#gordo hates the food

[gordopickett]

WIP Wednesday!

I was tagged by @benwvatt last week, and I'm just getting around to this on Monday, so… 🤷‍♀️ lol.

Tagging @allatariel @onekisstotakewithme @lacontroller1991

@violetmuses @tiltedsyllogism @castalyne & anyone else who wants to play! 😁

Here's a snippet from one of my For All Mankind fics called "Confined" which is basically one big missing scene in the 3 weeks that Gordo is confined to the Jamestown base. This is from Chapter 1 (which is the only chapter I've written so far lol).

Gordo looked at Ed who was still working nearby. He had the toolbox out and was tightening screws in the partition that he had thrown Gordo against the night before. Gordo wondered if the screws were actually in need of tightening or if Ed was simply trying to busy himself so he wouldn’t have to interact with Gordo. Dani handed Gordo a fork. He took it and looked down at the yellowish-white patty of gelatinous goo that was meant to pass for scrambled eggs. He took a deep breath and stuck his fork in it. He brought the bite up, feeling a small gag in his throat. He swallowed away the sensation and put the fork in his mouth. Once he had gotten the bite down, he said, “I can’t wait to have a big, juicy cheeseburger at The Outpost again.” “Yeah.” Dani smiled. “And some cheese fries.” “Apple pie,” Gordo added. “Pizza.” “Oh, yes,” Gordo said, his mouth watering at the thought. “Pizza.” “What are you looking forward to, Ed?” Dani asked. “Getting the rest of our work done today,” Ed said dutifully. Gordo took another bite of his scramble as Dani smiled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “And Karen’s homemade spaghetti,” Ed added after a beat, his tone softening a little. Dani chuckled. “There you go.”

[floralcyanide]

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰'𝒎 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒀𝒐𝒖, 𝑰 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆

ed baldwin x gn!reader

Upon hearing bad news, Ed just needs someone there for him.

warnings: spoilers for For All Mankind, child death, minor character death, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/ comfort, cuddling, just friends but also mutually crushing type vibes

word count: 1271

author's note: here's the ed angst I've had bouncing around in my head. I feel it's kind of uneventful, but I had to write this and share it with the world because I love putting characters I love through the wringer for no reason. enjoy!

masterlist | add yourself to the taglist here

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

You had watched helplessly as Ed destroyed the Soviet camera. It was seated in an open space between rocks and neatly covered up until Ed ripped the boulders off and over his shoulder. There wasn’t much you could do as he took his pickaxe and savagely mangled the camera. 

Earlier, both of you had received a message about Ed’s son from the Soviets with them offering their condolences. You both were confused, and when Ed asked you to clarify, you were no help. No one from Houston had told you anything. Gordo had been acting a little weird, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. You suggested maybe the Soviets had been listening to your messages to your families, and there was a mix-up in translation. Either way, Ed was angry that the Soviets would even bother to mess with his head like that. So he took it out on the spy camera, much to your dismay. You hoped the Soviets wouldn’t get angry and try to harm either of you. 

Now, you and Ed were shedding your suits in the chamber before returning to the base. Once you get back inside, you immediately head for the cupboards for something to eat. Even if the food was disgusting, it did its job. You sit at the makeshift kitchen counter as Ed enters the main area. Suddenly, you hear a voice coming from the comms.

“Ed? Are you there? Ed?”

You turn in your seat at the table and watch as Ed cautiously walks to the comms screen. His ex-wife Karen is on the call, appearing very emotional. 

“It’s Shane,” Karen says, her voice cracking as she puts her hand on the screen.

Ed’s face twists into a look of shock and horror, tears brimming his eyes. His seemingly unlikely fear had come to fruition. You freeze in your seat, realizing something did happen to his son, Shane, as the Soviets insinuated. Condolences are only given when someone dies… That’s when it hits you. Ed collapses to his knees, burying his face in his hands. You’re unsure of what to do, still sitting in your seat with your food on the table in front of you. You push it aside as Ed shakily reaches up to turn off the communications. He didn’t want to hear the details of what happened right now.

“Ed?” you call softly, getting up from your sitting position and slowly walking toward him, “Are you alright?”

Ed doesn’t say a word but instead snatches the bottle of alcohol from a nearby table before spinning the top off.

“Oh no, you don’t,” you say, pulling the bottle away from Ed, “That will only make things worse.”

Ed can hardly look at you, tears falling freely down his face. He would never tell you this, but he hates looking weak, especially in front of you. He admires you in many ways, and he hates you having to see him falling apart like this. The chemistry between you was apparent, but those feelings were being shoved aside for now.

Ed walks a few short steps into the main area, where some chairs are splayed out, and he takes a seat on the floor. You sit next to him as he rubs his hands over his face. Ed punches the wall next to him angrily before pounding it again and again. You grab ahold of his wrist, stopping him mid-punch before he can split his knuckles open any further.

“Edward,” you say sternly, looking at him with concern. His eyes slowly meet yours for the first time.

You reach your hands toward Ed’s face, taking it into your grasp before moving in front of him. He lets his head relax into your palms and casts his eyes downward.

“Look at me,” you say softly as your own tears begin to burn in your eyes.

Ed’s eyes travel up to yours.

“There we go. I know this is a horrible situation, but you’re strong, and you’ve got this. You have to stay vigilant.”

“But he’s gone, Y/N,” Ed whispers, “He’s gone, and I’m here, and there’s nothing I can do.”

“You can stay focused and be tough for Shane. That’s all you can do right now, and I’m so sorry,” you frown, sniffing as tears run down your cheeks, “I’m so sorry you’re stuck here. I really am.”

Ed’s eyes squeeze shut as another wave of realization hits him. Sobs wracked his body, and you pulled his head to your chest, stroking his hair comfortingly.

“You’ll be okay. It will take time, but you will be okay again,” you say as you let Ed cry into your shirt.

You shuffle over to the wall, letting your back rest against it as Ed buries his face in your lap, curling up into himself. All you can do is run your hand over his back and through his hair as he pours out his grief. Seeing the man you look up to and have feelings for break down like this was odd, but losing a child is unfathomable. And Ed didn’t have anyone other than Shane after his and Karen’s divorce, except his colleagues, of course. But Ed had no one to run to when everything was falling apart. He especially had no one now except you, literally. Almost a quarter of a million miles away from home with no one else around to ease his pain. At least Ed wasn’t completely alone.

You feel Ed relaxing into your lap, and you figure he’s falling asleep.

“Ed? Let’s get you to your bunk, alright?”

Ed hums in response, except when you expect him to get up, he doesn’t. He turns over, presses his face to your stomach, and wraps his arms around your waist. Butterflies erupt in your belly at the close proximity. You adored Ed, but you didn’t want to take advantage of him right now when he couldn’t think straight. 

“Ed,” you draw out, but he ignores you.

Reluctantly, you move Ed off you and stand up, offering him a hand to pull him up. He takes it and stands up, brushing himself off and avoiding your gaze once again. He doesn’t let go of your hand the whole way to the bunks, and you don’t go of his either.

You watch as Ed climbs inside his bunk, and you prepare to climb into your own below his.

“Will you stay?” Ed asks quietly, and you almost don’t hear him.

“I’ll be right below you the whole time, Ed,” you say, not wanting to cross any boundaries.

“Please?”

You pause, taking a deep breath. Yes, you’re lonely, but not so much that you’d do something frowned upon. However, a situation like this just doesn’t happen- kids aren’t supposed to die before their parents. Especially when one of their parents is on the Moon. But you’d want someone to comfort you if you lost someone you loved.

You exhale slowly before climbing into Ed’s bunk and lying beside him. He reaches over you to pull the curtain closed. For a moment, the both of you just stare at each other. But you hesitantly reach out your hand to pull Ed to you. He ignores you, pulling you into him instead. You wrap your arms around him as he buries his face into your neck, tears falling onto your skin. The both of you stay like that for a while, just holding each other as Ed cries. You let him tucker himself out before falling asleep yourself. 

You aren’t sure what tomorrow will hold, but you’ll be there for Ed despite it all.

[pistachi0art]

Other Demon Gordo things

-He loves food, but never gets full (can only ever fix his hunger via affection.) He’s a bit overweight because of it, but doesn’t mind. Everyone loves thick thighs. 👍

-Can’t fly very well, as his wing and horn growth is dependent on how many people he’s been with- and killed. (This is done via a kiss directly on the mouth- as doing so will take the human’s soul. He hasn’t gotten that far though.)

-Got some cat traits, his eyes reflect when lights shine on them and his pupils also dilate with certain emotions. (He also can purr- doesn’t do it often.)

-Hates when others touch his tail, and Ben is absolutely fascinated doing so.

-Friends with Tommy, and discovered he was an Angel along with Benrey. Tommy also knew he was a demon, but didn’t make a comment because he liked him.

-Because of his lack of game, he also can’t do normal succubus things like natural seduction. This also only allows him to shapeshift a human disguise and even that is tiresome to do for long periods of time.

-Was once a human- and was in a happy healthy relationship- but got wrapped up with some cultists… and unfortunately is now a demon- and is alone.

[philipkindreddickhead]

Idk. The problem with kitchen nightmares is theres always a guy saying "people dont like my food because theyre stupid!" And gordon is like "no its because you suck!" But me, having been on tumblr and in real life, knowing that people hate fresh fruit and veg, am like "yeah gordo, hes right"

[many-fictives]

introject (mostly fictive centered, but open to all) ask game bc it sounded fun to make one! by: @the-stardust-system

Answered by: Many Fictives

❝ 07: how do you feel about your source's fandom? ❞

Near ┆I& ‘ m mostly apathetic with mild amusement .

Nathan ┆mutual hate and disgust

Benry ┆no likey :(

Peter ┆I don’t think we’ve interacted with the fandom much? A large portion of the fandom online is teenagers though, with not the best media literacy. They tend to do that “fandom thing” of taking complex characters and devolving them into a single defining trait.

❝ 08: what's your favorite food? ❞

Near ┆I& like milk .

Nathan ┆bacon cheeseburger w fries

Benry ┆Mountain Dew and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos!

Peter ┆Vanilla cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles 🧁

❝ 09: do you look the same as your source? if not, what's different? ❞

Near ┆I& dress in Lolita fashion , to look doll - like .

Nathan ┆i look just like the concept art but can style my hair back sometimes

Benry ┆I look like Benry HLVRAI but not low poly :3

Peter ┆I look just like Peter Ballard!

❝ 10: what's something your source's fandom gets wrong about you all the time? ❞

Near ┆I& hate L , I don ‘ t hate Mello , and I& don ‘ t have autism .

Nathan┆jeffershit groomed me n vic n i were doing our own thing to try n get jeffershit exposed but max n chloe fucked it all up

Benry ┆I have no romantic feelings for Gordo Feetman. All those guys (/gender neutral /nonhuman) are just my coworkers.

Peter ┆I’m different from Henry/001 so I don’t see fandom getting “me” wrong.

❝ 11: how do you feel about engaging with your source? (watching/listening/reading) ❞

Near & Nathan ┆It causes dissociation for the whole system.

Eddie, Benry & Peter ┆We* haven’t tried engaging with source since introjection yet.

❝ 12: is your gender/sexuality the same as your source or different? ❞

Near ┆Yes , I& am aroace and dollgender .

Nathan ┆demiboy demiromantic greysexual

Benry ┆It’s hard to say what counts as canon for a fan-made series? But I’m xenogender and straight, by human terms.

Eddie ┆clowngender

Peter ┆I’m the same! But I consider myself something close to “aroace” but more like “romance and sexuality don’t inform my existence so I’m devoid of attraction and labels don’t apply to me”. But I don’t think a label like that exists.

❝ 13: what's your favorite animal? ❞

Near ┆I& am apathetic towards animals , but I& get compared to a sheep a lot so , sheep .

Nathan ┆whales

Benry ┆Cats :3 The beloved internet animal!

Peter ┆baby animals (and spiders).

[ part i ]

[survey--s]

634.

Name all the pets you’ve ever had. I never had any growing up, but as an adult I've had Gizmo and Athena who were sibling tabby cats. I had to leave them with my ex when we split up, though. Then when Mike and I got together, we got Layla (a little black kitten), Purrlock (a black rescue cat) and Toby (black kitten). We lost Layla in May and we now have Simba who is a ginger tabby kitten. We also have Archie the beagle who is five.

Are you on break, or do you still have a couple days of school left? I haven't been in any kind of education since 2011.

Do you like Stephen King novels? I've actually never read any of them, or seen any of his films.

Have you ever had a macaroon? Yes, and a macaron. Macaroons remind me of my childhood.

One of my friends dislikes animals in general. Are you like her? No. My dad is one of those people though, lol. He tolerates my love of animals but it's why I was never allowed a pet growing up.

Do you prefer being on time, or do you not mind being late? I HATE being late. I'm always early or on time unless I have absolutely no other choice.

What is one adventurous thing you’d be willing to do? (ex: skydive) Travel to outer space.

Have you ever made a bucket list? No.

What subject at school did you absolutely hate? Chemistry.

How many cell phones have you gone through up till now? I think seven or eight, maybe. Which is pretty good going considering I've owned some kind of phone for the last 20+ years.

Italian food or Chinese food? I love both. I think overall I prefer Italian though.

Do you have more than the standard earlobe piercings? Yes - three in each earlobe, one in my right cartilage, my nose and my belly button (though I don't wear jewellery in the latter anymore as it kept getting infected).

Ever studied a foreign language? I did a degree in French, and I also studied German for a while. My dad taught me a bit of Italian as a kid too.

Don’t you hate it when your family eats all the ice cream at home? My mum always used to do that and it drove me insane.

Ever been in a near death situation? If so, what happened? Hmm, no, I wouldn't say so.

Do you like to make flash cards when you study? No.

Favorite flavor of gum? Spearmint.

Do you tend to be frugal, or are you more comfortable spending money? I have no real need to be frugal as we don't struggle financially. But saying that, I'm not really that materialistic and only tend to spend money on stuff I need, or stuff that's practical/for the house.

Do you have a connection to any religion? No.

Ever played a team sport, or are you not sporty at all? I was on all the sports teams in school but I never really enjoyed it.

Do you put posters on your bedroom walls? No. I did as a teenager though.

Do you sleep with one leg sticking out of the covers? Sometimes, yeah.

I have extremely weird, frightening dreams. Do you? Not frightening, but my dreams are definitely on the weird side.

Has anyone ever told you that you’re a good singer? No, because I am not. <--- haha yep, same.

Ever been to the Big Apple? If not, do you want to visit? No, but I'd love to visit one day.

Opinion on Gangnam Style? It's catchy and a pretty good song, really.

Do you ever watch TED talks, live or online? No.

Did you ever watch the Lizzie McGuire movie? Yep, multiple times ha.

If you did, do you know what the guy that played Gordo looks like now? (ew) Why ew?That's harsh, lol. Anyway, I've just googled him and he looks normal to me?

How many email accounts do you have? Two.

Ever shamelessly played Farmville on Facebook? No, I never really got into Farmville.

Are you a big fan of dessert? Not really. There are a few kinds I love but generally I'd rather have a starter.

Ever had a brush with the paranormal? If so, describe. No.

Were you one of the popular kids in high school? Nope, definitely not lol.

I dare you to write the name of a person you strongly dislike. I don't really strongly dislike anyone. I either like you or I'm generally apathetic towards you lol.

Do you know the band Vampire Weekend? I've heard of them, yeah.

What do you think about Marilyn Manson? He's a dodgy fucker. He's been accused of all sorts of shit.

In general, do you prefer going out or staying home? It really depends, there is no "in general" because there are so many different variables.

Biggest trouble you’ve ever gotten into at school? I honestly never got into trouble at school.

Do you own one of those “professional” DSLR cameras? No.

Does it bother you when you see a 6th grader with a bunch of gadgets? Why would it bother me?

Favorite pair of shoes? Probably my black ballet shoes or my grey ankle boots.

Where were you on 9/11? In French class in year...8, it must have been. Any food in particular you just can’t get enough of? Pizza, bread, potatoes.

Did you buy yearbooks every year in high school, or did you not bother? No, they weren't really a thing here.

Do you have Restless Legs Syndrome? I do. It sucks. Yeppp. I hate it.

Are you a fan of British Youtubers? (Marcus Butler, JacksGap, etc) I don't watch YouTubers of any nationality, lol.

Jalapeños: yay or nay? Nay. I can't stand spicy food.

Did you ever play Minecraft? I tried and it just gave me a headache lol.

Did you ever have a Club Penguin account? Were you a member? I played it a few times.

Favorite concerts you’ve been to? Did you scream until you were hoarse? Plain White T's or Lily Allen, and no.

So where were you when the Boston Marathon bombing happened? I don't remember. At home probably, or work?

Rainy days on the weekend: yay or nay? It depends whether I have plans or not.

Do you look down on girls that wear shorts with Uggs? No, but then again, nobody wears Uggs anymore.

Californian girls talk and dress a certain way, don’t they? I mean, sure, but that's true of people from any part of the country.

Ever crushed on a teacher? If so, what subject did he/she teach? No. I never understood that lol.

Ever take an art class? If so, what’d you think? I did art in school until GCSE's. I quite liked it.

[ieatsurveys]

63.

Name all the pets you've ever had. Kasey, JJ, Baby Brown, Chloe.

Are you on break, or do you still have a couple days of school left? Not in school.

Do you like Stephen King novels? I've never read them.

Have you ever had a macaroon? I don't believe so.

One of my friends dislikes animals in general. Are you like her? I love animals. Your friend sounds weird.

Do you prefer being on time, or do you not mind being late? I'm usually waaaaaay early to things because I get antsy staying at my place.

What is one adventurous thing you'd be willing to do? (ex: skydive) Cliff jump. 

Have you ever made a bucket list? Not officially. I just have things in my head that I want to do.

What subject at school did you absolutely hate? I hated Social Studies and Science. But now, I find them pretty fascinating. It depends on the teacher, I guess.

How many cell phones have you gone through up till now? How am I supposed to know?

Italian food or Chinese food? Hm, that's a hard choice.

Do you have more than the standard earlobe piercings? No.

Ever studied a foreign language? Nope.

Don't you hate it when your family eats all the ice cream at home? By family, you do mean myself, because I live by myself. And yes, I hate it when I eat all the ice cream ;)

Ever been in a near death situation? If so, what happened? Yes, I totaled my car.

Do you like to make flash cards when you study? Yes. That's the only way to study for me.

Favorite flavor of gum? Mint.

Do you tend to be frugal, or are you more comfortable spending money? I'm both haha. But, I have a savings account and I do have a spreadsheet of my budget.

Do you have a connection to any religion? Yes.

Ever played a team sport, or are you not sporty at all? I used to play softball.

Do you put posters on your bedroom walls? No.

Do you sleep with one leg sticking out of the covers? No, that's how monsters get to you, duh.

I have extremely weird, frightening dreams. Do you? Sometimes.

Has anyone ever told you that you're a good singer? Yes, but I don't think they know what good singing is, lol.

Ever been to the Big Apple? If not, do you want to visit? I live in NY. Just not the city.

Opinion on Gangnam Style? I honestly thought it was stupid and not sure how it went so viral.

Do you ever watch TED talks, live or online? I used to.

Did you ever watch the Lizzie McGuire movie? I believe I did when it came out.

If you did, do you know what the guy that played Gordo looks like now? (ew) No.

How many email accounts do you have? Two. My personal and my work email.

Ever shamelessly played Farmville on Facebook? Yes.

Are you a big fan of dessert? Not really.

Ever had a brush with the paranormal? If so, describe. Yes. And there were a bunch of stories at my parent's house. I had to finally go through and bless it and they left. It was the scariest thing and things just happened to me. Then it started happening to my brother and I got protective.

Were you one of the popular kids in high school? I became popular in college (student council and RA).

I dare you to write the name of a person you strongly dislike. I really don't hate anyone.

Do you know the band Vampire Weekend? No.

What do you think about Marilyn Manson? Never listened to him.

In general, do you prefer going out or staying home? Staying home.

Biggest trouble you've ever gotten into at school? I got suspended for slapping my teacher in the face when I was 7, haha. She was screaming at me and got in my space and screaming inches away from my face, so I slapped her.

Do you own one of those "professional" DSLR cameras? No.

Does it bother you when you see a 6th grader with a bunch of gadgets? No.

Favorite pair of shoes? A pair I got from Maurices.

Where were you on 9/11? In Social Studies.

Any food in particular you just can't get enough of?

Sushi. -> yes.

Did you buy yearbooks every year in high school, or did you not bother? I did.

Do you have Restless Legs Syndrome? I do. It sucks. No.

Are you a fan of British Youtubers? (Marcus Butler, JacksGap, etc) No.

Jalapeños: yay or nay? Nay. I don't do spice.

Did you ever play Minecraft? No.

Did you ever have a Club Penguin account? Were you a member? I want to say that I did.

Favorite concerts you've been to? Did you scream until you were hoarse? Skillet.

So where were you when the Boston Marathon bombing happened? No idea.

Rainy days on the weekend: yay or nay? Yay.

Do you look down on girls that wear shorts with Uggs? No, but it's not something I'd do.

Californian girls talk and dress a certain way, don't they? Uh, sure.

Ever crushed on a teacher? If so, what subject did he/she teach? Yes, gym.

Ever take an art class? If so, what'd you think? I had to elementary and high school.

[myoddlifeintechnicolor]

10/16/22

Woke up this morning feeling bleh. Cancelled on the bookstore and coffee with Mike. I just am socialed out. Ill try to hang out with him next weekend.  Reign of terror was really fun, I hated the planning and everything but when I was actually there it was a blast. I need to be better about a friend group but Ive just been in an irritated mood about everything lately. I really need to go to a doctor, for my health and sanity. 

The when we were young festival is going up soon! In two weeks, i excited but nervous. But I think it'll be fun. I get to see Megan!  I really need to get back into working out and eating better. I spend less money on food now bc of work lol but I still need to be working out. Probably will go grocery shopping in the morning.  The cats are good, the figured out how to escape the house for a bit. I want to get gordo a harness and leash and give her some tie outside. i think shed like it.  Well, I am going to try writing more everyday. I really need to to be getting my stress out. 

[thewidowsghost]

Blurb request with daisy.

Reader is Skye's childhood best friend (that was in love with Reader, still is. Even after ten years.), Skye runs away and they met ten years later at Afterlife, Reader has telekinesis or control and minpulation of Fire.

Fires and Quakes

Thank you so much for requesting!

I do want to apologize because I don't know if this is my best work. I really did enjoy the request, and I had a lot of furn writing it!

And also, this is a 2.2k word fic, so definitely not a blurb :)

Onto the fic!

(Y/n) (L/n) smiles as her roommate plops down on her bed. After a moment, Skye moves, resting her head on (Y/n)’s chest. For Skye wasn’t just her roommate like the sisters in the Saint Agnes Orphanage thought, but (Y/n)’s girlfriend.

“I hate living here,” Skye says, shifting herself against (Y/n); (Y/n) hums her agreement, running her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair. “We should run away,” (Y/n) shifts slightly to lie on her side, meeting Skye’s chocolate brown eyes. 

“I don’t know, Skye,” (Y/n) replies honestly. “Yeah, it’s shit here, but at least we have food and shelter, and of course, each other.”

Skye softens, stretching over and placing a kiss on (Y/n)’s lips. 

Ten years later

Candles are the only thing that light up the room. 

Skye’s eyes flash open, and she tries to sit up, but the needles piercing her skin stop her from moving. 

“Hey,” Gordon says, moving to lean over the young woman, “everything’s gonna be fine. You’re safe now.”

“Gordon,” Skye murmurs. “Where am I?”

“This is the place I told you about,” Gordon replies. “You called for me. Do you remember?” 

“How long have I been here?” Skye asks. 

“Two days,” Gordon answers. 

“Two . . .” Skye echoes tiredly. “I need to . . .” she tries to get up, but once again, she cannot move. “I need to go. They need me. Something bad has happened. Why can’t I move?” She breathes heavily. “What are you doing to me?”

“You’re healing,” a man says, walking into the room. “Leaving now wouldn’t be . . .” he chuckles. “You’ve ever made microwave popcorn?” the blonde man asks. “Leave it in too long, and it’s charcoal. Take it out too soon and it’s a bag of kernels.”

“That’s just about the worst analogy ever,” another voice replies, walking through the same door the man had walked through. The woman steps up to the computer, typing in a few things. 

“Gordo, help me out,” the blonde man says, turning to the eyeless man. 

“You are on your own with this one,” Gordon replies and the woman chuckles. Skye tries to look at the woman, but she can’t. She swears the laugh was familiar. “I have to go now. You’re in very good hands. “He’s smarter than he looks.” 

“How do you know that?” the blonde man asks. 

Electricity crackles and Gordon walks out of the room. 

“He’s been by your side since the moment you got here,” the blonde man tells Skye.

“Who are you?” Skye asks. 

“I’m sorry, I thought . . .” the man looks up from the tablet he’d just picked up. “I’m Lincoln, your Transitioner. Right, I . . . I keep forgetting you’re new to this,” Lincoln says, stepping closer to Skye. “Everyone who goes through Terrigenesis has, uh, a Transitioner to help them.”

“Please cut to the chase, I . . .” Skye tries to get off the bed once again, but cannot.

“Right, yeah,” Lincoln pulls a chair over to Skye’s bedside. “Let me start from the top.” He plops down into the chair. “Imagine a thousand years of evolution taking place instantaneously. That’s what happened to you after the Mist. These treatments, we’re helping your body adjust properly to the change, transitioning you quickly and painlessly, I hope. We usually like to start the process right after the Mist, but . . .”

“How long?” the brunette interrupts. “How long? When can I go?”

“You got places to be, people to see?” Lincoln questions, smiling slightly. 

“I’m worried about my friends,” Skye replies. “I think they're in danger.”

The unknown woman walks over to Lincoln, passes him a folder before she leaves the room, silently closing the door. 

“You’re the one that’s in danger, Skye,” Lincoln replies, slapping the folder gently against his leg. “Remember? You’re being hunted.” Lincoln looks genuinely concerned. 

. . . 

Lincoln enters Skye’s room a little later as the girl is unrolling the sleeves of her long sleeved shirt. 

“How are you feeling?” Lincoln asks. 

“Kind of normal,” Skye replies with a chuckle. 

“Hey, normal’s good,” Lincoln sets his tablet on the table. 

“Yeah,” Skye smiles. 

“We flushed your lymphatic and circulatory systems,” Lincoln tells her as she pulls on her leather jacket. “So, you’ll be weak for a few days, but . . .”

“I need to give a message to my friends,” Skye interrupts the taller man, pulling her hair out from under her jacket. 

“Gordon’s the only one who can make contact with the outside world,” Lincoln tells her. “You can talk to him when he gets back. 

Skye nods. Then she looks fully around the room. “Where exactly are we?” she asks. 

“No one really knows,” Lincoln admits. “Uh, the official name is Chinese, I think, Lai Shi. Doesn’t exactly translate . . .” Lincoln jogs over and opens the balcony doors to let the sunlight flood in. He steps through the door and Skye follows. “So we just call it Afterlife.”

. . . 

A little later, Lincoln and Skye are taking a walk. 

“You say the name of this place is Chinese,” Skye says. “Are we in China?”

“No idea,” Lincoln replies, looking down at the brunette. “Gordon’s the only one who knows where we are, and he’s the only way in or out. It keeps us secret and safe from the outside world.”

“Or it keeps us prisoners,” Skye replies. 

“You’re not very trusting, are you?” Lincoln asks. 

“I woke up naked on a table in a place no one can even point to on a map,” Skye replies. “So, call me crazy.”

“You weren’t totally naked,” Lincoln retorts. “And you asked Gordon to bring you here. No one’s gonna force you to stay. It’s not a bad place. The nightlife’s a little lacking -”

“So you live here?” Skye asks. 

“No one lives here, not permanently,” Lincoln answers. “It’s more like a way station. I’m from Cincinnati. Trying to finish med school. I’m brought here when I’m needed. Some people come here when they need a place to stay.”

“Why do I feel like the new kid in school right now?” Skye asks as they walk past a redheaded woman who stares at them. “Everyone is staring at me.”

“Gordon didn’t explain?” Lincoln asks with surprise. 

“No, I thought you said that everyone here is like me,” Skye replies, “and that this happens all the time.”

Lincoln chuckles. “Are you kidding?” They pause in their walk. “This has never happened. Things have always been done in a certain way. These people are Descendents, yes, but most of them are waiting to be chosen. They carry the genetic marker and have been brought here to be evaluated, cultured, and prepared for the change, should they be selected.”

A figure creeps up behind Lincoln before they reach up, messing up his blonde hair. 

“You did it old school,” the woman says, stepping around Lincoln, “with a Diviner, in a Kree temple . . .”

Lincoln uses a hand to push the woman away by the face. “That hasn’t happened for thousands of years.”

The woman steps back up to them, smacking the back of Lincoln’s head. 

“Don’t try me, Electro,” the woman says, though her silver gaze glints with amusement.

“This is (Y/n),” Lincoln says and the woman waves, though her gaze lingers on Skye’s face, as though she recognized her. “She’s our therapist slash chef.” 

(Y/n) raises an eyebrow. “You speak so highly of me,” (Y/n) says, looking up and meeting Lincoln’s electric blue gaze. 

. . . 

“How many of us are there?” Skye asks as she and Lincoln continue their walk, (Y/n) deciding to join them. 

“No one knows,” (Y/n) replies. “Not every Descendent is found, and not everyone who is chooses to come.”

“Hmm,” Skye hums in reply. 

“Gordon,” Lincoln shouts, as the man walks towards them. “I hope we’re still on for pizza tonight.”

“You hope?” (Y/n) retorts. “I’m the one who does all the cooking.”

“Not tonight,” Gordon replies. “I have to see to some pressing matters. But I’m glad you’re feeling better, Skye.”

Skye nods. “I need you to send a message to my friends,” Skye says. “Let them know I’m okay.”

“I can ask permission, but they’ll advise against it,” Gordon says. “It’s better we stay quiet for the time being.”

Gordon pushes between Lincoln and Skye before the brunette calls out to him again. 

“My father and Raina,” Skye says once Gordon turns around. “Where did you take them?”

“I can’t divulge their location, just as I can’t divulge yours,” Gordon replies. “But you don’t need to worry about them.” Gordon turns, and continues to walk away. 

“What does he mean ‘ask permission’?” Skye asks. “Ask permission from who?”

“The elders,” (Y/n) replies. 

“You’ve made a lot of people afraid, Skye,” Lincoln tells the brunette. “Afraid that our secret won’t be safe for much longer.”

Lincoln turns so that they can resume their tour, but (Y/n) stops them. 

“I’ve gotta go,” (Y/n) tells them. “Someone has to make sure we eat.”

. . . 

Skye walks towards one of the gazebos, but she stops when she sees (Y/n) sitting there, her eyes closed, as though she was thinking. 

At the sound of Skye’s footsteps, and (Y/n)’s eyes open. 

“Oh, don’t leave ‘cause of little old me,” (Y/n) replies, her silver eyes glinting slightly from the light of the sun. “I was planning on going on a walk anyway,” (Y/n) stands up, stretching and popping her back. “You’re welcome to join.”

. . .

“This is it,” (Y/n) says, she and Skye walk to the top of the hill. “Best view in the house.”

“It’s beautiful,” Skye replies, glancing over at (Y/n). 

“It’s a good place to clear your head,” (Y/n) says, looking out over the mountains. “Figure things out. But we’re here to figure out you?” (Y/n) turns, meeting Skye’s brown eyes. “Tell me about your gift.”

“Is that why you brought me up here?” Skye turns to study (Y/n) closely. 

“Let loose,” (Y/n) smiles and Skye can’t help but think she’d met this woman before. “Whatever it is, you don’t have to be afraid of it.”

“We were designed to be weapons,” Skye replies. “I got that directly from the big blue source.”

“You strike me as someone who’s generally more curious than afraid,” (Y/n) allows flames to lick across her fingers before fire engulfs her whole hand. 

Skye takes a step back. 

“You can touch,” (Y/n) tells her, reaching out and letting the fire die down, flickering gently in the palm of her hand. 

Skye reaches out her hand, allowing the fire to lick her skin. 

“I can make it cooler,” (Y/n) says, making the fire colder, about the temperature of the inside of a fridge. “Or hotter,” she makes the flames hotter, keeping careful not to burn the brunette. Then the flame dies, flicking out with the gentle breeze. “I’m good for lighting candles,” (Y/n) jokes. 

Skye chuckles, but then her expression shifts to a more thoughtful one. “But how is that not a weapon?” Skye asks and (Y/n) can tell that it isn’t one hundred percent just a rude question. 

“Come with me,” is (Y/n)’s reply. 

Skye tilts her head but follows (Y/n). 

Skye’s eyes widen slightly as she enters (Y/n)’s kitchen. 

“Okay, this is very nice,” Skye says appreciatively, looking around at the marble countertops. 

(Y/n) flips open the grill, summons fire, lighting the charcoal.

“Is that a grill?” Skye walks over, examining the grill. 

“You seem very impressed by my indoor grill,” (Y/n) says, her tone teasing. 

Skye shrugs, smiling slightly. 

“Feel bad I don’t have a chair,” (Y/n) frowns slightly. Skye shrugs again, jumping up onto a counter. “That works,” (Y/n) smiles slightly.

“You know, I swear I know you from somewhere,” Skye says, watching as (Y/n) cuts some potatoes for homemade french fries. 

(Y/n) looks up from her potatoes, meeting Skye’s dark brown eyes. “I was thinking the same exact thing. How strange.”

Skye studies (Y/n) for a moment, “Tell me a little about yourself.” (Y/n) looks up, surprised. “You look surprised?” Skye asks, surprised herself. 

“It’s not my job to talk about myself,” (Y/n) replies, meeting Skye’s gaze steadily. “I’m a therapist.”

“That can’t be healthy,” Skye replies, and (Y/n) almost thinks the brunette is genuinely concerned about her. 

(Y/n) simply shrugs, turning back to her cutting board. 

There is a silence for about five minutes before (Y/n) speaks again. “I grew up in an orphanage,” (Y/n) says, surprising Skye. “My mother left me on the side of the road like garbage, so,” (Y/n) pauses her chopping for a moment. 

“I know how you feel,” Skye admits, making (Y/n) look up. “I grew up in this orphanage called the Saint Agnes Orphanage and it was horrible. Because I didn’t have a name when I was dropped there, they decided the only fitting name for me was ‘Mary Sue Poots’.”

Skye looks up when she hears the sound of a knife clattering onto the wooden cutting board. 

“You’re my Skye,” (Y/n) says. “I was taken away when we were 17. You -”

“And I told you that I’d find you again,” Skye finishes, sliding off the counter and walking over to wrap (Y/n) in a tight hug. 

Pulling back, (Y/n) studies Skye and she goes to say something, but Skye cuts her off, “I still love you.” Skye looks down, as though by admitting this, (Y/n) would be disgusted. “I know it’s been like ten years -”

(Y/n) lifts Skye’s chin with a finger. “I love you too.”

Skye’s entire expression brightens, and the room begins to shake. 

“I guess that’s your gift,” (Y/n) comments, with a laugh and Skye flushes, burying her face into the crook of (Y/n)’s neck.

Word Count: 2324 words

[lacontroller1991]

Kinktober/Whumptober/Flufftober

HEY GUYS!!!!! So I am incredibly indecisive on which one of these challenges to do, so I combined them all into a list and chose which prompt I want to do each day during the month of October, and this is what I came up with:

Day 1 Dirty Talk : “This Wasn’t Supposed to Happen” : Wearing Each Other’s Clothes

Stephen Holder - He can't find his hoodie despite it hiding in plain sight.

Day 2 Mommy and Daddy : Confrontation : “You’ve told your parents?” 

Gordo Stevens - You and him have some fun while the kids are asleep.

Day 3 Sweat : Gun To Temple : Thick as Thieves

Rick Flag - Rick finds it distracting (but really hot) when you work out.

Day 4 Breath Play : Hidden Injury : Hobbies

Bucky Barnes - You hide a stab wound from Bucky.

Day 5 Breeding : Running Out of Air : “Oh no, you’re a morning person.”

Gordo Stevens - After an asteroid hits your capsule's air supply, you and Gordo face your inevitable death together.

Day 6 Cock warming : “I’ve Got a Pulse” : Candles

Rick Flag - You find him dead, until he proves otherwise.

Day 7 Costumes : Silent Panic Attack : Movie Marathon

Gordo Stevens - After Ed announces the crew of STS-83-R, Gordo gets overwhelmed and you're quick to notice.

Day 8 Creampie : Back from the Dead : Shooting Stars

Ed Baldwin - After a tiresome day at work, Ed takes you star watching.

Day 9 Stripping : Tossing and Turning : Game Day (Sports)

Rick Flag - Rick and you take your kid to their first soccer game.

Day 10 Drunk Sex : Waterboarding : Love Language 

Johnny Lawrence - Who knew a couple of beers would end you up in the arms of your ex.

Day 11 Erotic Photos : Self Done First Aid : Music

Ed Baldwin - "YOU SENT ME PICTURES OF YOURSELF NAKED WHILE I WAS AT WORK", prompt requested by @a-reader-and-a-writer from ages ago.

Day 12 Voyeurism : Rusty Nail : “You kept this?”

Daryl Dixon - Daryl finds a necklace that he gave you years ago.

Day 13 Dry Humping : Fracture : Secret Family Recipe

Stephen Holder - You're horny and Holder looks really handsome when concentrating.

Day 14 Love Bites : “I’ll be right behind you” : Truth or Dare

Stephen Holder - You didn't know you were dating a vampire.

Day 15 Overstimulation : New Scars : Accidents don’t just happen accidentally

Rick Flag - He comes home from another mission with new scars.

Day 16 Bath/Shower Sex : “No one’s coming” : “I hate you” “I love you too.”

OPEN

Day 17 Pegging : Breaking Point : Animal Shelter

Rick Flag - Rick finally snaps, accidentally ruining your relationship.

Day 18 Bondage : “Take my coat.” : Soulmate AU

Frankie Dalton - Despite you being royalty, Frankie knows that you're his and his alone.

Day 19 Masturbation : Head Lolling : Hot Chocolate

Takeshi Kovacs - Takeshi watches you while you pleasure yourself under his command.

Day 20 Mirror Sex : Going into Shock : Bedtime Stories

Joe Pickett - You watch your husband give bed time stories, except the stories are real.

Day 21 Praise Kink : “Take me instead.” : Kiss for Good Luck

Takeshi Kovacs

Day 22 Phone Sex : Withdrawal : “Have you heard?”

Stephen Holder - Holder hasn't been feeling his self lately, and you know why.

Day 23 Food Play : Forced to Kneel : POV Outsider

Gordo Stevens + Ed Baldwin - The duo invites you over for a BBQ except you're the menu.

Day 24 Outdoor Sex : Blood Covered Hands : All the Hugs

OPEN

Day 25 Sex Pollen : Lost Voice : First Dance

Gordo Stevens - When a solar storm hits Jamestown, you and Gordo accidentally breathe in regolith, igniting a spark you didn't know either of you had.

Day 26 Sexting : Separated : Blankets

Rick Flag - Rick comforts you on a bad day.

Day 27 Stockings : Muffled Screams : Reunion

Ed Baldwin - When Ed gets back from a mission, he's expecting you to be there to greet him, except you have other ideas. - @a-reader-and-a-writer

Day 28 Formal Wear : Punching the Wall : Picnic

Rick Flag - Rick tries on his old uniform and you can't keep your hands off.

Day 29 Body Worship : Sleep Deprivation : Leaves

Gordo Stevens - Gordo feels unworthy because of his weight, you prove him other wise.

Day 30 Public : Manhandled : Dear Diary

Gordo Stevens - After a flight, Gordo takes you in the hangar.

Day 31 Mile High Club : Comfort : A Sweet Treat

John Tavner - He's stressed and you help out.

The ones in Bold are the ones I'm doing each day! I combined prompts from @the-purity-pen @whumptober and @flufftober so make sure to check out these blogs for October writing challenges!

I will be taking requests if anybody wants to see a specific character for a specific day, though I do not guarantee I will go with that choice (I have most of them planned out but I would love to see what people come up with!) So please send some ideas in!!!!

Characters I Write For:

Rick Flag, Takeshi Kovacs, Stephen Holder, Ed Baldwin

Johnny Lawrence

Gordo Stevens, Joe Pickett, John Tavner

Negan, Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes

Bucky Barnes

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

[huntergoldenwolf]

Dialogue for my Farmer (Gordo)

[Thanks @nomzthesmolbean for the idea]

Wanted to write some dialogue for Farmer if he were an NPC in Stardew Valley while I finish up the last parts of the first page of my comic. The last two are spoilers for the version 1.5 update so beware.

Spring:

"Spring is the best season, the weather is the perfect temperature."

"I saw a rabbit run past the bus stop it was so cute!"

"Gonna go lay in a field to cloud watch, wanna come along?"

[Egg Festival] "Abigail is terrifying it's like they turn into an egg hunting robot."

[Flower Dance] "I hate dancing in front of others, it's embarrassing"

Summer:

"Ugh, I can go for a swim right now, maybe later."

"Have you ever gone night swimming it's quite scary but also relaxing?"

"I asked Maru if it's possible to shoot the sun down but she told me that if I can I shouldn't since it can cause 'irreversible damage'."

[Luau] "I hope the soup doesn't come out bad I put the greatest of quality red peppers."

[Moonlight Jellyfish] "Ah.. to be a jellyfish floating around the sea without a care about the world."

Fall:

"Spirit's Eve is around the corner you gonna dress up?"

"Whatcha dressing up as for Spirit's Eve?"

"Mmmmm pumpkin pie...."

[Stardew Valley Festival] "That fishing game is super easy barely an inconvenience."

[Spirit's Eve] "Eeee I love this day, race you to the end of the maze!"

Winter:

"I don't think wearing sneakers in the snow is a good idea."

"Brr, It's freezing maybe some hot cocoa will warm me up."

"How are you not freezing to death, it's like negative billion degrees."

[Festival of Ice] "Good luck in the fishing contest, you're gonna need it." >:)

[Night Market Day 1-3] "I'm getting all my seeds today for next year, hopefully, I have enough money."

[Feast of the Winter Star] "The food is absolutely divine, Gus outdid himself! By the way, Gus has some interesting things to say about the Feast."

[Feast of the Winter Star] (Gift Giver) "Merry Winter Star, hope you enjoy the gift!"

[Feast of the Winter Star] (Gift Receiver) "Ah no.. you didn't have to, thank you soo much!"

[First Meeting]

"Oh uh... Hi, I see you are new around here well peeps call me Gordo so you call me that too, See ya around. "

[Regular]

"So... Whatcha been up to?"

"Er you're talking to me, I didn't really hear you sorry."

"Hiya how's your day going, I'm having a good day"

"Nice to see you again, you doing well?"

*Yawn* "I'm so tired honestly I can lay down right here and fall asleep."

"Careful at mines, slimes can be ruthless sometimes so take some food."

"I hope it rains soon I like it when it rains, the sound of the raindrops are so.. relaxing also my crops get watered so I see it as an absolute win."

[6+ Hearts]

"I hope she's doing well I feel so bad for what happened. Huh, oh hey didn't see you there I'm just thinking of stuff like uh.. guys yep so how are you?"

"Is it alright I call you my friend?"

"Great to see you {Player} I was wondering where you were."

[8+ Hearts]

"I'm so happy I left my old job, it sucked the absolute life out of me."

*hugs* "I'm so happy to see you."

"We should hang out later, I'm gonna kinda be busy in a few so see ya then love ya!"

[10 Hearts]

"Thank you so much for being my friend, sometimes I don't really feel like I deserve you as a friend. Just so you know I love you and care about you so much you're someone really important to me."

[Gifts]

{Loves} "Thank you so much I was thinking about getting this all day, you're a lifesaver."

{Likes} "A gift for me?"

{Neutral} "Oh sweet thanks..."

{Dislike} "Mmm thanks.. for the gift."

{Hates} "I hate to be honest but I don't really like this but I appreciate the sentiment."

[Birthday Gifts]

{Loves} "Oh my Yoba, thank you so much, I'm happy to see you remember my birthday."

{Likes} "Thank you for the Birthday gift."

{Neutral} "For me?"

{Dislike} ". . . Thank you for the gift"

{Hate} "I know birthdates aren't all about the gifts and all but for real?"

{Hate} "Thanks... you really shouldn't have.."

[Others]

(Raining) "Aa… oh hey you should get an umbrella you're gonna get soaked."

(Thunderstorm) "Woah that was loud."

(If Joja Mart is open) "Yoba, I hate that stupid idiot of a manager Morris. He totally is a two-faced jerk."

(If Joja Mart is closed) "R.I.P. Joja Mart you won't be missed."

(Bouquet 😳) "You want me to be your boyfriend, for real?!"

(SPOILER - Invite to the movies) "Movie with you, sure bud sounds fun see you there."

(SPOILER - Ginger Island Resort) "I hate boat rides but it was worth it to check this place out."

[mrsalwayswrite]

Say You’ll Stay- Chapter 1

Fury/ Band of Brothers Crossover Fic

Summary: Don "Wardaddy" Collier just wanted his crew to make it through the war. He carried no expectations for himself. But as each day passed, he worried he would be unable to keep his promise. When fate (or more accurately- Boyd Swan) places a woman in his path with a soft touch and softer heart...perhaps he has more of a motivation to see the end of the war after all.

Hey so I’m back with this series! I posted the first chapter awhile ago and then realized I did not have my plot and characters as “polished” as I wanted. So if you read the first chapter already, I would recommend rereading it. 

The first chapter is shorter compared to the others so to make up for it, I will also be posting the next chapter! Two in one! 

Our beloved Easy Company will come into play in a couple chapters. Patience, my friends. I have a plan...

Warnings: Swearing, some mentions of wounds/blood

Tag List: @happyveday​ @evelynshelby​ @god-of-dramatic-death-scenes​ @alwaysindecemberfeels​ 

Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweat dripped down the back of his neck. Dirt and grime covered his skin and clothing. The sound of the Sherman's tracks rolling over the muddy ground encompassed them. Patches of ice and snow still lined the feeble road. He stared ahead blindly, trusting Gordo to get them to the camp safely. The looks on those around him mirrored his own feelings. Everyone was exhausted. Everyone wanted real food. Everyone was tired of watching allies killed by fucking Tigers. 

 Everyone was sick of this shit. 

 They approached the camp. The cesspool that it looked like from far away became even more evident the closer they got. Half-demolished buildings with a dusting of snow were the only standing structures left of what used to be a quaint little town. Soldiers in grubby gear, rifle over their shoulders, ran around. From far away the sounds of artillery fire echoed. Don wondered who was dying now. 

"Boyd." He looked over at his gunner. "When we get parked, you go find an aid station. Get that hand looked at."

 "Yes, sir." The gunner held his injured hand against his chest, wrapped in a makeshift bandage. 

 After getting directions from a lieutenant, they found the tank squad on the other side of the town. Seeing the three other tanks gave the staff sergeant some hope. 

 "Boyd, medic. Gordo, fill 'er up. Grady, check that suspension. I don't like the way it sounds. Norman, find us some ammunition and where the hot chow is." Don barked out orders as everyone jumped off the tank. Replies of "yes, sir" made him nod, silently proud of his crew, before stalking towards where he assumed HQ was. 

 Soon enough he found the building, soldiers scurrying in and out, making the place look like an overturned ant hill. The glass on the store-front was still intact surprisingly, but the door was busted down leaving a gaping hole to walk through. Sliding past a private who looked barely eighteen coming out, he entered the HQ to see a table set out in the middle with maps laid out, paper weights and bullets strewn about. 

 "Who you?" 

 The gravelly voice made him turn to his right, eyeing up the man sitting on a wingback chair. "Staff Sergeant Don Collier, commander of Fury, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division."

 The man exhaled, smoke slipping between his thin lips, cigarette hanging precariously. "Ah, Wardaddy, eh? Right, come on." He stood up and waved Don over to the table. "Captain Evans. What's your status?"

 Don eyed the man, he seemed far too relaxed for being in a war zone. Then again, his greying hair and beard and those sharp eyes made him briefly wonder if this Captain Evans had been in the Great War. Maybe this was easier compared to trenches? Either way, it was nice to see someone in charge for once that looked like they were actually old enough to shave. Fuck knew too many kids were running around with rifles now, having just gotten out of bootcamp. Don wanted nothing to do with them. 

 "We secured the town here," he pointed at the map, "left 86th Infantry to hold. Then my guys and two other tanks were sent here."

 Captain Evans stared at the maps, mind clearly seeing how best to utilize them. "You and two tanks, eh?"

 "Yeah. Ran into a tiger though. Now it's just my guys."

 His bushy eyebrows shot up, even those around the table quieted down with the news. "Just you?" At Don's nod, the Captain tapped his fist on the table. "Damn those tigers. Alright, good to have you here, Don. We're waiting on some intel before sending you out. You and your guys get some chow and rest. Come back and see me in the morning."

 "Yes, sir." Don nodded and walked out of the building, relieved they were not being sent out right away. 

 As he walked down the filthy, cobbled street, he could feel the shakes beginning in his hands. Quickly, he stepped onto a side street, hoping no one would notice him. Leaning back against the brick wall of the building, he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets before anyone could see them shaking. Memories of the fight from yesterday replayed in his mind without permission. The tiger easily destroyed the rest of his platoon. In a matter of minutes, him and his crew were alone. Ten men. They had lost ten men. Good men...well mostly good. There was that one asshole in Edward's squad no one would miss.

 War took the best and worst; death it’s equally possessive lover.  

 Hands slightly fumbling, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The lighter took a few clicks before catching. With the inhale, the nicotine and smoke settled in his lungs beautifully. He closed his eyes, letting the cigarette help calm his nerves and try to erase the memories of his platoon. They were dead now. It did no good to dwell on it. 

 After several minutes his hands finally stilled. Running a hand through his hair, he pushed off the building and headed out to find his crew. He glanced around wondering the likelihood of finding a roof and real beds for his guys tonight. They deserved it. Especially after all this shit. His own back cried out for a reprieve from sleeping on the hard ground. 

 Yeah, he would figure out something. Even if he had to toss some goddamn young Privates out into the stained snow. 

 *****

 "Nurse Cooper! You can handle this!" 

 She pushed the flyaway strands of auburn hair out of her face as she walked past the injured, following the voice of Doctor Erickson. The cries, screams and whimpers of the injured and dying no longer affected her. Or at least that was what she told herself. At least this field hospital had separate areas based on severity and a roof over the top.

 She had worked in far worse conditions before. 

 She nodded to the tall, blond doctor who barely gave her a passing glance as he shoved past her, away from injuries he deemed lesser than what he should be focusing his attention on. 

 A man sat on the edge of a cot, cradling his hand in his lap, which was wrapped up like a mummy. He was not screaming or swearing, so she took that as a good sign. His eyes were closed, lips moving silently like he was praying, a thick mustache twitching with every movement. He looked like he could only be a couple years older than her own twenty-three years.

 "What's your name, soldier?" She stood in front of him, wiping her hands on the stained apron she wore over her equally stained dress. Once they had both been white; now, the apron and dress were a patchwork of stains from blood, dirt and other questionable fluids she chose not to think of. 

 He looked up, his brown eyes meeting her blue in surprise. "Boyd Swan, ma'am. Those in my crew call me Bible though. " 

 "Well, Boyd, mind if I take a look at your hand?" She perched on a stool as he offered up his hand. Quickly, she unwrapped it to see the damage with a gentle but methodical touch. A long laceration bled across the palm and past the wrist, thankfully not deep. Honestly, looking it over, it was kind of a miracle it was not worse. 

 "Well, you're lucky, Boyd. Any deeper and you might have lost use of your hand. You might have some nerve damage; I do not think immobility is a concern at this point. I think we can get away without stitches if you can promise me you'll keep your hand bandaged and try not to use it."

 "It's not luck, He's looking out for me and my crew." He pointed a finger on his other hand skyward. 

 "Yes, He certainly was. Let me grab some new bandages." She grabbed some cleaning solution and bandages for the man. The sooner she finished with him, the less likely there would be concern for infection. If she guessed, it would appear the injury happened at the earliest maybe yesterday. More than enough time for it to become infected. Though her training had taught her to ask and determine when the injury occurred, lately she found herself hating that question. It always led into a story and hearing even more of the horrors these men faced. Her mind had enough memories of blood and guts to fuel nightmares for a hundred years. If she could refrain from hearing others’ memories, she found herself choosing too.

 The other reason she wanted to finish with him soon was to open up the bed he currently sat on, in case a worse injury came in. Luckily there had not been a large-scale fight in a week so they only had trickles of men coming in instead of waves of dying men. 

 "You a religious woman?" 

 She looked up from cleaning his hand to meet his earnest eyes. "I guess. I don't pray like I used to."

 He hummed. "I can respect that. I suspect you've seen plenty of death."

 Not wanting to remember all the faces of young men she had slaved over, only for them to die under her care, she changed the subject. "Why do they call you Bible?"

 "I'm always reading the Bible... I reckon that's where it started. I stopped trying to convert those heathens in my tank. I pray for their souls though. Always will." His voice trailed off quietly, but the fondness in it was unmistakable. 

 "You're a good man, Boyd."

 He nervously chuckled, looking away for a moment with the sound of his foot tapping repeatedly on the ground. "No, I'm just doing the Lord's work. That's all."

 "Well, I'm done." Smiling at him, she pushed back slightly. It was nice to have a patient not screaming at her or leering. There were too many of those men as of late. "Do you know your orders yet?"

 "No, ma'am. We just rolled in an hour ago."

 "Alright, if you're still here tomorrow I'd like to take a look at your hand again in the morning."

 "I can do that." 

 "Good. Go rest up now, find some food. You earned it." She stood up, holding the soiled cloths, ready to move on to the next patient or task. 

 "I will.” He rose along with her, clearly understanding the dismissal. "Oh ma'am, what's your name?" 

 For a moment she hesitated to share her name. Normally she preferred the men to call her Nurse Cooper. From past experience, if she told them her name, they seemed to think she was interested in them. Yet with this man, she found herself wanting to share her name. He was kind and respectful. There were no gut feelings scaring her away from him. "Anna. I'm Anna Cooper."

 "Pleasure to meet you, Anna Cooper. You need anything, you let me know, right?"

 She was unsure how he could help her. Depending on his orders she might never see him again, but she nodded to humor him. "Sure. It was lovely to meet you too, Boyd."

 With a parting smile from both, she hurried to the back of the building where they kept the large tub for boiling cloths. She grimaced when she noticed how low the water was. That meant she would have to go to the river soon. A shiver shot through her at the anticipated cold awaiting her outside. Thankfully most of the snow had melted already but winter’s chill still clung possessively to the air. Plus, it did not help how easily cold sunk into her bones. Back home her family would tease her about that fact. Here, on the edge of the front lines, it only made her life more difficult.

 Before Doctor Erickson found a reason to yell at her, she headed back out to assist in whatever way possible. Her conversing with Boyd was her first positive interaction in a few days besides with the few others nurses stationed at the field hospital. She hoped he was not sent away too soon. 

[degeneratekitten]

What happened to Stretch?

!!!WARNING!!! Read the tags before continuing, if you don’t like any of the tags then you probably wont like it when it happens in the story! FURTHERMORE if you’ve ever experienced the loss of a child and reading something similar would upset you DON’T READ THIS STORY!

This is the story of “To Love and Cherish for as Long as I Live” told from the owners perspective.

All the tags from the previous story apply here as well, PLUS a whole other slew of them. I mean she’s got some serious baby rabies!

“Your friends Sansy was so CUTE, and your Blueberry was just as cute! You couldn't wait until they had babies together!”

When your friend first introduced you to her bitty you'd been shocked at just how cute he was. His chubby little stomach, his cute little teeth, his half lidded eyes. You’d been so jealous of your best friend for getting a Sansy so BEAUTIFUL! He had the cutest little face, and the most charming attitude ever. Of course you had to get a bitty just as cute.

Fortunately, you did come across a bitty just as cute as your friends Sansy,  Gordo. A little blueberry that had “DIMPLES!” You had no idea HOW that was possible, but you guessed that it could happen, with how flexible their skulls seemed to be.

You’d approached the little ball of sunshine as he stared, eyes shining, at a butterfly. His little dimples making themselves known as his eyelights formed stars. He had been drawing on the concrete with a worn down piece of chalk too small for a child's hand, it looked like a picture of a house, with a nondescript woman hugging him close. Your heart melted as you stared at the picture.

Approaching you knelt down to stare at the little Blueberry, before reaching your hand out and patting his little head. He shouted in surprise and dropped the chalk as he fell on his little bottom and stared at you with a little fear.

“Wh-h-who are you!” He asked, and you got a much better look at him. What you saw only made you love him even more.

He didn't have any clothes. Most wild bitties didn't, but he’d somehow managed to come across a blue ribbon that he’d wrapped around his neck. It was crooked and filthy but also very well taken care of, as if it was a cherished gift. It was like he was a little present waiting for you to come along.

You smiled lovingly at the little bitty, and pointed to the chalk drawing on the sidewalk. “Is that your mommy?” You asked, prodding, making sure that he wasn't a lost or abused bitty.

The little blueberry looked at where you were pointing with a little wariness before answering. “I don’t have a mommy.” He answered, as he gripped the ribbon around his neck. “Stretch says we don’t need a mom, we have each other!” He exclaimed, and you assumed that this Stretch was his brother. Wild bitties tended to come in pairs, you were sure that he was talking about his counterpart, a lil bro bitty. They were often called Stretch, they were also incredibly wary of anyone interacting with their brother and didn’t trust easily. If you adopted this blueberry you’d find a way to get a hold of the lil bro too, no reason to separate siblings.

You chuckled, and shook your head. “But then who will give you food?” You asked, watching as the blueberry suddenly started salivating before continuing. “Or give you kisses? Or play games with you?” You prodded, watching as the little blueberry stared at you with longing. He stared at you, shifting on both feet, getting antsy, and you could tell that he desperately wanted all the things you were saying. You only continued, further fanning the flames of this little Blueberries desires.

“And what about clothes? Who’s going to give you nice fluffy clothes after a nice warm bath? Or cookies?! Who will bake you cookies?! Or sing to you?”  You watched as the little blueberry started to tear up a little, he held on to his ribbon like his life depended on it, you supposed he only needed one more push to be convinced.

“And at the end of the day who’s going to tuck you in?” You finished, watching as the blueberry burst into tears. You took that chance to scoop him up, bringing him to your neck.

“I want a moooooommmmmmy!’ He cried breaking your heart with how desperate he sounded, this had been your goal but you still felt a little bad.

“There there. I suppose if you want, I’ll be your mommy?” You stated, listening as his sobs lessened before holding him in front of your face.

“R-rrrrr-really?” He asked, staring at you with wonder.

You nodded. “Of course! I’ll cherish you for as long as I live!”

----

It didn't take long for the blueberry to settle in. You named him Dooby, which he loved, but of course he seemed to love everything you did.

You quickly introduced him to your friend and her Sansy, and when you saw the two of them playing so sweetly together you just knew that they would make the best pair! Their babies would be so cute!

You mentioned this to your best friend, who also, was incredibly excited about the idea. The two of you started scheming, and quickly had a plan of action.

---

The hardest part had been syncing their heats up. It had required a lot of medicine mixed into their food to make it happen. You made sure they met with each other often enough, and left them alone just as much as well. The always played nicely together and everything was going just as planned. The only problem arose when Dooby disappeared during his heat. You didn't worry though, the only bitty he knew aside from Gordo had been his brother, and you were working really hard on finding him. Unfortunately Dooby was surprisingly tight lipped about where he lived, and you found it hard to get the information out of him.

Then the best thing happened. Just after Dooby had finished his latest heat, you saw the first signs. Dooby didn't notice at first, but you did. You shared the news with your best friend much to her delight. That was also when you finally learned that Stretch wasn't Dooby’s brother, he’d been a good friend of Dooby’s. You’d been a little disappointed at that news, as you’d been looking forward to seeing how cute Dooby’s brother would be. No matter, you’d still find him, and make sure he had a good home. After all he’d taken such good care of Dooby until you arrived.

----

Dooby’s tendency to sneak out however, made you a little upset, he didn't know he was pregnant yet (somehow) and you had to be a little stricter about it too. You didn't want the little baby to get hurt, after all it was sure to be the cutest thing in the world if its parents were anything to go by.

Unfortunately, when you saw Dooby coming home without his pajama’s saying how we loved Stretch and Stretch was the baby’s daddy, something seemed to snap. You’d worked so hard to make sure that Gordo and Dooby would have a baby and he went and WHORED AROUND?!

You were so angry that you ended up pulling out a hamster cage and confining Dooby to it. You ended up calling to rant to your best friend. She was understandably upset too, and in the end the two of you agreed that you’d sell the baby and get rid of this Stretch so the next one wasn't a failure.

---

You still tried to get the information of where Stretch was from Dooby, but it turned out that the reason he was so tight lipped was because he was terrible about giving directions. All he ever did was point in the direction he was in. Which was absolutely no help. You were getting so frustrated, and it wasn't until he gave you the family portrait that you finally got what you wanted.

---

You were on the phone the whole time Dooby gave you directions. You had the humane society on the other line. They were incredibly interested to hear about the colony of bitties that you had uncovered, and you were sure not to spare any details about them. Dooby didn't seem to notice that you were planning on having all his old neighbors captured, and it was a good thing he didn't as he would have hated you if he knew.

Even as you set him down to go get his “Stretch” you made danm sure to ask them to get “every” last bitty in the colony. As they were “such a nuisance.”

You hung up the phone just as Dooby came out of an old box holding hands with the FILTHIEST bitty on the planet. You were sure your smile looked funny as you stared at the heart eyelights the little HOMEWRECKER eyed you with.  You had an idea what Dooby had told the thing and were devising a way to “lose” him on the way back home when you were pleasantly surprised when he asked to say goodbye to his friends. You hurriedly agreed and made sure Dooby stayed behind with you. It was just as well too, as the bitty truck had just pulled up. You supposed it was time to go for lunch.

---

Coming back to an area free of bitties was incredibly satisfying. You felt pleased with yourself as you stared at the cleaned up area. No bitties to distract your little cutie-pie, and best of all NO Stretch to knock him up. All you had to do was lay it on real thick that Stretch had abandoned Dooby for him to completely turn on him. Really it was such a relief, you couldn't wait until he gave birth so you could get rid of the little nuisance and put this whole mess behind you.

---

Dooby started to near his due date, and wouldn't stop his chatter about watching the baby grow up. You rolled your eyes and kept your mouth shut about how that would never happen. You just relished in your victory as you watched him scratch Stretch’s face from all of his drawings.

You made sure to line up a buyer for the baby, and made sure he was on speed dial to take the little thing away as soon as he was out. You wouldn't tolerate a hideous baby in your house. Not now, not ever.

----

Just as Dooby was about to give birth you made a stop by the shelter. You had one more loose end to clean up so that there would be smooth sailing ahead.

You made sure to look through all the bitties in your search for him, and found yourself grinning when you found him.

There he was, decidedly less filthy but still a hideous sight to behold. Stretch looked happy to see you, and even as he caught your eye you could see those stupid heart lights. He looked looked at you like you were the answer to his prayers. 

---

The shelter let you walk away with him for free, as you’d explained that he was your current bittys lover from before you rescued him. They were a sucker for the story and were eager to help you “reunite them.” If only they knew.

You walked away only having to pay a fee for his new clothes. Of course you had no intention of taking him home, and instead walked into a dark alley, grimacing at the feel of the lil bro clinging to your thumb. He decided to speak at that moment, looking up at you shyly, those stupid eyelights boring into your skull.

“So I’ll get to be a family with Blue?” He’d asked, and you’d sighed at him. 

“If you think that you’re even stupider than I thought.” You replied, as you started to strip him of the nice clothes you paid for, he wasn't going to need them and they would sell nicely on ebay.

“But blue said--” He started, but you didn't let him finish, as you dropped him to the ground and swiftly stomped on his skull. It immediately turned to dust, no mess as he floated away into the wind. You smiled at yourself, pleased that he would never be bothering you again.

---

Of course your good mood was short lived until you got home. Where you saw Dooby, naked as the day he was born, snuggling with a tiny blue baby.

You grimaced at the sight, and quickly separated the two, you didn't want this thing anywhere near your cute little Dooby. Putting it on a handkerchief you speed dialed the buyer, and within minutes you had handed over a crying little infant, and received 200 dollars in return. Really it was only fair, after all the hardship you’d gone through to fix this little problem. 

The only thing left was to make sure that Gordo filled the void left by both Stretch and the baby in Dooby’s heart.

Calling your best friend, you made sure to tell her to clear Gordo’s schedule for the next few days. Dooby was going to need him. Although, you had to end the call short when you heard Dooby screaming for his baby.

Ugh, when would this end. You supposed it was only right to rip off the bandage now. So with a giddy look you turned to Dooby and made damn sure that he was in a wrecked enough emotional state for Gordo to rescue him from.

“Your baby’s gone. He’s never coming back!” You laughed, then grimaced as soon as the screaming started. The things you would do for a cute baby.

[best-nintendo-dads]

King Dedede

From Kirby

Dedede that's the name you should know

Dedede he's the star of the show

LOVE King Dedede, he's so cuddly looking I wanna hang out with him and his big hammer

He's the self proclaimed king of Dream Land, and he makes all the people under him, especially Waddles Dees, to do his bidding, one time he even made everyone bring all the food in Dreamland to him!

He's not a villain though, just a greedy lazy bastard who wants to be incharge, besides he knows that villains in this universe don't last long thanks to a certain pink ball...

Him and Kirby team up more than they fight these days anyway, they're good friends, even if Dedede would never admit it...

Dedede has a habit of getting posessed, be it by Dark Matter (3 times!), used as a puppet by Taranza, being cloned, and being corrupted by a Jamana Heart, the latter of which led to:

This.

Thanks HAL

Anyway I love Dedede a lot, he's my secondary main in Smash (Gordos, anyone?), and he's developed a lot throughout the Kirby series, going from a Kirby hating Greedy King to a not as Kirby Hating, not a Greedy, King, which you wouldn't expect from a series like Kirby tbh

Stan this beeg boi

[caelesjjk]

a place where hands can’t reach | l.h. (Greek god!Luke)

A/N: I have worked tirelessly on this, and I am really proud of it to be honest.  Its long as hell, over  17k. But i would appreciate more than anything if you guys took time to read it and tell me what you think. Thank you!!

I also wanted to give a shout out and recognition to Amara ( @dammitbands​ ) and her fic Wasteland, Baby which you can find here. I was super inspired by her fic and decided to give my own go at a Greek god AU.

“Touch me with your words. Penetrate my mind. Hollow me out. Leave me gasping, scratching, wanting more. Touch me with your words in all the places your hands can’t reach.”

Ares will always be known as being the brutal God of War. He was almost uncontrollable and bloodthirsty when it came to battle, something that made him hated among the other Gods as well as the humans on earth.

It took thousands of years and too many battles to count for the pain and terror of war to finally take its toll upon him. Ares wanted more from this life. There had to be something more. He had become fascinated by the humans and the way they lived and wanted to leave behind the memories and all the blood he had on his hands on Mt. Olympus, and go to Earth where he could be more than just the God of War.

His plans to leave Olympus were not received well. The other Gods knew if Ares left that they would have no one to fight their battles for them. No one to blame for all their misfortunes. So Zeus took it upon himself to punish Ares, telling him that if he chose to go to Earth and live with the humans he would be cursed for as long as stayed there.

Ares was told that he would never be able to touch another being with his hands without killing them. His darkness and brutality that lingered deep within him would consume them, and there would be nothing he could do to save them. They would crumble in his fingertips, drift away on the breeze, or burn to ash the very moment his bare hands touched them in any way.

But to Ares, this punishment would be as easy as breathing compared to the weight he carried on his shoulders now in Olympus. And so, he retreated to Earth, taking a human form. He knew that he would spend the rest of eternity alone, and banishing himself to Earth was supposed to make that easier. And at first, it had been. Hundreds of years he walked the planet, lying low and keeping to himself. He took on the name Luke, in hopes it was average enough to let him stay below the radar of wondering humans.

Luke was still the God of War, and it was in the darkness that he found the most comfort. He walked around in all seasons with leather gloves on his hands, in hopes that he would never accidentally touch someone and consume them with all the evil that lingered inside of him. He had never had a desire to touch someone while he was here, and he wanted to keep it that way. He needed to make sure that he proved the other Gods wrong so that one day they would understand that he was more than just their war horse.

Like most nights, Luke found himself in the corner booth of Gordo’s diner down the street from his apartment. He preferred it over the bustling restaurants and casinos that most humans frequented in Las Vegas. The décor was hideous, with all the red knick-knacks lining the dusty shelves on the walls and the faded yellow tables with chips in the tabletops. The food was shit, and the coffee was even shittier, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t come here for either of those things. He came for her, the waitress with the raven colored hair and the face full of freckles. She wore chunky boots and mood rings on each of her thumbs that were shaped like crescent moons. Her name was Anna, and she one of the few humans Luke tolerated. She was sweet and soft spoken, but she also had an edge about her that had Luke coming back in every night. He refused service from anyone other than her. It was like she could tell that he wasn’t much for talking, because most nights, she didn’t press him.

“Want any more coffee?” She asked, breaking him from his thoughts of the past. Luke shifted in his seat, clearing his throat.

“Think four cups might be my cut off.” He answered, using his gloved hand to push the white coffee cup towards the edge of the table.

“Are you cold? I could ask them to turn the heat up in here.” Anna motioned towards his gloves, Luke quickly pulled his hands beneath the table into his lap.

“I’m fine.” He picked up the book he had been reading before, trying to get her to walk away from him without any more questions. Anna gave him a small apologetic smile before picking up the empty coffee cup and heading back towards the kitchen.

“Such an idiot.” Anna sighed to herself as she dumped the arm full of dirty dishes into the sink. She had always seen him wearing those gloves, never taking them off, even in the dead of summer. Obviously there was a reason behind them. And Anna knew deep down that it must have been something that he didn’t want her to know. 

“What is it about the weirdo in the corner booth that you like so much anyways?” Michael, one of the other servers asked as he plopped a small pile of whipped cream onto a piece of pie as he spoke.

“I don’t like him, really. I’m just sort of fascinated? I know it’s weird.” Anna leans against the sink, looking towards Michael and the complete mess he was making of the pie slices he was about serve.

“Yeah, totally weird.” Michael teases, throwing the small plates onto a tray and lifting it onto his shoulder.

“Are you going to serve it like that?” Anna giggled, pointing to the mess.

“It’s for a bunch of drunk frat boys, I doubt they care how pretty it looks.” Michael sighs, pushing open the door of the kitchen. “At least help me hand these out?” He stuck out his bottom lip, trying to be as cute as possible and persuade Anna to help him.

“Fine. Let’s go Mr. Puppy Eyes.” Anna holds the door open and lets Michael walk through before they both approach the rambunctious table. Of course they’re all smacking each other and throwing shit around the table. Typical drunk asshole behavior. Michael and Anna were used to dealing with these types on their late shift. Las Vegas was always full of surprises.

“You brought a friend with you, Mike.” One of the frat boys brought attention to Anna, making her cheeks heat up and her blood pump a little faster.

“She’s just helping me hand out your order, man. No need to embarrass her.” Michael tossed a few plates onto the table in front of them, some of them snickering and not trying to hide it.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” One asks, touching Anna’s wrist when she places a plate in front of him.

“I assumed you being a college boy and all that you could at least read.” Anna points to her nametag that’s attached to her black apron. Most of the others laugh at his expense when Anna makes the comment, steam practically billowing from his already red ears.

“Got a mouth on you. I like that.” Frat douche pulls Anna down onto his lap. She pushes at his chest and pulls at his hands.

“Let go of me!!” Anna shouts, looking to Michael for help, but the other guys at the table have him blocked from getting to her. 

“Calm down, babe. Just having some fun.” His mouth is against the shell of her ear, Anna feels dirty when he breathes on her neck.

Quicker than she can comprehend, she’s being pulled off of the frat guys lap in a blur when a leather gloved hand wraps around her wrist. Anna finally focuses on what’s in front of her again, the first thing she sees is the broad leather clad shoulders of Luke stepping in front of her, grabbing the frat guy roughly by the back of the neck and slamming his head down against the table, his face flattened against the surface. The sound of glasses and silverware clanging to the floor is quickly followed by yelling from the other guys that had been at the table.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Touchy Frat guy says, struggling against the grip of Luke’s hand. But he isn’t able to move at all.

“Apologize.” Luke leans down towards his ear, saying the words quietly. Blonde curls falling on his forehead in the process.

“Fuck you! Get off!” Frat douche continues to struggle, Luke rolls eyes and uses his gloved hand to lift the assholes head and slam it back against the table once more.

“Luke!” Anna shouts, her pretty green eyes meeting his when he looked up. They were the same color as fresh moss growing against the trunks of trees. Beautiful and alluring.

“Apologize, shit bag.” Luke says between clenched teeth, eyes never leaving Anna. He could tell he was frightening her and that alone made the evil threatening to spill over inside him retreat back to where it came from.

“Sorry…I’m sorry!” The frat guy finally gives in, and Luke stands him up straight, practically kicking him towards the door.

“You’ll hear from my lawyer!” Frat guy tries to get the last word in, but Luke only smiles widely, slowly bringing up his middle finger for the group of frat guys to see. They all continue yelling all the way out the door, the bell above the door jingling over and over until they were all gone.

“Luke…what…why did you do that?” Anna brushes her hair away from her face, her chest heaving in surprise.

“Find comfort in the fact that I would have done much worse if you had not been watching.” Luke says, heading back towards his table. He picks up his things and starts to walk towards the door.

“Wait…just, thank you.” Anna steps in his path, reaching out a soft hand to touch his forearm. Luke freezes momentarily, then quickly pulls his arm away and rushes out the door of the diner, the bell clattering against the glass once more.

“Did that all actually just happen?” Michael says, still a bit in shock as he takes off his black beanie and ruffles his hair. Anna sighs, turning back towards Michael and the mess they were about to clean up.

“What exactly am I paying you two for?” Gordo, the cook and owner of the diner says from the door of the kitchen.

“Great timing, Gordo!” Michael rolls his eyes, bending down to start picking up the mess on the diner floor. 

Anna takes a moment to watch Luke out the window. He has his hood pulled up over his head now, crossing the street in a hurry. She had no idea why he had done what he did. Perhaps he was just being nice and chivalrous. Perhaps it was something else entirely. But with how limited their conversations usually were, she wasn’t sure she would ever get the answer she was looking for. The desire to be closer to him was odd, but strangely welcomed even now.

Luke had been denying the power he possessed for a very long time. Though sometimes, he did give into the voice inside of his head. He kept an array of weapons inside a secret wall compartment in his apartment. And now and then he would take one out, preferably his sword. He would swing it around with more precision than any other God or mortal would ever be capable of. It was only enough to release just the slightest bit of the pressure he felt from not using his power, but it was enough. 

He merely wanted to get home before his desire to kill the group of idiots from the diner had him hunting them down. But, deep down Luke knew that they wouldn’t go about their nights quite so easily.

They waited a few streets down in the alleyway, waiting for Luke to come by so they could jump him. And unlucky for them, Luke had a feeling that they would. He had been around long enough, seen enough human weaknesses to know that something like this would happen. He sighed loudly when they rushed him and pulled him into the darkness of the alley. 

The one who he had publically humiliated back at the diner, took a swing at his jaw while two others held onto his arms. Luke wasn’t even trying to get away from them. He was only slightly hoping to quench that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that was asking for him to slaughter them. He had been denying himself his own power, rarely using any abilities for a very long time. It wasn’t easy, but he wanted to do it. 

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” The frat guy yells as he swings at the other side of Luke’s face. Of course Luke feels the pain of the blows, but it doesn’t affect him the same way. Pain is something he has learned to tolerate so well after the thousands of years of enduring it. He can taste the blood in his mouth, letting it drip off his chin as he looks up at his attackers with a devilish grin on his face.

“Perhaps you should keep your hands to yourself next time?” Luke says with a small laugh.

“What the fuck did you just say?” One of the attackers says.

“I said…” Luke spits some blood onto the ground so that it sprays across the original douche’s shoes. “Keep your fucking hands to yourself, asshole.” And with that Luke was taking punch after punch to his torso and face, others choosing to join in now as well. He let it happen for a few moments longer, soaking in the feeling of the attack. It was exhilarating. And he knew as soon as he was finished here, he would need to stop. He would need control himself. He didn’t need the other God’s coming around saying “I told you so” any time soon.

“You needed someone to teach you a lesson, blondie.” One of them says as they back away to admire their handy work. Luke his bent down on one knee, taking a few deep breaths to gather himself. He had to control it because if he didn’t, he would kill them and he already had enough blood on his hands from all the wars he had fought in.

“This will only hurt a little.” Luke spits more blood onto the ground, boots scraping against some loose gravel as he starts to stand up. His eyes begin glowing a bright blue, the light scorching through his veins. 

They all begin to scramble away, but Luke raised one of his hands in front of him, shaping as if he had it wrapped around someone’s throat, all of the frat boys halting to a stop. The group of them grasp at their necks when their air flow starts to wither away. Luke pulls his hand higher into the air, and their feet lift up off the ground. Their legs kicking as they yell with the last bit of air they have left in their lungs. Luke breathes in another long breath, then snaps his fingers and sends them all flying in different directions until they slam into the walls of the buildings they had been standing between. They hit with loud thumps, sliding down the walls. Most of them have fallen unconscious, others scrambling to stand up, Luke brushes off the front of his jacket and begins walking back towards the street. His wounds dissipate as the blue light still simmering in his veins heals him completely. He picks up his book from the ground and turns left out of the alley to make his way back to his apartment.

“Miss it, don’t you?” Luke heard a voice say from behind him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and see a face he hadn’t seen much of in recent years.

“Apollo.” Luke said flatly, his jaw tightening slightly as he turned to face him. He was dressed in all white, and Luke would never understand why the Gods thought white was such a glorious color. Apollo’s black hair was quite a contrast to the rest of him.

“No need for formalities, friend. It’s Ashton when I’m down here in this hell hole.” Ashton sighs with a look of mild disgust on his face and flicks his hand towards nothing in particular, taking a few steps towards Luke.

“We aren’t friends.” Luke scoffed, folding his arms over his chest.

“Still holding that grudge?” Ashton asked, small smirk on his face.

“You mean the one where you did absolutely nothing to help me when Zeus was handing out punishments?” Luke steps cautiously towards Ashton now.

“I’m not the one who desired a human life, Ares.” Ashton said, smile growing wider.

“Well let’s just say I’m still bitter, and you’re still an asshole.” Luke turns to begin walking away, until a wall of burning arrows fall down in front of him, blocking his path. His jaw and all the muscles in his back tighten in frustration.

“We should talk.” Ashton says.

“What could you possibly have to say, that I’d want to hear?” Luke turns back around.

“All those wars all those years ago…we may have underestimated the other gods then. But we know where we went wrong and we can correct it this time.” Ashton closes a bit more of the gap between them.

“This time? You’re insane.” Luke laughs. “I won’t be a part of it.”

“Won’t you hear me out?” Ashton asks.

“Go fuck yourself, Ashton.” Luke whips his hand in the air, the fire on the arrows behind him smothering out in the darkness. He steps over the burnt remains and begins walking again.

“I thought you might say that. I’ll make you see things my way, Luke. I’ll see you soon.” Ashton calls from behind Luke. But when Luke takes one last look over his shoulder, Ashton is already gone. He throws his hood back over his head and crosses the street towards his apartment building.

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Anna Bradley wished more than anything that she didn’t have to work her way through grad school. That somehow she could afford her apartment. But life just didn’t have those things in the cards for her right now. She struggled, and she knew she wasn’t the only one but that didn’t stop her from feeling just the slightest bit sorry for herself now and then.

She hated the way her hair was always frizzy, no matter how many times she used a deep conditioner. There wasn’t a product out there that had tamed it so far. Every morning while she looked in the mirror was a string of frustrated sighs and annoyed groans. 

Her one bedroom apartment was filled with things that Anna loved. She painted the brick walls with light yellow paint in an attempt to make it feel warm. Her window sills were filled with plants of all shapes and sizes. Some with flowers, some with vines. Every morning she made sure to say ‘hello’ to them, gently patting the top of the cactus’ before opening the curtains to make sure they got all the sunlight they needed.

Magenta was Anna’s 10 year old dachshund who loved to lay on her fluffy pillow at the end of Anna’s bed and soak in the sunlight as well. Her sweet little face was graying slightly around her eyes and nose, but she was still Anna’s little baby that she adored. Every morning before Anna left for class, she made sure that Magenta was comfortable, kissed her head and told her to watch over the place. It was routine for them all.

It was quiet inside the small apartment, which was something Anna appreciated. There was a constant buzz of sound outside in the busy city, but not in here. She kept an endless supply of tea in the cabinet just to the left of the sink and every time she opened that particular cabinet she was met with the worlds most flavorful aroma. 

“Rents late again, Anna.” Mrs. Parks said as she caught Anna trying to sneak through the lobby of the building.

“I know. And I swear, any tips I make tonight are coming straight to you, Mrs. Parks.” Anna tries to smile convincingly. Mrs. Parks sighs and motions with her head for Anna to go. Anna quickly mouths ‘thank you’ before heading outside into the crisp night air.

Nights were surprisingly cold in Las Vegas, it was something that took a bit of getting used to. Working the night shift at the diner was something else that took some getting used to, but there wasn’t another option when classes took up most of the day otherwise. So she drug her tired body into Gordo’s almost every night so she could serve to drunk college kids and late night casino goers.

 And then there was Luke. He always sat at the same table, most of the staff knowing not to seat anyone there because he would inevitably be coming in. He had floppy blonde curls on his head and a perfectly sculpted jawline. Not that Anna was paying attention to those types of things. But she may have noticed a time or two that his nose turned up just slightly. She knew that the hottest fires truly burned blue, and that his eyes were no exception to that. Most of his wardrobe consisted of black and leather, which wasn’t unusual for the most part but he wore it always, even this past summer when it was practically radioactive outside. Those gloves he was always wearing had to be ridiculously uncomfortable.

It bothered Anna that after knowing him all these months, she truly didn’t know him at all. Maybe that’s why he was so alluring. Maybe that’s why she had such a desire to be close to him. But any time she tried, he literally and figuratively pulled away. He was untouchable.

“Schedule says 9:00pm, Anna.” Gordo shouted through the order window as Anna walked briskly through the diner door, seeing the clock on the wall read 9:03pm. She rolled her eyes.

“Got it, Gordo.” Anna slipped into the back where Michael was tying his apron on behind his back.

“Everything okay?” Michael asked, noticing Anna’s frustration.

“Yeah…I just really need to make a ton of tips tonight before Mrs. Parks kicks my ass to the curb.” Anna sighed, throwing her apron on over her head and tying it haphazardly. 

“I can help you, if you just ask.” Michael leans against the wall watching as Anna rushes around, grabbing her order pad and pen from the basket on the counter.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. But thank you, Mikey.” She pats his shoulder quickly, throwing her hair up messily and then pushes through the swinging door to get out onto the diner floor.

The night was slower than usual, frustrating Anna to no end. She could feel herself getting more and more upset, but she held back as much as she could so no one would notice it. But Luke noticed everything about Anna, and he knew something was wrong.

“More coffee?” Anna asked him as she approached the table with a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes like it normally did.

“Do you get a break?” Luke asked, closing his book quietly and sitting it down on the table.

“What?” Anna asked, shocked that he had asked.

“A break. Will you have one soon?” Luke said.

“Yeah…I mean I could.” Anna shuffled over the words she spoke, still flustered that he asked her.

“Sit.” He motions towards the seat across from him at the table. Anna stared at him a moment longer, then blinked to clear her thoughts.

“Michael, I’m on break, okay?” Anna looked behind her to where Michael was standing at the register.

“Sure thing.” Michael smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at Anna, her cheeks heating up as she quickly turned away to look back at Luke.

“Right. Um hi.” She said as she slid into the booth across from Luke.

“Why are you upset?” He asked bluntly.

“I’m not upset.” Anna replied, biting at her lip nervously. Luke merely raised one of his perfect eyebrows in disbelief. Anna sighed. “I just have a lot on my plate. Grad School. Trying to pay my rent. Just feeling the effects tonight I suppose.”

“Your struggling upsets you?” Luke asks, watching her face carefully, wishing he could pull her lip from between her teeth as she chewed at it.

“Yes. More than usual.” Anna sighs, her breath blowing her hair away from her face, slouching back into the booth as if she’s deflated.

“The tips you receive here, they go directly to you?” Luke asks, reaching into the back pocket of his black jeans and grabbing out his wallet.

“Most of the time.” Anna laughs a little, knowing Gordo likes to keep extra for himself now and then.

“Then put this in your pocket, and pretend I never gave it to you.” Luke opens his wallet, and pulls out four one hundred dollar bills and sets them on the table in front of her. Anna almost chokes on air as she gasps.

“Luke, I could never accept this.” Anna pushes the money back towards him.

“Why not? It’s your tip.” He closes his wallet and puts it back into his pocket.

“It’s too much. Way, way too much.” Anna’s eyes are wide as she looks down at the money.

“I don’t understand. Your service is always impeccable, I’m merely giving you what I think is deserved.” Luke pushes the money back towards her as he begins to gather up his things.

“Luke…I can’t.” Anna shakes her head in disbelief that he would even consider leaving her this much money.

“Consider it a loan then. You can pay me back when you’re able.” He stands up, pulling a black beanie onto his blonde curls and slipping his backpack on.

“You’ll let me pay you back?” Anna asks, her mouth dry.

“Of course. When you can.” Luke smiles, giving her one last look before he starts going towards the door.

“Luke! Wait!” Anna quickly hops out of the booth and stands in front of him before he gets to the door. “Why would you do this for me?”

“You deserve to have a place to sleep and food to eat. It’s simple.” Luke sighs gently, wishing the freckles on her cheeks and nose weren’t so endearing. Anna bites her lip and closes her eyes for a moment.

“Thank you.” She steps up close to him, lifting up onto her tip toes and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Luke can feel his skin warming under the feeling of her lips. It was the most affection he had felt in ages. He gave her a tight lipped smiled and proceeded the rest of the way out of the diner. 

Anna had no idea why he really did what he did. He hardly knew her and still so willingly handed over more than enough money to help her get ahead on things for the time being. She looked at the money once more and then shoved it into her pocket before anyone else could see it, her smile widening. The troubles she had been feeling just minutes before this slowly lifted off of her shoulders and chest and she could breathe again. Paying Luke back was one thing, but making it up to him would need to be really special.

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The next night, when Anna came in for her shift she was immediately met by the frustrated face of another waitress that she did not recognize. Her blonde hair was swept up into a nest on top of her head and her hands were on her hips as she approached Anna.

“Is that guy your boyfriend or something?” She huffed, her Brooklyn accent very thick as she pointed towards Luke in the corner booth. His usual black leather gloves on his hands as he flipped through pages of yet another novel.

“No, he isn’t. But if you’re new here, you probably didn’t know that he only wants me waiting on him.” Anna explained, her cheeks heating just a little.

“Yeah, well he’s a real dick. Literally wouldn’t even take a glass of water from me.” She pops a piece of gum into her mouth and rolls her eyes dramatically. “All yours, honey.” She slips past Anna and heads towards the kitchen. Anna can’t help but smile as she approaches Luke’s table.

“Giving the other waitress a hard time?” She asked.

“She’s dreadful.” Luke replied, marking his page and setting down the book in his hands.

“You know, everyone that works here is capable of pouring you a cup of coffee.” Anna sat down across from him, knowing her shift didn’t start for 10 minutes.

“I only want you.” Luke said, his hands under the table as he watched Anna’s face. When her eyes widened momentarily he thought about his words and backtracked. “I mean, I prefer your service.” He clears his throat.

“What do you do when you come in on my days off?” Anna asked.

“I don’t come in.” Luke shrugs his broad shoulders and leans back against the back of the booth. Anna decided it was probably best to drop this subject when he seemed uncomfortable.

“I’ll um…I’ll pay you back what I owe you soon, I promise.” Anna says.

“I’m not worried.” Luke slowly brings his gloved hands up onto the table and links his fingers together.

“I wanted to do something more than just give you the money…like maybe I could take you to get a real cup of coffee? One that doesn’t taste awful?” She laughed lightly, looking to Luke for an answer.

Luke wanted to say yes so badly. He wanted to tell her that he would do ungodly things just to know more about her. But getting to know her was dangerous, for both of them. She would never understand the burdens he carried, and Anna did not deserve to carry any of them with her. She was far too smart and far too beautiful for this world.

“I…can’t.” Luke said nervously.

“Oh. I’m sorry, you probably have a girlfriend or something right? That would be totally inappropriate for me to ask that…god I’m just…sorry.” Anna stands up from the booth and Luke does the same.

“No. No girlfriend. It’s me” Luke tries to explain, but knows he sounds ridiculous.

“You’re really going to use the ‘it’s not you it’s me’ gig already?” Anna’s eyebrows scrunch together in confusion as she turns to begin walking to the kitchen.

“Are you angry with me?” Luke asks, following her down the row of tables.

“Why would I be angry?” Anna turns to face him quickly, almost making Luke bump into her.

“You seem angry.” Luke sighs, hands going into his jeans pockets.

“I’ll bring you more coffee soon.” Anna spins around and moves swiftly into the kitchen through the swinging door. Luke stands there a moment, not sure what to do. And as he’s about to go back to his table, Anna is shoving through the door with plates in her hands, not bothering to even look in Luke’s direction.

“You’re visibly upset.” Luke says quietly as he follows her to another table.

“I’m not.” Was all she said as she sat the two plates down on the table in front of the hungry customers. Anna continued to ignore him, moving past Luke and walking towards another table.

“Will you stop for a moment?” Luke asks, stepping in her path.

“I’m not upset with you, I’m upset with myself.” Anna says, looking over Luke’s shoulder as Gordo throws another order up into the window.

“Why?” Luke moves until her green eyes focus on him again. For a moment, Anna considers telling him the truth. That all she wanted was a few hours outside of this diner where she could talk with him.

“It’s nothing, Luke. I have work to do.” Anna brushes past him again and Luke sighs in defeat, going back to his table, running his gloved hands through his messy mop of curls.

Luke watches Anna as she hastily moves around the restaurant, she continues to smile for each customer, never forgetting anything they ask for. She grabs a coffee pot from the counter where his eyes follow and land on Ashton, who sits at one of the stools at the front counter, a smile on his face when their eyes meet. Luke tenses, his jaw tightening when Ashton waves Anna over to him. What the fuck did he think he was doing?

Ashton leaned his elbows on the counter when Anna approached him, making sure to smile kindly for the human girl.

“What’s good to eat here, darling?” Ashton asked, watching as Anna’s cheeks tinged pink when he called her by the endearing name. Pathetic human, he thought.

“Pancakes are always good.” She said, taking the coffee cup off the counter and filling it, sitting it in front of Ashton.

“How’s the coffee?” Ashton smiled at her a little more.

“Pretty awful.” Anna shrugged.

“Should we maybe grab something better then? If you’re free that is.” Ashton asked, long fingers dancing around the coffee cup on the counter.

“I don’t even know your name, and you’re asking me out?.” Anna laughed, her hand going to her hip. Luke was still watching, but his anger was literally beginning to burn.

“Ashton. And yours?” He asks.

“I’m Anna.” She reaches out and shakes his hand and already Luke knows that’s something he would never be able to do. 

“So what do you say, Anna?” Ashton asks as he straightens the lapels of his long coat. Luke pushes out of the booth and storms across the diner until he reaches the two of them.

“She can’t.” Luke says, blue eyes meeting Anna’s green ones, pleading with her.

“What?” Anna asks, confused and the slightest bit annoyed.

“She can’t go with you…because she’s going with me.” Luke glares at Ashton, knowing he’s feeding right into what Ashton wanted to happen. Now he has something to hold over Luke’s head.

“How did you even hear what we were…” Anna begins to say but Luke cuts her off.

“Anna, please. I was wrong to turn down your invitation earlier.” Luke stands next to Ashton on the opposite of the counter from Anna.

“He turned down your invitation? What a fool you must be.” Ashton pats Luke’s shoulder much harder than necessary. Anna looks to Luke, who looks desperate for her answer.

“I um…I’m sorry, Ashton. I think Luke and I need to talk.” Anna smiles kindly at Ashton. He is unbothered of course, but slides a business card towards her.

“Call me when you’re ready, Anna.” With a wink, Ashton glides back out the door. But before he does, he makes sure that Luke sees the triumphant smile on his face.

“Fuck.” Luke says under his breath, pinching the bridge of nose in frustration.

“What the hell was that?” Anna crosses her arms over her chest and looks at him expectantly.

“I don’t like him.” Luke sighs.

“Do you even know him?” Anna scoffs.

“We are…old friends.” Luke leaves it at that.

“Do you actually want to have coffee with me or was that just some jackass move to make me feel even worse?” Anna’s voice is a bit sad, her hand rubbing the back of her arm nervously.

“Where shall we go?” He asks. Anna smiles, a real smile. One that reaches her eyes and lights up her face in the most angelic way Luke had ever witnessed.

“I know a really nice place. It’s not too far of a walk from here.” Anna leans over the counter, Luke does the same, feeling like a magnet that can’t escape her pull. “Will you wait for my shift to be over?” She says quietly.

“Of course.” Luke replies, his mouth aching to cover hers, but he really could never let himself. Anna bites into her bottom lip gently.

“Okay. It shouldn’t be long.” She says.

“Why are you just standing there, Anna? Tables!” Gordo shouts from the pick-up window, his gray hair sticking out in a dozen different places. Luke wishes he could make him talk to Anna the way she deserved.

“On it, Gordo.” She smiled anyways, rolling her eyes playfully. 

“See you soon.” Luke says, walking back down the row of tables until he reached his booth where his things were still sitting. 

The rest of her shift, Anna felt nerves bubbling in her stomach. She had been hoping for this moment for such a long time, that now that it was actually happening she had no idea what she was going to do or what she was going to say. Luke didn’t seem like the type of person who wanted to make small talk, he was more of the deep conversation type. He was constantly reading or writing things down and Anna just knew that any typical type of conversation just wouldn’t do. And all of these thoughts swirling around her mind were making it harder and harder to come up with anything at all. 

She slipped into the bathroom at the end of her shift, washing her hands and arms and slipping into some clean clothes in hopes of smelling less like a diner and more like herself. Her hair was a mess, but she pulled it down from the hair tie and tried to run her fingers through it over and over until it looked presentable. She looked at herself in the dirty mirror above the sink wishing she had brought her make along to work so she could cover up the imperfections, but what she saw in the mirror would just have to do, she didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer. For all she knew, Luke could have taken off by now.

But he would never. Anna didn’t know it, but Luke never wanted anything bad to happen to her. Never wanted her to feel a bit of sadness. She radiated so much goodness. And when she nervously came out of the bathroom, carrying her bag on her shoulder and running her hands over her hair once more, Luke knew he was fucked.

“Are you ready to go?” She asked him when she approached the table. Luke stood up quickly, gathering up his things and throwing his bag onto his shoulder.

“Lead the way.” He said with a small smile and motioning for her to walk in front of him. Anna smiled, walking just in front of him as they moved towards the door of the diner. Luke tried not to stare, but Anna’s body was something to admired and praised. She was soft and curvy, and Luke was forever day dreaming of all the ways he’d like to touch her. But that’s all it could ever be, just day dreams.

They walked side by side, Luke staying just the slightest bit behind Anna as they made their way through the always sidewalks of Vegas. It was ingrained in his DNA to always watch his back, and he was feeling particularly protective of the beautiful girl he was with. Their walk was mostly silent, neither of them feeling the need to say much at this point in time. It wasn’t necessary or uncomfortable.

“Here we are.” Anna’s sweet voice broke Luke from his thoughts and he quickly moved to the door to hold it open for her. She smiled saying a quiet thank you as she stepped through the door. The sweet smell of baked goods and the strong smell of good coffee wafted into both of their noses as soon as the door closed behind them.

Anna ordered her drink, opting for Chai tea over coffee. After Luke ordered his drink, he reached for his wallet in his back pocket but Anna’s hand gently touching his forearm had him freezing in place. Her soft mossy colored eyes met his and he softened just the slightest bit.

“It’s on me, okay?” Anna handed some cash to the barista before Luke could argue with her. Luke nodded once, taking his coffee from the counter and following her to a table. He sat his cup down quickly and moved behind her to help her take off her coat.

“There you go.” Luke said next to her ear then placing her coat on the back of her chair. Anna hoped like hell that he couldn’t see the goosebumps covering her skin.

“Chivalry isn’t dead then, is it?” Anna smiled over the rim of her cup as she sat down in her chair.

“Not for me.” Luke replied, removing his own leather coat before sitting down across from her.

“You aren’t from around here, are you?” Anna asked, licking her lips after she sat her cup down, watching Luke carefully.

“No, certainly not.” He smiles, leaning back in his chair, his long legs opening and taking up practically all the room beneath the table. Anna was fascinated that someone could be as breath taking as Luke and still seem like he was loneliest person on the planet.

“You aren’t going to elaborate on that?” Anna knew the answer, but hoped Luke may give away little parts of himself at least. He merely shook his head ‘no’ as one of his fingers slid across the lip of his coffee cup. Anna sighed. “What will you tell me about yourself?” She didn’t want to push, but she needed something.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea that you know much about me, Anna.” Luke didn’t meet her eyes, he knew she was looking at him, but he didn’t want the temptation of telling her everything.

“How will we be friends if you don’t tell me anything about you?” Anna asked.

“Friends?” Luke wasn’t sure why that word gave him such a strange feeling. Friend was such an understatement for what he wanted Anna to be.

“I think we’ve known each other long enough to at least be friends, don’t you think?” She leans her elbows onto the table, her face and every little detailed Luke adored coming closer to his. Luke instinctively leaned closer to her, the magnet effect taking over his will power.

“Perhaps.” Luke gave her a lop-sided smile that had Anna’s stomach flipping it circles.

“How long have you lived in Vegas?” She asked. Fifty years, Luke thought to himself.

“Quite some time.” Was all he was willing to give. Anna sighed again.

“Alright, Mr. Cryptic. Maybe less personal questions? What’s your favorite book you’ve read lately?” Anna tried to keep things light without being intrusive.

“I try not to get attached to the novels I read.” Luke explains, twisting the silver rings on his fingers.

“That sounds a little tragic, actually.” Anna says, surprising Luke with her answer.

“Why is that?” Luke asks.

“All those books I’ve seen you reading at the diner. None of them good enough to be remembered? Just seems a little sad, maybe discouraging even.” Anna sips her tea, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

“Things begin to blur together after you’ve read so much.” Luke says, hoping that it didn’t sound too strange. Anna looks at him for a moment and then nods in understanding.

“Maybe you’re right.” She says. Luke can’t help but laugh at her answer. She was the type of person who truly tried to see things from everyone’s point of view.

“Tell me more about you, Anna.” Luke said.

“What do you want to know?” Her eyes lighting up slightly.

“Everything.” Luke smiled, a small laughing passing through his lips when Anna did the same.

She had no problem telling him anything he wanted. She told him about school. About her family. What she wanted to do with her life. All the things and people the inspired her. Things that she feared. The way she considered her friends her family. How she would eternally be staying away from tequila. Where the best pizza in town could be found. How cheesy movies and kit kats were the best way to cheer her up. Listening to her talk was everything Luke had hoped it would be.

He wasn’t ready to give up much of himself. He didn’t think he ever would be. He mentioned tiny things, enough to make Anna feel as though she was getting to know him as well. Some things that made him seem normal. Human. It was hard to keep things from her when she was so open and accepting. But this was the best thing he could do for her.

“Shit, it’s like 3:00 in the morning.” Anna laughed after looking down at the time on her phone for the first time in hours.

“You need to rest.” Luke said gently, standing up to help her slip her coat back on.

“I actually don’t have class tomorrow.” She said, sliding her arms into her coat and turning to face Luke. “Do you want to maybe, hang out?” Anna asked, her lip pulling between her teeth. 

“Hang out?” He smiled, taking in the way she looked with tired eyes and a happy smile.

“Yeah…I mean we could check out some hidden Vegas gems.” Anna said as the two of them made their way out of the 24/7 coffee shop.

“I’d like that.” Luke said, another smile spreading across his face. “Even if I think it’s a bad idea.”

“Do you think it’s worth it to find out?” Anna asked, stopping outside as the door closed to look up at Luke.

“It is.” He replied, his gloved hands going into the pockets of his jacket. “Goodnight, Anna.”

“Night.” Anna was hopeful that if she was patient, the mystery of Luke would unfold for her and he would realize he could trust her. He needed all the patience she could muster.

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There were more and more days and nights spent together after that. Luke had little to no self-control when it came to Anna. He was crazy about her if he was being honest with himself. And even though he was uncharacteristically happy, he was still worried. He knew deep down that Ashton would be planning something. Something to get Luke back on his side and back into Olympus. But Luke didn’t want to be anywhere but here in this dingy diner with Anna watching him from the corner of her eye, thinking that he couldn’t see her.

The freckles on her cheeks had darkened after they’d spent all day yesterday lying in the sun on the roof of Anna’s apartment building. Luke read aloud from the newest novel he had picked up and Anna laid with her shoulder against his and her eyes lazily closed as she listened to every word he spoke, soaking up the sound of his voice as if it was the rays of warm sunshine they were lying under. Now and then she allowed herself a peek at the way his lips moved when he pronounced the words through the dark lenses of her sunglasses. Noticing the way the blonde curls on his head practically matched the sunlight that warmed the tendrils against his forehead and around his ears. She relished in the way his fingers felt when they brushed against hers, whether it was by accident or on purpose, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Anna had determined some time ago that Luke was not someone from this time. The way he spoke and carried himself was nothing of this world even. It was farfetched really, but how could he be real?

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on all of these diner patrons instead of me?” Luke asked when Anna approached his normal booth in the corner.

“None of these diner patrons look as good in a leather jackets as you do.” Anna teased, making Luke laugh quietly.

“Is that so?” He asked, eyes meeting hers, his skin warming when she smiled down at him.

“What can I say? I’ve got a thing for leather.” Anna slid carefully into the booth, sitting next to Luke, his arm moving to hang over the back of the seat behind her. The close proximity was overwhelming. She smelled like the rose scented shampoo that she loved so much, and Luke could not have picked a better scent for Anna if he tried.

“What else?” Luke asked, their faces very close together.

“Hmm.” Anna pretended to think for a moment. “Motorcycles.” She said suddenly.

“Motorcycles?” Luke laughed.

“Why not? It’s extremely attractive!” Anna laughed as well, lightly nudging Luke’s ribs with her elbow.

“Don’t ever let me catch you on motorcycle, Anna.” Luke’s eyes were a darker blue as he spoke.

“What will you do if I decide to take a joy ride around the city one night?” Anna continued to push.

“Let’s not find out.” Luke smirked, sitting back and creating a bit of space between them to try and extinguish some of the tension building.

“I wanted to ask you something.” Anna cleared her throat and shifted slightly in her seat.

“Ask away.” Luke said turning his long body to face her in the booth. He was becoming less and less wary of answering her questions.

“Tomorrow night, some friends are going to the big arcade downtown. Laser tag, ski ball, dumb stuff like that. Will you come with me?” She pulled her lip into her mouth, her teeth chewing it nervously. Luke moves his gloved hand to her mouth and uses his pointer finger to pull her lip from between her teeth, his eyes staying trained on her mouth. Anna feels her heart pound in the confines of her chest.

“Have you known me to say no to you?” Luke says quietly.

“It’s always an option.” Anna breathed.

“I’ll go, if that’s what you want.” Luke moves a stray piece of hair away from her face, wishing he knew what it actually felt like as it passed through his fingers.

“Great. I’ll meet you there at 8:00 then?” Anna says, stumbling a bit as she scoots out of the booth when she hears Gordo yelling from the kitchen.

“8:00 it is.” Luke picks up his coffee cup and takes a sip, watching her walk away as she waves over her shoulder and pushes through the swinging door.

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Anna walked quickly through the streets on her way to the arcade. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face from widening as she got closer. Luke had agreed to come, and it was unexpected. She knew that if she wanted something to happen between them, anything at all, that she would have to be very careful with how she approached it. Luke seemed like he could make a run for the hills at any moment, and that was slightly unnerving for her.

“Anna?” She heard as she slipped past someone on the sidewalk.

“Oh, Ashton. Hi!” Anna smiled, stopping to turn around and speak with him.

“Such a big city, surprised I’ve run into you again.” Ashton moved closer to her, his stare making Anna feel slightly uncomfortable. His long trench coat making him appear even more intimidating.

“Yeah. Really surprising. How are you?” Anna asked.

“I’m quite well, Anna. Thank you for asking. If you don’t mind telling me, how’s Luke?” Ashton tried to pretend he was interested.

“Oh, you guys are old friends right?” Anna remembered Luke saying something of that sort weeks ago.

“Ah, yes. Very old friends.” Ashton laughed a little at the thought.

“I’ll let him know that you were asking about him.” Anna took a few steps back, trying to indicate as politely as possible that she was going to leave.

“Do that.” Ashton said, watching as Anna’s smile dropped when she started walking away.

Anna couldn’t help the uneasy feeling she felt, but she didn’t want it to ruin her night with her friends and Luke, and when she saw Luke standing outside of the arcade, all the worry seemed to melt away. He was dressed in his usual black jeans, but rather than the black t-shirts and leather jackets she was used to seeing him in, he wore a white t-shirt that he had messily tucked in. He had pulled his hair back into a bun on the back of his head, which was one of those things that Anna never thought she would find attractive until that very moment. When she was just a short distance away, he turned around, smiling when she approached him.

“Sorry if I’m late.” Anna said, feeling a bit out of breath.

“Not at all.” Luke opens the door to the arcade and let’s Anna go in. She leads the way over to a table in the food court area where some friends are sitting.

“Guys, this is Luke.” Anna said, Luke gave them a quiet hello and a small wave.

“Diner guy! Glad you could join us!” Michael says loudly, clapping Luke on the shoulder. “You’re on my team.”

“Excellent.” Luke says, eyes meeting Anna’s when she laughs at his reaction. He craved that sound.

The group makes their way to the laser tag area, everyone strapping a kill counter to their chest and grabbing a laser gun from a shelf on the way into the arena. Michael is already planning strategies and bragging about how his team is going to be victorious. 

“See you out there.” Anna says to Luke as she moves to join her team on the opposite side of the arena.

“I think the point is that you don’t see me.” Luke answers with a grin.

“We’ll see.” Anna jogs the rest of the way over to her team, all the lights in the arena going black before the black lights and neons pop on to reveal the course they were working with.

“Everyone spread out!” Michael yelled, moving to duck behind a fake boulder. Luke rolled his eyes, knowing that battle strategy was literally all he ever used to think about. 

Someone from Anna’s team started yelling, telling everyone to attack and Luke could suddenly hear the sound of the laser guns being shot and the beeping sound of the kill counters going off as people began taking shots. He felt is heartbeat pick up, every ounce of him wanting to absolutely dominate at this, but it was just a game. Luke needed to keep his cool and not let the instincts take over. But no matter how much he tried to bury it, he was still an amazing shot. He kept his distance, taking shot after shot and never missing a single one. But he had not been able to see Anna the entire time the game had been going on.

Luke got down on his hands and knees, carefully carrying his gun in one hand and slinking across the arena towards the other teams side. He could see Michael rolling around like some sort of ninja from the corner of his eye, keeping most of the other players distracted while Luke made his way into enemy territory.

He moved behind one of the fake boulders, the smoke machine in the corner coming to life and creating a fog that was slightly obstructing his sight as he continued looking around for Anna. Perhaps she had already lost all of her lives and was sitting out somewhere. Luke stood up straight, pushing some loose curls away from his face and releasing a long breath he felt like he had been holding in forever. As he turned to head back across to his teams side of the arena, Anna popped out from behind one of the boulders, pushing Luke’s shoulders until he was backed into a dark corner. 

“Boo.” Anna said, smiling widely and triumphantly. Luke instinctively moved his gloved hands above his head against the wall in an attempt to keep himself from touching her.

They looked at each other for a few moments, both of their breathing uneven and mingling together. Anna stood on the tips of her toes, gently brushing her nose against Luke’s as he stood frozen. His stomach somersaulted when her hands slipped off his shoulders and rested against his chest, their mouths continuing to gravitate towards each other.

“We shouldn’t.” Luke whispered, eyes falling shut when he felt Anna’s eyelashes brush against his cheek.

“Tell me not to kiss you.” Anna breathed, praying he wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to kiss him. Because she wanted to kiss him until there was no oxygen left in her lungs. Luke opened his eyes to look at her, eyebrows scrunching together knowing it wouldn’t be true if he did say the words.

“You will be my undoing.” Luke pressed his forehead against hers, but Anna was no longer feeling patient as her lips found his in a sweet kiss.

It was as if time had decided to forget all about them. Luke craned his head to the side, appreciating the way Anna’s lips fit with his. Her hands twisted into the material of shirt, needing something to hold her the earth before she floated away altogether. Kissing Anna was easy. It wasn’t messy or rushed, just lips and occasional meeting of tongues. Luke wanted to breathe her in and keep her in his chest for the rest of eternity. It wasn’t until he felt her smile against his mouth that he remembered to breathe at all.

“What is it?” He asked, opening his eyes and taking in the way the whites of her eyes glowed in the neon lights. Anna slowly lifted the laser gun in her hand and pointed it at at Luke’s kill counter on his chest. Anna quickly pecked his lips once more before pulling the trigger and the loud beeping noise from the counter started going off. She laughed manically as she started running back towards the action happening. Luke was slightly shocked, but mostly impressed as he pushed off the wall and took off after her.

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Things were too good to be true.

Surely Luke was not truly allowed to be this happy after all the awful things he had done in his life.

But he found himself sitting amongst a large crowd of adoring parents, students and their families as he watched the girl he adored walk across her graduation stage with the happiest smile on her face that he had seen since he met her. Anna was deserving of this accomplishment, more so than anyone else he knew. And no matter how exposed he felt being amongst this crowd, he would not have missed this for the world.

At the end of the ceremony Anna made a beeline for Luke as he stood towards the back of the building. She jumped into his waiting arms, wrapping her own tightly around his neck. He pressed kisses to her cheeks and lips, making her laugh and return them all the same. 

“Very proud of you, sweet girl.” Luke said only loud enough for her to hear. Anna’s cheeks heated, but she couldn’t help the need to get her lips back to his. She kissed him as if no one else was there, her body pressing into his. The leather of the gloves on his hands was cool as his fingers ghosted down the exposed skin of her arms.

“All I could think about while I was up there was how badly I wanted to be doing this.” She said against his mouth, both of them smiling and gently bumping teeth.

“Not thinking of how all your hard work has paid off?” Luke carefully sat her feet back on the ground.

“I was a little.” Anna sighed. “But it meant a lot to me that you came. I know crowds aren’t your thing.”

“I seem to have lost all sense when it comes to you.” Luke told her, his leather clad hands leaving her arms and clasping behind his back.

“I think that’s a compliment.” Anna laughed, shaking out her hair when she pulled off her graduation cap.

“Are you ready to go to the after party?” Luke asked, offering her his arm to take. 

More and more, Luke began to understand how his curse from Zeus was actually a punishment. All these years he spent alone, it never mattered. He never needed or wanted to touch anyone with his hands. But now that this human girl was in his life, it was the purest form of torture that he could possibly imagine. He wanted to know what her skin felt like against his fingertips. How soft her hair was when he ran his fingers through it. Sure, he could feel her with other parts of him. On his lips. But it wasn’t that intimate feeling that you feel when you touch someone with your hands. And sweet Anna never pushed for answers, though he knew she was curious as to why he did things the way that he did them. Never taking off those gloves no matter what. And more so than ever, he was terrified to accidentally hurt her. He would truly never forgive himself.

“Actually…” Anna took his arm, fingers moving over the material of the black button down shirt he was wearing. “I was thinking maybe we could skip the party? Have it just be the two of us tonight?”

“Oh…” Luke swallowed hard. “What did you have in mind?”

“I thought maybe you’d finally show me your place? I’ll make you dinner, we can drink as much wine as possible?” Anna looked up to study his reaction, watching his face go through 20 different emotions in just a few seconds worth of time.

“If that’s what you desire….this is your day, after all.” Luke smiles, a nervous pull in stomach trying to tell him it wasn’t a good idea. But he was incapable of saying no to Anna Bradley. Some almighty god he’s turned out to be. And when she squeaked and clapped her hands together happily, he knew that there was not a god on Olympus that could say no to this earth bound angel.

They quickly made a stop at the grocery store when Anna excitedly explained to Luke that she had the most perfect recipe for a spinach tortellini dish and that she had to make it for him. Luke followed her through the store, adoring every moment he was allowed to spend with her. But there was a feeling deep in his gut that told him something awful was going to happen that would ruin it all, and he hated that it wouldn’t go away.

Anna was nervous, and she tended to seem overly excited when she was nervous. She wanted this night to end a certain way, and hoped that wooing Luke with food and wine would make him feel that way as well. She knew they needed that next step. She wanted him to feel safe with her. To let down some of the walls he kept so high. And when he agreed to let this night happen at his apartment, she felt just the slightest bit of hope that he was going to let her in and show her parts himself that he was so desperately trying to keep hidden.

She watched in awe as Luke pulled into the parking garage of one of the most expensive tower of penthouses you could live in Las Vegas. She hadn’t imagined this type of place for him, but he was continuously surprising her.

Luke carried the grocery bags and led Anna towards the elevators, pressing the button for the top floor just as the doors closed behind them. Her lip was between her teeth up until the moment the doors slid back open. There were only two doors on this entire floor, which meant that Anna had completely underestimated the size of Luke’s apartment once again.

The door opened with a push of Luke’s foot after he had unlocked it with a set of keys from his pocket. He stepped to the side, smiling gently when Anna slid past him into the apartment. It was mostly dark inside, just a bit of light from the sunset coming in through the wall of tall windows at the far side of the room. It was one big open floor plan, the kitchen and the living room area were all connected. Anna stood in the foyer, not sure if she should just walk in. Luke took the bags of groceries into the kitchen area, pressing a few buttons on what Anna assumed was a security system.

“Are you alright?” Luke asked as he approached her again.

“Of course. Your apartment is…big.” She laughed, not sure what else to say. Luke laughed quietly, taking her hands in his gloved ones and pulling her gently towards him and further into the apartment.

“I’ll show you around a bit.” Luke says, flipping on a few light switches. Anna’s eyes can hardly focus on just one thing in the room.

Thousands of books are stacked on floor to ceiling bookshelves next to the fire place. The black leather couches make a complete circle in the middle of the room, where you have to step down slightly to reach them. There are glass cases lining the walls filled with artifacts. Anna was not exactly a history buff, but she could tell the pieces here were ancient. There were paintings in perfectly intricate silver frames taking up almost all the available space on the walls that were not converted into bookshelves. Marble statues of what she assumed were greek gods, guarded the doorways and some of the corners. It was beyond anything she had imagined and so incredibly beautiful. But it was also unnerving to think that maybe she didn’t know Luke even the slightest bit.

“There’s so much to take in.” Anna finally released a long breath, her fingers running over the spines of the books on the shelf closest to her.

“I’ve had a lot of time to collect things.” Luke moved to the fireplace, turning it on with a remote he picked up from the mantle.

“You always say things that make you sound ancient.” Anna meant to be teasing, but Luke laughed, running his fingers through his hair.

“You’re quite observant, Anna Bradley.” Luke sighed, his blue eyes coming back to her face and watching her carefully.

“You’re cryptic.” Anna tried to relax the muscles in her shoulders.

“I have my reasons.” Luke stopped to stand just in front of her.

“Are your reasons going to make you disappear without a word one day?” Anna’s eyes were pleading as she looked up at him. Luke felt his chest and his jaw tighten at the same time.

“Let’s not do this tonight, Anna.” Luke watched Anna’s eyes close for a moment in frustration.

“You’re right. I should make that dinner I promised.” She moves to step around him, but Luke places his hand against the wall so that his arm blocks her path to the kitchen.

“Trust me, please?” Luke speaks lowly, close to the shell of her ear. Anna wished it was easier to be angry when it came to Luke.

“I do.” Her hands find his curls and pull his face down to hers until their noses brush. “I just want you to trust me too.” Anna whispered, even though she knew she didn’t have to.

“For tonight, just know that it pains me to keep things from you…and perhaps one day, I’ll be able to tell you more.” Luke was hopeful, but how he ever could, he wasn’t sure.

“For tonight.” She sighed, but Luke captured her lips with his and swallowed down the rest of the sound. They let their mouths do the talking for a few moments before Anna pulled back just enough to speak. “What was that about?” She smiled when referring to the sweet kiss.

“Just want to start making up for all the time I should have been kissing you.” He kisses her again, the both of them smiling against the others mouth between pecking lips.

“Let me make this food for you, before I decide to forget it altogether.” Anna playfully bites onto Luke’s bottom lip before pulling away to walk into the kitchen. He watches as she goes, focusing in on the way her hips move and how she devilishly smiles over her shoulder when she notices his eyes on her.

Cooking was one of those things that Luke had never bothered much with in his hundreds of years as a human. He could handle the basics and could get by on simple recipes. But when the smell of the food Anna was making began wafting through his apartment, he suddenly wished he had at least tried taking an interest in it. She was quite masterful as she moved around the kitchen, throwing spices onto the chicken while the noodles boiled in a large pot on the next burner. Every now and then she would look up from what she was doing to smile at him, and Luke couldn’t begin to imagine how he had gotten this lucky.

“You could at least open that bottle of wine if you aren’t going to help, Lu.” Anna said, popping one of her fingers into her mouth to taste the sauce she was making. Luke moved from his spot where he had been leaning against the counter to grab one of the bottles of moscato from the fridge. 

Anna could practically feel herself salivating when Luke opened one of the higher up cabinets and reached for the wine glasses he kept there. His shirt slid up his stomach as he stretched and she wanted nothing more than to get her hands on the skin there. He noticed her watching him and couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. 

“How’s the food coming?” Luke teased, breaking Anna from her trance.

“Almost finished.” She breathed and half laughed, trying to clear her mind.

“Smells perfect.” Luke sat the wine glasses down on the counter, opening a drawer on the kitchen island to retrieve the cork screw.

“If I’m known for nothing else, hopefully it will be this pasta.” She laughed lightly. Luke’s face got serious for a moment.

“You’ll be known for so much more than a mere pasta dish, Anna.” He said, jaw slightly tightened.

“I hope you’re right.” Anna met his eyes, and it only took a second for Luke to step around the counter and reach her. His gloved hands went to her hips and turned her away from the stove so he could kiss her. It was so incredibly gentle and sweet that it took Anna’s breath away.

“You are incredible, Anna Bradley. Nothing less. And if I need to remind you every day, then that’s I’ll do.” Luke said the words against her lips, still brushing them together between words. Anna wasn’t sure she would ever understand Luke’s unwavering faith in her, but she couldn’t deny that made her heart swell.

“I’ll hold you to that.” She finally said when they unwillingly pulled their lips apart. Luke smiled and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Now stop distracting me.” She playfully pushed against his chest before turning back to the stove to finish the food. Luke poured wine into the glasses and handed one to Anna.

“Cheers to you, sweet girl.” Luke clinked his glass against hers, watching her freckled cheeks tinge pink as she took a long sip.

Anna plated the food she had been working on so meticulously as carefully as possible. She wanted it to be absolutely perfect, and that there would be no chance that Luke wouldn’t be impressed. She was convinced that this food was going to be that thing they both needed to get to the next step of their relationship. It was a long shot, but one that she knew would be worth it.

There was not a lot of food out there that Luke had not tried at least once. He had been many places and tasted many things. He had probably even eaten this exact dish at some point in his human life, but nothing had ever tasted like this. Something that someone he cared about deeply had put so much love and care into was an untouchable taste. It warmed him from the inside out when he didn’t think it was something that he was capable of.

“What do you think? Anna asked from the stool next to him. They were both sitting at the large kitchen island with their food and wine.

“Perfection.” Luke took another bite, making Anna smile widely as she did the same.

When they were finished, Anna stood up and reached over to take Luke’s plate. He stopped her hand with his, giving her a look of concern.

“I was just going to clean up.” She said.

“You’ll do no such thing.” Luke takes the plates from her hands and heads over to sink to begin washing the dishes. Anna picks up her glass of wine and walks into the living room area where she notices a vintage record player sitting near the entertainment center.

“Can I play one?” She asks. Luke looks up smiles as he continues washing the dishes.

“Of course you can.” He replies. Anna kneels down in front of the crates full of records stacked next to the record player and begins flipping through until she finds one that she loves. She quickly places it on the records player and settles the needle into place.

The record spins and begins filling the space with music. Anna sighs in content as she takes another sip of her wine. It takes her a moment to realize that the water of the sink is no longer running, and that Luke has made his way over where she’s been gently swaying to the music. She turns and finds him walking over to her with his hands behind his back.

“Is this one okay? I could always put a different one on.” Anna says, her nerves trying to trick her.

“Anna, this is fine, I promise you. Just dance with me.” He puts his gloved hand out towards her. She sits down her glass and wraps her fingers around his. Luke twirls her around once, making her giggle before he firmly presses her body against his.

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Anna asked referring to how effortlessly Luke seemed to be able dance. She watched his face drop and brows furrow as if he was thinking of something specific, but wasn’t willing to speak it out loud. “What is it?” She finally asks.

“There are so many things I want to do, that I simply can’t. Things that seem so small until you realize you can’t do them.” Luke leans down and presses a kiss to Anna’s shoulder. She looks at her hand in his, and decides to ask the question that she knows Luke has been avoiding since they met.

“Luke…Why are you always wearing these gloves?” She looks up at him and he sighs.

“Because I don’t want to hurt anyone. Especially you.” He explains.

“That…what does that mean?” Anna searches for more.

“It means just that. And I need you to believe me.” Luke’s face is a bit sad as he watches Anna contemplate his words. If she was anyone else, he knew she would have taken off a long time ago.

“I do.” Anna said softly, bringing his gloved hand to her face and cupping her cheek with it. Luke’s heart pounds when she leans into the touch. “I still feel you.” She presses a kiss to the leather covering his palm. 

“I’ve waited a very long time for someone like you, Anna Bradley.” Luke breathes out, his hand moving to the back of her neck and gently pulling her closer to him.

Luke connects their lips in a soft kiss. He wants to relish in the feeling of her pouty mouth against his for as long as possible. Anna’s arms wrap around his waist until she can clasp her hands together at the small of his back, holding him to her tightly. She slid her fingers up and down his spine over the material of his shirt, making Luke shift slightly. He swiftly lifted her onto the counter, Anna’s face becoming even with Luke’s as they continued their kissing. Anna was intoxicated by the smell of his cologne that wafted into her nose as she took deep breaths through her nose while her mouth was occupied.

Nimble fingers made their way from Luke’s back to his front, where Anna began popping open the buttons of his shirt. She needed to get her hands on every inch of his skin as soon as possible. Luke could feel panic begin to blanket him and he gently pulled away from the kiss so he could speak.

“It’s…it’s dangerous for us to do this.” Luke’s voice shook slightly, he wanted her so badly.

“How can I make you see that it’s not?” Anna ran her thumb over Luke’s bottom lip.

“I can’t hurt you. If I accidentally touch you with my hands…” Luke ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“What will make you feel safe?” Anna kisses him again, hoping that he feels her sincerity through her lips. Luke thinks for a moment, running through options. Finally, he stands straight and lifts her off the counter and sits her on her feet.

“Come with me?” Luke motions towards one of the doors on the other side of the room. Anna knew this was what she wanted, so she moved to follow him towards his room.

Another wall of windows with light from the busy city below is found on the far side of Luke’s bedroom. Long white, flowy curtains hang at the corners. His oversized bed sits against another wall, more white sheets and pillows are placed perfectly. The floors are a dark wood and the rug that’s placed at the end of the bed looks like it’s made of golden fur. What really catches Anna’s attention, is the huge painting that hangs above the bed. Without googling anything, it appears to be some sort of Greek war with soldiers and horse drawn chariots. But before she can observe it any further, Luke is gently touching her shoulder and bringing her attention back to him.

“Is this okay?” Luke says, referring to his bedroom.

“It’s beautiful in here. Your whole space is beautiful honestly.” Anna reassures him, Luke smiles.

“It isn’t too much?” Luke asks, gloved hands going to the rest of the button of his shirt and making quick work of them. He slips the material off his shoulders and lets it drop to the floor. Anna’s mouth drop open slightly at the sight of him. His chest was unbelievably broad with a gorgeous layer of hair spread over it. His torso was long and the muscles beneath his skin moved in a way that had Anna crossing the room towards him in a daze.

“You’re beautiful.” Anna sighed. “Like one of those statutes you have out there.” She bit her lip and watched as Luke froze slightly for a moment, then shook his head almost in disbelief.

“I think you’ll have this figured out much sooner than I had anticipated.” Luke says, confusion covering Anna’s sweet features.

“Figure what out?” She asks.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Luke dodges the questions for now. He moves over to the bed and sits down on the corner before meeting her eyes again. “Come over here so I can touch you, sweet girl.” He pats the spot on the bed next to him. Anna is moving quickly, not meaning to seem so desperate.

She sits down against the soft sheets, scooting until she’s right next to Luke, who gives her a gentle smile. He leans over, connecting their lips again. His tongue immediately brushes the seam of her lips, asking hers to mingle. Anna shifts her weight onto her hip so she can face him more and deepen the kiss at the same time. Luke’s hands ached to touch her, and he was too afraid to lose control.

“You’re holding back.” Anna said against his mouth with one more peck to his lips.

“Do something for me?” He stands up and walks over to his closet. He disappears inside of it for a moment, then reappears with a red neck tie in one of his hands. Anna swallows hard before speaking.

“What are you thinking?” Anna asks, her lip becoming sore where she’s been nibbling it.

“I’m thinking…that I need you to tie my hands behind my back.” Luke approaches her slowly. Anna’s eyes widen for a moment, her heart pounding at the thought of tying Luke up. She had no idea that was something that would turn her on in the slightest. But now that it was right in front of her, she knew that it most certainly did.

“Will that make you feel like we can go farther? Safely?” Anna rubs her thighs together, her body wanting some friction when Luke looks at her with lust filled eyes and slightly swollen lips.

“It will never be a good idea for me let this happen. But I’m a selfish bastard, and I want you so badly, Anna.” Luke stands in front of her where she sits, and Anna stands up slowly.

“Okay.” Anna whispered, reaching out and touching his chest, fingers brushing through the hair. Luke released a shaky breath and closed his eyes at the feeling of her touch.

“Take this.” Luke handed her the red tie, and turned around so that his back was towards her.

Anna admired expanse of his broad back and shoulders. All the light colored freckles sprinkled over his skin. How the muscles tensed when her fingers traced down the length of his spine. Her hand caressed his skin, fingers dancing across small of his back where the hem of his pants sat. Luke shivered when Anna pressed her lips to the middle of his back and kissing down his spine. Luke sighed again, bringing his hands back behind him so he could twist his gloved fingers into the material of Anna’s shirt and pulling her closer to him. She continued pressing kisses to the backs of his arms as she tied the silky tie around his wrists, making sure it wasn’t too tight. Luke knew if he truly wanted to get out of the bindings, he could with ease, but he hoped feeling the tie wrapped around his wrists would remind him that he was with the most important person in his life, and he needed to keep her safe.

“Finished.” Anna said, her thumbs rubbing at Luke’s wrists a few times before he turned around to face her. He leaned down and kissed her once, then moved back to the bed and sat down again. 

The humming of Anna’s heart in her chest was making her entire body overly aware of the beautiful man sitting on the bed. His hair was a mess of curls and his eyes were soft and pleading. She crossed the space between them, throwing one of her legs over once side of Luke’s hips and gently settling the other on the other side. Her fingers immediately lace into his hair, angling his face up so she can kiss him deeply. Luke hands are already aching to be touching her. They want to feel her soft hips as he pulls her down against his crotch. But instead, he settles for attaching his lips to her neck. He sucks gently at her skin and revels in the sounds leaving her mouth as he does.

The only other sound is the light hum of the record player in the living room area that has stopped playing but continues to spin. Luke skims his nose across her jaw, kissing the space where the bones meet.

“This really must go.” Luke says, nudging at the neckline of Anna’s shirt she’s still wearing. She doesn’t hesitate, smiling widely before grabbing the hem and yanking it over her head in a swift movement.

There was no possible way that Luke could ever forget the way she looked right now. It was all he ever wanted to see each time he closed his eyes from now until the end of time. She more perfect than any goddess he had ever seen. The way she curved was sinful. He leaned forward pressed a few kisses to the swell of her breasts that popped over the cups of her bra. He used his teeth to bite down on material of the cup and gently pull at it, signaling he needed the bra to be gone as well.

“This too?” She finally said, kissing his lips quickly as she reached behind her to undo the clasps.

“This body of yours should never be hidden by clothes.” Luke kissed her shoulder and watched as she slipped the straps off of her shoulders and down her arms.

“I think society might feel a little differently about that.” She laughed, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders as he took her in.

“They are absolute fools.” He whispered, his mouth ducking down so his tongue could flatten against one of her nipples. Anna groaned, eyes fluttering shut at the feeling. Luke did the same to the other one, his breath rushing over the sensitive nubs causing her to shiver and lean into him more.

“Lay back.” Anna said, half breathless as she finally opened her eyes to look at Luke again. He obeyed, letting his upper body fall back against the mattress and the down comforter splayed across the bed. He couldn’t focus on the discomfort of his arms being beneath him when she hovered above him, bringing their mouths together again in delicious kisses.

Anna sat back up on her knees and slid her one of her hands from Luke’s chest down to the button on the jeans he was wearing. She kept her eyes locked with his while she undid the button. Luke knew his breathing was uneven and quick, watching her slide the zipper down. The lights from the city coming in through the windows behind them was glowing against her skin and it was possibly the most beautiful sight Luke had ever seen, and he had seen many magnificent sights on Mount Olympus.

He let her pulls his pants off of his hips and crawl back up his body. But as she settled back on his hips, he lifted them slightly, bringing her knees off of the bed. Luke shifted, moving to one side and bringing Anna with him. She squealed slightly when her back hit the mattress and Luke was now hovering above her. His arms still behind his back, he bent at the waist and kissed a line of warm wet kisses down her stomach. She hummed appreciatively, squirming a little as her arms raised above her ahead.

“How will I ever get enough of you?” Luke pressed another kiss above her navel, then nudging the button of her pants with the tip of his nose. “I regret nothing more than all the time I could have had you this way and was too scared to have it.”

Anna sits up on her elbows and looks down at him, resting his forehead against her lower stomach. One of her hands slides down and into his curls, lightly scratching at his scalp and gently pulling until he looks up. Her eyes tell him everything he needs to know. He’s quickly moving back up her bosy and finding her lips, almost falling over when he doesn’t have his arms to balance himself. Anna laughs quietly against his mouth.

“There’s no reason for you to be afraid of me.” Anna tells him, fingers caressing his cheek.

“Just afraid that one day the universe will realize I am not worthy of you, and I’ll lose you altogether.” Luke sits up and Anna follows keeping her hands cupped on his cheeks.

“The universe wouldn’t dare try.” Anna smiles, the most contagious and convincing smile Luke had ever seen. And even if it’s just for tonight, he believes her.

“The heavens have nothing on you, Anna Bradley. You are painfully beautiful.” Luke kisses her hard, her head bobbing back and falling back onto the comforter. “Now get the rest of these clothes off before dispose of them with my teeth.” Luke says, playfully biting her bottom lip and causing her to giggle.

Beautiful hands slip down her body and quickly rid herself of any remaining clothing items. Luke moves until he’s on the floor at the foot of the bed on his knees. Anna hooks her legs over his shoulders and Luke pulls with his upper body until her dripping core is face level with him at the end of the bed. Anna digs her heels into the space between his shoulder blades, her patience growing thin. Luke makes sure she’s comfortable, slowly pressing kisses to the inside of her thighs that seem to tighten around his head each time he gets closer to where she truly wants his mouth to be.

“Luke…” Anna groaned, hips moving towards his face. Luke laughs against her skin.

“Don’t worry, sweet girl. I’m going to take care of you.” He moves his mouth up and presses a kiss to her clit. The feeling as Anna squirming and begging him for more.

His tongue circles it next, then licks through her folds, tasting her all over his wet muscle. The tip of his nose nudges against her as his tongue continues to delve inside her, not letting a bit of her wetness escape him. Anna’s hands grip at the soft comforter but she can’t resist lacing them into his wild blonde curls and gently pulling him until his tongue is buried deeper inside of her. His name falls from her lips over and over as she comes undone, and Luke just knows he will never hear a more beautiful sound. Her back arches off the mattress and Luke licks up everything she gives to him.

Luke licks his lips as he comes up to have a better look at her body as she comes down from the orgasm he had given her. Her breasts move up and down with her heavy breathing and her hands leave his hair to brush through her own. She takes another moment, then sits up on the edge of the bed, Luke still kneeling between her legs. Their eyes meet and breaths mix together as they both try to calm their rapid beating hearts. Anna moves one of her hands to the back of Luke’s neck and pulls him forward until their lips meet. She tastes herself on his lips and immediately wishes he could be between her legs forever. But there was something else she wanted.

“I want to have all of you.” She said between kisses.

“You do.” Luke replied quickly without hesitation. Anna felt her breath leave her lungs at the sweet words. How could her heart possibly not be bursting through the confines of her chest?

“You have all of me too.” She reassured him. Luke smiled, leaning forward to nuzzle his face into her neck when her arms wrapped around his neck.

“Hold on tightly, little angel.” Luke whispered against the shell of her ear. Anna wrapped her legs around his waist and tightened her arms around his neck. Luke stood up with her wrapped around him and carried her up to the head of the bed. “Tie me hands to the head board, okay?” He sat her down on the bed and turned so his back was facing her. Anna touched the gloves on his hands, the leather was warm from Luke’s warming body. He flinched slightly and Anna undid the knot of the red tie.

When his hands were free, Anna pressed a kiss to each of Luke’s wrists where marks were slightly showing. Luke turned and moved to get on the bed, his back pressing to the metal bars of his black bed frame that stood tall against the wall. His gloved hands went above his head and his fingers wrapped around one of the bars tightly. Anna held the tie in her hands and slowly moved to straddle is hips again. She wrapped the tie around his wrists and attached them to the metal bars of the bed frame.

Warm kisses were left against his chest and stomach as she made her way down his body. Anna looked up and found Luke’s ocean colored eyes watching her carefully as she pulled his underwear off of his hips and down his legs. He was so hard and aching to be inside of her at this point he could barely keep himself still. Anna took her lip between her teeth and bit down while wrapping her hand around his cock. Luke groaned her name, her touch overwhelming him even more than he expected. Her gentle hand pumped him a few more times before her mouth was finding his length and letting is disappear down her throat.

Luke knew that this must be what heaven was really like. It wasn’t Mount Olympus and all of its kingdoms amongst the clouds, it was this girl and everything she made him feel. His wrists strained against the tie that he so desperately wanted to snap. 

“Anna…baby, you have to stop.” He said, voice raspy and mouth dry. She pulled off of him slowly, smiling sweetly as she moved back up his body and found his lips. They kissed for a moment before Anna began rolling her hips and grinding down against Luke’s crotch.

“I need you.” She whispered against his greedy mouth.

“Take everything you want, sweet girl.” Luke said breathlessly. 

Anna continued to kiss him as she situated herself over him, her hands using his broad shoulders to steady herself as she slowly began to sink herself down on Luke’s cock. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he stretched her so deliciously. Luke was leaning forward his lips finding her chest and pressing kisses to every bit of skin he could get to. She was beautifully warm and incredibly wet around him. She moved her hips upwards and slowly slid back down as she began to find a mind blowing rhythm that had Luke falling apart much quicker than he ever imagined he could. His arms still straining against the tie, fuck he wanted to touch her.

“You feel so good.” Anna moaned, finger nails scratching against Luke’s shoulders as she continued rocking her hips.

No longer being able to bear the torture of being confined, Luke merely pulled at the tie and snapped it as if it was nothing at all. Gloved hands rush forward and grip onto Anna’s hips and quicker than she can even process Luke has her back pressed to the bed while he settles between her legs. He angles her hips up slightly and begins moving his hips in a slow yet hard pattern. Anna moans his name over and over, locking her ankles around his ass to keep him going deeper and making her see stars behind her eyelids. Luke buries his face in her neck, kissing and whispering praises as he chases the high he so desperately needed to reach.

“You are my heaven on earth, Anna Bradley, and I need you to cum for me. Let go for me, baby.” Luke kissed her swollen lips and swallowed down her angelic moans as she came undone beneath him. As she tightened around his length, Luke felt himself releasing inside of her as well. It was like nothing he had ever felt.

His arms gave out from under him and Luke pressed his sweaty face into Anna’ chest so he could listen to her heart pounding in her chest. Her fingers slid into his hair and moved it away from his forehead. They stayed quiet for what seemed like forever before Anna spoke.

“Did you really rip that tie from the headboard?” She smiled looking down at him.

“I think I did, yes.” Luke craned his neck so he could look up and meet her waiting smile.

“Adrenaline is a crazy thing.” She laughed, her thumb gently rubbing against his jaw. Luke merely shook his head.

“You should get some sleep.” He finally said after a moment.

“What about you?” Anna yawned, her dark hair fanning out over the pillows as she adjusted herself on the bed.

“I’ll be right here.” He said, moving from between her legs to her side and wrapping his arms around her body.

“Promise?” Anna said sleepily.

“Nowhere else I’ll ever want to be. Sleep.” Luke pressed a kiss to her shoulder as she began to drift off to sleep.

“I’ll make you breakfast in the morning. Bacon…hmm.” Anna said with a mumble. Luke didn’t reply this time, just held her a little tighter.

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It was 2:00 in the morning when Luke found himself wondering into his bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror for what seemed like a lifetime. Mostly wondering where the almighty god of war had gone after all this time. Ares was nowhere to be seen in this reflection, and Luke started to think that maybe he liked the way that looked.

He used cold water to rinse his face a few times and made his way back out of the bathroom. As she shut the door behind him, he suddenly felt that something wasn’t right inside of his apartment. Someone was here that shouldn’t be. Luke rushed forward, pressing a panel on the wall on his way to his bedroom where one of his swords was hidden. He grabbed the handle, feeling its power pulse through him as he dashed back into his bedroom.

There, Luke found Ashton sitting on his bed next to Anna’ sleeping body. Luke felt his heart stop beating all together in fear.

“Hello, old friend.” Ashton said, making himself more comfortable on Luke’s bed. “I’ve made sure your little human can’t hear us. We need to talk.”

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you.” Luke threatened through gritted teeth, slowly moving towards the bed with his sword pointed at Ashton.

“No need to be pointing that thing in my direction. Nothing has to happen to the girl.” Ashton puts his arms behind his head and relaxes against the headboard.

“What’s the catch here, Apollo? What do you want?” Luke continues to move around the room slowly.

“I want to finish what we started. You’re the only one who can help me get what I want.” Ashton said, a smile on his face.

“That’s not me anymore. You’ll have to find someone else.” Luke glared at Ashton. He didn’t want that life of constant battles anymore. He found something he loved more.

“Then maybe you need something to persuade you?” Ashton moved his hand towards Anna, gently tapping his fingers against her hand. As soon as he did, she began gasping for breath in her sleep. The strangled sounds of her breathing had Luke in an instant panic.

“What are you doing?! Stop it!” Luke lunged forward, his sword immediately swinging around and pointing directly at Ashton’s throat.

“Give me what I want, or she dies. It’s simple.” Ashton continues to smile as Anna convulses against the bed. “She really is beautiful isn’t she? Might even give Aphrodite a run for her money.” Ashton laughed. Luke’s mind was all over the place, but he knew what he was going to have to do.

“Alright. I’ll do it, just stop it.” Luke practically sobbed. Ashton clapped his hands together in triumph before tapping Anna’s hand again and she fell still in her spot on the bed.

“I knew you’d see things my way.” Ashton stood up, straightening out his suit jacket.

“I want to add my own terms to this deal.” Luke slumped against the wall, shoulders falling in defeat.

“Go on.” Ashton said.

“When this battles over, and you’ve gotten what you wanted, you have Zeus make me human. And I never see any of you ever again.” Luke pushes his hair away from his face as he watched Ashton contemplate his terms.

“Alright, Ares. Deal.” Ashton walks over to Luke where he shakes his hand in a binding contract.

“Let me say goodbye to her, please.” Luke says, letting his sword fall to the ground as he makes his way over to the bed.

“I’ll wait downstairs.” Ashton disappears from the room and Luke goes back to lay next to Anna.

He presses his chest to her back, kissing her shoulder. He moves her hair away from her ear and presses his lips against the shell. 

“I didn’t want this for you.” He whispers. “I wanted you to go about your life without me in it. But you sucked me in and I had no chance of escaping. I have been selfish when it comes to you, because I wanted every second I could get with you. You are precisely and entirely what I needed to start living again, and I will be forever in your debt for that Anna Bradley.” He kisses her cheek. “And I love you. That is something that will never change so long as I am alive.” Luke gets up from the bed before he no longer has the energy to do so.

He watches her a moment longer as she sleep peacefully against the white sheets of his bed and then walks out the door.

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Anna was late getting into her office that day. Her coffee practically cold as she sipped it in the elevator on the way up. Her briefcase was especially heavy with reports she had been working on from home to keep herself busy.

She needed all the distractions she could get so that she didn’t have to think about him. How he left her and never came back over six months ago.

Anna had gone back to his apartment time after time to find it empty. Everything was gone, including him. He never answered his phone. He never tried to call. He just disappeared, and Anna’s heart was broken.

“You have a client in your office, Anna.” Her assistant said as Anna entered the office.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone today.” Anna said, fumbling with her briefcase and oversized coffee cup. Her assistant merely shrugged and went back to answering the phones. Anna sighed and walked down the short hallway to her office.

Once inside, she noticed someone sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk. The blonde curls on back of his head eerily familiar.

“I’m sorry I’m late, I wasn’t expecting anyone today.” Anna made her way into her office as the person in the chair stood and turned to face her. She froze in place, dropping her briefcase and coffee to the floor.

“Could spare a few moments for an old friend?” Luke said, a gentle smile on his face.

“Luke…” Anna choked out, her throat tightening.

“Hello there, sweet girl.”

taglist:  @maoricth @slimthicccal @bbycal @kinglyhood @sugarcoated-pain @shower-me-with-roses @c-dizzle-swizzlex @calumculture @sugarcoatedcalum@calthesensation @cheyenne-in-wonderland @softboycal @moonlightcalum@unconditionalcalum @irwinkitten @singt0mecalum @angelbabylu @5sosnsfw@aspiringwildfire @myloverboyash @cal-puddies @lashtoncurls @kchillout@pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles @callllumhood @sick-orca @lfwallscouldtalk

[piracytheorist]

Thoughts on TRS 1x04 “Advent”

I want to preface this post with some of my background; I was born and raised in Greece - a European country that’s leaning towards the “poor” countries of the continent - and an Orthodox Christian. I’m not religious anymore, but those two elements shape my view in a very different way than of the average American.

I don’t actually have any connection to nor do I know a single thing about Russian culture (aside from Orthodoxy also being a major religion there). Movies and TV shows from the States, however, have been airing here long and often enough for me to have a basic grasp of its culture while also being distant from it (... and I mean, there’s a fair amount of prejudice from us too. The film Not Another Teen Movie, when brought to Greece, had its title translated to Not Another Stupid American Movie, and yes it was a valid translation in terms of how my generation at least was raised to see American stuff as. I think the only reason that prejudice is not super evident outside is because we know we’re not high up enough in the food chain to afford it. But yeah, it’s an example of how even a small, financially feeble country can sow the seeds of xenophobia and supremacy in its people).

I found out about the space race in middle school, I think, and while it was a children’s book, it emphasized the race, without taking sides either, just presenting the facts, and I remember that while reading it, I was just intrigued to follow what happened when - the first satelite, the first man in orbit around the Earth, the first steps on the moon - and in my view it was, as Neil Armstrong put it, a leap for mankind, so the race by itself seemed silly to me, why weren’t they working together to achieve all this amazing stuff? (That’s a rhetorical question)

So with all that, when Colin was first cast in the show and I read summaries and stuff... I’m not sure I could have vibed less with a show. If any of you remember me saying how the subject matter didn’t interest me, that was one of the reasons. I think it’s definitely because of some leftover prejudice, but I openly admit to not being interested in seeing one side of the space race, even in that small part.

So, to finally get into the point; the scene with the Coopers talking about Russia and Santa Claus was very, very important to me.

First, Janita saying that Santa Claus doesn’t go to Russia - Janita is young enough to not have developed complex thinking or filter when she speaks. She’s innocent enough to not actively be a xenophobe, but young enough to follow what the Big Guys say - and the Big Guys want the people to hate each other. She’s perfect to showcase the impact of the political tension in the way people see the other side, and how negative and subtle said impact is (I’m aware that there’s a lot behind it but roll with me I’m not in the mood of googling too much rn).

Second, Trudy’s immediate, nonverbal reaction.

She’s not surprised, but she doesn’t seem to agree either. She knows where that came from, she knows better than to think the same way, and she knows Janita’s young and innocent enough to not warrant a strict lecture about it.

Third, instead, Gordo offers an encouragement for open-mindedness.

“Santa knows that kids over there aren’t really any different, okay?” He goes by her metaphors (even though for her Santa is not a metaphor, it still works) to provide a less biased view of things.

And what I found the most important was that... it’s a fictional scene about a family that actually existed in history. We can’t know what happened behind closed doors. But the creators took the opportunity to show the impact of the tension on a young girl’s mind, and her parents encouraging a less biased view instead. And such a message is never not important. 

Not only that, it helped me connect. I didn’t actually watch the series fearing I’d see Americans with their heads so up in their asses, but I also didn’t know to expect such a subtle but powerful moment - that brings my very lack of connection to the show in front and flips it. They’re like, we know it was a different time, and things were ugly, and we’re not condoning that. We’re directly bringing it to the forefront to show that it was a by-product of the era and we’re having two of our main characters not follow it, and offer something better.

So, yeah, I’m very happy with this scene’s inclusion, theme and structure.