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crystaldwightsworld · 5 years

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"Let him/her go" and "Don't touch him/her" prompt

Higgs sat waiting patiently by Valerie's bedside, willing her to awake in his mind. He still can't believe he's here in Bridges HQ and that Sam had agreed to help him out. It was the last thing he had ever expected or deserved even. Sam also sat in the room, slumped in a chair as Lou cooed and knawed on her fingers.

Deadman emerges back into the room, still adorned in medical attire. It's routine for him as he's pushing buttons, looking over charts and examining Valerie's vitals once more. He looks over to Higgs and gives him a warm assuring smile.

"She still has a slight fever but it's getting better. The chiralium, however, is still at an increasingly high level in her system. I'd like to keep her overnight for one more day, just to be sure. We're getting the results back of her DOOMS level shortly as well. We'll see where we can go from there." He cheerfully announces. Higgs feels more than grateful for the team's helping hands as he nods in acknowledgement at Deadman's analysis. The room falls quiet again as Deadman takes his leave, a tiny Lou still drooling all over her fingers.

"She's a tough one, huh?" Sam's ragged voice breaks the silence, his comment made about Valerie.

Higgs can only breathe out a light chuckle before turning to address him.

"You have no idea." Higgs boasts before turning his eyes back to his... friend? Of course you're friends, she trusts you, doesn't she? Higgs ponders in endless thought. Chatting comfortably through the white board over the last three months had been easy enough but now that she was here, lying no more than a foot away from him, her angelic features accentuated by the bright lights, her full lips pressed in a rested line and her chest rising and falling with each precious breath showed him in more ways than one how he really felt about Valerie. His overgrowing need to protect her and to keep her safe only made it official. He'd be damned if he let anyone or anything try to take her away from him or attempt to separate them. They had a bond, as strange yet unique as it was, the connection they had formed together gave him something to look forward to each day. It had given him the purpose he had been desperately searching for. Maybe that was his reason for still being. To be there for her as she was for him.

A small commotion is heard from behind him, a woman's frantic yet familiar voice that sends the coldest chill through him. It was only a matter of time... he knew she would find out eventually.

"Where is he! Get off of me, out of my way!" Fragile's erratic voice demands as she pushes through a few of the medical team before appearing in the doorway, her piercing gaze finding Higgs not only here but not on the beach where she had left him.

"You... you've got some fucking nerve, you know that?" Fragile seethes through gritted teeth, bolting for Higgs before he can even begin to try and counter her. Her grip is like a vice on his wrist as she goes for it, wanting to tear him limb from limb.

"It's nice to see you too, Fragile." Higgs' voice greets her but in a small, weak fashion.

"How did you do it? You know what, it doesn't matter, you're going back to the beach and this time, you won't be able to escape!" She warns threateningly, the fury painted sharply in her eyes.

"Fragile, calm down." Sam interveines.

"You can fuck off too!" She barks as she continues to argue with Sam. Higgs is too distracted to listen to their heated argument as he notices Valerie's eyes slowly lift open but instantly fills with panicked need before coating over a devilish black at the sight of someone maybe trying to harm Higgs, black strands of chiralium tar pooling and dripping up and off her skin as they float up and towards the ceiling. The strong desire to protect him fills her and takes her over, her angry voice meeting all of their ears without moving her lips.

"Let him go!"

Fragile snaps her neck, her eyes still angry as she looks over towards the strange girl. As unnerving as her appearance had suddenly become, Fragile is not quick to back down.

"Wow, somebody who actually gives a damn about you!" Fragile taunts, making Higgs slightly flinch. Her words were harsh but Valerie is adamant to stand her ground, the thin strands of tar lifting away from her skin even quicker as the anger builds under her skin.

"I said let him go! Or I'll make you let him go... and don't you touch him!" Valerie's furious inner voice breaks again, filling the vacant room, the demand in her tone ever so serious.

"Fragile, let him go." Sam pleads again, this time his hand resting lightly on her shoulder in attempt to lure her away. As if betrayed all over again, Fragile flips her gaze between Sam and Higgs before relenting and violently pulling away, crossing the room with her arms against her chest in attempt to gather herself. Valerie does not let off until she's sure the situation has dissipated before slumping back into the mattress of the medical bed, the strands disappearing as soon as they had appeared and the light fading back into her eyes. Higgs lets out a relieved sigh, his hand tucking into Valerie's as she's finally awakened.

"Higgs...", her cheerful voice meets his ears, clearly happy to see him. Her smile makes him want to melt, his stomach fluttering at her always persistant acknowledgemnet. "Who is that? Why is she here? Tried to hurt you, was going to-" She signs quickly, almost too fast for Higgs to keep up.

"Val, Val! Calm down, alright. Everything's okay. Don't strain yourself, you're weak." Higgs is quick to assure her, mouthing his words as he signed with her, doing his best to console her.

"She's deaf?" Sam interrupts, surprised. Higgs nods his head.

"She didn't sound fucking deaf!" Fragile hisses.

"She can speak with her mind but only if she wants you to hear it. She can't hear a thing though, been deaf since the day she born." Higgs clarifies. "It's part of her DOOMS abilities."

"And more where that came from!" Deadman reappears, shuffling over to his patient with a report in hand. "She's off the charts, even more so than you had been!" He exclaims a little too happily to them both. "The chiralium in her system should have eaten her alive a long time ago but I'm still trying to hypothesize a theory on how she's been able to keep a sane state of mind. Wait until Heartman finds this out, he's going to flip! Oh, hey Fragile!" Deadman greets her.

Valerie stares in awe at Deadman, meeting him for the first time. So many new people in the room, it's a little overwhelming to her until her eyes find Lou.

"A baby!!! I've never seen one in person!!!" She excitedly signs, a wide smile pointed in the direction of Lou with a gorgeousness that Higgs can't help but want to drown in.

"Where did you find her Higgs? Where did she come from?" Deadman asks curiously.

"I didn't find her... she found me." He softly admits, his eyes still taking in the beautiful sight of her more than delighted smile. He worries that he wouldn't be able to keep her happy, that she didn't feel the same way he felt towards her. The sudden thought chills him in his bones but he had better quit it. Valerie would hear him if he continued to lose himself in his self depreciating thoughts.

"You must be famished! I'll be right back!" Deadman announces as he goes to take his leave once more.

"She likes jello!" Higgs shouts off to him before averting his gaze back to Valerie. His thumb circles and plays lightly against the soft skin atop her hand, the fact that Higgs had been the one to reach out to her first this time making a strange feeling bubble up in her tummy. She's fully aware with Higgs' hesitation with physical affection so she's more than surprised to feel him here, her hand cradled lightly in his own as if she were a prized possession needing to be handled with care.

"Can I hold her?" Valerie asks, referring to the baby.

Higgs is uncertain how Sam will feel but asks anyways.

"She wants to know if she can hold her?"

Sam's gaze flips between the two of them for a moment before standing, cradling a playful Lou in his grasp.

"Alright but be careful. I'm gunna go talk to Fragile." Sam says before handing off his child to the girl, showing her how to cradle Lou if need be. It's only a split second that their hands brush against each other but as soon as the baby is nestled safely in her arms, her hand is reaching out for Sam's, multiple visions passing through her mind.

"You are a repatriate." Valerie's calm but knowing voice reaches Sam again, freezing him in his spot at not only the sudden intrusion of physical touch but her abilities to see inside himself. "You used to be a bridge baby. Your father died while trying to protect you. Clifford Unger. You've looked death in her very face. You've listened to the hollow, miserable moans of the BTs, you've witnessed the fright of a titan catcher before matter meets anti-matter... you know death well yet her slimy sticky hands will never catch you. Doesn't mean it wasn't terrifying though."

Sam glares at her in dumbfounded awe, licking his dry lips before glancing at Higgs.

Higgs can only smile at the surprise written on Sam's features.

"I told you... she's special."

#writing prompt #higgs monaghan #sam porter bridges #fragile #deadman #higgs x oc #higgs x valerie #my oc #my writing #death stranding #fanfic #the chiral coffin

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elliebean714 · 3 years

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☆What I write☆~

I write character x character, character x oc and character x reader.

♡Romantic♡, ◇Platonic◇, whatever.

Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Yandere, Poly Relationships, Character Reactions, Character Diary Entries, Light Nsfw, My Oc's, Female, Gender Neutral And Male Readers/Characters/Oc's

♡Gay♡ and ☆Not Gay☆

Headcanons, fics, one-shots, maybe Au's....

Fandoms I write for. (It's all games. I'm not sorry.)

Until Dawn~

Josh Washington

Chris Hartley

Ashley Brown

Sam Giddings

Mike Munroe

Jess Riley

Emily Davis

Matt Taylor

Beth Washington

Hannah Washington

The Quarry~

Jacob Custos

Emma Mountebank

Nick Furcillo

Abigail Blyg

Max Brinly

Laura Kearney

Kaitlyn Ka

Dylan Lenivy

Ryan Erzhalher

Travis Hackett

Chris Hackett

Bobby Hackett

Life is Strange~

Season 1~

Max Caulfield

Chloe Price

Warren Graham

Nathan Prescott

Victoria Chase

Kate Marsh

Mark Jefferson

Before The Storm~

Chloe Price

Rachel Amber

Steph Gingrich

Nathan Prescott

Samantha Myers

Season 2~

Sean Diaz

Daniel Diaz

Cassidy

Finn

True colours~

Alex Chen

Steph Gingrich

Ryan Lucan

Gabe Chen

Charlotte Harmon

Jason Pike

Five Nights at Freddy's~

FNaF 1 ~

Bonnie

Freddy

Chica

Foxy

Golden Freddy

FNaF 2~

Toy Bonnie

Toy Freddy

Toy Chica

Marionette

Mangle

Withered Bonnie

Withered Freddy

Withered Chica

Withered Foxy

FNaF 3~

Springtrap

FNaF Sister Location~

Circus Baby

Ballora

Funtime Freddy/Bon Bon

Funtime Foxy

Ennerd

Lolbit

FNaF Pizzeria Simulator~

Lefty

FNaF Security Breach~

Gregory

Glamrock Freddy

Montgomery Gator

Glamrock Chica

Roxanne Wolf

Sundrop

Moondrop

Vanny

Vannessa

Misc.~

William Afton

Michael Afton

Henry Emily

Note~ Unless specifically requested otherwise all animatronics will not have the children's souls inside them, if you want the soul inside the animatronic it will automatically be platonic (Springtrap is the exception)♡

Bioshock~

Bioshock 1~

Jack Wynand

Atlas

Frank Fontaine

Bridget Tenenbaum

The Little Sisters

The Big Daddies

Bioshock 2~

Subject Delta

Augustus Sinclair

Eleanor Lamb

Sophia Lamb

Grace Holloway

Stanley Poole

Gil Alexander

Mark Meltzer

The Big Sisters

Bioshock Infinite~

Elizabeth Comstalk

Booker DeWitt

Songbird

The Walking Dead: Telltale~

Season 1~

Lee Everett

Clementine

Kenny

Lily

Carley

Doug

Mark

Ben Paul

Christa

Omid

Season 2~

Clementine

Luke

Nick

Sarah

Kenny

Season 3~

Javi Garcia

Kate Garcia

Gabe Garcia

Clementine

Tripp

Jesus

Season 4~

Clementine

Violet

Louis

Mitch

Tenn

James

Lily

Minerva

Detroit: Become Human~

Connor

Hank

Kara

Alice

Luther

Ralph

Marcus

North

Simon

Josh

The Last Of Us~

Part 1~

Ellie

Joel

Tommy

Henry

Sam

Marlene

Riley

Part 2~

Ellie

Joel

Dina

Jesse

Tommy

Abby

Owen

Lev

Yara

Uncharted~

Drake's Fortune~

Nathan Drake

Elena Fisher

Among Thieves~

Nathan Drake

Elena Fisher

Chloe Frazer

Harry Flynn

Drake's Deception~

Nathan Drake

Elena Fisher

Chloe Frazer

Talbot

A Thieves End~

Nathan Drake

Elena Fisher

Sam Drake

Rafe Adler

Nadine Ross

Death Stranding~

Sam Porter Bridges

Higgs Monaghan

Fragile

Amelie Strand

Dr Heartman

Mama

Lockne

Deadman

Die-Hardman

Clifford Unger

Doki Doki Literature Club~

Monika

Sayori

Yuri

Natsuki

Obey Me!~

Lucifer

Mammon

Leviathan

Satan

Asmodeus

Beelzebub

Belphegor

Diavolo

Barbatos

Luke

Simeon

Solomon

Thirteen

☆Overall Note☆~ All Under 18 Characters Will Be Platonic, Unless Shipped With A Character/Oc Of The Same Age.♡

♡Protect the Children♡

◇What I won't write◇~

Heavy Nsfw

Non-Con/ Dub-Con

Pedophilia

Insest

Self Harm

Suicide

Big Age-Gap Relationships

Other people's oc's

Cheating (Except Comfort)

Send Requests, I'm Depressed💐

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starlightsoulwriting · 5 years

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L’appel du Vide

Cliff Unger x Reader

L'appel du Vide (n.) The unexplainable desire to jump when on the edge of a cliff Call of The Void AO3 Link

Porters are going missing. You and Fragile are at each other’s throats, and you’re still reeling from your incident ten months ago. And, on top of all your shit, life decides to drop a Cliff on you.

[x][1][2]

Prologue

The first time you met Cliff was on the beach.

It had been weeks since Sam had gone after Amelie to stop the Last Stranding. Things had calmed down on the outside; Die-Hardman was establishing his presidency, not that any of you were focused on that. You, Heartman, and Mama had been searching for Sam the whole time.

Your ability was an odd one, as far as DOOMS goes. You couldn’t teleport your whole body like Fragile could, but you could send your Ka to the beach - even to other people’s beaches if you had a focus.

The day you met Cliff had been hard.

You’d had an honest to god, knock-down, drag-out fight with Fragile - it would have gone to blows had Heartman not dragged you away. You escaped to the beach after that.

You’d been doing that a lot lately.

You started at Sam’s beach, like you always did. But you wandered for hours, coming up with nothing. You were for sure in someone else’s by now. The borders between beaches were all fuzzy now - it was easy to slip into one you didn’t mean to. You could feel the change in your gut, energy shifting. There were people here, you could feel it, but the strands were so tangled you couldn’t tell them apart. So you picked one and went with it. Maybe he had wandered off this way, too. He had a hell of a head start on you, though.

You kept stumbling on until you heard whistling in the distance. You’d found someone! So you took off at a dead sprint towards the sound, even as you were telling yourself it probably wasn’t Sam.

As soon as the man came into view, you deflated. You hated when you were right.

He was tall, and handsome, and strong-looking, but you were disappointed all the same.

Because he wasn’t the porter that saved your life two.

You let out a childish huff and plopped out onto the dark sand, exhausted. You would just lay down on your back and stare at the sky for a minute. Gather your energy. Then you would go.

The guy must’ve noticed you lying like a depressed starfish, though, because you heard footsteps, and then a crunch of sand as he sat down next to you. You didn’t bother looking over, instead opting to shift upright and stare at the waves instead, arms curling around your knees. The waves were more interesting than clouds, anyway.

“I assume you’re not having the best of days, either?” His voice was warm and raspy, almost saying it like a joke as much as it was a real question.

You had to barely stop yourself from barking out a laugh, looking at him incredulously, but you were amused nonetheless. His eyes glinted with playfulness, a wry smile on his face, like your reluctant, surprised smile was exactly what he was going for. You rolled your eyes and looked back at the sea. “That’s a hell of a question to ask someone wandering around purgatory.”

“I’m not wrong though, am I?”

You sighed, wistful humor draining out of you as you came back to reality. Your day had been shit. You shrugged, curling in on yourself even more. “ I had a horrible fight with one of my only friends. She made a decision to let a bad man handle his own shit. I think she should have killed him”

Oh, god, you were such a downer.

He didn’t seem to mind though, and looked thoughtful. “I’m sure she had her reasons for doing that.”

“Yeah, she wanted him to suffer the consequences of his actions or whatever, but, like.” You took a shaky breath in. A pit of dread opened up in you - you were starting to get upset again, chest clenching painfully. The cool air began to feel hot, suddenly. “He nuked a city. The world would be safer without him.” You clench your fists to stop your fingers from trembling and squeezed your eyes shut to stop the tears. Your heart hammered in your ears and for a moment you were back in your shelter, trapped and helpless again. You could still feel the blood all over you - your stomach, your hands. His voice.

A brush on your shoulder made you flinch back with a gasp, but you opened your eyes and there was no skull mask staring back at you, only warm brown eyes and a sad, sympathetic look on his face. You were on the beach, looking for Sam. You were safe.

“You still with me, there?” He said gently, like talking to a frightened cat. You wished you knew what was going through his head, but at the same time didn’t have the courage to ask. Instead you nodded and worked on following grounding exercises, focusing on slowing your breath. “Need help?” You shook your head and stayed quiet, looking back out at the ocean.

Sand between your fingers. Salty sea air filling your lungs. The taste of the ocean. The heat of the person next to you.

Awkward silence weighed down upon you.

But you eventually calmed down.

You took one last breath and spoke, voice still unsteady. “I’m looking for my friend. He’s lost somewhere in here. I just need to find him so we can go home,” You glance at him. “You see a tired-looking dude about six feet come through here recently? Shoulder length hair, scruffy beard, porter gear on?”

He shook his head. “Can’t say that I have, sorry.”

You shrug, sighing and getting to your feet. You had expected that, but it still sucked. “Thanks anyway.” You gave one more look around the beach before you got ready to re-enter your body. “See you ‘round, I guess, if you don’t move on by the time I’m back.” You began to walk towards the water. You needed a cold shower to scrub off all your ugly feelings. You waded past the breakers, walking to hip-height. The next bit was always the trickiest - returning to your body from the seam. If you did it wrong you would wake up in the afterlife instead of your room.

A murmur from behind gave you pause, though. “I’ll be here.”

You look at him questioningly. Most souls didn’t feel like lingering on the beach for long.

“I’m waiting for my son.” He says simply and with the same resolve you had, deep in your bones, that you would find Sam.

You gave him a small smile and a wave goodbye. It wasn’t often you met people out here. And this guy was nice. He had a warm voice and soft eyes. Not to mention the fact he was handsome. You ignored that, though. You didn’t need to catch feelings for a dead guy.

You’d decided you liked him, though. “I’m Y/n.”

“Cliff.”

As you dove into the Seam and past the surf, you heard the faint sound of whistling pick up again.

You hoped he found his son soon.

You saw him three more times before Mama found Sam - and joined him for short chats each time. Only a few minutes long each, just as the first had been, but just as comfortable - he steered topics away from his family, though. You didn’t pry at obviously healing wounds, and he didn’t ask about your panic attacks. So instead you talked about the stars, and your plants back home that were probably dying, and how well the UCA was doing now that people were connecting.

You liked talking to him. It was easy, really. He drew star charts in the sand for you, telling you about constellations and their stories, about Orion and Hercules. And you told him about your greenhouse, and cheesy action movies, and your cat, Rocky, and how to make little paper cranes. He whistled just to fill the silence.

Then Mama had found Sam, and your little “We-Love-Sam” club had been all hands on deck trying to get him home.

Even after you got him back, the rest of the world was a whirlwind of activity and bureaucracy and you were just trying your best to adjust to your new nightmares that had replaced the old ones, and trying to repair your relationship with Fragile, and setting up new software systems with Lockne.

It wore you down more every day. You weren’t meant to be at Bridges, really - you were just a nerd who got pulled into this mess against your will. Being on such a short leash here in the city felt claustrophobic. And you were exhausted, barely able to sleep because every time you closed your eyes all you saw was masks and blood.

You didn’t visit the beach for three more weeks.

You needed to go home, back out west past Lake Knot City. Where you had all the breathing room you wanted. No surveillance-state wrist cuffs or shitty cafeteria food. Come to think of it, your plants had probably all died by now. At least your mom had taken care of Rocky while you were away.

Fragile was feeling better and was making runs again; she had agreed to take you home, despite how tense your friendship was. You felt bad for being so pissed at her, but every time you looked over your shoulder or thought you heard Higg’s voice, you got upset again. She wasn’t the one who hurt you but it didn’t matter. You weren’t safe and it was her fault. You didn’t know how long it would be before things were okay again.

Everyone else was staying for a while after Die-Hardman’s big speech, at least for a bit. And even though you knew to the core of your being Higgs wouldn’t dare show his face at Bridges ever again, you still had to leave before you broke completely. It was only a matter of time before you lost your shit cooped up like this. You needed your mountains back.

You had gotten Sam back and made sure he was okay. You weren’t needed here anymore. You needed to set up a new shelter, one that didn’t hurt you just to see. Maybe closer to the rest of your group this time. More secure. Better to get started now then wait.

You were on your way to meet Fragile when Deadman stopped you.

“Y/n, I know you’ll probably be busy back home, but I could really use some help. I’ve been looking into this Captain Unger figure that kept trying to take Sam’s BB, but I haven’t been able to get to the rest of his file,” He started, and you didn’t like where he was going with this. He needed something from you. “I know that it’s hiding there, somewhere in the network, but it has so many layers of encryption I can’t get through it myself.” He made a pleading motion with his hands, tilting his head and looking like a hopeful golden retriever.

This guy’s been pulling stuff like this for two months.

And you caved every damn time.

At least this time it was something interesting and not some stupid password algorithms. You sighed. “Yeah, yeah, sure, send it to me. But I’m still leaving now, Deadman.” You looked away from him as you pulled him into a hug, uncomfortable and blushing. You weren’t good with goodbyes or physical contact. “Take care of everyone, okay?” You mumbled into his blazer. Your voice almost broke.

“Of course I will.” He gave you a hard squeeze. You didn’t protest. “But you need to take care of yourself, too.”

It was bittersweet, really. You cared about everyone so much, but you were being suffocated. You needed to go home.

And so you did.

Although, later that night, after settling into your new, empty shelter, and enduring dinner with your entire family like it was Christmas, you were already missing everyone.

You settled into your bed and opened your tablet, replying to Heartman’s sappy messages, assuring him that you would absolutely message him every day and would always visit him on the beach if he needed company. That was how you’d met in the first place. Lockne had run a few ideas through your DMs, but it was mostly just her way of working out a problem. It was clever shit, too, it was hard to feel helpful with her sometimes.

By the time you got around Deadman’s message your eyes were drooping and you were fighting back yawns - but you figured you would read through what he already had before getting started in the morning. Just a quick skim-through, no big deal.

It was a big deal.

Because when you opened the file, you shot up with a gasp, eyes bulging practically out of their sockets. Your Cliff and Sam’s Cliff were the same Cliff! Holy shit!

You got up and paced restlessly, hands moving from your mouth to your head to your hips.

Fucking hell! He’d shot at Sam! Motherfucker!

But he was so nice? And made stupid jokes, and helped keep you grounded?

You sat back on your bed, Rocky staring at you like you were nuts, and you ran through everything Sam had told you about Cliff. You fished through your memory, for when he recounted what nutso things Amelie had told him.

“Apparently that Cliff guy was brought back to teach me a lesson or something? I don’t know what she meant by that, but it did seem like he was pretty out of it most of the time. I don’t know if he’ll be hanging around beaches again or not, but he shouldn’t be botherin me and Lou anymore, and that’s all that really matters.”

Ah, screw sleep, you needed answers. This was going to keep you up all night, you just knew it. So you unpacked your PC and got cracking.

By the morning, you sent Cliff’s fully recovered file to Deadman. Sam deserved to hear news like that in person. His dad was… badass, honestly.

After that you slept until three PM. Then you went to the beach.

The world lurched around you as your soul left your body.

When you got to Cliff Unger’s - Sam’s Father’s - beach, there was no one there. Just the whistling of the wind.

He was gone.

You told yourself it was for the best.

You didn’t need to catch feelings for a dead guy, after all.

#death stranding #death stranding x reader #cliff unger #death stranding cliff #mads mikkelsen #longfic #l'appel du vide

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fandomoniumflurry · 7 years

Text

Always be Waiting

Dean Winchester x Reader

for @carryonmywaywardcaptain CarryOnCap’s song Challenge

Prompt: Wait for Me by Theory of a Deadman

1.6k words No warnings really. just fluff.

Taggers: @becs-bunker (taglists are open if you are interested!)

Most hunters don’t get to be happy. Relationships and fairy tales are far from plausible in their line of work. The constant travel and dangerous nature makes it nearly impossible to fall in love and maintain any kind of romance. Not that any live long enough to even build any kind of friendship or familial bond. Most hunters don’t work well with others even though they are all connected in a tight knit community. One night stands take the edge off and scratch an itch but long term isn’t even an option.

There are those that find a companion in another hunter, someone who can fight alongside them and understands the danger. It’s rare but it does happen. There is always that chance that one would have to watch the other die a bloody death, forced to live out the rest of their existence alone once more. Then there are those rare few that try to be with a civilian, someone outside of the life. But that usually involves lies and dishonesty, eventually tearing the pair apart anyway. Or if they are told about the life, they are left home alone to wait and worry, hoping that their hunter will come home.

Then there are those that try to leave the life altogether to settle down. As many have learned, there is never an escape from the hunting life once you are sucked in. It will follow you to the day you die which is usually never of old age in a rocking chair on your front porch watching your grandchildren.

No matter what, a hunter’s life will always be deadly and painful, dangerous for any one in their life. Family, friends, or loved ones are a dream for the hunter, a dream that is out of reach and a fantasy that is locked away and unattainable. If held onto, that dream can eat away at what little hope and sanity left in a hunter’s heart. There is always fear, not for their own life but for the lives of others. There is no care given to their own existence, their whole being given to saving the world. They give up all happiness and comfort to take up the burden of fighting the forces most don’t even know about.

They go without praise, thanks, or reward. Most die alone with nothing to show for their heroism. Loss and heartache are all they know, some doubting their faith and strength, losing their determination, losing sight of their mission, losing the whole point of fighting and some giving up completely, giving up on living at all if this was how things were meant to be.

No one knew what the life of a hunter entailed more than the Winchesters. Sam and Dean are the epitome of what it is like to give your whole body, mind and soul to the life. Legends among the hunting community, they are feared and revered equally among hunters and monsters alike. They have had few wins, very little good happen in their life and yet are still fighting. There have been plenty of times they have tried to quit, tried to get out only to get pulled back in. They have lost family and friends, loves taken from them, breaking their fragile hearts to the point they wanted nothing to do with the world they fought for.

All they have is each other. Brothers that would do anything for each other, letting the world burn if it meant that the other would be safe and alive. There was no one or nothing else more important, more precious than one another. Finding love and companionship with each other was enough to get them through their difficult path. The brotherly bond between them and also with Castiel is what gets them through every day. In the end, they only have each other, anyone else coming and going, dying or forgetting. The only ones left standing are the Winchesters.

Neither of them complain or desire anything more. Though their life is hard, they don’t wish for or strive for anything else. This is their destiny, it’s in their blood. They were born to be warriors, champions of the world, two lone knights against the army of evil around them. The weight of the world on their shoulders with only the other to help bear the load, one day both of them to be crushed under the weight.

Driving down a long stretch of highway could prove to be quieter than you might think. The rumble of the engine and the blaring of Zeppelin through the speakers weren’t enough to drown out thoughts. The road ahead and the road behind were just endless asphalt and paint, the same image in the rearview mirror and through the windshield. The sound of his brother’s soft snores, the taller man curled up uncomfortably in the bench seat next to him distracted him for a moment. For most of the time, Dean’s attention had been on the road ahead. One hand rested against his jaw while the other clutched the steering wheel. His finger would tap against his cheek from time to time, usually going along with the beat of his heart that sounded in his ears.

You words had been playing over in his head for hours, ever since he had left you. It was a private moment between the two of you before Sam had whisked him away. “I’ll be waiting here for you.” Your words were a breathy whisper against his lips, light as your fingers against his breastbone. It was the first time he had stopped to think about what you truly meant to him. You weren’t a hunter, just a normal secretary and a part time waitress. You refused to learn anything about the monsters he fought, claiming ignorance was bliss. You already worried about him enough as it is.

The two of you hadn’t defined the relationship but he knew you would always be waiting for him. He didn’t feel so alone knowing he had you to come home to. And that’s exactly what you were to him. Home. You were always with him, on his mind and in his heart. It got harder every time he left you and he found that he counted the days til he got to see you again. You are the one thing that keeps him going, keeps him fighting, keeps him alive. Sam knows that Dean’s feelings for you run deep, he can see it in his eyes. They never talk about it but he’s the one person knows him better than he knows himself.

But not even Sam knows how hard it is for Dean to leave you, how much he hates to hang up the phone, the reason he refuses to say goodbye only see you soon. It kills him to know he’s not there with you, it drives him crazy knowing that you wait so patiently for him to return. You don’t get the normal life with him, farm from it. There is always a chance that you are in danger and he’s not around to protect you. And you both know he can’t quit hunting. So you both take what you can get.

You weren’t even supposed to be anything but a quick hookup. Your friend had set you up on a dating site, claiming you desperately needed to get laid. You had resisted until you came across Impala67 and you gave in completely when she messaged him and quickly got a reply back. It was a wonderful date, dinner, movie and a drive that involved nice conversation and warm laughter. It left you relaxed and happy until he walked you to the door.

You knew what he expected of you and you wanted it so bad. But when he kissed you, the warmth and comfort, softness and hunger of it wouldn’t allow you to just let this be a quick one night tryst. You knew after a kiss like that, once you had him, you would never want to let him go. So instead of inviting him in for a romp in the sheets, he came in for a drink and just talked for hours, something that actually shocked you since Dean didn't seem the type to go so deep in a relationship. Especially without sex.

At first, he didn’t tell you what he did for a living, just gave you his number and said he had to go. But he promised to call and you promised to wait for his call. And he did. He called and came back time and time again, always only for a day or two but he always made it worth your wile. When he finally told you what he did, at first you thought he was insane or coming up with some extravagant reason to get rid of you. But you couldn’t deny the look in his eyes and the genuine tone of his voice. He had expected you to kick him out, call it off and never want to see him again. So when you kissed him, it caught him off guard.

“No matter where you go or what you do, I’ll always be here waiting for you.” Words that you would repeat over and over whenever he would doubt your devotion to him. Outside your home, he bore a deadly burden but when he was with you, he was free and relaxed. The stories he told you of other hunters made you sad and made him doubt that you could make this work. But when you said you loved him, both of you were willing to see this through no matter what. Whether death separated the two of you, you would rather live a short life with him than a long life without ever knowing him.

And now as he drove towards uncertainty, he realized that you were all he ever wanted, the only one he ever truly loved so deeply. Knowing that you were waiting for him made him smile, true and genuinely smile, a light blush on his cheeks. “I love her.” He stated out loud to no one before he chuckled softly.

#CarryOnCap500 #dean winchester #dean x reader #reader insert #dean winchester x reader #supernatural #spn #wait for me #theory of a deadman #shelly writes #fluff

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savage-rhi · 5 years

Note

sleep w/ deadman and fragile

Coming right the fuck up :D!

Fragile tried to figure out how they got from point A to point B, but no matter how many times she ran the numbers in her head, she couldn’t for the life of her understand how Deadman and her became bunkmates. Sam needed his space due to his phobia, sure, but this was a little much. Deadman had done his best to give Fragile plenty of space, minding her boundaries and whatnot. He was a gentleman, but for the love of God, he snored a lot. There were times Deadman’s snoring was so loud, Fragile could have sworn he was having an exorcism.

To say she was getting enough sleep was a far cry. Fragile tossed and turned, trying to get herself comfortable. Eventually, she settled on using a pillow to cover her head to block out the noises. Right before she fell into a slumber, the weight on the bed shifted and Deadman rolled on top of her. He was splayed on her like a seal basking on the beach and taking a nap, and she found herself gasping for dear life.

Using all her strength, she managed to push Deadman off as he flopped onto his stomach and snorted. He snuggled more into the pillows as she sighed, her head falling back onto the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling. There was an old saying, just count sheep until one falls asleep, but Fragile was more in the mood to slaughter the sheep at the rate things were going.

Another loud snore later, and that did it. Fragile got up, covering Deadman and making sure he was comfortable while she murmured.

“Sorry Sam, but I can’t do this.” Fagile quietly made her way out of the private quarters and ventured to Sam’s room. He sure wasn’t going to like her presence being so close to him, but between him and Deadman, Sam was the quiet sleeper.

“Fragile?” Sam shot his head up upon hearing the doors to his quarters open, and she didn’t waste any time getting into bed, turning her back to Sam as he was startled.

“What the hell--”

“Deadman snores too much. I couldn’t sleep. Don’t worry. I won’t bother you, I promise.” Fragile said in her defense as she sighed and tried to get herself comfortable, making sure to scoot far enough away from him.

Sam wanted to protest, but he was too tired. Eventually, he grunted, letting out a yawn as he rolled to his side and tried to go back to sleep. A half-hour went by and he still hadn’t closed his eyes. Swallowing nervously, he moved a little and furrowed his brows, imagining he was looking Fragile in the face right now instead of having his body turned away from her.

“For what it’s worth, thanks for the company.”

Fragile turned her head a little, getting a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye.

“Anytime.” She said, smiling a little before falling asleep herself.

**A link to my ko-fi account. If you enjoy my content and want to support me getting my monthly medication for fibromyalgia and arthritis, I would be eternally grateful. It is NOT a requirement however! All my work is free to read!**

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savage-rhi · 3 years

Note

omgomg could we have “Who invited the sadist?” with sam x higgs if you write for them??

You got it! :D

There was an air of tension in the presidents office as Fragile, Sam, Lockne, Heartman and President Die-Hardman sat across from one another. Having not seen each other in years, a mix of emotions stirred within the room. Old passions and troubles were brewing in the subconscious as Sam sighed, breaking the silence in the room as he glared.

"Lou better be safe,"

"I promise you, Sam. No harm will come to her. She's in good hands with Deadman." Die-Hardman said honestly. He knew Sam had every right not to trust him, given that Sam left the UCA behind for good years ago. By law, Sam was a criminal for abandoning his country and taking a Bridge Baby with him, government property.

"If one hair on that kid is damaged, you'll be wishing you were still dealing with an Extinction Entity." Sam said.

Despite the calm in Sam's voice, his words made the hair's on everyone's neck stand at attention.

"Sam, we wouldn't have brought you back here unless we had a good reason. Yes, the ambush was unnecessary but it's for a good cause if you'll hear me out." Heartman interjected before anything else could be spoken.

"All of us were living out our lives, doing our own thing, when a strange anomaly occurred. This anomaly is bigger than we anticipated. Everyone needs to come together, be it friend or foe."

Before Heartman could finish the rest of his thoughts, the doors to the room opened up. There were two guards alongside a familiar face in handcuffs.

Higgs smirked as his eyes quickly locked with Sam's. Hostility, bewilderment, fear-- the emotions traveled through each of the men's features as they regarded one another up until Sam shook his head, gesturing at Higgs as the guards forced him to take a seat at the end of the table. Far away from the rest of the group.

"Who invited the sadist?" Sam asked firmly.

"Nice to see you too, Sammy." Higgs scoffed.

"I thought you were dead, on the beach. At least stuck there."

"Trust me, if he didn't have to be here I'd make sure of it." Die-Hardman said, glaring at Higgs while the former terrorist gave a playful wave and salute to the president. The cuffs on his arms rattling with an irritable noise.

"Nice to see you too, pipsqueak killer." Higgs smirked.

Die-Hardman looked away, balling his fist up before eyeing Fragile. She too averted her gaze. The body language was enough for Sam to get the picture: Fragile had a hand in bringing Higgs back. Why she did such a stupid thing, Sam had no clue.

"Anyone want to start explaining themselves or are we all going to be giving each other the silent treatment?" Lockne asked.

"If I may," Higgs started.

"No, you may not." Fragile interjected fiercely as Higgs grumbled, crossing his arms as Fragile sighed, rubbing her forehead as she took over the conversation.

"While Higgs was stuck in purgatory, he discovered something ominous on the beach. It has to do with the Bridge Baby's--let's just say it's bad, Sam. And if we don't figure out how to put a stop to it, Lou could be in danger. The sadist over there might be useful to stopping it."

Sam furrowed his brows, wondering what the hell else was in store for him and Lou. He swallowed, looking at Higgs as his former rival stared at him. Whatever the circumstances, Sam was scared.

#drabbles #death stranding #death stranding fandom #higgs monaghan #ds higgs #sam bridges #sam x higgs #diehardman #deadman #heartman #lockne #hope this is good!#ds sam #death stranding sam #death stranding higgs

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starlightsoulwriting · 5 years

Text

L’appel du Vide

Cliff Unger x Reader

L'appel du Vide (n.) The unexplainable desire to jump when on the edge of a cliff Call of The Void AO3 Link

[Prologue][1][x]

Part Two

Skull masks.

Blood on your hands. blood on the floor.

Knives. So many knives, all in your stomach and chest. When had that happened? When had you let Higgs back in your shelter? Why would you do that?

Sam was dead. Cliff was dead. And Heartman and Lockne and Deadman and Fragile. All dead and you would join them soon.

Higgs laughed at you when you cried.

“Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?”

You startled awake.

Tears streamed down your face, and you rolled over to throw up in the trash can, shaking like a leaf. Stupid brain, you thought, stupid nightmares, stupid Higgs. You coughed past your stinging throat, trying to breathe evenly but hyperventilating instead. Your scar stung in your stomach, despite nothing being there. The memories were enough to set it off.

You kicked your sheets off of you and stumbled to your bathroom, legs shaking. You needed a shower, and badly. You pressed your hands against your eyes, massaging your face in a hollow effort to calm yourself down. You felt like your lungs were made of sea urchins.

You missed the DOOMs nightmares. At least those hadn’t been so personal, so painful.

You stood under the tap and let the scalding water run over your body, forcing all the memories from your skin. His laughing, the knife, your blood - you scrubbed yourself off as if water could wash away your dreams, your flashbacks, the lingering feeling of his knee on your chest, holding you down.

When you made it to your jaw, you wanted to scream. You opted to slap the tiles of your shower instead, so hard it hurt. The phantom feeling of his tongue clung to your skin like tar, and the soap didn’t help, no matter how hard you tried to wash it off.

Let's see how fast Sam can run. His voice intruded in your head again, a record stuck on repeat, grating in your ears and spiking your heart rate. It wouldn’t go away, you could feel his hands on your neck, the knife at your side, digging in just enough to bleed.

Hot water, cold tiles, your favorite soap. Grounding was only helping so much.

You dug your hand into your thigh, nails digging in deep and stinging. You sang some old rock song to drown out the noise. He was far away from you. You were safe. You didn’t need to worry.

You don’t know how long you stayed in the shower crying. After a while it stopped, and left you feeling detached from your body, numb. You were raw and your skin was bright red, but you weren't covered in vomit, so that was something.

You turned off the shower.

You curled up in your blankets and called Heartman. You knew he might be sleeping, but there was a chance he would be up. Your hands shook as you found his contact.

“Y/N? Is everything alright?” He asked after the second ring, voice rough and tired. A wave of relief went through you. Heartman’s voice could drown out his.

“No, Heartman, I’m not okay.” You breathe, pulling the blankets over your head and burrowing in. It was dark except the soft blue glow of your comm. “I can still hear him. He’s on the other side of the continent and still won’t leave me alone.”

“What do you need? Should I put on my music?”

“Sure,” You needed to keep him on the phone, you could focus on him instead of your nightmares. “I’d like that.”

Neo-Classical music played over your speaker as he shared it with you. You closed your eyes, listening to the soft piano. This wasn’t the first time the two of you shared a late-night call.

“I can still feel it, sometimes,” You started again, just over a whisper, restless. “The knife.” You gulp, trying and failing to shove away your thoughts. “I’ve been doing everything Julia said would help but it’s not going away and I’m still so afraid, all the time,” You stopped talking when your eyes welled up, shutting your eyes harder as if that would stop the tears.

“I’m sorry,” He said simply, voice heavy. “I wish there was something more I could do to help. Do you want me to come over for a few days and keep you company? Or would that just make it worse?”

“I already have a visitor, but... Maybe after that.”

“You took in a guest?” He sounded surprised, but why wouldn’t he? You only let him and Sam in. Not even Lockne or Deadman, no. Or friends you’d known in your old shelter. You didn’t run your clinic or tours anymore, either. Too many strangers. Too dangerous. Not since you came back. Not since Higgs.

Not until Cliff.

“Yeah,” you murmured. “He’s a friend. Just needed a place to stay for the night.”

Heartman was quiet for a moment. “Do you think that’s why you had a nightmare tonight, having someone there? I know that’s a… sensitive matter.”

You sighed, not wanting to talk about technical aspects of your trauma with him. “Maybe,” you bit your lip and played with your fingers, itching to make paper stars but not wanting to move out from under your blanket mountain. “I’ll bring it up with Julia, though.” You said to reassure him more than yourself. You hated the thought of him worrying about you.

So you changed the subject, breathing starting to level out. You had so many thoughts running through your head about Cliff, you needed help figuring it out. “Hey, Heartman… some things happened yesterday that sound really crazy.” You took the risk in asking. You needed to know. “Promise me you won’t think I'm nuts?”

“Cross my heart,” He replied, going along without question.

“Is there a time limit on repatriation? Like, could someone be on the beach for ages and then come back just fine?”

“I suppose, as long as the body wasn’t destroyed, there shouldn’t be any reason they couldn’t. Why do you ask?”

You rubbed the back of your neck, mulling over your next words. “What if there wasn’t a body left?”

“Then there’s nothing for the soul to return to. They’d be trapped,” He paused. He’d heard the tension in your voice. “What’s wrong, Y/N? I thought you weren’t going to the beach anymore.”

He was right, you weren’t. There was no point in going unless it was to keep him company. “I didn’t find him on the beach. It was out in the mountains.” You stopped, bracing for his reaction. He was going to think you were insane, you just knew it. “He died forty years ago. He says he just woke up out by Lake Knot in spring. I know it’s true, too, but it’s making my brain explode trying to work out how it happened.”

There was a long silence. You tried not to think of how he was probably calling Julia, your therapist.

“You’re absolutely certain of this?” He said, eventually.

You nod absently, before remembering he can’t see you. “One hundred percent. I have his file and everything. How he died, the date, the cremation records - everything. I met him on the beach when I was looking for Sam, even.” The knot in your chest was untangling itself as the one in your brain wound itself tighter. “But here he is, alive and talking. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“I’ll call Fragile and have her take you both here right away then, this is unprecedented.” He started, voice picking up speed. “If what you’re saying is true, this could revolutionize the way we think about repatriation, especially in the wake of Amelie’s separation. There might even be a direct correlation - you said he woke up in spring? There might be unforeseen instabilities in the beach gone completely unnoticed -”

“Heartman.” You cut him off, wincing as soon as you did it, but you had to stop him before he got too far in. “Fragile is already taking him to Sam.” You’d gotten through to him after dinner, and given Cliff and him privacy by staying in your room and making an absurd number of paper stars. Fragile would be there in the morning to take him.

“Why would you take him to Sam’s?”

You were quiet as you double-checked your connection to make sure it was secure. Bridges liked to monitor the networks, to eavesdrop. “You’re using the VPN I sent you, right?” Your voice dropped back down to a whisper.

He must’ve sensed your seriousness because he responded in kind. “Always, of course.”

You hesitated. You could trust Heartman, but did he really need to know? Would Cliff be mad? Surely Sam would tell Heartman, himself, right?

“Y/n?”

“It’s Sam’s dad,” You breathed, barely hearing your own voice. “It’s Cliff Unger.”

...

“Fascinating.”

You’d given up on trying to get back to sleep at about four in the morning, opting to work on some projects instead. Or, more accurately, obsessively making origami to distract yourself. It gave your hands something to do, your mind something to focus on. Your works had become increasingly more complicated, thanks to network access. You could make anything you wanted. That morning you were working on an Asian dragon design you messed up three times before.

Cliff woke up just after than four-thirty, with bags under his eyes. Both of you were surprised the other was up so early, but neither of you pried. You didn’t ask so he wouldn’t. You assumed he did the same.

Breakfast was easy and quiet. You worked on making omelets while he cooked roasted vegetables with potatoes. They were really tasty, too. You missed having someone to cook with. You enjoyed making meals with people, so the comfortable dance around the kitchen with Cliff had been a breath of fresh air. These days you only got to cook for Sam, Louise, and Heartman, and their visits were few and far between for obvious reasons. You hummed a song as you flipped the omelets. You missed Cliff’s smile, but soon he was humming along too, baritone ringing through your quiet house.

You felt less alone, then. You wished he would stay.

Somehow your morning silence was comfortable and awkward at the same time. The eerie quiet of the early morning did that, sometimes. He thanked you again for letting him stay and you thanked him for helping with breakfast. He’d scoffed at that, saying that was the absolute least he could’ve done - he wasn’t a freeloader.

Then he made a pun about his roast potatoes being “Spudtacular.”

You groaned. Dad jokes!

Afterward, at around ten, you were taking care of your indoor plants while Cliff read some recent history title in your favorite armchair. You were looking forward to seeing Fragile - it had been a few months since her last visit. Tension was still thick between you, and you were pretty sure it would linger until you felt safe. But you were trying, and that’s what's important. Both of you were, delicately avoiding reference to Higgs. It’s worked for the most part, thankfully.

At least if Rami - who still hadn’t been found - caused a Voidout, she and Cliff would be out of implosion distance. That was good. Sam didn’t need any more tragedies. You would’ve been out looking still, but there was no way in hell you were leaving someone alone in your shelter unless it was actively on fire, no matter how much you may or may not have liked them.

You looked over at him then. Talking with him had been difficult, like pulling teeth. Harder than it had been before, when you were on the beach. It was frustrating. You were too nervous to start a real conversation with him, too. He was quiet and closed off, and answered you distantly when you tried, redirecting to jokes instead of real answers. He had shut you out.

You supposed both of you were out of it. He’d been through hell in the past you months, you could tell - the weight lingered on him like useless cargo. And after your nightmare and panic attack that morning, you hadn’t felt like talking much either. Maybe he just didn’t like relying on people, and you shouldn’t take it personally.

It was nice, though, having company. Just his presence was reassuring, conversation or no.

Rocky liked him, too, which was something. He’d been bothering him all day, headbutting his hand to demand pats, and persistently returning to his lap time and again, purring happily. Cliff seemed to like the attention, too, whispering baby talk to him as he purred. It was unbearably cute, seeing him so sweet with the cat, and you had to turn back to your plants before you turned into a puddle of goo. He obviously needed his space. And he was leaving today; there was no use in feeling such a mess over it.

You continued to tend to your African Violets, their fuzzy leaves brushing your fingertips. They weren’t blooming yet, but it looked like they would soon. It would be nice to have a bit of color in the house again.

Cliff caught your attention again soon enough, though, with a sudden, rich laugh - and his smile actually reached his eyes. You were confused for a moment, he was reading a non-fiction book - but then you noticed him looking at Rocky’s name tag like it was the best joke he’s ever heard. Then he looked at you, light in his eyes, and your heart twisted.

Oh boy. Here it comes. This was too embarrassing.

A scarlet blush worked its way up your face.

“You…” he stammered, interrupting himself with a chuckle. “You named your cat Rocket Launcher?”

Yes, you had.

You wanted to die.

“Yeah,” you choked out, fighting your urge to run and hide. His megawatt smile kept you in place, though. Your stomach was doing backflips.

At least he had your sense of humor.

You turned back to your plants to avoid his gaze, face hot with embarrassment. His laugh echoed quietly behind you as he whispered baby talk to said cat named Rocket Launcher. This man would be the death of you, you knew it.

Your anxiety had started with unease at eleven-thirty. Then it escalated to worry at noon, then to actual distress by one; you were going to make a wear pattern in your carpet if you kept pacing like you were, but she never missed time. Something had happened.

Fragile hadn’t shown up by three. She was supposed to meet you at eleven.

So you were worried. Like, there’s-no-way-you'll-sleep-tonight, can't-eat, shaking-ball-of-mess worried. You were short with her, but god, you still cared.

You called her at twelve. And at one, and at two.

Her comm didn’t even ring, it went right to voicemail. All three times. Maybe it had just run out of power, you told yourself. And she was busy with an emergency delivery? You hoped it was as benign as that, but you had a sinking feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

Sam called you at two, asking why you were late. You told him you would call him back if Fragile didn’t show up for a while longer. So, when you called him at three he picked up right away, your fingers tapping against your thigh in a nervous rhythm. His hair was messy and he looked even more tired than he usually did. He was just as worried as you.

“I’ve tried to get through to her, but there’s nothing.” You started, voice unsteady, “You get anything?”

“Nah, no updates since last night.” Sam wasn’t the most expressive of men, but you heard the stress in his voice loud and clear. He had no idea where she was, either.

Your brain was going a million miles an hour, trying to see if there was something you missed, something you could do, someplace Fragile could be where she’s safe. “I’ll call Lockne and Heartman,” You said, hoping someone else would know, “Can you check in with Deadman and the President?”

Sam looked at you like you’d asked him to hike across the US a third time, but he nodded. He was far more likely to get through to Die-Hardman than you were and he knew it, even if Sam was walking on eggshells. He would want to help.

At that point you felt heat on your back. It was Cliff walking up behind you, getting in view of the camera. Most people wouldn’t have been bothered by it, but you moved aside anyway, giving him space. You didn’t like people close to you anymore; it made your gut churn.

Although this time you weren’t sure if it was because you didn’t like people close to you or if it was because you really liked him. So you did the logical thing and ignored it. There were more important things to do than ponder your personal space issues.

Cliff was beyond frustrated. How many more things would keep him from Sam? He ran his hand down his face with a heavy sigh. These past eight months had been the longest year of is life. But nothing could stop him, universe be damned. If fate wanted to make his journey hell, then so be it. It was nothing that had stopped him before.

So he decided that if you two hadn’t found your friend by morning, he would have to take that hike through the Rockies, BTs and all. Of course, he would have loved to stay with you, but he knew the longer he did the harder it would be to leave. He’d gotten an amazing night’s sleep for the first time he can remember, and the only meals that weren’t freeze-dried. It would be best if he didn’t linger. He couldn’t get complacent, he should move on as soon as possible. He could rest when he on the other side of the mountains.

He spent his time that afternoon going through possible routes on your map, let you handle things yourself. But then he heard you mention John, who now called himself by his war name, Die-Hardman. It chilled him to his core; the thought of his best friend wearing Bridget Strand’s mask was enough to make him ill. He didn’t blame John for Strand killing him, but to wear her mask? He’d made it clear what was important to him, so Cliff hadn’t bothered him when he was so clearly busy upholding the legacy of a murderer.

So he joined your call with Sam. It was unnerving, these holograms. Sam was so solid, but hundreds of miles away from him still. Like a mirage in a desert. Cliff didn’t even notice you tense up until you stepped aside. He would have to be more careful with you, then, you seemed on edge and he would hate to make you uncomfortable.

He focused on the call, though, conflicted. “Sam, please don’t mention me to John. I don’t know what I would say to him, I’d prefer if he didn’t know I’m… traveling.” He had to stop himself from cringing at himself. Traveling, truly an amazing euphemism for being back from the dead, way to go.

Sam’s brow furrowed just enough to see. His son was quite the stoic, it seemed. “Don’t you think he could help set you up out here? He would come all the way out here himself if you asked. He... “ Sam was uncomfortable for a moment, crossing his arms and looking away from him. “He never really got over losing you. He thinks it was his fault.”

Cliff closed his eyes hard and shoved the guilt deep, deep down. His resolve would crumble if he let himself think too much, and that wouldn’t end well, not then, not while he was still so hurt. “Later, Sam.” He forced passed his teeth. His tone didn’t leave room for argument.

He would sort it out later, surely. He had priorities.

He would talk to John.

Eventually.

When he disconnected the call you were already working on your computer.

You had multiple screens set up, and at least ten programs open. Were you pulling up security cameras? He put his hand on the desk and leaned in to get a better look, careful not to intrude in your personal space too much.

Technology had improved so much during the time he was gone that he could barely tell what you were doing. He knew you were busy, though, so he suppressed the urge to question you about every last detail. He hated not knowing how things worked, especially as someone who used to know tech like the back of his hand. It made him feel all the more out of place than he already did. “What is this? You said you were going to call your friends?”

You nodded absentmindedly, focusing on the screen. “I will call them, after I look for Fragile myself.” You pulled up another program and dragged in a headshot of a blonde woman Cliff assumed was your friend. The software mapped her face and started combing through the video feeds. You busied yourself with some other program while the facial recognition ran.

Cliff tensed - there were Bridges logos plastered in the corners of the videos you’d pulled up. You’d told him you weren’t affiliated. Would you lie to him? What did you want? “How do you have these feeds? Bridges has a strict no-access policy.” He grit out, trying not to sound too high-strung - he didn’t need to make more problems for himself.

“I gave myself access.” You stammered. You sipped your coffee and kept working, not looking back at him. He studied your face, searching for any sign of a lie. He wanted to trust you. But he couldn’t trust the company that killed him and took Sam. You mostly just seemed embarrassed, though, there was no sign of you lying. Just a focused, serious look in your eyes. “They’re bullies,” You continued after a moment, more spite in your voice than he would expect. “They can take their secrets and drown in them for all I care.” Your fingers rapped on the desk as you worked.

He couldn’t say he condoned hacking into confidential servers, but they had shut him out, too, so…

Maybe it was petty, but Bridges’ security being breached by a civilian was hilarious. Good for you.

As you continued working he grew uncomfortable, though - restless. There was a tightness growing in his chest. He knew there was nothing he could do to help you. Nothing short of finding Fragile would. He’s had too many men go missing in action - he was used to the distressed searching, the anticipation, the threads of hope that would keep you searching. But he wasn’t used to being useless. He’d always prided himself in his ability to work through a crisis, so being obsolete was an unwelcome, grating itch on his nerves.

He needed something to do.

He squeezed your shoulder lightly in what he hoped was a comforting manner. You met his gaze with a tense smile that didn’t reach your eyes. “Is there anything I can do?” He asked simply, praying you would respond.

You sighed. “Not really, but thank you.” You squeezed his hand softly in response.

Damnit.

That sad and grateful face you made was almost physically painful. It worried him, how quickly he had grown attached to you. But he supposed it was inevitable. You had been there for him on the beach. You had shown him the way home. Following you into the water had been a long-shot, desperate move on his part - but it had worked. He was alive, and had a chance to spend time with his son.

All because you had been a kind stranger when he was lost.

He shoved that deep down inside him, though. Everything was painful these days, even the possibility of friendship. Guilt and pain and apprehension? No, he couldn’t do this now - he would leave in the morning and it would all be irrelevant anyway. He would be a world away from you and it wouldn’t matter how much he enjoyed the company. No use thinking too much about it know.

You went back to work on your computer.

He still didn’t know what to do with himself.

You seemed to notice, though, and took pity on him. “You can get dinner started, if you want.”

His whole body relaxed. He could do that much for you, at least.

He got out some ingredients, and had to look in five different places to find a knife - they were hidden deep inside one of the cabinets, shoved underneath some Tupperware.

He’d barely started chopping the vegetables when you blew past him, frantic, eyes wide and hair messy, and ran outside. You hadn’t even bothered with a raincoat - no one went without one, even with how infrequent timefall was now.

He stood at the doorway for a moment, baffled. But it all became clear when he moved to look at your computer.

Security footage was playing on a loop. One of Bridges’ feeds, out near Capital Knot. It was time-stamped for that morning at 09:42.

At first it looked like any other porter drop-off he’d seen. Fragile dropped off the cargo and began walking to the road.

Just as she was almost out of frame, she froze, body going tense. She tugged something out of her neck with a visible wince. A second later her frame was wracked with tremors, starting in her hands then progressing through to her arms and legs.

She fell.

Her head hit the pavement, and Cliff knew that if the feed had sound, it would’ve made a sickening crack. Fragile lay still.

A tranquilizer dart, hummed the back of his mind.

Blood pooled around her skull.

A white-gloved hand came just into frame to touch her arm - and Fragile disappeared in a flash of black shimmers. The hand retracted.

There was no other sign of the assailant. The feed was empty again.

Cliff ran after you.

You tore out of your shelter, not bothering to pull on a suit or Odradek. It was too hot and cramped, you were about to burst, this was all too much. You needed space, you needed to breathe.

Of course as soon as you thought something might finally start to be alright with you two Fragile gets kidnapped! What the hell was wrong with these people? Why did they even care? Why were they taking people?

You blinked away tears as you shambled to your greenhouse.

You needed to hit something.

You rummaged around your pumpkin patch and found the squashiest pumpkin you had. Then you grabbed your shovel from the supply closet. Then you pulled the shovel over your head, and you slammed the shovel into the gourd. The sound you made was inhuman, a hot rush coursing through your veins. You were so angry!

And then you did it again.

It gave a smack-squelch sound and caved in, guts oozing out of the gaping cracks you’d made. Your hands were shaking? You hit it. Your knees wobbling? You hit it. Fet like your heart was ready to burst? You hit it. You hit it again. And again, and again, letting its gross pumpkin guts get all over your clothes. Were you screaming? You weren’t sure if you were screaming or not. You didn’t care. Your friend was gone.

By the time the pumpkin was nothing more than puree you were spent and sweaty and gross, panting and flushed. You didn’t even notice how hard you were crying until you wiped pumpkin seeds from your cheek and it felt all teary.

You… didn’t really feel better either. Just less pissed off and more sad. Empty, like someone had hollowed out your insides and replaced them with cotton.

You heard footsteps on the grass behind you.

Damn it! You didn’t need Cliff seeing you like this! God, how embarrassing. You turned around reluctantly, shoulders slumping and shovel barely in your grasp.

There he was, warm eyes and kind heart.

That was almost enough to get you crying again - you weren’t used to people caring enough to come after you. People out here took care of themselves.

You saw him take in the scene - the destroyed pumpkin, the seeds on your clothes, the tears streaming down your face. He cautiously cracked a smile, after a moment, “If I had known you were making pumpkin pie I would have helped.”

You laughed and burst into tears at the same time, dropping your shovel. That was such a stupid thing to say! He was ridiculous! You covered your face in your hands, mortified but unable to stop crying.

You and Fragile never truly reconciled - you had just ignored your argument altogether and held a tense peace.

You felt like the worst friend on the planet.

And now someone had taken her.

Careful hands rested on your arms, lightly pulling you in. You could have resisted if you wanted to; you could’ve told him to go away, to leave you alone and he would have done it in a heartbeat. But you’d been crying alone for so long.

So you let him pull you close, let him gently wrap his arms around you as you cried. He was warm, and had strong arms, and you cried into his shirt like some damsel in a shitty movie. But you felt safe. “It’ll be alright.” He murmured into your hair. You could feel his voice rumbling in his chest. You clung to the fabric of his shirt like a lifeline. “You’ll find her.”

You knew those were empty platitudes, that neither of you had any idea what the future would bring.

But for now, just for tonight, you would choose to believe him.

A/n:

This chapter is brought to you by the need for therapy. I hope I’m holding the right balance between vague and intriguing with Reader-San’s flashbacks. They won’t feel like going into full detail until much later, so I hope its enough to almost tell what happened, but not quite.Anytime I mention singing you can insert whatever song you want, btw.I would also like to apologize to the Fragile and Higgs stans. This fic isn’t really nice to them and I really am sorry about that, but Fragile’s teleportation is too convenient. How else am I going to get (Y/n) and Cliff to hike across the Rockies, huh?So what do you guys think? I’d really appreciate some feedback, I don’t have a beta so I’m not sure.I hope you enjoyed it!

Edit: Change what Higgs said.

@paanchu786

#death stranding #death stranding x reader #death stranding cliff #cliff unger #mads mikkelsen #chaptered #reader #l'appel du vide

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