

When the two of you stood up a few seconds later to head out of the restaurant, the woman surprised you by drawing you into a tight hug, though it was short. ‘I won’t be at the front desk tomorrow when you leave. I work in the afternoon, so this is goodbye.” She stepped backwards, nodding once. “For now.” 

“For now.” She agreed, and you said goodnight - the blonde woman walking one way down the hall toward the staff wing while you went in the other direction. It was still somewhat early, but because the hotel was already so empty, there wasn’t much to do - and so you took the stairs one last time, walking slowly through the halls until you reached the door to your room, casting a lingering look at Dieter’s door as you passed it. One more night. 

Instead of heading to bed, though, you changed clothes, opened the balcony door and climbed the low wall, settling into one of Dieter’s balcony chairs, a sweatshirt pulled tightly around your body. 

—

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

i adore your work! if it’s not too much, please could i request a female teen!reader (maybe 13/14) x marvel cast (mostly evans) and she’s known for cuddling with them a lot and falling asleep on them? maybe they post photos of it and talk about her being adorable! hope that makes sense <3

Cuddlebug

Mcu Cast X Fem!Teen!Reader, Chris Evans X Teen!Reader

Summary: You like cuddling with your co-stars.

Warnings: Fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff, and more fluff

Reader's Age: 13 at the beginning but then you turn 14.

A/n: thank you for the request!!! This is pure fluff

You joined the cast a couple years ago, Steve Roger's daughter in the movies. You immediately grew close with Chris Evans, seeing as you were in the most scenes with him. Your a hugger, the cast and crew realized that the day they met you. You greeted Evans with a hug, then the others too. In between scenes you'd sometimes fall asleep cuddling with one of them.

Today you were doing an interview with, Sebastian, Evans, Anthony, and Hemsworth. You were sat in between the two Chris's.

"Okay so I've heard that Y/n likes to cuddle with you and the rest of the cast. Is this true?" The interviewer asked, already well into the interview. You cheeks heated at his question.

"Oh it's so true! We have proof!" Anthony said excitedly pulling his phone out. "She always ends up falling asleep on us. So we have some photos."

"Usually on me." Evans smiled.

"This conversation is embarrassing." You muttered hiding your face in your hands. Hemsworth laughed wrapping an around your shoulder. You glared up at him.

"No we actually counted to see who we caught her sleeping on the most. She falls asleep on Evans the most." Anthony chuckled. You hid your face in Evans' shoulder, he just laughed using his opposite hand to pat your head.

"Can we change the topic now?" You mumbled into his shirt.

"What we can't understand you." Sebastian teased.

"Can we change the topic?" You asked once again this time with your face far enough that your words were mumbled.

"Yeah, I have more questions anyway." The interviewer assured.

———

The topic of you falling asleep on your costars didn't come up again until your birthday. Chris Evans was the first to make a post about your birthday... He posted a thread of 4 photos, it started out sweet. A selfie of the two of you, then a photo of you and dodger, the next one was you laying your head on his shoulder, you were clearly asleep mouth hung open, the last photo was both of you on the couch in his trailer you had dodger draped across your lap and head laying on Sebastian's shoulder. The caption was really sweet it said; "I can't believe you were only 11 when you joined the Marvel cast, now your 14. They grow up so fast😢. Happy birthday, Cuddle bug." Ah, the forbidden nickname you gained from your cast mates.

The fans went wild, mostly good but some bad. After he made his post soon came Holland posting something on his story. A photo of you in his trailer half asleep on his shoulder using Harry as a footrest. He kept it simple saying; "Happy Birthday Kiddo!" Fans swooned again.

You reposted all of their posts on your story and said thank you and stuff. You loved the cast but were a little upset they post those photos of you. Though you got over it quickly since you understood they were just teasing you.

Evans did have a lot of photos of you and Dodger sleeping on or next him together. He thought it was the cutest shit ever. So did a majority of the fans. Some hated on you but the cast would take to twitter and call them out and defend you. Which you and your family were grateful for.

Marvel Cast TagList: @the-girl-in-the-chair @gengen64 @piggyjeans @roseeditsss @depressed-barnes

Chris Evans Taglist: @high-on-darren-criss @astrixoxo @cevansrogerss @hamiltonstann @mcushvft @spidyyparker

A/n: It's short I know but I hope you like it!

[violetlilysunshine]

Plenty of Times

Boyfriend Chris Evans x Female Reader

Requested - Anon: Hey! Is it all right to request for Chris Evans where reader comes in after a girls night and just dotes on him and loves on him and its sickeningly fluffy and he’s like what’s gotten into you? and reader breaks down because one of her friends vented that her husband is abusive and neglectful and she sees how important it is to have a good man in her life 🤍

WC: 1,619

Warnings: Pet names [bubba, babe, honey], talk of a bad relationship [neglectful husband - but not about Chris/reader], mention of phone sex [but it doesn’t happen here]

A/N: I’m so so so so sorry this took so long, I’m working on clearing out my inbox though! 

IF YOUR NAME IS SCRATCHED OUT I CAN’T TAG YOU - I’VE STARTED REMOVING PEOPLE, SO IF IT’S NOT WORKING AND YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED SHOOT ME A MESSAGE AND WE’LL FIGURE IT OUT

MASTERLIST - Join my TAGLIST

You haven't gone out with your friends in so long. You’re all busy with your own stuff - work and relationships, some with kids to care for. So, when the opportunity arises, Chris encourages you to take advantage of it. 

The night was pretty simple, dinner, a couple of glasses of wine, and a few shared desserts before everyone was ready to head home. Most of your friends were not night owls like you by any standard, so when dinner wrapped up early, it was no surprise. At least that meant you got to go home to your man. 

“Bubba?” you called as you walked through the front door.

“In here,” he answered.

You followed his voice to the living room, finding him lounging on the chaise sofa, Dodger soundly asleep next to him. Some movie played on the screen; you hadn’t paid attention to it long enough to know what it was.

You headed to the connected kitchen, dropping your keys and purse on the island, hanging your jacket on the back of one of the barstools, and slipping out of your boots before hurrying back to Chris. 

He paused the movie when he heard you approach him from behind. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, your hands splayed across his chest, as you pressed a long kiss to his temple. 

He hummed at the contact, placing one hand over the top of both of yours, before turning his neck to meet your lips with his. 

The kiss was sweet and simple, you could feel him smile against your lips as you lingered longer and longer into it. 

He chuckled when you finally pulled away, a big smile etched across his face and a glimmer in his eyes. 

You unraveled from his neck and stepped around the sofa. Dodger finally perked up when he heard you walking and you greeted him of course. 

“Hey, bub,” you whispered, scratching Dodger’s head for a second before turning to Chris, “can we cuddle?” you asked quietly. 

“Sure, babe, we can always cuddle,” he answered with a small smile, opening the blanket for you. 

You slipped under, resting between his legs with your back on his chest. He wrapped the blanket and his arms around you, splaying his palms over your upper chest and rubbing gently, just as you had done to him. You ran your nails over his arm as light as a feather with one hand, the other rested on top of his clasped hands, tangling your fingers with one set of his as best you could in this position. 

You tugged on his hand, pulling his arm further over your shoulder so you could place kisses on his bicep. 

“How was girl’s night?” he asked, placing a light kiss to the top of your head.

“Fine,” you whispered, squeezing his hands for a second, “was nice to see everyone. They all seemed to need a good vent,” you ended with a breathy chuckle.

You felt his laugh rumble through your body, “don’t they always?” he asked, another kiss being placed on top of your head as he looped his legs around yours.

“Seems like,” you giggled, stroking his calf with your foot. 

“Well I hope it was nice either way,” he said, “I’m glad you got to see them.” 

“Mm, yeah, me too,” you answered quietly.

He slipped one hand from your grasp to grab the remote, causing a whine to leave your lips, disappearing into his skin as you had your lips placed on his bicep again. 

He chuckled at the noise, “want me to start it over?” he nodded, making reference to the movie.

“No, it’s okay,” you whisper, pressing another lingering kiss to his arm. 

“You sure? I’m not that far into it...” 

“I’m sure, I won’t really be paying attention anyway.” 

“Why’s that?” he asked, you could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Can’t focus with you wrapped around me,” you giggled.

“Mm, yeah, sorry not sorry,” he laughed, playing the movie again.

You giggled, bringing his hand up to your lips to give it a kiss.

He gave his other hand back to you and you entwined your fingers with it as well, giving both of his hands small squeezes every once in a while. 

You placed random kisses on his arms, pulling his hands up every now and again to press kisses to them as well. You didn’t want to do it too often, so you wouldn’t annoy him, but you couldn’t help but give him a few. 

You tilted your head to look up at him, his eyes focused on the movie before he looked down at you. 

“What’s up?” he asked, his voice sounding a little tired. 

“Nothing,” you whispered, passing him a small smile. 

“You’re lying,” he said, placing a kiss on your forehead, “what’s on your mind?” 

You sighed deeply, “have I told you how much I love you?” 

He reached over and paused the movie, quickly tangling his hand with yours again: “all the time,” he smiled. 

“And how great you are?” 

“Plenty of times,” he chuckled. 

“And how thankful I am for you?” 

“More than once,” he answered, a sense of questioning coming into his voice. 

“And how kind and good you are to me?”

“Never in those words, but you deserve it more than anything,” he said, “where’s this coming from?” 

“Jenn was really upset tonight,” you started. 

“And that has to do with me, how?” 

“She was talking about how rough her marriage is. And I know everyone says the first year is the hardest, but he doesn’t prioritize her, and never really has, and if I’m being honest I always thought she could do better; and she feels so disconnected from him and he’s so distant and she’s just not happy,” you rambled, tears pricking at your eyes, “and of course the whole time she was talking I felt so bad for her, but I couldn’t help thinking that I’m so lucky to have a guy like you and that made me feel even worse. Ya know? Like guilty because I was sitting there thinking ‘well at least I’m not in her shoes,’ and, god, you’re so good to me and I appreciate and love you so much. Don’t feel like I tell you that enough, but, you’re the best,” you finished, taking a deep breath. 

“Honey,” Chris soothed, “you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, first off. It’s not your fault he treats her like crap, and all you can do is support her with whatever she chooses to do about it. She can leave, or they could go to therapy, or she might just ignore it all together, but the only thing you can and should do is listen to her vent and offer support, or sometimes advice if she asks for it.”

You smile, “I know, but it’s just a shitty situation. Like I wish she wasn’t going through it, because she’s great, and I wish he was as good to her as you are to me.” 

“Well no one’s as good as me,” Chris joked, trying to lift your spirits.

You laughed lightly in response, turning over a little bit and scooting up so you could lay face to face with him. 

“Second,” he continued, “I’m only giving you what you deserve. Wish I could do a lot more sometimes, if I’m honest,” he said almost under his breath as he wrapped his arms around your back.

“Chris, you do more than enough! I should be doing more for you!” 

“Babe, you give me everything I could ever want,” he smiles, “you’re amazing. Wish I could do more, like I wish I wasn’t away from you so much. Don’t like leaving you, ever.”

“You’re the best,” you lean forward, placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth, “you do plenty for me even when you’re away.”

“Not nearly enough,” he says, “gotta come up with something new for us.” 

“We’ve done plenty of new things while you’re away.” 

“Yeah? You think?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Hey, without you, I never would’ve tried phone sex,” you giggle, “love trying new things as long as it’s with you. Especially that thing...” 

He lets out a breathy laugh at that, “I love you too,” he says, referring back to your ramble but also your willingness to try anything for and with him.

You giggle, this time pecking his lips, “I don’t deserve you,” you whisper against his mouth. 

“No, you don’t,” he says shortly. 

You pull away from him, not expecting that to come out of his mouth. 

“You deserve better,” he smiles, a glimmer in his eye again.

“You’re so corny!” you laugh loudly, causing Dodger to grumble next to Chris. 

“Sorry, bub,” you laugh at Dodge.

“Let’s go to bed, yeah?” Chris suggests.

“What about the movie?” you ask, tipping your head towards the TV.

“Eh, won’t be able to pay attention now anyway, and I’ve lost the flow,” he shrugs. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” you whisper, stroking a few fingers across his cheekbone. 

“‘S alright,” he whispers, “like you better anyway.” 

“Thank you,” you whisper, eyelids heavy as they start to flutter closed for a kiss. 

Chris closes the distance between the two of you, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips, “I love you,” he whispers into your mouth. 

“I love you too,” you whisper back.

Your lips seal in a gentle kiss, and he brings a hand up to rest on your cheek before pulling back: “you can always make it up to me anyway,” he says, a smile giving away his attempt at being serious.

You laugh at him, “alright, bubba, let’s get you to bed.”

TAGLIST: @hogwartsmarvelmommy @tulipholland @cupids-crystals @sunwardsss @mrspeacem1nusone @elishi03 @golden-hoax  @patzammit @serrendiipty @katiew1973 @princess-evans-addict @high-on-darren-criss @gnemgn @amelia-song-pond @scorpiowidow @multixfandomwriter @wildxwidow @na-nou83 @fdl305 @gotbangtan @dumbhead1 @evansxchalamet

[lokisprettygirl]

Rain to his Fire (Modern! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon 80s Au) (18+)

Read Chapter 6 here// Series Masterlist

Chapter 7

Summary: Amidst the chaos of learning the truth about Tanya, you meet someone from the past and things develop between you and Daemon.

Warning: 18+, smutty scenarios, crude language, description of Statutory rape, discussion of mental health (it's a fic based in a mental health facility), mention of physical assault, the fic would contain several mentions of several disorders like mpd, did etc, if something triggers you don't read, smoking.

As you heard the news about Tanya, your heart started to race and your chest began to feel tight. You knew that you needed a moment to yourself, so you hastily excused yourself from the cafeteria and ran hurriedly to make your way to the fourth floor to get to your room.

On the way you saw Daemon as he was being escorted for his session and the washed out look on your face concerned him to say the least.

As soon as you went inside your room, you locked the door and sat down on the bed to think about Tanya. Poor girl, she was suffering so much with her sickness while she was here. But she seemed so happy while she was discharged, she hugged you so warmly as if she couldn't wait to get out of this place, then what happened to her?

And Why was her body found near King's landing?

You were lost in all the questions when you remembered the note you had found under her mattress so you quickly got up and reached into your closet.

Reading the note now filled you with immense guilt and uneasiness, at first you had assumed that she was just paranoid of her environment, a mental health facility wasn't exactly a happy place to be in, you figured that it was one of her personalities just writing anything but now your heart felt sinking into your guts as you realized that the note could have been a distress call for help.

Perhaps she knew something, or someone who was trying to harm her. You felt nauseous about the implications of the note, perhaps you could have helped her if you had passed on the note to the police. You should have looked for her, why didn't you?

Tears rolled down your eyes as you remembered her sweet face, she was so young and kind and she didn't deserve whatever had happened to her.

That afternoon members of the staff were informed that the police would be interviewing each member separately, you had never been questioned by the police before so obviously it made you nervous.

You couldn't even breathe properly, at one moment it seemed as if you'd die of a heart attack like your mother did.

As you were finally called in, you went inside Dr Darren’s office, the investigation was being held there.

“Good afternoon” you mumbled as you sat down. There were two men sitting opposite you, a middle aged brown haired man and the other one with dark hair seemed younger, and he also seemed familiar for some reason.

"I'm Detective Hightower," the older man said, introducing himself and his partner, "Detective Criston." You nodded nervously and tried to take in a deep breath, but your chest felt constricted still..

"You seem nervous," Det. Criston Spoke as he offered you a glass of water. "Have a drink”

“I'm fine..i am just nervous” you spoke nervously,

“Don't be.. it's routine..we just have a few questions regarding Tanya Anderson” Your eyes teared up as Det. Hightower said her name.

“Sure” you were looking anywhere but at the officers and you wondered if they would see you as a suspect because you were acting really suspicious.

“You're tearing up, I can imagine it must be hard as you were assigned as her custodian, is that correct?” Det. Criston asked, his voice firm but professional.

“Yeahh”

You had tried so hard to control your tears but you failed eventually so you placed your hand over your eyes as you cried as silently as you could. Det. Criston got up from his chair and offered you the glass of water so you took it from him this time.

“Thank you and I'm sorry”

You mumbled meekly so Det. Hightower gave you a comforting smile.

“It's alright, take your time”

A minute later you finally took a deep breath and looked up at them.

“Okay I'm ready..thank you for being so kind” you said politely as you recovered from the outburst you had just now.

“No issues..so y/n..how long have you been here for?”

“Two years”

“Was Miss Tanya the first person you looked after, not just as a custodian but as a friendly companion as well?” Hightower asked so you shook your head in response.

“There are several patients I care for while I'm on duty, she was one of them but we definitely got along, she just seemed so out of place here when she wasn't suffering from her ailments” they looked at each other as you said that.

“What do you mean?” Hightower inquired,

“She seemed normal most of the time and then sometimes she would freak out out of nowhere, she was suffering from multiple personality disorder or something. Dr. Vis was treating her here at the facility” you told them so Hightower nodded his head as he wrote down your statement. Why did you have to mention Vis? They must know that already.

“Alright …did she ever tell you anything personal, about anyone trying to hurt her or just anything really?” Criston inquired so you shook your head.

“No, not really, she often talked about her childhood but never went into much detail.”

“Okay good, thanks for your time y/n, we will connect again if required” Criston said to you so you nodded and as you were about to get up you realized that now was the one and only chance you'd get to tell them about the note you had found, even though it might get you in trouble with the management.

“Can I ask you something?” you asked nervously so Det. Hightower gave you a slight nod.

“What happened to her? When did she die?” You asked them solemnly so they shared a look with each other.

“It's a classified information that we can't share just yet”

“Okay ummm the day after she was discharged from here, I was cleaning her room for the new patient and found this under her mattress, perhaps it can be of help”

Criston grabbed the piece of paper and as soon as he had read it, you saw the worried look on his face instantly.

“Who else knows about this?” Hightower asked you.

“Nobody” as you answered you noticed that he seemed instantly relieved.

“Thanks for bringing this up to us”

You nodded as they dismissed but as you stepped out of the office you heard Detective Criston calling your name so you turned around.

“Hey y/n..I think you didn't recognise me in there” You looked at him confused as he said that, he did seem familiar. “It's Cole, we went to middle school together.. perhaps the term rock boy would jog your memory?”

“Oh you're the boy that collected rocks ..oh i know youuuu” you smiled as you finally recalled the memory, it brought an unexpected smile to your face. “So detective huh? That's amazing... wow that's so cool” you said to him as you crossed your arms.

“Thank you..well i am still obsessed with collecting rocks though” You let out a small laugh as he said that.

“Why have I never seen you here before?” You asked him so he sighed deeply

“Because I just got transferred like a month ago, I was in Bradford before I got here” you nodded as he said that.

“Ahhh well okay..i better get back to my work now, but it was really nice catching up with you” you mumbled politely so he gave you a smile.

“Sure”

“Ummm if you find out something about her. Will you let me know?” You asked him so he nodded in response.

“Is there a number I can call here to connect with you?” He asked you so you nodded so he took out a pen from the coat's pocket and offered you his palm as a parchment.

“Uhhh okay” you chuckled nervously as you grabbed onto his fingers to write the digits on his palm before you mumbled a goodbye..

As you turned around you saw Daemon standing a few feet away from you with two guards holding onto him. He was staring deeply into your soul and it made you nervous.

“Not this guy again” you heard Criston mumbling so you turned around to look at him. Did they know each other? The events of the day were becoming increasingly strange. It was especially puzzling since Daemon wasn't even here when Tanya left so why was he being questioned.

You hadn't seen Daemon all day, so visiting his room directly seemed risky. Waiting until night, you knocked on his door once before sneaking into the terrace and walked towards the ledge, looking down. Your heart sank again as you thought about Tanya, imagining her final moments stirred emotions you didn't wish to face. You couldn't shake off the feeling of helplessness, knowing that you weren't there for her when she needed someone in her corner.

The scent of mahogany filled your nostrils before he had his arm wrapped around your waist so you turned around and hugged him tightly, finally letting the tears out. Caressing your head gently he then placed a soft kiss on your shoulder. Your fingers clenched around his shirt as you felt the warmth of his body, on a cold night he felt like a comforting bonfire.

“I found a note under the mattress, a cry for help and i ignored it..i thought she probably wrote it in her fits of paranoia, what if I had caused it…what if it could have been prevented if I had gone to the authorities or perhaps if I would have checked on her–” your lips trembled as you spoke, you had been keeping it all in since this morning and his hot comforting embrace was all you needed in the moment.

“Shhhhh it's not your fault alright? You couldn't have known darling..it's an unfortunate tragedy but you can't put the blame on yourself okay” you shook your head as he said that so he cupped your cheeks and wiped your tears “Hey look at me..not your fault, none of this is your fault” he mumbled softly so you placed your head back on his chest and nodded as you let out your tears until you couldn't cry any more.

Once your breathing leveled back to normal you pulled away from him.

“Why did they call you in for questioning? You weren't even here back then” you asked him, worry evident in your voice.

“I don't really know..why did that copper have your telephone number on his palm?” He asked you, a hint of jealousy visible and it made you smile a little.

“We went to school together..he remembered me” he squinted his eyes for a moment before he rolled them around in typical Daemon fashion.

“He's an arse” he grumbled.

“Why would you say that? Do you know him from before?”

“It doesn't matter..how are you feeling?” he asked as he shifted the conversation again.

“Okay..I'm okay” you mumbled softly.

“You should get out of this forsaken place once in a while” he said to you.

“And go where..do what?”

“Anything..you're young and beautiful, live your fucking life” you let out a chuckle as he said that.

“And do exactly what out there? Get drunk in bars and have sex with random men?” he grabbed the back of your neck as you said that, the smirk on your face only boiled his anger. He hated imagining that scenario in his head, a sight of you in some other man's bed, writhing and moaning underneath him.

“I'd kiss you right now if I wasn't your first kiss” he whispered against your mouth so you stifled the moan that was threatening to spill from deep within you.

“I have been kissed before”

“I don't think so”

The audacity. Not that he was wrong.

“It wasn't consensual but i have been kissed” his brows furrowed as you said that.

“Elaborate”

“You don't want to know trust me”

“I do want to know”

“Well long story short I was at party with few of my friends, I got drunk out of my mind and then started to cry because I was just sad.. really sad, about my life and I kept crying and this guy that I was dancing with kissed me out of nowhere.. and i hated it, I didn't like it at all” you mumbled hurriedly so he grabbed your cheeks between his palms. If he had enough information he'd have found the guy and perhaps beat him to pulp for touching you like that in your vulnerable advantageous state.

“I'm starting to see why you're so appalled by intimacy”

“I'm not against it..i just don't want to do it with every other fella” he smirked as you responded. He knew you would want to do it with him sooner or later, his ego was soaring these days due to that particular reason.

“Kissing a person you adore is a high darling, nothing short of a drug” he whispered in your ear so you pulled away from him to control yourself.

“You must have kissed many people then” you taunted him so he chuckled.

“Didn't really adore half of them”

“Well i didn't enjoy being kissed so–”

“Were you attracted to that bloke who forced himself upon you?” he asked strictly.

“No”

“That's why..you have to have the hots for the man who's into your mouth darling” you bit on your lips as he said that. You had definite hots for him and you wanted his mouth in yours.

“We should go”

Before we do something stupid you thought.

He stared at your lips for a moment so you placed your hands on his chest and nudged him slightly to get out of his warmth but you weren't really expecting what he was about to say next. Unpredictable as always.

“Sleep with me tonight” his tone was deathly serious and you couldn't deny how your intimate areas were tingling at the prospect of it.

“Are you joking?” you chuckled to hide your arousal.

“No ..I'm not joking, I'm not asking you to have sex with me, just sleep with me, in the same bed”

“That's not a good idea at all”

It was a great idea but a risk you couldn't take these days, besides you had never slept with a man you were attracted to before.

“I'll come to your window..nobody will know”

“No ..stop..lets go” you giggled as you dragged him along with you to take him back to his room.

Once you laid down in your bed, your mind shifted from thoughts of Tanya to those of Daemon, you wondered how it would feel to have him so close to you, his mouth rubbing against yours slowly and sensually.

The following day, you were assigned to clean room 390, formerly occupied by Mrs. Rodriguez, who had been discharged. This left you surprised, considering her frail mental state. While tidying up, the sound of the door opening caught your attention, and Doctor Vis stepped in, his presence intimidating and commanding like always.

“Good morning doctor” you mumbled politely so he gave you a smile and walked closer to you, you didn't even understand what he was doing or why he was looking at you like that but a part of you knew it couldn't have been about anything else but Daemon. Your life seemed to revolve around him only these days.

“Did you hear about the upcoming gala on Sunday?” He asked you so you nodded in response. The fundraising gala was traditionally held annually at King's Landing institution, offering a unique opportunity for patients, doctors, and staff to come together for one night, setting apart from the usual daily routine.

“I want you to take my…uhhh i want you to make sure that Daemon is on his best behavior at the gala” He said to you, making you all perplexed about his motive.

“How would I do that?” you asked him firmly so he smiled again.

“Just keep him engaged in conversations, think of it as a part of your duty and you'll earn a hefty bonus immediately”

Well the bonus would be nice but the entire situation bewildered you. Why did he only assign these extra tasks to you? Especially after that day when he had seen Daemon attacking you?

On the night of the gala, you chose to pamper yourself with a refreshing shower and meticulous grooming. After doing your makeup, you slipped into a black, full-length dress gifted to you by your mother, a piece you had never worn before, you never found the occasion for it.

You didn't dress up this lavishly for the previous galas as you really didn't care unlike this year. The dress featured thin straps that hugged your figure, a smidgen of cleavage on display, leaving you feeling both elegant but also slightly exposed. However you wanted to look sexy tonight, it was strange having such feelings, wanting to dress up for someone, getting all dolled up so he'd look at you differently and would perhaps make your knees tremble with his inappropriate touching and filthy words.

You enjoyed that feeling.

As you reached the main hall you felt everyone's eyes on you, especially your colleagues, they were not used to seeing you so made up.

There were plenty of influential people invited at the gala, it was a grand affair, alot to look forward to but your eyes wandered around to just see him, besides you had a job to do.

You didn't know what you were expecting but you definitely didn't expect to see Daemon in an all black suit that gave him the aura of a royal prince. Two guards had been appointed by the Viserys to bring him to the venue but as he entered Viserys gestured them to uncuff him from the shackles and then he gestured to you to keep an eye on him. The look hadn't gone unnoticed by Daemon as he walked towards you.

“Who knew you were hiding all this behind that granny dress you wear everyday” he mumbled as he neared you so you rolled your eyes.

“Who knew you were capable of wearing a two-piece suit?” you retorted making him chuckle in response

“You look gorgeous love” he muttered, a smirk playing on his lips,

“You look handsome” you responded honestly.

“Thank you”

“I'll get a drink” you turned around to get to the bar as you felt flushed under his intense gaze. As soon as you had your back to him he stared at your hips shamelessly while you walked away from him and cursed profanities under his breath, the dress hugged you in all the right places and his instincts were screaming at him to pounce on you right now.

To claim you in every possible way, show you what you were missing in your bed every night.

He was half a wild unruly creature and sometimes you made it really hard for him to keep that animal intact inside him, your alluring presence ignited the fire already burning within him, compelling him to satisfy that beast who just wanted to mate with his mate.

You made it really hard for him, literally and figuratively.

His eyes met with Shyla at the other end of the hallway but she quickly looked away as he approached you.

“It's my birthday” he mumbled as he stood next to you at the bar so you looked at him surprised.

“Really?”

“You can check my records”

“Why didn't you tell me all day?” You asked him so he rolled his eyes.

“I don't celebrate it”

“Why not?” you probed further to make him open up so he sighed.

“You need friends and family to do so.. didn't have any of that growing up” there was a hint of sadness in his tone and you felt your heart clenching at the sight of him.

“Well..how old are you now?”’

“35.. I feel ancient”

“I hear you” you hesitated for a moment before you spoke further,

“I have a job to do ..Dr. Vis have asked me to keep you in line and in return i would receive an early bonus” he chuckled as you said that, clearly amused.

“He's an imbecile” he scoffed

“True but he's being cautious, you areeee unpredictable” you admitted to which he responded with a smirk.

“Uhhhuh and that arse thinks a pretty little thing like you would get me under control if I wanted to go berserk right about now?” he asked arrogantly as he stepped closer to you. The scent of mahogany made your knees weak already and he hadn't even touched you yet.

“Perhaps I can do that” you replied confidentially as if to challenge him.

“You're overconfident love…I care about you but you can't tie me on a leash and have me wrapped around your fingers like a domestic pet” His words were affecting you in ways you couldn't even describe to yourself, you didn't think it was possible to feel so turned on by a man speaking to you so callously.

"Mhmmm, perhaps I would simply have to manipulate you emotionally." He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued as you challenged him again.

“And how would you do that?”

“Like this” you made a sad face and your eyes teared up suddenly as you looked at him with that pathetic puppy look on your face, his eyes softened for a moment before he realized that you were messing with him.

“Oh you little minx”

You couldn't help but grin at his response, feeling the sizzling chemistry between you, the flirting and the electric tension filling the air. The sight of him dressed so sharply added fuel to the fire, igniting a heat within your core. He then walked so close to you that there was not an inch of space left between your bodies, for a moment you worried about being seen like this but his words kept you hooked to him.

“Ask me to be nice and I won't disappoint you” he whispered in your ear.

“Will you be nice please?” You asked him softly so he caressed the bridge of your nose before he stepped away from you.

“You got it Princess”

And he upheld his promise, throughout the gala he was well behaved and polite with everyone, not that many people were interacting with him. He was misunderstood and he had done nothing to diffuse those rumors about him attacking Shyla. Sometimes you envied the power he had where he didn't give any fucks about his reputation.

Later that night you grabbed a piece of cake and made your way to his room, he had left the Gala before you and you didn't want to look suspicious so you waited for a bit before you stole the cake and sneaked out quietly.

Like always he had his door open so you entered immediately.

As expected, you found him standing by the window, his arms resting against the frame, the soft light of the moon bathing his silhouette.

“Happy birthday” you mumbled softly as he turned around and his gaze met with yours. The gentle flicker of the candle you had carefully placed on the cake casted a warm orange hue and he didn't know what it was about the gesture but it made him want to cry. All his adult life he had fought against emotions like these but with you he was failing miserably.

He walked towards you as he stared at you so you gestured towards the cake,

“Blow and make a wish” you told him so he chuckled and shook his head but his resolved melted as you made a pout, you didn't bring any fork so you cut the corner of the slice with your fingers and offered the sweet delicious treat to him, you weren't really expecting him to suck your fingers clean off the delicious cream. He grabbed the plate from your hands and stepped away from you to place it on the dresser before he approached you again.

“I want to touch you” he murmured under his breath and your heart ceased to beat for a moment.

“Where?” you asked hesitantly but evidently turned on by the husky whisper of his voice.

“Everywhere” he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer to his chest so you looked up at him.

“You can't start touching me everywhere at once, it's …scary” you mumbled softly.

His fingers trailed up from your wrist and you shuddered as they caressed the curve of your shoulders, he messed around with the straps of your dress before he lowered them down, exposing your clavicle and a bit of cleavage, it wasn't really much but you felt as if you were all naked , you felt as if he could see right through you and the thought made you feel so aroused.

As his thumbs traced over your collarbone, your eyes rolled back in your head involuntary.

“Is this alright? Not too much, hmm?” he asked, his voice gentle but slightly mocking in your ears.

“No..not much..” the trembling of your voice betrayed the conviction in your words.

“Yet you're shaking like a leaf” he murmured as his thumb traced over the curve of your breasts, ragged breaths escaped your chest at the touch. You could feel yourself dripping in your thong. “Depriving yourself of such pleasures all your life? It's a shame darling, a woman as sensual as you was made to be ridden every night”

You silenced him with a gentle press of your palm against his lips as he spoke filthily.

“I don't want to be touched by anyone or everyone” you mumbled meakly as his hands wrapped around your neck like a necklace, his hold both possessive and gentle at the same time.

“And I would be honored if you'd allow me to savor a part of you that you've never shared before, my sweet girl. I promise to keep it safe, secure, and thoroughly pleased.” your eyes moistened at the sincerity in his voice.

“Mmmmhm? Kiss me then”

You looked him in the eye and cupped his cheeks as before you got angled up and pecked his lips briefly.

He leaned down and took a whiff of your scent before he sucked a mark on your neck, his lips then trailed up to your jaw and as he kissed the corner of your mouth, you felt your knees trembling with anticipation.

“Daemon” you whispered against his mouth as he cupped your cheeks.

“Mmm?” He asked, concern filled his voice as he didn't want to make you uncomfortable in the slightest.

“I …adore you..very much”

“As do i”’

With those words he then planted his lips on yours, your breath hitched in your chest as you gasped in his mouth, the wave of feelings that you experienced felt unfamiliar. This feeling that you had, you couldn't have anticipated it. It definitely wasn't the same as kissing your own hand as a child to practice kissing, and it definitely didn't feel as awful as it had with that man you didn't even remember the name of. He let go of your upper lips and looked at you for a moment,

“I'm not kissing you back am i?” You asked him between your bated breaths but he didn't answer, he smiled instead and leaned down to capture your lower lip into his mouth , his hands cupping your other cheeks as he pulled you closer to him.

The feeling of his warm big hands rubbing over the curve of your rear flipped a switch inside you right then and you reciprocated his movements, arms curled around his neck as you followed the rhythm of his mouth.

For the first time in your life you felt as if you were in a hazy dream, this feeling felt too good to be true, and for the first time your boring mundane life felt as exciting and as thrilling as those wild dreams you have had all your life. And it terrified you if you were being honest with yourself.

As his tongue slipped into your mouth you were a goner, the taste of him was something you could see yourself getting addicted to, it offered you a euphoric high like that of a drug as he had said, it felt intoxicating, but it was a high no other drug could ever compare to.

As the kiss deepened, he didn't pull away until he was gasping for breath, stealing the air from your lungs with each frantic inhale. Doubts filled your head, and you wondered whether the kiss was as magical for him as it was for you. Did he feel the fire burning within his soul, or was this moment merely a fleeting distraction for him?

“It is” he mumbled softly as peppered kisses all over your face so you looked at him confused “it is as magical for me as it was for you darling”

You still didn't understand how he was so intuitive, perhaps he had a strong sixth sense or something, considering that he was half dragon, you were still on the fence of believing it completely.

“Turn around for me” he asked you, his tone commanding so you hesitated for a moment before you complied. Then, the cool touch of metal wrapping around your neck caught you off guard, drawing a gasp from your lips.

Honestly you just wanted to kiss him again and then again.

“Daemon–”

“It's a gift…belonged to my mother” You turned around to look at him as he said that.

“I don't think I deserve it yet” you whispered softly so he placed his fingers on your lips to shut you up.

“Just keep it .. please”

“Okay”

He placed his forehead down on yours as he sighed so you tucked his hair behind his ears before you cupped his cheeks.

“What is bothering you?”

He wasn't the only one with strong senses it seems.

“Nothing” he mumbled as he grabbed the locket of the pendant between his fingers and contemplated his words before speaking “Don't put it on in front of Viserys”

“Viserys?” You looked at him confused so he nodded.

“Dr. Vis”

He had a full name? Why didn't you know that after all these years?

“Okay..why though?” Your puzzled expression prompted him to sigh again.

“He'd recognise it..it belonged to my mother” his answer only confused you further.

“Why would he know about this Daemon?” you asked him as the curiosity piqued, you knew Dr Vis had been treating him for a while but why would he know about the necklace you thought, it was personal. And that's when he revealed the truth about his relationship with the man you knew as Dr. Vis.

“Cause he's my brother.. he's my older brother”

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

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