#i am saying this knowing their season will hurt me :) but hey let's enjoy the moment!

[rlimagi]

When Everything Else Becomes Too Much

Pairing: Bridget x reader

Requested?: Yes!

Genre: Angst and Fluff!

Warnings: sad Bridget

Note: Another Bridget one because I love her sm and many of you guys asked me to write more for her, so here you go<3

You and Bridget had always been by each other's side sine elementary school, she was your go to person for everything and you were hers. There was a bond of deep understanding and love between you and the princess of Wonderland.

Which was why you were the first person she came to after everything and everyone else became too much.

You were alone in your room, going through your Magical History notes since exam season was coming up when you heard someone knocking on your door.

Immediately, you knew it was Bridget because she was the only person in the whole school who knew how to knock. Most of your friends would barge in your room like it was their own.

You were immediately met with a bone crushing hug as soon as you opened the door. You breathed in the sweet smell of her candy scented perfume as you melted into the hug.

"Hey there, pretty girl." You muttered as you wrapped your arms around her waist. Bridget stayed quiet as she nuzzled into your neck. She was never that quiet so you knew that something bad must've happened to make her so upset.

"Alright, we can talk whenever you feel like talking...but we really should head inside instead of standing in the middle of the hallway." You waited until she nodded before locking her hands into yours and leading her into your room.

Bridget sighed as she settled into your soft blankets, basically drowning in your plushies as you tugged her in. “I know that you were planning to study all day and I'm sorry for distracting yo-”

"No, you'd never be a distraction." You reassured her with a soft smile before lifting her hands up and placed a gentle kiss on them. You enjoyed watching how her face reddened up whenever you do those simple but loving gestures.

“Now tell me what got you so upset, do I need to beat someone up?” You said jokingly, giving her a cheeky grin when she sent you a reprimanding look.

Bridget shook her head before pulling you onto the bed, yearning for the comfort of your body. “No, please don’t. I don’t want to see you in detention for me again.”

Bridget was the nicest person ever, even to people who never deserved her kindest. Especially Uliana and her gangs of delinquents, you had a long and violent history with them. Detention was your second home at that point but it didn’t matter because you would always win and you got the girl too.

“Alright, fine I won’t…though I would be up for it if you ever change your mind?” You chuckled as she leaned onto your shoulder, your arms wrapped around hers as she played with your hair.

A few minutes of silence passed before Bridget finally spoke up.

“Am I weak?” Bridget asked, her eyes bubbling up with tears as she looked at you with such vulnerable eyes. It made you upset knowing the exact person who made her felt like that, but you couldn’t get them yet because Bridget needed you the most.

“No, of course not. You’re the strongest person I know.” You gently used your hands to wipe her tears away as she sat in silence before looking at you with sparkling eyes.

“Really? Because everyone else seems to think that I’m a pushover…I try so hard to get them to like me, I offer them treats, I let them copy of my homework, and I never said anything when they talked about me behind my back…” Bridget wasn’t able to stop her tears from falling anymore, she was hurt by all the things people had said behind her back but she never wanted it to bother her.

“Yeah, they’re right. I’m a total pushover.”

Bridget would always say that we get more with sugar than salt but today, everything and everyone was too much. But you were the only one she felt like she could never get enough of.

“And what’s so bad about being a pushover? Your kindness is why you’re so strong because no matter how vile and mean people can get, you would never stoop to their level.” You said as you locked your hands into hers firmly. Looking at her gently as you continued to ramble on.

“Like Uliana for example, that girl can’t breathe without ruining someone’s day-“

Bridget watched as you continued on with so much passion, it made her heart flutter by the way you reassured her with so much love. It felt like time had slowed down for her because all she could focus on were your lips.

“You know how hard that is for me to not fight back when Uliana barks in my ear every time we see each other? But you’re so natural at it because you’re patient, forgiving, and extremely strong. That’s what I love about you and you should love yourself for that reason too.” You didn’t even notice that you’ve been talking for so long because you got so riled up just thinking about all the people that had done your girlfriend wrong.

“Thank you, baby. I really needed to hear that.” Bridget’s frown finally turned upside down and she pulled you into another hug but it was much softer this time, it made you feel like you’re on top of the world after seeing that she felt much better.

“Of course, anytime sweetheart.” You smiled as you gently kissed her on her forehead, running your hair through her soft pink hair.

Without another second wasted, Bridget wrapped her arms around your neck and pulled your face closer to hers. Your eyes were met with a pair of loving gaze as she leaned in, you’ve kissed Bridget many times but she never failed to make your heart flutter every single time.

When Bridget’s lips met yours, it felt like fireworks were blowing up inside of her body and all she could care about was the girl who made her feel that way.

[nervoushottee]

Queen Alicent’s Maid 1 | Alicent Hightower x fem!reader

Summary: In which Alicent gets a maid after becoming the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms…

Warnings: nail picking, small bleeding due to nail picking, thoughts of injuring oneself

Note: hey hottees! It’s been so longgggg. I’ve got a new job that’s full time so I literally don’t have time to even breathe yay!🫠 but I’ve been watching HOTD season 2 and I’ve been wanting to write something for Alicent since season one and I’ve been trying to find fanfics with Alicent x Fem!reader but it’s not that many. So I’m finally taking matters into my own hands!

*I AM TEAM BLACK! But I love Alicent (in the show) I think she is so misunderstood and such a complex character*

Enjoy! Not edited

It was an exhausting day to say the least, it had been such a stress and agonizing week. From her father’s pushing in her ear, the hateful gaze of her now ex bestfriend and now being queen. Alicent thought if there was anything else the she would probably explode. But she knew, even if she felt all of these things, she could never voice it. She didn’t want to disobey her father, she only wanted to be a good daughter. So she she followed the rules.

Alicent wanted to scream. She wanted to stand out onto the balcony and scream her lungs out until her throat was sore.

She didn’t want any of this. She didn’t want to show such affection to the King let alone be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She never wanted to wear her mother’s dress that hugged her body in places she never wanted them to. Consoling her best friend’s father as he mourned. She didn’t want to do any of these things her father demanded of her.

But how could she voice those wants without being hurt? Without being laughed at or scolded? She knew there was no use, she knew in the end her father would get what he wanted. Alicent never wanted to disobey him, all she wanted was to be a good daughter to both of her parents. And ever since her mother’s death, her and her father got closer with each year that passed by. But now, as Alicent stares at the heavy ring on her finger, she’s starting to get the feeling that her father hasn’t really thought about her needs and only his own.

The sound of the chamber door opening alerts her thoughts. Turning around to see King Viserys come into the room with a small awkward smile. She swallows the bile in her throat as she thinks back on the night before, her back against the cold bed as she stared at the ceiling with him on top of her. She smiles. “Hello dear husband.”

Viserys smiles softly and nods his head, “How did you sleep?”

“Quite well thank you.” Alicent would rather smash her head into the wall than sit here and go back and forth with awkward small talk of a man twice her age, perhaps even more than that.

“I have something for you.” Her eyebrows raise in interest at his statement. Alicent hopes it is a knife to gouge out her eyes and ears.

“With hope and time, you will soon be with child. After the great loss I’ve had, that would bring me such joy.” Viserys begins. Alicent thinks back on Rhaenyra telling her how it was her father's choice to cut Queen Aemma open for the chance of having a son. Her stomach sinks at the thought of her best friend who won’t even glance in her direction and the woman who she looked up to so kindly that died so painfully.

“I wish to give you a few things. The first is your own room. I know we are man and wife and there are duties that we must fulfill and such, but I thought it would be a nice gesture to have your own chambers.”

Alicent’s eyes light up in relief but her face remains stoic. She smiles softly, and nods her head. “Thank you my King. That is greatly appreciated.” She hopes he can’t hear the relief in her voice.

She already knows what her father would say. That she should deny the room and be a good wife. Technically she was being a good wife, she was simply accepting the gift she was given from him.

“It is connected to mine from a long corridor, so if I need you I can always come get you.”

Alicent can already imagine when it is time for those nights to “fufill their duties” where she would have to walk back and forth from his chamber to hers. At least she had her own chambers so she would not complain.

“I was promised another gift? You said a few things.” Alicent says jokingly.

Viserys laughs, “Yes I did.” he walks over to the chamber door and knocks on it before turning back to Alicent with a smug smile.

“Every queen should have their own handmaiden. Aemma had one who was a very big part of her life, she was a wonderful woman and I saw how much Aemma truly trusted and respected her.” She could see the sadness in his eyes as he spoke of his past wife.

“So, I wanted to do the same for you, dear wife. This is your very own handmaiden.” He extends his hand as he says your name. You walk up with your head down and bow to Alicent.

“It is an honor, your grace.” You say to her.

“Now you will still have other maids of course but she will be the one that helps you the most.” Viserys explains to her. “She will also show you to your new chambers.”

Alicent thanked her husband for the gift with a peck on the cheek and a bright smile. He excuses himself to let you show Alicent to her new room. You quietly walk towards one of the big doors in the king’s room and once you open it, it leads to a dark hallway like Viserys had said. Alicent follows you down to the only door at the end. You push the door open and urge her to enter.

The room was beautiful. It looks similar to Viserys', only a little smaller. There was a beautiful bed and sitting chairs and pillows. A desk that overlooked the outside and a few shelves that could be held with books.

“This door goes to your bath. This one for your clothes and this door is the entrance to your chambers. So you will not need to come through the King’s to get in.” the handmaiden explained as she walked to each door before stopping at the last one.

You wore the usual handmaiden dress, this one in a dark color of black and brown. Your hair is tied away from your face so it doesn’t get in your face while doing your duties.

You were…pretty.

“Thank you kindly. I hope it wasn't much trouble to make you my new maid.” Alicent says apologetically. You immediately shake your head, looking up at Alicent before putting your head back down. Eyes gazing down to the floor before speaking. “It’s no trouble at all your grace. I’m honored to be given such a task. I simply hope that my services please you but if not, I will not feel bad if you wish for another.

Alicent feels awkward. This space between them is suffocating, despite being so far apart. You are at the far end of the room, a few feet from the chamber doors. Alicent’s back was still against the door from where they had came from. She wonders why you haven’t really looked at her. ‘Maybe it’s because you’re the new queen of the seven fucking kingodms and that probably makes her nervous.’She thought to herself.

With a breath of confidence, Alicent begins to walk towards you. Stopping a few paces away, keeping her distance so she doesn’t make you more nervous than you already were. She clears her throat making your head lift up and your eyes meet. She can already feel her hands itching to rip her nail beds raw.

“I do not know what they say about me,”Alicent begins, as she thinks back on the people she’s seen that whispered about her when Viserys declared to be wed to her. She hasn’t heard the whispers, thank the Seven Kingdoms, but she already has a big assumption of what they say.

Based on Rhaenyra’s absence alone, she doesn’t need to think too hard.

“But, I would like you to know that I will not be harsh to you or think of you as lesser.”

Alicent realizes mid-speech that this is the longest you have looked at her since Viserys brought you here. Your eyes never leaving hers, your hands clasped together behind you, back standing still as you dutifully listen. She doesn’t know why looking at you like this, so…forced. Made her heart break, it made her think of her own position. Being forced into being queen.

“If I’m being honest, this betrothal has left me more alone than I thought. King Viserys is off dutifully taking care of the realm. My father, his Hand, standing right beside him and giving advice if need be. And Rhaenyra-” She stops. It hurts too much to think of Rhaenyra’s absence. Of her avoidance, let alone to her new maid. She didn’t even know why she was telling you all this. But her mouth made no move to stop talking, almost as if it had a mind of it’s own. Alicent feels her hands grasp one another as she secretly tries to pinch the delicate skin.

“What I’m trying to say is that it would be nice to have someone around. I don’t want you to force yourself into laughing at my jokes or agreeing with everything I say just because I am queen. And yes, I know I am queen of the seven kingdoms, but I’m still me. I’m just the girl just like you and I- I would like us to be friends. Or at least something similar.” Alicent feels like all the air is out of her lungs when she finally finishes speaking. She pricks and pinches at her nailbeds as she waits for your reply. And you don’t reply immediately.

You slowly walk toward her, each step causes Alicent’s heart to beat faster. When you’re finally at arms length, Alicent sees you pull out a small cloth before taking her left hand. Alicent’s eyes widen and her breath hitches at the sudden touch. Your warm hand in hers as you move her hand to the cloth. She watches you wrap her now bleeding thumb, Alicent didn’t even know she had scratched it that hard for it to bleed. Didn’t even feel the cool liquid as she spoke to you. She moves her eyes from her hand till in yours but now wrapped in the cloth.

“I would really like that, your Grace.” You say with a smile.

Alicent lets out a breath of relief.

“Alicent. Call me Alicent.”

[jknox11]

jeremy put on another fake smile on his face, hoping it was convincing enough to everyone there. the fancy and big dinners organized by his family always felt like a chore, today wasn't different. jeremy could see his older brother glaring at him from across the room.

he had showed up vibrant and charismatic as always. he wore the suit tailored for him, he hid his natural curls the way his mother liked, he complimented and smiled to everyone in there. he engaged in conversations. he did everything he was asked to do. and even then, nothing seemed enough to his family.

he knew part of the disapproval this time was due to his new blonde hair. it was the first time jeremy showed it to anyone who wasn't his friends and team. and his family clearly wasn't happy about it. they made sure he knew that, the day he got home with his hair dyed. and they made it clear they expected him to have it dyed back to "normal" the day the current dinner he was at came.

he didn't.

tired of feeling like a deer caught in headlights, he excused himself out of the house. the night air touching his face. he barely had time to properly enjoy his five seconds alone when a voice said behind him.

"running away already?"

jeremy froze, already regretting his decision. at least inside the house his brother wouldn't have how to insult him.

"i just needed some air." his voice sounded so small even to his own ears. he hated feeling like this. this wasn't him.

"so you can lead a whole team different seasons of the year with no problem, but can't spend more than an hour at least pretending to like your family?" his brother's voice raised a bit. jeremy hated how he flinched. "what? not gonna say anything? you out of all people? the one who never knows how to shut up? you who has ruined this family exactly for never shutting the fuck up."

his brother was closer now, his anger made jeremy feel dizzy. he knew this outburst wasn't just because of today. he knew his brother was waiting for an opportunity to get him after jeremy's many successful attempts of sneaking out of the house to not have to talk to him.

"bryson, please, i don't wanna do this now."

"you can't keep running and hiding like a coward forever. look at me." jeremy did, carefully. like any wrong move done by him would start a war. "you always have been so pathetic. i never understood why this family even cared about protecting you in the first place. why they even bothered to help you after everything you caused that night."

jeremy tried to walk away from his brother, but he was faster and grabbed his arm. jeremy did his best to not wince, knowing his brother would thrive from the sensation of hurting him.

"you are such a pest in this family. ruining everything with your stupidity that one time was not enough, you keep on embarrassing yourself. embarrassing us."

"i haven't done anything. i can't and won't change who i am. it doesn't make me ashame-"

"SHUT UP." the grip on his arm tightened. but jeremy went on. he was so tired of accepting the insults, dirty glares and accusations towards him without defending himself.

"you say i'm a coward because i've decided to live and be who i really am and still find happiness in it, while you hide yourself behind this family day by day. hoping to be given the crumbs they're willing to offer you disguised as the promise of a successful future that you never even got to choose yourself."

"im warning you, shut up. you're nothing but a disgusting fa-"

"that's enough, bryson. leave him alone." a third voice interrupted them. their sister. his brother gave him one last glare before letting him go with such force, jeremy almost lost his balance for a bit.

"i despise you. i wish you had gone through with it that night. i wish you successfully had killed yourself."

"bryson!" his sister's voice was almost hysterical now. she went to jeremy's side and their brother finally walked away and entered the house again. "hey, jeremy..."

jeremy didn't notice he had started crying until he felt his sister's fingers on his face trying to wipe away his tears. if possible, that just made him want to cry more. it had been so long since she showed him anything else other than indifference or disapproval.

"he didn't mean it." jeremy's hands were shaking as he gently removed his sister's hands from his face.

"we both know he did. it's okay." do you feel like that, too? do you also wish i wasn't here anymore? was what he wanted to say, to ask.

his sister opened her mouth, but closed it again. there was nothing else to be said. there hadn't been anything to be said between them anymore for a while now.

"get back inside, i'm sure everyone has noticed your absence by now." he tried to give her a smile, his shaky hands searching for his phone in his pocket.

"you're not getting back in?"

"i can't." he could feel his sister ready to argue with him, but whatever she saw on his face made her change her mind. jeremy wondered if he was hallucinating the tears that filled her eyes.

"text me when you get to them safe?

that was the first time the whole night the smile that grew on jeremy's face was genuine. them. laila, cat, jean. jean.

"okay."

his sister nodded and hesitated for a second before walking past him and getting inside the house.

"jeremy? everything okay?" laila's voice filled his ears as she picked his call.

"i'm going home."

"jeremy's coming!" laila warned to probably a very curious cat and jean sitting next to her. "we're waiting. hurry! jean made us a french dish for dinner, can you believe it? this giant ass french man is finally warming up to us!"

giving one last look at the big mansion beside him, jeremy scrubbed on his face to make sure any trace of tear on his cheeks was gone. his hands undoing the gelled hairstyle he had and finally freeing his curls again.

home. he was going home.

[inu-jiru]

Jazz's "Apology Tour" ramble

Episode was trash, let's go.

First off, the whole "Fuck Blitzo" party is so stupid to me, like you're telling me this 30-something year old man had intimate relationships with ALL these demons and HE was the sole thing that ruined ALL of them?

And how did Verosika even find out about Stolas? Like I know Ozzie's happened, but how'd she hear about their "breakup" (they weren't together but whatever, show)?

Why the FUCK does Verosika care about Stolas being an uwu sad victim of mean old Blitzo aside from everyone being written to want to huff Stolas' sad boi farts?

Why is no one trying to kill Stolas like in Loo Loo Land, like suddenly we're just cool with the oppressive racist now (who am I kidding, the rank system doesn't exist anymore unless the "meanie supremacist" characters bring it up I guess)?

Don't think I'm trying to be "Blitzo's#1Bitch69" or anything, but Season 2 is just so gross in how they've written him. Either he's the big bully meanie for hating his abuser, or they've had him commit the most out of pocket atrocities (like possibly SAing Stolas since he was technically drunk or the circus incident or the shit he pulled with Verosika because what the fuck kinda trauma makes you steal someone credit card for horse riding lessons???) that they just gloss over because fuck having Blitzo actually progress normally or Stolas taking actual responsibility for his own actions, let's just speed through everything so it's back to Stolitz City, don't think about the implications. I just can't stand itttt, I still like and pity Blitz to an extent but his writing is killing meeee

Stolas, stop whimpering about being wanted YOU HAVE A KID WHO HAS STILL NOT APPEARED SINCE SEEING STARS WHERE IS SHE?

Am I really hearing that people are hating the dude flirting with Stolas like come on yall STOLITZ IS NOT OFFICIAL YET CHILL

I've honestly started skipping through episodes, like I can't fucking listen to "WAHHHHH BLITZO I WANT YOU TO WANT ME" for the millionth time, I wish this episode could've just been Blitzo and Verosika facing their issues or something I just don't wanna see this owl loser act like a victim anymoreeee

Man really said "when have I ever been condescending?" SEASON ONE???? How about every time you grab his face and call him out of his name and watch him be shot at while demanding he come over one a month? Oh, but when Blitz starts doing it back it's "Oh I'm uncomfortable ooOoOoo stop it Blitz hnnghhh I don't like it :C :C :C", like whatever man.

The Striker comment was dumb and wrong but that's because Stolas is dumb and wrong

Honestly I feel like I'm repeating the same points I and others have made in the past so all imma say is, I hope Octavia and Stella are enjoying their off-screen and better written adventures together. I'm gonna draw some AU stuff now to give my eyes something better to look at.

OH I forgot to talk about Verosika, uh, she was there? I honestly think she should just get over herself at this point, idk when she and Blitz broke up but what the fuck is it about this clown that she was so enamored over where she's this hurt? I can get being mad about her credit card and Blitz being a lazy partner but if that's the case, I fail to see how they got to a point where she got his name tatted on her arm. Idk it's weird

The Mayweather shit or whatever her name is was pointless and made no sense, like "I want you to kill this woman who made me attempt to kill her and myself but now we're dating" like? Hey Vivzie if yall can callback to that why can't yall call back to Stolas being a creep huh?

EDIT: They really made that fuckass "it's hell" excuse canon, huh? Like, it doesn't even make sense in the context of Blitz saying that, like people say "it's hell" because Biblically speaking, it's where those who truly oppose God in order to live a life of wickedness go as just punishment. Blitz the equivalent of a regular guy in Hell unlike the Hazbin characters, he shouldn't understand that there's a better alternative to Hell because he's not human and never had any opportunity to learn about Heaven or God (unless it's just in their DNA or something idk who knows with this show)

[girls-alias]

Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester P1

Title: Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester Part 1

Words: 1,222

Relations: Dean Winchester X Reader

TW: SPOILERS! S1E12.

Prompt:

I wrote this a few years ago based on the episode "Faith" in Supernatural Season 1 episode 12. I have updated and edited but have quite a bit already written so will be slowly uploading them. Hope you enjoy it. It was originally written with an original character but I will be changing it as I go through it.

I lay in my hospital bed just waking up, my vision remained blurry until I rubbed my eyes. I stretched and yawned but it was cut short when my wounds pulled and sent pain through my spine. I sighed resting my head back and rolling my eyes. When will this nightmare end?! I looked around and saw my doctor, I took my headphones off realising he was talking to a new and very attractive patient. We look around the same age and he has a roughed and tired look to him. I overheard the doctor talking about his heart attack being triggered by electrocution which is pretty badass to me. The doctor smiled sympathetically at him before walking out, he gave me a soft smile as he passed my bed. The guy groans in pain. His bed isn't too far from me so I decided to make him feel welcome. 

"Hey," I smiled once he turned his head to look at me. 

"Hey," He replied faintly. 

"Does it hurt to talk?" I asked softly. 

"Everything just hurts at the moment," He added making me feel sorry for him but he said it in a way that showed he was fighting through it and didn't need pity. I smiled at him reassuringly and turned my head to look at the ceiling. We didn't speak for a while and my brain was swarming with thoughts on something to say but was cut off when I heard him shuffling around. I looked over to see him struggling to sit up in bed. I panicked. 

"Wow, what are you doing? You need to rest," I asked in a panicked tone. 

"I need the bathroom and I am not peeing in that tub," He replied bitterly making me giggle. 

"Can't you get a nurse to help you to the bathroom?" I asked but he looked at me slightly confused. 

"They're busy, I can do it myself, why are you so concerned?" He asked as if no one had ever worried about him before. I didn't know why I was so concerned. I guess my protective side was coming out. He seemed to look at me apprehensively as if the only people who had ever been nice to him were lying, I know that feeling. I smiled wiping my thoughts of my old partner who left me for dead when he got scared on a job.

"At least let me help you," I added and sat up with more ease than he did. I stood in front of him and offered him my hand. He looked at me deeply before taking it. I pulled him up and carried a lot of his weight through his arm. He groaned as he anchored his feet, he sucked air through gritted teeth before taking a slow but painful step.

"I'm Dean, by the way," He struggled to say as we made our way to the bathroom on the other side of the room. 

"I'm Y/N," I replied with a smile. 

"A pretty name for a smoking hot girl, how are you in here anyway?" He added making me giggle. He's smooth. I'll give him that. 

"I was struck by lightning," I shrugged but he looked confused. 

"I didn't realise there was a storm," He added but I giggled slightly. 

"There wasn't. I guess you could just say it was Supernatural." I couldn't help but smirk.

"You don't know the half of it," He scoffed making me giggle. Regular people don't believe in the supernatural but I scoffed, Dean doesn't know half of it. We got to the bathroom door and I helped Dean inside. 

"You know you don't have to wait outside," He said jokingly with a smirk. I laughed as I exited. I walked over to the wheelchairs and wheeled one of them to the door. I sat in it while I waited. Once the door opened Dean looked at the chair and gave me a bitch face. I chuckled as I shook my head and got up.

"Get in or so help me I will finish you off," I threatened to make Dean laugh. He took a seat and I wheeled him to his bed and helped him back in. 

"The scars on your back are pretty cool are they from the lightning?" He asked making me smile. 

"Yeah, they're kind of common in victims of the weather," I replied with a shrug, I moved the wheelchair aside and climbed back into bed. "Wait, how did you see them?" I asked suspiciously. Dean smirked. 

"I hate hospital gowns but not when they're on you," He charmed adding a wink and I giggled as I shook my head. I realise he must have seen my underweared butt, but considering I didn't hear him complaining I was fine with it. The doctors say I can't wear clothes yet as the wounds are still a little open, as soon as they close up I can leave. Dean saw there was a TV beside his bed and started flicking through the channels and adding random comments to make me laugh.

A tall guy with dark hair walked in and made eye contact with me, I smiled politely making him smile back before he continued and stood in front of Dean's bed. "You ever watch daytime TV? It's terrible," Dean asked the male. The guy sighed. "That fabric softener bear, oh I want to hunt that son of a bitch down," He added I suppressed a giggle. 

"Dean, I spoke with your doctor." The guy sadly informed. 

"Yeah," Dean sighed and turned the TV off. "Looks, like you're going to be leaving town without me," 

"What are you talking about? I'm not going to leave you here," The tall guy added. 

"Ay, you better take care of that car, I swear I'll haunt your ass," Dean added trying to joke but the guy didn't laugh. 

"I don't think that's funny," The guy's voice was close to breaking and you could hear he was upset for Dean. 

"Oh, come on. It's a little funny," Dean eased but wasn't helping. 

"Dean, don't be a dick," I spoke up making them look at me. 

"But it's my speciality," He argued. I gave him a scolding look, eyebrow raised. "Okay. Look, Sammy. What can I say it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it the end of the story," Dean was wallowing in self-pity and it was easy to see he'd stopped fighting. The 'Sammy' guy didn't hesitate to reply. 

"Don't talk like that alright, we still have options." He spoke softly like he was afraid to hurt him any more than he already was. 

"What options? Yeah, burial or cremation." Dean's tone was bitter. "You got to know it's not easy, I'm gonna die, and you can't stop it." 

"Watch me," Sammy added before leaving with a determined look. Dean sighed. I climbed out of bed walked over to Dean's bed and sat at his feet. He looked at me confused. 

"So, you're going to give up?" I asked in a soft tone. 

"There's nothing we can do," He added annoying me. 

"But wouldn't you rather go down fighting?" I asked and he seemed to think it all through. I smirked knowing I had him questioning it and left him to think it over. 

Masterlist

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[spicyclover]

No one can hurt you

Summary : A dinner of revelation and tragedy.

Hope you’ll enjoy it. Let me know in the comment section.

Thank you! :)

Lots of love, xxx Spicy Clover

DISCLAIMER : Rewrite and final version of "All the things you said" | Netflix show: One Day at the Time | Elena’s Story part | Season 3, ep 2.  WARNING: mention of physical and verbal aggression! Su*c*de WARNING !R@PE! WARNING: mention of SU*C*DE WARNING TOUGH CONTENT, BE AWARE

DISCLAIMER:  This story is fiction and has no correlation with reality. All site names making acts, violence or any other type of aggression are used for artistic purposes, and they did not commit those acts

If you need help. Please get help. You are loved, and your life is valued. Even if you don’t see it, you are loved.

The Monaco Grand Prix is in a few days and you will be slowly preparing for tonight’s dinner. Charles decided to organize a small evening for the pilots and their respective companions. It is in a magnificent hotel overlooking the sea that Charles booked the room and privatized the chef of the restaurant. The luxurious life of Monaco in its greatest fullness, you are always amazed by all the secrets that this small principality shelters.

You were third-wheeling your best friend Heidi to that party. She and Daniel invited you after running into you in the afternoon at the marina. Since you were little you know most of the pilots. So you are happy to have been invited to celebrate this new year of racing in Monaco with them. The evening was going well until the subject of the conversation crumbled into something darker.

“I gotta admit, I’m getting kind of confused.” Ends up saying, Checo rubbing his nose with his glass. 

“Oh, my god, me too. What if someone says, “I am not sleeping with you tonight?” And then... an hour later, they’re like, “Eh, fine.” What’s that?” Ask Lando, completely confused. 

“Unsurprising,” Pierre whispers under his breath, laughing. You laugh at with him, ignoring Lando's thunder.

“How many women have said, “Eh, fine”?” Questions Heidi sarcastically. 

“Yeah, I got to make some calls.”

“Now I’m perplexed.” Says Max trying to make sense of everything he heard. 

“I know. It’s confusing. I hate to admit it, but I feel sorry for men. This consent thing is tricky.” Kelly responded and gets up to pour herself more wine. 

“No.” You exclaim annoyed by her comment. “Women always blame themselves, and then the man never has to take responsibility. During rape prevention week at the university, all the signs are aimed at women. “Girls, don’t dress provocatively. Girls, don’t walk alone.” How about, “Hey, guys, don’t rape.”" You look up at Pierre knowing perfectly it will trigger him.

“Oh, my god, why are we talking about that? I took a couple pictures as a joke, and Cece thought it was funny.” Pierre exclaims as he gets up from his chair to get himself another beer at the bar. 

“Did she? Or did she feel like she had to laugh ‘cause she doesn’t know what else to do with your hand on her boob?” Everyone around the table falls silent and waits. You get up from your chair and walk you way to Pierre.

“Ok, sweetie, take it easy.” Adds Sebastian taking your arm and tries to calm the conversation.

“No. He thinks what he did is cute. You are basically a predator.” You accuse, pointing your finger at him. 

“You’re basically a psycho.” Pierre replies, knowing full well it will trigger you.

“Good, call me crazy for defending a woman’s right not to be groped!”

“You’re mad ‘cause the internet told you to be. You don’t know my life or even leave this apartment!” Pierre screams as he approaches you.

“Because of guys like you!” You answer with the same intonation. 

“What are you talking about?” Charles asks, taking your hand for you to sit down.

You and Charles are special. You’ve been like ass and shirt since childhood. You’ve known him since you were six. For as long as you can remember, Charles has always been one of your dearest childhood friends. You have shared so much together. No one has ever made you vibrate like he does. Usually his simple touch makes you calmer and reassuring. But you are no longer able to appreciate this contact that you cherish so much.

“You want to know?” You said, scoffing. “Okay. A couple of weeks ago, Heidi and I were coming home from the movies, and we were holding hands. And we noticed these guys staring at us, and then we changed the sidewalks , and they followed us.” You speak with tears in your eyes. 

“What?” Sebastian says concerned in his voice. His turn your body to him.

“Yes. And they were going, “Come one, you guys, kiss. We really wanna see it. Just kiss.” They thought that was really funny, too.” You continue telling while drinking a sip of your glass.

“It was actually terrifying.” Ends up adding Heidi after Daniel stares at her intently. 

“It was terrifying. And then we finally lost them in a crowd and ran home...” You finish in a huff trying to hold back your tears. Your hand hides your eyes and you try at best to find your calm.

Charles, in his divine goodness, hastens to extinguish you warmly. At first, his touch hurts you and you have only one desire to remove his hands from your dirty body. Yet you cling to him like a lifeline. Deep down, you know it's time. Time to tell what happened that night, a year ago. Nobody dares to speak at your revelation and everyone feels guilty for not knowing sooner.

“Umm... Last year after the Monaco Grand Prix. Lance Stroll raped me. He was my friend, and he raped me in my own bedroom. And then, he threatened me not to tell anyone... but. Why did he do this?” You ask breaking down in tears. “Sorry, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what... I feel.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Sebastian asks tenderly, approaching you rubbing his hand on your back. 

“I tried, but... nobody listened to me.” You respond looking at Lando through your tears. Your eyes pierce Lando’s being. He doesn’t know where to put himself and his cheeks become red. He implores you to keep your mouth shut, but the situation no longer belongs to you. You feel the body of Charles being redeemed against yours and you notice that he followed your gaze.

“You knew.” He accuses Lando turning his attention abruptly towards him.

“I... I.” He tries to defend himself. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“Oh, you think she knew what to do either.” He yells, getting up from his chair and grabbing him by the collar. 

“Charles, let him go!” Orders Carlos. 

“You let her suffer silently when you knew what he did to her. I thought you were better than this. T’es qu’une grosse merde.” You’re a piece of shit

“Oh please, like you would have done something? We all know he’s untouchable and has done it before.” Admitted Lando, pushing Charles away. 

“What?” Sebastian speaks up. This is the first time he has heard this from his former teammate. He never thought he would ever see Lance in this light.

“Nothing.” 

“It’s nothing? He raped her, and now other girls too?” Charles advances again, preventing him from fleeing the situation.

“Don't play fouls, Charles. You were in his hotel room at the party in Abu Dhabi last year, and I quite remember your hands on some teenage girls, groping them.” He said suddenly, pushing Charles out of his way again.

“What?” You speak up, troubled by Lando's affirmation.

“It’s not what it looks like.” Charles turns to you, trying to explain himself. You get up from your chair and walk back as you see him approach.

“Don’t touch me.” You say, pushing him away. “Did you do it?”

“I... It’s not the same thing.” He justified himself.

“Yes. It actually is. Did you grope those teenage girls or worse raped them?” You ask scandalized. Charles, your best friend, your confidant, the one you most trust is capable of the same thing as the person who hurt you the most.

“Oui,” he admits in a small voice. “I didn’t want to.”

“You didn’t want to? What the fuck, Charles. What's wrong with you all?” You yell, taking your stuff and leaving as fast as possible. 

The thought of all this happening to so many more makes you sick. How could nobody speak up about this? You walk down the hotel hallway. You can hear footsteps and Charles's voice telling you to come back. When you get to the lobby, you ask for a taxi home. Tears fall down your cheeks, and you look at him as you push the door out. 

You take your taxi and give him your address. All you want right now is a shower. A warm and reassuring shower. To pull away all those memories and thoughts. You want to scream to the world. You want to smash your entire apartment down. You want to stay in bed for the rest of your life. You want to jump off the roof. You want to cut yourself so that the pain stops. You want to be set free.

You arrive at the complex. Your dark thought runs in circles in your head. Like a robot, you open the door, press the elevator, and finally unlock your apartment. You let your essentials fall on the ground with your bag and coat. Like a machine, you take your shoes off and open the lights. 

The sight of your home, which does not feel like home anymore. Since Lance pushes himself into you while you try to make him go away, this place hasn’t felt like home. You can’t even sleep in your own bed anymore. No matter how many times you clean the sheets, change the bed. This memory comes running back into your mind. Invade you like a parasite. 

You go to the bathroom and open the valve to fill the bathtub. You watch the water. You can hear your phone blowing up with notifications and calls. “Why does this world have to be this cruel?” You think, taking your clothes off. 

Your body envelops itself in the heat of the water, and you close your eyes. Your body slips in the bath. You head underwater. You hear focusing on your heart bit. You enjoy this moment of quietness and solitude. 

That’s it. You feel alone since that night he took your joy, your life, yourself. 

You can feel the water pressure you to gasp for air. Your head starts popping your blood. Your heart rises to find oxygen. You struggle. You have been struggling this long. You want to go, and you want to let go. 

You let the water go in, and suddenly, all the scary parts disappear. The explosion in your head fades away, and you’re not scared anymore. You find it relatively peaceful. Very peaceful. 

Strangely, you’re dreaming. Him with you. On a boat. Feeling the breeze in your hair. The warm sun on your skin. His light touches on your thigh. His breath on your neck. His lips are on your breast. You’re daydreaming. Are you? Is your mind trying to ease the pain in your heart? Is it even the day? 

Then. You open your eyes. You try to scream, but your head is under the water. You feel weak but strong. Sick but healthy. Chaos but at peace. You can feel your body wiggling, but your mind is different. No one can hurt you now. Quietly, your eyelids become heavy again, and what a moment ago hurt you the most now makes you feel good.

The water fills your lungs, and you sink more and more into the darkness. Nobody seems to pull you up. The seconds pass, but you no longer find the courage to go out. The bathtub disappears, and you find yourself in the sea. In a warm and welcoming sea; The Mediterranean. An infinity of blue. An infinity of sweetness. The noises are only deaf sounds, and you feel your brain more and more calm. The sun’s rays pass through the water, and you move further and further away from it. Your eyelids become more and more stretched.

Then you see beautiful blue eyes through the water. No fair. You can’t reach them but can’t stop staring at those ocean-blue eyes. Suddenly, you feel scared. Scared to leave those ocean eyes. You’re afraid, and you’re drowning under the waves of words you haven’t said to them, to you. 

You try to fight back this peaceful state, but darkness is an easier path than light. Suddenly the silence suffocates you, and you miss the sound surrounding you. 

Then comes the darkness.

When you leave the apartment, Sebastian watches Charles running after you. He can’t believe what has happened. He doesn’t want to consider it. How could he? He sees and goes to the door, and Charles is defeated on the ground. He passes by without a look and walk his way to the lobby. 

You have always been a fragile child. Even when you were a child. You were always this little fragile and precious porcelain doll. You’ve never been afraid of anything growing up. Sebastian always loved to see you grow up with him. Despite your age difference, he always considered you his little sister. The little one who needs to be protected from everything and at any cost. Knowing that you are suffering so much hurts him.

In the hallway, the walk seems long and endless, his thoughts wandering toward your shared memories. He remembers many summers spent in the countryside. At your grandparents' meadow, there was a vast field with a few horses grazing on the fresh grass. He remembers that beautiful-eyed little girl running in his direction.

You had dirt all over your clothes. Your hair was braided, and he still remembers the grass sticking in it. He remembers your laughter, which lit up the prairie thousands of miles away. Hearing you laugh has always been his favourite thing about you. Lost, it’s only when the doors block his way out that he remembers he has to go looking for you. He runs through the night towards your apartment.

Charles is devastated. Everything he tried to build with you has just broken in a moment. He feels lonely and ashamed. He wants you to know how much he loves you. How much you mean to him. How much you have become the center of his universe.

Before you, there was racing, and that was it. When you became something more his life change. It was as if you had lit the dormant fire in him. You have extinguished the flame since the death of his best companion, his father. You have given meaning to this quest. The stakes are not won but won for you.

He still remembers the first time he took you to his garage. You were with Sebastian. He was showing you around the Ferrari factory, showing you the different facilities, different parts. You were so captivated by his words, and your eyes were shining like stars in the sky. 

He remembers the moment when your eyes landed on him. The smile you had, and the dress you wore and the clip in your hair. He counts you. Unable to say anything. Captivated by your beauty.

“Hi, Charlie.” You said in your beautiful voice. 

He stuttered and blushed heavily. You laughed gently before putting your lips on each of his cheeks. He likes a kiss, and no, he likes your kisses. 

A hand falls on his shoulder, and he sees Pierre. Tears in his eyes prevent him from distinguishing himself perfectly, but he recognizes his friend.

“Don’t worry. She’ll come back.” He says softly. Taking him by the shoulders to lift him up and bring him back to the room. 

The others are still there. Confused and shaken, no one speaks. Silence reigns in the room, and no one knows what to say. Charles opens the patio door and leaves the fresh night air in the room. The city slowly began to calm down, and he heard the waves regularly hitting the harbour.

Daniel gets up and gets rid of the table. Putting this party away may make us forget the events that occurred. Heidi and Kelly help him while the others put orders in the room. No one dares to go to see Charles.

The hour passes quickly, and some decide to leave. They quickly greet the last remaining. Pierre observes his friend, who has not moved, and still looks at the sea.

It’s only when Charles' phone starts ringing that he looks away. He calmly enters the room and answers.

“Hello?”

You always liked the fields. You always loved hiding in the big wheat fields surrounding your grandparents' house when you were little. This stretch of yellow was as far as the eye could see. You liked feeling the stems between your fingers, the seeds melting to your touch, and the particular smell of wheat.

You remember a hot summer day. Lying on a tablecloth after a picnic, nature calms by this overwhelming heat, especially the calm of this yellow and green nature. You remember the farmer who held the farm. You spent days watching him working. Helping him through the mould. Watching him turn wheat powder into cereal. You remember this great man, always with a grain of wheat in his mouth that was constantly chewing.

You remember the hum that bees made at work. From wheat to wheat, pollen is harvested. You remember the nests in the hives that you created one summer. Your grandfather, with his jumpsuit, would go every morning and inspect the nests, and you loved watching him do it. You also loved to taste honey with each harvest. Honey is good. It’s sweet. It’s sweet. It’s wild.

You remember Sebastian. His blond hair, his smile, the sound of his kart engine. Many hours passed in his company at the track with his dad. You remember your big brother, following him and Sebastian all day long, like the annoying little sister you were. You remember falling from a tree after the boys thought it was a great idea to climb it. You see your brother jumping down the tree to get to you and hear Sebastian running back to the house to get help. You spent the night at the hospital. You broke your arms that summer, and you had a commotion. Your parents were furious and punished your brother for the rest of the vacation. 

You remember your first winter in the mountains. Mornings skiing, and afternoons making snowmen, eating maple syrup, drinking hot chocolate, just playing in the snow. See your happy brother’s face after he managed to get the last pancake.

You remember Sebastian’s victories. To see him move up from category to category. You remember his encounter with Hanna. You love Hanna. She is so sweet and kind. You remember your great jealousy towards her from the height of your twelve years. She who steals your Sebastian. She who steals your second brother. Oh yes, you were jealous, but she knew how to win your heart, and after all, she stayed.

You remember the Ferrari years. Everyone was in red. You saw the world with red glasses. Red like love. Red like anger. Red as the colour. Red as blood. It’s kind of at this time, when adolescence really starts that you start to change. Physically, mentally, and spiritually, you were no longer the wise little girl your parents admired and your brother despised. No, you grew up making mistakes, a lot of mistakes, until you met him.

Him. The golden boy. The one destined to be great.

You remember his perfume, his smell, his laughter, his mimics, his way of speaking, his way of being and his way of simply being. He intimidated you so much; this guy was destined for something big. Whereas you, we never expected much from you besides being pretty, lovely, not disturbing, quiet, and reserved.

Quiet. 

Reserved. 

Pretty. 

In those words, your brain falls into the dark side of your life. The darkened side of time. Painful and unhappy memories. The memories of him, the one who once was your best friend. He who once was your confidant. He who once saw fit to r*pe you.

To find you after the Grand Prix, in your apartment, in your house, in your home. To be a little too drunk, surely. To hold you firmly. To put his lips on yours. To hold your wrists. To put all his weight on your body. To force you into bed. To beg him to stop. To cry in silence. To feel it in you. To feel dirty. To feel unloved.

To feel alone, so lonely, too lonely. 

To find yourself curled up in a ball in a corner. To wait until morning for him to leave. To want to end your life. To end your nights. To seek help. To be abandoned. To be alone. To be dirty. To be silent. To be reserved. To be pretty.

To be pretty. 

To be pretty. 

To be. 

Silent is all you ask for. 

It’s been a long night. The hours have been staggering. The noises of monitors, nurses, doctors, and ambulances invade their ears. No one speaks, and no one dares speak. It is as if a white veil covers the weighing atmosphere and borrows all those present.

The wait is long, too long. They wait patiently for the outcome of this atrocious night, something that does not happen. Sebastian holds his head in his hands, tears have finished flowing, but his eyes are still red. He feels bad. He feels immense guilt. This mixture of shame, sadness, contempt and anger is eating him increasingly as the hours pass and pass before his eyes. He blames himself for not coming sooner. He blames himself for not holding you back. He blames himself for not seeing. He blames himself.

Full of life and ardour, this little girl was smothered under this icy water. Frozen in time. Only the repetitive sound of drops escaping from the pipe disrupted this freezing scene. She hides all her problems behind her smile. Never in his life has he thought of having this vision of you. This pure horror vision of an act yet so courageous. Because it takes courage to think about yourself before thinking about others. It takes courage to put yourself forward and not others. It takes courage to achieve what others have likely failed to achieve.

The roar of the machines stifled Charles. He closed his ears in the hope of silencing them. To see you with your tubes hanging around you, in you. On this hospital bed, this white bed, this room that feels the end. Eyes wet, Charles looks at your pale, serene face. The doctor’s words are dry and not encouraging. Your parents arrive a few hours later, a flight later. They cry. Your brother has tears in his eyes. Sebastian collapses in a corner. Hanna is there; a veil of sadness covers his eyes. Heidi cries in the arms of Daniel, who looks again in the eyes of Charles. Charles holds your hand, your hand. Your hands are cold, frozen by the consequences. Lando doesn’t dare to come in. He feels guilty because he refused to believe you, to reach out to you, see you, and see your distress. He preferred to become blind rather than awake. It haunts him.

Charles, sitting next to you, is watching people walk by. To say goodbye to you, goodbye, forever. He doesn’t want to. He can’t. You’re still breathing. Your heart is still beating. So why do you have to leave? Why did you choose to go?

“Why?” He mumbles one more time, his head against your ear. “Why are you not fighting?” 

“Cha... we have to go.”

“No... I-I-I can’t. I can’t leave her.” His voice breaks in a sob.

“Charles,” Pierre says, putting a comforting arm on his shoulder. “Let her go.”

“No...” Charles pushes him away, gripping your hand tighter. “She’s going to survive. She’s going to live. She has to live. You have to live.” He prays, kissing your cold skin.

Pierre sight and get out of the room. His family, her family, his friends, and her friends are here waiting for him. The visiting hours are almost over. Everyone wants to go back to their house and sleep a bit. They haven’t slept all night. Charles hasn’t slept all night. Pascale enters the room quietly. Staring at his son. 

“Charles. We need to let her rest. Will come back in the morning, d’accord mon bébé?” She says, taking him in her arm. 

He acquires at her request despite himself. Unable to fight anymore, fatigue slowly eats him away, and he knows that he is of no help if he is exhausted. He leaves the room not without a last kiss, a last look, a last goodbye.

On the following day, Charles came. Staying for hours next to you. Stroking your hair, mumbling your name, praying for you to wake up. He can't take you out of his brain. He can't take you out of him. You're haunting him. We realize how important it is in our life when we lose someone we take for granted. Charles looks at you as a friend until he realizes he loves you. Is it too late? Were you supposed to be?

Sebastian came a few times, only a few minutes. He can't unseen what he saw. He plays and plays the night in his head over and over again. Wondering what he could have done differently.

The doctors are not really optimistic about your recovery. Your body is tired. Your mind is exhausted. They did all they could do. All we have to do is wait. Wait for you to come back. Wait for you to fight for your life. How could you fight if you're not even awake? It's painful.

Strangely enough, he came. The rapist. The abomination of your life. You came late at night when everyone left. He felt bad. "It's too late to feel bad," you think when you feel his hand and you. You wanted to cry, to scream, but nothing. He left shortly after. Looking at you one last time. Looking at what he did to you. You hear from Lando a few days later that he got arrested. Other girls spoke, and there were enough accusations to start a trial. Even more strange, it did nothing to you. Well, how could you feel? When he toked everything you got and smashed it in a million pieces?

Sometimes, you can feel the warmth of the afterlife tingling your skin. You feel it right near you, calling you. Calling you to answer the call. You want to feel this feeling of peace, this quietness. You don't know how to feel. You just want to float. You forgot how to be happy. How to be. Why fight if you may never find yourself again? What were you made for? You wonder to yourself.

Time flies. A couple of weeks passed. You made some improvements for the doctors to feel optimistic for you to wake up eventually. You're stabilized by all those machines. Your parent finally arrived a few days after you were admitted. You can feel your mother's tears on your cold hands and the soft kisses of your father on your forehead. You can smell the sunflower Heidi brought you every time she comes to see you. Sometimes you want to react. To show her you listen. But you can't. Or you don't want?

The feeling of loneliness passed. You can see now how much you're loved. How they love you. You love to hear Arthur talking about your favourite series. You love to hear Sebastian remembering childhood moments whenever he found the courage to come. You love to listen to your mom singing your favourite songs. You love to hear Daniel telling dad jokes, hoping you'll smile in your sleep. You love hearing Lando talking about his latest Quadrant adventures or Twitch lives. You love to listen to Charles saying how much he loves you. How much his life is plain without you. You can't imagine somebody else cared so much about you.

That makes you cry. You can't show them you can hear. You can't show them you love them too. You can't show them how grateful you are or will be. More time passed, and the more you could slowly feel you were losing yourself. All you need to do is happen your eyes, but for some reason, it seems an impossible task to do.

"This is impossible," Alices says in disbelief at the creature rising upon her.

"Only if you believe it is." The hatter whispers, scared of the outcome of all this adventure. But wasn't this all the point of this madness?

"Sometimes, I believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

"That is an excellent practice." The hatters says. "However, just now, you might want to focus on the Jabberwocky."

"Six impossible things. Count them, Alice. One, there's a potion that can make you shrink. Two, and a cake that can make you grow. Three, animals can talk. Four, Alice, cats can disappear. Five, there's a place called Wonderland. Six, I can slay the Jabberwocky."

You feel yourself falling into the rabbit hole, and you have been in Wonderland all this time. That's it! You can do it. Six impossible things before breakfast.

"One, you will get a major in architecture."

"Two, you can drive an F1 car."

"Three, you can be happy again."

"Four, Y/n, there's a place for you in this universe."

"Six, I will fight for my life."

At this, though, he feels darkness rising upon you. Everything fades away slowly. You can hear the constant beep of the machines around you. You can feel Charles's hands against yours. You can smell the hospital room you're in. You can see the light shutters again you close your eyes.

Then... you breathe.

Feeling the grass on your feet. The autumn breeze cools down your spine. For the first time, you appreciate being alive. To fill your lungs with air, to hear the water crash against the rocks, to feel the sun warm up your skin, and to taste food again.

You feel a hand around your waist, and Charles brings you closer to him. He sticks you to his bare chest. He holds you firmly for fear that you will disappear again. It makes you smile to see him so loving, so gentle, and so attentive. You turn your gaze from the blue horizon to meet his emerald eyes. He smiles tenderly. His eyes sparkle with a thousand lights when you return his smile. You hold these eyes a few moments before you look wandering towards his lips.

If only it could be true.

If only you could be with him.

______________________________________________________________

Hi! Hope you enjoy this final version of the story. It took me sometimes to get back to writing but I'm getting there. I know some of you really like it and it's fill my heart with joy <3

Tag List : tyna-19 dessxoxsworld ynbutbetter alexander-hamilhoe honethatty12 janeholt3 mloyer karmabyfernando omgsuperstarg laura-naruto-fan1998

[walkingintheheartbreaksatellite]

Sky High(1)

(Harry Styles x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You take Harry to do something he never would have thought he’d do.

A/N: In honor of Balloon Fiesta season(aka my fav time of year) ITS TIME FOR BALLOONRRY! This has literally been spinning around in my brain since last December so yeah… enjoy.

Warnings: Judgmental family member, mentions of body shaming(only once), fear of heights, mentions of traumatic childhood and abusive parent (not in detail), Mentioned aged gap but not specified.

>>>————————————->

London, Wednesday

Harry smiles as he shuffles around the house, throwing things in his suitcase.

“Hey Harry, don’t pack your puffer-.”

“Y/N, you said it was gonna be cold and that I should expect snow!”

“Yes but- your puffer is cotton. Which can catch on fire. And we’ll be operating a propane burner. And don’t pack your wool gloves either-. You know what, finish packing your clothes and then we’ll go get you everything else. I need new gloves anyways.”

He rolls his eyes and kisses my forehead before turning back to our dresser.

This year, Harry is joining me for a hot air balloon rally that I crew for with some of my family every year. I have never seen him more excited for something so boring.

After he finishes, he drags me out the door immediately and we head down to the shops.

“We need to go to Workwear. They should have everything.”

He nods and grips my hand as we walk down the chilly streets. Harry grabs the door and we head inside. Harry bites his lip, a bit reluctant at his unfamiliar atmosphere.

“Come on, dork. Let’s go find you a jacket.”

I manage to find a nylon and polyester jacket that he’s satisfied with, though he complains that he’d rather his puffer.

“I know- you can pack it but you can’t wear it when we’re crewing or Bob will never let us hear the end of it.”

I grab a few pairs of nylon gloves before dragging him over to the shoes.

“Boots, love? Really?”

I snort and nod my head.

“We’re carrying heavy equipment. Your Vans won’t work. You could drop something and seriously hurt your foot. Hence the steel-toed boots. And they’ll keep you warm. Trust me.”

He nods and we head to the checkout, excitement rushing through us at our week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday

As soon as we land in Albuquerque, we quickly pick up our bags and our rental car before getting on the road. We get settled on the highway and Harry turns on cruise control, taking my hand in his while driving with the other. My hands start to shake more and I sigh.

“You’re shaking Y/N. Why are you shaking?”

I let out another sigh and I look at him.

“My father might be there… And my brother and sister. You haven’t met them… And honestly I don’t really talk to them. So I guess I’m just nervous. And you’ve never met my granny or her husband- And since you’re helping crew for Andrew… I don’t know… Just a lot going on.”

He lifts my hand up and kisses the back of it before he squeezes it. His eyes remain on the road but his words make me tear up.

“I know you’re not particularly looking forward to all of that- But I’m here. I’m always here. And your mum. You know she won’t let him do anything to you. I will be the perfect Angel that I always am-.”

I snort and he gives me a playful side eye.

“As I was saying- everything will be just fine. Okay? So let’s have fun. I’m definitely excited. And happy to see your mum again.”

He smiles and squeezes my hand again before turning his attention back to the road. After about 2 hours, Harry gets off at the exit and it only takes us a minute to get to our hotel. He parks next to my mom’s car and we get out. She gets out of her car and rushes over to Harry, pulling him into a hug as he laughs and smiles.

“Oh my god, Harry! I’ve missed you! Look at you! You look great!”

He laughs and hugs my mom back for a minute before they pull away.

“I’m great, Kelly. How are you?”

She nods and gives him a smile before she pulls me into a hug as well.

“Hi my babies.”

I smile and hug her, rolling my eyes at Harry as he laughs.

“Hi mama.”

She pulls away and shoves her hands in her pockets.

“You both doing okay? Taking care of each other? You look good but you know I worry.”

I smile and nod.

“We’re fine. Harry is very excited.”

Harry nods and wraps an arm around my waist, his smile clear as day. We stand by the car, talking to my mom for a few minutes when my grandmother pulls up. Her husband gets out of the truck and gets her walker out, setting it up as she gets out. Not ready to face her, I drag Harry inside to check in and get our room keys.

We collect our keys and walk up the stairs to our room.

“Love, I really don’t think you need to avoid her-.”

“You know how frustrating she is! The woman flat out told me when I was 16 that it was my fault that my mother was depressed! Because somehow I could control who she slept with to create me!”

He wraps his arms around me and kisses my head.

“I know love, I know. But you know your mum won’t let her do anything. Did you pack your meds?”

I huff and just shrug. He holds me for a minute, rubbing my back before he decides we need to go downstairs and get our bags. He drags me down the stairs and out to the car where, surprise surprise, my grandmother is. I elect to ignore her, opening the back to start grabbing bags. My mom pulls us over to them as I huff in frustration.

“Mom, this is Harry, Y/N’s boyfriend. Harry, this is my mom, May and her husband Andrew. You’ll meet Bob later. He’ll be crewing with us.”

Harry shakes my granny’s hand as well as Andrew’s when my grandmother adverts her gaze to me.

“Sweetie, what did I say about all that eating you do? It’s not good for your figure. I mean look at you-. And did you get that job I sent you the link to?”

I sigh and shake my head, squeezing Harry’s hand to calm me down before answering her.

“Granny, that job was in Arizona. I live in London, remember? And I have a job. I work at a publishing firm, remember? And I like it.”

Before she can say respond, Andrew interrupts her.

“How about we all get settled in our rooms? We’ll meet back here in the parking lot at 6:30 to go check in?”

We all nod and head inside. Before we enter our room, my mom puts her hand on my shoulder, and I turn to face her.

“You two go ahead and have to time with each other for the night. We don’t all need to go to check in and I know you’re not exactly ready to see him. I’ll text you what time we need to meet in the morning.”

Harry smiles and hugs my mom and I let out a heavy sigh.

“Thank you, Kelly. I’ll take care of our girl. She’ll be fine.”

My mom kisses my forehead and squeezes my shoulder before she heads into her room and disappears behind the door. Harry pulls me into our room and pulls me into a tight hug as soon as the door closes. He rubs my back and I let out a sigh.

“How about we go on a walk after we get settled in love? Think that would help? Or are you in the stuff your face with sweets until you pass out kind of mood?”

I shake my head as I hang up my jacket.

“I’m actually in the take a hot shower and then cuddle with my hot boyfriend until I fall asleep kind of mood.”

Harry flashes me a bright smile and hugs me as he hangs up his jacket.

“You take your shower. I’ll run to the vending machines and get some sweets. When you’re done, we can head to bed.”

He kisses my forehead and leaves the room. I grab some sweats and a soft top before heading into the shower.

By the time I’m done, my hair in a wet braid and teeth brushed as I walk out in my soft clothes, Harry is already in bed, scrolling on his phone. He looks up and smiles, pecking my lips softly when I get into bed.

“Your sweets are in the fridge, let me brush my teeth and I’ll turn the light out.”

I nod and curl up into bed as I wait for him. Not 5 minutes, he’s back in bed, pulling me close before he turns out the light.

“Are you gonna be okay, love? You’ve been tense since we got here.”

I sigh and bury my head in his chest.

“I’m nervous… And honestly I haven’t been feeling that well lately so maybe that’s just not helping. And with the stress of seeing him, and of course my granny, I guess I’ve just been a little off. But I’m really glad you’re here… I’m excited for you to meet my sister. She’s a-.”

“A pain in the ass, you’ve mentioned.”

“But you’ll like her! We fought a lot when we were kids of course but we got closer in high school. You’ll love her!”

He laughs and squeezes me tight.

“I could never love anyone as much as I love you. But I’m sure she’s great. Just keep thinking of all the positives, remember? You love this town, you love this time of year, don’t let them take that excitement from you. And I am very excited to experience this with you. Now let’s get some sleep, okay?”

I smile and curl up into his arms before slowly falling asleep.

Friday 05:30

So put your best face on everybody

Pretend you know this song everybody

Come hang (Come hang)

Let's go out with a bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!-

I wake up to my alarm going off as I feel butterfly kisses on my cheeks. I wake up to see Harry, planting soft kisses all over my face before he smiles when he sees I’m awake.

“Time to get up, love. We have to be downstairs in 30 minutes.”

I groan and wrap my arms around his neck as I sigh.

“Can you just tell them I died or something? Or better yet we both did? I don’t want to go into the cold… I wanna stay here and cuddle.”

He laughs and shakes his head, pecking my lips before he pulls me up.

“Well, your mum is bringing coffee in like 10 minutes so you have to be alive if you want some of that. Because I do.”

I laugh and shake my head as I get up from the bed, pulling clothes out of my bag before I start to change. Harry and I are quickly dressed by the time my mom knocks on the door and Harry happily accepts the coffee.

The second I smell it, I get nauseous and I run to the toilet, throwing up. I hear Harry sigh and he comes into the bathroom, throwing my hair up in a clip before he starts to rub my back. I throw up a few minutes before I flush, slowly standing up so I can rinse and brush my teeth.

From the corner of my eye, I see my mom with a worried expression on her face.

“How long has that been going on, Y/N/N?”

I shrug and wipe my mouth, turning out the bathroom light before fixing my hair quickly.

“A couple weeks I guess. I’m never running a temp so I figured they were just random waves of nausea.”

She sighs and shakes her head.

“I think you should take a test.”

My eyes widen and I look at her.

“You think I could be-.”

Harry and I share a look, one filled with anxiety.

My mom only nods and rubs my back in comfort.

“When we come back after breakfast, I’ll go get you a few tests and you can take them and we’ll go from there, okay? Just try not to stress about it.”

We only nod and she leaves only a minute after. Harry lays back down and holds his arms open to me and I immediately lay in his arms, holding back tears.

“What are we-.”

“Shhh. Everything will be just fine, love. No matter what. If you’re pregnant, we’ll handle it. And if not… maybe it’s just not the right time. Either way, I’m not going anywhere. We will figure this out. Together.”

He kisses my head and rubs my back as we lay there for a few more minutes before we finally head out to the parking lot. We all hop into the van, the vehicle filled with silence as we make the small journey to the lift off field. After about 10 minutes, Andrew parks the van and gets out, meeting Bob outside so the can attend the pilot’s meeting. Harry squeezes my hand and gives me an anxious look.

“So… we just wait? I thought we would all be getting out and that’s when the hard work starts.”

My mom and I laugh and I shake my head before I peck his cheek.

“No, there’s always. Just a little waiting. They have about a 30 minute pilot meeting to determine whether or not we can fly. Based on the wind, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Right now, if we flew, we’d flop around and lose control.”

He laughs and nods. As expected, when they come back from the meeting, we aren’t able to fly. Andrew makes the decision to head to breakfast rather than still inflating like most were doing, even though we couldn’t fly. We pull into the parking lot of an almost empty diner and finally get out of the van. We eat breakfast, Harry and I sharing a plate since I really wasn’t in the mood to eat much.

The minute we get back to the hotel, my mom runs to her car and takes off, no doubt to go buy me tests. After about 20 minutes, she comes back with a knock on our door. She hands me the bag and I let out a shaky sigh.

“I’m sure you know how to use these… I’ll give you two some space. Call me if you need me sweet girl.”

She kisses my forehead and squeezes Harry’s shoulder before leaving the room. We’re quiet for a few minutes before Harry sits next to me on the bed, taking my hand in his, squeezing it before he raises our joint hands to his lips, softly kissing the back of my hand.

“I meant what I said, Y/N. No matter what the results are… we’re gonna be okay.”

I sigh and start to tear up.

“Are we even ready for this-.”

He sighs and puts a finger on my lips, silencing me.

“We’ll figure it out love. Just like we have with everything else. Alright? Now go take those tests. We can cuddle when you finish and we’ll wait for the results.”

I sigh and stand up, taking the tests into the bathroom. I take all 4 and place them on the counter, letting out a shaky sigh. I wash my hands and take a quiet minute to myself before opening the door and flinging myself on the bed and into Harry’s arms, causing him to laugh. Harry sets a timer on his phone before he puts it back on the nightstand and cuddles close to me, kissing my head.

“Are you hoping for certain results…?”

Harry is quiet for a minute before he turns to me with a small smile.

“Well… If you are pregnant… I would be extremely happy. I mean we’ve been together for 3 years and we live together. And besides… I want a little you… I’ve thought about it on and off… And maybe that can happen now. If you’re not… I don’t know… Maybe it’s something we could talk about? I mean… obviously I’m not getting younger despite how hot and young the girl next to me is…”

I laugh and nudge him playfully as he laughs and hugs me. He pecks little kisses all over my face before he starts to tickle me. He towers over me, determined to tickle more, but is interrupted by the timer on his phone going off. My face pales and we both sit up. He turns off the timer and we sit quietly for a minute before Harry speaks up.

“We’ll do it together…”

He takes my hand and pulls me up before he walks to the bathroom. We share a look and nod in agreement before looking at the tests. Positive. All positive. I turn to him, tears in my eyes, as are his as he quickly pulls me into his arms and hold me tight. After a minute, he pulls away and kisses me passionately as he holds me close. When we pull away for air, we share a small laugh and he hugs me once again.

“God I just- We’re having a baby! I love you! We need to call mum! And Gem! We need-!”

I laugh and shake my head.

“Let’s try to find some onesies here… Maybe we can surprise them. But we should go tell my mom since- of course she knows and she’s probably dying to know.”

He laughs and nods. We leave our hotel room and head over to my mom’s room, softly knocking on the door. She opens it and immediately lets us in.

“We’ll…?!”

We laugh and she glares at me.

“Okay okay… I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby.”

She tears up and hugs the both of us tightly.

“I’m gonna be a grandma again!!!”

I shush her and put my finger on her lips to shut her up.

“Hush! There’s people here we don’t want knowing!”

She nods and I remove my finger. Her phone pings and she picks it up, reading it before she looks up at us.

“Your grandmother wants to go shopping and Andrew wants to know if you guys are going to dinner tonight.”

Harry and I share a look and I sigh, falling back into his arms with a groan.

“Tell them we’re still jet lagged. I don’t want to deal with her tonight.”

She laughs and nods, hugging the both of us before she leaves our room. For the rest of the night, we cuddle and talk a little about the baby until I finally fall asleep, drifting into my dreams of hoping for a bright beginning.

And in the back of my head, I knew that this weekend was going to be a whirlwind.

>>>—————————————->

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[writing-blog-iguess]

Online Matchup 3

Summery: Y/N just wanted to study and head home for some sleep, to bad the night in Gotham has different plans. Now all they want to do is see the one person who's been on their mind since they started talking. Question is, will Jason agree?

Warning: swearing, fluff, it gets a little angsty, comfort, a sprinkle of gun violence, a mugging.

A/N: I got it done by Friday. I did not think I could do it, but I did. I’m not sure part 4 will be up, but I will be taking the next week to try and finish other projects. If there’s anything you’d like to, let me know. Uh, this ended up being over 6k works, I hope you enjoy! Feedback is welcome.

Words: 6574

ao3

Series master list

————

October 7

Y/N (7:30 am) Why is it so cold?

Jason Because it’s october

Y/N October just started! It should be illegal for October to be so cold so soon

Jason You’re the one who wanted to live in Gotham

Y/N I know But still

Jason: You lived in Gotham for how many years?

Y/n … Three

Jason: And you're still not used to the cold? and to think you chose Gotham 

Y/n Shut up

Jason All because Gotham and I quote ~intrigues~ you

Y/n Shouldn’t you be at work?

Jason Shouldn’t you be in class?

Y/n I’m on my way there Why’d you think I’m complaining about the cold?

Jason Could have fooled me Maybe your heater broke in your apartment and it’s freezing

Y/n I would cry if that happened

Jason Don’t like the cold?

Y/n I don’t like getting sick

Jason Touché

Y/n But I also hate the cold

Jason It’s sweater weather

Y/n Still cold

Jason Fall is not cold Winters cold Fall is the perfect season It’s not too cold not to hot Perfect

Y/n Maybe for cuddling under the blanket and read

Jason That an invitation?

Y/n Wouldn’t you like to know

Jason Awe come on, little bird don’t shy on me now It’s been what? Three weeks?

Y/n Yeah But, uh I’m a little nervous It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date or something 

Jason Ah I get that Honestly me too We can wait a bit longer and when we do meet up it’ll been in a public place

Y/n The confidence you have that we will be meeting is showing

Jason What can I say? I’m falling and I can’t get up

Y/n Oh my god You ruined the moment

Jason ‘Twas the plan

Y/n You dork

Jason No but really I really did fall and now my ass hurts

Y/n What do you want me to do about it?

Jason Come kiss it better

Y/n In your dreams

Jason Every night

Y/n I hope you step on a Lego

Jason First my ass and now my heart? Y/n you wound me

Y/n Sure, we’ll pretend your not into it

Jason I- Okay wow

Y/n Am I wrong

Jason I plead the fifth 

Y/n Mm thought so

Jason Shouldn’t you be in class?

Y/N Yup, just waiting for the professor 

Jason Is it true that if the teacher isn’t there after a certain period of time that there’s no class?

Y/n Some people think it is but no They always end up coming to class Unless there’s an attack of the school or something

Jason Does that happen a lot?

Y/n Like maybe every few months Don’t quote me on that, I barely pay attention

Jason I think that’s something you sure pay attention too

Y/n I did when I first moved here and now I just roll with the punches

Jason I really hope not

Y/n Like my guard is up when I’m out but other than that I guess, I don’t care?

Jason That’s even worse

Y/n That’s what my mom said too Oh look, the teach is here

Jason I'm more worried about you then I have worried about someone in my life

Y/n (12:20 pm) Hey You keep up with the news right?

Jason When I have time Why?

Y/n Have you heard anything about college students going missing?

Jason No I don’t think I have

Y/n Mm, not surprised I guess Apparently it’s a recent thing

Jason How recent?

Y/N Um, like a few days ago?

Jason And the cops haven’t done anything about this?

Y/N Nope Said they probably dropped out Some tried to report them as missing But they haven’t looked into it much

Jason How do you know this?

Y/n Rumors mostly Guess that’s why the cops won’t do anything But I don’t think they’re rumors I know some of the students that are missing Most are on the top of their classes Some are scholarship students, they wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it

Jason Damn My brother’s a cop, I could get him to look into it?

Y/n You’re brothers a cop in Bludhaven What do you think he can do in Gotham?

Jason How do you know that?

Y/N Jason, we’ve been talking for awhile And sometimes when you complain about your brothers, you let information slip past. Not that I mind, everything you tell me I keep to myself But you need to pay more attention to what you’re talking about

Jason Right, sorry I forgot about that

Y/N Have you been sleeping lately?

Jason …no

Y/n Everything okay? Er, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to it’s fine

Jason No it’s okay I want to tell you I just don’t know where to start

Y/n Start wherever, and how much you want to tell me I don’t need the whole picture 

Jason I guess I’ve been having nightmares lately 

Y/n About when you died? Allegedly 

Jason … Don’t know if I should be impressed that that’s where your mind jumps to or not

Y/n It’s a gift

Jason But yeah, that’s what they’re about Someone found me after, and took me in and raised me for a couple of years And then coming going back home It’s a lot I guess Sometimes I feel like I’m broken

Y/n I bet I’m not going to pretend that I know how you feel and I’m not sure what exactly what I can say And I don’t want to invalid your feels, you’re allowed to feel how you feel But you’re not broken, not completely anyways Maybe a little bruised and banged up And like any bruise, they heal with time Sometimes with help sometimes without All depends on if you want it or not

Jason Are you sure you’re not a shrink or something?

Y/N Pretty positive It’s something my mom told me sometimes

Jason Wise women

Y/n You have no idea So, if you ever want to talk, chances are that I’ll be awake at any time

Jason Thank you And as for what Dick could do? Not a whole lot, but he does have friends in the gcpd though

Y/n You think he can do that?

Jason Yeah, he owes me

Y/N He’s your brother Does he have to owe you?

Jason Our relationship is a bit complicated

Y/N You’ve mentioned But if he can do something, that puts my mind at ease a little I’m worried and maybe a little scared

Jason As you should Just be careful okay?

Y/n I will do my best

Y/n (11:30pm) So… Have you heard anything from your brother?

Jason Smooth It hasn’t even been a day

Y/n That’s me The ruler of smooth A lot can happen between now and when you talked to your brother about it

Jason All true you dork And yeah I have Turns out they aren’t just rumours He went to check out the students dorms are they left everything there Usually when someone leaves they bring some clothes and stuff with them right

Y/n Yeah, unless they were in a hurried and couldn’t care less then they would pack important stuff

Jason Yeah but they left everything there Phones, wallets, keys I’m not sure what the connection is and all that But the cops are working hard

Y/n Mm okay At least some things being done about it

Jason Mm

Y/n No sleep tonight?

Jason Not yet Helping my brother with something

Y/n You know, for someone who has a complicated relationship with one’s family You sure do help them a lot 

Jason What can I say? I’m a family man

Y/N Is this your way of saying you love your family?

Jason So how’s your dad doing?

Y/N I cannot believe you pulled the same move I used on you, on me This is a disgrace Unacceptable

Jason I’m just using when you taught me

Y/N I didn’t teach you shit

Jason Well it worked, didn’t it?

Y/n Unbelievable 

Jason Answer the question 

Y/n Okay I guess Tired mostly Says he’s trying to keep busy but my mom tells me he gets tired easily There’s no win win

Jason I’m sorry

Y/n Yup

Jason Still repressing your emotions?

Y/N You know it

Jason I’m here if you want to talk

Y/N Thanks Jason That means a lot

Jason Shouldn’t you be sleeping?

Y/N Yes But I’m currently doing a project that’s due tomorrow

Jason Ouch

Y/N Did you know that the library I’m at is open this late?

Jason Why?

Y/N College students needs books

Jason Yes But you can take them out and bring them home

Y/N I left my library card at home so now I’m stuck here with the book I need until I’m done

Jason See, I want to feel sorry for you But something’s holding me back

Y/N I can see the compassion from here Anyways I should go home soon

—

My phone’s about to die and I don’t have my charger either, you typed out and before you could hit send, you were met with your reflection on a black screen. “No,” you whined, slumping back into your chair. “It’s fine. I’ll just use my laptop, it should work.” 

Sitting up straight, you reached over to wake your computer up, you were met with the same fate as your phone. “No, nonono,” you muttered, frantically searching your backpack for your laptop charger. When you couldn’t find it, you dumped everything on the table, hoping you were just blind. But it wasn’t there.

You groaned when you came to the realization that luck wasn’t on your side tonight. 

Sighing in defeat, you made a note of the books you were using and the pages before cleaning up the table. As you stuffed your backpack with your things, you took a quick glance at the clock on the wall and cursed. If you don't hurry now, you’ll be late for the last train for the night.

If there’s one thing you hated most about Gotham, it was walking home really late at night. And the last you wanted to do was that, also you didn’t want to make Jason worry.

With the rest of your stuff hazardously stuffed into the backpack, you raced out of the library hoping to make the last train.

—

Jason You good? Home yet? Is everything okay? Hellooo? What happened? Are you safe?

—

Nothing. There was no response and when Jason tried to call you, it went straight to voicemail. No matter how many times he called, it always yielded the same result.

Jason is not worried. He knows you're busy with your project. Maybe you misplaced your phone while talking to someone. Or you’re already on your way home and need to concentrate on getting home. He vaguely recalls you saying you take the train to and from school.

Lighting up his phone to check the time, he nodded to himself. Yeah, that was it. You were just busy and on your way home. Jason’s not worried, he’s not.

“You okay there Jay?” Dick asked in concern, “you look a little worried there.”

Okay, so maybe he’s a little worried and maybe a little scared of what could potentially happen. In Gotham…At night.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jason lied, trying to push images of you hurt away. It didn’t help that there was this group out there kidnapping college students. For what, who knows. Jason only hoped that you didn’t get mixed up in it. 

Dick leaned in front of him and poked Jason’s forehead. “Are you sure? Your brow is pinched like you ate something sour,” he commented and Jason pushed him away with a scowl.

“Maybe he’s worried about his new friend,” Tim sang from the Bat computer. “It’s awfully late for a college student to be out in Gotham.”

Jason whipped his head around so fast, he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “How the fuck do you know?! I haven’t told you shit.”

“I’m a detective, Jason, I detect,” Tim pointily said, pressing buttons on the keyboard before a file with pictures of you showed on the screen. “Gotta say, they are kinda cute.”

“Why are you spying on them?” Jason asked, trying to keep his voice even. He was pissed he couldn’t have something in his life to himself. But his nosey siblings had to meddle in his life, love life too. It's like they have no life outside of fighting crime.

“I was bored,” he replied as Dick made his way over to the computer. No doubt curious on what Tim found.

“Don’t you have cases to solve?”

Tim shrugged, clicking through photos of you, which only served to piss Jason off even more. Why is it that he wanted to slowly get to learn more about you, that his brothers decided to do a deep dive without his permission? Times like these made him wish he stayed dead. “Your love life is more interesting at the moment.”

“Well, you can fuck off then,” he said, grabbing his Red Hood helmet from the nearby table and put it on.

“Where are you going?” Dick called over the roar of Jason’s motorcycle.

“Anywhere that’s not here,” he answered and sped off.

He had meant to drive aimlessly, but soon he found his way towards the library you were currently studying in.

He couldn’t get the images of you hurt out of his mind, and he convinced himself that it was fine to make sure you were okay. Otherwise, he’d be drowning in worry.

As he drove, he heard a cry for help. He almost dismissed it, thinking that someone who was on patrol would help them. But with his bike in idle, he heard it. Granted, the last time he heard your voice, you were all nasally with a hoarse voice from a sore throat. But he recognized you’re voice anywhere.

Parking his bike, he unholstered his gun and slowly made his way to the alley that your voice came from. Peeking his head around the corner, he saw you fighting with someone over your backpack. You held your own for a while, and Jason could only wait until there was an opening.

Was there a little part of him that wanted to see you fight? Maybe. but he doesn’t want to think about that now.

“Let go you asshole,” you grunted, pulling your backpack hard enough that the mugger tripped forward. Which gave you the time to kick him in the balls, hard. Jason winced at the impact and the mugger staggered backwards with a groan and you successfully gained back your bag. “Ha!”

“You bitch!” he yelled and lunged towards you. But before either of you could do anything, Jason surged forward and shot him in the leg. The both of you screamed, you at the sudden noise and the mugger at the pain. Without looking to see who was there, you ducked behind a dumpster, out of harms way.

Clever Little Bird, Jason thought as he stalked towards his prey. “Your mom ever teach you manners?” Jason asked. The mugger shook his head and begged Jason not to kill him. Jason was tempted too, but an annoying voice in the back of his mind, who sounded suspiciously like Bruce, whispered, don’t kill.

“Nah, I’m not gonna kill ya,” he grumbled and waved him away with his gun. “But if I see ya again, I ain’t making any promises.” He took it as it was, and limped away as fast as he could. Jason watched as he disappeared before holstering his gun and turned around towards you with a frown. You were curled in on yourself, hugging your bag tight.

“Hey,” he said softly, reaching out to tap you on your shoulders. With no warning, you quickly spun around and hit him with your bag. He winced as it collided with his chest, surprising him.

“Oh my god!” you exclaimed once you realized who he was. You dropped your arms from the next attack Jason had no doubt would have followed through. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize it was you.”

“What are you packing in there?” he grunted as he rubbed his chest, “fucking bricks?”

“Textbooks,” you answered sheepishly, hugging your backpack to your chest. “I’m really sorry I thought you were someone else.”

“No worries, I ain’t mad,” he said with a smile. Though you couldn’t see it given the helmet. “Hellva reflex though. Not many would fight back.”

You shrugged, tightening your grip on the backpack. The adrenaline must be wearing off, Jason noted. You were starting to shake. “What can I say? My flight or fight kicked in and there was nowhere to run.”

“Still,” he said, taking the moment to study you, and wishing he had shot the punk when he clocked the bruise forming under your eye. Other than that, there was nothing of note to worry about. Physically at least. Emotionally, he had no idea where your mind was at. “Are you doing okay?”

“Uh maybe?” you said, unsure yourself. You took a deep breath to calm yourself but it came out shakily. “I don’t know. I will be, once I’m home though.”

“Need a lift?” Jason offered, catching you by surprise.  You lifted your head to look at him, eyes narrowed. As if you were trying to see under the helmet. He stood there and waited. Eventually, you shook your head. Disappointment filtered through Jason but he pushed it down.

“Thanks, but I’m just down the street. Don’t think anything else can happen between here and there,” you said and Jason’s heart leaped at all the possibilities of what could happen.

“You’re gonna jinx yourself if you keep saying stuff like that,” he pointed out. You only shrugged and gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

“I’m sure an angel is looking out for me,” you said, getting enough courage to pat him on the chest as you walked past him. “Be seeing ya, Red.”

Jason stood there for a moment and shook his head with a smile. You sure were something else. Though it was a short distance to your place, it didn’t stop Red Hood from following you until you made it to your apartment. Even then, he stayed on the roof adjacent to your building, waiting for your message saying you were okay.

You stood in front of your apartment door, keys in hand and frowned. With the adrenaline completely out of your system, and finally being alone, your mind raced with the events that transpired over the last couple of hours.

You had managed to make the last train and the journey was uneventful. It wasn’t until the walk home that your luck turned bad.

You were so focused on getting home that you didn’t notice the guy following you until he grabbed your backpack. You fought, Red Hood showered up surprising you and talked before going home.

You blinked at the memory. If you weren’t so in your head, you’d be giddy that you actually talked to Red Hood. You talked to Red Hood. What the fuck? You’re not even sure if you flirted with him near the end or not. But you were still processing everything.

You shook your head, trying to get out of it. You didn’t want to go inside. Going inside meant being alone, alone with your thoughts and that’s the last thing you wanted.

What you wanted was company, what you wanted was someone you haven’t even met yet, yet you knew you’d feel better after seeing him. You wondered if you called Jason, if he would pick up and ask to meet up. It couldn’t hurt to try.

With a half-baked plan, you finally unlocked the door. The first thing you do is plug in your phone, the second is to shower.

You wanted it to be quick, the faster you're done the faster you can leave the apartment. But you’re not sure what happened between grabbing your clothes and now. You just know that when you come to, your hair is wet and dressed in your comfortable clothes, and you find yourself standing in front of the mirror.

You feel better, if only a little.  You wince at the bruise and you could cover it up, but you’re tired and you don’t want to stay here any longer than you already have. Instead, you bushed your hair and leave the bathroom.

With your phone half charged, you grab it and your keys and wallet before leaving the apartment. As you walk towards the elevator, you open up your phone to see a few missed calls from your sister and Jason, and some texts from Jason asking if you’re okay. You made a note to call your sister in the morning and tried to ignore the guilt at seeing the messages from Jason. You pressed the button for the elevator, your thumb hovering over Jason’s name.

Maybe calling him will be a mistake, Despair whispered in your ear.

Or, maybe it’ll be the best thing in the world and you won’t regret it, Desire countered. And hope bloomed a little in your chest. With that, you pressed the call button without much thought and brought the phone to your ear.

One ring, you step in the elevator as you begin to second guess yourself that this was a bad idea. Second ring, you press the button for the lobby, starting to panic. Maybe he won’t pick up. Half of you hoped. By the third ring, you're off the elevator and almost hung up when the call connects.

“Little Bird?” Jason answered, and the grip on the phone tightened. You really didn’t think he’d pick up, and he doesn’t sound tired. For how late it is, anyways. If anything, he sounds awake, like he was waiting for something.

Guilt rears back into your stomach again when you realize he was waiting for you. Tears start to pool in the corner of your eyes, and you blink them away. You didn’t want to cry, that was for later, when you're curled up in a ball in bed. Waiting for sleep that you know will never come.

“Hey, you still there?” Jason asked, voice soft as if he knew that’s what you needed right now. Your heart warms at the person you’re slowly falling for. You clear your throat and hope your voice sounds normal when you answer.

“Hi,” your answer is a whisper, and you find yourself you don’t care.

“Hi,” he greeted back and you could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m surprised you're still awake. Figured you’d be in bed by now.”

"Yeah, me too. But I’m too wired to sleep,” you said, forcing your feet to move. You start walking out of the building and towards your favourite café that’s near your place. “Surprised you’re awake too. Still helping your brother?”

You’re so engrossed with your conversation, that you don’t feel eyes on you as you walk. And Jason hoped to keep it that way. “Nah, doing my own thing before going to bed. Surprised you called though. Usually, you shoot me a message.”

You stall for a moment, almost tripping on your feet, before walking again. “Er, yeah. Sorry I just…I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to say sorry. I don’t mind talking either. Besides, you've voice is music to my ears," Jason said, and you try not the blush with how casual he says things like that. "So, what’s up?”

You’re quiet for a second, chewing on your lip before blurting out the question, “do you want to meet up?”

You’re met with and you close your eyes at your stupidity. “Sorry,” you started, “that was stupid. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I get it. It’s fine. Plus, it’s super late, like two in the morning late. And we should be sleeping but the thought of being alone right now scares me. And I don’t want to be alone and I just really need some company. And I thought why not Jason? I wanted to meet him for awhile and I’ve now realized it was bad timing and-”

“Are you sure?” Jason interrupted your rambling and you couldn’t be more thankful. You were positive you would big yourself in a hole you couldn’t get out of if you kept talking.

“Sure about what?” you asked dumbly, as if you forgot what you had just asked him. You’ve reached the café and stood in front of the door, peering in.

“That you want to meet up,” Jason said with a chuckle.

“Oh, uh yeah, I am sure,” you said with a nod. “I mean if that’s okay with you?”

“Sure is,” he said, “can I ask what brought this on?”

You're silent for a moment, debating whether to answer him or wait until he’s here to say. But you think of the bruise under your eye and you think it’s better to tell him now. “I, um, almost got mugged on my way home. He didn’t get my stuff, but he did clock me in the face. Could be worse though, but I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Shit,” he breathed out, “are you okay?”

“Sorry,” you mumbled to the couple coming out of the café and stepped aside to let them go. You shrug even though he couldn’t see you. “Like I said, it could be worse.”

“Don’t. Don’t downplay what happened to you,” Jason said softly, “anyone would be shaken up after a mugging. You’re allowed to not be okay, sweetheart.”

The simple sentence is what breaks you, and you start letting the tears fall down your cheeks. “Damnit,” you mumbled, wiping your eyes with the sleeve of your sweater. “Have me crying in public Jason, not cool.”

“Sorry sweetie. Where are you? I’ll get there as soon as I can.” You rattle where you are and you can feel Jason’s smile through the phone. “I know the place. Order me a hot chocolate and I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Try not to break any laws now, Jason,” you muttered, though you smile all the same. Knowing you’ll meet Jason soon has you in better spirits since the incident happened.

“No promises.” With that, you hang up and walk into the building. You tell the barista your fine when she asks about the bruise and order your usual and Jason’s drink with a cake and find an empty table. You find yourself in the corner by a window, making your way over and you set your order down and sit facing the door.

You’re scrolling through your phone while you wait, trying to keep yourself distracted. And it helped with Jason texting you updates on what’s happening. You find it endearing, and a little silly, but it keeps you from spiraling and you're thankful.

Before you know it, you hear a roar of a motorcycle driving past, and you look up just in time to see them part in front of the building. You watch as they turn off the bike and climb off before taking the helmet off.

Breath escapes you as you recognize who it is, and pictures didn’t do Jason justice. Jason’s pretty, and you like the little white strip he has in his hair. It suits him, somehow.

Lifting your phone, you take a picture of him fluffing out his hair and type out a message saying you see him before sending it to him. You watch as he takes out his phone, frowning a little at the message. He whipped his head up and scanned the building until his eyes landed on you. All you can do is wave, and your heart almost leaps out of your chest at the smile he gives you.

It's brighter than you imagined and you're okay with it. Your eyes follow him as he makes his way inside. You stand when he makes his way towards you and you smile as he stands in front of you.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two of you before you start to laugh. Not a full belly laugh, just a light chuckle as if someone told you a joke. You’re not sure why you find the whole thing funny, but you do. Maybe you're too tired to fully process it completely.

“Are you okay?” Jason asked, a little worried. He took a step forward, arms moving to give you a hug, but stopped himself. Worried that you wouldn’t appreciate the gesture, scared that you might reject his touch. Your heart warms at the hesitation and you make the decision for him. Stepping forward, you wrap your arms around him and practically met into his chest.

After a moment of hesitation, Jason wraps his arms around you, hugging you tight. It's one of the best hugs you’ve ever had, and you can't seem to remember the last time someone hugged you that wasn’t family.

“I am now,” you whispered, blinking away more tears. “Sorry if this first meeting isn’t exactly to your expectations.”

“Nah, I wouldn’t change this for the world,” he said, leaning back a little. Snaking one hand to your chin, he gently lifted your face to look at you. He hissed a little at the bruising and you can’t seem to find yourself to be embarrassed about. Not with the look Jason’s giving you, like you’re the only person who matters to him.

“That’s good,” you mumbled, blushing a little with the attention he was giving you. You pull away a little, only to pull him to sit down. Your feet started to hurt and you needed to let them rest. Sitting across from him, you wrap your hands around your cup and let the heat seep into them. “You know, I almost didn’t call. Was too afraid you’d say no or something.”

Jason leaned over a bit and took off his jacket and you tried to not openly stare at his arms.

“Don’t think I could say no to you,” Jason said, taking a sip from his drink as you averted your gaze to his face. “But I’m glad you called, I was trying to work up the nerve to ask you to a coffee date or something. Something always stopped me though.”

“Well, we’re here now,” you pointed out, leaning over the table with a smile. “Nothing we can do but move forward.”

“Wise words coming from a lady who thought I was asking for a booty call,” Jason said with a smirk. You gasped at the reminder, and reached over to pull the plate of cake you had bought to share with him.

“You know, just for that, I’m not sharing this with you,” you said, and moved the plate closer when Jason moved to grab it.

“Now that’s not fair, Little Bird. It’s been a tough night dealing with my brothers all night, I need a little pick me up,” he said, trying to grab the plate from you again. You moved it just before he could grab it, and stuck your nose in the air.

“Guess you should have thought about that before insulting me, good sir.” Jason snorted, mock surrendering. You giggled and moved the plate back to the middle. “How was your night? Anything interesting happen?”

“Nah, not really. Turned out he didn’t really need my help, just said that to rope me in for family supper,” Jason answered, picking up the fork and stabbing a piece of cake before eating it.

“If you’re gonna be mean to the cake, I won’t share,” you threatened, trying not to smile when he gave you a look. “Family dinner huh? Can’t be all that bad.”

“It’s not,” Jason hummed, “I get to eat Alfred’s cooking and there are some siblings I don’t mind hanging out with. It can be too much sometimes, you know? Like they lived their lives while I was somewhere out there being raised by different people, you know?”

“Mm not really but I can imagine,” you said, smiling when he snorted. “But they’re trying, that’s all you can ask for. Question is though, are you trying?”

Jason shifted as you stared at him with raised eyebrows. “What is this? An interrogation?”

“Can be if you want it to be,” you quipped back. Following his lead as he leaned forward.

“If anyone’s gonna do the questioning, it’s gonna be me.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, Little Bird.”

The two of you stare at each other, waiting to see who cracks first at the challenge. You blink and you know you’ve lost. “Yeah okay. But you didn’t answer my question,” you reminded him, leaning back.

“Yeah I’m trying, just hard,” he answered and he took a moment to study you. “Are you doing okay? Not to be rude, but you look exhausted.”

You snort and rub your eyes only to wince when you touch the bruise. “I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to process everything properly.”

“How’d you mean?”

“Like I didn’t sit down and cry about it yet. When I got home all I wanted to do was leave. But I forced myself to shower but I think I blacked out or something, I don’t know. I don’t remember it. After that, I left my apartment as fast as I could and called you.”

“Which I’m glad you did, but now you have to take a moment and let it sink in. You can take it now, let yourself not be okay, I won’t judge. Hell, I’m probably the last person to judge.”

You gave him a sad smile and slowly slumping down into your seat, trying to hide from the mostly empty café. As if sensing what you’re trying to do, Jason gets up and moves to sit beside you, angling his body so you’re hidden from view.

A wave of fondness washes over you, and you think he can’t surprise you anymore then he already has. Taking a deep breath, you slowly let it out and close your eyes. Listening to Jason and let yourself not be okay.

The night plays like a movie behind your eyelids and you fight to keep it playing. You  feel all the emotions that you managed to push away hit you like a truck, making you tear up. You cover your eyes with your arm and feel movement from beside you.

But you're too embarrassed to look, so you wait until Jason’s right beside you.

“I’m going to hug you okay?” You hear Jason whisper close to your ear. You nod and almost flinch when his arms snake around your waist, but you don’t. This touch is warm, caring. The complete opposite of the mugger. You feel safe for the first time that night.

You relaxed in Jason’s embrace and balled your firsts in his shirt as you cried. He sat there, rubbing your side, whispering that you’re okay, that it will be okay, and waited until you were done. 

You sniffle when the sob has subsided but you don’t let go just yet. You’re exhausted, embarrassed that you ended up crying on Jason, and you're not yet ready to face him.

“You’re okay,” Jason murmured, squeezing you reassuringly. You only nod, moving slightly to wipe your nose with your sleeve. But as you move to do that, there’s a napkin in front of you.

“Thanks,” you muttered, taking it and blowing your nose.

“Feeling better?” Jason asked, moving slightly but he kept you in his hold. And you're grateful for it. His touch was something you could get used to.

“Yeah, much. I think I could sleep forever,” you joked, leaning into him you felt his chuckle more then heard it.

“Please don’t, I enjoy your company,” he said and you smiled. “I hope you feel the same.”

“I do,” you hummed, “I’m sorry for crying all over you. I think I got your shirt all wet and snotty.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. It was something you needed and I’ll gladly be your shoulder to cry on.”

Silence settled between you, and you closed your eyes feeling the need to sleep. The two of you stayed like that until Jason could feel your body relax into sleeping.

“Come on, I think it’s time for you to go home,” Jason stated, shaking you a little to keep you awake.

“Noooo,” you whined, pouting as you sat up slowly. “But I’m having a great time.”

“You need sleep,” Jason pointed out, collecting your garbage and standing to throw it out. When he came back, he put on his jacket and smirked as you stared. “We can always hang out another time. Maybe next time it won’t happen at three in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he answered, holding out his hand. You blinked at it before grabbing it and he helped you up. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“You don’t have to have,” you said, quick to shake your head.

“Please? For my peace of mind,” Jason said as he walked the both of you out. “Plus it prolongs the time I get to spend time with you.”

Opening your mouth to argue, you stop yourself and feel the blush creeping into your cheeks. “Fine,” you agreed begrudgingly, though glad for the company.

The walk was short, you spent the time talking about anything that came to mind. And before you knew it you were standing in front of your door. Jason had insisted on walking you up, to make sure you didn’t trip on anything. He had claimed and you didn’t seem to mind.

You have thought about inviting him in, but sleep was calling you and you didn’t want to seem too eager.

“So this is me,” you said awkwardly, unsure how to say goodnight.

“I had a good time,” he said, smiling. You squinted up at him, only now realizing how tall he was. 

“I ended up crying.”

“You had a bad night, you deserved to cry after what happened to you,” he countered. “Like I said, I’m the last person to judge.” 

“I’m going to get that story one day,” you challenged, and he leaned down a little, smirking. Cocky bastard.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, and you gently punched him in the chest with a laugh.

“Text me when you get home?”

“Awe, you worried about me,” he teased. You rolled your eyes as you took your keys out and unlocked the door.

“I can unworry about you,” you said, swinging the door open. Before going in, you turned and gave him a hug, squeezing tight. “Thanks, for you know.”

Jason returned the hug and buried his nose in your hair. “Anytime. Glad you're feeling better.”

You stay like that for a moment before Jason lets you go. He cupped your cheeks and for a brief moment, you thought he might kiss you.

“Night Little Bird, see you soon.”

With that, he turned and walked down the hallway, leaving you feeling warm inside.

Walking in, you unlocked the door and immediately plopped into your bed, letting your body relax. Sleep pulled at you but you were determined to stay awake until Jason texted.

But sleep was just as determined and stronger, you fell asleep just as your phone chimed.

Jason I’m home

[ahonice]

it doesn't matter

jamie drysdale x fem reader (ft. trevor zegras)

word count: 4.3k

warnings: drinking, sexual themes and mentions of sex, cursing, jamie being a fake swiftie (dw that is taken care of), reader has a guilty conscious, fluff (some angst i think), happy ending (those are rare on this blog), not proofread because i accidentally queued this so it posted on its own oops

note: i rewrote this about three times over the past two months, hope you guys are pleased with the final outcome. any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. hope you guys enjoy. have a great day, love y’all babes <3 !!!

+++

“hey you’re single right?” your head shot up at the sound of trevor, one of your closest friends, voice. you had known trevor since you moved to anaheim for college, on your first day in town he accidentally took your coffee from the pickup area at starbuck and you chased him down because you would be damned if you spent ten dollars on an iced coffee that you wouldn’t of been able to drink. it would’ve been a lie if you said you didn’t have a crush on him, he was so funny and kind and not to mention the fact that he is genuinely gorgeous, but you never acted on anything because you were worried he wouldn’t reciprocate your feelings, and the fact that the two of you have had one too many drunken, and a couple sober, hookups didn’t help either.

“of course i am, or else what we did last night would’ve been morally wrong, why?” your heart rate picked up, thoughts running a mile a minute. was he about to ask you out? did he actually like you back the way you dreamed he did? was our relationship finally gonna be something more than friends who fuck at times?

“i wanna set you up with my roommate, jamie. i think you guys would like each other.”

+++

it was a crushing blow, not only did trevor just inadvertently just tell you your feelings are one sided, but that they are so one sided that he thinks his roommate would be a better match for you than himself. you felt sick to your stomach, this was in no way a heartbreak, but that doesn’t mean it can’t hurt.

“earth to y/n.” trevor’s voice shook you from your trance, you had completely forgotten he was there. “you good? you haven’t said a word in like five minutes.”

“yeah i’m fine, um who is this guy? i don’t think i’ve heard you talk about a jamie before.” you wanted this to be a joke, for trevor to say he was kidding, maybe jamie wasn’t real and he just wanted to see if i was open to a relationship right now. 

“well he’s on the ducks as well, seems like your type. brunette with blue eyes, he’s got nice eyebrows too, just a couple weeks older than you, i know you don’t like extremely tall guys so him being 5’11 is perfect.” the more trevor went on about jamie the more you realized that jamie was in fact a real person and did seem like my exact type. “he has freckles too, i know you love those on guys and he looks good in the color green, he checks off all your boxes y/n.” you hated that he did. 

“can i see a picture before i agree to anything?” you didn’t want trevor to get suspicious when you said no, so you wanted to seem like you were at least considering it.

“absolutely.” looking over at trevor’s phone you let out a small sound of surprise.

he was gorgeous

“trevor why have you never told me about him before?” you said, grabbing his phone to go through all of his instagram posts. “he is literally beautiful!” 

“i honestly didn’t even think about it, but jamie saw you at our party last week and asked about you and i knew i had to make you two happen.” trevor said, taking his phone back. “come over tonight. we’re having a party before the season starts, you’ll be able to meet jamie.”

+++

it didn’t take you very long to get ready, your hair and makeup having already been done from your errands earlier in the day, but you did struggle picking out an outfit as every twenty year old girl would. you didn’t quite know who it was that you were dressing up for, in previous months it was always trevor. you were always hoping that he would see you and you would end up staying with him until the morning. while that was usually the case, the second part of your fantasy never came true. the part where trevor realizes he has feelings for you that go further than seeing you as a good fuck. but now there was jamie, you hadn’t even met him yet and you were still wanting to impress him. maybe trevor would see you with jamie and it would make him realize his feelings for you. but jamie seemed nice, once trevor left you looked him up and watched a few too many tiktoks and interviews involving him, he seemed like the polar opposite of trevor and that might just be what you need, it also doesn’t hurt that he was just about one of the most attractive men you’ve ever seen in your life, trevor was not lying when he said that jamie was your exact type. settling on a simple pink top and black jeans you made your way towards the uber trevor had ordered for you, palms sweaty and legs slightly shaking as you confirmed where you were headed before you saw your apartment complex disappear in the distance. 

+++

“y/n thank god you’re here, i was starting to think you were pussying out.” trevor loudly yelled as he approached you, great he was already at least three drinks in. “catch up” he said once he was standing in front of you, handing you a beer. 

“i don’t drink this crap, you know this.” you said, shaking your head as trevor silently continued to push the can in your face.

“fine, i bought you some caymans. they’re in the garage fridge, but don’t take too long, jamie is excited to meet you.” you ignored the way his eyebrows wiggled as you began walking towards the garage.

once you were in there you grabbed two drinks, just so you wouldn’t have to come back out for at least half an hour, as well as a shooter. you needed the liquid confidence that would come from the tiny bottle of pink whitney. 

once you made your way back into the party you walked around looking for trevor, stopping a couple of times to greet those you knew, before you found him sitting with the man of the hour.

“y/n! come here, meet jamie.” trevor waved you over, you took a generous sip of the alcohol in your hand before making your way over, sitting down on the couch. trevor in the middle of us, as he began rambling to no one in particular about something you didn’t quite know, your ears tuning him out as the sound of your heartbeat in your ears took over all your senses. 

“y/n, are you even listening to me?” trevor asked you, gently poking the exposed part of your waist.

“no.” the laugh you heard after that made a bush creep up your neck, jamie’s laugh was just as beautiful as he was.

“rude, anyways y/n this is jamie. jamie, this is y/n.” he motioned the two of you towards each other as he talked, jamie reached in front of him to offer you his hand. “now get to know one another, i’m gonna go play pong.” trevor stood up before you could protest him leaving you alone with jamie.

you expected it to be awkward, but it wasn’t. conversation was flowing between the two of you like you had known each other for years, you talked about the basics, what tv shows you enjoyed, favorite movies, taste in music, which then led to a thirty minute discussion about taylor swift and how jamie claimed he was a swiftie but couldn’t name any songs that weren’t played on the radio

“i have a lot to teach you i guess.” you were definitely making it obvious that you were interested in him, but you didn’t care. you’d usually be so shy around a guy so cute, but something about jamie made you calm, that was the simplest way to put it.

“i would love that.” the blush on his face matched yours. you smiled at him, contemplating whether or not you wanted to ask the question you had been wanting the answer to all night.

“so why have i never seen you around or met you before? i’ve known trevor for almost two years now, and i’m over here quite a lot.” 

“i usually just stay in my room all day, especially during parties, i’m not the biggest fan of them.”

“then why are you out here right now and not bunkered up in your room?”

“i wanted to meet you, to get to know you.” jamie answered, scratching the back of his head and giving you a sheepish smile. “i came downstairs last weekend to grab something from the kitchen and that's when i saw you, i really lucked out that you are friends with trevor or else i probably never would’ve been able to find out who you were.” 

you nodded at his response, informing him that you were glad you were friends with trevor too.

“speaking of him, i was hoping to see him again before i left.” you told jamie, standing up from your spot on the couch noticing his slightly upset expression. “let me give you my number, i would love to see you again, maybe begin my lessons on taylor swift to you.” 

“i would love that.”

+++

after exchanging contact information with jamie you made your way outside towards the pong tables, hoping that trevor would still be out there. 

“hey trevor, i was just about to leave, wanted to say goodbye.” you said approaching him in the dimly lit yard.

“you’re leaving already? i didn’t even get any time with you.” he pouted, resting his chin on your shoulder his arms loosely around your waist. 

“sorry trev, but i got to know jamie. don’t let this get to your head, but i think you might be a pretty good wingman.” you joked, your arms around his neck gently running your hands through the ends of his hair. it wasn’t abnormal for the two of you to be so affectionate, so this felt normal.

“good, i’m glad.” his tone didn’t sound like his statement, but you could easily chalk that up to the alcohol in his system finally wearing him down. 

“why don’t i help you get into bed? basically everyone has left already.” you suggested, forcing his head up to meet yours at your eye level.

he smirked before responding. “i like where this was going.” 

“nothing like that buddy, besides you just set me up with your best friend that wouldn’t be a good idea, don’t you think?”

“that's not fair, you can’t do that.” he mumbled, his head dropping back down into the crook of your neck. “you can’t say you're taking me to bed, and then not take me to bed the way i want you to take me to bed."

you rolled your eyes at his comment and began dragging him back inside and up towards his room. once you wrestled him out of his jeans, giving up on putting pants on him because of his multiple attempts to lure you into bed, you got him to lay down and made sure he was comfortable before you headed downstairs to get some water and pain killers for him to take once he woke up in the morning. 

“goodnight trevor.”

you made your way outside onto the front lawn while you waited for your uber to arrive. you usually would’ve taken trevor up on his offer to spend the night with him, but something about even just thinking about doing that was now making you feel guilty. it wasn’t like you and jamie were in a committed relationship or anything, but he seemed to genuinely like you and was actually interested in getting to know you and you didn’t want to do anything to sabotage that.

+++

from: unknown number

can we meet up today for coffee or lunch? i would love to start becoming a real swiftie.

to: unknown number

am i right in assuming this is jamie??

from: unknown number 

yes 🙃

to: jamie🤭

i would love to meet up.

to: jamie🤭

could we get lunch? i am literally starving because of my hangover.

from: jamie🤭

absolutely. send me your address, i’ll come pick you up. 

+++

you were in full panic mode, you had no idea what to wear and the fact that it was visibly obvious that you were hungover didn’t help at all. you told jamie to give you at least thirty minutes, after he told you that an hour was too long. 

you took the fastest shower you ever have in your life before tackling the biggest issue, your outfit. you went through every drawer, bin, and your closet before you decided on biker shorts and a crewneck. you could only hope that jamie wasn’t planning on taking you somewhere with a dress code. 

makeup was applied and your hair was pulled into a claw clip before jamie texted you that he was outside, you did some final touches before you made your way out of your apartment complex. you lucked out seeing that jamie was in a comfy outfit just like you were. once you were buckled up jamie handed you his phone and told you to pick the music before driving off.

+++

“so what is your all time favorite taylor swift song?” jamie asked once he joined you in the booth you found for the two of you, he had taken you to in and out claiming he was craving a burger, and you didn’t complain because you would never pass up the opportunity to fuck up some animal fries.

“i don’t have just one, i think it is humanly impossible to have just one.” you told him, taking a sip of your lemonade before continuing. “i do, however, have a list of my top sixteen songs by her in no particular order.”

“sixteen songs? that’s insane.” 

“she has over two hundred songs, you’ve got a lot of listening to do.”

“well why don’t you give me your list of songs, the only ones i really care about are the ones you like.” you blushed at his words, before stating all of your favorite songs by her. his only responses were “i don’t know that one, never heard of it, i know that one, wait no i don’t”

once you were done and jamie confirmed all the songs were now added to his spotify you two began eating as you gave him a run down of her career.

“so who is your favorite and least favorite ex of hers?”

“i hope you don’t have plans for the rest of the day because i have a lot to say on this.”

+++

“do you want to get dessert? there is a nice ice cream place a few minutes from here.” jamie asked while you two were walking around huntington beach. you didn’t even realize how long the two of you had been hanging out until he asked if you wanted to get dinner, and now three hours after that when he is now asking to get dessert. 

“yea i would love to.” he smiled down at you and you made the move to hold his hand. “sorry, i hope this is ok, i just wanted to hold your hand.” you blushed, turning your head away from him.

“it’s ok, i wanted to as well.” he blushed as well before he began leading the way towards the ice cream shop. 

+++

“i had a lot of fun today, i was honestly a little nervous that with both of us sober it would be a little awkward, but it wasn’t and i would like to see you again. soon. sorry if that is a bit forward.” you told jamie as he pulled up in front of your apartment.

“i’d like to see you soon too, like tomorrow soon. are you busy tomorrow? we could get dinner, a nice place this time, not that in and out and qdoba aren’t nice it’s just-”

“yea i would love to, just send me the restaurants info before so i can figure out what to wear.”

“you’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear y/n.” you blushed at jamie’s comment before leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek. you were quick to get out of the car, yelling a goodbye as you ran into the front doors of your building.

+++

“finally you’re back. where the hell were you? i’ve been here for hours.” 

“how the hell did you get into my apartment trevor?” you asked the boy who was sprawled out across your couch eating your food. “stop eating my wheat thins asshole.”

“i found your spare key, i mean hiding it on the top of the door frame is just a horrible idea y/n.” trevor said as he went back into your kitchen, hopefully to put your snacks away.

“what are you doing her trev?” you asked, taking your shoes off before making your way into the living room.

“where were you? you’re never out late, and i got here at like two and it’s now eleven. did you pick up a shift?” trevor was quick to join you on the couch, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over the two of you.

“no, i was actually with jamie, he picked me up at noon to get lunch and then we spent the whole day together.” you blushed remembering how much fun you had today and how it was the first time in a while that you had enjoyed a date that much.

“oh, i didn’t realize that you two were getting along that well.” trevor said, reaching towards the table to grab the remote. “what the hell did you two talk about for nearly twelve hours? jamie cannot be that interesting of a guy.”

“we started off talking about taylor swift and how he is a fake swiftie, just like you are.” trevor cut you off with a gasp and hit you with the pillow he was using. “and then we talked about our childhoods, stories from school and growing up where we did.” you smiled at nothing, just reflecting on this one story jamie had told you about his worst halloween costume, which you then one upped with your own horrible halloween story. “thanks for pushing me to meet him trevor, i know it’s only been a day but i feel an actual connection with him and i can’t remember the last time i felt that with a guy.” 

+++

you and jamie had been going on dates multiple times a week for the past month now and tonight the team had the night off and jamie was taking you to his favorite restaurant for date night. you weren’t dating, yet, but both you and jamie have spoken about it as something you both want. it’s just up to when the timing is right.

“where is he taking you out tonight?” trevor asked you as he joined you in your bedroom. you called him over to help you pick out an outfit for tonight.

“cortina’s” it wasn’t a black tie restaurant, but it wasn’t a jeans and a tshirt restaurant either. “i was thinking my black leather pants and then a nice top, maybe my pink top with the mesh sleeves?” you were met with silence from your best friend, “hello? earth to trevor.”

“sorry what?” you rolled your eyes before entering the bathroom, changing into the outfit you had in mind. “what do you think?”

“i think that jamie isn’t coming to pick you up for another two hours and that gives us plenty of time to have some fun.” trevor said, wrapping his arms around your waist and giving you open mouth kisses on the exposed skin of your neck down to your shoulder, you let yourself revel in the feeling before you snapped back into your senses.

“trevor stop.” you pushed his arms off of you as you distanced yourself from him. “trevor you can’t do that, we can’t do this anymore.”

“why not y/n? you and jamie aren’t dating, there is nothing wrong with it. it’s been a month and i’m getting frustrated.” he groaned, flopping down onto your bed.

“that is not my issue trev, don’t blame me. i can guarantee that there are at least one hundred girls in your dm’s right now who would be willing to hook up with you, go bother one of them.” you snapped back at him, not in the mood.

“i don’t want some random girl, i want you y/n. aren’t you in the mood even a little bit, it’s been a month for you too.” you avoided his eyes as you made your way to your vanity to begin your makeup. “wait have you been fucking jamie? what the fuck y/n?”

“trevor you have no right to be upset, we are nothing. you were the one who set us up. isn’t this what you wanted?”

“no this isn’t what i wanted, i should’ve just made jamie make a move on his own. if that was the case you would still have no idea who the hell he was because jamie is too much of a little-”

“get out.” you cut trevor off before he could say anything worse. “trevor get out and don’t talk to me until you manage to get your head out of your ass.”

+++

“is everything okay? you seem a bit off.” jamie asked, he was right. after your argument with trevor you had been a bit out of it, the guilt of what you had done with trevor in the past was eating away at you. “could we talk about it later? i don’t want to ruin dinner.” your voice was shaky as you spoke.

“yes of course, but i’m gonna be honest i’m a little worried now.” jamie said, playing with the napkin on his lap. 

“i am too, don't worry.” your attempt at a joke didn’t help, but thankfully the waiter came to take our orders. 

+++

dinner was terrible. 

you two tried your hardest to have everything be normal and how things had been in the past month, but both of you were worried about what you had to say. jamie was scared you were gonna break things off with him, he was already nervous for tonight because he was going to ask to make things official between you two, and now he was even more on edge. while you were worried that after you told him about you and trevor’s past that he would no longer want anything to do with you and would break things off before they even got fully started. 

“so can you tell me what is going on?” jamie asked once you two had exited the restaurant and were sitting in his car.

“i want you to know that this started before i even knew you existed and it stopped the moment i met you.” you took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. “trevor and i had been hooking up, for nearly the whole time we were friends, but i swear to you the second i met you i cut it off. i’m really sorry for not telling you sooner, it’s just that i really, really, like you and i didn’t want anything to jeopardize that, even though keeping it a secret probably wasn’t the best alternative.” you looked out the window, avoiding his gaze, afraid of how badly he was judging you right now. “i understand if you don’t want to continue this anymore, you can just drop me off right here and i’ll uber home.”

“y/n. i don’t care.” you finally peeled your eyes away from the reflection of the cars in the side view mirror to see jamie looking at you with a smile. “your previous relationships are none of my business, yes it is a bit uncomfortable that he is my roommate and one of my closest friends, as well as one of yours, but i really, really, like you too so that doesn’t matter to me.” you smiled back at him, a few tears building up in your waterline. “i was actually going to ask you if you wanted to be my girlfriend, and i still want to. so y/n would you make me the happiest man alive and officially become my girlfriend?”

“yes jamie, i would be honored.” you leaned over the center console and kissed his cheek, to not distract him from the road. “it sounds like you proposed jamie.” you laughed. “are things going to be weird around trevor for you?” you hated the idea of being the cause of their falling out, or to have any team problems sprout from this.

“yes.” jamie replied bluntly. “and i’m definitely not the biggest fan of you two hanging out without me there, at least for a little bit, but it’ll all work out. i won’t let it get to me or my game, but the second he makes a comment about you it’s over.”

you giggled before replying with a short “got it.” and placed your hand over his.

“and don’t worry, i never plan on going anywhere without you drysdale. you’re gonna have to start coming to girls' nights too.”

+++

note: i actually rewrote this three times and each time the plot was different, the last version was so much juicer and had so much drama (trevor realized he was in love with reader, but he was too late dun dun DUNNNN) but i cut that out because i couldn’t get the wording right. anyways i hope y’all enjoyed, leave feedback (any and all is appreciated), have a great day, i love y’all babes <3 !!!

[aeongstarss]

Just friends !

warnings: drinking

genre/type: fluff, somun x fem!reader, !counter Y/N,

wc: 1.2k

synopsis: Hana invited DoHwi to meet everyone. Once everyone starts drinking, this leads to a confession that everyone has been anticipating.

title track: Can I go back - MC MONG ft Kim Sejeong

a/n: hi everyoneeee :3 I hope you're all doing good and had a great holiday season! I haven't written in a while, but Somun has been intruding my brain recently, so I wanted to write this request I had! thank you @acupnoodle for the request! I hope you enjoy it <3

You and the counters sit at the kitchen table awaiting Hana to bring DoHwi home for you all to meet. He knows nothing about you all being counters, including Hana. 

You and Somun help Ms.Chu set the table while Motak keeps teasing Hana about her long lost lover. “He’s not my boyfriend! He’s just an old friend from school!” she says in defense. “If he was just a ‘friend’, why are you bringing him home to meet your family?” he questions. Hana stays silent and rolls her eyes, punching Motak in the arm. “Stop teasing me and go help them set the table.” she says while walking to her room. 

Motak rubs his bicep, staring at Hana in disbelief. “What has gotten into her…” he whines. “Maybe if you didn’t tease her for 3 hours straight she would be acting differently.” you speak up. “Hey, I was just asking questions!” he says. “Yeah, annoying and personal questions.” Somun says. Motak sighs out, “Wow.. is everyone anti-Motak today?” he cries out. You all laugh as you set the final dishes on the table. 

–

“Guys, this is DoHwi. We went to the same school a few years ago.” she says as if you all don’t know every detail about him already. “and this is Ms.Chu, Somun, Motak and Y/N.” 

DoHwi bows and everyone says their greetings. He joins you all at the table, sitting next to Hana. Before the conversation can start again, you are already whipping out 3 bottles of Soju. You offer Dohwi some, but he declines. “Thank you, but I don’t drink.” he says politely. Somun and Ms.Chu pressure him into “just a sip”, and that one sip eventually turns into 15 sips.

You all are at the table drunkenly laughing and getting to know DoHwi. You start feeling a slight headache coming on so you naturally lay your head on Somuns shoulder. Somun pays no attention to this as this is the norm, but everytime this happens, a light shade of pink creeps onto his cheeks. 

The whole night the attention has been on DoHwi and Hana, so he decides to shift the topic of conversation onto you and Somun. 

“So how long have you been with Somun, Y/N?” he asks. You pick your head up from Somuns shoulder with wide eyes. “Together? With him? Oh my god no.” you say through a stutter. Somun lets out a breathy laugh in agreement, “Yeah, no way I’d ever date her.” 

The table falls silent after the mini panic. Somun clears his throat, breaking the loud and thick silence. “Yeah guys! You two are so cute together! Are you sure there’s nothing going on?” Motak says while leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms. 

An angry pout grows onto your face. Through slurred words you mutter, “I am not dating Somun! We. Are. Just. Friends!” After raising your voice, the headache comes back faster than ever, and you faint onto Somuns lap. 

Somun stares at you while you whine, “Ugh.. Somunie, my head hurts so bad. I think too much I drank.” you say rubbing your head. Somun awkwardly laughs and looks back at the table staring at him with half smiles. “I think you meant to say you drank too much.” he laughs. His face grows into a bright red as he tries to pull you off of him. You whine out as you slowly move your head off his lap. 

DoHwi tilts his head with a smile. “Just friends?” 

“Yessss.” you say, exaggerating your words. You shouldn’t have taken that last shot. Now you are entirely too drunk and can barely think straight. Thankfully, Somun didn’t drink as much as you. 

“We are just close friends. There’s nothing going on between us.” he says as a final statement as a way to change the topic; but knowing how much the counters love to tease, that’s not happening. 

You say under your breath, “Pfft..nothing going on.” you mock. Somuns eyes widen. “Okay! I think it’s Y/N’s bedtime!” he says avoiding the immense embarrassment. Somun goes to grab you shoulder but you shove him off. “I’m fine here.” you say. Somun sighs in slight frustration but lets you have your way, as he always does. 

45 minutes have passed and the conversation has finally made its way onto a different topic. 

“So… Are you and Hana dating?” Somun asks DoHwi. He laughs, “No, we are just friends.” Ms.Chu and Motak sigh, “Why can’t young people just admit they like each other.” Motak speaks up. 

Hana and DoHwi turn red, as well as you and Somun. Ms.Chu and Motak laugh, successfully embarrassing you all. 

You stand up, barely keeping your balance. “Fine! If no one will, I will.” you say. Everyone looks at you in confusion as you turn your attention to Somun, grabbing his face with both hands. “Somunie.. I like you.” you mutter out. Time freezes as you just confessed your feelings to Somun. The table falls silent as everyone is staring at you and Somun. You throw your arms up, “There, are you guys happy now?” you pout, sitting back down. 

Motak stands up and starts clapping. “I knew it! There was definitely something going on!” Somun gives Motak the death stare, but everyone is too drunk to notice. “So, how long has this been going on?” Ms.Chu asks. 

Somun sighs out in defeat, knowing there’s no way he can get himself out of this situation. “Alright look, I didn’t know she liked me! Like we said earlier, there’s nothing going on!” 

“Do you like her back at least?” DoHwi asks. You whine and wrap your arm around Somuns bicep, “Yeah Somun, do you like me too?” you ask, teasing him, secretly wanting to know if your feelings are going to be reciprocated. Somun sighs and sits in silence for a while, until he speaks up. “Yes Y/N. I like you too.” he says, patting your head. 

The table cheers at the sudden confessions. Hana raises her glass in a toast. “To our new couple!” she says as the others clink their glasses. 

–

You wake up at 3am in Somuns bed. Looking around in a slight daze, you find him asleep on the floor with nothing but a thin blanket and a stuffed animal. You step carefully out of bed, sitting on the floor next to him. You play with his hair as he sleeps. “You know Somun, I meant what I said earlier.” you pause “I really do like you. Like really really like you.” you say through a smile. You play with his hair for a little longer before getting up to go back to bed. A hand grabs your arm and pulls you back. “I like you too.” he says through a raspy voice. You smile and grab his hand, rubbing your thumb along the back side of his hand. 

You stand up and grab a thicker blanket off the bed, laying it atop him. You lean over and place a small kiss upon his forehead. “I’m glad you feel the same. I’ve liked you ever since I joined the team.” 

Somun lets out a tired moan in response. You laugh, knowing he is way too tired for conversation right now. 

You place another kiss, this time upon his lips. Somuns face turns red, despite him practically being asleep. You smile.

 “Goodnight Somun.”

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 16 ~ It ain't like that

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 3.6k

In this chapter ~ After a day full of awkward tension within the group and an even more awkward dinner, Rose finds herself trailing back up towards where Daryl is recovering, in hopes to find some kind of escape. But not even she could deny that she enjoyed his company and presence more than she ever imagined.

Walking down the porch steps, my eyes scanned around the area to see if I could spot Carl anywhere. But from what I could see he wasn't anywhere out in the open.  I then caught sight of Dale sitting nearby in one of his chairs just outside of the RV reading a book, his glasses set on the tip of his nose.

I let out a sigh, swallowing my embarrassment thickly before walking up to him. I could feel the uncomfortable conversation from all the way over here about what he witnessed me do, but we both had to get over it some way I guess.

"Hey, have you seen Carl? I'm supposed to take him shooting." I explained.

He just nodded his head back towards the RV, not taking his eyes off the page. My eyes narrowed as I stood there for a moment, debating if I should say something else about the obvious tension or not. I felt like I had every good reason to yell at Andrea because what she did was stupid, and everyone knew how fast she could've killed Daryl. I didn't expect Dale to necessarily take my side, but I also wasn't expecting him to ignore me.

"You're mad at me for what I did." I stated.

His eyes finally panned up towards me slowly, "I'm not mad, but I sure as hell didn't expect that from you Rose." he snapped.

"Well, what did you expect me to do?" I asked with a scoff, "Just sit there and let Andrea think she can get away with bloody murder?"

The man did nothing but stare at me, not having a good enough response to say out loud, though he wanted to defend her.

"Look, I know you're close with her, but you have to admit she doesn't listen for anything, and she thinks she can just do whatever she wants. I wanted to make it clear that she isn't going to get away with that type of shit anymore. Not as long as I'm around."

The man licked his lips in annoyance, taking his reading glasses of to look towards me with a tilted head, "The message is fair, but it's the way you said it to her and how you got physical. That's what I don't like."

"Heat of the moment." I muttered with a shrug.

"You have to understand that she's going through a hard time right now. You were there when she lost Amy and when she wanted to stay behind at the CDC, you witnessed those things." he expressed with gesturing hands.

"Dale, I understand that okay? But that doesn't give her a free pass to do whatever she wants, especially when it involves hurting other people. She didn't listen, simple as that, and Daryl almost lost his life because of it."

"Why are you so concerned about Daryl?" he then asked suddenly.

"You're not?" I clapped back.

"I am," he assured, "But I didn't tackle Andrea and scream at her because of her mistake." he replied.

"Dale," I said sternly, "That's not the point. The point is she fucked up and I handled it. I'm sorry if what I did upset you, but I'm sure as hell not sorry for doing it."

He opened his mouth to say something in return, but I was already halfway in the RV before he had the chance to utter another word. I don't know why he brought up Daryl like that, but the fact that he did, trying to take the conversation in a whole different direction, really pissed me off.

Carl was sitting down at the table when I walked in, reading a comic book quietly to himself. I didn't know how much of the conversation he heard, but to me it didn't matter. I just tried my best to put on a fake smile and pretend like the argument didn't happen.

"Hey kid, you ready to go practice?" I asked him.

He smiled and nodded his head, placing his book down to stand up and leave. We then walked out of the RV and made our way over to Rick to let him know we were heading out, and when he gave us the okay, we headed towards the trees. Trying to find a safe place to practice where the shots couldn't be heard anywhere near the farm.

My mind was elsewhere as we walked side by side, not being able to shake the conversation Dale and I had. I even felt myself began to question if I was truly in the wrong, if I truly was a bit too harsh. But in the end I knew I wasn't.

Maybe I had taken it a bit too far, but I wanted her to actually hear me. That, and the anger I felt seemed to have gotten the best of me, though it still didn't mean I regretted a thing.

"I heard your fight with Dale." Carl said suddenly.

I sighed with my eyes closed, "It wasn't a fight, it was just... a disagreement...about something I did earlier."

"Everyone kind of knows know," he replied. "What you did to Andrea I mean."

"Great." I deadpanned.

"I don't think it's bad. I think you were just trying to protect Daryl, and so does everyone else... plus I don't really like Andrea she's kind of mean to me." he said.

A slow smile creeped onto my face, "Yeah? Well, next time she's mean to you tell me, I'll put her on her ass again." I said, nudging my arm with his.

He smiled and nodded as we continued to walk through the woods.

We had been practicing for around two hours and the sun was starting to set, so we started to wrap it up and walk back to the farm. The kid was actually a pretty good shot and picked up fast on how to aim. I was proud of him, and I knew his dad would be too once the kid told him every single detail. He was practically skipping down the dirt path, too excited to tell everyone about the things he had accomplished.

The only thing we needed to do now was to get him some moving targets. Make it a little more challenging for him so he had something even better to brag about.

Once the house began to come into view, the second Carl spotted Rick, he rushed towards him. His mouth ran constantly as he told him everything and how much fun he seemed to have. Rick nodded listened to his son before looking up at me and smiling silently in appreciation.

I only chimed in once to genuinely tell him how well he did and how much of a natural he was when it came to this. He even knew how to hold the gun before I even got the chance to show him myself. But I guess judging by who his dad is, it wasn't too big of a surprise.

Once Carl ran inside to tell his mom as well, Rick came up next to me, "Thank you for taking him out there, I can tell he had a lot of fun." he said with a smile, "Are you sure you were okay with taking him? You're still injured, you know."

I smiled and shook my head, "No, I'm okay don't worry. I bounce back pretty quick."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around me as we made our way back to the house, the smell of the freshly cooked food coming out of the open windows.

A few women from our group decided to get together and help make a giant dinner for Hershel and his family. A simple thank you for letting us stay on their land for so long, showing them how much we truly appreciated it.

We all began to gather around with plates full of food in the dining room, sitting myself down in the space between Glenn and Rick at the giant table.

Though I soon came to realize only after a few seconds that I could easily cut the tension in here with a knife. Everyone was completely silent as we ate, the only sound being the utensils against the plates, and I didn't fail to notice the glares I was receiving from Shane for absolutely no reason.

He stared at me through his tired lids, chewing his food aggressively as if I had shit in the food he was eating. His eyes seemed darker and dead, making me grow slightly uncomfortable in my seat as I shifted around.

My eyes then locked with Andrea's as she looked at me sadly, almost apologetically, with Dale right next to her giving me the same expression. I clenched my teeth together harshly, wanting to just get away from the six watchful eyes that burned into my skin.

Glenn pushed his food around on his plate awkwardly, "So... does anyone know how to play guitar?" he asked out of the blue, "I saw one in here earlier."

I could tell how desperately he was trying to break the awful awkward silence, and though everyone's attention was turned to him as he spoke, no one answered.

But something else had to have happened while I was out with Carl, there's no way this was all because of what I did a few hours ago with Andrea. I then saw Hershel giving Rick some kind of glare, and that's all I needed to see to know that something happened between them as well. I'm just glad it wasn't all pinned on me at least.

"Oh come on, someone has to know how to play." Glenn tried again with somewhat of a hopeful smile.

I did. But I sure as hell wasn't going to say anything about it right now.

"...Otis did." Patricia finally muttered sadly.

With a nod I got up, not being able to take the tension anymore, along with the three people continuing to bore holes into my head. To find some kind of excuse, I announced quietly that I would take a plate of food up to Daryl who was still resting in bed before leaving the room in a hurry.

I passed Carol on my way to the kitchen and stopped her for a moment, "Hey, if I were you, I would walk back into that room really slow." I advised.

She looked at me and nodded, smiling slightly to tell me she knew exactly what I was talking about.

I then filled another plate and made my way up slowly to Daryl's room. I softly knocked on the wooden door and waited until I heard his voice of approval before making my way in. Opening the door, I saw Daryl was sitting up against the bed frame with a book in his hand, looking a lot better than he did just a few hours ago.

"Hey, what are you reading?" I asked him as I made my way over to sit in the chair from earlier.

He looked at me with slightly wide eyes before shaking his head, "Nothin..." he muttered, attempting to hide the book under the covers.

My eyes narrowed at him in suspicion, glancing briefly at the cover before he could hide it completely and gasped dramatically. It was one of the books I took from the CDC.

"Thief." I scolded.

"Gimme a break, m' bored out of my mind in here."he said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, fine," I caved, "But I want that back when you're done."

He glanced up at me with a smile, nodding, "Yes ma'am." he said deeply.

One of my eyebrows pulled up and I scoffed dismissively, but I swear if the room had been quieter, he would probably be able to hear my heart hammering in my chest. Everything about that was perfect. The words, the way he said it, the way he sounded when he said it, good God.

When I finally glanced back up after a few seconds I saw him smirking at me, practically seeing right through me as I rolled my eyes in response.

"I brought you some food." I then said, changing the subject.

"Thanks." he responded, taking the plate from me and settling it in his lap.

We sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes as he ate, though I scanned his face briefly and felt myself frown a bit. Even though he was looking a little better, I could tell he hadn't slept, the darker bags under his eyes being a dead giveaway. Though I couldn't remember the last time he had actually gotten a good night's sleep.

He then broke the silence, "How'd the practice with Carl go?"

"Oh, it was actually really good. The kids actually a pretty good shot, he's a natural." I replied.

He glanced up at me, "Or maybe it's just cause he's gotta good teacher."

I tilted my head at him, but right as I was about to say something else, there was a knock at the door, Carol walking in only a moment later. She looked a little apologetic as she entered the room, seeing she was interrupting something, but I just smiled at her to show her it was just fine.

"Sorry," she cringed, "Just came in here to ask how you're feeling." she spoke to Daryl.

"Like I've been shot." he responded and gave me a side glance with a smirk, repeating the words I told him a few days ago.

She just nodded in understanding, "I just wanted to say thank you for the things you did today. You did more for my little girl, then her own daddy ever did in her whole life."

He scoffed with a shake of his head as he pushed the food around on his plate, "Rick or Shane would've done the same thing. Ain't nothin."

"Yeah...but you're every bit as good as them. Every bit." she said.

Then she leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of his head, mindful around the bandage, and my heart warmed a little at the sight. I thought it was really sweet that the two of them were talking more and becoming closer, even if the circumstances weren't the greatest.

But her actions made Daryl slightly uncomfortable however, and I pressed my lips together as I tried not to laugh at the scrunched up look on his face. She then gave me another small smile before turning and silently leaving the room, shutting the door silently. It was then and only then I finally let out a quiet laugh, to which I received a glare in return.

"What are you laughin at?" he annoyedly asked me.

I just smiled sweetly, before puckering up my lips and beginning to make kissy noises at him. He sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically before he started to eat his food again.

He let out a huff, "Stop, it ain't even like that." he said.

"Oh, it's not?" I asked sarcastically.

"It ain't. Not at all." he mumbled seriously.

Even after hearing that, I still made more kissy noises towards him, really dramatically too before he got fed up after a few more seconds, "Y'know what, get out. I don't want you here no more."

"No, no," I laughed, "Please don't make me go back down there. I would rather kill myself with one of Hershel's fancy forks then go back down there."

He chuckled, "That bad huh?"

"Horrifying," I said, "Everyone is in there eating in painfully awkward silence and there's this weird tension everywhere. Pretty please don't kick me out."

He looked at me for another moment, noticing how desperate I became as I looked at him with big eyes, "Fine. But you quit teasin me bout what just happened. It ain't like that."

"Why do you care so much about what I think Daryl Dixon?" I asked.

He looked back at me mid bite, and I could see his cheeks started to turn red at just the simple use of his name. I loved how easy it was to embarrass him, but I didn't really know why this particular thing would make him blush. I knew it wasn't about Carol, I could tell he didn't have feelings for her, though I liked teasing him. But I didn't understand why he had become so flustered now.

"I don't." he finally seemed to answer after a few painfully long seconds.

He does.

"Okay." I said simply with a smile on my face.

He stared at me for a few more seconds before beginning to eat again. I sat there and let my mind wander to random things as he finished everything left on his plate.

Suddenly I remembered that Hershel wanted me out of the house as soon as I was feeling up to leaving, and I completely understood why. I mean there were only so many rooms, and I didn't want to be in there longer than I had to. He had already helped me out so much, I didn't want to be a burden, and it was the least I could do after he saved my ass. But Daryl noticed quickly that I got quiet and started spacing off.

"What'cha thinkin bout?" he asked me.

I shrugged, "Hershel just wants me out of the house by tonight I think, because I'm feeling better. I was just thinking about where I would stay."

He nodded in understanding as I began to ramble my thoughts, "It's too crowded in the RV and after my talk with Dale, I wouldn't want to go in there anyway. I might just sleep-"

"Ya can stay in my tent." he interrupted.

I raised my eyebrows, "Really?"

I noticed he swallowed thickly before responding, "I mean...we've shared a tent before, it's no big deal."

"That's true...are you sure?" I asked.

"M' sure."

I slowly nodded, "Okay, thanks," I smiled, "But I guess you have to stay in here for the next few days, huh?"

"M' already goin crazy in here, I don't think it'll last that long." he joked.

I let out a small laugh, "Yeah, probably not. Well, I'm gonna go so you can get some sleep, but here, I'll take your plate." I offered.

He met my extended hands in the middle, passing the dish over towards me as his hands brushed against my own.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled, turning to make my way towards the door.

"See ya tomorrow." he said.

I left his room and shut the door quietly behind me, before walking back downstairs, passed the few other rooms. The truth was I really wasn't helping myself at all by spending even more time with Daryl. Don't get me wrong I wanted to, but I needed these feelings for him to go away at some point and sharing a tent with him wouldn't exactly help that. But where else was I supposed to stay?

Shaking my head, I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen to see Beth standing by the sink washing the dishes from tonight. Her back was facing me as she had a stack still left to do, scrubbing away the stains the food left behind.

"Hey," I greeted before placing the plate next to the sink, "Do you want any help, hon?" I asked her.

She shook her head politely, "No it's okay, I got it." she assured with a smile, "Part of my chores dad still makes us do."

I nodded in understanding, turning to walk away when her voice stopped me. "Oh, hey Rose? Glenn mentioned at dinner to me after you left, that you like to sing." she stated.

I froze, "Well, I'll have to make sure to kill him for saying that later." I joked.

She laughed, "Well, my point is you like music and things like that, do you know how to play the guitar?"

"Um, yeah just a little, why do you ask?" I replied.

"Well, I was just wondering if you um... could maybe teach me?" she asked shyly.

"Oh yeah, yeah sure I can teach you." I said with no hesitation.

Beth seemed like such a sweet soul and spending more time with her wouldn't be an issue at all. Plus, I wanted to find something to do for her after she looked out for me right after I was shot; Daryl only telling me about it briefly. But I thought this was the perfect way to thank her.

"Really?" she asked, shocked.

"Yeah, it sounds like fun. We'll talk more about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay!" she exclaimed and ran up to give me a hug. I was taken back for a second before wrapping my arms around her as well.

She smiled at me brightly in silent thanks before going back to doing the dishes, and I left to go get my things and move them into Daryl's tent.

After I was done gathering everything up from the room I was previously staying in, I made my way out to his tent to get some sleep. But out of the corner of my eye I saw two figures having a hushed yet heated discussion by the barn. When I squinted my eyes a bit I saw that it was Glenn and Maggie, and Glenn seemed to be silently freaking out about something, flailing his hands in the air, while she was trying to quietly calm him down.

My eyes widened at the dramatic scene, but I just kept walking, silently deciding to not get involved at the moment. Plus, I was too tired to care and the painkillers I took earlier were starting to wear off, my side beginning to hurt a lot more that they were out of my system. My eyes grew too heavy and I was in too much pain to give a shit right now.

Once I found Daryl's tent, I dropped my stuff down on the left side and made myself comfortable on the sleeping back. I maneuvered on my back to look up at the ceiling of the tent, my eyelids fluttering closed.

The last thing I could hear right before I passed out, were Glenn and Maggie growing louder as they argued about walkers. But then again, it was probably just a dream.

~ Thanks for reading!

[catiuskaa]

Floral Troubles: Tales of love.

It’s been hard dealing with your recent love life with how busy the flower shop has been since the wedding season started, over two weeks ago. It was just you, the ribbons and greenery, until he hugged you from behind, left 20 bucks on the table and in an affectionate tone, asked: “How do I say I love you in flower?”

and because of all the support you showed, yes, my loves, flower Binnie is back for more >:)

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reblogs and the votes! I never expected 'Yeah, flowers follow' to blow up like it did, and I'm really happy that you guys read it and enjoyed it as much as I did when writing it!

This can be read as a stand-alone, although I hope you guy's like this one as much as its 'first part', which I'll link here.

basically bc I mentioned to @tangerminie that there was a possibility that I'd do a part two (just bc she reblogged and said "Changbin, you can just go fetch more flowers", and she was right, Changbin's not the idiot, I am, LOL) and well, I committed 💪

word count: 4k. [☆☆❁☆☆]

It was after lunchtime when the bell rang inside the shop again, making you groan slightly towards yourself. Your feet hurt from standing up, knowing that your mother needed the only stool available —because God forbid she lets you take a chair from your apartment, which was just upstairs—.

You wished for hours to pass faster or for better shoes.

"One second, please!" You let out, quickly wiping your mouth with your sleeve just in case, wrapping up the white roses you needed for a booking made two weeks ago. Busy designing and planning the different flower arrangements with a soon-to-be bride, you had little to no free time, days passing by inside the little flower workshop behind the beaded curtains. And, sadly for your poor heart, that also had meant less time for a special someone, who was also busy composing, rapping, and most importantly, looking handsome for his fans.

Rushing to the counter, you bowed and smiled, eyes closing and dimples showing, hoping your encounter didn't involve one of those mean customers that think the Sun spins around them.

"Sorry, what can I-?"

"Hey, pretty."

You opened your eyes at max speed, seeing him giggle, his captivating almond-shaped eyes welcoming you with energy and enthusiasm. His hand travelled closer to your face, tucking some rebel hairs that had gotten out of the messy bun you had.

Looking around, you smiled widely at the empty sight, the different flowers and plants being the only witness of how you skipped on top of the counter, pulling the so-called "dark idol" into your embrace.

"Binnie," you mentioned, barely in a whisper, your tensed body quickly sinking on him, the light scent of cologne surrounding you feeling like a breath of fresh air.

You cupped his face between your hands, thumbs stroking the rapper's cheeks.

"You saw my text, right? I'm sorry... I know you only get this week off before not having much free time. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to our date, and I know being sorry doesn't really make up for it, but-"

He gave you a small peck, interrupting you.

"It does, silly. I know you have stuff to do, don't sweat," he smiled, and you snuggled closer to him. "You know I love this, but if your mom sees you on top of the counter, she'll kill me."

"I'll be your knight in shining armour, my prince. Thou shan't be afraid no more," you mentioned in a solemn yet somewhat mocking tone. Changbin chuckled loudly.

"I missed you, flower girl."

You got down from the counter, blushing.

"I missed you too, world star." You blew a kiss at him. "Stay with me?"

He nodded, staring intensely into your eyes, which made you smile. "So? You stormed in here just to flirt with the store's employees?" You covered your mouth with one hand, acting deeply offended. "You know, my manager will hear about this."

He played your game, turning upset in the blink of an eye. "How dare you? I just came here looking for yellow pansies."

You tried keeping up the act but couldn't hold back a smile, the idea that he had memorized parts of the book you gave him being funny in your head, blush still on your face. You took only one flower from its place and handed it to him in a huff.

"It means 'thinking of you.'" he nodded, proudly remembering the flower's meaning.

"Oh. Who's that for?" You asked, giving him a playful side-eye.

His smile lightened the colourful space. "You, of course."

"Ugh, I'm going to get diabetes. Hi, sweetie." Your mom entered with a cheeky smile, greeting the buff man only, making Changbin and you snort, still giving each other puckish looks.

"Hello, ma'am."

"Ah, you make me feel old! Just call me Deiji."

You quickly put the flower back in place and opened the small door to let Changbin access behind the counter.

"You can give the boy the stool I was using. I'll go upstairs and rest for a bit. It's time for my TV drama," your mom explained, ignoring how your eyebrows shot up, leaving the room with a big smile.

You waited until you heard steps above your heads, Seo looking at you with an amused expression. "She's been saying all day that the stool was hers until the day that she'd die. Unbelievable!"

"She loves me more," he teased, spinning side to side on the seat like a small child.

You laughed. "That's because you're adopted. She stole you from Chan Hyung."

The jokes continued, a funny atmosphere settling in the flower-crowded building, mixing with the low-toned music you played in the background.

"Hey, sweetie, come in here," your mom told Changbin, appearing through the curtains from the workshop. "We don't want people coming in here for the visuals rather than for the flowers," she joked half-heartedly, with the only intention of taking care of the idol, allowing him to rest without worrying about any gossip that could be spread.

He cackled, thanking the woman, quickly taking the stool and stepping inside the workshop. As he entered, he was immediately greeted by an atmosphere of creative energy and controlled chaos. Unlike the pristine and organized front area, the workshop was a less spacious room filled with several metal tables, each displaying an array of tools, materials, and unfinished floral designs. Vases, containers, and plastic baskets were scattered across the surfaces, some filled with water, others holding half-arranged bouquets.

The floor surrounding the workbench, situated in the centre of the room, was covered with scraps of greenery, petals, and snippets of ribbon, evidence of the ongoing creative process. The surface above was also cluttered with tools of the trade. Pairs of floral shears, wire cutters, and various types of scissors Changbin wouldn't know how to differentiate, each worn and marked from countless uses.

He took a deep breath, the air perfumed with a fragrant scent of blooms, mingling with the earthy aroma of greenery and the faint hint of floral foam that, funnily enough, resembled yours perfectly.

It was just like you, he thought, the workshop possessing a vibrant energy and a sense of untamed, natural beauty, both characterized by their creative essence and a certain level of organized mess.

He loved it.

The bell above the main door rang again, and he couldn't help to stare back at you through the beaded curtains.

Maybe it was only to him, but your presence exuded an aura of sincerity and radiance that was impossible to ignore. He had only seen that kind of beauty in movies, the ones he saw to get inspiration for his lyrics. With an ethereal glow surrounding you, to Changbin, you were like a magnetic charm that drew people in —the people being him—.

He had never been so into someone before. There had been flings here and there, but none of those had reached this level of intensity. His eyes didn't leave your figure, his heartbeat echoing in his ears as he saw you greet some clients.

Your lips, delicately curved and inviting, held a gentle smile to the people you were paying attention to. They were adorned with a subtle touch of colour. The sudden need to peck them, imagining the cute face you'd make afterwards, became more intense.

He admired your confident yet effortless stance as you moved through the store, looking for the bouquet the client had asked for.

"Oh!"

Changbin snapped out of his daydreaming, facing Deiji.

"So you're serious about her," she concluded with a sly smile.

Seo found himself unable to hold back a goofy smile as he scratched the back of his neck. She giggled, the smile on her features making her look younger.

"Come, sweetie." She invited Changbin upstairs, grinning happily. "I can't let my future son-in-law get cold in the workshop!"

As he ascended a small flight of stairs, he was greeted by a quaint entryway leading to the apartment's main living area. The open floor plan created a sense of spaciousness, allowing the living room, dining area, and kitchen to seamlessly blend together.

Above the bustling flower shop, the small apartment had a cosy and charming ambience that invited anyone to sit and relax. Despite its modest size, it was easy to see your touch in the small decorations that crowded the building.

"It's quite messy, but let's pretend otherwise," your mother said, dismissing it with a flick of the wrist. Changbin laughed, feeling at home.

His eyes locked with another staircase, even smaller, that had books and pots on the side that wasn't facing the wall.

"Her room is in the attic, if you want to wait there," Deiji mentioned slyly.

He had to hold back his curiosity, fidgeting with his rings.

"Can I?" Seo questioned sheepishly.

"Of course! I'll get her there soon, don't you worry!"

She softly rushed the buff man upstairs. Changbin couldn’t help but smile, seeing a wooden sign with several flowers painted. It was so obvious it was your room, you could feel it, and the sentiment intensified once he entered.

With its sloping ceilings and exposed wooden beams, it had a rustic charm that added character and warmth. Soft, natural light came through a dormer window, casting a gentle glow upon the space, which made the furniture inside seem magical.

Against one wall, a somewhat messy, wooden, old-looking piano took centre stage, its unpolished surface and stickers adding to the atmosphere the soft glow of fairy lights delicately draped around it created. The instrument served as a focal point of the room, where it was noticeable you spent hours, judging by how used it looked and how several music sheets filled with compositions adorned a nearby music stand and walls.

The attic's nooks and crannies were transformed into storage areas for various instruments and books. A violin rested upon a stand, ready to be played. An acoustic guitar leaned against a wall, waiting for the touch of skilled fingers. A collection of books, whether flower-related or not, were carefully arranged on a vintage bookshelf, adding a touch of your own personality to it. Close to it, there was a small desk that stood by the window, offering a dedicated space for writing and composing music, in between the range of options. It was adorned with notebooks filled with scribbled lyrics, a laptop for digital composition, and a collection of pens and pencils.

Changbin couldn’t help but lie on the bed as soon as he saw it, looking at the walls of the attic, which were adorned with posters of iconic musicians and whatnot, reflecting your appreciation for the art form. He was excited to see known artists on the walls, happy that you two had common interests. Strings of fairy lights were delicately strung across the ceiling, casting a warm and magical ambience, reminiscent of an intimate concert venue. He hoped one day you’d play something for him, or that you two could play together.

With your flowery scent surrounding him, feeling like he had reached a feeling beyond contentment, Changbin realised how tired he felt all of a sudden, and slowly drifted to sleep.

[☆☆❁☆☆]

You hummed along with the music that kept playing, sketching possible designs for the wedding centrepieces the bride had asked for. Your mother came from upstairs and tsked when she noticed you yawning, quickly turning off the CD player.

"You young people need to sleep more. Go up to your room, I can finish these myself."

"But Mom, it's barely 8 pm, I can just-"

"Fiddlesticks. You'll fall asleep as soon as you touch your bed. Unnegotiable."

You groaned as you stood up, leaving the metal stool for Deiji. You stretched your back, your muscles sore.

"Hey, did you see Changbin leave?" you mentioned, trying to hide a childish sadness in your tone.

You didn't see your mother grin for a second, then quickly put on her round glasses, continuing your design.

"No, I didn't."

You pouted. You knew it was a bit selfish from your side. You understood that he wasn’t going to waste his free week wandering in a flower shop, but there was a small part of your mind that secretly hoped that he'd stay with you until you finished. Your mom cooed, looking at you from above her glasses.

"Moooommm," you whined teasingly. "Gimme a break."

"Whatever. You teenagers live in your own dreams." She mocked, and you couldn't help but chuckle.

"You sound much older when you talk like that."

She laughed. "Just remember, I'll leave in a few hours for the flower convention with Yeongsuk. I'll come back in two days."

"Is she coming to pick you up or do you need me awake?" You inquired, taking your brown apron and hanging it on the wall closest to the stairs.

"Good night, kid."

You snickered, going upstairs slowly. You quickly took your phone and went into your messages. You pouted again, seeing that he hadn't even left a text. Tapping into his contact, you started writing an apology.

'world star ✿ฺ' hey, 'm sorry about today. I'll make it up to you.

But just when you pressed send, you were surprised to hear a notification sound coming from behind your room, the door left ajar.

You stepped in cautiously, your heart skipping a beat when you saw him snoring lowly on your bed. Your insides churned, smiling cutely. You tsked to yourself, knowing that your mom was the one behind this.

You changed into your pyjamas in the bathroom, laughing silently at the sight of the tough-looking man still sleeping cutely when you came back. You took an oversized T-shirt and some sweatpants that were too big for you, but you hadn't had the opportunity to return them yet. You approached him carefully.

"Binne?" You shook him softly.

He slowly opened his eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"You fell asleep, silly. Here, take this. You can get changed in the bathroom downstairs. It's the first door closest to the stairs."

You giggled at the marks that he had gotten from the blankets.

He came back, and you laughed at the sight of him with your clothes on. How could someone look so cute?

"Shouldn't we tell Deiji I'm staying the night?" he asked softly, getting back inside the bed, under the covers.

You snuggled closer to him, taking his arm and settling it on your waist.

"Nah. She'll leave in like two hours, anyway."

You both got lost in each other's eyes.

"You smell nice," you said, fighting to stay awake.

He couldn't help but move his hand towards the blanket, covering you a bit more.

"And you are really pretty when you're half asleep."

"Hey, you're also half asleep." You blabbered, almost unintelligible. You poked the tip of his nose. "Cute," you laughed before falling asleep. He nuzzled in your neck, hearing your calm breathing as a lullaby.

[☆☆❁☆☆]

Changbin woke up, his legs tangled with yours, still close to him, between his arms. Your breathing, calm and rhythmic, also made him relax, enjoying the sight of your body surrendering to the embrace of slumber. Soft moonlight still filtered on the room, casting a gentle glow through the windows, fighting against the Sun, which was starting to wake up too.

He smiled when he notices you do the same, a faint smile lingering at the corner of your lips.

Your room, illuminated by the soft moonbeams, looked different to him. The posters of musicians on the walls seemed to come alive in the pale light, as if whispering melodies that guided your dreams. He wondered what you were dreaming when your embrace around him tightened. He kissed your forehead, brushing stray hairs from your face, which slowly woke you up.

"Hey, pretty."

Instead of answering, you giggled, quickly getting on top of him, your legs resting on his sides, your nose brushing against his.

"Hi there, world star." You lie down, getting comfortable still on top of him. His hands travelled to your hips, caressing them, trailing shapes with the tip of his fingers.

"What time is it?" you whispered, your breath tickling his neck.

He took the first phone he could from the nightstand, trying with only one hand, refusing to let you move from on top of him.

"It's too early."

You giggled. "But what time?"

"Me time."

"Wha-? AH-"

His grip on you tightened, and he pinned you down this time, planting soft kisses all over your face. You laughed uncontrollably, one, because he's a loveable dork, and two, because it tickled, but you weren't going to say in case he'd use it against you.

"You're built like a brick!" You cackled, unable to push him off you.

"You love my strong arms, don't lie." He joked, flexing. Seo relaxed, trying not to crush you with his weight.

"I'm hungry, lung crusher."

"That's my line, you savage stealer."

"Get off and I'll make you coffee."

You both went downstairs, filling the place with giggles and light jokes.

"Hey, I'm actually sorry for yesterday. We only slept, and you could've done something better with the boys after getting the week off."

His voice was soft, words rolling off his tongue. “I prefer to be with you, the others can wait,” he said, eyes locked on yours. He wasn't going to say that he didn't care about sleeping with you —and by that he meant actual sleeping— because he loved waking up by your side, hiding his reason behind a lovestruck smile.

Suddenly, your head was spinning, at a loss for words. You couldn't quite place what was happening to you, why you were suddenly so reactive to every detail. It was a weird feeling that tickled in your chest, but you let yourself fall into it, the feeling of being loved and loving so new and daring that you couldn't get enough of it.

He sat on the stools as you took a mug for him, pouring 99% milk before microwaving it, then adding 1% coffee.

"As dark as your soul, mister."

"Very funny," he didn't laugh, not until he dunked the tip of his fingers into his drink, noticing that it was only lukewarm before splashing it on you with a flick.

He just stared at you with the same goofy smile that was on your face, while you cut some strawberries into smaller pieces, putting them into a yoghurt. He swallowed dry when he noticed you biting your lip in a sign of concentration.

"Whaddya looking at?" You said, in a somewhat sing-song voice. He just smiled, and you snickered, seeing him poking his cheek with his tongue. "Cat got your tongue?"

He laughed. "Just looking at you, hot stuff."

Your eyes opened wide, failing to hide a blush on your features that made Changbin cackle.

"Shut up, meanie," you snorted, watching him stand up, moving until he was behind you, pulling you into a back hug.

"I mean it."

You stared at him from above your shoulder, looking up and down.

"You're not too bad yourself."

[☆☆❁☆☆]

It was practically 6am after you both finished the impromptu make-out session. He stared at your lips, red and swollen.

"Don't smile like that, you cheeky bitch. Yours look exactly the same." You hit him softly on his chest, snorting, tenderly pecking him. “I need to do some arrangements, come with me? I’ll take you somewhere nice when the rest of the world is awake.”

He chuckled, letting you guide him, loving how your small hand fitted in his, fingers linking almost automatically. He took the stool as you combined the different types of greenery, playing some music on your phone.

He was going through his after noticing he had several texts from Chan, wondering if he should reply now, knowing how damn early it could be for someone who slept so little but decided to text anyways.

'red angry bird' not kidnapped yet, dw

Your heart did fuzzy things inside you, looking above your shoulder to the man behind you, spinning on the stool with his tiptoes, his messy bed hair and how your clothes looked on him making you soft.

You looked at your phone, noticing the next song on the queue and you smiled, turning around to approach him. He’s still on his phone.

“Hey, world star.” You kissed his forehead to get his attention. He freezes, his heart fluttering. “I think you know this one.”

He looked at you, losing himself in your features until he heard you singing. It was 'because', the song he sang with Felix, and you were just singing his part cause Lix’s voice was too deep for you to reach. He slowly joined your singing. Your voice, like a delicate yet powerful instrument, effortlessly blended with his, intertwining together in a melody that reverberated through the walls of the colourful flower shop. With each lyric, your voice carried the story he wrote, and he couldn't describe the feeling of happiness he achieved, knowing that you liked it too.

You kept working and singing, not noticing how he left the room. he came back with his black leather jacket in his hand, tenderly putting it on your shoulders. He took his wallet from the jacket's pocket, grabbing 20 bucks from the inside.

"Binnie, what-?"

He settled it on the table in front of you, and also carefully settled the book you gave him.

You stared at the title, "the language of flowers", curious.

His hand hugged you from behind, leaning down right next to your ear, and in an affectionate tone, he asked.

"How can I say I love you in flower?"

Your heart skipped a beat. You turned around to face him, seeing that he was hiding his other hand.

He showed you a small red chrysanthemum.

Due to the lack of an answer, his face turned worried.

"Please tell me I got it right."

You kissed him, giggling.

"I love you too, world star."

[☆☆❁☆☆]

~Kats, who now has high levels of sugar in her blood because of how fluff this was and has also lost her Duolingo strike bc she got distracted writing lol

[ellie-the-oracle]

The Bad Batch Season 3 - A New Theory and the future for Tech

Spoilers ahead!

Hey you guys! So I've previously discussed how I believe that the operative character could be Tech and how that affirms my winter soldier theory. However, I am here to retract that statement as I do not believe that it makes sense narratively, as it would either copy Crosshair's story or Echo's story. I propose a new theory: the operative is not Tech, but rather Cody. Let me explain why.

Firstly, we now know (via Crosshair's confirmation) that the program Hemlock is running does not work on defective clones, as they attempted and failed to integrate Cross into said program. This would rule out Tech as he was also a defective clone.

Secondly, and more prevalently, we know (from Rebels) that some event needs to push Rex over the edge and make him quit his efforts of saving other clones. I suspect that this event could be an encounter with a brainwashed Cody, and perhaps a botched operation to Tantiss resulting in a lot of casualties.

Thirdly, why do I think it's Cody? While it's true that we were told in season two how he went "awol" (albeit by an unreliable source), that doesn't necessarily mean he escaped, it just means that he defied the Empire. We also know that this operative program is designed to repurpose defiant clones. I also want to point out how the operatives voice, while warped through a modulator, sounded like a reg, instead of a higher pitched, vaguely English accent.

Lastly, Tech has been mentioned only once in this season, briefly in conversation. Yes, Cody isn't mentioned at all but I'll get to that. The end of season two, in my opinion, felt like a lazy write off of Tech's character (in an attempt to elicit reactions from fans), that essentially served as a "wrap up" of his story (more on this in a moment). Cody's story is still a loose end though. It's also important to mention that in the EU, Cody was used as the template for the dark troopers.

Now onto the discussion of where this leaves Tech. Well...I think he's dead for good. Trust me when I say that deeply hurts me beyond words. I have related to and deeply bonded with Tech's character, so to me, his death was very real and painful, and I'm honestly still having a hard time with it (I was literally sobbing about it the other day). Unfortunately, I just do not believe that the writers of this show are capable of what the writers of Lucasfilm era Clone Wars were capable of (please dkm, this is just my personal opinion). I'm sorry but I just don't have faith in Disney, not after the sequels and most (if not all) of the live action shows they've put out. Yes, Tech should, logically, 100% be alive...if they were good writers. He has a potential love interest, a family and a potential peaceful life to live on Pabuu to return to. There are so many plot holes that would remain unanswered, and would be extremely disappointing. Tech's story is largely unfinished. Should he be dead for good, it will show the utter lack of writing talent that Disney possesses and a lack of care or respect for fans.

Apologies for the spicy takes at the end. Again these are just my personal opinions and experiences. No hate to anyone who enjoys any of those shows/movies.

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Off Mission

Hey, people! Gosh, I never really thought I'd get to 300 fics, but here I am 😂 I had done a poll about what I should do, and people wanted something cute and close to canon the most, so I sort of made this. A better idea of what Thunderbolts could be. One where Sam and Bucky are working together on a two-pronged approach to save Natasha's younger sister from being forced to work with the Contessa. I hope y'all enjoy this fic 🥰 Also, this is for the @sambuckylibrary’s TFATWS Anniversary Event 2024 for the prompts “Better Thunderbolts Ideas” and "Hurt/Comfort" (I know I'm early for hurt comfort but still). I hope y'all enjoy the fic! 🥰

Off Mission

| Pairing: SamBucky | Rated: T | WC: 2K |

Summary: Sam might have gotten hurt on a mission. He didn't expect to find Bucky on the same mountain, ready to help him pick a lock into a cabin.

Excerpt:

Sam wouldn’t say that he was the most adept at picking locks. Sam could hotwire a quinjet without a thought. Sam could hack security cameras from muscle memory. Sam could reconfigure the system on a drone blindfolded. But give Sam an old-fashioned lock and he was fumbling. It didn’t help that Sam’s wound had already reopened. Sam was pretty good at giving himself stitches, but the amount of movement he had to do to hike the forested mountain to find a seasonal cabin combined with trying to pick this damned lock had opened the wound up. “Sam. Let me.” Sam froze. Sam felt him. The gentle hand on his waist. Sam closed his eyes as he let that hand guide him closer to the warm body connected to it; allowed Sam to lean on him. “Bucky,” Sam breathed.

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[rookie-chenford]

Dream a little dream of me

Description: Based on Season 4 Episode 17. Some things are the same and some things are my own added flare. So I hope you enjoy!

Words: 2617

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, lots of tears, mentions of what happened to Lucy. If there is any other warning I should put in here, please let me know!

A/N: This is a long one, so strap in for the ride!

Lucy emerged from her bedroom and stopped in the doorway. "What is that smell?" she asked cautiously.

Tamara smiled. "Breakfast. I saw this recipe on Cliptalk and wanted to try it." She placed the food on a plate and handed it over to Lucy.

"Ooooh, okay. It looks interesting." She takes a bite, contemplating all the flavors bursting in her mouth. "Okay, it's not bad; it has some uniqueness to it. For once, I can say this Cliptalk recipe isn't all that bad. What's all the fuss for?"

"I just want today to go well for you. I can't imagine having to tell the same story repeatedly and feeling like I'll never stop telling it."

"Well, I've told the story to my therapist a hundred times. I don't think one more time will hurt."

"I know, but it just seems so unnecessary for you to go through the worst moments in your life just so the D.A. can slap some more charges onto her time."

"All I have to do is tell the D.A. everything so they can prove Rosalind was an accessory in Caleb's crime."

"But is it even worth it when she's already serving four life sentences?" Tamara asked, concern and confusion laced in her voice.

"It's essential that she is held accountable for what happened. Most of her victims aren't alive to tell their stories, and I'm fortunate enough to do so." Lucy said with a bit of sadness in her voice.

Tamara nodded. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. Is Tim going to be there?"

Lucy let out a small chuckle. "You don't have to, and why would Tim be there?"

Tamara made her way around the counter, gathering up her stuff so they could leave. "I'm coming with you. That way, if you get upset, I'll be on standby with cute puppy videos and your favorite snacks. And I just figured he'd also be there to support you, like me." She smiled.

Lucy shook her head, a sad smile appearing on her face. "No, he won't be there. He's working today." She took a deep breath and grabbed her stuff. "Come on, let's go."

Walking into the main lobby of the ADA's office, Lucy took a deep breath and looked around, trying to come up with a small lie to have a moment to herself. "Umm, I am going to look for a restroom. I'll be right back."

"Do you need me to come with you?" Tamara asked with concern.

Lucy chuckled. "I think I can handle it. Will you let someone know that I'm here?"

"Sure thing."

Lucy quickly walked off and opened the first door that she saw. The lights were off when she entered, but she looked around to ensure she was alone. When she saw no one around, she leaned against the wall, her breathing becoming ragged. All the memories of Caleb and what happened to her quickly flashed through her mind. Her lip quivered, trying to keep her tears at bay. She squeezed her eyes shut and slid down the wall, trying to get the memories to disappear, a single tear making its way down her face. Once she felt she was okay enough, she wiped her face, got up, and exhaled a shaky breath. She cleared her throat and made her way out into the lobby.

As she entered, Tamara gave Lucy a soft smile that quickly dropped when she saw Lucy's red eyes. Tamara quickly dropped the conversation with the guy she was talking to and made her way over towards Lucy.

"Hey, you okay?" Tamara asked, concern lacing her voice.

Lucy looked around, trying to find Sara, the ADA she was supposed to be talking to. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She waved her hand, dismissing Tamara.

Tamara could see the whirlwind of emotions in Lucy's eyes, but she didn't want to push her, knowing she'd already be going through a lot. Tamara nodded and squeezed Lucy's hand, letting her know she was here with her and was not alone during this difficult time. Just as Tamara was fixing to speak, she saw Chris quickly approaching them.

"Hi," Chris said, a little worriness written on his face.

"Hey, do you know where Sarah is? I'm here for trial prep."

Chris cleared his throat, his face a little paler than usual. "Umm, she is out sick today, and they asked me to step in. But it seems awkward, given our relationship. We can reschedule if you'd like?"

"Uhh, no, it's okay. We're professionals. We'll just be discussing the details of the case." Lucy said, stumbling over her words a little.

"Okay then, follow me."

Lucy turned to look at Tamara, a little bit of worry on her face. Tamara squeezed her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. Lucy nodded and followed Chris to a conference room.

They sat across from each other, an awkward silence filling the room as Chris pulled out the files from his briefcase.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, let's get started. Did you ever hear Caleb talking to Rosalind on the phone?"

"Mm, no." Lucy's eyes cast down at the photos sitting in front of her.

"Did he talk about her as if they were communicating?"

Lucy took a deep breath before answering, her eyes now meeting Chris's "No."

"So, how do you know he was working with her?"

Lucy chuckled disbeliefly. "B-because she told me herself when I visited her in prison. She repeated the song I sang in the barrel. How would she know that if she and Caleb weren't communicating?"

Chris's voice faded into the background as she looked back at the photos, resurfacing memories of that day—memories of her tattoo, getting into the barrel, and trying to fight her way out.

"Lucy, I just want you to be ready."

She finally snapped out of it. "I'm familiar with the concept of trial prep." A hint of anger in her voice.

"I know," Chris said softly. "Uhh, how about we take a break?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, a little softer this time.

They left the conference room and made their way to the break room, where Tamara and her new friend were hanging out.

"I was wondering where you went," Lucy said as she entered the room, a smile forming.

"Two watered-down coffees coming up," Chris said in the background.

"How's it going?" Tamara asked.

"Uhh, great."

"This is Austin. He's saving the planet."

"It's Good to know someone is trying to. You can go; you don't have to stay here."

"Mmm, I don't know. I'm finding this whole law thing fascinating." Tamara said, trying to convince Lucy.

Lucy can see right through her, a knowing smirk appearing. "Uh-huh. And what exactly is so interesting?" She chuckled.

Before Tamara can answer, Lucy's face drops, tears forming in her eyes. Tamara's face turns into confusion, wondering what suddenly made Lucy's mood drop. She raises an eyebrow at Lucy, waiting for her to say something. Lucy turns around as Chris continues singing the song she sang in the barrel. Lucy hears Tamara ask if she's okay but doesn't answer. Her breathing picks up, a million questions going through her head.

Chris's face immediately drops at the realization, and he quickly turns to face Lucy. "I—I am so sorry. It was stuck in my head, and I wasn't thinking. It was thoughtless and stupid, and I'm sorry."

Tamara and Austin quickly exit the break room, and she quickly whips out her phone to call Tim. She wasn't sure what to say to him but knew Lucy needed his support for the rest of this trial prep.

"The- the uhh song was stuck in your head because you've, you've seen the video." Lucy's voice was shaky, trying to keep her tears from falling.

"Well, yeah. It's evidence."

"Ri-right. No, of course, you did. You're in the D.A.'s office, and it's evidence, so… you've…" Lucy's voice cracked, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

"Look, I should have told you I'd seen it. I'm sorry." Chris said as he walked towards Lucy.

Lucy stepped back as he approached her, making him stop in his tracks. "No, you said that part already." Lucy swallowed thickly. "Umm, I, I just need a minute."

"Lucy, please-'

Before he could say anything else, Lucy raised her hands. " Please, can you…" She stopped, unable to say anything else as her throat became tighter from holding back her tears.

Chris nodded and whispered a yeah as he walked out and closed the door. Lucy paced the floor, groaning and breathing heavily. She couldn't believe Chris would be so careless about singing a song that once brought her joy and now brings back her worst nightmares. She sat on the couch, her head in her hands, lightly pulling on her hair to relieve some tension.

After being in the break room for a while, Lucy lifted her head as a knock formed on the door. Tamara softly opened the door, her face falling when she saw the tears staining Lucy's cheeks. "Sorry to interrupt, but Chris just wanted to know if you were ready to continue."

Lucy wiped her face with her sleeves. "Yeah, I'll be out in a moment."

"Okay," Tamara whispered as she shut the door.

Lucy took a deep breath and stood up from the couch, fixing her clothes as she went to the door. She turned the knob and took one more deep breath before opening it and making her way back to the conference room. When she entered, Chris was already in there waiting for her. As he heard her walk in, he quickly put his pen down and stood up.

"Again, I am so-"

"Sorry. Yeah, I know." Lucy said, not wanting to hear another apology from him.

She reached the other side of the table and pulled out her chair. "Umm," She cleared her throat. "I- I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah, anything."

"I need to see the video."

The barrel video?"

"Yeah. You've seen it; half the lawyers in this building have seen it, and I haven't."

Chris took a deep breath. "Lucy, it's… It's incredibly hard to watch."

"I need to see it." She said with a more demanding tone.

Chris nodded his head and turned toward his briefcase. Pulling out his laptop, he opened it up and clicked the mouse several times before placing it in front of Lucy.

"Should I stay or…"

"Mnh-mnh, no. Umm, thank you."

Chris made his way towards the door and opened it, looking back at Lucy before leaving.

Lucy's hand hovered over the mouse momentarily before a knock interrupted her. She quickly moved her hand away from the laptop and looked up to see Tim opening the door. She pulled her eyebrows together, wondering why he was there.

She quickly stood up from her chair. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work."

"Tamara called and said you were upset, and she wasn't sure why. She was worried about you." He said, a look of concern on his face.

"I'm fine. She shouldn't have called you." A defensive tone laced in her voice.

Tim cocked his head. "Clearly you're not fine. I can see the redness in your eyes. You've been crying. Tell me what's going on." He pleaded as he made his way to Lucy, standing before her.

She looked down at her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. "I-I… Chris started singing the song I sang in the barrel as we took a break. He said it slipped his mind. I-I just hadn't put two and two together that he and probably every lawyer here has seen the video."

"Excuse me?" Tim questioned with disgust in his voice.

"He apologized already. Don't go all Tim on him."

"I should give that prick a piece of my mind. How do you let something like that slip your mind?"

Lucy could feel the anger radiating from Tim's body. She sat down in the chair facing the laptop as he paced the room momentarily, trying to keep from walking out the door and causing a scene.

After a moment of calming himself down, he looked over at Lucy. "What are you doing?"

"I need to watch the video."

"Video of what?"

"Of me in the barrel." She whispered.

Tim made his way over to the chair next to her. He spun her chair to face him. "Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked, grabbing her hands.

Lucy looked into his eyes, so he knew she was serious. "Yeah, I am."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Will you?"

A small smile formed on Tim's face. "Of course I will."

Lucy took a deep breath and turned back to face the laptop, her hand hovering over the mouse. She looked at Tim, who nodded, letting her know he was ready. With one more deep breath, Lucy played the video.

It started playing, and the sound of her fist slamming against the barrel startled her. Tim quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it to let her know she was safe. Lucy couldn't sit still. Her hand lightly scratched her forehead, kept moving her hair out of her face, and finally, her finger rested on her top lip, rubbing it back and forth. As she closes her eyes, the video continues to play in the background. She bounces her leg, her anxiety becoming heavier as the video plays. A single tear slips down her cheek. Tim looks over at her, bringing his hand up to wipe her tear away. This makes her break down into a full-on sob. He quickly wraps her into his embrace, rocking her back and forth and whispering that she's safe and he's here. He's doing anything and everything to get her to calm down. His heart breaks for her, hating that she put herself through this, but he also knows she had her reasons and won't ever question why.

Long after the video ends, Lucy finally calms down enough to pull back from Tim's embrace. She stares at her feet while he looks directly at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Thank you." She finally croaks.

Tim placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head to look at him. Her red and puffy eyes finally met his. "I am always going to be here for you. No matter what."

"I know," Lucy replied with a small smile. "Umm, I don't want to testify anymore. I don't want to keep reliving that day over and over again. I want to leave it where it belongs, in the past."

Tim nodded, shut the laptop, and grabbed Lucy's hand. "Then you don't have to testify. No one is going to think less of you. Now, come on, let's get out of here."

They made their way to the door, Tim opening it to let Lucy out first. Tamara turned around at the sound of the door opening, happy to see Tim bringing out a happier-looking Lucy.

"Everything okay?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah, it will be," she said with a smile. She turned to look at Chris. "I've decided I don't want to testify."

"Understandable." He nodded.

"I've been trying to prove how strong I am, but… I survived that. I don't have anything to prove." Tamara walked over to Lucy's side and hugged her.

"You don't have to explain yourself. We have enough evidence to convict her without you. I promise."

With that, Lucy, Tamara, and Tim walked toward the elevator and left. Leaving everything behind and never looking back at this day again.

[obsidiancreates]

One Undead To Another (Chapter 16)

(Trigger warnings for graphic depictions of injury/dying, blood, nightmares)

Gus tips the delivery person and walks back into the main room of the office with two still-steaming burritos in a bag. Shawn feels the memory of salivating at that same smell– god, not even a week ago. Somehow it feels like it’s been years since he woke up cold and starving, but at the same time it’s been seconds. Is that a vampire thing, an ADHD thing, or a trauma thing? Is it worth figuring out? Not right now.

His mouth is bone-dry as he accepts the burrito. It smells good, great, and the way the warmth of it seeps through the tinfoil into his hands is heavenly. He feels no excitement to bite into it. 

“Alright.” Gus sits down at his desk. “Test number one– garlic.”

“I dunno about this, man. I told you I get hungry after I get hurt.”

“Shawn, we need to figure out your supernatural weaknesses before going back to taking cases.”

“I think we can consider garlic a lock!”

“Sunlight isn’t.”

“... Fair. … Fine. But only if you make some posters to hang around so we get some more private cases.”

“Why? Are you hungry again already?”

“...”

“Do I need to pull out the pencil rosary again?”

“Maybe? It’s not… bad. It’s just kind of… there. Can we just– I’m taking a bite, if I burst into flames or turn into a pile of ash just know my text about my Tears for Fears vinyls still applies.”

“Shawn.”

“Just making sure.” Shawn unwraps the burrito. It’s weird, to know something smells so delicious and know it should be making your mouth water and know you should be excited to eat it, but none of that matters. It’s like the whole experience is hitting a glass wall, clearly there, just barely out of reach to him. 

He takes a bite. Shredded pork, salsa, guac, there’s even roasted corn in this one. It’s loaded, incredible, and he can’t really enjoy it because even though it all tastes exactly like it did when he was human it doesn’t mean anything. Nothing is satisfied by it. In fact, the pang of hunger sharpens as the taste of the pork specifically floods his mouth.

It’s meat, and it’s wrong. Close, so close to what he needs, but not right.

“So?”

Shawn swallows. “Didn’t even burn.”

“Alright, garlic is a no.” Gus crosses it off his list. “We’ve gotta find some garlic flowers next and see if those do anything.”

“Garlic flowers? Don’t be silly, Gus.”

“Garlic flowers are another classic vampire ward, Shawn! They’re used in the original Dracula novel!”

“It’s a novel?” 

“We had to read it in the seventh grade, remember?!”

“Not really. I do remember watching one of those old uh, black-and-white movies with Count Dookie.”

“Count Dooku, Shawn.”

“Gus, he was one of the bad guys, let’s not sweat over his name.”

“You’re trying to distract me.”

“Am not.”

“You are! You’re deflecting again!”

“Deflecting? Please.”

“We agreed, last night, that if you got uncomfortable with focusing on the vampire stuff or the psychic stuff you’d say it outright and we’d switch gears.”

“... Alright. Alright, yes, I’m… wanting to change the subject for a while.”

“Fine. Psychic stuff still fine, or no supernatural stuff at all?”

“None at all, man, I just… let’s watch a movie or something. Least that won’t be different.”

“Alright. Hey, I think American Duos is on.”

“Really? … Wow. Their ratings must be terrible, it’s the middle of the afternoon on a weekday.”

“The guy they replaced Zappato with is kind of lacking, and they had to replace Emilina last season and she’s not great either. I think it’s only still on because the producers are afraid of telling Nigel St Nigel he’s off the air.”

“Really? It sounds awful. Let’s watch the entire season.”

“You know that’s right.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Nice of you to join us today, detectives.”

They both freeze in their tracks. Lassiter turns around first, adjusting his tie nervously. “Ready to get back to work, Chief. It was just a 24 hour thing, and I’m firing on cylinders today.”

“We both are,” Jules jumps in.

“Good, because your homicide case wrapped up the other night and we need a few closing details from you both. You’ll find the paperwork on your desks–”

“Chief!” Buzz jogs over. “We just got a report on the wire, body pulled out of a lake. Looks like drowning.”

Jules makes eye contact with Lassiter. Shawn’s abilities really have evolved. 

“Oh, detectives!” Buzz grins at them both. “I’m glad you guys are feeling better today! Oh, um, Detective Lassiter, I put any remains of journals or anything we found from the mansion in a box and left it by your desk.”

The Chief turns to Lassiter with a disbelieving, you-better-explain threatening smile. “Uh, detective, when did you ask Officer McNab to do this?”

Crap. “Uh, over the phone yesterday, Chief.”

“And you heard about the mansion burning down… how?”

“... Well, uh… Spencer! Yes, Spencer called me in the middle of the night, said he had a vision. Normally I would’ve told him to screw off but I… humored, him, when he asked me to tell McNab… that.”

“You… humored… Mr. Spencer?”

“I blame the fever, Chief.”

“Well, then… I’ll blame it as well. If Mr. Spencer thinks something additionally important is in those journals, I’ll let you hold onto them for the moment, but it’s looking like this case is pretty much completely shut, at this point in time. Right now I want this drowning case to be your top priority.”

“You got it, Chief,” Jules says, giving a too-wide smile and overly enthusiastic thumbs-up. The Chief eyes her oddly for a moment, and then walks back to her office.

“Keep it together, O’Hara, you’re the one who convinced me to play along with this crap,” Lassiter whispers as they quickly walk to his desk.

“I’m trying! The bigger the secret, the harder time I have keeping it!”

“Then why in god’s name are we doing this?!”

“Because Shawn doesn’t deserve to go to jail or a mental facility for something he had no control over!”

“You do realize–”

“As soon as I said it. But Shawn’s not one of the the bad guys, Carlton. It’s different. He’s one of us.”

“... Yeah, alright.” Lassiter tries to sound unconvinced as he agrees. They reach his desk and he takes the lid off the box, frowning as he looks inside. “This is what McNab considers salvageable? He’s more off than I was before the divorce.”

“Oh, Carlton.”

“... My therapist says turning the situation into humor could help me move past it.”

“Alright… well, if you think it’s helping.”

Lassiter looks back into the box, slightly flushed with embarrassment now, and carefully looks through. “I don’t know that we’ll get anything helpful from this.”

“Well, maybe they’ll trigger some kind of… psychic revelation for Shawn.”

“We’re bringing him evidence now?”

“He’ll probably steal it out of evidence if we don’t.”

“You finally caught him doing that?”

“No, but, we both know he does.”

“... Fine. At least this way we can ask for it back. … Let’s focus on this drowning thing instead. You were lying when you said you’d call him, right?”

“No, I was not.”

“O’hara, you saw him this morning. He’s not even close to ready to work on a serious case.”

“... Fine. I’ll wait until we have evidence of foul play. If nothing suggests that, I’ll just tell him it was an accidental drowning case tomorrow.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry closes the door to the security room and gives himself a moment to chuckle, tossing his badge up once and tucking it back into his suit pocket. He forgot how much he enjoyed flashing the badge to get into places.

He pulls up the security feed from outside the store on the night in question. He scrubs through, trying to pick out any suspicious details.

There. 

Just before 3 AM, a motorcycle is caught speeding by. It’s too blurry an image to tell if it’s Shawn’s bike, but Henry’s always considered ‘confirmation bias’ to be something that applies to other people. His investigations have never suffered from such a thing.

He scrubs through some more. Cars, cars, it’s too dark and blurry on the camera to tell them apart by make or model, much less license plates. The motorcycle is all he’s getting from this. 

He stands up, straightens his suit, and leaves. Maybe he’ll get something better from a more expensive store’s security feed. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shawn scoots a little further away as Gus lets out a snore and mumbles something flirtatious in his sleep. He thinks he’s getting an okay handle on the hunger thing– his throat is shot to hell again already, the temptation of Gus’s blood a little bit like that time his dad put a marshmallow on a plate and told him if he didn’t touch it for fifteen minutes he could have two. Comparisons keep drifting through his head, all the different things he can taste from having Gus so close, even when he does his best to stop breathing it in. 

Again, the movie snacks aren’t helping whatsoever. He keeps eating them anyway.

His mouth aches again. Pulses with pain in time with Gus’s heartbeat. He should really stop setting up situations where he’s alone with one or more of them.

He leans his head back on the couch and closes his eyes. The sound of the movie is sharp against his ears, just adding to the headache, getting less and less comprehensible as he slowly drifts off to sleep.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juliet doesn’t have Thornburg.

Juliet doesn’t have Thornburg.

So why is she dying?

Shawn is holding her hand, trying to confess, but the words are stuck in his throat. Jules is wheezing, her eyes bleeding, looking into his with a fear dulled by a thick glaze of illness. Jules is dying. Jules is dying.

Lassie doesn’t get shot in the graveyard.

Lassie doesn’t get shot in the graveyard.

So why is he dying?

Shawn is holding Lassie as he bleeds out– no, he’s holding Mary Light, no, he’s holding Lassie, no, he’s–

Lassie’s blood is spilling out of his chest. He’s looking at Shawn with a level of terror that Shawn never ever wants to see from the detective, never should see from him.

He’s holding Mary again. “Wake up, Shawn.”

Lassie is dying in Shawn’s arms.

Lassie is dying in Shawn’s arms.

Gus doesn’t fall off a cliff when he grabs onto the extreme sports murderer.

Gus doesn’t fall off a cliff when he grabs onto the extreme sports murderer. 

So why is he dying?

Shawn holds Gus at the bottom of the cliff. Gus’s blood coats the rock beneath them. His eyes are completely sightless, his mouth trying to form words that will never come, not with a head injury like this. Gus’s hand grips Shawn’s so tight it hurts, a silent plea to save him.

Gus is dying and Shawn can’t save him.

Gus is dying and Shawn can’t save him.

Henry is not the victim of a plane crash.

Henry is not the victim of a plane crash.

So why is he dying?

Shawn struggles to keep his father’s head straight with one hand as he tries to get the radio working with the other. Henry is barely awake, wheezing, mumbling incoherently. Shawn can’t make the radio work. He can’t call for help.

He looks at his dad and sees regret shining in his bloodshot eyes. Henry reaches out with one bloodied arm and grabs Shawn’s bicep. There’s a tree branch impaled through his abdomen. He looks Shawn in the eye and opens his mouth–

“Wake up!”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shawn sits up with a gasp! His grandmother’s voice screaming through his father’s mouth echoes in his head as he pushes off the couch and runs to the bathroom, splashing cold–

No, no, he’s colder than it is, he switches the tap and splashes warm water on his face. It’s unnatural, it’s wrong, it’s not something his skin should be anymore– the warmth shocks him into full wakefulness.

“Shawn?!” Gus’s footsteps are like hammers against his skull, his quickened heartbeat like a jackhammer. Shawn presses his hands over his ears.

“Shawn!” Gus’s hands are so warm, so warm, warm warm warm blood spilling into Shawn’s jeans from Gus’s skull at the bottom of a cliff–

“WHAT THE–!”

Shawn finds himself presses against the bathroom wall, Gus standing in the doorway with the makeshift rosary held up, wet handprints on his shirt. Gus is shaking. Shawn realizes he feels fangs poking his lip.

He gulps in a breath, pressing his hands to his torso, then his face, holding them out– he repeats until he feels like he’s in his own body again. Gus watches, poised to run.

Shawn shakes his head, trying to knock the last echoes of the nightmare out. They won’t ever go away. They won’t ever go away.

Something clicks. He looks up. “Oh, god. I didn’t–”

“You lunged right for my neck.”

“I- Gus, I’m so– I didn’t–”

“I could tell.” Gus relaxes a little. His heart is still pounding. Shawn realizes belatedly that his voice has gone raspy again. Gus keeps the rosary held up. “What was that?”

“I-I… don’t…” Shawn swallows. They agreed he’d be honest. They agree he had to be honest, at least between the two of them. “I had a nightmare.”

“... About?”

“I don’t… want to talk about it.” If he talks about it he’ll relive it, he’ll have the images take over the real world again and if that happens he’s not sure he won’t try to–

“... Okay. Okay, but– Shawn, that was terrifying.”

“Yeah.”

“And your voice is all messed up again.”

“Noticed that too.”

“... You know, when I went out with Willow–”

“You guys actually went out?”

“Yes! A couple times! Anyway, she told me about this vampire bar place for people who pretend to be vampires.”

“So?”

“So… do you think you could handle just having a little from someone, uh… consenting for their own reasons?”

Flash of white, film grain, stalking up behind the burglar, covering his mouth, sinking his aching fangs into warm soft flesh and drinking–

Shawn shudders– he wishes it was because he disliked the feeling of the memory– vision? … Memory. God, he wishes he disliked it.

“Not doing that, Gus. First of all that’s not my kind of kinky business–”

“Eugh! I was trying not to say it outright, Shawn!”

“I know you were, that’s why I did. Anyway, second, that’s… too, vampire. Way too vampire.”

“... I could see if someone there is willing to donate blood.”

“Gus. You’ll pass out just trying to get the bag here.”

“I can handle it.”

“You don’t want to.”

“It’s that or you drinking me!”

“I won’t drink you!” Shawn doesn’t mean for it to come out panicked– but the way Gus tenses and raises the cross a bit more shows it did, in a bad way. Shawn shakes his head again, looking down and trying to regain some composure. “You– you just shouldn’t have to do that, buddy.”

“You shouldn’t have to be undead. It’s not a fair situation to any of us, Shawn.”

Jules, Lassie, Gus, Henry, bleeding bleeding bleeding dying dying dying Dying And Leaving Shawn Along FOREVER–

“I’m going.” Shawn is snapped out of it by Gus digging his car keys out of his pocket. “You just zoned out again and started shaking. If you don’t get blood, one of us is going to be in big trouble, and either way it goes it’ll be bad.”

“Gus–”

“I’ll just close my eyes or something! I’m putting this in front of the door on my way out, I’ll be back as soon as I can. And I’m letting Lassie and Jules know what I’m doing.”

“... Could you uh, leave out the–”

“Don’t even have to ask. Just… try to relax a little while I’m gone, okay?”

Shawn doesn’t agree or disagree. Gus leaves, and Shawn splashes his face a few more times before going back to the couch. He sits in the spot Gus had fallen asleep in. Maybe he’s imagining it because he’s so cold, but the spot still feels a little warm.

His cell rings a moment later. Crap. He lets it go to voicemail.

“Shawn, call me back, would you? What’s the point of these damn things if you just ignore it all the time? Look, I got a letter about your bike insurance and they’re raising the monthly payments. You put the damn bike on my card so I think I’m entitled to know how well you’re taking care of the thing if I’m going to keep paying for it.”

Shawn groans. He tosses his phone to the other side of the couch. He’ll reply later– or maybe never. 

Henry wheezing, staring with dull bloodshot eyes, reaching out–

…

He’ll reply later.