#he ONLY carries cash and the rest is in a box

[moskaisley]

*wakes up in a cold sweat* din djarin doesnt believe in banks

[loeyparker]

safe - e.m. 1/3

summary: you and eddie see eachother for the first time after you broke the friendship to protect him from the upside down

pairing: eddie munson x f!reader

word count: 4.7k

warnings: mentions of drugs, strong language, mentions of violence, throwing things

tags: no s4 spoilers, friends to enemies to lovers-ish, angst

a/n: i would die for each and everyone of u who supported this, no joke

(  NEXT CHAPTER  )

Eddie Munson sat on a lounge chair by the pool, unlit cigarette hanging by the corner of his mouth. His metal lunchbox stood by his boots, on the stoned ground. His right leg bounced up and down with quickness, his fingers fiddled with the rings on his right hand.

Strands of uncombed, curly hair fell in his face, covering a portion of his darkened eyes. He sat slouched, elbows resting on his knees.

His eyes were locked on the crowd inside the house, which could be clearly seen through the glass double doors leading to the pool.

“Man, what you dressed as?” A dull voice drew out, approaching the boy.

Eddie pursed his lips in annoyance.

From inside the house, Michael Jackson’s Beat It played loudly and unforgiving of the neighbors who might had been trying to sleep.

“Just a guy on business, man. You want something?” Eddie monotonously asked, already bored of the entire ordeal. While he was used to parties, used to the motions of attending them just to sell his stuff for an easy buck, on that particular night Eddie was annoyed.

“Yeah, lemme see how much cash I got. Hold on.”

Eddie wasn’t sure what had annoyed him exactly.

Maybe it was the simple fact that he was attending a party of ’85 graduates – he was supposed to be one of them, but fate wanted him to go through the motions of senior year for three years in a row instead of two.

Or, maybe, it was the call he’d gotten a few hours prior from The Hideout’s management, canceling his band’s performance of the week for another stupid event. It wasn’t as if missing a week of performing would realistically damage his band in any way, but Eddie hated when his plans were derailed.

But truthfully, what had annoyed Eddie Munson the most that night was seeing you in the crowd of the party, dancing to Michael Jackson with Steve Harrington – and Robin Buckley, but Eddie honestly hadn’t seen her.

Eddie grabbed his stash, opening the box with a screech of the rusted metal. “The ounce is 50.” He spoke, glancing at the jock ahead of him.

“Ah, man. How much is half?”

“25.” Eddie sniffled, the cold of the night getting to him.

As the jock dug around his pockets more, Eddie found his eyes drifting back to the crowd – back to you.

Despite there being about ten other people crammed around you, Eddie’s eyes found your shape with ease and quickness. But, to Eddie’s defense, it was hard not to spot you.

A strapped white dress laid tight over your body, its satin fabric shining slightly in the lights of the living room. A diamond diadem was on top of your head, over the now straight locks of hair. From the crown of your head, blood traced over the sides of your face, past your nose and over your lips, all the way down your neck. Some trickles of blood went into your exposed cleavage, others stained over your dress completely.

Eddie knew immediately that you were dressed as Carrie.

His eyes could only seem to focus on the way your hips swayed to the music, on your hair wildly flailing around as you moved, on the way you leaned with each beat.

Beat it, and you were leaning backwards, head thrown back, neck on display – Steve Harrington leaning forward and closer to you.

Beat it, and you leaned forward, chest down, shoulders moving, lower lip in-between your teeth, biting back a smile – Steve leaned backwards, head thrown as he laughed.

Beat it, and you leaned back again, this time laughing. It seemed as if you and Steve had an entire routine down, and Eddie couldn’t help but scoff. The way you danced was effortless and mesmerizing – but Eddie expected no less, especially since he’d seen you dance in his trailer countless times before. You had also been a cheerleader in high school, so it was not surprising that your moves managed to get the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

His eyes met yours after you’d been spun by Robin and it felt like the world ceased to spin for a moment. The song faded from both your ears, Eddie couldn’t hear the jock trying to buy half an ounce from him, you couldn’t feel Tina bumping into you on the dance floor.

Eddie wore a black hoodie with a jean vest on top. His bangs covered a portion of his eyes, along with a couple of loose strands falling out of the hood. He was brooding and he was far from you, but when your eyes met it felt as if he was breathing down your neck. Your chest tightened, your knees buckled and he didn’t tear his gaze away from you.

Sweet Dreams began playing throughout the house, its imposing bass bringing your feet back on the ground.

With his eyes on you, Eddie then rose his left hand to his shoulder, tapping it lightly with his index finger. Instinctively, you touched your own right shoulder, feeling it too bare, all of a sudden. With your thumb resting on your collar bone and the rest of your fingers gently brushing over the exposed shoulder, you realized the strap of your dress had slipped down.

Eddie smirked – a small, almost unnoticeable movement of his mouth and yet, a motion that made the apples of your cheeks to grow slightly hotter. Quickly, you pulled your dress back up, broke eye contact with Eddie and pushed your way out of the dance floor and towards the kitchen – you were in desperate need of a drink.

Steve Harrington followed you.

“Got the money, man?” Eddie mumbled, the cigarette pressing against his lips. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled a beat-up lighter and lit his cigarette. The lighter clanked when he shut its lid.

“Yeah, yeah, right here.” The jock handed Eddie two bills – a 20 and a 5. Eddie shoved them in his pocket, then handed the blond guy a bag, no words exchanged. “Thanks, man.” The bag was snatched out of the metalhead’s hand, and the jock disappeared back inside the house.

Eddie rubbed a hand over his face, cigarette butt between his fingers. The smoke veiled his nose and burnt the back of his throat, but he didn’t mind it. He was used to it – loved it. Glancing at his watch, he tried to justify his sudden need to leave the party. He’d only been there for half an hour; it was crazy that he was already bored.

But maybe seeing you with Harrington was enough to push him over the edge.

Deep in thought, hand over his face, Eddie didn’t hear heels clanking against the pavement, approaching him with determination.

“You okay?” Your voice made him freeze. Ash from his cigarette hit the ground and he could feel his heart beats making the veins in his neck pump harder. His hard trailed down his neck as he supported his head, glancing up at you.

He scoffed. “Yeah, just, uh,” he trailed off, a bitter smile on his lips. A short sizzling sound filled the air as he took a drag out of his cigarette, blowing smoke up in the air.

“What?” Your lips parted and a chill ran down your spine. The October air was unkind to your Halloween attire, but you refused to go back inside.

Eddie raised his eyebrows comically, the corners of his mouth turned down, he shrugged. With a head shake, he looked away from you. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He finally asked, tone condescending.

“I come with a peace offering.” You smiled softly, holding up two cans of Eddie’s favorite beer. Again, he puffed and looked away from you in disbelief. The beer was an olive branch he was unsure of grabbing, especially after what happened the last time you two spoke.

“Thought you wanted me to leave you alone.” His voice was stoic, low.

You pursed your lips, taking a slow step closer to him. “I’m sorry, I was…” you switched your weight from one foot to the other. “I was young, and stupid, and,”

“Power hungry?” Eddie bit back. “Conformist? Fake?”

You looked away, eyes pointed towards the starry sky. There was a hollow feeling in your chest, only becoming deeper as Eddie spoke. You didn’t blame Eddie for viewing you that way. From his point of view, you stopped being his friend soon after making the cheer team and becoming friends with Steve Harrington and the popular crowd.  

You went from hanging out on a daily basis, to Eddie not seeing you for almost a month. You had stopped answering his calls and he was sick of your mom answering the phone and telling him some phony excuse – oh, Eddie, darling; she’s at Nancy’s, you just missed her. She’s at the Byers, poor them. She’s got cheer practice today, won’t be home ‘till late.

He was sick of it, especially because he knew it was all bullshit.

On the day you were supposed to be at practice, he saw you in town buying bear traps with Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler. When he was told you were at Nancy’s, he saw you in Byers’ car late at night, driving through the town.

And then school was closed for a week due to a gas leak, and you had dropped off the face of the Earth. He sometimes drove past your house in the hope of seeing you, but your curtains were always shut, light never on. Unbeknown to him, you had spent the entire week either by Will’s side at the hospital, or with Mike, who was upset over Eleven “dying”. Being Will’s babysitter, you felt personally responsible for the boy’s disappearance. You had been with Eddie that night, at a concert in Indianapolis – how could you not feel guilty?

But Eddie didn’t know any of that, and you decided you were never going to tell him. The Upside Down, the government’s involvement – it was all too much, too dangerous. Unmarked cars had followed you for a month after the entire ordeal, secret agents watching your every move.

And you couldn’t have Eddie involved in all that.

So, you avoided him for as long as possible. You started sitting at the jock’s table with Steve and Nancy, your spot at his table remaining empty. Jonathan started driving you to school and you spent your free time in the library or at practice. You avoided his eyes at lunch and turned from him in the hallways.

You called him a freak and told him to leave you alone on the day he tried to confront you about your behavior.

“The fuck is up with you?” Eddie frowned, letting go of your arm. You backed away, heart racing.

“I just think we should just focus on our social groups and status.” You spoke after taking a deep breath. “We’re different people now, we’re not kids anymore.”

“You wanna stop being friends, is that it?” Eddie frowned, rising up to his feet. He towered over you with ease, and you straightened your back, keeping his gaze.

“Yes.”

Both your stomachs dropped at your words.

Your nose and throat stung as you watched Eddie’s gaze turn sour, his lips settling into a scowl. He had never looked at you like that, in all the years of knowing you. In his eyes, in that moment, you saw nothing but disgust.

“Fine.” He had simply said.

You gave him a sharp nod and quickly turned around, eyes focused on Jonathan waiting for you in his car. He had seen the entire interaction and watched you with concerned eyes – but he also understood. “Don’t think for one fuckin’ second I would want to be friends with the new mean, popular conformist sheep of Hawkins High, anyway!” Eddie yelled after you, his voice becoming higher and croaky.

You got into Jonathan’s car without sparing Eddie another glance, and tears spewed down your cheeks the moment you were out of the school’s parking lot.

You had managed to last two years without talking to Eddie.

Two years during which your anxiety worsened, your popularity increased and the Upside Down became more threatening.

“Yeah,” You gave a weak chuckle, eyes back on Eddie. “I guess.” Music still blared from inside. You could only focus on the way the pool lights danced over his features. He had matured since the last time you’d seen him up-close. His jaw was more defined, cheeks more sculpted.

A moment of silence passed between you two as he took another drag. There was a slit in your dress, he noticed. It allowed his eyes to wonder up your barely exposed thigh – and you watched him look.

“What changed?” He asked, eyes snapping up at yours.

The gate closed, you thought. And you missed him. But, quite frankly, you were also exhausted. Exhausted of running away from your feelings for the boy and from the anxieties of your new reality and you needed an escape.

“Suddenly gained back consciousness?” Eddie continued – which actually pissed you off. He was condescending and mean and yeah, you might have hurt him two years ago, but you did it to save him. You saved him and you suffered and he thought you were some mean, brainwashed girl.

And in that moment, your exhaustion and stubbornness overpowered your lingering feelings for your once best friend. You placed the beer cans on a small glass table by the chairs. Your arms folded to your chest, fake blood smearing off your hands and onto the white, satin dress. “I wanna buy.” You spoke, clearing your voice. “Not weed, something stronger.”

Eddie frowned.

Bending forward, he pushed the cigarette into the ground, putting it out. “No.” He spoke, looking up at you through his fringe.

Your eyes widened slightly, lips parted. “What?”

“I’m not selling you shit.”

A bitter laugh left your mouth. Your tongue ran over your bottom lip and Eddie watched your every move. “Wow, you hate me that much, huh? Did I hurt your ego so bad that you can’t let go of a fight two years later?”

With a sharp move, Eddie got up on his feet.

He towered over you with ease, despite the heels on your feet. His eyes were stoic, harsh. One step, and his chest almost touched yours. Your feet remained plastered on the ground, not being intimidated by the man in the slightest.

On the contrary, you were comforted.

His presence was something you had missed, his proximity craved. Having his cologne and smoky breath filling your senses once more was a high you didn’t know you longed for until then.

“Do you even know me, at all?” Eddie whispered, eyes studying your face. Since last seeing you, a scar appeared on the left side of your temple, your eyes darkened. Your lips got plumper, your perfume sweeter.

“Better than I know myself.” You replied, chest rising up and down with more intensity.

Eddie tutted, shaking his head. “I don’t think you do.” His tongue ran over his lips. “I think you have me confused for Harrington.” He spat, bitterly. And then his right hand cupped your face, thumb and index finger pressing into your cheeks, holding your face in place. You tried to move in annoyance, but he didn’t let you. “If I hated you, I would’ve taken you to my place, sold you my strongest shit for easy cash. But I don’t hate you, do I?” His fingers pressed harder, eyes stuck on yours. “That’s the problem, Y/L/N. I don’t hate you.” He let go of your face with quickness, taking a step back.

He bent down to pick up his lunchbox as you took in a deep breath.

“I need the drugs, Eddie.” You pleaded, watching his every move. “Don’t make me beg.”

Eddie sucked in a deep breath. “Go back to the party, Y/N.” He walked past you without a second glance, and you found yourself reaching out for him. Upon the contact he paused, back turned to you.

“Just this once, and then you’ll never see me again. Please.”

“I can’t.”

You let go of his arm, taking a step back. “Great.” You laughed bitterly. “Great. You won’t take my beer, won’t sell me drugs…I’m out of options here.”

“Y/N, what’s this about?” Eddie frowned, turning to you once again.

You laughed.

He grew worried.

“I don’t know.” You shrugged, the movement exaggerated, comical even. Your arms flailed sideways, then met in a clap. “I guess I just need something to fill the big, black hole in my chest.” You laughed again, finding the situation genuinely funny. "Drugs seem like the only option at this point, and you have 'em!"

Eddie, on the other hand, was worried. He’d never seen you like that. And while you hurt him deeply two years prior, he couldn’t stop caring about you. No matter what he did, you were always on his mind and part of him always believed you’d return to him.

He just never thought it’d be like this.

“Wanna come with me?” He found himself asking. He couldn’t tell if you were drunk, or high on something – or genuinely upset. He just knew you couldn’t be left alone in that moment.

You took his hand with no hesitation, and he walked you to his van.

Inside, you almost sunk into the seat. You had spent so much time in that seat before, that just being inside Eddie’s van felt like home. Tears stung your eyes as Eddie revved the ignition, and so you had to turn away.

Eddie didn’t know what to say.

He just couldn’t believe you were in his van again, and you were wearing the prettiest dress in the world, looking breathtakingly gorgeous.

"Sorry I'm acting crazy." You mumbled, eyes on the view outside. "I'm just a little bit overwhelmed, you know? Still mentally stuck at Starcourt."

Eddie pursed his lips. He also felt stuck there, to some extent.

Eddie had been close to the mall that night, dealing out of his van to some jock.

He watched as three firetrucks rode by, followed by around five or six ambulances. He saw the helicopters in the sky and the large, army-looking trucks passing just moments after the emergency vehicles. The jock ran to his own car and drove off, scared by the commotion, by the army presence and the weed in his possession.

Eddie, on the other hand, followed the vehicles out of nothing but morbid curiosity because – what now? What could cause such a scene in the small, quiet Hawkins, less than a year after the disappearance of the century?

Arriving at Starcourt, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

The large mall stood burning, covered in the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. There were soldiers surrounding the outskirts of the place, with firemen and paramedics rushing among them. 

He saw Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers getting into an ambulance, he saw a bloodied Steve Harrington clutching a blanket over his shoulders, protectively standing by someone’s side – by your side, more specifically.

You were sitting in an ambulance, feet dangling over the wet ground. Eddie remembers the feeling in his chest, the hollowness and panic that overcame him at your sight. A paramedic was checking your wounds, another placed a deep blue blanket over your shoulders. Eddie left his van with quickness, feet carrying him towards you mindlessly. His hair was dampening in the rain, his socks got wet as his sneakers stepped into puddles.

He couldn't understand what you were doing there, couldn't understand how you sustained your injuries. You looked like hell - exhausted and covered in blood.

Eddie was desperate to get to you that night, but two soldiers stopped him before he could get close. And all he could do was watch as you spoke to Joyce Byers, then burst into tears. Steve wrapped his arms around you in an instant, and you sobbed into his shoulder, hands clutching onto his shirt.

The sounds of your sobs along with the sirens and the helicopters flying up above were sounds that hunted Eddie to this day.

Back in the van with you by his side, Eddie sighed. "I get it." Was all he could mutter. "It's okay to act crazy sometimes, though." He added after a brief moment of silence.

"Is it?"

"Hell yeah. It releases tension." The boy glanced at you quickly, eyes meeting once again. He felt short of breath. "I act crazy all the time, and aren't I carefree?" Eddie joked further.

You puffed. "Very carefree." Eddie nodded. "Never angry."

"Never." He frowned jokingly, looking at you again.

You smiled.

"I might be biased, though." He spoke back up, not looking away from you. The van had stopped at a red light, so he could focus on you entirely. "You know how attracted I am to craziness."

Pursing your glossy lips, you looked down at your lap. A blush threatened to form on your cheeks as you felt Eddie's gaze on you. Time had caused you to forget just how intoxicating his gaze was, and now that you had it once again, you felt strange. Nervous.

Giddy almost.

“Do you still listen to Blondie?” He changed the subject when the light turned green.

“Yeah.” You quickly cleared your throat before turning to Eddie. “But, can I tell you a secret?” You asked, biting your lip.

Eddie glanced at you quickly, before looking back at the road. “Of course.”

“I started listening to Black Sabbath, too.”

Eddie almost crashed the car into a couple of trashcans on the side of the road. “You did not!” He exclaimed, wide eyes looking at you.

You laughed. “I did!”

“And?” He drew out, expectantly.

“And they’re not half bad.”

Eddie drummed his hands on the wheel, causing your grin to widen. He was also smiling and for a moment, it was as if nothing bad had happened between you. “Not half bad?” He exclaimed theatrically. “They’re one of the greatest bands of our generation!”

“Eh, they’re no Beatles.” You teased, head leaning back into the seat, eyes on Eddie.

“I’ll crash the car right now.” He joked, making you laugh. And he couldn’t help but allow his eyes to linger on you for a second too long because man, you were pretty. And his heart only ached, knowing that you were probably in love with Harrington and you had only talked to Eddie to get drugs.

His mood soured at the thought and he was suddenly glad your house was close to Tina’s. The drive from the party to your home hadn’t taken longer than ten minutes, and he decided this would be the last time he’d be in your vicinity. Because within ten minutes, you managed to have him wrapped around your finger again and he knew – he knew that once you sobered up the next day, you’d go back to your pristine life and forget about him again.

He couldn’t go through senior year again, again and again. It was enough that he had to repeat the damn year at school, he didn’t wanna do it emotionally as well.

"Why are we at my house?" You asked, confused.

Eddie sighed. "You're upset, and messed up. I couldn’t exactly leave you at the party.” He gripped the steering wheel as he pulled onto your driveway – something he used to do so often long before.

“Wow, thanks.” You snapped, then opened the door.

Eddie was quick to lean over you, shutting the door back up. “What the fuck?” You retorted, feeling his chest against your thighs.

“Why did you come up to me tonight?” He asked, sitting back in his spot. “Was it really just for drugs? I have to know.”

“Maybe I missed you.”

“That’s bullshit.” He puffed, rolling his eyes.

“What? Is that so hard to believe?” Your voice rose slightly.

“Uh, yeah, since you were the one who dumped me!”

“I didn’t dump you!” You grabbed a cassette off his dashboard, chucking it at the man. He dodged with ease.

“You threw me to the curb because, what? You found out Harrington was better? Popularity tasted better than being associated with the freak?” His voice boomed.  

“Steve has nothing to do with this!”

Eddie laughed bitterly. “Right, go ahead, defend him.”

“You’re such an asshole.” You scoffed. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am messed up, since I thought talking to you would be a good idea.” And again, you turned towards the door.

“That’s right, go. Run, as always.”

Your hand froze on the handle as anger bubbled in your chest. “For the record, I don’t run. I never ran from anything in my life.”

“Yeah, only from one thing.”

It seemed as if Eddie had a firing shot for everything you said – and he did. Because the fight had been brewing for two years, along with the tension caused by unspoken words. There were many things on Eddie Munson’s mind, and he wanted to say them all. “From me.”

Another cassette flew his way.

“I didn’t run from you! I saved you!” You shouted, angry.

“From what? Having to attend your cheer competitions? Meeting your popular friends?” He shouted back, equally angry.

“Oh my God! There’s more to life than high school shit! This isn’t about social status, you asshole! I saved your fuckin’ life!” Another cassette. “Saved you from death!” Another cassette was in the air, when Eddie grabbed both your wrists into his hands.

“What are you talking about?” His face was inches from you, hair unruly from the hood that had slipped off.

The cassette fell out of your hand and onto his lap.

“I don’t wanna fight you, okay?” Your voice became quiet all of a sudden – yet, your chest still moved with quickness. “You gotta understand that all I wanted was for you to be safe.”

“Safe from what?” His hands then let go of your wrists, instead moving to hold your face, thumbs resting by the corners of your mouth. With free hands, you placed them over his wrists, overwhelmed by the proximity. "Talk to me, Y/N. Just for once, talk."

“From bad stuff, okay? Safe from life threatening stuff.”

“You’re involved in life threatening stuff?” His thumbs gently went over your bottom lip as you nodded. “You don’t have to protect me, Indiana Jones.” You let out a short laugh at his nickname, causing the inkling of a smile to thug at his own lips. “If you’re involved, I’m simply involved by association. There’s no you without me, remember? And vice versa.”

You shook your head. “Not with this. I can handle myself, but you’re just a nerd with a guitar.” You joked, sly smile on your lips.

He chuckled. “And you’re a dancer with pompons.” His eyes moved from your eyes to your lips, then back up.

“Who kicks ass.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, you do?”

“Mhm. I’m sort of a…Wonder Woman out in the field.”

The right corner of his mouth turned upwards. His thumbs still stroked over your lips, pressing onto them ever so slightly. His eyes, as they traced your features, landed on a scar that stood on the left side of your temple. It had yet to heal and suddenly, Eddie felt the hidden heaviness of your words.

His mind flashed back to Starcourt, then to Hopper’s funeral for a brief moment, and he remembered the bandages on your right arm, the busted lip, the bruises and scars on your face. Most had healed by Halloween, but they still lingered on his mind.

“Tell me what’s going on.” He asked.

You shook your head, hands leaving his wrists.

“Please, I wanna help.”

You shook your head again, pulling away from his touch.

“Who hurt you last summer?” Eddie asked as his hands fell off your face.

“I can’t, Eddie.” Your voice cracked as you opened the passenger’s door. “Just, forget we talked.” You spoke as you left his van, rushing up the stairs to your house, without sparing him another glance.

And Eddie could only sit and watch you run from him again, just as you had done two years prior, after breaking your friendship.

Only this time, Eddie wasn’t going to let you go.

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Red Summer | Ghoap x F!Reader | Slasher!AU

After breaking up with your long term boyfriend you take a job working as a camp counselor in Northern Vermont. Seven weeks of swimming, volleyball, archery and hiking. There's even a hot lifeguard. It seems perfect until you find something evil is lurking in the woods

Tags: Slasher AU, Ghoap x Reader, intro chapter, nondescript reader, dark fic

Chapter 1: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

5.5k words

It smelled like Summer. Ozonic and earthy, carried into your car by the breeze as you drove North through winding roads. Montpelier was two hours behind you now. 

Despite the eighty degree heat, Vermont was lush and green. Only a couple more miles of shaded forest roads before you reached camp. At least you hoped so. Your maps app had been slow to load the last twenty miles.

The place was North, nestled between the border of Canada and the New Hampshire state line. It was gorgeous though. Anytime you thought about moving out of New England to somewhere cheaper the next season changed your mind. The trees just didn’t look as pretty in fall or the snow as splendid in winter. You just wished it was cheaper.

Suppose that’s why you took this job, as much as it didn’t appeal to you. Camp counselor for seven long weeks, the pay was shit but your food and board came free. After a bad breakup you didn’t have time to find a new lease so your life was packed up into a rented storage box with anything valuable shoved into the back of your car. 

A friend of a friend recommended it. She’d been working here for years, attended for even more. She was an old money New Englander. Boarding school outside of Boston and all that. She was nice though. Got you the job over any qualified candidates. It wasn’t nepotism but whatever it was called you wouldn’t complain.

Your car dinged. Low gas. Shit.

Scrolling quickly through the map you saw a gas station up ahead. You’d just make it… hopefully. 

You let out a sigh of relief as you pulled into the station. It was older with dusty windows and sun-faded posters for cigarettes. 

A piece of paper was taped to the pump.

“Reader broken. Pay inside” scribbled in sharpie.

You sighed and headed inside. 

It was dusty inside too. A couple aisles of brightly packaged food and walls lined with fridges filled with beer and soda. The man behind the counter glanced up from his book when you walked in.

He was handsome. Black with dark, short cut curly hair and big brown eyes. Much too handsome to be working in the middle of nowhere. He’d look more fitting in the corner of a bar, buying you a drink. He smiled up at you and your heart might have skipped a beat. 

“Pump three? How much?” He was English… strange.

“Just…uh… ten bucks.” You stumbled out. 

“It’s the accent,” he chuckled. “It throws everybody off the first time.” 

“It’s a strange place for an Englishman to be, I guess.” You swayed awkwardly. 

“I go to Middlebury. Easier to get a summer job than fly home.” He shrugged. 

“Understandable.” You weren’t an expert on Vermont geography but you swore the college was on the other side of the state. 

“Ten on three.” He said, nodding his head towards the window.

“Oh yeah. Thank you.” 

“You still got to pay, love.”

“Oh fuck, yeah. Sorry… uh… Kyle.” You read his name tag before digging through your tote bag, finding the last bit of your cash.

“No worries. What brings a girl like you out here.”

“I’m working at the camp.”

“Weldon lake, right?”

“Yeah. First time… I’m going the right way, right?”

“If you continue up the road. There will be a sign when you need to turn.” He handed you your receipt. 

“Thank you.” 

“Hey!” You were half way out the door when he called. “Stay alive out there. Heard the campers can be down right evil.”

“I’ll try!”

The rest of the journey was smooth, there was a sign just like Kyle said. Another one after that taking you down a long gravel drive and into a dirt parking lot. A couple other cars were there already. 

You made sure everything important was locked up in the trunk before grabbing your duffel bag and tote. You hoped you brought enough sunscreen. 

The sun was warm on your back as you made your way up to the main building. Two other girls were hanging around on the porch. They each wore matching white baseball shirts with red sleeves and trim, each labeled with STAFF on the back. 

“Hey, you’re Sophia’s friend, right? I’m Janie.” She jumped down from the porch fence. “I love your braids by the way.”

You’d done your hair before leaving, figuring it’d be easier to keep clean braided than fight for limited shower time. 

“I’m Natalie,” The other girl greeted. You introduced yourself, thanking Janie for the compliment.”

“I think your cabin is next to mine. I can take you over once you check in.” Janie said.

Check in was easy enough. Sign a couple more papers, show off your ID to prove you were you and get your cabin assignment, key and two staff shirts. Tomorrow was orientation before the campers arrived Monday morning. Tonight was for getting to know everyone. 

“So, where’s this cabin?” you asked, walking outside.

The girls grinned and led you down the path. Everything seemed to branch off from here. They pointed out where the dining hall was just past the main office next to the nurse’s station.

“Don’t expect much. They’re still recovering from when Covid almost killed this place.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. They had to raise fees and a bunch of parents freaked out. Guess an extra hundred dollars really threw all the millionaires off.” Natalie laughed. 

Next was the pool, fully fenced in and surrounded by two tennis courts and two basketball courts on either side. 

“Hey lasses!” A man called from the pool, leaning over the chain link fence. Natalie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who’s the new girl?”

He had a thick Scottish accent. Lots of transplants for the area, you guessed. He was also handsome. Muscular with a dark mohawk and light eyes. He was shirtless with very short and tight red shorts on and a silver whistle around his neck. He was dripping water over the ground.

“You say that like you aren’t also the new guy, Johnny!” Natalie called, clearly annoyed already. 

“Nat hates him.” Janie giggled. 

“It’s been three hours and he’s already tried to fuck half the counselors. He’s a dog.”

“One I’d put on a leash.” Janie laughed.

Johnny walked over, still dripping wet. His crocs squeaked with every step. 

“Johnny,” he grinned, holding out his hand to you. You introduced yourself as he shook your hand excitedly. He had a tattoo on his side, up by his ribs. You couldn’t see all of it but it looked like a heart with someone’s initials in it. S and something else, you couldn’t tell for sure. “Beautiful name for a beautiful gal.”

Your cheeks felt hot as his blue eyes traveled over your body. 

“It’s going to be a fun seven weeks with all you bonnie lasses around.” He grinned. Nat looped her arm around yours.

“Down dog. We still have half the camp to show off.”

“You know where to find me. Pool looked like the lake when I got here.” He raised his hands up as he walked backwards towards the pool again.

“Come on, before we lose Janie.”

“He’s hot!” She defended. 

“You just like him because he got your name right on the first try.”

“He’s intelligent too!”

The cabins were next. Ten white painted buildings split in half with about eight beds on each side and a shared bathroom in the back. They formed a circle around a fire pit with log benches. 

You had cabin room 14. Janie was the building next door in 15 and Nat with 16 sharing with her. They took turns explaining everything.

“Your bed is the only non bunk and the chest underneath locks so anything you don’t want the campers to find should go there.”

“Basically all your shit. I had a copy of Crime and Punishment stolen last year. Fucking Crime and Punishment like any of these kids could read Dostoevsky.”

“Showers are in the back. Hot water is sparse so if you want some, move quick and early.”

“Breakfast is at 8. Coffee tastes like shit unless you pour half a pound of sugar in it.” 

“You can vape just outside but if you smoke you gotta ask your neighbor counselor to watch your kids. At least thirty feet away or they’ll snitch too.”

“Weed is only for days off because they'll either snitch or demand you share. That goes for kids and counselors.” 

“Days off are randomly assigned but you should get one every other week.”

“I don’t recommend sleeping with other counselors but if you must, go to your car.” Natalie said. 

“We’ll leave you to get settled. Dinner is in an hour. You can meet everyone else then.”

“Thank you guys for everything.” You felt overwhelmed just a bit. 

They left, still arguing about Johnny. He was cute but the break up wounds were still fresh. You didn’t want to sneak around either. You weren’t a teenager anymore.

You haphazardly dumped the contents of your duffle into the lock chest before shoving it back under the bed. You had seven weeks to organize it. 

The bed was okay. A plastic covered mattress with an old sleeping bag. You should have brought your own pillow. Maybe a Target run on your next day off whenever that was. 

The ache in your muscles from driving all day hit hard the moment you sat down. 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Hey sleepyhead!” Sophia came in. You rubbed your face as you woke up. Out the window you could see the sky looked darker, a blue summer evening. “I’m glad you ended up coming.”

“Yeah. Thanks for getting me the job.” You stretched, your shoulders cracking. “It’s nice to get away.” 

“I’m sorry about you and Ale.” There it was. She was nice but always craved gossip. 

“It’s okay. Just wanted different things.”

You shrugged. It wasn’t a bad breakup, no arguing, just a slow and painful demise. He’d even offered to let you stay with him when the lease ended and he found out you didn’t have a place to go. You chose this instead. 

“Well, let’s get you something to eat. The food is incredibly mediocre but I heard a rumor that the lifeguard has beer and weed for the fire pit.”

She was not wrong about dinner. Hot dogs with a slice of Kraft cheese melted on top with a bag of chips as a side. 

You sat with Nat, Sophia and Janie. 

“There are my lovely ladies!” Johnny sat down, forcing his way between Cel and Sophia. Nat looked like she wanted to kill him. “Coming out to the lake tonight? Hope you all brought swim suits or birthday suits.”

“Jesus Christ.” Nat groaned. 

“I think we’re gonna have an easy night. Some of us had long drives.” Sophia motioned to herself and you. “Just some girl time.”

Johnny pouted. 

“Fair enough but I do expect all of you at the bonfire tomorrow.” He pointed at all of them, even Nat. “Especially you new girl.”

He got up and jogged off to another table of girls. 

“Am I allowed to call him a slut?”

“What happened to dog?” Janie asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Dogs can be trained.” 

You all laughed. You’d been worried that you wouldn’t fit in. All the other girls knew each other for years at this point. Janie and Sophia had been coming here since they were kids. Nat met Janie in high school and got a job as a junior counselor with her the first chance they got. 

It wasn’t a super attractive job and the pay was shit but it looked good on resumes and college applications apparently. Showed responsibility. Most of your experiences with camp were from horror films. 

The sun was still out as the four of you walked back. Sophia was your cabin neighbor, taking care of room 13. It’s where you all gathered. 

Sophia and you sat on her bed while she did your nails. 

“Red looks nice on you.” It was a bright cherry red. She’d picked it out, saying they should all match. 

The evening was spent talking and laughing. You asking questions about camp life and getting advice from the other girls. 

You had friends back home but you were glad you fit in so fast. Any anxiety and fear for the Summer slipped away as the sun set. 

“I’m beat.” Nat yawned. It was almost midnight now. Janie agreed and the two wandered off back to their cabin. 

“I’ll head back too. Thank you for being so welcoming, Soph.”

“Absolutely! It’s nice to get fresh meat every once and a while. It can be tough with the kids so some people get jaded. I hope you have fun this Summer and if you don’t you can blame me.” She laughed. 

The air was cool on the little porch out front. Most of the other cabins had their lights off by now and the center was lit up with fireflies, neon yellow dots. 

There was an orange dot out towards the back of one of the cabins across the way. A cigarette. The man smoking it seemed larger than any counselor you’d seen but it was dark and he was half hidden behind the building. It was Johnny’s cabin, you think. He was big. 

He waved and you waved back. He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out. The little corner fell dark and you went into your side.

You didn’t realize how quiet the world could be as you curled up in your sleeping bag. No hum of electronics or cars. No people yelling above or below you. Just the stillness of the stars.

It was an early morning. Johnny was running around the circle of cabins playing music to wake everyone up. He was shirtless again and his shorts seemed shorter than the day before. You wouldn’t complain. 

“So why did you choose this wonderful vista as a summer job?” Johnny asked, jogging up next to you as you made your way to the dining hall. 

“Needed a break. Get out in nature for a bit. I grew up in the suburbs and just broke up with my boyfriend so I guess I wanted to breathe for a bit. You?”

“Running from my previous life of crime.” He smiled. “Nah, just also trying to get away. Was military back home, knee injury did me in. Didn’t know what else to do. Hiked part of the Appliachian trail. You know, it's the same mountain range as the Highlands. Felt like I had to see them. Haven’t really felt like going back home yet.”

“You hiked alone?” You raised an eyebrow. You knew that it was one of the longest and hardest trails in the country. 

“Had a mate with me but I’m on my lonesome now.” He opened the door for you. Sure, he was boisterous but he seemed harmless one on one. Maybe a little dogish but he wasn’t going to hump your leg unprompted. 

“Shirts are needed in the dining hall, Mactavish!” Sophia called. He held up his hands in surrender before fishing out a cropped muscle tee that had been shoved into his pocket. It was a nice change of pace to be around a man that wanted to show off his own skin rather than try to get girls to show theirs. 

You told yourself before you got here that you wouldn’t look for that kind of distraction. It wasn’t worth it, especially not this early. You could look though. No harm in that. 

Bacon, Eggs and self-serve cereal was today’s breakfast. You joined back up with the girls from last night. Orientation was supposed to take up most of the day so they encouraged you to grab a couple pieces of fruit and a protein bar.

“Only fill up your water bottle in here. There are fountains elsewhere but I think they taste weird.” Said Janie. 

You were put in a group with Johnny, Sophia, and another guy named Warren. He and Sophia were long term counselors so they gladly took on the role of being you and Johnny’s tour guide. Johnny had been hired because of his lifeguard training so he already knew the layout of the lake and pool. You were scolded for not having proper shoes for hiking.

“What’s your size? I might have an old pair in my car.” Sophia offered. “If not I think there’s an L.L.Bean like two hours away. We can go on our next day off.”

You weren’t sure if you could afford brand new boots so silently hoped that Sophia did have that old pair and they fit. 

“Don’t want ya getting blisters all summer.” Johnny said. He was doing the hike in crocs but apparently did have boots back at his cabin. 

You didn’t do the full trail but Warren pointed out the different routes and how difficult each one was and which ones kids could do by themselves and which ones they couldn’t. The fields were next. A soccer field and baseball field were across the way from the cabins. It was a loose definition of each. One was a huge patch of grass and the other a diamond of dirt. Both looked a little off size wise. There was the sports supply shed that had all the equipment in it. Only a couple counselors had keys to it.

“People kept using it inappropriately.” Sophia smiled.

There was the art building, the rec hall, a path leading towards the archery field and riflery field.

“Riflery?”

“Yeah. We used to teach kids how to shoot. Mostly clay pigeons but it was one of the programs cut after Covid,” Warren explained. 

“Shame I missed it. Could have taught the kids trick shots.” Johnny joked, pretending to aim a rifle backwards over his shoulder. 

The horse stable was also closed. Too expensive to have horses here for even half the season. 

The Lake was the last part of the tour. It was on the other side of the road so to get there was an underpass to get there. It was large enough for five adults to walk side by side comfortably but the yellow light from the lamps gave it a sickly vibe. 

It ended a little ways before the beach. There were several rows of Kayaks and another shed filled with life preservers and paddles. 

“Wow Johnny! You cleaned it up well.” Warren clapped him on the back. For a moment Johnny looked irritated that he’d been touched but he shoved that emotion out of the way to make room for his usual excited self. 

“Yeah. Cleaned up the best I could.”

“It looks great, Johnny.” You were impressed. He’d even sprayed the kayaks down, bright clean plastic in a rainbow of colors.

“Yer making me blush.” He laid a hand over his heart. 

The lake was gorgeous. Cream colored sand feeding into sapphire waters. You could just see the beach on the other side, a small empty dock with a path leading into the woods. The camp side had a floating platform about thirty feet into the water. 

“Campers have to swim there and back to pass the swimming competency test.” Sophia explained. “If you can’t swim on your own you’re stuck in the buoyed area.” 

There was a ten by ten foot area cordoned off by buoys, keeping to the shallow end of the lake. Made enough sense. No one wanted to fish a dead kid out of the water.

“Let’s head back. We don’t want to miss lunch.” Warren clapped his hands together. 

The four of you made the trek back to the dining hall. You did feel like blisters were starting to form on the back of your ankles. You’d have to put band-aids on them later. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent going over itinerary for the following week. Campers would arrive tomorrow between ten and six. It was a day mostly planned out for settling them in with an inaugural bonfire that night. After that it was seven weeks of regular old American camp adventures. 

You went back to your cabin the moment you had free time. Your ankles hadn’t started to bleed but they were bright red and throbbing. You applied the bandaids and grabbed another pair of socks to wear the rest of the way. 

There was about an hour and half before dinner and final orientation from the camp managers, who, you had been told, often made themselves scarce throughout the summer to avoid having to do their jobs. You settled on top of your sleeping bag. A nice breeze came in through the screen door. Janie had told you that it was the best way to keep the building cool.  

You thought about Ale. His smile and deep laugh. How he’d wake you up in the morning with kisses to the back of your neck. How he loved your hair and ass. How he’d whisper in Spanish to you. You still had the English/Spanish dictionary he gave you shoved in a box back in the city. You missed him. Your cowboy. He would have been so disappointed to hear the stables were closed. Maybe you’d call him after all this. Ask to work something out. 

You drifted off daydreaming about the scent of his cologne.

“Bonnie! You’re gonna miss dinner!” Johnny was knocking on the screen door. Maybe Nat was right in being annoyed by him all the time. 

“I’ll just miss it.” you sighed, rolling over on the bed. 

“You never know which meal is your last. Best not to skip any! C’mon or I’ll drag ya myself.”

You would have thrown a pillow if you had one. How did he always have so much energy?

He jogged literal circles around you on the way to the dining hall.

“How are your feet?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“You were limping on the way back to the cabins earlier.”

“Oh…yeah just blisters.”

He tutted at you. 

“Got to get you some good shoes soon.”

Dinner was the same hot dogs as the previous night with a bonus of a bowl of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and a slice of cucumber. 

There was an excited energy in the room. Most people who’d snuck in alcohol or drugs said tonight was the best night to use it all. An unspoken competition of who could drink the most and still function when the first campers started to arrive. It could be fun, you mused. You were never a big partier in college and what was this if not a perfect chance to make up for that. 

The boys built up a nice fire, each poking and prodding their own side with their favorite stick. You sat on one of the log benches next to Sophia and Janie. Johnny was across the fire, his arm around the waste of another girl counselor. Ceilidh you think it was. Pronounced like Kay-lee, she’d said. Pretty name, Gaelic. Made sense for him to go after a piece of home.

“Glad he’s finally left us alone.” Nat chuckled. 

“I think they’re cute.” Sophia said. You pushed down the twinge of jealousy you felt seeing her giggle at his joke. 

Warren came around with a cooler filled with a hodgepodge of beer. He was his fraternity’s president and one of his responsibilities was to get rid of any extra at the end of the term to avoid trouble. Dry campus issues. 

You grabbed a Modelo. Ale’s old go to and one you’d gotten used to drinking. It left a familiar warm feeling in your stomach.

You drank, you danced, you ate s’mores, you laughed with your new friends. The stars seemed so bright and clear out here. Janie had you all lay out on your backs in the grass nearby as she pointed out each constellation.

“That’s the big dipper and above it is the little dipper but Draco is the constellation between them. If you guys tell me your star signs I can point it out for you.”

There was laughter nearby and you glanced up to see Johnny and Ceilidh sneaking in the dark towards her cabin. 

You had another beer. And another. Maybe one more after that. 

Someone offered you a hit off a joint so you did that too. 

The four of you were laughing and stumbling back to Sophia’s cabin. You had no idea how late it was. The fire was dying out. Warren said he would make sure everyone got back inside all right. The designated driver of drunken counselors. He was a good guy. 

You found yourself laying on your side on one of the empty beds. Sophia and Janie were on her bed, half asleep against each other. Nat and you were talking about your childhoods. 

“I broke a bone three years in a row, each time in May. I missed field day every time. My mom once pulled me around in a wagon so I wouldn’t feel left out,” She laughed. 

“How did you break so many bones?”

“Catholic school where the playground was just a parking lot. I was a wild kid. I broke my arm tripping and falling against the priest’s car. I dented it too. I thought I was going to hell.”

There was a shrill noise. Loud and stomach dropping. A scream cut off. You and the other girls all jumped to attention. It was silent except for the crackling of the fire outside. 

“Fisher cat.” Janie said, trying to convince herself.

“Or a fox.” Sophia added. 

“Did you guys hear that?” Warren said, coming in. 

The four of you nodded.

“It sounded close. I’m gonna check it out.”

“By yourself?”

“One of the other guys is gonna come with me. It’s probably just an animal. If you see Johnny tell him to go check on everyone. I want a headcount before we all go to sleep.”

You all watched from the window as Warren met another guy holding a flashlight and a baseball bat. Sophia turned on the porch light. They disappeared between the cabin’s across the way. 

“Johnny and Celilidh went off together. Should we try to find them?” Sophia offered. 

“Maybe we should just stay here. Safety in numbers.” Janie answered. 

“Safety from what? It was just an animal.” Nat insisted. 

“Didn’t sound like an animal.” You thought. No one else would say it but you were all thinking it. A slide show of clips from horror films played through your mind. 

Four sets of eyes darted around, looking out windows and the front door, waiting for some masked killer to seep through the walls.

Bang!

You all screamed as Johnny flew through the door, clutching his stomach. 

“We have to go now!” He grunted. Blood was pouring between his fingers.

“Oh my god. What happened? Where’s Ceilidh?”

“Dead… fuck.. She’s fucking dead. Fucker came in through the window in the bathroom. I tried to fight him off. I’m sorry.” He gulped. “We have to go now!”

“You’re bleeding. Please let me look.” Janie reached out and he pushed her hand away. 

“Don’t have time. We have to go. Get my car keys. I can fit us all.”

“What about everyone else?” You asked. There was so much blood, it was dripping on the floor now. 

“I don’t know… when..when’s the last time you saw anyone?”

There was another scream from outside. Silence took you over again.

“Please… we can get out and get help but we have to go now.” Johnny pleaded. His bright blue eyes were watery and his tan skin was stained red down his legs. 

“I’m going.” Sophia said, grabbing her backpack. “Fuck this. I’m not fucking dying like it’s a movie. We’re all going. Johnny, do you need help?”

“No, I can manage. I need to get my keys though.”

“I have mine. We can just take my car. It’s an SUV.” Sophia urged, crouching down to look out of the door.

“No…no…I…I uh…I have a gun in my car.”

“You brought a fucking gun to camp?” Nat’s jaw dropped. 

“Old shotgun. It works. I’m trained for this. Get to the car and I… I can kill him.”

“You’re bleeding out, Johnny.” Janie cried, reaching for him again and once again being pushed away. 

“Come with me.” Johnny looked at you.

“I…I…I don’t know.” You were shaking. It didn’t seem real. Too cliche. A real life spree killer running around the woods of a Summer camp. Sophia was right, you didn’t want to die like it was some movie. 

“He knows I’m weak. He’ll go after me first. We’ll get my keys and if he shows up… you take them and run.”

“You..can’t sacrifice yourself.” Your voice warbled.

“It was my job to do that. If I can’t die saving my country, I’d like to die saving a group of pretty girls.”

Johnny was pleading. He seemed to know he couldn’t do it on his own. You thought about Ale saying you needed to stand up for yourself more. You never did. You didn’t stand up to bullies in high school, rogue professors in college or shitty demeaning bosses. You didn’t even stand up for yourself when Ale said he wanted a break. 

Nat was saying how you should all just run to Sophia’s car. She had her keys. Sophia was agreeing. Janie was crying silently. 

“I’ll go.” You forced the words out like vomit. It was that or actual vomit.

“Okay.” He almost smiled. “Sophia, turn off the lights. We’ll give you a signal when it's safe to come out. Then we all run to the parking lot.”

“What’s the signal?” Janie sobbed.

“I’ll whistle.”

You were shaking so much you worried you’d fall right down the front steps of the cabin. Johnny was in front of you, shoulders hunched up, his eyes darting everywhere. Sophia turned off the lights, leaving the two of you in near darkness. The fire was nothing more than orange smoldering logs. 

“You seem like you’ve done this before.” You said quietly, finding yourself holding the bottom hem of his shirt. 

“Like I said. It was my job.”

You walked on your tiptoes, trying not to make any noise. Your heart cried for the others. Even if you didn’t know them. You didn’t hear or see anyone. Maybe they all got out? They escaped already…or the killer was chasing them deeper into the woods.

You didn’t want to die. In the movies it always seemed so prolonged. The stabbings and bleeding out. Johnny had been hurt and he was still going on, trying to save you and everyone else. 

“Stay here. I’ll go check to make sure it's clear.” He said. You’d made it to his cabin, whole body still shaking just on his porch now. Your heart leapt into your throat as the door creaked open. 

“Be careful, please.”

He winked at you before heading in. You picked at the skin around your nails, a nasty old habit that you tried so hard to kick. You could forgive yourself for this relapse. It seemed an appropriate time to scratch out anxiety.

The step behind you creaked. Any light from the fire was blocked out. A arm wrapped around your neck and pulled you flush with a wall of muscle. You screamed for Johnny as a knife cut into your stomach.

It hurt worse than you thought it would. He was stabbing you over and over. All those movies and none prepared you for the sound that came from being stabbed yourself. The rush of blood in your head. You kicked and scratched the best you could, catching the gap of skin between his gloves and sleeves. Flesh caught under your nails and tore. The knife cut sideways across your stomach. Something wet and heavy hit the floor by your feet.

“Fucking cunt.” The man growled. You could have thrown up if it didn’t feel like your stomach had been torn open. 

You hit the porch face first, no strength left to even try to hold yourself up. Blood pooled in your mouth. He stepped around you and in the corner of your eye you could make him out. 

Large, well over six feet and bulky with large shoulders. A half skull mask covered the top part of his face. His head was buzzed. He had a hunting knife in his hand and it dripped your blood onto the wood and onto your face. 

“Johnny!” Your killer called. You’d doomed him too. He could have gotten away. Johnny would die and it would be your fault. They all would now and it was your fault. 

You closed your eyes as the throbbing subsided. You didn’t want to listen. He was so nice. He didn’t deserve it.

You didn’t deserve this. 

You closed your eyes and let yourself slip away. 

You heard music. Loud obnoxious music and singing from an off key baritone scot.

You opened your eyes and you were in your sleeping bag in your cabin. It was Sunday morning again. 

Shout out to @ceilidho for being an inspiration to me to write darker fics and letting me use her name for a counselor.

[rafeandonlyrafe]

fruit stand

words: 1.2k

warnings: none, just very cute rafey <3

“rafe.”

“what is it rose?” he asks, looking up from his phone.

“i need you to pick up some fruit at the stand down the street. i need two watermelons.”

rafe rolls his eyes, resisting the urge to tell her to do it herself. there is some big dinner party tonight, and ward and rose have been overly stressed about it to the point it’s driving him crazy.

“alright, i’ll go now.” rafe stands up with a stretch, considering bringing wheezie long for a moment, but when he peeks in her room, he sees her nose deep in a book and decides to leave her alone.

rafe shoves his hands in his pockets as he walks down the street. he’s seen it briefly when driving by, the small fruit stand positioned on the corner of his block. he would think that the other people in the community wouldn’t want someone selling there, but he guesses that having easy access to fresh fruit makes up for it.

“hello there!” your voice brings rafe out of his thoughts.

he can’t speak. you’re like a ray of sunlight, bright smile on your face, dressed in a warm yellow sundress and sandals, hair down and slightly curly. you look effortlessly beautiful, and rafe has never felt this way just looking at a woman before.

“what can i get for you today?” you ask, gesturing to the fruit in front of you.

“i-” rafe clears his throat. “just two watermelons.”

“great! we have two sizes, i’m guessing the bigger one because you want two?”

rafe has no idea what rose wants, but he nods quickly anyways. “yeah.”

“alright, great! that’ll be $16. if you have cash, you can drop it in that box, we don’t take card but i have venmo, cashapp, and paypal on that sign.”

rafe quickly scans the sign in his venmo app, sending you the money. you don’t even check that it’s gone through before you’re handing him the watermelon, each now netted in a red mesh to make it easier for him to carry.

“oh gosh, that’s heavy carrying both. do you want to use my cart to take it back home? you can drop it back off any time before 6 today.”

“no, i got it.” rafe doesn’t want you thinking he’s weak as he carries one watermelon in each hand, hoping that the workout he did earlier today means his muscles are on display.

“alright!” you say, flashing him another smile that makes his knees buckle. “have a great day!” “you-you too.” rafe walks away, replaying the entire interaction in his head and cursing himself. he’s never had a problem talking to women before, even ones he finds attractive like you.

he spends the rest of the evening, all throughout the dinner party thinking of you, and he swears the watermelon tastes sweeter than normal.

--

“hello again!” you smile at rafe, recognizing the handsome man who visited your fruit stand only a couple of days ago.

“hi.” rafe smiles back, eyes quickly flipping from your face to the fruit in front of you.

“what can i get you this time…” you trail off, hoping he will provide you with his name.

“rafe.”

you smile. you’ve never heard the name before, but it fits him perfectly. “rafe.” 

“just some strawberries.” rafe picks up the box. he doesn’t even particularly like strawberries, but he would use any excuse to come back to see you again. he hopes it’s not creepy, that you just see him as a returning customer, not one with an embarrassing crush on you.

“great! that’ll be $4.” 

rafe thought ahead and brought cash this time, stuffing a $10 bill into the cardboard box.

“do you want change?” you ask upon seeing that he paid double the price.

“no, it’s a tip.” rafe smiles, hoping it comes off as genuine. he easily forgets how much smaller amounts of money means to people who aren’t as fortunate as him.

“well thank you, rafe.” you say, “i’m y/n, by the way.” you reach across and shake his hand. rafe swears he feels a slight zap at your first time touching each other.

--

“i’m going to go pick up some lemons.” wheezie says as she walks through the living room.

“wait!” rafe says. “at the fruit stand down the street?”

“yeah.” wheezie rolls her eyes like it’s obvious.

“i’ll come with you.” rafe says, getting up and smoothing out any wrinkles on his shirt.

wheezie gives him a weird look. “why? i’m 13, i don’t need you to babysit me.”

“shut up, let’s go.” rafe says, butterflies building in his stomach at the thought of seeing you again. he tried his best to find you on instagram, but with no last name, he had no luck.

wheezie rolls her eyes but lets rafe walk with her. 

“hey rafe!” your voice has him seeing stars, giving you a little wave.

“this is my little sister, wheezie.” he introduces her.

“hello there, wheezie! what can i get you?” you ask as she scans the fruit, smiling when she lands on the yellow citrus. “just some lemons!” 

“making lemonade?” you guess, and wheezie nods as she inspects the fruit.

“hold on, i’ve got some bigger ones down here.” you kneel down under the fruit stand, searching for the lemons that you were saving, looking too good to just put out.

wheezie looks up to rafe with a smirk. “that’s why you wanted to come” at least she whispers it.

“shut up.” rafe whispers out as you pop back up, holding a bag of lemons. “perfect!” wheezie says, reaching across to take it. wheezie goes to get money out of her pocket but rafe stops her, not wanting you to think that he wouldn’t pay for his little sister. he quickly scans the sign and transfers you the money.

“thanks so much wheezie!” you say with a smile, before looking at rafe, and he swears a faint blush comes over your cheeks and your voice drops an octave as you say “thank you rafe.”

--

rafe heads back to the fruit stand around 6pm, hoping that was your closing time. he sees you starting to load up fruit into the back of a pick up truck for the night, and he hurries his step up.

“let me help you.” rafe says, and you startle at his unexpected appearance.

“oh, god, rafe, you scared me.” you press a hand to your chest.

“sorry.” rafe laughs gently, you’re surprised face was just as adorable as every other face he’s seen you make. “you can hand me that crate.” you say, and quickly fall into an easy rhythm, rafe handing things up to you while you stand in the truck bed, organizing them to get everything to fit. it halves the time it usually takes you to clean up.

“all done!” you say, accepting rafe’s hand down. you take the last couple things, like your open sign and money box, and throw them in the passenger seat.

“hey- um…” you come to stand back in front of rafe as he struggles to get his words out. “i was wondering if you wanted to go grab dinner? with me?”

you’re only slightly surprised by his question, rafe hasn’t exactly been hiding his attraction to you. “yeah, yes.” you nod. “that sounds great.”

rafe smiles and lets out a breath of relief.

[genderfluid-insomniac]

"Why are you stealing my ducks?!"/// Lucifer Morningstar x reader

A/N: I had an idea and ran with it. I know someone out there isn't pleased with the lack of ducks in the market.

First off it was your day off and you were simply trying to find more rubber ducks to give to the kids at the daycare you ran for hellborns and sinners. Strangely enough, it was fairly financially stable with parents and minorly tolerable sinners dropping off kids (either their own adopted or otherwise) until the end of the day when you would lock up the place.

Because this was a daycare and you carried the cash back with you to your apartment there wasn’t any reason for anyone to break into or ruin the daycare. Even if they did their parents or guardians grew to be very protective of the place and you for honestly keeping their child safe. You were told by some others that one of the parents wouldn’t hesitate to protect their child by any means necessary and they refused to tell you which one strangely enough.

You had a feeling though of who it was since one of your favorite kids was an adorable blonde demon with bright red eyes who seemed to light up everyone around her. Unfortunately, she rarely was dropped off. But when she was her dad usually picked her up who you knew (via his daughter Charlie telling you he was the “best dad and inventor ever”) and you’d get to see the heartwarming scene of him catching her as she jumped to him and resting his forehead against hers.

He was quite handsome too and his devotion to his daughter never failed to put a smile on your face, often finding one of you staring at the other with a smile only to get caught. You never got his name but his theatrical apple-themed clothing stuck with you but you didn’t see him since his daughter had grown up.

Opening the door to the familiar sight of the toy store, you walked to the front to see the owner looking bored as they swiped through their phone until they saw you and lit up. “Hey! You here to see if I have any more rubber ducks in stock?” You looked hopeful for a second until they looked nervously at you and slid a clipboard over to you which had the clear stamp of “OUT OF STOCK” on the duck column. Groaning and letting your head fall tiredly onto the counter. Your day is now ruined as you’d planned to organize them in the daycare to let the kids go home with them as a gift after the disaster of this year’s extermination.

You heard the bell to the store ring signaling that someone else was now here and didn’t care since you were still upset about this being the 4 or 5 times in weeks that you’d tried to get at least 10 or 15 rubber ducks. The person walked up beside you and seemed to be very happy and a bit nervous by the way he rocked back and forth on his heels. They must have spotted you looking distraught because they tentatively poked your head. “You okay there? You seem kinda down.”

As you lifted your head you locked eyes with a very familiar man who you knew, the same white suit and pants with the decorative top hat and matching apple cane. Both of you had the same second of silence before saying “You!” and got interrupted by the owner coming back with 5 boxes labeled “RUBBER DUCKS” in Sharpie on a trolly. The man turned to the owner for a second after he gave you a timid smile and thanked them, signing his name at the bottom of the receipt and startling you at what his name was.

Lucifer Morningstar. Meaning the little girl Charlie was Charlie Morningstar….the princess of Hell. You were going to address your heartbeat picking up however seeing the boxes flipped a switch in your brain and looked between the king and the boxes of rubber ducks. “You- You motherfucker! You’re the one who’s been buying out their entire stock of ducks!” You said frustratedly and stalked up to him, poking a finger into his chest. Even if he was the King of Hell why would he need that many ducks?

Lucifer wore a tentative expression when you realized who he was until you angrily poked him in the chest and accused him of purposely screwing with you over. It wasn’t his fault that he ran out of ducks and duplicating them wasn’t good since the mechanics never fused with his magic well. He didn’t even know you came here and had seen you since Charlie had gone to daycare. Getting embarrassed when you asked about why he needed that many rubber ducks.

“I- I fail to see how that’s your business!” He spouted as he tried to put off an intimidating aura but it failed miserably seeing as how you just raised an eyebrow at him. The atmosphere quickly became calmer as he let out a sigh and mumbled something under his breath. You couldn’t hear him and leaned closer to hear him. “What did you say?” You asked very confused at the sudden change of attitude.

He blushed noticeably and ran a hand down his face, confessing something he hoped he’d never have to tell others. “I need them to invent more ducks.” Refusing to look at you, Lucifer wished he could just teleport back to his workshop but that would mean abandoning the person he never thought he’d have the opportunity to talk to again. The person who seemed to make his heart speed up and matched your reaction to seeing him. You smiled and let out a small chuckle, seeing how this wasn’t too surprising since you’d been told by his daughter that he was the “best dad and inventor ever”.

You put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft look. “I should’ve guessed. Your daughter always said her day was the “best dad and inventor ever”. It’s nice to see you again Lucifer.” You outstretched your hand and saw him smile in turn, taking your hand and shaking it firmly. He ran a hand through his blonde hair which had gotten disheveled during his “pitiful” confession and fixed his hat. “It’s nice to see you too! I missed- I mean I wished I had gotten in touch with you sooner!” He said before nearly slipping up and flushing at your unchanging beautiful appearance. It’d been so long since he’d seen you.

What you said registered to him and it seemed like you hadn’t forgotten about him either which was a good sign for him. Lucifer blushed remembering how Charlie always had a habit of bluntly saying things which sometimes backfired like it situations like these when he wanted to seem charming and alluring to someone he liked. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and letting out a short laugh. “Yeah, she’s always been very kind and honest to people. Which isn’t a bad fault at all! Just uh- in hell it’s normally not the greatest quality to have but she’s done so well with her hotel.” He explained and unconsciously started smiling as he talked about his daughter which warmed your heart completely.

You were still a bit frustrated with being bought out of rubber ducks but this excursion went better than you’d possibly imagined. His smile mirrored yours as he realized he’d started to realize he was rambling. “Sorry I-” You interrupted him and stopped his hand waving by putting yours on his. “No! No. I think it’s really touching hearing how much you love Charlie and I’m glad we got to see each other even if it was by accident.” You said. He was teetering on asking you out or at least saying “Can we meet again?” because he wasn’t going to leave it to chance to see you again. He would force himself if he had to. He moved his cane between his hands and knowing he’d be here all day if he waited.

“Do you want to go out- I mean see each other again? Maybe meet up somewhere.” Lucifer spit out what he’d wanted to say and took a deep breath, sighing out most of his nerves. “It would be nice to catch up after all these years. I’ve missed you.” He smiled and ignored the obvious shock and excitement of the owner standing beside them. You were equally shocked for a second before flushing at the implication of everything and nodded. “I’d love to. Just name the time and place. Preferably not during my work and I’m sure you can roughly remember the daycare’s hours. Unfortunately, I still need to find rubber ducks for the kids.” You spoke with a grin and laughed.

The devil was so happy you agreed but panicked briefly when you said you still had to find rubber ducks. However, hearing they were for the kids gave him an idea. “I think I can kill both birds with a hammer. I have more ducks back at my place, probably too many, many of them would be great for the kids if you wanted to take a look. Probably the non-fire-breathing ones should stay with me though.” He brightly suggested and then turned to the boxes currently full of ducks, suddenly getting another idea which he could also show off how creative he was while spending time with you.

“If you want we could make the ducks for the kids together since you know them and I can tinker with mechanics to make them do cool things!” Starting to become noticeably excited about the entire thing and how well this entire conversation was going compared to others. To everyone in the room, his actions were adorable, and unspokenly wouldn’t leave this room ever. You stopped him mid-sentence and laughed to grab his quick-moving hands. “I’d love to, Lucifer. It’d be more than happy to. How about we meet up at your daughter's hotel? The Hazbin Hotel right?” You asked and got an enthusiastic nod, bittersweetly parting ways and agreeing to meet up your next free day.

~~~~

Bonus:

To say Charlie was excited to see you again when Lucifer, who was living in the hotel himself, reintroduced you to her was an understatement. The princess had stars in her eyes when she saw you and you didn’t have any time to speak because she tackle-hugged you to the ground much to everyone but Lucifer’s surprise. She started crying happily and refusing to let you go, luckily you ended up getting helped by her father who chuckled and rubbed her head. You were asked to explain why you had reduced Charlie to tears and incoherent babbles of “I’m so happy to see them”. Your “hangout” with Lucifer went better than expected and both of you agreed to go on an official date. Needless to say everyone grew fond of seeing you around more often for several reasons.

[ewanmitchellconnoisseur]

"𝑰𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏" - Osferth x Reader (Modern AU)

A/N: This takes place in the modern world! // divider @kithsune

Summary: You work at the local grocery store and often see Osferth who you've slowly developed a crush on. One night you see him in the place you never wanted him to.

Tw: None! (this time...😏😈)

Word Count: 3.2k

For as long as you could remember you wanted more. More than the life you had, more money in your pocket, just...more. You weren't as lucky as most girls and didn't have even a quarter of the life they lived. You hated this town, it was as if it was still stuck in the past never advancing forward with the rest of the world.

Your dad died from a heart attack. Unknown to you and your family he had hidden money troubles. Ones that came knocking at your door once he died and demanded that you pay what he owed.

Your mother was already stretching herself thin with 3 jobs. Your siblings did odd jobs where they could while in school. At first, you did too but then your mother asked you to drop out and take on more. You were in your last semester of high school. You tried to argue but in the end, felt guilty so you did as she asked and left school.

Your town was a decent drive out from the city so there weren't many jobs to get around here. You were lucky when your friend's dad who owns the supermarket offered you a job. It was pretty easy you spent most of your time cashing people out and occasionally stocking the shelves.

Within your first week of working, you noticed a regular customer. You recognized him, he had graduated a 2 years before you but ended up staying in town and working in his uncle's auto repair store.

"Ello'?" You blinked quickly and looked in front of you. There he stood a basket in hand looking at you confused.

"So sorry. I was lost in thought." You take the basket and begin scanning his items. Feeling your cheeks flush from embarrassment.

"Ts alright. I do it all the time." He has a nervous smile on his face. That was something you noticed too. He was always so nervous and sweaty.

"How's your uncle doing?" You try to make small conversation while bagging his items.

"You mean how's your car doing?" He smirks at you. "My uncle's doing well. Your car is too, should be done tomorrow." A neighbor of yours had offered to give you their old car and since they owed your dad a favour before he passed he agreed to fix it up for you.

"Well, im glad they're both doing good." You place the bagged items on the counter. "Ten fifty." He hands you the money and you put it in the register. "Well...have a good day..." You glance at the name tag on his jumper. "Osferth." He immediately blushes.

"And you too..." You offer your name and he smiles. "That's a beautiful name...come round tomorrow for your car." He waves goodbye and pushes on the door that doesn't open before pushing open the right one and quickly walking out of the store.

The next day after your shift you walked over to the mechanic shop and awkwardly stood at the garage entrance looking around.

You spot Osferth walking back into the garage carrying something.

God, he looks so good...

He has the typical mechanic jumper but has it tied around his waist leaving his body on full display. What you can only assume is a mix oil and sweat stains on his white undershirt as well as his fingers and arms.

You walk over to where he is as he places the box in front of another mechanic who catches a glimpse of you and gives Osferth a look as you get closer. He turns around and smiles as he sees you. Osferth wipes his hands with a rag.

"Hey." He stops in front of you and all you can smell is a faint scent of his cologne and oil.

"Hi." You can feel your face heating up slightly and you fight the smile that wants to shine on your face.

"Your car's over here." He leads you over to the other side of the shop. The car looked way better than it did before. The paint job made it look almost brand new. "Wanna do a test drive?"

You look over at him and nod excitedly. He opens the door for you and hands you the keys before going around to the passenger side. He fixes his jumper so he's wearing it properly and doesn't dirty your car before getting in.

The test drive is quiet and a bit awkward but you can't help but smile the entire time. Although your mom will probably put more pressure and tasks on you since you'll be able to drive, this car still gives you freedom.

You pull back into the parking lot of the shop and Osferth gets out so he can get you the paperwork. When you sign them you can feel him staring at you and even see him open his mouth a few times as if he is going to say something but nothing comes out.

"Everything all good?" He takes a deep breath and just stares at you blinking slowly. "Osferth?"

"Yeah! Um... you're good to go...bye." He turns and walks back into the shop looking back a couple times while muttering to himself.

"Ok then..."

You stopped to get groceries on the way home and even drove by the park. The feeling of finally not having to take the bus anymore was overwhelming. For so long it felt as though nothing in your life was getting better, but for some reason this car made you feel as though a change was coming, and life could get better.

You carry the groceries inside the house and close the door with your foot.

'Leo? Noah?" You stand and wait by the door to hear any response. "LEO! NOAH!" You then hear the sounds of footsteps coming downstairs.

"Geez you don't have to yell." Noah walks over and grabs one of the bags.

"Yeah yeah. Pack these away I have to get ready for work." You hand the other bags to Leo and take off your shoes. "Is mom home?"

"Nope. She picked up another shift." You hear a bag open and peek around to see Noah already eating a bag of chips.

"Hey no! Those are for school." You walk over and grab the chips. "If you're hungry mom made spaghetti while you guys were at school." You put the chips away and head upstairs to your room. The only good thing about all of this was you had your own space since you were older while they had to share.

You take out your phone and scroll on social media for a while. You see videos and photos of girls from your school planning for prom and university. It saddens you a bit, to see your once friends now moving on with their life while you would be stuck here.

You wipe an escaped tear and fling your phone on your bed. As you stare at the ceiling there's a knock on the door.

"Come in." You sit up and see Noah walk in holding the bag of chips. "What is it?"

He closes the door behind him.

"When are you going to tell mom?" He gives you a look and you already know what he's talking about.

"Im not going to Noah." You stand up take the chips from him and sit back down on your bed eating a few.

"You can't keep doing this? Can't you get a normal second job?" He wipes his powdery fingers on one of the tapestries on your walls thinking you didn't notice.

"Listen. You swore you wouldn't bring this up." Noah walks over and sits next to you on the bed.

"I know...but it's not fair. You shouldn't have to do this for money?" You wrap your arm around his shoulders and bring him in. "Maybe Leo and I can get a job? That way you can quit." You chuckle.

"You two? A job? You can barely remember to clean your room." You give him a kiss on his temple. "It's fine Noah. By the end of summer, we can pay off Dad's loans. Then I'll quit. I promise."

Noah wraps his arms around you hugging you tightly.

"You guys are gross." You look up to see Leo by the door eating from a different bag of chips.

Fucking vultures I swear

"What did I say about the chips?!" You grab a pillow and fling it at him.

Leo picks up the pillow and tries to throw it at you but you use Noah as a shield. Noah grabs the pillow and hits you with it and Leo joins in both of them hitting you with pillows laughing.

Interrupting the moment your phone alarm goes off.

"Ok! Ok! You guys win! You can eat the chips!" They both stop and begin laughing at you. "Yeah yeah laugh it up."

You grab your phone and turn off the alarm.

"Ok, I have to get ready for work. Go do your homework." Noah and Leo get up and walk over to the door. Leo is going on about something from class thinking Noah is listening.

When you look up you see Noah looking at you with a sad expression. You give him a half smile knowing he's only worried.

"It's fine. Go." He closes the door behind him leaving you all alone in your room.

You walk over to your closet and pull out the suitcase in the corner.

"Alright...what heels should we wear today?"

(2 weeks later)

This is Stupid. This is Stupid. This is Stupid.

Osferth is pacing outside the grocery store unable to stand still as his brain tries to talk him out of doing this.

He's holding a gift bag, occasionally glancing back inside the bag and towards the store.

Just go in and hand it to her. Simple!

He looks through the window again and can see her smiling at a customer while cashing out their stuff.

Idiot! You should have asked her out when you gave her the car.

A couple looks at him like he's crazy as they walk inside the grocery store and glance back at the boy who hasn't stopped walking in circles.

"Osferth?" He stops and looks at the door. He sees you standing there looking at him. "You ok? My manager said there was a crazy person outside and I'm hoping she wasn't talking about you." You have a smile on your face that goes straight to his pants.

"I got this for you." He blurts out and holds the gift bag in your direction.

You walk over and take the gift bag. He watches as you smile at the different gifts inside. He wasn't sure what to get you but ultimately decided that you'd like some stuff for your new car.

So he got you a new keychain, some car fresheners, a steering wheel cover in your favourite colour and a fuzzy heart to hang on your mirror.

"Osferth..this is so sweet. Thank you." You walk over and give him a hug that he wasn't expecting. It feels good to him to have his arms wrapped around you. He's sad when you try to break the hug.

Now is your chance!

He lets you lean back but keeps his arms around your waist.

"I was wondering..." He watches your face as he searches for the words. "It's my birthday this Saturday my friends are hosting a party. I was wondering if you'd come." He speaks quickly, and you almost struggle to understand what he's saying. "That's only if you'd like to come! I mean you don't have to! But if you did I would-"

"Osferth." You cover his mouth. "I'd love to go to your bir-."

"I don't want you to come as a friend though!" He shocks himself with how he cut you off. "I like you. Like...really like you. I have for a while. I wanted to ask you out a while ago but...I was too scared."

You listen to him while fighting a smile off your face.

"So I'd like you to come but...as my date..." He waits and watches for a response. His eyes widen as you lean up towards him and kiss him on his cheek.

"Yes. I'd love to be your date." Osferth picked you up and spun you excitedly while kissing your cheek.

The moment was ruined by your manager coming out to tell you to get back to work. You said a quick goodbye and went inside and back to your register. As you look out the window you see Osferth celebrating before leaving.

Osferth POV - (Friday Night 12am)

I finish getting dressed before heading downstairs.

"Finally, took ya long enough." Finan heavily pats me on the back while Sihtric and Uhtred walk over. "You ready kid?"

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" They all look at each other with a mischievous smile.

"Absolutely not." Uhtred grabs his jacket before opening the door. "That would ruin the surprise. Come on."

The four of us head out to the car. They blindfold me before we get in.

"Don't worry you're gonna have fun. If not...we will." Sihtric pinches my cheek and I blindly swat his hand away.

A couple minutes later the car is stopped and they unbuckle me.

"Im gonna fall!" Uhtred and Sihtric hold my arms while leading me. I can hear music and instantly assume it's a club. "Are we at a club?"

"Something like that," Finan says. "Alright. Unblind him, boys."

The blind comes off and I blink a couple times to clear my vision. I look up at the building and see the neon sign.

"Viva?" I read the sign.

Where have I heard that before?

My eyes widen as I realize where we are and I turn to run but im quickly grabbed by Uhtred.

"Don't be boring kid! It's only a strip club!" Finan helps to drag me towards the door.

"NO! Im not going in there!"

When you mix someone like me, who has only had sex twice in their life, with a room full of quarter-dressed ladies. You tend to have a reaction that people will notice considering it will look like there is something in your pants.

"This is a bad idea!" They all laugh as they finally push me through the doors.

"I think it's a great one." Sihtric wraps his arm around me. "Oh come on kid. It won't be that bad. If you don't like it after an hour you can go sit in the car."

"Don't you mean we will leave if I don't like it?" They all look at each other.

"No, I was correct the first time." They all show their ID before walking in fully.

Osferth eyes widen as he gets a view of the stage. A red-haired girl is up there dancing and he can't help but stare and for some reason, he feels wrong for doing so. He quickly looks to the floor.

"You're meant to look, kid! Don't be such a prude!" Uhtred smacks the back of my head.

We take a seat at a table. Girls come by and take orders for drinks.

"Im not being a prude, I just..." I stop and stare at the girl walking on stage for a moment. My eyes are fixated on her as I blink a couple times.

"What is it, kid?" They all look where I am. "Oh. You like that one?"

It's her...

I watch as she dances. I hide my face but not my view. Every now and then im not sure if it really is here but then I see that smile. I look around and see all the men looking at her and my heart breaks.

When her set finishes I turn back to the boys and stare into my drink for a while. They don't say anything but I can feel their gazes on me.

"I'll be right back." I walk over to the bar. "Excuse me?" The girl walks over and smiles. "Who was the girl that just performed?"

"She goes by Candy."

"Is there a way I could talk to her?" The girl smiles already being able to tell that I've probably never been at a strip club before. She reaches for a clipboard and looks at it.

"Actually she'll be leaving now. That was her last set. Sorry. But she works again next week on Thursday." I nod my head and walk back over to the table.

"What is it?" Finan leans over.

"I knew her. That girl..."

"Oh..." he takes a sip from his drink. "You should go talk to her."

"I can't. She's finished her shift. Probably getting ready to leave right now." I reach for the shot they poured me earlier and down it despite the burn.

"Look. Don't ask how I know this but..." Finan leans in closer. "Around the back, red door. Thats where they leave." I look over at him and he nods.

I quickly get up and head out the door not caring to get a stamp from the bouncer.

"Your set was so good!" one of the girls came by and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I told you you'd become more confident quickly."

"I was so nerouvs to try that trick you taught me." She smiles before walking away.

You count the cash you made today before wrapping a rubber band around it and putting it in your purse.

$823...not bad for a Friday.

You zip up your jacket and finish cleaning up your station before heading for the door.

"Bye girls!" the girls in the room yell bye back before you walk out. You step outside and begin walking towards your car.

"Wait." You stop in your tracks once you hear his voice. Your breathing quickens as panic is evident on your face. "Turn around."

You slowly turn around and see him leaning against the wall.

"O-..Osferth? Wh...what are you doing here?" He walks over to you.

"Why do you work here?" His tone is harsh.

"I don't see why thats any of your business." You're immediately defensive. How can you not be?

You didn't want to work here either. But this was a fast way to make back the money your father owed. You remember when Noah found out. He had gone into your room without permission and found a card sitting on your desk for the club. Curious, he went online and searched up the name and found out through Google what it was and what the job meant.

You remember how upset he was when he asked you. Although he doesn't fully understand what it is you do he knew enough that it wasn't something he wanted you doing.

"Why do you work here?" He repeats his question.

"It's not by choice. It's by need. I need the money." You begin walking over to your car feeling mortified. He had seen you dancing half-naked on the stage. The boy you had liked for so long just saw you stripping!

"Stop." You walk faster. "Stop!" You run to your car and get in closing and locking the doors behind you. He comes up to your door and tries to open it. "Get out of the car. Please!"

You fumble with the keys as you try to get it in the ignition.

"Please open the door. Don't go." He continues to try and open the door.

You finally start the car and Osferth backs up as you drive away. Wiping the tears from your face.

A/N: This was supposed to be a Valentine's special that I never finished in time. But I wanted to get it done so I could focus on my Mitchell Estates series!

The next one should be out next week!

Please let me know what you think and if you wish to be on my Ewan Mitchell Taglist!

Gen Taglist: @thought--bubble, @valeskafics

[ladykissingfish]

(Blank) The Type Of Person …

Konan the type of person to sleepwalk to the kitchen at midnight, eat all the leftover pizza, put the empty box back in the fridge, wake up the next day forgetting what she did, and go around interrogating/threatening to kill everyone because dammit she was planning on eating that for breakfast!

Hidan the type of person to not shower for weeks at a time because he believes that drenching himself in cologne works the same.

Sasori the type of person to say he’s only going to read ONE chapter of his book this evening, end up reading the entire thing in one sitting, absolutely hate the ending and spend the rest of the next day writing a fanfic about it to “correct the mistakes”.

Kakuzu the type of person to insist that his birthday is “just another day” and “not a big deal” then be really, really hurt if everyone doesn’t make it a big deal.

Konan the type of person to seem very gentle and delicate at home, but when she goes to the gym she’s an absolute heavy-lifting beast.

Itachi the type of person to pour himself a bowl of Raisin Bran for the fiber then sit and pick out raisins until the bowl contains an even number of them.

Kakuzu the type of person that absolutely does not trust banks and keeps all of his money either under the bed or in his pillowcase, and everyone KNOWS this but nobody ever tries to rob him because they know this man counts his cash at least five times a day and will literally stab you if he thinks you took even a few cents from him.

“Tobi” the type of person to “confess” to everyone in the Akatsuki as to who he really is, but separately and secretly, so that each person believes that they’re the only one who knows the truth.

Obito the type of person to spend forever picking out little thoughtful gifts for his friends, then never give the presents to them because he thinks they’re not good enough.

Itachi the type of person that spends the first ten minutes in the shower just standing and staring blankly at the wall.

Deidara the type of person to speak vigorously and viciously about someone he doesn’t like, but then all that person has to do is give one teeny tiny positive compliment about Dei’s art and he does a complete 360 opinion change on them.

Kisame the type of person that watches himself work out, shirtless, in the mirror.

The type to wash the dishes right away: Konan, Itachi, Sasori, Kisame

The type to let the dishes sit in the sink until they’re “reminded” to do them: Hidan, Deidara,

The type to purposely do the dishes so badly that the others just do them before they do: Tobi

The type who make someone else do the dishes by threat of violence: Kakuzu, Nagato

The type to never use dishes, period: Zetsu

Deidara the type of person to start some kind of new diet every week. One week it’s cutting out added sugar, the next it’s going for a high protein intake, the next it’s intermittent fasting, etc. The routines usually last about 3 days before Dei gives them up in pursuit of something better.

Nagato the type of person to keep holding on to an old phone simply because the newer ones have gotten rid of the headphone jack and he despises wireless buds. Says it’s for aesthetic reasons but it’s really because he doesn’t get how wireless and Bluetooth works and feels too embarrassed to ask anyone to explain it to him.

Itachi the type of person that'll start going gray in his late teens and feverishly dye his hair at least once a week to hide this from the others.

Zetsu the type of person to be anal about buying “all organic” products at the grocery store and judge the others when they don’t. Conveniently ignores that organic products cost more money and most of the others don’t have the financial resources that he does.

The type to carry the groceries in, in multiple trips: Konan, Itachi, Zetsu

The type to attempt to carry all of the groceries in at once no matter how bulky or heavy: Deidara, HIDAN, Kisame, Tobi

The type to (threaten) someone else to carry in the groceries: Nagato, Sasori

The type to offer to pay someone else to bring in the groceries (but never does): Kakuzu

Kisame the type of person to constantly downplay his talents or abilities, while secretly being the most badass person to ever do anything, ever. Makes a fantastic poker player.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Cursed

The last thing Lan Jingyi remembers is pushing Sizhui out of the monster's way - and a wave of blinding, searing pain immediately after. He can still feel the echo of it pounding weakly inside his skull, but it's nothing he can't handle. He's had worse headaches when he was hungover.

Anyway, he's awake and conscious at least - but he's becoming painfully aware of the fact that he's alone in the middle of the forest, with only the night and the few fireflies flitting about as company. Has everyone left already? Did they finish the night hunt without him... and just... left him there?

He feels a pang of hurt at that - he risked his life to save his best friend and then said friend and his seniors simply forgot about him? Alas, he'll have a word with them when he gets back at the inn. They had better not left there already too!

---

"Oh, sorry, young man, but the cultivators that stayed here for the past three days have left already!" the old innkeeper said, with an apologetic look. "Were you with them? I don't think I remember you..." Jingyi's face fell at that, he's just helped the lady carry some very heavy boxes yesterday and scared away some thieves, "...but then again I'm also really old..."

Jingyi forced a smile. "That's okay. Could you please get me a room anyway? I'm really tired, it's been a long night. I'll just catch up to everyone later."

"Of course! Go upstairs and pick your favorite, I'll have some food and drinks delivered to you!"

"Thanks but... I don't have that much money on me right now..."

"Hush now, I'm not just going to let a growing boy starve just for some coins, right? I'll scam some noble out of his cash to make up for the expenses later. Go now, you need to rest!"

---

Jingyi bites into his chicken, and though the meat is tender and flavorful, he finds no pleasure eating it. He feels... confused? Abandoned? Worthless?

He feels expendable.

Why would everyone leave him behind like that? He's really not done anything wrong this time, and even if he broke a rule or two, everyone seemed to find his jokes and comments funny, and it's not like he caused anyone any trouble... he hasn't been in anyone's way either...

Hanguang-Jun never leaves people behind. Much less if they're hurt. Senior Wei is the same, always quick to help others... why not him? Sure, he's strong and independent and capable, but he could have still been gravely injured, or even dead. Did neither of the people he looks up to the most cared to even check if he was still alive?

And Sizhui... they're friends, right? They've always been close, like brothers, they grew up together, been through so much - and yet...

It wasn't like something happened to them either. The old lady said they all left together and seemed fine - so they must have done it deliberately. They meant to leave Jingyi behind. They didn't care. None of them, not one bit.

Jingyi feels his chicken taste saltier than before... maybe it's just his tears.

---

He leaves the inn a few hours later, but can't find it in himself to smile at the old lady on the way out. He's paid her all he had and left her the few trinkets he bought in town the day before as thanks - she could at least hand them over to her grandkids if she didn't like them.

Jingyi always looks forward to returning home from night hunts, seeing all the other juniors and raving about how cool it had all been - but now, Jingyi is in no hurry to arrive to the Cloud Recesses. He feels like he's been kicked in the gut, his emotions so overwhelmingly negative that he worries he might even throw up from them and lose all the food he's managed to eat. He has no money left anymore, and he'll go hungry if he can't get himself together...

He keeps wondering what caused all this. He's been turning every interaction he's had with everyone for the past several days, months, years all around his head - and he can't find anything out of place. Is he that dumb that he didn't pick up on some social cue that told him everyone actually hated him?

But that can't be right - if they hated him, Jingyi would know. They were just indifferent to him, couldn't be bothered to care if he was alive or dead. That somehow hurts more than hatred.

No matter what, he has to know. Why have they all been pretending to tolerate him all this time then? As courtesy?

Jingyi grips his sword hilt tightly. His sadness and betrayal turn to anger, and he draws his blade out, slicing off the thick branches of the trees lining up the forest path. They fall loudly, the wood moaning under the weight.

Some lumberjack is going to have the best day of their life when they visit the forest today.

---

By the time the Cloud Recesses come into view, Jingyi feels a placid form of disgust towards his life and everyone in it. If neither of the people around him give any flying fucks about him, perhaps he is not deserving of it - or of them for that matter.

Why should anyone deserve to be treated as an accessory that's easily dropped at the earliest convenience? Jingyi might not be the brightest or the strongest, but he's not going to allow anyone to treat him like this.

Perhaps he has been wrong idolizing Hanguang-Jun all this time, or defending Senior Wei every time he heard people speaking ill of him. Perhaps those rumors that Jingyi has been so quick to dismiss had some truth to them.

And about Sizhui - well, he can find himself a new best friend, one that he won't leave to die in some random forest after he took a possibly fatal hit in his place. Good luck with that.

He doesn't expect to be greeted or acknowledged by anyone when he enters through the ornate gate of the Cloud Recesses - and he isn't. Nobody cares to look his way - and he swallows back his tears and does the same. Screw them all.

He doesn't expect Sizhui to say anything when he walks in their shared room either - and he doesn't.

But Jingyi does.

"Thanks for fucking checking on me after I took the fall for you."

"I didn't ask you to." Sizhui responds, not taking his eyes off the book he's reading. "You're always like this, reckless just to show off to everyone later."

Jingyi feels himself grow angry, "Sorry for not wanting you to fucking die, I guess."

"Swearing is forbidden. If you do it again, I'll have you punished."

"Like I give a fuck."

---

Hanguang-Jun supervises his punishment, and though Jingyi would have felt embarrassed in other circumstances, he feels a mild sort of annoyance at being around this man that he used to consider his hero.

He writes the rules as always, from his memory. He knows them by heart because, he bitterly remembers, he learned them with Sizhui, and Hanguang-Jun taught them memorization techniques to make it easier.

"Why...?" he finds himself gritting through his teeth. "Why...?!"

Hanguang-Jun lifts his eyes from his work for a few seconds, the same indifference in his gaze as if he looked at some insect passing by his desk. He says nothing, but Jingyi know he won't.

He's not worth the effort.

---

Senior Wei teaches them talisman theory. Jingyi loves this class - used to love it. Everyone does, Senior Wei is a great teacher, he's fun and he shows them all sorts of neat tricks.

Jingyi can't be bothered to pay any attention. He draws his talismans on instinct, the movements ingrained in his mind already - he's been hyperfixated on this for months, he's read all of Senior Wei's notes and even asked for extras. Everyone else is far behind him, even Sizhui.

That knowledge both satisfies and upsets Jingyi.

He's the best student in this class, it's effortless. Senior Wei always uses his work as an example, and they often hold demonstrations together.

None of that happens anymore. Senior Wei doesn't even look his way, not even as everybody gets their characters wrong and Jingyi is the only one whose talisman burns correctly.

When class is over, Jingyi all but runs out the door.

---

He leans against one of the large trees overlooking the bunny field and breathes in and out shakily, tears sliding down his face silently. He's never felt like this before, it's unbearably painful. It's his worst fear come to life, being abandoned, forgotten, a nuisance everyone wants to get rid of.

Not even the bunnies come to greet him, busy playing in the tall grass.

He has nobody to turn to, all the people he thought his friends look at him like he's a particularly bothersome stain on their pristine clothing. Jingyi is long past trying to figure out why.

He curls in on himself and tries to sleep. He'll get punished for it, for slacking off, for sleeping outside, for missing his training, for being alive.

He hugs himself and closes his eyes. Maybe he should have died during that night hunt, it would have hurt less.

---

Jingyi wakes up to the sound of a guqin and flute duet, so beautiful that he wonders if he is being played the music of heavens. Has he died? Has everyone left him to die of exposure in the bunny field? It must have been bothersome getting rid of his body...

But slowly, ever so slowly, the music floats Jingyi back into his body, into his consciousness, and his eyes open, gradually, to a world of decorated ceilings and sandalwood incense.

"Jingyi!" Sizhui shouts, excited and relieved, dropping all decorum to hug his friend over the edge of the bed. Jingyi moves his pupils to his... classmate, equal parts surprised and disgusted.

"Why are you like this?" he asks, cold and disinterested. "Since when do you care?"

Sizhui blinks away unshed tears, a shocked, scared expression on his face. "What do you mean? I've always - I've been here by your bedside all this time! You've been - after you got hit in my place you passed out and -"

"And you left me to die." Jingyi adds, his tone sharp.

"What?! No! Hanguang-Jun carried you all the way to the inn and we've been trying to find a way to break the curse the beast imprinted on you for over a week! We rushed to the Cloud Recesses the moment we realized we couldn't wake you up and Zewu-Jun has been helping us scour the forbidden section of the library for a cure!"

Jingyi listens, but doesn't know whether to believe it or not. Haven't these people... all this time, haven't they treated him like...

"They even - They wrote a new song for you, something to break the curse, like cleansing but much more difficult. Only Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei can play it, because they need Zewu-Jun to play Cleansing for them after, that's how strong it is!"

What kind of song could that even be...? Why would they risk their lives and their health for...

"They just finished today's session and I've been waiting here to see if you wake up this time. And you did!"

Jingyi blinks a few times, looks around the room, looks at the way Sizhui is almost crying and at how tight he's holding onto Jingyi's hand.

"What... what kind of curse did I get hit with...?"

"One that makes you live your worst fears over and over until you take your life during the illusion... which leads to a powerful qi deviation that... kills you for real..."

"So... everything I just lived through was... not real?"

"No, not at all! We've been so worried whatever you were experiencing would make you break that-"

Sizhui's breath is knocked out of him the moment Jingyi pulls him in an impossibly tight hug. He can't stop his tears from flowing, but this time they're happy, grateful tears that he sheds right into Sizhui's robe.

"It was terrible! All of you, and Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei acted like I was worthless and an inconvenience and left me and nobody even looked at me, not even the bunnies and-"

The door slides open to reveal Hanguang-Jun and Senior Wei, both visibly worried. "Has Jingyi-"

But their eyes fall on the two hugging friends and immediately rush to check on him. Hanguang-Jun gently takes his wrist to check his meridians, and Senior Wei looks him over carefully before reaching behind Jingyi's head and pulling two needles out of his skin.

"Welcome back among the living!" Senior Wei greets, playful as usual, but his relief is palpable in the soft gaze he sends Jingyi. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Jingyi smiles, real and bright, "Happy."

"Your qi is balanced, your core filtered out the curse completely." Hanguang-Jun announces, a rare smile on his lips. "I am glad you're alright."

And then Jingyi finds himself embraced by the two, and it's his turn to have his breath knocked out of him.

"Don't ever do this to us again, you little rascal!" Senior Wei chides. "I barely slept at all this past week worrying over my little honorary son!"

"Honorary...son?"

"We consider you part of the family." Hanguang-Jun completes. "If you are alright with that."

A joyful laugh escapes Jingyi, and it's so infectiously happy that everyone joins in.

[cariantha]

Drink Had Me

Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: Teen Category: Fluff Word count: 3.3K Prompt: Ethan has too much to drink and winds up on Sawyer’s doorstep in the middle of the night. Event: I’m participating in the Song Rewrite Challenge hosted by @choicesprompts. This fic is a rewrite of Drink Had Me by Jordan Davis.

🎵Hell, I was up to nothing

🎵Just sittin' home alone

🎵Yeah, I was gonna cash it in

🎵About to put down my phone

🎵And I had a message waitin'

🎵Them boys won't let me sleep

🎵So I told 'em I would meet 'em out

🎵And just have one drink

Ethan was mentally and physically exhausted. He could feel the stress he’d been carrying deep in his bones. His muscles sighed as he sunk into the comfort of his couch and rested his head on the back cushion. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, enjoying the peace and quiet of his empty apartment. 

He tried to push aside the thoughts that had plagued him. The budget crisis. The selfish billionaire. The competition with Tobias. The situation with his mother. But mostly, it was Sawyer that occupied his mind. He worried that the constant push and pull between them was nearing a breaking point.

She had recently gone behind his back and opened Pandora’s box. She compromised the team’s mission. She called him a “goddamn diva” in front of his colleagues. Worst still, it’s what she said when helping him set up his Pictagram profile. “It’s love, Ethan. It doesn’t have to make sense. I guess you just… feel it.” The words nagged at him constantly, and not because she was probably right - like she was right about everything else - but because he felt something. Something unfamiliar. Something scary. Something he hoped was reciprocated. 

DING! That sound used to annoy him, but now it made him eager to check his phone, because there was only one person who insisted on texting him. Quickly reaching for his phone, he sighed disappointedly when he saw the message was not from Sawyer.

Ethan groaned. He had forgotten that this morning, while working out with his gym buddies, he made plans to meet them at Donahue's for drinks and a game of pool. In an attempt to rouse Rafael from his suspension-induced funk, Sawyer proposed the night out. And in all honesty, Ethan only agreed because he saw it as an opportunity to spend time with her. It was only after he committed to attend that Sawyer bothered to mention she had prior plans with Stephanie, their coma patient.   

Ethan arrived at Donohue’s thirty minutes later and swore to himself he would only stay for one drink.

“... and then she said, ‘Oh, would you prefer to be called a spoiled child or an entitled jackass?’ You should have seen your face, man.” Baz, who had wandered over earlier to say hello, couldn’t contain his laughter as he told the story of Sawyer calling Ethan a diva to everyone gathered around the pool table.  

Rolling his eyes, Ethan ordered another drink while the guys racked the pool balls for another game.

“... speaking of workouts... Raf, remember when you asked Sawyer why she liked to work out? And she said because she wants to look good naked. Dude. Best response ever,” Bryce recalled with a laugh as he shared another round of tequila shots.

Ethan gladly accepted, swallowing the cheap liquor in one gulp when the memory of Sawyer standing in front of his bedroom window came to mind. 

Every time Sawyer’s name was mentioned, which was surprisingly often, Ethan put a glass to his mouth. Better that than inadvertently slipping and revealing something he shouldn’t.

“Okay, time for a round of Fuck-Marry-Kill,” Bryce announced, earning a groan from Rafael. “Since you’re so excited to play, Raf, you can go first. JLo, Shakira, Taylor.”

“Easy. Fuck JLo. Marry Shakira. Kill Taylor,” Rafael answered. After taking a sip of beer, he turned to Elijah. “Your turn. Lara Croft, Leeloo from Fifth Element, and umm… Jamie Lee Curtis' character in Halloween.”

“Damn, man. Uhhh…” Elijah twisted up his lips as he pondered his answer. “I guess I’d fuck Croft, marry Leeloo, and go all Michael Myers on JLC.”

Raising his hand excitedly, Baz jumped in. “Oh, oh, I’ve got one for Ethan… Harper, June, and Sawyer.”

The other men snapped their heads to Ethan, bracing for the explosive impact. But to everyone’s surprise, Ethan threw back another shot and answered without hesitation. “Fuck Harper. Marry Sawyer. Kill June.” 

Reggie made the announcement for last call, and at midnight he kicked everyone out, including Ethan. The inebriated men stumbled outside to wait for their rides. Ethan decided to walk for a while, and bid them good night. He strolled down the block until he reached the rose garden near the hospital. Resting on a park bench, he dug his phone from his pocket. But instead of dialing for a ride to take him home, he called Sawyer.

🎵But the drink had me

🎵Callin' you up, talkin' all crazy

🎵Talkin' 'bout us

🎵And catchin' a ride over to your room

🎵And keepin' your roommates up past two

Sawyer’s phone lit up on her nightstand with an incoming call, but she didn’t notice. She had fallen asleep a couple hours ago.

On the other end of the line, Ethan heard her voice. “Hi there, you’ve reached Sawyer. Leave me a message.”

“Sawyer,” he sighed before continuing, “I don’t want to lose you.”

Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the phone screen. Sawyer’s contact picture smiled back at him. “I’m sorry I’ve been an asshole lately. I just… I want you so fucking bad,” he confessed. “I need you to be with me.”

He dropped his chin to his chest in defeat and growled. “But I can’t have you.”

He took a deep breath and lifted his head to look at her picture again. “I’ve been losing my goddamn patience with this situation. I don’t want to push you away anymore. It kills me to know that I’m hurting you, but I’m still afraid of what might happen if people find out about us.”

Ethan stood and held the phone at eye level as if trying to look her in the eye. “I feel like I’m on the verge of losing you, Sawyer.”

He began to pace back and forth and rambled on. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said a couple weeks ago. It really fucked me up, because I don’t think I’ve felt like this before.”

“God, Sawyer, you’re the best I’ve ever had,” he admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t want anyone else.”

He closed his eyes and whispered to himself. “Sawyer, say it back. Please say it back to me. I don’t want to be alone in this feeling.”

There was a long pause while Ethan stared at his phone, hoping for some sort of reply. “Fuck it. I’m coming over.”

<><><><><><><><><><>

It was nearly two o’clock in the morning when there was a knock on the apartment door. Sienna, who was still up baking, checked the peep hole and unlocked the door. “Dr. Ramsey! What are you doing here so late?”

His eyes were bloodshot and he smelled of whiskey and beer. The drink and exhaustion rapidly stripped away what little control of himself he had left. Ethan steadied himself with a hand on the doorframe and answered, “I need to talk to Sawyer. I need to see her. Is she here?”

Sienna invited him in. With her five-foot-nothing frame, she nervously guided the towering and swaying six-foot-four-inch sack of muscles into a seat at the kitchen table. “I’ll be right back.”

Gently knocking first, Sienna let herself into Sawyer’s room. “Sawyer? Sawyer, wake up,” she whispered loudly.

Sawyer awoke with a start, finding Sienna crouched at the side of her bed. “What’s wrong?” she panicked.

“Ummmm… Dr. Ramsey is here.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“He said he needs to speak with you,” Sienna explained.

Sawyer threw her covers aside and stumbled out of bed wearing nothing but a t-shirt and underwear. She quickly checked the time on her phone, noticing the missed call and voicemail notifications from Ethan. “I swear to God, if he’s here to drag me out of bed for another diagnostics case…” she trailed off.

“I don’t think that’s why,” her friend said, leading her down the hallway.

Once her eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lighting in the kitchen, Sawyer spotted Ethan sitting at the kitchen table, his head buried in his hands. His body language reminded her of the times when he had felt pretty hopeless, like when Dolores died and when Naveen was sick. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Ethan lifted his head and let out a small sigh of relief recognizing her. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said, his voice tired and gravelly.

She followed his eyes to Sienna, who had gone back to her baking. “Let’s go to my room.”

Ethan stood and followed her down the hall. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him and he threw himself against the wall to keep from stumbling over. Sawyer grimaced at the loud thump, hoping it didn’t wake her other roommates. She quickly tucked herself under his arm and helped him the rest of the way.

Just as her door clicked closed, Jackie poked her head into the hallway. “What the hell was that?” she called out.

Sienna came into view from the kitchen. “Sorry, Jackie, that was me. Sorry I woke you.”

“Do you ever sleep, Trinh?” Jackie yawned, shutting her door and going back to bed.

🎵The drink had me

🎵Wantin' one more

🎵Wantin' to forget what we broke up for

🎵And doin' that make up, wake up thing

🎵I just went in there to have one drink

🎵But the drink had me

Sawyer sat Ethan down on the side of her bed, then stood in front of him casually crossing her arms. “What’s going on? Did something happen? Is this about your mom?”

His head felt like a sloshing fishbowl when he shook it. Focusing on her bare feet, he attempted to ground himself.

Getting more worried, Sawyer stroked her fingers through his hair. “Hey, talk to me.”

Slowly lifting his head, Ethan’s eyes trailed up her long legs to the oversized Hopkins t-shirt she wore. “Is that my shirt?”

Glancing down at the heather gray tee, she replied with a hint of embarrassment, “Yes.”

Sawyer braced her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance when Ethan tugged her close. Standing between his knees, he hugged her tightly around the waist and rested the side of his face against her stomach.

“I miss you,” he mumbled.

A beat later his hands dropped to the back of her thighs. His fingertips lightly caressed her soft skin, eliciting goosebumps. Lifting his eyes to gauge her reaction, he slowly slid his hands higher, palming her backside and giving a gentle squeeze.

“Ethan,” she warned, gripping his forearms to prevent his hands from wandering any further.

“I want you,” he said, kissing her belly through the t-shirt she had stolen from him.

“Ethan, you’re drunk.”

“Say it back,” he whined.

“Say what back?”

“That you still want me.”

She sighed deeply. “Ethan…” When he looked at her with desperate, pleading eyes, she took a seat on his knee. “I want you too,” she repeated and cupped his cheek, “but not like this. Not a drunken mistake.”

“It’s not a mistake,” Ethan asserted. “I know what I want.”

She shook her head. “I know you, Ethan. You’ll regret it in the morning when you’re clearheaded.”

Ethan began to protest when the nausea hit. “I won’t… I–,” he paused and swallowed, “I’m going to be sick.”

Sawyer jumped off his lap and grabbed her garbage pail just in time. Ethan wretched the contents of his stomach while she soothingly rubbed his back. When he was finished, Sawyer offered him a tissue and a sip from her water bottle. She then knelt before him and removed his shoes and socks.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you ready for bed. You’re in no shape to go anywhere right now. You can stay here and sleep it off.” As she stood, she reached for the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. “Scoot back and lie down,” she instructed. Ethan complied.

She met his hooded eyes, giving him a look of warning. “Don’t get any ideas,” she said before unbuttoning his pants. “Lift your butt.” After carefully tugging off his jeans, she neatly folded his clothes and set them atop her dresser. Returning to his side, she tucked him under the covers.

“Where are you going?” he murmured when she stepped toward the door.

“I’m just going to clean this up and grab you some aspirin,” she answered, picking up the small waste bin. “Do you need or want anything else?”

Ethan shook his head.

“I’ll be right back,” she promised with an assuring smile.

When Sawyer returned a few minutes later, Ethan’s eyes were closed and he was lightly snoring. She turned out the lights and crawled under the covers. Hugging the edge of her full-size bed, she resisted the urge to curl up next to him, and soon dozed off.

🎵Next morning came too early

🎵Heart poundin' in my head

🎵And it took me just a second

🎵To realize I know this bed

🎵And it ain't where I belong

🎵But you got my T-shirt on

🎵I blame the alcohol

🎵No, it ain't my fault

🎵The drink had me

Ethan’s head throbbed. The sound of distant, muffled voices had woken him. He cracked his eyes open, thankful for the dim surroundings. Blinking away the fog in his vision, he focused on the ceiling. There was something familiar about the dangling light fixture overhead. A single lightbulb hung from a rope cord. The gentle breeze that wafted through the window caused it to sway back and forth in a hypnotizing motion. Aware that he was not at home, Ethan’s eyes swept the small bedroom, taking in every detail. As recognition set in, his heart began to race, intensifying the pounding in his head.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, his senses were overwhelmed with the sweet smell of her. Daring to cast a quick look downward, he found Sawyer tucked into his side. Her arm was draped across his torso, her thigh across his waist, with a foot nestled between his legs. Ethan’s right arm was at her back, holding her close. His left hand gripped the back of her bent knee, as if he had been using the leverage to keep her locked in place. She was wearing his t-shirt, and he was only wearing underwear.

He reached into the black box of his mind for any remembrance, but came back empty handed. He didn’t know what to be more upset about. The eventual fallout from this reckless encounter, or the cruel twist of fate of taking Sawyer to bed again and not remembering a damn thing about it.

When her alarm rang out, Ethan silently cursed. “No, not yet.” He needed more time to figure his way out of this mess. More time holding her body against his.

Sawyer groaned in frustration as her phone sang a melodic tune of chirping birds. As she did every morning, she buried the tip of her cold nose into her pillow and inhaled. Only it wasn’t her pillow she smooshed her face into this morning. It was Ethan’s chest. His warmth and scent aroused her senses, and she was instantly awake.

Seeing that he was too, she pushed back from him and tried to cover herself with the forgotten comforter. “Shit, sorry,” she whispered, rolling away to silence her phone.

Her surprise and embarrassment confused him. “Why are you apologizing?”

She turned to face him, making sure to keep a safe distance. “I tried to keep to my side. I must have rolled over in my sleep and snuggled up to you.”

“Keep to your side? Did we not…?”

She shook her head.

Ethan looked up at the ceiling and expelled a breath.

Sensing his relief, Sawyer swiftly climbed out of bed. “I’m going to get ready for work. Your clothes are on the dresser and your phone is charging on the desk. My roommates should be leaving soon.”

“Sawyer-”

“It’s fine, Ethan,” she said, rummaging through her dresser drawers. “We can talk about it later when you feel better. Or if you prefer, not at all, because nothing happened.” Ethan rubbed the spot between his eyes. “There's some water and aspirin on the nightstand,” she pointed out before stepping into the hall and closing the door behind her.

A while later, they left the apartment and shared a ride to the hospital, successfully avoiding the topic of last night. They limited their conversation to simple questions and one-word answers, merely enough to get out the door and on their way.

“Thanks for the ride. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sawyer said, and not waiting for reciprocation, she hurried away.

Ethan watched until she disappeared through the sliding doors of the hospital’s main entrance. He cursed at himself the entire walk to Donohue’s to retrieve his car. They may not have slept together, but he still ended up on her doorstep last night and tangled in her bed this morning. He hoped once the hangover cleared, he would remember why, so they could clear the air.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Sawyer was slow to leave the diagnostics office when their team meeting ended the next day. The tension between her and Ethan was so thick it felt like it could be cut with a knife. She couldn’t take it anymore. She turned to study him, watching as he stacked case files, doing his best to ignore her. “This feels like the morning after Miami all over again,” she finally spoke.

Ethan stopped what he was doing, took a deep breath, and braced himself for the conversation he had been dreading. “I’m sorry for inconveniencing you the other night.”

She shook her head as if she didn’t care about that. Shifting her gaze out the window, she bit the corner of her lip before speaking again. “Do you remember calling me? Leaving a voicemail?”

Ethan swallowed hard. He had checked his phone yesterday and knew that he dialed her number, but didn’t recall leaving a message. “No. I only remember bits and pieces after leaving Donahue’s.” He took a cautious step toward her. “What... what did I say?” he asked, trying to hide his nerves.

“It doesn't matter,” she sighed, still looking out the window, “you probably didn't mean it.” She downplayed her disappointment with a quiet chuckle, “I never pegged you for a sappy drunk.”

Ethan stepped in front of her, cupping her chin to force her to look at him. “I meant it,” he said firmly.

“You just said you don’t remember��”

“I don't,” he interjected, “but if the result was me showing up at your door, and waking up with you in my arms, then whatever I said… I meant it.” Gazes locked on each other, Ethan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He breathed a sigh of relief when Sawyer’s lips finally turned up in a small, forgiving smile.

That smile slowly changed to a mischievous one. Ceasing the opportunity, she started to back away as she spoke. “Well in that case…" She bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I want to get married in June. A fancy church wedding and a huge reception. Oh, and let’s honeymoon in Paris! It will be so romantic.”

“Funny–”

“But you should know, I plan to keep my last name,” she continued teasing.

“You’re a brat. Get out of here,” he demanded, playfully tossing a pen in her direction as she scrambled to leave.

“Hey!” she yelped, using the door as a shield.

“Oh, and I want my shirt back!” he hollered.

Poking her head back in, she offered a deal. “If you can get me out of it, Ramsey... it’s yours. See ya!”

A/N: Ethan's drunken confession was also inspired by the song Say It Back by Nicklas Sahl.

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @peonierose@potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter @queencarb @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @jamespotterthefirst @liaromancewriter @zealouscanonindeer @tveitertotwrites @tessa-liam @youlookappropriate @kyra75 @socalwriterbee @txemrn

[dantakeyoman]

𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 | 𝐣. 𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞

♡ 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

♡ *𝒐𝒉, (𝒚/𝒏)? 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒕, 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒕𝒐𝒐. 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒓. …𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉. *

♡ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.

♡ * 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 - 𝒑𝒐𝒗: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 *

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

"Check it out, man," Johnny pointed, the three of you closing in on the entrance to the old building, courtesy of the directions a local farmer gave.

"The church," Pony nodded.

You entered, your face falling as you realized the place was infested with cobwebs and spiders, not to mention dusty beyond belief, and a couple of rabbits hiding around, too.

Suddenly, something screeched, swooping down from the rafters and flying out the door.

"What was that?!" You jumped, frantically looking around.

"Just an owl," Pony stated, taking off Dally's coat and placing it down on the ground, Johnny laying on top of it.

Pony laid his head on a square rock, and you sat down next to him, nervously fiddling with a button on Johnny's jacket.

"Guys..." Pony started.

"Yeah," you and Johnny answered.

"Y'all all right?"

"All right as I can be," you sighed, pulling your knees up to your chest.

After a while of not hearing Johnny's response, the two of you turned to the boy, only to see that he was out like a light.

"Figures," you nodded, "He did stay up the whole ride."

"Yeah," Pony nodded, shifting to at least try and get comfy, "Man, this floor sure is hard."

"Get some rest, Pone," you assured, showing him a faint smile, "I'll keep watch."

The boy nodded, finally settling and shutting his eyes.

Which left you alone with your thoughts for the first time in the past couple days. 

Something dangerous.

'I shouldn't have brought these boys with me. They surely woulda gotten off scott-free if they stayed. They didn't do nothin' wrong.'

You sighed, turning to face Johnny and letting your hands find place in his hair, massaging it in the way you knew he liked, his face visibly relaxing, even in sleep.

"I'm sorry, Johnny," you apologized, "I don't think you know how much I mean that. This was my mess. This is my fault. It ain't have anything to do with you or Pony."

You looked up at the ceiling, watching the first rays of morning light hit the run-down place, sunlight seeping in through the cracks and holes of the old wood.

"I must be the most selfish person in the world. I want to tell y'all to leave, go somewhere far away, but I just can't. I can't bear to be away from you two." 

You scoffed, an empty laugh making you come clean.

"Who am I kiddin'? I can't bear to be away from you, Johnny Cade."

You stopped your hand for a moment, an idea suddenly coming to mind.

'If you really feel so bad, then make it up to them. You got the cash. Pick up some stuff from the store. A couple necessities, sure, but some stuff that they'll really like.'

You smiled, truly, for the first time in what felt like years, before standing up, about to run out the church.

But you stopped yourself, turning around and crouching to Johnny's level.

"I'll be right back, Johnnycake," you whispered, tucking a stray tuft of hair behind his ear and placing a kiss on his cheek.

Once that was settled, you stood back up, quickly and quietly making your way out of the church.

𝒋 𝒐 𝒉 𝒏 𝒏 𝒚 𝒄 𝒂 𝒌 𝒆

"Maybe I shoulda brought one a them. Might've helped by carry this box. Weighs a damn ton," you grumbled, walking into the entrance of the church, a box full of groceries in hand...or hands.

You had gone by yourself so you couldn't get multiple bags, resorting to stuffing everything you could in the crate.

The second you stepped over the threshold, you were bombarded by two sleepy teens, one relieved and one frantic.

"There you are! Where did you go?!" Johnny exclaimed, running over and tackling you in a hug, holding you tight and placing a hand behind your neck to pull you closer.

"I thought you'd hightailed it! Or some-someone took you last night! Man, you had me worried! Don't do that again, ya hear? Or at least leave a note."

'That was smart. Probably shoulda done that.'

You glowed red, putting down the crate on an old table so you could reciprocate the hug.

"Sorry, Johnnycake. Didn't mean to spook you," you apologized, him pulling back to see your smile.

"It's alright," he smiled back, your grin infectious.

Pony rolled his eyes, "Don't keep us waitin', (y/n/n). Show us the haul," he asked, excitedly.

"Of course," you nodded, starting to unpack the box, "All right, I got a loaf of bread, and a week's supply of bologna here. Some peanut butter."

You smirked, pulling out a book and handing it to the boy.

"Gone With the Wind? How'd you know I always wanted Gone With the Wind?" He smiled, looking down at its cover.

"I remembered you sayin' somethin' about it once. The three of us went to see that movie, remember?" You answered, pulling out some other things, "Figured you could read that out loud...help kill time or somethin'."

"Thanks a lot, (y/n/n)."

"Don't worry 'bout it, man," you smiled, going back to the groceries, "Anyway, got some cigarettes, a deck of cards-." "Peroxide?" He chimed once again, looking down at the bottle quizzically.

"And..." you turned to them, holding up a pair of hair-cutting scissors.

The two looked at you shocked, almost offended, at your insinuation.

"You ain't thinkin'-." "We're gonna cut our hair," you finished, going back to unloading everything.

"You're gonna bleach yours."

"No."

"They'll have our descriptions in the papers. We can't fit 'em, man."

"No, sir, you ain't touchin' my hair."

"They do it, anyway. First thing a judge does is make ya cut your hair."

"I don't see why..." Johnny grumbled to himself.

"I ain't got the funniest, either. Probably a way to break us or somethin'," you shrugged, whipping out the scissors and walking over to Pony, "Now, I'm gonna cut Johnny's off, too, and wash all the grease out."

"And what about you?" Johnny cocked a brow.

"The rule's different for girls. I can't just go bald-headed," you explained, "My hair grows real quick, so I'll just grow it out."

"You're makin' me bald-headed?! Now you definitely ain't touchin' my hair," Pony scoffed.

"I was exagerratin', Pony, I'm not gonna make you bald. It's hair, man, it'll grow back," you sighed, resting an annoyed hand on your hip.

He let out a deep breath, before finally caving, "Go 'head."

You smiled, starting your work quickly.

"Ow! Not so rough, (y/n/n)," he winced at one of your tugs.

"Quit gabbin'. I gotta hurry up and get this done so I can start on the bleach," you waved off.

𝒋 𝒐 𝒉 𝒏 𝒏 𝒚 𝒄 𝒂 𝒌 𝒆

Two haircuts and a bleach later, and the boys were new men.

Though you couldn't say Ponybody was too happy about it, he called it a Halloween costume.

But now that your looks were in order, the three of you had nothing but time to kill, and for the first few days, you all tried nearly every method under the sun.

Reading, hunting, poker, talking, cooking, eating, smoking, you name it.

And throughout all those activities, you and Johnny had become attached at the hip, practically doing everything together.

It was also recent news that Johnny had become considerably touchy.

He always had an arm around your waist, or a hand in yours, or even a leg thrown over your lap.

It was making you feel a certain type of way, and you nearly burst yesterday when he pulled you in by your waist to whisper a joke Pony told him in your ear.

So on this day, you decided to sit in the wheat field behind the church and watch the sunset, to help clear your head and your heart in order to come up with a plan of action.

And you would've succeeded, too, had it not been for the boy in question who walked out to join you.

"Y'know, Dally said that would shouldn't stick our noses out," Johnny teased, sitting himself right next to you.

You smiled, looking out into the horizon, "Yeah, well, I figured one time wouldn't hurt. So long as I'm careful."

"Course," he nodded, turning to look at what you were looking at.

The both of you sat there in uncomfortable silence, praying that someone would do something or say something to ease the atmosphere.

And rest assured, it wasn't just you feeling this way. 

Johnny had been practically eating away at himself for the past week.

While sitting in the train car, no one to talk to but himself, he began to realize that life is short.

Bob was alive one minute and dead the next, just like that.

What's to say something like that could happen to him? Or you?

He'd never forgive himself if he died without telling you how he's truly felt, how he's felt since junior high.

Or worse, you find someone else before he can.

He nearly gagged in his mouth.

The thought alone made him sick to his stomach.

"Have I made uncomfortable this week, (y/n/n)? I know I never really asked about it...which I probably shoulda...but I noticed you've been distant. So, I wanted to know if you wanted me to stop," he asked maturely, though glowing with embarrassment as he was just realizing he hadn't asked your permission to touch you so much.

"Oh, no, not at all," you assured with smile, resting your hand on his, "Quite the opposite, actually."

His ears perked at that last part.

"Opposite?" He asked.

"Y'know," you started, quickly changing the subject, "When I...stabbed Bob...his face got me thinkin'."

Johnny cocked a brow at the sudden tone switch, "His face?"

"Yeah, his face," you nodded, turning to him, "Sure, he looked surprised, and scared, too. But there was something else, a tiny flash. ....It was regret, Johnny. Bob died with regret."

Johnny nodded, finally picking up what you were putting down.

"I don't wanna die like that, with that look on my face. I wanna live knowin' that I said everything I wanted to say, and did everything I wanted to do."

"There somethin' you tryna tell me, (y/n/n)?" Johnny asked, looking you dead in the eyes.

Turning to him quickly, your breath quickened, and those three words were right there on the tip of your tongue, ready to say.

"I.........." you didn't even finish the sentence.

You pulled him in by his shirt, since you still had on his jacket, and smashed your lips into his, him easing into it almost instantly.

You rested your hands on each side of his face, keeping him in place as he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, pulling you even closer.

The kiss was electric, and while very uncoordinated and eager, it felt like liquid fire was coursing through your veins, pushing you forward.

The two of you shifted to your knees, you sitting up on top of him and tilting your head in order to get the angle, deepening the kiss even further.

Johnny gripped you even tighter, fearful he would simply float away if he didn't keep himself grounded.

With your touch burning his skin and your scent flooding his nostrils, he felt like he was higher than the clouds, like this was heaven on earth.

You washed over him like a wave of calm, the rhythm of the kiss lulling his anxiety filled mind, until the only thing he could think about was why on earth he didn't do this sooner.

The two of you broke free from the kiss, taking a break for air, while still holding tight onto each other.

You rested your forehead on his, panting, as you stared into those gorgeous baby browns.

And he smiled, taking a moment to gaze into your deep (e/c) ones with a look that was nothing short of adoring.

"I lo-." "Jesus Christ! This is what y'all were doing out here?!" Ponyboy exclaimed from the top of the hill, completely interrupting what Johnny was about to say.

You two quickly threw yourselves off each other, red in the face as you looked in opposite directions, hoping that would help with the embarrassment.

"At least do that inside. You're gonna catch somethin' in the grass..." he grumbled, turning around to walk back into the church.

Your eyes shot wide, and you snapped your head over to the boy, "Wait a minute, what didya think we were-?!" "Don't wanna think about it!"

"Pony, we weren't-!" "M'not listenin'!"

You shook your head, covering your face with your hands

'I'll never face that boy again.'

𝒋 𝒐 𝒉 𝒏 𝒏 𝒚 𝒄 𝒂 𝒌 𝒆

After a couple days of not talking, the three of you decided to put the events of said day behind by waking up early to see the sunrise.

And if you thought sunrises were beautiful in the city, well, they ain't got nothing on a sunrise out in the country.

"Golly, that sure was pretty, huh?" Johnny smiled.

"Yeah," Ponyboy nodded.

"It's like the mist is what's pretty, you know? All gold and silver."

"Too bad it cant't stay like that all the time," you sighed.

A quizzical face suddenly came onto Pony, as if he was remembering something, "Nothing gold can stay."

"Huh?" Johnny asked, turning to him.

"Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her leaf's a flower, but only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf, so Eden sank to grief. So dawn goes down to day, nothing gold can stay," Pony recited, thoughtfully.

"That was beautiful," you smiled, turning to the boy, "Where'd you learn it?"

"Yeah. S'what I meant," Johnny agreed.

You cocked a brow, looking him with a smirk, "Yeah, right. You ain't that deep."

"Am too. I'm as deep as they get," he smirked back, giving you a little look.

"Robert Frost wrote it," Pony answered, "I always remembered it 'cause I never quite knew what he meant by it."

You smiled, taking a deep breath and allowing yourself to truly hear the sounds of nature.

The birds chirping, the cicadas buzzing, the squirrels chittering.

Nature was truly a wonder.

You forget that a lot in the city

"Y'know, I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept reminding me about 'em," Johnny started, turning to Ponyboy, "S'almost like they were never there before."

"Yeah," he nodded, "I don't think I could ever tell Steve or Two Bit, or even Darry 'bout the clouds or sunset. Just you two and Sodapop. ...Maybe Cherry Valance."

You smirked at the mention of the girl, Johnny sharing it.

"Guess we're different, huh?"

"Shoot, yeah. Maybe they are," Pone smiled, walking back down the hill.

𝒋 𝒐 𝒉 𝒏 𝒏 𝒚 𝒄 𝒂 𝒌 𝒆

"Hey, lovebirds," a familiar New York accent smirked, kicking the pew you and Johnny were sleeping on.

"Hey, Dally," you yawned, sitting up and stretching your arms.

"Rise and shine, Blondie," he greeted Pony as well, ruffling his hair, "Wake up."

"How ya been, Dal?" Pony sighed, kicking out his legs to sit upright, "How's Soda doin'?"

"Hey, Dallas, how are ya?" Johnny smiled, moving from under you to sit up, too, "Are the fuzz after us? Ya hear anything?"

"Wait, one thing at a time. You guys hungry? Wanna get somethin' to eat. I'm starving, man," he asked, leaning up against the door frame.

"You're starved? Try bologna for four days," you scoffed.

"You picked it out," Pony waved you off.

"Didn't think I was gonna get sick of it so fast," you defended.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute, stop the presses," Dally halted, narrowing his eyes at you.

The three of you turned to look at each other in confusion.

Dally quickly walked up to you, turning your cheek to open up your neck and reveal the large, dark purple hickey that lay bright and open for anyone to see.

You and Johnny might've decided to finish what you started a couple days ago, but it never went any further than a smooch.

Though you were surprised you didn't notice the damned thing, didn't even remember him giving it to you.

He looked to Johnny, then to you, then to Johnny again, the both of you too red and embarrassed to meet his eyes.

The dots finally connected and he let out a celebratory howl.

"Yes! Yes! Finally, Jesus Christ!" He caught himself, quickly pausing his celebration, "Wait, who made the first move?"

You and Johnny turned to each other, silently debating on whether or not to tell him, before finally caving.

"She did," Johnny sighed.

"YES! I gotta tell Soda the good word. Two's payin' up big time," he cheered again.

You turned dark red, popping the collar of Johnny's jacket to hide the source of your embarrassment.

"Have you guys...y'know," Dally smirked, making an O with his hand and sticking his finger through it, "Done what birds and bees do?"

"For God's sake, Dally!" Johnny exclaimed, red as a beet.

"Yes, they did!" Pony chimed, disgusted, "Outside!"

"Outside?!" Dally gasped, shocked, "You guys are a freaky bunch, ain't ya?"

"We didn't!" Johnny groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Johnny, take that revolver and put two right between my eyes," you mumbled into your hands, covering your face in embarrassment, "The police don't hafta worry 'bout me no more."

"Anyways," Dally smiled, changing the subject as he pulled out a cigarette, "Got a special delivery for a Ponyboy Curtis. Here, man."

"Who's this from?" Pony asked, taking the letter and inspecting it.

"The President of the United States of America."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious, man," Dal joked, taking a hit, "It's from your brother, Sodapop."

"How'd he know I was here?" Pone asked.

"I told 'im I didn't know where you were, but he didn't believe me. He really wanted me to give that to you, man," Dally explained.

As Pony read the letter, Johnny raked a nervous hand through his hair, standing up from the pew, "Hey, Dal, what's goin' on with the cops, man? You hear anything?"

"Yeah, how come you got hauled in?" You asked.

"Those boys down at the station know me by now. While I was there, they kinda beat it out of me that you guys were," he chuckled, "headin' to Texas. They think you guys are in Texas. Texas, man. God."

The three of you turned to each other, smiling, as you got yourselves ready to go.

This situation really might be behind you.

You guys could finally go back to how things were.

You working at the DX, hanging out with Johnny and Pony on the weekends, watching cartoons over at the Curtis house with the rest of the gang.

You practically squealed at the thought.

"Look at this guy and his hair, man. I can't believe that. Look at 'im," Dally smiled, staring at Pony as he put on his coat, "Blondie, man."

"I know I look lousy, but don't rub it in," Pony grumbled, starting off out the door.

Dally sighed, rolling his shoulders before starting off after him, "You guys wanna get somethin' to eat?"

"Hey, you better believe it," you smiled, jumping off the pew and following after him.

"Let's get out of here," Johnny cheesed, throwing an arm around your shoulder and walking out the church with you, hand in hand.

𝒋 𝒐 𝒉 𝒏 𝒏 𝒚 𝒄 𝒂 𝒌 𝒆 

[smilingformoney]

Rickmas 2023: Day 11. Imperfect Holidays | Friedman/Charley (OC)

Read now on Ao3 or below the cut:

The other officers must have thought David insane for volunteering to work the night shift on Christmas Eve. The rest of them had to draw straws, and two unfortunate souls had to man the precinct along with him.

Well, David didn’t mind working Christmas Eve. The rest of them all had families to get home to, but not him. His daughter Jess was with her mom this year, and he wouldn’t get to see her until Boxing Day. All he had was his buddy Sadie, who was in Georgia with her own family, and the pretty little bar singer who’d spawned on a street corner like a goddamn video game character a month earlier. But Charley was working tonight too, since she got her old job back singing at the bar, and so rather than spend Christmas Eve drinking alone David figured he’d rather drink at the precinct and get paid overtime for it.

At midnight, when Christmas Day struck, David and his unlucky companions cracked open a bottle of whisky and each had a glass, though they all had to be careful to stay under the limit in case of a call-out.

It was a quiet night, though, most folks being at home with their families meaning there was less activity, although they did get one call-out for a domestic scene.

At a little after 1.30am, the phone rang, and Sergeant Daniels answered it.

“Yeah… Yeah, he’s here, hang on. Hey, Friedman!” Daniels called across the room to him. “Call for ya.”

“‘M busy,” David replied, not looking up from his paperwork.

“It’s Joe Perez.”

Joe Perez was the owner of Banana Joe’s, the bar that Charley worked at, where they’d met three years ago. David walked over to the desk and took the phone from Daniels.

“Friedman here.”

“Hey, Dave, it’s Joe.”

“Yeah, I know. What’s going on?”

“Listen, I know you’re working tonight, but I don’t know who else to call. Charley’s wasted and she ain’t got money for a cab. You able to pick her up?”

“Why ain’t she got money for a cab?” David asked. He knew she didn’t have much when she arrived a month ago and she hadn’t had her first paycheck from the bar yet, but surely she’d got some tips tonight?

“Says she spent all her cash tonight.”

“And you let her?!”

“Hey, man, I wasn’t running bar tonight, that was Ramon, and trust me I tore him a new one already. I can drive her home if you’re busy, but I gotta shut up shop first.”

“Naw, I’ll come get her. Thanks, Joe.”

***

David arrived at the bar twenty minutes later to find it quiet, the stools on the tables, and the only people around being Joe, cleaning the bar, and Charley, curled up on a couch.

He approached her, knelt down and shook her gently.

“Charl, it’s Dave. Wake up, darlin’, I’m gonna get you home.”

Charley grumbled at being woken up, but when her eyes blinked open sleepily, she smiled at him.

“Heyyyy, it’s my guardian angel,” she mumbled. “Savin’ me again, Dave?”

“Tryin’ not to make a habit of it. Come on, now. Let’s get you up.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and slowly sat her up. She burped, then snort-laughed. Deciding she was definitely too drunk, David tucked one arm under her legs and picked her up bridal-style.

“Whee!”

Charley giggled as he carried her back out the bar, thanking Joe for the heads-up as he went. Her head lolled against his shoulder, and he jostled her slightly.

“Don’t go fallin’ back asleep now, you.”

“But you’re so comfy,” she whined. “My handsome Prince Charming saving me - hic! - from havin’ to sleep at the bar.”

“I sure as hell ain’t no Prince Charming, babygirl. I gotta put you down now.”

“No!” Charley protested, clinging on to him tighter. “I like being in your arms.”

“How about I let you down, you get in the car, and I drive you home then you can be in my arms in bed?”

“Yeah, bed sounds real nice,” Charley said happily, and she let him put her down to unlock the car and get her strapped into the back seat. “Hey, why am I in the back? Are you arrestin’ me, Detective?”

“No, I ain’t arrestin’ ya, Charley. But you’re wasted and if you throw up I’d rather you do it in the back.”

“Naw, I ain’t gonna throw up. I ain’t no cheap drunk.”

“Clearly.”

Once he was satisfied she was strapped in, David got into the front seat. He’d hardly pulled away when she was already fast asleep again.

***

Charley woke up the next morning with a woodpecker hammering into her skull. No, wait… that was just her hangover. She rolled over in the bed, her arm reaching out instinctively for David, only to find he wasn’t there. She sat up slowly, her stomach still churning, as vague memories came back to her of David bundling her into the back of his car.

She managed to push herself off the bed, only for her foot to collide with a bucket. Fortunately it was empty, but David must have put it there in case she threw up in the night.

After peeing and washing herself up, Charley trundled out of the bedroom, wincing at the bright sunlight pouring in through the window. On the couch, David was asleep, his 6’1 body too long for the three-seater, causing him to be curled up in a ball.

She tip-toed past him to the kitchen and began pouring herself a generous glass of water, and she heard him stir behind her.

“You’re alive, then,” he mumbled sleepily as he sat up and stretched out.

Charley glanced over at him. He was stretching, his muscles clearly aching from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position, his hair a mess and his gorgeous little belly sticking out under his t-shirt.

David rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then looked at Charley properly. She was turned away from him, a half-drunk glass of water on the counter in front of her, and she had her head in her hands.

“Y’alright, Charl?”

She shook her head, and instinctively David was up and at her side, his hands on her shoulders. She kept her head turned away from him, as if she was embarrassed to look at him.

“What’s wrong, babydoll?” he asked gently.

She let out a sob she’d clearly been trying to hold in, and with that she lost it. David wrapped his arms around her as she turned towards him and buried her head against his chest, sobbing into his t-shirt.

“Hey, shh… it’s alright, Charley… c’mon now. Why we crying, huh?”

He muttered reassurances as he held her and stroked her hair gently, and all the while she sobbed against his chest. David had no idea what was wrong, but he hated seeing her like this. He might not be her boyfriend, but he still cared about her - way more than he should - and he didn’t want her distressed.

“M’sorry,” Charley mumbled eventually, once her breathing had begun to return to normal. “Fucked it all up now, haven’t I?”

“What you on about? You ain’t fucked nothin’ up, darlin’. You just drank a bit too much, that’s all. It happens. Lord knows I drink more than I should.”

She looked up at him at last, and he raised a thumb to her cheek to wipe her tears away.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

“I…” Charley took a breath, her eyes threatening to spill again. “I lied to you, Dave. I’m so sorry. You been so good to me, takin’ me in and lookin’ after me… I shoulda told you from the start…”

“Told me what? What’s going on, Charley?”

She looked at him, her big round eyes threatening to break his heart.

“I got a problem, Dave. A real bad one. I didn’t lose my job in New York ‘cus of layoffs. I lost it ‘cus I turned up wasted. Threw up all over the kitchen. And then I got evicted for not payin’ rent. Couldn’t get a new job ‘cus all the bar managers know each other an’ now they all know not to hire me. Ended up on the street with nothin’ but the cash I got from sellin’ all my stuff. So I got on a train and… well, you know the rest.”

A problem… a drinking problem. David knew she liked a drink, but no more than anyone else he knew. In fact, since she came back, he’d never even seen her touch the stuff, even at the bar.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything,” Charley mumbled, averting her eyes again. “Gettin’ kicked out was a wake up call. I ain’t touched a drop since I got here. Then tonight… I dunno. Somethin’ snapped. I was gettin’ all upset so I told myself I’d have one.” She shook her head and sighed with frustration at herself. “It’s never just one…”

All the time she’d been talking, David hadn’t let go of his comforting grip on her, and now he did let go, leaving her standing on her own, feeling pathetic. He rummaged in a cupboard, then pulled out some Advil.

“Take two of these,” he instructed her, popping the pills out of the pack before handing them to her. “Get a shower, get some food, whatever you do for a hangover. Then get dressed and get your shoes on. Understand?”

Charley nodded glumly. At least he was letting her recover a bit before he kicked her out. She did as she was told, and when she came back into the front hall to put her shoes on, David was wearing a jacket and shoes, and Charley could hear the clink of glass against glass as he packed up a box.

“What’s in there?” she asked, confused. Her clothes were still in the closet, so what could he be giving her to leave with?

“Er, let’s see… whisky, bourbon, couple of Sam Adams… some wine I was savin’ for New Year’s…”

Charley peered into the box, and she was still at the stage of a hangover where alcohol made her feel sick, so she quickly retreated.

“Look, Detective… you can kick me out, fine. But don’t be an ass about it and send me off with a box of booze.”

David straightened up and whirled around, frowning at her.

“You dim or somethin’, Charley? I ain’t gettin’ rid of you.”

“…You’re not?”

“‘Course not. I’m getting rid of this.”

He kicked the side of the box lightly, causing the glass inside to clink again.

“I been meanin’ to quit the booze for a while now. It ruined my marriage but instead of owning up to it I just blamed Matty and started drinkin’ worse. I may be a functionin’ alcoholic, but I’m still a damn alcoholic. Too fuckin’ cowardly to quit. But if you gotta quit too, well… maybe it won’t be so hard.”

He’d known for the better part of the last three years - if not longer - that he had a problem with alcohol, but even after coming to realise the truth of it, he’d been too cowardly not just to take action but even to just say it out loud. Now here he was, boxing up a good few hundred bucks of booze, saying it out loud to Charley and swearing off the stuff.

“Dave…”

He raised a hand to stop her talking and shook his head. “Don’t argue, Charley, we’re doin’ this together.”

“I love you.”

There was a long, tense silence, and for what felt like eternity they just looked at each other. Then, David’s raised hand curled into a ball, and he pointed at her firmly.

“Don’t,” he warned, his voice soft yet somehow menacing. “Don’t fuckin’ say shit you don’t mean, Charley.”

She took a step towards him, those damn eyes of hers looking at him something fierce, like she was determined to see right through him.

“I do mean it, Dave. Bein’ with you is the only damn time I feel like everythin’ might be alright in the world. An’ I keep tellin’ myself, Charlotte Tate, you’re just gettin’ your stupid lil woman’s brain confused between love and sex. But that ain’t it. You’re not the first fuck buddy I had. But you are the only one who burrowed himself into my brain so much that I can’t fuckin’ focus on my singin’ ‘cus all I’m thinkin’ is I wish you was there. So yeah, Dave, I mean it. I know I said I don’t want no boyfriend, but maybe I want you.”

He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her up against the wall, winding her slightly, and she could smell the mint of his toothpaste on his breath as he pressed his face up against hers.

“One last chance, doll,” he growled, and she resisted rubbing her thighs together at just the sound of his soft, menacing voice. “Take it back and we’ll forget this ever happened. Stay just as we are.”

“And if I don’t?”

His eyes flashed dangerously.

“Then you’re past the point of no return, babydoll.”

Charley looked at him with a challenge in her eyes, her pupils blown, full of lust and danger and desire. She craned her neck to brush her lips against his ear.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time, sweetie? I love you.”

David moaned as her words tickled his ear, and suddenly his lips were on hers, kissing her fiercely. She moaned into the kiss as his body pressed against hers, sandwiching her tightly against his wall, his knee pushing between her legs to push them apart.

“Big mistake,” David mumbled as he came up for air, only to launch an attack on her neck instead, replacing her fading bruises with new ones. “Big - fucking - mistake.”

Each word was punctuated with a bite on her neck, and each bite made her wetter and wetter.

“I made a lot of mistakes in my life, David Friedman, and you are not one of them,” Charley replied, her hands reaching desperately to unbuckle the belt he’d only just put on.

“You’re a fuckin’ idiot,” he growled, pulling back ever so slightly to help her desperate, fumbling hands with his belt. “Dumbass kid who don’t know what’s good for her.”

She pulled down his pants to let his cock escape, ready and waiting for her, and she couldn’t resist wrapping her fingers around it, tugging it just the way he liked. David screwed his eyes shut, moaning loudly, and the pitch of his groan just made her desperate to feel him inside her.

“You insult every girl who falls in love with you, boo?”

David’s eyes snapped open and he glared at her hungrily.

“So far that’s only you, so yeah, I do.”

He grabbed at her skirt, pushing it down her thighs along with her panties, and slid inside her as he lifted her legs up to wrap around his torso. Charley grabbed onto his shoulders, squeezed her legs around him, and held him in tighter. He moaned, his jaw going slack in that beautifully out of control way it did when he was really lost in the moment.

“Like I said… big mistake.”

He began thrusting into her rapidly, ignoring the nearby couch, or the bed in the next room. No, he liked her like this, trapped between him and the wall. She might well get used to being trapped, because he was never letting her leave now, not now she’d been stupid enough to fall in love with him as hard as he’d fallen for her.

“Fuck… reckon you can hold me up long, old man?” Charley teased. David responded by biting down on her collarbone, causing her to wince, but she didn’t protest.

“Cheeky little shit,” David growled, but she was right - as much as he loved holding her like this, fucking up into her against the wall, he didn’t have the strength to carry her very long. He pulled out of her and practically chased her into the bedroom, both of them discarding the clothes they’d only just put on and throwing them wherever they landed.

“Thought you had a hangover?” David asked when she threw herself on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows and spreading her legs for him.

“You look after me so good, Daddy,” Charley purred in reply. “I’m almost all better now. I just need you to cum inside me an’ then I’ll be right as rain.”

“Minx.”

He climbed on top of her, slipping back inside her easily and resuming his brutal pace. Although she liked the way he pushed her against the wall, she had to admit it was far more comfortable with her back against a mattress.

David pulled her legs up to rest on his shoulders, knowing full well the position was her favourite. They both took turns on top, but she liked it best like this, with a full view of him. His hips snapped against her rapidly, and she could see his cock pumping in and out of her, slick with both of their juices. She could see the mix of their arousals clinging to her thighs, to his coarse pubes, and when he rubbed her clit at the same time she could see it glistening on his hand, on her lower abdomen, and if he’d eaten her out earlier she loved seeing her cum stuck to his stubble.

And his chest - fuck, his chest. Almost hairless but for a dark trail leading down from his bellybutton. A combination of an active job and a drinking problem meant that he had just a hint of a beer belly, and it drove Charley absolutely feral. She couldn’t stand abs on a man, and she must have some damn issues because the flecks of grey in his hair, both on his body and his head, just turned her on more.

He was beautiful. Face like a damn Roman god, and a sittable nose to boot. And when he lost himself to pleasure like he was now, it was a sight to behold, his ecstasy painted on every inch of his face. His jaw hung slack, his brow furrowed, and if that weren’t enough, the man was vocal. Charley was surprised she never heard a complaint from a neighbour about the noises he made with her.

“You’re looking at me like you’re - hah - gettin’ ready to eat me,” David said breathlessly.

“Just admirin’ the view,” you replied, glancing up and down his body again. “You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous, Dave.”

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, causing her to whine softly when his cock started dragging along her channel at a deeper angle.

“See? I was right. Fuckin’ dumbass you are, doll. Pretty lil thing like you - ah! - could have a different man every night if you - ugh - wanted. I know how them guys in the bar - mmhm, fuck - I know how they look at you. An’ you go for the washed-up old detective.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe it, and she felt his hair tickling against her skin. “Stupid, stupid girl. An’ now I ain’t lettin’ you go. Never.”

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere, Dave,” she promised, her nails digging into his back as she felt that familiar tension coiling inside her. “You’re stuck with me - oh!”

He was such a bastard. He knew she was nearly there, so he sped up, eager to feel her cumming around his cock.

“Ohgodohgodohgod - yes, just like that, Daddy - fuck! Dave!”

The feel of her walls clenching around him, her little body shaking beneath him, her delectable cries of ecstasy - it was all too much for him, and David came with a long moan, his face buried in her hair, knowing he was committing a thousand sins by ruining this beautiful girl with his cum, his sweat, his foolish old heart. But he didn’t care. She was his, and he wasn’t letting go, not ever.

“We can toss that box out later,” Charley mumbled a few minutes later as she returned from the bathroom to snuggle under the duvet with him. “I don’t fancy putting any clothes on right now.”

David chuckled in agreement and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest.

“Can’t say I ever had a Christmas Day like this before,” he said, “but I think we done pretty good, considerin’ we both started off drinkin’ alone. An’ wearing clothes.”

Charley hummed in agreement. She was curled up happily against him, fingers drawing absent circles on his chest.

“Spent the early hours drinkin’ myself blind ‘cus I couldn’t handle my feelings for you. Now we’re swearing off drink and I’m spillin’ my feelings everywhere. Magic of the holidays, I guess.”

David smiled and kissed the top of her head.

“That reminds me, I never did tell ya…”

She looked up at him curiously. “Tell me what?”

David smiled and cupped her cheek gently.

“I love you, too.”

[borrowedtimeandspace]

Of Borrowing and Cat Burglary

AU: The Donna Trilogy | If I Could Turn Back Time

Note: Checking back in with Doc...

~~~

San Helios, 2009 (in Earth terms)

“No, nonono, you're short on cash, you rob a bank.” The Doctor thoughtfully turned over the ancient, ornate gold cup in his hands. “Stealing this… That's a lifestyle.”

“I take it you disapprove?” said Lady Christina de Souza over the comm in his ear. Her tone carried not an ounce of care about his opinion.

“Absolutely,” he asserted. Brown eyes slid back toward the cup, gaze softening as his thoughts turned inward. “To this scale, at least…”

The Doctor felt his hold on the cup begin to slip as he lost focus, and he brought his attention back just enough to carefully return it to Christina’s bag. As he did, words came to his lips unprompted.

“Had a friend- another friend, not the one that called me ‘Spaceman’.” His hands folded together and he ran a thumb over the opposite palm, ignoring the curious chittering of the Tritovore keeping watch. “Had a similar way of life, I suppose. Only that was for survival, not a thrill. She took things she needed, things that no one would even notice were missing, that didn't have any real value. At least to the ones she took them from. Plenty valuable to her.”

“Sounds boring…”

“Not if you knew who she took things from.”

Despite jumping in to defend his friend in her absence, the Doctor realized right away that he probably shouldn't have said anything to begin with. Borrowers like Zepheera were meant to stay hidden and unknown by humans, who didn't often take too kindly to their things being nicked. Even little things. 

The Doctor had been around humanity for long enough to know that there were plenty of people on Earth who weren't monstrous enough to mistreat their inches-tall sister species. Then again, some were, and one could never be too careful. 

Zepheera knew that much firsthand.

“She had a lot more to worry about than jail time and fines, let's just say,” he concluded, trying to put the matter to rest.

Christina hummed thoughtfully. “I might've liked to meet her. I bet she's got quite the story.”

“Yeah.” The Doctor gave a sniff and glanced over his shoulder at Christina's descent rig. “She might've liked your winch.”

“Excellent taste, too!”

For the second time, the look in the Doctor's eyes grew distant. In a desperate grasp at something different to talk about, anything to derail from the painful topic he'd brought up himself, one thought bubbled up. It came forward softly, an admittance that he didn't realize Christina might like until after it was already on its way out.

“And you know… that little blue box… I stole it. From my own people.” 

“Good boy,” said Christina with an audible smile. “You were right. We make quite the team…”

~~~

“We're made for each other, you said so yourself! The perfect team.”

Back on Earth, the Doctor stood like a stone in front of his TARDIS, staring down at Lady Christina de Souza without seeing her. Her words, insistently advocating for her deserved spot aboard his ship, affected him as much as a breeze against an ancient tree. 

It was nothing he hadn't heard before. Words like hers might have moved him in the past, but he had to stand firm this time. He'd already given her his answer.

No.

Only two of Christina's words made it through the icy wall the Doctor had suddenly built between them.

“Why not?”

The Doctor could see the defeat in her eyes, asking him only for a reason that she was being left behind. Left to face the consequences of all her thievery, unavoidable now that the police had them surrounded. He couldn't give her what she wanted. She ought to know why.

“People have traveled with me, and I've lost them,” he stated bluntly. “Lost them all. Never again.”

He watched as she gave a surprised blink, but then her clever wheels turned. Behind those piercing blue eyes, she quickly began to piece together what little he'd opened up to her about. The friends he had that weren't around anymore. Probably guessing why that was, based on what she, the Doctor, and the other bus passengers had been through.

Lost in those thoughts, Christina was too distracted to resist her imminent arrest. The Doctor stepped back to lean against his TARDIS and out of the eager detective's way. 

Something about seeing Christina being led away in cuffs struck a chord with him.

Then Carmen, the woman from the bus with some sort of percipient tendencies, called out to wish him well. At first, he smiled and welcomed the distraction from the twist of discomfort inside him.

Until her well-wishes took a turn for the ominous, sounding an awful lot like a warning for his death and something dark on the horizon.

He will knock four times…

Suddenly the Doctor was in need of a distraction from his distraction. He chose the lesser of two discomforts and glanced around the corner of his box to watch Christina being led to the police car down the street. He could picture what came next. Christina would be jailed, perhaps put on trial, and likely end up in prison for all the things she stole. 

And before he could stop it, the mental image of Christina in a jail cell shifted in his mind’s eye. Thick walls of concrete and steel turned to sturdy acrylic, any humane amenities disappeared, and barred doors became solid and clear to fully display the woman in captivity.

Only it wasn't Christina anymore. This was the past, not the future, and yet it was all he could think of as he watched her being taken away.

Before he could think better of it, the Doctor fished his sonic out from his breast pocket and used it to undo the cuffs around Christina’s wrists. Nobody noticed but her, and they locked eyes and shared a knowing look.

It hadn't been very long since the Doctor freed a woman similar in spirit to Christina from captivity. Seeing her slip away and make a break for the flying bus loosened the cold grip of that terrible feeling. He let her run on by and ultimately fly off into the night sky, and he knew she would be okay in the end.

He only wished he could say the same for Zepheera.

[s1v0n1]

"Southern Belle" kirishima pt.1

an: ok so i was raised southern and I'm a country girl (no not THAT kind of country girl- no homophobia or any of that shit) but i realized with every self insert fanfic or one-shot I've read never had any of that in it. So I'm changing that!

He had met you at a farmers market, cus you know our boy shops local and loves making friends. Usually, once or twice a week, you take your spare veggies that you can't eat by yourself and sell them, this week you had far too many hull peas come up so you set up shop. It had been pretty good today, hull peas can be eaten but a lot of people use them as seeds for the fall season. Seeing as it was the butt end of October, people were taking all they could get, but don't get it twisted, you had other stuff. You always had way too much corn and tomatoes left over at the end of the week, you could only eat so much of the same stuff over and over.

A lot was sold, but there was still enough for another day so you kept the sign up as you packed up. The sun was setting and other vendors carried their products off, waving and bidding you a good night.

"Jeez, almost sold out of those purple things?" You heard a kind voice after setting a box of tomatoes in your trunk. "The hull peas? Nah I got way more at home, tryna get 'em gone b'fore they rot". He took a couple in his hand and grabbed a small plastic bag from the stall you were closing up. "How much for five?" you looked up, praying to God he wasn't gonna use his card. "Two fifty, but I'm only takin cash right now, my card reader is already packed up. I'll be here tomorrow mornin' if cards all ya got" "Oh- I got a five, you can keep the change." You looked at him for a second, you could use that for a moon pie on the way home- why not. "Alright, sounds good", he hands you the five and smiles. Shoot- he's pretty, "my name's y/n, I'll be here tomorrow if ya need anythin' else" "haven't had fresh corn in a while, the canned stuff is getting expensive too, could you same me some? Same time tomorrow night?" Oh Lord. "How many you want?" "2 or 3, probably cook some for supper and save the rest" "seeya then" you smiled and closed your trunk.

The sun was gone and the fireflies were out and about in the garden. You pulled into the drive and unpacked for the night. The farm dogs buzzed around your feet as you carried everything in, trying not to trip. The night was normal, some supper, feeding the dogs and a good night's sleep all by 9 o'clock. But he was on your mind, no one around here had bright hair like his, you'd never seen him before and this was no tourist stop, you lived in rural-small-town-middle-of-nowhere, so maybe he was kin to someone round here. You weren't sure, but he was definitely a city boy, the kind of boy your grandpa would call a city-slicker, but you were curious nonetheless.

[filet-o-feelings]

44…out of lust. David and Patrick, please!

Thanks! 💜 I sat down tonight trying to figure out what to write and not feeling great about it - 20 minutes and 800+ words later...

David has been gone all afternoon, and Patrick hates it.

Okay, sure, it’s necessary. Logically, he realizes that. He is the one keeping track of the store's finances, after all.

But he misses David, and it doesn’t help that his boyfriend had showed up that morning wearing a rarely seen outfit of jeans and a t-shirt, both of which are delightfully form fitting, showing off David’s body in a way his usual sweaters simply do not. 

Not that he doesn’t love David’s many sweaters. And the skirted pants. Oh, the skirted pants! It’s just, David looked especially good this morning. And the store had been unseasonably busy– which he wasn’t complaining about– so he’d hardly had a chance to touch David other than a quick peck on the cheek when he’d arrived 30 minutes late with coffee and a tea for Patrick. The rest of the morning had been a rush of customers, with David helping to educate them about various products, taking time to restock whenever given a free moment, and Patrick mostly covering the cash.

All in all, it’s a good day for the store. They’ve made quite a few large sales and Patrick is confident that he’s going to land another exclusivity contract that will bring in even more customers.

But all Patrick can think about is getting his hands on David. Even with the distraction of the chaos in the store, especially now that he’s been on his own for the last two hours, he’s so desperate for David to return that he’s not sure he’s going to be able to wait until close to kiss him.

If he’s honest, he’s a little worried that he might get carried away and drop to his knees in front of David the moment he walks through that door.

Which might negate all of the recent success of the store. He’s not sure which would be more detrimental; the public indecency charges or the loss of business once word got around, which would surely not take long in this town. Especially if Jocelyn happened to be in the store. Either way, he doubts their business would survive the scandal.

The bell over the front door pulls him out of that thought and he huffs a nervous laugh as Jocelyn walks through the door, smiling happily at him. 

Right. So no public blow jobs.

He helps Jocelyn and several more customers, thankful both for the distraction while they’re there, and for the relief once the store is finally quiet for the first time all day, giving him a chance to take a deep breath. He’s still so keyed up, the image of David in that outfit still clear and ever present in his mind’s eye, that he briefly considers flipping the sign to closed, locking the door, and taking care of himself in the bathroom to take the edge off. He manages to overcome that urge– but only just– and distracts himself by taking note of items that need restocking and going into the stockroom for a couple of boxes.

Just as he’s stepping back onto the floor, a box of body milk in his arms, the bell rings, followed by the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard.

“We got it, Patrick!” David’s voice exclaims from the doorway, and Patrick nearly drops the box in his urgency to get to David, but he steadies himself and sets it down carefully before taking a few confident strides across the store and firmly planting his lips on David’s.

He places his hands around David’s waist, pulling him as close as possible. He doesn’t care that the store is still open, or that they’re standing almost directly in front of the entrance in full view of anyone that may happen to walk by. There’s no customers currently in the store, and he has enough self control to hold off on the blow job, and isn’t that enough?

His hands instinctively find their way under David’s shirt, unable to stop himself from touching the skin he’s been daydreaming about all day. David, initially surprised by Patrick’s boldness is now kissing him back, one of his hands wrapped around Patrick’s neck and pulling him closer, the kiss turning more and more desperate by the second. Patrick is just about to pull himself away long enough to suggest they lock up early and get themselves behind the curtain so he can have his way with David when the bell rings again, followed by perhaps the worst sound he’s heard, at least today. He supposes it could be worse. Roland's voice would be worse.

“Get a room, you two!” Stevie says, shoving her way past them and making a beeline for the wine. Patrick can only imagine how red his face looks from the heat he feels instantly rising from his cock into his cheeks.

“Sorry, um,” is all he can say before ducking away behind the curtain, alone. He knows David can handle Stevie.

Once she’s out the door, David quietly locks the door behind her and turns the sign around.

“We’re closing early,” he says, walking back through the curtain and shoving Patrick against the wall.

send me a ship and kiss prompts!

[bagog]

Pine-car Derby Meet cute

The gymnasium was packed with chairs all facing one of the two pine-car derby tracks underneath the basketball hoops. They were only a few races into the derby, and even the last couple entrants were still having their cars weighed and assessed before being queued up for the bracket.

“I’m gonna get some gum,” Travis shoved a shoe-box full of sand-paper, powdered graphite, and spare wheels into his older brother’s arms. “Come get me if my car’s up?”

“You’re not until the seventh heat, dude.” Trevor hoisted the box under his arm and gave his brother a light slap on the shoulder. “And you better not be there till then.”

“Can I have money?”

“Oh, yeah, here you go.” Trevor had purposely cashed-out his whole paycheck from the University Library to fund this trip… and it’s concessions. “Buy something better than gum, yeah?” The twelve year old didn’t reply as he turned on his heel and hurtled for the concession window on the other side of the gym.

Trevor surveyed the situation. The seats closest to the track were taken, but he didn’t really care about anybody’s car but Travis’, so no need to be close. He scanned the open seats for just a moment before selecting exactly where to set down.

“You’re not saving this whole row for a big family or something?” Trevor said, settling into an empty row right behind the cute guy who was sitting by himself. The guy turned around.

“Only seat I’m saving is this one,” he gestured to the folding chair on his left, where sat a beat-up shoebox like the one Trevor was carrying under his arm.

“Who’s racing?”

“My nephew. You?”

“Little brother,” Trevor held out his hand. “I’m Trevor, by the way.”

“Ephraim.” The guy shook his hand with a firm grip… soft hands though. “It’s my first derby, what should I be expecting?”

“I used to do these when I was a kid, can’t imagine they’d changed much,” Trevor leaned forward conspiratorily. “It’ll take about three hours to do all the brackets, but you can tell exactly which cars are gonna end up in the finals, because they’re just the lazy wedges.” He pointed to a shiny green wedge on wheels that had just flown down the race track, leaving its competition behind.

“Don’t tell my nephew,” Ephraim winced, playfully. “He didn’t make a wedge.”

“Good for him, I say.” The two laughed and managed to make breezy small talk. Ephraim was at State for piano performance. Trevor played intra-mural lacrosse. Derbies past and all the rest.

“Trevor,” Trevor turned and saw Travis running up with a fist full of dollar bills and a mouth full of Double-Bubble. Behind him, a kid just a little younger trailed after, concentrating on sinking his teeth into a giant soft pretzel. “Aww man,” Travis rolled his eyes when he spotted Trevor, turned to his friend. “My brother’s hitting on some dude again. C’mon, let’s go find Matthew.” The two kids ran off towards the door to the gym.

“Well well well,” Ephraim smirked under bushy brows. “Do you regularly, uh, cruise the pine-car derby?”

“My brother’s full of it,” Trevor awkwardly rubbed his palms over the seam down the side of his jeans. “He can’t see that you’re clearly more impressive than ‘some dude’.”

“Wow,” Ephraim intoned dryly, but his lip curled into a smile. “Very smooth. You’ve known me for five minutes and you think you can tell that, huh?”

“I could tell that before I sat down,” Trevor blurted. He managed to hold eye contact and grin.

“Well,” Ephraim seemed to think it over playfully. “Your brother was hanging out with my nephew, so I can get any info I need to hold over your head later.”

“I’m honored you would think to threaten me so soon into meeting me!”

“Oh shut up and come sit next to me.”

[fair-night-starry-tears]

Fuck it. Original horror au story time!

- Yuu and Amity will not the mc for this

- Yuuto getting the boot

- srs someone go save him

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It was a stormy day. A cold and vicious time where it was almost night. Three siblings and extra friends arrived to an empty house, sitting so calmly on a small hill. It was dark, empty, and abandoned. The building looked like a manor that was evacuated. The group started to chuckle, as only one of them will enter and the rest will return home and wait if the challenge is completed. The challenge was simple, their friend/Yuuto, must survive a whole month in the abandoned building. If he does, then one of the group members will pass Yuuto 10k in cash up front. If he doesn’t complete it, he will be deemed a coward for the rest of high school.

Yuuto, being stubborn, took this challenge. Bringing his own supplies to last him a month. He had picked the locked and entered inside, starting the challenge as swiftly as he could. With the others laughing, and his two siblings filled with worried. They never heard of the building, nor its residents. Yuu spoke what would happen if Yuuto was injured, and one calmly replied this place was empty when they first entered. And even double checked as well. Plus, Yuuto carries around a switch blade and first aid equipment. So they cannot worry for him. The group return home. As Yuuto watched everyone through the dusty blurry windows, and explores the house. He had brought some solar power bank for the day, and some games and novels to read at his spare time. Along extra food and a cooler to keep his meals fresh. But he did wondered who the hell used to live there. He noted a few rooms, one was a single bedroom with a large bed, he commented it could be a king size bed for some married couple. Then moved forward around, and notice an empty bedroom of the theme of a goth girl Lolita style. He comments this room is clearly for a teenager girl, as he can comment no child would want faux skull into their room. Unless it’s fake and bleached. He kept exploring until he discovered the basement and attic, he grabbed his phone and turned the flashlight on. Checking the basement first, noting it was old and surrounded in cobwebs. He sighed and looked around, but he was fumbled with confusion. There was boxes but the identities of the person in the house was no where to be found, not even portraits or paintings of them. He climbed down and checked the basement. All he found was a makeshift bomb shelter and extra supplies of canned food which is still fresh for years.

The boy mumbled a curse to himself and decided to head up, but the foundation of the stairs was so bad that it broke at his weight and he fell down. Knocking his head badly and he laid on the ground unconscious. It felt like a daze, as Yuuto visioned had faded until it all goes to black.

It must’ve been an hour or more, because Yuuto woke up with a sore headache and a broken arm. He believed he got lucky to be alive, and headed up stairs more carefully. But he noticed the sky was much darker and his solar power bank is at the max capacity. He charged his devices and started to make his head. But he heard someone talking outside. He checked the windows, and realize the sky was indeed dark. But he noticed that the sky was a dark purple with blue. When the usual night is pitch black. He decided to exit the building. Then realize his surroundings. The garden looks well tended, and the floor boards look so new. He thought he must’ve been dreaming of being sent back to the past of the building. But he wondered, could he stay and meet the residents? Or explore? It was night. And knowing his siblings and friends. They would be asleep. But he must follow the challenge, and return inside. Then, he was hit with a wave of changes. As the interior had suddenly changed to a new furnished home. He checked everywhere, and saw the entire place have been neatly cleaned and clearly felt new. Yuuto swore things were different, then ran upstairs to the king size bedroom to watch the town. What Yuuto never believed, was he saw the town down the hill looked much different. It looked, so old yet sophisticated. Almost like a normal village from his siblings old story books but clearly a bit modern with technology. He thought he had died and been isekai’d there. But if he did, then why does the house remain the same? He decided to hell with it, and venture out. Taking a new notice to the town, as everyone looked more. Beautiful, glowing, and well. Fantasy like. He felt out of place, but noticed all the stores have different writings and new imports. That’s when he stopped when someone shouted for him. Pausing as he glance back to be faced with a beautiful boy with blonde hair and purple tints, but for some reason. He felt tired. And fainted. The headache didn’t healed properly. So the boy awaken later to an hour in a different house. It seems the beautiful boy had taken him to his house. When the two interacted, he apologized to the boy whom he knows as Vil Schoenheit. And said he must return to the house he was in. When the boy describes it, Vil froze. And asked it again. Yuuto explained, then Vil stir the question and wish Yuuto luck. Because he will need it later.

Wishing the boy luck, as Yuuto returned home to the peaceful house on the hill. With Vil watching from behind. Closing the door as Vil mumbled something under his breath. And truly meant it that Yuuto will need luck.

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- Omfg FINALLY

- NO I WONT FURTHER WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YUUTO

@adrianasunderworld @mangacupcake @writing-heiress @the-weirdos-mind @skboba-stars @nproduction626 @rose-tea-and-strawberries @anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna @achy-boo @abyssthing198