#i gotta eventually draw the rest of his gang at some point too

[hellishgayliath]

Literally obsessed with this pretty boi. Been missing him so I had to do a redesign of him again, plus I really love seeing pops of red on him

[plus-size-reader]

Forgotten

Thomas x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 2326 words

Warnings: none

Summary: WCKD isn’t the only one with secrets. The Scorch has a few secrets of its own

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It would have been stupid of the gladers to think they were the only ones left.

While it was true that WCKD had taken to picking and choosing who got to survive, that didn’t mean there was no one else left outside of their domain. It just meant that the few of you that had survived were better at it than the rest.

Sometimes you called them the forgotten, those who WCKD couldn’t use that got left behind. In the beginning, it was like your own little maze, made up of all those who didn’t mean anything to anyone because they couldn’t use you.  

You were left for dead at the mercy of the scorch, and while some people had survived, as the time ticked by, fewer and fewer of those forgotten ones survived.

Most of them ended up as cranks, at the hands of the virus that had torn through the life  you once knew.  It was all you had now, and as treacherous as it was, the scorch was your home.

It was all that was left.

Which was why you were so shocked to see such a big group of them still alive out here, not deterred by the dust storms in the desert or the cranks who would surely tear them apart if they got the chance.

All in all, they were way out of their depth.

You had been staying here, in what was now little more than a bunker while now, keeping a close eye on the compound to the east. WCKD got shipments of supplies sometimes, which you had taken to ripping off occasionally.

Stealing from them was hardly the worst thing you’d done out here.

It was what you had to do to survive.

However, the last thing you’d been expecting here was a group of strangers, somehow still alive against every threat in this place. Though, from the looks of it, they hadn’t been out in it very long, which could have been the reason for that.

You watched them for a while, trying to figure out who or what they were, before eventually, you decided that you had to do something about it.

They weren’t going to survive out here on their own.

What you were doing went against your every impulse, of course, as you had learned not to trust anyone or anything, not even the other survivors that could be found bunkered down all over the scorch.

The only person you could trust was you, and even that was iffy sometimes, but for some reason, you felt differently about them.

Maybe it was because they were so desperately fighting for survival, ro maybe it was just because you’d been alone for so long but whatever it was, you had already made up your mind.

They needed your help, or they were going to die out here.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you” you called, just in time for one among them to flip the switch to the power grid. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but only if they knew even less about this place than you thought they did.

Both men in yoru view tensed at your appearance, but didn’t have any time at all to address you before the crank you’d loving been calling Doris for the past six months slammed against the bars of her cage.

She was here when you showed up here and once you’d decided that there was no risk of her getting out, it was easier to keep her alive than to put her down.

In your experience, having one around that wasn’t a threat to you, helped you keep tabs on what would draw in the rest.

“Follow me” you suggested, rushing off in the opposite direction of two of the other cranks, glad to find out that at the very least, the two of them could run. If they couldn’t, you would have been forced to leave them behind.

Just because you wanted to help them didn’t mean you were all of a sudden willing to die for strangers.

You would help them, or at least try to help them, for as long as you could. The actual survival was their responsibility, what they had to do out here because they wanted to. Everyone that survived out here had to want it.

If you didn’t, you died.

That was just how it was, and nothing was going to change that.

The pair of them shared a look, just one, before following your lead. The next few minutes went by quickly, more quickly than anyone could have predicted, as you raced toward the exit, meeting up with quite a few others in the process.

From the looks of it, the gang's all here.

You didn’t say anything more until you had made it safely, for the most part, out of the building, the door closed tightly, one metal door between you and them. All of you, with the exception of one, had made it out in one piece.

“What were you doing back there? What's going on? Who are you?” came the parade of questions as you walked, already sort of leaving the rest of them in your dust. While they clearly had no idea what was out here, you did.

...And you weren’t itching to see any more of those things tonight.

“Y/N, I was living there but I guess I’m not anymore” you decided, only looking back at them to answer the first of what you assumed would be a million more questions. The more ground you could cover before the sun went down, the better off you’d be.

If they thought one of them getting bit was bad, it was going to get so much worse in the dark. Those things thrived in the dark.

“Living there, with those things? You’ve gotta be mad” one of the scoffed, immediately forcing you to stop again.

Once again reminding you why you normally shied away from helping other people all together.

“You came out of a maze, didn’t you? Cause you definitely haven't been out here” you hummed, eyeing the blonde incredulously, though when an answer did come, it wasn’t from his lips. Instead, one of the original two you’d found, Thomas you thought you’d heard, spoke.

He was lost.

“Yeah we did, you didn’t?” he wondered, a genuine look of confusion dressing his face for a second. They hadn’t really considered an alternative, and why would they?

All this time, they had been under the impression that there was nothing out there in the scorch, but you were living proof that was a lie. It made him wonder that if that was a lie, there was a good chance other things had been too.

They just couldn’t be sure what.

“No, I grew up in the scorch” you shrugged, doing your very best to ignore the way their faces twisted up when you said it out loud. Of course they couldn’t understand what that was like, because no one could.

Only people who’d done it could even imagine what it was like.

The gladers weren’t exactly thrilled about this situation, but as uncertain as they were of you, it was clear that you were that much more concerned about them. Clearly, all this time out in the scorch had made you paranoid.

Rightfully so.

“You live out here? In this?” the blonde repeated, clearly missing the point of this conversation entirely. You wanted to make this as quick and concise as possible so as to not have to talk about it again but that wasn’t about to happen.

Not with all these shanks asking so many questions.

“Alright, I’m gonna need some names. Then I’ll tell you all about the forgotten ones” you decided, folding your arms crossed your chest, keeping as calm as you could be given the circumstances.

You didn’t have all day to sit around talking about this. From the looks of their friend, you didn’t even have till sundown anymore before you had at least one crank to deal with.

“That’s Minho, Frypan, and Teresa” he, Thomas, started, pointing each of them out in turn before moving on to the next.

“Over there is Aris,” the shortest of them.

“That’s Winston”  the soon to be crank

“This is Newt and I’m Thomas” he hummed, making it clear that there was some kind of connection between all of them that was much deeper than you would have thought, and confirming that was in fact his name.

At the very least, you had that going for you.

“There used to be more of us, out here, but as the time passes, there’s less” you started, deciding that a deal was a deal after all.

You told them you would explain this whole thing, after all.

“I’ve been on my own for a while, moving around to stay alive. Sometimes I stole from the WCKD supply trucks from the compound where you came from, but they aren’t even the biggest threat” you allowed, letting your eyes linger on Winston for a moment.

You knew that to them, he was family, but it was hard for you to see him as anything more than a ticking time bomb. You had just lost too many friends to cranks over the years to feel comfortable with him like that.

It was only a matter of time.

Thomas nodded as you spoke, thinking over each and every one of your words carefully.

After all, to the best he could tell, you had been living there all this time and when he stopped to think about it, it made sense. All those kids in the maze, they were there because they were immune, and they needed to be protected, but they weren’t the only ones left.

There was no way everyone else was dead.

Someone had to be alive somewhere, out there in the rubble, which wasn’t exactly wrong. There were plenty of people left, hiding out all over the scorch, just trying to survive.

“We’ll figure something out” he muttered, following your gaze to the male, who was currently holding tightly to Minho’s shoulder just to keep upright.

So far, it was just a sick feeling in his stomach and a dizziness clouding his thoughts, but soon it would be much more. You knew all the sighs, far too well, and you could have pinpointed exactly how it would happen.

It was a race against the clock.

“You can’t promise that. You don’t know this place like I do” you whispered, turning back around to continue on your way, not willing to discuss this any further. You wanted to believe in a cure as much as the next person, but you weren’t blind.

You didn’t get to be so naive.

“So why help us then? You clearly think this whole thing is hopeless anyway” Thomas called, jogging slightly to catch up with you, the rest of his group taking up the back. It wasn’t exactly easy to move through the sand, but you made it work.

All in all, it was easier for you than it was for them, just because you’d been doing it for longer.

You sighed, looking at him through the corner of your eye, desperately trying to understand what it was he wanted from you. This was a lot harder for you both than need be, as neither of you had a good history of working with others, but it was what it was.

It was plain and simple.

You didn’t want something to happen to them.

The Scorch had taken so much from so many people and you didn’t want to let it take anything else from anyone else if you could help it. At the very least, you could help guide them in this world they knew so little about.

It was all anyone could do, because there were so few of you left.

“Because it’s important,”

Thomas seemed to be determined to keep his family safe, and you could respect that. After all, he wasn’t the only one who’d had one, and you hadn’t been as successful as you’d hoped in your own quest.

If you could help him keep his people alive, you weren’t going to turn a blind eye to that.

“I lost my people, but you don’t have to lose yours” you decided, remembering the countless friends you’d had and lost over the years. The Scorch was real and dangerous, where nothing was ever guaranteed.

Between WCKD and the cranks, you’d lost everything. They would get bit; if they were immune, World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department was on top of it, and if they weren’t, they died.  

News of the immune, even out here, was hard to keep hidden. They were valuable, and as best you knew, WCKD was already tracking them down.

Thankfully, you knew how this went down, and if they had a shot out here, it was with you.

“You would do that for us?” he questioned, unsure of what in the world was happening here. He thought he understood the world, though he understood what was going on but every time he got any information, it flipped all over again.

Thomas just felt like he couldn’t win, no matter what he did.

“Yeah, but you have to know Winston isn’t going to make it. He probably has half an hour left, at most” you whispered. There was no way you could guarantee he had even that much time but he certainly didn’t have any more than that.

It wasn’t really the news you wanted to give him but you didn’t have much choice in the matter. He’d been bitten and since he clearly wasn’t immune, that wasn’t going to change.

“Yeah, yeah, I know”

None of this was going to be easy but at the very least, he won’t have to do it alone.

[wordupcomics]

We would like to see more about the adventures of the boys (Violet, Scoops, Becky and Tobey) when they were teenagers we really love to see our favorite team interacting with each other 💗

Hey Anon! Sorry this took so long! It took me a while to think of things and then when I did I wanted to draw them but by that point I'd already kept you waiting for a while so I only have two drawings but I have a lot of ideas I will share through text instead!

First lets do the moment with the drawings

So it starts with the gang as teenagers, all four of them in detention. The girls and the boys got detention for different reasons, and ask the other why they are there. First Becky and Violet ask Tobey and Scoops why they're there. It's a long answer, so I'll just have Becky sum it up for you

Becky:...So...let me get this straight...Scoops saw Mr. Smith and Mrs. Stevens kissing in the parking lot, and decided to right an article about it and why we should remain loyal to our partners...and then Tobey pointed out that if anyone saw that article he could damage Mr. Smith and Mrs. Stevens marriages and get in trouble. So to avoid getting in trouble you two decided to flush the article down one of the toilets in the boys locker room and it clogged the pipes and flooded the boys locker room and you two got detention for causing damage to school property????

Tobey: Yes we hear the irony that we did that to avoid Scoops getting in trouble and then ultimately got in trouble because of it

Becky: Not even on my list of concerns right now. First of all...why did you have to destroy the article? Why couldn't you have just not published it? You could have hidden it or thrown it away?

Violet: No they should have recycled it!

Scoops: What if I recycled it and someone found it? Or what if I lost it and someone found it? it would spread like wildfire!

Becky: Okay, but why flush it down the toilet??? You could have shred it?

Violet: Or painted over it!

Becky: Or used one of Tobey's robots to destroy it

Violet: Or you guys could have thrown it in my fire pit when you came over next weekend to roast marshmallows!

Tobey and Scoops (realizing they're right): ...

Becky: And secondly (Looks to Violet as they both try to choke down a laugh) Mr. Smith and Mrs. Stevens are married

Scoops: I know, that's why I wrote an article on cheating Becky!

Violet: No, you guys, they're married to each other

Tobey and Scoops: ...What..??

Becky: Mrs. Stevens wanted to keep her last name so she never changed it

Violet: They've been happily married for twenty years

(Tobey and Scoops then realize they got detention for basically no reason at all as Becky and Violet burst out laughing):

Tobey: Oh yeah! And why are you two here, hmm? What bad thing could the two most rule-following students in the school have possibly done to end up in detention with us?

Becky and Violet (paniced): No reason

Scoops: No no no! We told you, now you gotta tell us! What'd you two do?

Violet: ....Well...Becky brought her laptop to school today so we could look at Pretty Princess fanart at lunch...

Scoops: At lunch? A teacher shouldn't give you detention for goofing off on a computer at lunch

Becky: Yeah the problem wasn't when we were looking at it...the problem was the particular fanart that just happened to be on the computer when the teacher passed by...

Tobey: ... What in the world kind of fanart were you two looking at?????

Becky: We were just looking at normal fanart! As it turns out some people one the internet are...messed up and we accidentally ran into some fanart that...um...

Violet: Will haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life...

Becky: and was ultimately deemed "highly inappropriate" by the teacher...

(Tobey and Scoops then burst out laughing):

I'm gonna put some more scenarios under the cut!

Becky begged Tobey to read this amazing book she just loves:

Becky: Have you read it yet?! Wasn't it amazing?!

Tobey: ...Becky you are one of my dearest friends but I have to be honest with you-This was the worst book I have ever had the displeasure to read

Becky: (Yanks the book out of Tobey's hands and "covers it's ears") (Gasps) IT CAN HEAR YOU!!!

Tobey: ....please see a shrink...

Mrs. McCallister is finally ready for Tobey to meet her new boyfriend and Tobey is super nervous. Scoops gets this idea that he'll look up the guy in the phone book, call him, and pretend he's randomly interviewing people on the phone for a school article, when instead he's actually getting information Tobey needs to get to know the guy better so he knows what to expect (fun fact: this man would later become Tobey's stepdad, his name is Alex). Scoops has the phone on speaker so Tobey can hear

After a bunch of oddly specific questions:

Alex, on the other end: ...Are you a friend of Claire's boy, Tobey?

Scoops: ...

Alex: ...

Tobey: ...

Scoops: Bye! (hangs up in panic)

Tobey: SCOOPS!

Scoops: He was on to us! I panicked! What was I supposed to do???

Tobey: NOT THAT! YOU MAY AS WELL HAVE SAID YES!

Scoops wrote an article about WordGirl. He didn't see anything wrong with it...Becky did...

Becky: How could you say that about me!?

Scoops: I didn't think you'd care!

Becky: Well I do!

Scoops: I'm sorry, Becky. I didn't know you felt so insecure about this or I never would have written it, I promise!

Becky: Insecure! I am NOT insecure!

Scoops (raising an eyebrow): ... define insecure

Becky: ...

Scoops: ...

Becky: I'm leaving! (leaves)

Tobey is in the park reading, Violet is also at the park, doing an art show. She walks up to Tobey all sad and sits next to him

Violet: Hi..

Tobey: What's the matter?

Violet: Someone came to my art show and said he thought all my art was terrible...

Tobey: ...Who in the world would say such a thing???

Violet: That guy over there...

Tobey: You know he's probably just jealous of how talented you are and is masking his insecurities behind rude comments

Violet: ... You really think so?

Tobey: Oh yes, I used to do it all the time..I still catch myself doing it to be honest

Violet: Well now I feel bad for him..

Tobey: Well there's nothing you can do about him, so if I were you I'd just go and continue your art show like normal

Violet: You're right Tobey! Thanks! (leaves for her art show)

Tobey: (pulls out his remote) Insult my dear innocent friend? Not on my watch

Becky and Violet talking about Pretty Princess

Becky: I mean...I know none of it is canon but it's still a good idea right?

Violet: Becky! This is the best AU idea I've ever heard!

Becky: (gasps) I'll write fanfiction for it and you draw fanart for it?

Violet: YES!

Becky and Violet: (Excited screams)

Tobey, now officially having given up crime, is doing community service (of his own volition) to make up for his past actions. Becky, Scoops and Violet come up

Becky: How's community service going?

Tobey: It's awful! But I'm glad I'm doing it

Violet: Want some help?

Tobey: No, it wouldn't feel right

Scoops: Well, can we just sit here and keep you company then?

Tobey: ... Of course!

In high school, Violet got into acting and often performed in school plays. Her first play ever she invited all her friends to come see, and of course they were happy to watch her have fun on stage! However when they saw the play it was....horrendous. Worst thing they'd ever seen. After the play was over Violet happily came over to ask them what they thought of it. Important note: Violet and Scoops were dating at the time

Tobey, seeing Violet coming: What do I do??? I can't tell Violet it was terrible! It would break her heart! But I can't lie to her either! That's wrong!

Becky: Tobey, relax, just do what I do

Violet: Hey guys! What'd you think?

Becky: you looked like you were having so much fun!

Tobey and Scoops: Yeah you did!

Violet: I was! But what did you think of the play itself?

Becky: ...Well...honestly you guys mispronounced so many words I couldn't really enjoy it. I mean it's not your fault, no one uses those words anymore but you know...I know how they're pronounced and can't stand when words are pronounced wrong so...

Violet: Oh that makes sense! We'll work on that! Maybe you can tell me how to pronounce them!

Becky: Sure!

Violet: Tobey what did you think?

Tobey: Um...I wasn't really a fan of the genre so I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I could have

Violet: Oh, what kind of genres do you like?

Tobey: ....a consistent one...

Violet: (laughs) You're so silly Tobey! Scoops! What'd you think?

Scoops: ... Um... I loved it of course! I mean, you were in it! And I love you! So how could I not love it!

Becky, having learned from the WordGirl stuff, later told Violet the truth and explained that she didn't like the play at all and only liked that Violet seemed so happy doing it. Violet took this well. Tobey and Scoops however...:

Scoops: PROBLEM PROBLEM PROBLEM!

Tobey: What?

Scoops: The school paper wants me to review the school play! I can't say it was good, that goes against my oath as a reporter! But I can't say it was bad either, I already told Violet I loved it!

Tobey: Ask someone else to do it

Scoops: No one else has the time to take on any more assignments! What am I gonna do?! I don't wanna upset Violet!

Tobey: um...uh...could you post it anonymously?

Those actions eventually lead to Scoops and Violet breaking up (don't worry, they did get back together years later)

Scoops took his and Violet's break up particularly hard, and Tobey tried to cheer him up by finding weird things happening in the city for Scoops to write about. It didn't help a whole lot, but Scoops appreciated Tobey trying to cheer him up. Meanwhile Becky, who by this point all her friends knew she was WordGirl, essentially tried to fix Scoops and Violet's now ended relationship, and between trying to help them, school work, hero work and family life, she ended up stretching herself a little too thin to the point that all her friends had to do an intervention and tell her to stop because it wasn't good for her.

I've mentioned before that Becky's necklace in Word Up in significant and special to her. This necklace was actually made by Scoops, Violet and Tobey. Note the fact that her friends made it isn't the reason it's so important to her, but it is sweet they took the time to make it for her.

For one of his birthdays Tobey invited his friends to a demolition derby. When his friends said they thought it odd he'd be into that, he stated it was his new outlet for seeing destruction now that he was no longer doing crime.

Hmm that's all I have for now! If you are wanting more and have any particular questions or ideas, feel free to send more asks! If they are a little more specific I'll probably get to them a little sooner

[ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa]

Addicted to You

Part V: Beast of Burden

Summary/Author's Note: Let's have some happy shall we? You flash back to one of your earliest memories with Frankie. You and Will have a heart to heart. (Thank you guys so much for your amazing compliments and feedback. It means the world.) ((also dear god I love this gif so much, the hair, the wind, the hand gestures, the way he says “--FUCKING ANDES, MAN”)) gif by @pascalplease 

**There is a Top Gun reference in here because y'all cannot sit there and tell me it's not Fransisco Catfish Morales's favorite movie--so, if you've never seen it, it might seem out of place or left field but I PROMISE it is fitting.

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Pope's Sister! Reader Word Count: 4.4k Warnings/Rating: R/18+ -- feelings, heavy petting, thigh riding, fingering, Frankie's giant hands, all the kisses, hurt/comfort, YEARNING AND PINING, long lost love, language, Frankie is made out of pure HUSBAND material, y’all, fucking tom

Part I * Part II * Part III * Part IV

[MASTERLIST]

The two vehicles drove one behind the other for most of the morning. You watched the sun come up through the dense tree line, little slivers of golden flashes of light through the lush, green leaves that made you smile slightly in its beauty. Seeing the sun, knowing that the distance between you and Lorea's mansion was growing by the minute, made you finally be able to draw a deep breath without feeling like you were going to crack a rib in the process. The panic had subsided, but afterwards came the muscle fatigue and unadulterated exhaustion of being that tense for that long. Your eyes were heavy, but you couldn't sleep, not yet. 

Frankie eventually let go of your hand, needing both of them to turn the steering wheel on some of the switchback roads in the heart of the jungle, but as soon as the road turned straight again, his hand was a warm and gentle weight on your thigh. It was as if he thought the moment he stopped touching you, you would cease to be real. Maybe he was right--maybe his touch was the only thing keeping you centered in your own existence right now. 

"You should sleep," he said quietly, glancing away from the road to look at you then back. 

"I can't." 

He squeezed your thigh and nodded. "You look exhausted."

You chuckled softly and smiled halfheartedly. "I've been awake for the better part of three days, Frankie. If I didn't look exhausted, I would be worried."

He grinned in return, thankful that you at least we're starting to sound like your old self. You both still had a long way to go. He selfishly longed to see that spark back within you, the one he fell in love with--the one that gave him courage and the strength to do just about anything, including getting out of this fucking jungle. 

He pulled into a very old, rundown airstrip hangar and you sat up a little straighter, taking off your seat belt as he threw it in park. A small yellow beat up gremlin was parked off to the side where a pretty woman and a man leaned against the open hatchback.

"Who's that?" You asked.

"Pope's informant. We owe her big time."

You looked at her and suddenly was overwhelmed with the idea of not knowing what to say. She looked so normal, a civilian that should have been far away from all of this chaos and yet here she was, playing a huge part in the fact that you were still alive. 

Frankie got out of the van and walked around the front to open the door for you as he held out his hand. You nodded your thanks and gripped it, leaning on him more than you would have liked, but god dammit you were tired. 

"Your girlfriend is here," Frankie nodded towards the yellow car as Pope hopped out of the second SUV. 

"Girlfriend?" Now that made you smile as you raised an eyebrow at your brother who blushed.

"Shut up," he said flatly before walking over to them. Frankie chuckled and shook his head. 

He put his hand in the edge of your hair at your temple, gently running his thumb over the side of your forehead as he looked you over. "I gotta start weighing these bags. Go sit with Will. I'll be close by," he added before you could protest, with a wink and a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“Okay,” you said softly and he hesitated for a moment before drawing you into the circle of his arms and sighing heavily. You clung to his shirt and breathed him in and he hugged you so tightly you felt compressed, but you weren’t about to tell him to stop. “Frankie--” you focused on the way he smelled, like humidity and sweat but underneath it all it was still him, solid and warm. “If you keep hugging me like this, I’m going to lose it and I can’t--I can’t right now.” Your voice faltered towards the end and you balled his shirt into your fists.

“Do you want me to stop?” he mumbled against your hair and the very idea brought tears to the front of your eyes. 

“God, no,” you let out an exasperated laugh and he squeezed you tighter. You pulled back slightly and wiped your eyes on the back of your hand, giving him a smile. With each touch he offered, your heart felt lighter, but then again that had always been one of Frankie’s powers over you. 

“Fuck!”

Both of you turned as Benny got out of the SUV and slammed the door shut, kicking the tire. Will and Tom followed suit but shut the doors normally, adjusting the strap of their rifles and packs. “What?” Tom snarled at Benny and the younger man threw his arms up in the air.

“What do you mean ‘what’? That was a shit job back there and you know it! We don’t leave messes like that!” Benny was seething. Frankie felt you tense and he let go of you slowly and turned to the other men. 

“Hey--Ben, Benny!” He raised his voice and the younger man looked at him. “Take a walk--relax.” He rubbed his hand down his face and glanced at you apologetically as Benny threw his pack down and laced his hands on top of his head, breathing deeply and walking into the grass. 

“If no one cares,” Will put a hand to his left side and winced. “I think I’m gonna sit.”

“Let me help,” you said, jogging over to the blond and he smiled slightly. 

Tom and Frankie started unloading the duffel bags of cash onto the giant rusty scale that sat under a dilapidated awning. Will sat down on a concrete ledge that connected to a retainer wall and he cursed quietly, when he moved his hand away from the wound his fingers had a few drops of fresh blood on them. “Shit,” he sighed.

“You got another bandage kit?” you asked, dropping down to one knee and starting to unzip his pack for him.

“Yeah,” he nodded, wincing again as he pulled his shirt up to examine the wound further. “You don’t have to--”

“Hush,” you said and he laughed, making you return it. Will had one of the most infectious smiles and laughs of any of your brother’s crew. 

“I missed you, ya know? We all did.” He watched as you lifted his shirt out of your way and removed the first round of gauze that was bloody and soaked through. 

“I missed you guys, too. It’s been a long time.” 

“Too bad we gotta get the gang back together for this--haven’t any of us heard of like a barbecue or something?” he joked. You laughed but didn’t respond, focusing on trying not to rip any of the new clotting off as you cleaned the area, ripping open more gauze with your teeth and spitting the packaging out onto the ground. “You know who missed you most though, right?” he asked, nodding towards the scale as Frankie and Tom continued to toss bags onto it. 

“Tom?” you asked and she threw his head back and laughed.

“Smart ass,” he shook his head. “He worried himself sick. I’ve never seen him like that.”

“I know.” Your voice was nothing more than a whisper as you could only imagine how Frankie felt the last few days. 

“All these years--” Will waited until you had placed the new bandage and sealed it off with medical tape and a wrap around his waist before he spoke again. “He never stopped loving you.”

“Will..”

“No, I’m serious. And if both of you are too stubborn to admit it and are going to make the rest of us point it out, then fine.” He dipped his head slightly, making you look him in the eyes. “That man is going to fucking love you until the day he dies, and I’m not telling you what you should do but,” he shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “If you feel the same, I can’t think of a better time to say something than after almost dying in the fucking jungle.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, plopping down on the wall beside him and tossing the rest of the unused cloth into his pack. “Yeah, I know. You’re right.”

“I know I am.” He said flatly and you punched his arm.

“Shut up, Miller.” 

--

Many Years Ago Somewhere Back in Dallas TX, USA

You had met Frankie Morales a handful of times, always in passing and always hanging back behind the others with a beer in his hand and his ball cap pulled just low enough to hide under--a move that he had perfected over many years. He was quiet, sweet, and incredibly handsome. For some reason, unknown to you, they called him ‘Fish’, must have been a military thing, because to you it was dumb.

You brother’s military friends were loud, boisterous, and could drink themselves under the table if they truly wanted to. You had asked Santiago about Frankie and he had just grinned and nudged you in the ribs until you blushed and told him to just forget it. That night however, you sat in the lawn chair, laughing with your family and stealing glances his way. And when you saw your brother pop him two beers and nod his head towards you, you wanted to crawl under the table. Despite the embarrassment of your brother playing both matchmaker and wingman, you squared your shoulders and smiled up at him as he offered you a beer. 

Conversation with Frankie was easy, once you got him talking. He was content to let you ramble on and watch you with a small smile and those kind, brown eyes. But once you found something he was interested in, well, he came alive. One beer turned to two, and then to three, and the next thing you knew the two of you had hopped up in the bed of his truck, feet dangling over the tailgate, watching the fireflies in the tall grasses of the field that belonged to the farmers down the street. Since then, fireflies and the smell of summer time honeysuckle always reminded you of the first time you kissed Frankie Morales. 

“And how long have you wanted to do that?” you smiled as he gently bumped his forehead against yours and stole another quick peck. 

“About the better part of a year,” he chuckled. “Can I do it again?” 

“I would be upset if you didn’t.” You grinned and slid your arms around his neck as his hand slid around the curve of your waist and he laid you back in the bed of the truck. 

His lips were soft, but his kiss was as hot as the summer air. He slid his tongue over your lip and you opened your mouth to receive him with a soft sigh of content. You wanted to bury your fingers in his dark hair, so you knocked his cap off and did just that. The action seemed to spur him on as his knee came up slowly between your thighs and started to push up the hem of your dress. 

“That okay?” he asked against your lips and you nodded, pulling him more firmly against the front of your body. 

His actions made you feel bold, feel brave in a way you had never felt before. He was a brave man who had seen a lot of the world, and you wanted him to show it to you. You wrapped your arms around him and kissed him again before he moved down to nose your neck. 

"Mhmm," you smiled and closed your eyes and you felt him suck a kiss against your pulse point. "That's nice."

"Yeah?" He mumbled against your jaw and pressed his knee further into the apex of your thighs. When you shamelessly started grinding against the front of his jeans he let out a groan that made you giggle. 

"Roll over," you said and he relented, moving onto his back and grabbing your hips to drag you to straddle his waist. You could feel how hard he was beneath the denim and you put your hands on his chest and rode him, letting the shape of his cock rub against your panties under your sun dress. 

"Fuck, sweetheart, come here," he sat up as you leaned down, crashing your lips together. His big hand cradling your face as his fingers threaded through the edge of your hair. His other hand disappeared under your dress and hesitated.

"Yes, Frankie, yes, go ahead. Please, touch me." You said breathlessly before he could even ask permission. At your words he dipped his hand down to cup your mound and he let his fingers part your folds.

"You're so wet. Is that because of me?" He grinned because he knew the answer to that.

"No, it's because of the other guy I was kissing in the bed of his truck." You tried to joke but gasped as he sunk one of his thick fingers inside of you.

"That so?"

"Shut up," you slapped his chest and he laughed, deep and genuine. Despite the fact that his hand was buried in your underwear, his laugh and boyish smile is what made you blush. Shit. You were in trouble.

You bucked your hips against his hand and moaned as he added a second finger and moved his thumb up to rub your clit. His hands were so fucking big, it made you wonder what was tucked carefully into those tight Levi's. You looked down at his handsome face, lit by the moonlight and the single street lamp at the end of the dirt road. It made you kiss him again, closing your eyes and really savoring the taste of his mouth. His fingers curved inside of you and sped up, pressing and rolling the pad of his thumb against your clit. 

"Right there, oh, fuck, Frankie don't stop." 

"I love it when you say my name." He nosed your cheek and the feeling of his beard against your soft skin gave you chills. 

"Frankie," you sighed again and it made him move back to devour your mouth as if he could eat the word from your lips. You bounced lightly in his lap against his hand, brushing his clothed cock with the inside of your thigh and it made him grunt. 

When you came it was a soft cry against his cheek as you clung to his shoulders and felt your pussy clench around his fingers. It was sweet, tender, and exactly what you needed. When you opened your eyes, he was already looking at you and grinning. You started to speak but were cut off by another male voice.

"Hey, Fish!"

"Shit!" You whispered and Frankie wrapped his arms around your waist and leaned back in the truck bed. You stifled a laugh as you landed against his chest and he pulled his hand from under your dress. 

"Shh, shh," he chuckled and put a finger to your lips. When you realized it was one of the fingers that had just been inside of you, you sucked it in your mouth down to the knuckle. He groaned, and whispered quietly, "You're killing me, princesa." 

"Fish! I can see your boots, man, I'm not a moron." Will called from the fence line that lined the field where his truck was parked. 

"Fuck," Frankie said, leaning his head back with a sigh. "What!" He barked and you gripped the front of his t-shirt, giggling again. 

"We're heading out and wanted to know if you were com--wait a second. That better not be Pope's sister in there! Just sayin'," he laughed and you felt your cheeks get hot.

You sat up from your spot on Frankie's lap and popped over the edge of the truck. "Fuck off, Will Miller!" Frankie yanked you back down and you fell into a fit of giggles as he rolled on top of you again.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He called and you were laughing so hard you let out a snort and Frankie looked at you in gleeful surprise that just made you laugh more. 

"I'm not getting involved in this," Will shook his head and chuckled. "Just wear a fuckin' condom, and maybe some kevlar when you tell Pope."

Your jaw dropped and you buried your face against Frankie's chest and he chuckled as well. "So much for being discreet." You both waited, silently daring each other to make a move as you listened to the sound of Will's retreating boots in the gravel road. 

He dipped back down and kissed you again, slow and deep, as you reached for his belt and started to undo the buckle. His hand covered both of yours as he stopped your movements. "Wait--"

"What?" You asked, suddenly worried that the looming idea of your older sibling finding out had ruined your chances with him. 

"Can I--uh. Can I take you to dinner?" 

You bit your lip as you felt the heat rise to your cheeks once again. "I was right."

"About what?"

"You are the sweetest man I have ever met," you smiled and leaned up to cup his face and kiss him again. 

"So, is that a yes?" He mumbled against your mouth and you nodded.

"Take off your pants, Frankie."

--

You thought about the night you first kissed Frankie and wished it could be that simple again. Both of you were just kids. Your world revolved around scraping by to pay the bills and fucking in the cab of his truck. God, you missed that truck. 

Will hopped off the divider wall as a small plane landed and the guy who he had paid to provide transport got out to shake his hand. Frankie eyed the puddle jumper with disdain and threw his hand out towards it. 

"The fuck are we gonna do with that thing?" He asked, looking at Tom in question as you came to stand behind him. The whirring of a chopper drew their eyes to the lush tree covered mountain as their real ride crested the landscape and Frankie gave a sigh of relief. "Now, we're talkin'."

The wind from the blades whipped the tall grasses and anything not secured blew freely. Your hair covered your face for a moment and you hastily dug a hair tie from your back pocket and secured the strands. Frankie and Tom set to getting the large, canvas drop net secured to the bottom of the aircraft but you knew by the tension in his shoulders there was already a problem.

"This won't all fit in the net!" Frankie yelled, stopping Tom from putting more bags in. "If you want more it needs to go in the body!" 

"It'll fit!" Tom said back and Frankie shook his head.

"If that scale is even close to being correct we have six thousand pounds here!" Frankie said as the rest of the men approached them both to find out what was going on. "That's 250 million dollars!"

"We stole 250 million dollars?!" Benny said with a giant smile on his face. "I'm definitely getting that fucking Ferrari!" He grabbed a bag and headed for the chopper. 

"That's not the point--fuck," Frankie looked at Pope, desperate for anyone who would listen. "If that scale is right, we're gonna have a weight issue!"

"What's the issue? This helo can carry 9,000 pounds!" Tom said, gesturing to the helicopter and you saw the vein jump in Frankie's neck. They weren't fucking listening.

"That's 9,000 pounds at 2,000 feet...we have to fly over the fucking Andes, man!" Frankie literally stomped in place and threw his arm out towards the mountains.

"Are we really going to leave 200 million dollars on the fucking runway?!" Tom asked and you couldn't take it anymore.

"That's better than being dead, Tom!" You said, taking a step forward.

"You don't get a vote," he snapped, pointing a finger at you and Frankie clenched his fist and moved you behind his body.

"Enough!" Will said, putting his hands out and looking between the two men. "We need to decide now. What are we gonna do?"

Frankie let out a deep breath and rubbed his hand over his hat and down to the back of his neck. You watched as his forearm flexed, the vein in his neck was back, popping out with his rising frustrations. He finally shook his head and held up his hands in defense. "Okay. Okay. She'll make it. Let's go!"

"Frankie," you touched his arm but before you could say anything Tom gestured to the two people leaning against the yellow car. 

"What about them?" He jerked his thumb back indicating Pope's informant and her brother. "We're already overweight as it is!"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me-" you started but your brother was already a step ahead of you. 

"We promised them a ride over the border into Peru! She's the reason I got my sister back! Now, I'm going to help her get out of this fucking country with her brother--like I promised! No exceptions!" Pope waved his arm telling them to follow him into the helicopter. 

Frankie put his hand on your lower back and gave your hips a boost to get you inside the craft. He helped you sit down and pulled the straps of the harness connected to the wall over each of your shoulders as he crouched in front of you. His face was scrunched in thought but you knew it wasn't about the complexity of the safety belt, he could do that with his eyes closed. No, you knew what it was about.

"We're not going to make it are we?" You asked flatly and he looked up at you.

"We will. Because I said so." He snapped the buckle shut and jerked on the strap by your breast making sure it was secure.

"Frankie, you're the best pilot I've ever met. If you say it's too much weight, then it's too much weight." 

"Yeah, well, Tom's the one in charge."

"Tom can kiss my fucking ass," you snapped and his lips tilted up slightly in a grin. 

"There's my girl." He used his knuckle to give the underside of your chin a gentle kip. 

You put your hand on his chest and took hold of the fabrics of his button up and pulled him to you for a heated kiss. It was much more than the one at the mansion had been. You opened yourself to him and he took the hint and shoved his tongue in your mouth like you wanted. The slight twinge of pain you felt from your busted lip was worth the sound that came from the back of his throat. It was rough, it was wet, and it was two years overdue. When you pulled back you saw the spark of confidence back in his eyes that you had hoped to put there.

Kissing Frankie always made you feel small, but not in a bad way, like you were protected, like you were safe. With his arms boxing you in and his weight pressing gently against you, kissing Frankie felt like being home. And he was as close to home as you were going to get this deep in the jungle.

"Get us out of here, Mav," you said, and he chuckled at the nickname he had not heard in a very long time.

"You got it, Goose." 

He gave you one last kiss on the forehead before finally tearing himself away from you and heading up to the cockpit where he was needed. Since he had found you in Lorea's mansion, this was the most physical distance that had been between you and Frankie and you didn't like it at all. Pair that with the knowledge that despite his protests and being the only one in the group with his fucking pilot's license, they had ignored his concerns about the weight--yeah, your heart was starting to beat pretty hard. You took a deep breath and laid your head back against the metal wall. 

You looked up as Pope helped the informant sit next to you. He buckled her in the same way Frankie had done you and the action made you smile.

"You okay?" Pope called over the noise of the chopper and touched your arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay," you nodded, squeezing his hand and watching him go to the front to check on Frankie as the Miller brothers slammed the side doors shut and took their seats. You glanced to the woman at your left and suddenly was at a loss for words. How did you even begin to thank her for everything she had done? For the risks she had taken? She may have gotten something out of it but it still didn't change the fact that you were alive because of her.

"He's your brother?" She said, nodding to Pope's retreating form.

"Yeah," you nodded.

"He is a good man. I need you to know that." She said, her voice cracking a bit and it made your chest tight. 

"I know." You put your hand over hers and gripped it, simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. "Thank you." The two of you leaned back as the helicopter started to lift in the air and rock back and forth gently.

What else was there to say?

--

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[tiredcowpoke]

TITLE: Blank Spots [20] PAIRING: (Somewhat pre-established) Arthur Morgan/Fem!Reader, could be seen as an OC. REQUEST: Unprompted. BLURB: After waking up at the base of a steep incline and nearly freezing to death, you stumble upon a group of strangers who swear up and down that they know you. WARNINGS: Some creative license for amnesia. Violence, kidnapping.  NOTE: Chapter 20, damn. lol I’m not feeling 100% about this chapter but I wanted to get something out this weekend. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.      TAG LIST: @on-my-way-to-erebor / @otherthingstoreid @ireallyhonestlydontcare @elanisha @darlingsdevil @cirillamylove @bunnyreese12 @rollyjogerjones @callmemythicalminx @r4reland @itsnothingwithoutchaos

You knew there was some conflict in you about how everything turned out, the hurt Arthur caused still lingering somewhat but you knew you had to take that as it were.

Yet, you felt good. It felt good to finally cross that point with him--again. Perhaps things weren’t the same as they were in your memory, how sure you were in your relationship with him. However, things weren’t the same since Blackwater. You knew that even when your memory had been worse than it was currently, struggling to remember names and faces, let alone whole relationships. A part of you felt like you may never fully remember your relationship with Arthur, but you felt like you had finally taken a step in the right direction with your relationship with him currently. 

Admittedly, it had been a little difficult to leave the small privacy of that beach where you had kissed him a couple days ago. To return to camp, to the dilemmas and course of normalcy you had found within. As normal as a group of outlaws could get, at least. For a while, you weren’t sure how Arthur wanted to approach this development, if it was worth telling people. You had realized that it would just be announcing what they already knew, but...well, maybe you were just overthinking that. 

Really, it seemed like Arthur just took it in stride. Too exhausted to make a thing out of it, or if there was a point to doing so. A part of you was relieved. 

Still, you did catch a couple eyes at the added bounce to your step, and the lingering touches when Arthur would seek you out as he was starting to move about on his own a little more frequently. He seemed to avoid outright public affection, something you had caught onto pretty quickly, but the two of you weren’t exactly hiding it. Still, nobody really felt the need to comment on it much outside of the odd question, which you found yourself not really minding. 

It felt like you were allowed to let it go where it may without getting caught up in old expectations. Though, you weren’t too sure on where Arthur’s head was at, but he didn’t seem overly disappointed over that. You’d just have to trust him to tell you if he had an issue with anything. 

Despite everything that happened to him, Arthur eventually seemed to return to his normal self after a while. A little thicker in beard and with a stiffer shoulder, but otherwise he seemed to have gathered himself back up after the whole ordeal with the O’Driscolls. You were greatly relieved at that, as much as you knew he would have to get back to gang business and what that entailed. 

So, you weren’t too surprised to find him approach you one late afternoon with news that he had business in town with Bill and some other gang members. 

“You sure you got the strength for whatever that will be?” you asked, Arthur rolling his previously injured shoulder somewhat. 

“‘Bout as much as I’ll need,” he replied, “Can’t stay here forever, I gotta get back to what needs doin’.” 

“I know,” you replied, giving him a small smile, “I just don’t want you hurting yourself again. I don’t think anybody can take you stuck in bed for another couple weeks.” 

“Myself included,” he returned with a small huff. 

As much as you had tried to cover it with a touch of humor, you really did worry he might injure himself again by getting back out there so soon. At all, really. You knew what type of life he led, what they all led, and the chance of a bullet to the skull was always high. You could remember the way Arthur had fallen off his horse that night, how he barely was able to move his legs to get to his cot. You had struggled with the feeling at the time, but you knew that regardless of how everything had developed after, you didn’t want to see him like that again. 

Yet...well, there was always a chance that you just might. 

“You’ll be safe?” you asked after a moment, glancing at him. Arthur shifted, glancing down for a moment before meeting your gaze. 

“Hate to be the one to say it, but I ain’t afforded that luxury. Not with this life.” 

He did have a point, as much as you didn’t like that answer. 

“Hey, I’m gonna be fine,” Arthur said after a moment, “Bill’s probably just got some lead, nothin’ too complicated.” 

“Because everything lately has been so easy…” you muttered, stepping into his side as Arthur reached out to wrap an arm around your shoulder, a small grin touching your face when you felt him press a kiss to the side of your head. 

“It’s gonna be fine.” 

“Alright,” you replied with a nod, letting out a small sigh as you wrapped an arm around his back somewhat, “You know what you’re doing. Just be careful--for my sake, if anything.” 

“I’ll try,” he replied, squeezing you to his side a little before releasing the embrace. You turned to face him once he had done so, watching as he seemed to glance off toward the horses for a moment before turning back toward you. 

“Been thinkin’ we should head out to get the last of that treasure map,” he said after a moment, pulling a small grin from you, “Get outta here for a bit.” 

“I’d like that,” you said with a nod, “Let all this play out first, though.” 

“Yeah…” he replied, giving you a small grin of his own as you squeezed his arm somewhat before he turned to head out toward the horses. 

You were worried, but you couldn’t fight the inevitable with Arthur turning his attention back to the gang. Perhaps it was a touch selfish, but you also knew everything that had happened had shaken you up some. Still, you were going to have to let that go. Some of it. You knew you had questions and a distrust of Micah that stemmed from what he did to you on that mountain and now what happened with Arthur. 

That was a touch subject to approach, yet one you knew you would have to mention to Arthur eventually. It was just...hard to talk about. There was Micah himself, but even the memory of it filled you with such dread and fear. 

Still, it couldn’t continue to go unsaid. 

“Glad to see that fight you two was havin’ is cleared up,” a familiar voice from behind you said, turning to glance over your shoulder to see Abigail standing there. 

She stood there with a cup of coffee, giving you a small smile as you let out a small huff. 

“Yeah, and then some,” you replied as she walked up to stand beside you as she finished off her beverage. 

“If only I could get John to see some damn sense. Ain’t from lack of tryin’,” she said around a sigh, you giving her a small nod. 

It wasn’t the same screaming matches you heard from Dutch and Molly, and lord had those only gotten worse, but you knew Abigail and John had their moments in camp. Really, when you saw Abigail storming out from that tent they shared, you knew to give her some space. Still, you weren’t witness to the specifics of their relationship--well, if you had, it didn’t matter with your memory now. 

“Grimshaw’s sayin’ Pearson needs a hand with dinner,” Abigail said after a moment, “Figure two hands might get us eatin’ all the quicker.” 

Honestly, that didn’t sound too bad. You would need the distraction. You followed her out toward the food wagon once she had gotten her fill of the moment she had walked in on between you and Arthur. Still, even with the chopping of the vegetables and meat, you still couldn’t really shake this feeling that lingered at your back. You just...well, you were worried. That was what it was, and you were sure you would end up feeling foolish for it when they all returned back to camp. 

Thankfully, your partial absentmindedness didn’t cost you a finger or injury. Though, you were pulled from your thoughts when you felt Abigail touch your shoulder, a look of mild irritation crossing her expression. 

“Think I can wrap up the rest,” she said, “Think you can Jack for me? I think he’s playin’ in the woods near the edge of the river. Maybe the boy’ll listen to you quicker while I finish here.” 

You let out a soft chuckle, passing her the last of the food you had to chop up. “We’ll see, but sure.” 

Rinsing your hands in one of the washbasins nearby, you headed out toward the mouth of the river near the path leading out of camp. You didn’t see any sign of him from where you stood--he wasn’t tossing rocks into the water or drawing in the dirt with a stick like he usually was. You could feel a small twist to your gut, hoping that he was just in the tree line and you wouldn’t have to wander off to find him. 

You dropped down onto the bank, following it along until you were able to step up and into the trees. You paused for a moment, listening for anything before walking further in. 

“Jack?” you called out, pausing in your walk, “Your mama’s looking for you!” 

Silence. More twisting in your gut. You really hoped he was just playing a game not wandered off or…

You moved with more purpose into the trees, calling his name once more before you heard some movement nearby. However, as you did so, you heard a muffled cry that sounded from very close nearby. Yet, as you turned to look in that direction, something very solid and hard jabbed into the centre of your back. The pain radiated up your spine, settling hard in your kidneys as you felt your knees hit the ground. 

“Stay down!” an unknown voice hissed, your eyes lifting as someone stepped out from around a tree. He had his hand pressed against Jack’s mouth as he squirmed in his grasp. Instantly, you tried to stand up but you felt a hard kick to your side in retaliation. 

“I said ‘stay down!’” the voice behind you said, hissing the words between his teeth before the man holding Jack spoke up. 

“The hell’re you doin’?” he demanded, “We was just to get the kid.” 

“What? Have her run back into that camp and tell everybody what happened? We’ll have them all on us ‘fore we can even get anythin’ outta this.” 

What?

“We ain’t got time for this,” the man in front of you replied, “Take ‘em both.” 

You heard Jack let out a cry behind the hand over his mouth, however you didn’t really get the chance to fully process what was happening before you felt a solid hit to the back of your head. Instantly, you heard ringing in your ears, before another hit sent you into darkness. 

                                                            ***

Your head was pounding, feeling the sway of a horse under you as you could feel the strain of your arms tucked behind your back. Blinking open your eyes, you saw the ground under you moving with the quick strides of the horse you were currently slung over the back of. You took in the breath before the events from before flooded into your head, causing you to jerk your head up. You could see passing trees as you were rode down some large pathway, seeing another rider ahead with an arm wrapped around Jack. 

Twisting, you tried to see if you could roll off the horse but the tug at your shoulder told you that you were secured to the back of the saddle. Shit, no. 

You thought about yelling, screaming, trying to see if anybody would catch on but with how fast they were riding up the path and how empty the area seemed to be, you knew it would only just make things worse. 

It wasn’t long before you caught sight of the large structure at the end of the path--a plantation house. You squirmed as they stopped outside the steps, hearing Jack let out a yell as he was pulled from the horse in front of you. The rider of the one you were on the back off slipped off his saddle as the doors to the house opened, your world swaying somewhat as you were pulled to the ground. 

You grunted as your face hit the gravel, likely leaving a couple cuts as you grit your teeth against the sharp and familiar headache. 

“I told you to only get the boy,” a woman’s voice said from the stairs above you. 

“She walked in on us,” you heard the man holding Jack say as you felt a pair of hands grip at your arms, hauling you to your feet. “Guess we’ll have to see what we can do with this one.” 

“Damn useless,” the woman replied, your gaze lifting to see her beckon your captors inside. You nearly tripped over your own feet as you were shoved forward, catching the steps before being dragged up them and into the house. 

You could hear Jack crying, a part of you wanting nothing more than to comfort the kid but you knew it would be only so fleeting if you didn’t get out of here. 

“Bronte’s men are coming within the hour to pick up the boy,” she continued, “I don’t see why they would take her too, but I’ll have to figure something out. Separate them.” 

“What the hell does that mean? Who is that?” you demanded, despite yourself, “H-He’s just a little boy! Please!” 

“Shut her up,” the woman demanded, sounding much like she was done with the situation as Jack called your name. 

“It’s going to be okay, Jack!” you called out as he was carried away from you toward another room. You heard a chuckle behind you, a tug on your arm turning you roughly toward the stairs leading to the upper floors. 

“Sure is,” your captor stated, “Boy’s goin’ to Saint Denis, but you? We’ll get you sorted out.”

[thesardonicwriter]

The Way It Is, Chapter 3 (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

You raced back towards the mountain. Even though you knew the danger, you weren't nearly as cautious as you should have been. You had been gone for too long already. You didn’t want to waste another second. Not when you had everything that you needed to keep Arthur alive. You dismounted the Count several meters away from the cave’s entrance, leaving the horse loosely hitched just inside the treeline. There was no doubt in your mind that he would leave as soon as he got free. You didn’t mind so much now. You’d gotten what you needed. You gently took off the Count’s saddle and grabbed the blanket. The nights were just going to get colder. They were going to need any kind of warmth that they could get.

“Thank you,” you whispered, resting your forehead against the Count’s strong side. The horse shuddered slightly as you moved away again.

You made the climb back up the mountain. Your head was on a constant swivel as you looked for patrols and listened for the slightest disturbance of the loose rock. Anything that could mean you was being followed. This was the most cautious you had been since you was just a teenager fending for yourself. This was the most vulnerable you had felt since you’d joined the gang. Funny how a gang of criminals could have made you feel so safe.

You crawled back through the lichen and found Arthur laying right where you had left him. None of the supplies had been disturbed. You started biting the inside of your cheek. That wasn’t a good sign. You were easily gone for an entire day, yet he hadn’t moved at all. You walked over to him and placed your hand on his forehead again. If it was possible, he felt even warmer. You dipped one of the few remaining pieces of scrap cloth into the cold water, placing it on his forehead. He groaned softly. That was a good sign. He was still semi-aware of his surroundings. You did whatever you could to keep your thoughts off of Arthur coming back from the O’Driscoll camp, bloody and weak. The shot to his shoulder had been much worse, sure, but he’d also had much more capable people than you taking care of him. What if you weren't able to save him? What if he died in this cave? 

It was a thought you had to keep at bay while you removed the torn up chemise bandages from his leg. The sight of it made you wince. It didn’t look great. At least it wasn’t infected. You grabbed one of the bottles of whiskey. You took out the cork with your teeth, spitting it somewhere in the cave. You took a quick swig before pouring some of the alcohol on his leg. 

Arthur’s eyes shot open. Immediately, You clamped a hand over his mouth. It didn’t do nearly enough to hide his exclamation of pain. He looked at you with a wild look in his eyes. You pressed a finger to your lips and pointed to the entrance of the cave. They weren’t safe yet. Arthur nodded and laid back down. He was awake. You kept your sigh of relief inside as you went back to work on his leg.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Morgan,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Where are we?” Arthur asked, grimacing as he moved to get up again.

You pushed him back down gently. “A cave on Mount Hagen.”

“We’re still on the mountain?”

“I couldn’t get you much further than that. I was lucky to find this place.”

“How long’s it been?”

“Three days, I think. Here, drink this.” You pushed the vial the doctor had given you into his hands. “You’ve got quite the fever. Drink.”

Arthur complied. You set the needle and sutures out and looked at his leg. You had done this a couple of times on yourself. It had to be easier on someone else, right? Arthur looked at you with a nervous expression. You sent back a confident smile, threading the needle. You kept one arm firm against his leg while you got to work. He did his best to be silent, but the cave amplified sounds. You could hear every groan and whimper that came from this mountain of a man. It made you smile a bit. He was still human. It also meant that he had feeling in his leg. 

“Roll over. Gotta get the other side, too,”

Arthur did as you asked. “Hand me that whiskey, would ya?”

You did as he asked. “Try not to drink yourself into a stupor. Need you somewhat lucid.”

“Whatever you say.”

You gave the other side of Arthur’s leg the same treatment. When you were done, you had him on his back again. You started wrapping his leg in the clean bandages. Finally, finally it was properly taken care of. At least, as proper as it could be from someone with very little experience in this area. You sat back, leaning on your hands and looking up at the ceiling of the cave. You didn’t feel safe. You weren't sure that you’d ever feel safe again. But you weren't alone, either. You glanced at Arthur. He was sitting up against one of the larger rocks, taking inventory of all his limbs. He was moving. You stood and went to the saddlebags. You pulled out a can of beans and tossed them to Arthur.

“Eat. You gotta keep your strength up,” you said.

“What about you?”

You held up a can of peaches. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m not the one who got the shit beaten out of them.”

They sat in silence while they ate. It wasn’t the same comradery that it had always been in camp, where silence meant safety. No, this was the silence of two people that knew their time was even more limited than usual. The kind of silence that came with fear. Neither of them would admit to the other that they were scared, but it hung in the air nonetheless. You set your can aside and pulled your knees to your chest. 

“Beats stew,” Arthur joked.

“Well, Pearson’s stew, at least,” You chuckled. “I mean, how many times can you make the same damn thing? No matter what we brought him, it always tasted the same.”

“Y’know what he’d say. Once it’s in the pot, it’s beef.”

They both laughed. For a moment, they forgot about any danger their laughter could bring because who cared? Arthur held his side and winced. You moved towards him, taking his temperature again. It wasn’t better, but it wasn’t any worse, either. You looked into his can of beans. He’d barely touched them. You gave him a look. Eat, it says. Arthur sheepishly takes another mouthful. You leaned back again, watching and making sure that he finished the whole damn can. He hadn’t eaten anything in three days. That was probably why his fever had gotten so bad. You didn’t know for sure. All of this was new to you. It had always been Susan or Reverend Swanson or Abigail that took care of the sick people in camp. Only, they weren’t in camp, anymore. They would never be in that camp again, with it’s easy atmosphere and friendly faces. Even if you got in a fight with someone, it would be resolved simply enough and they’d be back to being friends in no time. How could all of that just be gone?

“How’d you find me, anyhow?” Arthur asked, taking another bite.

“I left John to head back. I saw Micah headin’ towards where I last saw you and just… saw red, I suppose. Couldn’t let the bastard get away with all of that shit, y’know? When I finally found you two, you were already in a bad way. Micah was aimin’ for ya so I shot first. He fell over the ridge and I carried you as far as I could before findin’ this place.” You rolled your shoulders. “I couldn’t watch another person I loved die.”

Your last words were just barely above a whisper. Arthur nodded. You looked at the ground. You moved the sand with your finger, drawing simple designs.

How much longer could they hide here? It was so close to where the final moment of the Van der Linde gang took place. Surely, Pinkertons would find this place eventually. They wouldn’t leave it alone. You remembered Arthur talking about returning to Shady Belle. That had been over a week since the gang’s disappearance. How long would it be before they starved? Before they were found? Before one or both of them died? You couldn’t stop the steady stream of thoughts invading your mind. 

They couldn’t leave until Arthur had his strength back, that much was certain. There was no gurantee that the Count had stayed put. If he hadn’t, You weren't sure that your whistle would bring the horse back to you. Even if Arthur’s bruises healed quickly, he wouldn’t be able to walk quickly for at least a month. They’d need a horse to get away fast enough. How long were they going to be trapped like sitting ducks?

You stood up. “Get some rest, Arthur. I’m gonna keep watch. And drink some water, too.”

You didn’t wait for his response before stepping just outside the lichen curtain. You took a few steps away from the cave. Your pistol felt heavier in your hand. You looked at the inlaid metal. It didn’t look familiar anymore. It was like this gun belonged to someone else and you were just an imposter. Who was you now? Still an outlaw, sure, but that was a title you adopted because of Dutch.

Oh, what a fool you had been to waste all of that time on him. 12 years. 12 years you had trusted, loved, and helped that man and for what? All of that was over. If you were feeling this bad over 12 years, you could only imagine how Arthur felt. He was only four years older than you, but he had been with Dutch for 20 years. That was most of his life. He had done bad things in the name of Dutch van der Linde. Things that already ate at him inside, even if they were for the right reasons. You let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t going to be easy, but you were going to survive. You were going to make sure Arthur did, too. You owed him that much, at least. 

You’d survived Guarma, right? This was going to be a piece of cake compared to that. You shuddered at the memory. The heat bearing down on your back. The fear that you’d never get to return home. You knew that you’d never get to see Hosea again. That hurt worse than any bullet wound you’d gotten over the years.

You reached into your pocket and pulled out the old copy of <i>Antigone</i>. The pages were worn. Some were tearing away from the binding, but it was the first gift Hosea had ever given you. You’d been able to read when the gang picked you up, but it wasn’t much more than bounty posters. It was Hosea who actually made you read books. Once you started, you couldn’t stop. You were on a constant search for something interesting to read. <i>Antigone</i> was the first play you’d read and you fell in love. Hosea had made a point to get this for you the next time they’d stopped. Made a big show of it, too. Him and Bessie. They always treated you like you were their own child and they would never know just how much you appreciated that.

You looked up at the night sky and the slowly emerging stars. You hoped that they were looking at you with pride now. You hoped that you were doing the right thing. Most of all, you hoped that you wouldn’t have to face your friends again. Even after everything that they had been through together, You knew that a meeting like that would end with one of them shot and dying in the dirt. 

Well, the stars were still the same. It was the only thing that you could count on, really, that the stars would always be the same stars. Sure, some things changed with the seasons, but you could always find the stars. For now, you occupied your mind with finding the North Star. It stood out amongst the rest of the sky. A shining beacon to bring you home. Back to safety. All at once, you're a young woman again, just barely 19, sitting next to Dutch by a dying bonfire.

<i>“You can always find your way home with the North Star,” he had said, “because we’ll always be waitin’ for you to come back.”

“Always? That’s a pretty steep promise, Mr. Van der Linde,” You quipped. You could just barely contain the smile threatening to cross your lips.

He put an arm over your shoulders. “How many times I gotta tell you to call me Dutch? We’re family, now. You, me, Hosea. I s’pose those boys over there, too.” Dutch gestured to John and the others. Arthur had Bill in a headlock and Bill was struggling to get out. It was futile. You finally let out a small laugh. “Atta girl.”</i>

You wiped your eyes. This wasn’t the end, you told yourself. It was just the beginning. A new adventure. Another chapter in your life and this time, you weren't starting it alone.

[a-lonely-tatertot]

Bakery HeadCannon

Fitz starts it after the Neverseen

It’s in Atlantis nothing big and fancy, but soon people are all over the place about it

Marella hears about it (she has a major sweet tooth) her, Marcua, and Linh head over to check it out

Fitz starts freaking out when they walk through the door

Linh sees him first and is super excited

He has to bargin with them a bit to keep it a secret

“No I am not giving you free pastries for life nuhuh you gotta work for that”

“Okay!”

Linh and Marella hop behind the counter and start greeting customers

Fitz’s a bit startled but goes with it

They start coming in randomly, mostly helping Fitz with customers

It’s not long before Keefe and Biana are a bit fed up with not knowing where Fitz works

And so they follow him to Atlantis and find him opening up shop, they watch him and kinda look at eachother like “Okay- what?”  and watch for a day, being ‘sneaky’ they’re about to leave when they see Marella and Linh approaching

The two of them are so annoyed when they find out that Marella and Linh know before they do

“I’m his sister!” “Yeah and I’m his brother!” “Keefe no you’re not.” “I would be a better one than Avlar.” Cue angrily sipping coffee (the Lost Cities have coffee and Keefe is addicted)

Marella and Linh notice Keefe and Biana watching when they walk in, they aren’t that good at being discreet and Marella just goes, “You’ve got some watchers” to Fitz as she walks in

Fitz gets super nervous because oh shit keefe’s gonna make fun of me so much but when Keefe and Biana walk in five minutes later hop over the counter and grab Fitz they have two requests

A) He better give them free food for keeping this from them

and B) Keefe is helping him out with designs because there is no way he isn’t getting in on the bakery stuff

So Fitz shows Keefe how to bake and Keefe shows Fitz how to make it pretty, and Biana helps a bit with the interior design cause its lacking and she makes aprons for them along with shirts (shes a fashion person fight me)

It’s not long before Fitz cant go a day without one of the group hopping over the counter and grabbing an apron

Sophie gives him human recipes and ingredients she has to make sure their vegetarian first the first time she didn’t Fitz wouldn’t talk to her for a week, she’ll pop in randomly and rant to him about council work and he’ll make her a drink and a pastry (sometimes one of the human recipes if its real bad) and sit down with her, some nights she’ll miss the Forbidden Cities so much that she’ll call him in the middle of the night and they’ll play human music while baking

Dex makes him machines for organization and some that help with baking but even he will agree that the best way is by hand he also made a sound system that plays human music and a karaoke machine that the group drags out occasionally

Linh drags Tam along often, and he’ll complain and grumble but when the nightmares hit worse than normal you can find him baking recipes that Fitz had made him memorize, and when he’s around the rest of the crew he can’t quite seem to focus enough to make them right but when the cities dark and he’s all alone humming along to some soft song (he loves Sleeping at Last I am totally not self projecting) losing himself in the act, and the next morning Fitz will find an couple batches that clearly weren’t his, he knows exactly who made them

Biana is there often too, cleaning up tables, adding more decorations, telling Fitz that he’s making the treats wrong (“How would you know I’m the baker!” “I just know Fitzy!”) she and Keefe will argue over which deserts are the best and they often have eating competitions (Keefe sulked for a week when Biana beat him for the first time) she often walks in and changes the music, and she and Fitz also know every word to every song that’s been played and can sing them perfectly

Keefe got so mad when he saw how Fitz was presenting his items (“THIS IS SUCH A SAD MALLOWMELT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” “It’s fine!” “I’M SO MAD IT’S FREAKING AMAZING!”) and made him sit down and taught him how to make it look good and designs all the major decorations on sweets and in the bakery it’s self, there’s a drawing that Keefe made of the whole group on one of the walls (He and Biana take full credit for the interior) he has also played many pranks to the point where everyone is extremely cautious of what they do incase of another glitter catastrophe

Every thursday is Group Night where no matter what everyone has to show up (if you don’t you will be siverly judged) and they watch human movies (a lot of Disney), do karaoke, have bake offs, and finally get to relax

The bakery becomes a bit of a second home to all of them and a safe haven it also becomes fairly famous and know for its strange food and music

EDIT (because my brain cant shut up): 

Stina walking in because she heard it was good and finding out it’s fitzs and part of the gang is there and she tries to walk out but Sophie says nope your here buy something so she does and Sophie’s a bit more used to her by now because of team valiant and stina starts coming in more often cause a) how is it this good and b) Sophie’s nice and the rest are slowly warming up to her and eventually she gets invited to Thursday night and then she’s a part of the group (even if she swears she isn’t) and is surprisingly good at baking and brings in some family recipes

[hysterialevi]

His Name Was Isaac - Ch. 10

Fanfic summary: During a mission to avenge his mother’s death, Isaac hunts down the men responsible for her murder and kills them off one-by-one, only to discover that his last target is taking refuge among the Van der Linde gang. In an attempt to kill them, Isaac attacks the gang and unknowingly becomes enemies with his own father, who is in the process of fighting his own battle for redemption.

Point of view: third-person

Previous chapter | Next chapter

This story is also on AO3

THE NEXT MORNING

OWANJILA DAM, WEST ELIZABETH

Gazing out at the enormous lake, Dutch sat alone on the edge of the dam as he lost himself in the marvelous view laid out before him, letting his mind wander freely with the sounds of water trickling and birds chirping.

The mountains on the horizon formed a majestic, jagged border that separated the lake from the sky, and for as far as the naked eye could see, Dutch found nothing but a colony of lush trees dominating the landscape as the water beneath mirrored their reflection.

There were animals of all sorts gallivanting through the wilderness and disturbing the overall peace of the foliage, scuttering away from the people that traveled the roads.

The environment sang vigorously with life around Dutch, and yet, despite the serene state of the world surrounding him, the man himself could not have felt more hopeless on the inside.

Arthur... was gone.

He was actually gone.

After thirty years of riding together side-by-side and raising that man as a son, Arthur had finally turned his back on the gang. And now, Dutch was all alone.

Just like in the beginning.

Reaching into his coat, Dutch fumbled through his pockets for a bit before pulling out Arthur’s journal and delicately opening it, curious to skim through its mysterious contents.

Ever since Arthur was just a boy, he always found solace between the pages of a blank book, but never allowed anyone else to see his drawings. They were the “sacred texts,” so to speak.

Anytime someone tried to catch even a glimpse of his sketches, Arthur would always snatch the thing away and hide it somewhere safe from prying eyes. It was one of the few things he valued more than money, and as the years went by, everyone eventually learned to just leave it be.

That was, until now.

The clumsy man dropped the damned thing when he made a run for it back in Tall Trees. The flap on his satchel came loose sometime during the fight, and within a moment’s notice, it just... slipped out. Of course, there was no time to return the journal to its rightful owner, but Dutch didn’t have the heart to leave it lying in the mud either.

So, with a heavy heart, he decided to take the journal back to camp and keep it as a memento of what their family once was. Strangely enough though, instead of the comfort Dutch expected the item to bring, it offered nothing but a sense of loneliness.

Every time he flipped through its worn pages, he’d only be reminded of everything he’d lost over the years, and the son he loved dearly who abandoned him just like the rest of the gang.

It made Dutch’s blood boil to think about Arthur’s betrayal. He sacrificed life and limb to keep that boy safe, and within the span of a few weeks, the man had turned traitor and run off with a kid he hardly even knew.

Meanwhile, his family of thirty years got left behind in the dust during their time of need, and remained forgotten alongside their distant memories.

Dutch may have been old, and he may have been living on borrowed time, but before all this was over, he swore to himself that he would get closure.

Their gang had a code these days, and no one went against it without paying the price.

Not even Arthur.

“Boss?” Someone said, tearing Dutch from his thoughts. The man looked over his shoulder.

“Micah,” he said with relief, “you’re back. Got any news for me? How’d things go in Strawberry?”

Micah stood next to Dutch, taking in the view alongside him. “About as good as you’d expect, all things considered. We managed to replace most of our supplies with the stuff from the general store. It ain’t as fancy as what we had before, but it’ll keep us afloat for now.”

The older man nodded in approval, closing the journal. “Then it’s good enough. Listen, I sent Joe out scoutin’ earlier. He thinks we can set up a camp somewhere near here. It ain’t that far away from civilization, but we’ll have a reliable source of food and water. It’ll give us some time to gather our senses before we move on with the plan.”

Micah seemed to have no qualms. “Fine by me, boss. Whatever you think is right.”

Taking their minds off the gang’s current state for the moment, the two of them fell into a solemn silence as Micah closely observed Dutch’s expressions, clearly able to see that the man was far from happy.

“Dutch,” he said, trying to get the man’s attention. “I gotta ask you something.”

The other man brought his gaze back to the lake, letting out a series of coughs. “Yeah?”

“...What’re we gonna do about Arthur?”

Dutch sighed, glaring into the emptiness around him. 

“The only thing we can do. We are gonna find that man, and we are gonna show him what it means to betray our gang. Freedom always comes at a price, and he’s gonna learn that. But it ain’t gonna be easy. You know Arthur. He’s as strong as he is smart, no matter how much he tries to deny it.”

The other man chuckled. “While that may be true, how well do you think he can fare against an entire gang? Even with that little shit helpin’ him out, I doubt he’ll stand much of a chance.”

Dutch shrugged. “I don’t know. The only thing that’s for certain, is we’d be fools to underestimate him. Arthur’s always been a force to be reckoned with, and if we ain’t careful, he’ll kill us all before any of them Pinkertons do.”

“And what about the boy?” Micah asked. “We plannin’ to kill Isaac, too?”

Dutch nodded. “Of course. He’s the man who started all this. He killed Cleet, he killed Shay, and I assume he’s responsible for sicking the Pinkertons on us back at the bank, too. We’ll do our damndest to survive this year, but I sure as hell plan on takin’ Isaac down with us if we don’t.”

Standing up from his seat, Dutch sauntered past Micah and quickly lit a cigar, preparing to take his leave.

“But first... let’s just focus on gettin’ this camp set up. We’ll be no use to anyone if we’re starving and exhausted. Let’s get some rest, and then we’ll talk about our next step.”

Micah removed himself from the dam, following Dutch’s actions. “Whatever you say, boss.”

~~~~~~~~~~

MEANWHILE

UPPER MONTANA RIVER

Wetting a small rag with some gun oil, Arthur gently cleaned his revolver as he relaxed in a rocking chair, keeping himself warm by the fireplace while Isaac slept on a nearby couch.

It was still pretty early in the morning -- roughly only an hour or two after dawn -- and Arthur had just woken up from a night of some much needed rest.

So far, no one had come wandering near their cabin aside from a few deer and a handful of coyotes, but overall, things were relatively calm in the region. And Arthur didn’t trust it one bit.

He never liked staying in the same place for too long. With the amount of people tracking him down these days, it was always one hell of a risk to remain in one location for more than a day.

Arthur couldn’t count the amount of times he’d been greeted by the barrel of a gun upon waking up in his tent, or ambushed by bounty hunters when he tried to cook a meal. And even though he knew Isaac was in serious need of some sleep, he couldn’t help but feel things were a little too peaceful, considering the circumstances.

Where was Dutch? Or the Pinkertons? Arthur supposed the Van der Linde gang would require some time to regroup as well, but the fact that he hadn’t seen any sign of the law out here made him suspicious.

It didn’t take him much effort to follow Isaac’s tracks to this cabin, so he found it difficult to believe that the Pinkertons didn’t know where they were either. They had a small army of men backing them up, so it was far more plausible that they had already discovered Arthur’s location, but were simply waiting for the right moment to strike.

He’d have to keep an extra close eye out today. 

Placing the rag down, Arthur slipped the revolver back into his holster and reached for his hunting knife, wanting to sharpen it a bit before heading back out.

His hope for today was that he and Isaac would be able to catch some food in the wilderness once they got everything settled, but judging by how close the Pinkertons were to them, Arthur assumed they wouldn’t be the only ones hunting in the woods.

It just made him wonder when all this pandemonium would finally come to an end. Would he, by some miracle, actually manage to escape the world of outlaws and keep Isaac safe? Or would it all come crumbling down just like the gang, and throw them to the wolves?

He supposed only time would tell.

Dragging the stone down the edge of his blade, Arthur paused mid-action when he heard Isaac let out a sudden gasp, causing him to jolt his head in the boy’s direction.

It looked like the young man was still asleep, but at the moment, he was twisting restlessly on the couch and breathing in a panicked rhythm, moving his legs in a way that almost felt like he was trying to run away from something.

“Isaac?” Arthur said, attempting to wake the man, but to no avail. He put his knife down and walked over to the couch, kneeling beside the boy.

“Isaac.” He repeated, a bit more firmly this time.

The young man shook his head in fear, still trapped in his dreams.

“...No...” he muttered softly. “...S-Stop...!”

Arthur gripped Isaac’s shoulder, gently shaking him awake. “Isaac, wake up.”

Feeling the touch of Arthur’s hand, the boy suddenly sprung into consciousness and snapped his eyes open, frantically observing the room as his mind tried to calm itself from its alarmed state.

“What...?” Isaac exclaimed in a breathy voice, bringing himself into a sitting position. His gaze landed on Arthur. “...D-Dad?”

Arthur patted his shoulder in a comforting manner, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’re alright, kiddo. You was just havin’ a bad dream. Ain’t nothing wrong.”

Isaac sighed out of relief at the news and slouched in his seat, taking a moment to relax as Arthur eyed him worriedly.

“You okay?” The older man checked.

“Yeah...” Isaac replied, sliding a hand down his face. “I’m fine. I just... thought the dreams would stop by now.”

“These dreams happen often?”

“Almost every night.”

Arthur was quiet for a second, hesitant to ask his next question. “...Was it about Eliza?”

Isaac nodded, his eyes drooping with fatigue. “They always are. Though, it was different this time.”

“Different how?”

The boy waved a dismissive hand. “Ah... I don’t wanna bore you with the details. It ain’t that interesting, believe me.”

Arthur leaned in closer, grinning. “Try me.”

The young man flipped through his memories, trying to recall the events from his dreams.

“Well... usually, it’ll start off in my room back at mom’s cabin. I’m always a little kid in these nightmares, so everything’s taller than me. I’ll be playin’ with some of my toys, mindin’ my own business... when suddenly, I’ll hear a lotta commotion coming from downstairs. Like someone’s breakin’ into the house. I can tell something’s wrong, so I’ll hide under my bed. Meanwhile, there’ll be these men shouting at each other. They clearly ain’t friendly, so I won’t move from my hiding spot.”

“After a while, though,” Isaac carried on, “I’ll hear a gunshot. Followed by mom’s screaming. After that, I’ll hear a second gunshot, and the screamin’ stops. I’ll run downstairs and slam the door open, and mom’ll just be lyin’ there on the floor. Dead. Staring at me.”

Arthur admittedly found himself horrified by the details that Isaac described from memory, but brushed over it nonetheless.

“...And this time?”

Isaac’s expression fell flat. “This time... Shay was there, too. Normally, it’s just mom’s body that I find, but in this dream, Shay’s corpse was next to her. Staring at me just the same.”

The older man sighed morosely and rubbed his chin, thinking about everything the boy said.

“Sounds to me like you’re feelin’ guilty about killing him.”

Isaac shrugged. “Guilty? I dunno if I’d call it that, but... I sure as hell ain’t as content as I thought I’d be. It’s all just... so confusing.”

The young man gazed at Arthur inquisitively, curious about his experiences.

“Do you ever have dreams like that, Dad? Do you see the people you kill?”

Arthur nodded, somewhat ashamed to open up about his misdeeds in the past.

“Sometimes. It’s inevitable, after all. Takin’ a life ain’t easy, and it don’t come without a cost. When you kill someone, you’re also killin’ a part of yourself. If you’re still feelin’ conflicted about Shay’s death, then perhaps that means you haven’t lost yourself completely.”

Isaac glanced downwards, trying to make sense of his thoughts. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

He brought his focus back to Arthur, abruptly switching the topic.

“Anyway, I didn’t mean to ramble on about that for so long. We got things to do, and I imagine it’d be best if we got outta here as soon as possible. Any ideas on where we should start?”

Arthur rose to his feet, gesturing outside. “Well, since we got clear weather today, I figured we could go hunting for some food. Maybe stop by the river and catch a few fish, too.”

Isaac smiled in an impressed manner. “You a good fisherman?”

The other man scoffed. “Heh, not even close. But I get by. Well enough to survive, at least.”

“That’s good,” the boy remarked, “because I’d wager I’m even worse. Guess I know who I get it from now.”

Arthur laughed at that. “Who knows, if our luck holds up, maybe we’ll manage to catch some seaweed. Now, c’mon. We should get outta here.”

Isaac’s eyes widened in remembrance. “Oh, wait, before we leave, there is somethin’ else we should do first.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

The boy stood up from the couch, stretching his arms. “You know that money I stole from your gang? Well, it was quite a good sum. Enough to keep us goin’ for a while. Problem is, I don’t have it with me. But I do know where it’s hidden... and it won’t be easy to reach.”

Arthur didn’t like where this was going. “Where’d you hide it?”

“Just outside Blackwater. It’s in the trunk of this big ol’ tree. I stuffed it in there ‘cause I assumed Dutch’s boys wouldn’t go anywhere near that town once they was done robbing the bank.”

Arthur let out a worried breath. “Well, you were correct. You think it’s worth the risk? How much money did you steal from us?”

Isaac whipped up a rough estimation. “Around two thousand.”

“Two thousand?” The older man repeated. “Jesus Christ. I didn’t realize Dutch had saved that much. He always made it sound like the gang was damn-near destitute. We could certainly use that money, but there’s a whole lotta Pinkertons swarmin’ that area.”

“I know, but it ain’t like we got any other options. Any good ones, that is.”

Isaac studied the look on his father’s face, interested to hear his advice on the matter.

“...So? What’re you thinking?”

Arthur contemplated their choices, clearly reluctant to head back to Blackwater. The town’s population had practically been entirely replaced by Pinkertons, after all, and with the Van der Lindes’ recent robbery at the bank, he imagined the law had only gotten tighter around there.

If he and Isaac were going to retrieve that money, they wouldn’t be able to let anyone see them. Not a single soul. They’d have to go in, and out. No questions asked, no traces left behind.

“Alright.” Arthur finally decided. “We’ll go. I’ll follow you for now, since you know where it’s hidden, but stay close to me, alright? And do as I say. I ain’t takin’ any chances around these Pinkertons.”

Isaac nodded firmly. “Sounds good. But... you can’t really follow me if you don’t have a horse of your own. I assume you left it at Tall Trees?”

“Yeah. Poor girl’s probably lost somewhere in that forest by now.”

The boy offered a suggestion. “Well, tell you what -- when we get the money back, I’ll go into Blackwater and buy you a new horse from the stables. I don’t have any wanted posters pinned up in that town, so it should be safe for me to roam around.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Isaac replied. “We can’t always ride on the same horse. Besides, I think Aldo will appreciate not havin’ to carry double the weight.”

Arthur chuckled. “Fair point. Alright, then. We go to Blackwater, we get the money, you buy a new horse, and then we disappear from this goddamn state. Got it?”

“Got it.”

The older man gathered their things and headed for the door, holding tightly onto his guns.

“Then let’s get going.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A WHILE LATER

SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE BLACKWATER

Trotting through the empty fields that surrounded Blackwater, Isaac scanned the landscape for a particularly large tree while Arthur kept a lookout for any Pinkertons, both of them on high alert.

There were a few scattered patrols traveling along the roads in the distance, but it didn’t look like any of them had noticed Arthur’s presence so far. They were mainly concerned with the city’s entrances more than anything, and appeared to be observing all the people who came into town.

If Isaac was going to head down to stables later, he’d have to avoid the law completely. He may not have had any posters hanging around the city, but Arthur still didn’t like the idea of him wandering too close to those vultures.

He had seen for himself just how untrustworthy they could be, and even though Isaac gave them that tip about the robbery, Arthur had no doubts that Ross would turn on Isaac in the blink of an eye if it meant he could get his next paycheck.

That man was even more a snake than Milton ever was, and Arthur had a feeling he would end up being far more trouble than he was worth.

That was usually how it went with these types of folk.

“There it is!” Isaac pointed out, gesturing to a tree not too far from them. “The money’s in the trunk.”

“Alright then,” Arthur replied, coughing into his elbow. “You go on and fetch it. I’ll keep an eye out.”

Hopping off of Aldo, Isaac swiftly made his way over to the tree and climbed on top of a boulder, allowing him to reach the hole in the trunk where the money had been hidden.

“Looks like it’s all still here.” He announced, counting the bills in his hand.

“Good. You think it’ll be enough to buy a new mount?”

“Should be.” Isaac stuffed a chunk of the money in his pocket, giving the rest to Arthur. “Here, take this. I won’t need all of it at the stables. Now... you got any preference? Any specific breed or color you want?”

The older man wasn’t too picky.

“Anything fast and strong’ll do me just fine,” he settled, getting off of Aldo. “Just... make sure it ain’t an Arabian.”

Isaac raised a brow. “You sure? Arabians are some of the best horses out there.”

“Yeah, and they’re also some of the tiniest. Do I look like I could fit on one of them?”

The boy chuckled at the image. “Fair enough. Okay then. I’ll go to the stables and find you a ‘not an Arabian.’ Wait here with Aldo. I’ll be back soon.”

Strolling off into the distance, Isaac covertly made his way into Blackwater as the Pinkertons circled the town around him, oblivious to his presence there.

Meanwhile, Arthur stood next to the tree and leaned against its trunk as Aldo casually munched on a clump of grass, patiently waiting for his owner to return.

Arthur had to admit -- despite practically having the entire world against him at the moment, he felt much more at peace now that he was with Isaac.

He still felt somewhat guilty for leaving Dutch behind after promising so much to him, but now that he was free from the old man’s iron fist, Arthur couldn’t deny that things were much better. Much calmer.

It was like he could finally breathe. He no longer had to worry about his every move, or setting Dutch off by saying the wrong thing. Right now, it was just him and his son, traveling alone in the American wilderness. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Don’t worry, boy,” Arthur said to Aldo, soothing the horse after it let out a nervous whinny. “Isaac’ll be back soon, and then you’ll have a new partner.”

“So will you, it seems.”

Whirling around at the sudden voice, Arthur went straight for his revolver and nearly yanked the thing out, only to freeze mid-action when he realized he had been cornered by Agent Ross himself.

The man was once again accompanied by his friend Agent Fordham, and had a hefty-looking shotgun resting on his shoulder. Judging by their calm temperament, Arthur assumed the two of them had been expecting to catch him alone today, and it only made him wonder just how long these snakes had been following him.

“What’re you doin’ here?” Arthur asked, his voice low and wary.

Edgar’s expression twisted with annoyance. “Cleaning up Dutch’s mess, obviously. You boys certainly caused quite the commotion at Blackwater’s bank, blowing it up with dynamite and whatnot. Robberies like that don’t just undo themselves, you know. It’s the civilized folk -- folk like me -- who have to sweep away the damage you savages cause. But I must admit... I’m surprised to see you’re not with Dutch any longer. I assume Mr. Van der Linde finally snapped?”

Arthur sighed in frustration. “The man snapped ages ago. Your people just sped up the process.”

“My people,” Edgar emphasized, “are simply doing what we must to survive. We wouldn’t have to constantly make use of the gallows if your people only followed the rules of our society. Society isn’t just run by one man, Mr. Morgan. It’s run by the politicians, the police officers, the responsible citizens of America -- by order. It’s what makes us... different from you.”

The outlaw scoffed, uninterested in the Pinkerton’s rhetoric.

“Whatever you say, agent. All I know is what I’ve seen. And from what I’ve seen, you lot is just as rotten as we are. Now, tell me what you’re doin’ here so we can get this over with.”

Edgar snickered in amusement. “Ooh, tough guy, aren’t you? Very well, then. Allow me to get straight to the point. I’m here to offer you a deal, Mr. Morgan.”

“A deal?” Arthur repeated in bewilderment. “I don’t deal with Pinkertons.”

“Just... hear me out.” The agent persisted, restraining his irritation. “Obviously, you care quite a big deal about that boy you’re traveling with. And before you ask, yes, we know all about Isaac. In fact, his file’s sitting on my desk right next to yours. He’s a tragic tale, really. Mother murdered at age six, father a well-known criminal. He’s a smart young man. It’s a shame he had to end up with the likes of you.”

“Which is why...” Edgar continued, “Agent Fordham and I have agreed to extend a hand of mercy here. Your son is still very young, Mr. Morgan. If he plays his cards right, he could make something of his life. So, here’s my offer. Turn yourself in, and we’ll leave Isaac alone. I can’t guarantee the law will show any leniency with you, but we’ll make sure the boy doesn’t swing.”

Arthur almost laughed at the incredibly dubious deal.

“You really expect me to believe you?”

“I expect you to be smart. Though, I don’t expect Isaac will be happy even if you accept. So sit down with him. Talk to him about my deal. Convince him not to come after you once we’ve taken you away, and let him live a civilized life. You’re his father, after all. Isn’t his happiness your main priority?”

Arthur glowered at Ross. “...My main priority is to keep him safe. I may not be the most intelligent man out there, Mr. Ross, but I ain’t a fool neither. For all I know, this is could just be some plan to separate me and the boy. That way, you can attack Isaac when he’s all alone, and I’m not there to protect him. Well, forget it.”

The Pinkerton didn’t seem fazed by the response. “Well, fortunately for you, I’m giving you three days to think about it. Decisions like this aren’t made overnight, I understand. But for your sake, and the boy’s, I hope you’ll come to your senses. All I ask... is that you consider it.”

The outlaw gave him a cautious look. “...And if I don’t accept?”

“Then we’ll just have to kill you both.” Edgar answered simply. “So I’d suggest that you sharpen up and realize... your life is already over, Mr Morgan. Now, it’s just a matter of how it ends. So choose wisely.”

Tugging on his horse’s reins, Edgar turned around and steadily began making his way back to Blackwater, beckoning Fordham to follow him.

“If you change your mind,” he called out, “come find me at my office in Blackwater. I’ve ordered my men to stand down for the next three days. Don’t make me regret it.”

Breaking into a sprint, the two Pinkertons galloped away from the scene and disappeared over the horizon, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts as he waited for Isaac to come back.

The outlaw wasn’t sure what to make of all this. Was it possible that Edgar was being sincere for once? That man may have been a conniving bastard with a deceitful tongue, but Arthur knew Fordham to be more of an upstanding citizen. Perhaps this was his doing, and the deal was genuine.

If that was the case, then Arthur’s answer was pretty clear. The last thing he wanted was for any harm to come to Isaac, so if turning himself in was the only way to prevent it, then he would do it in a heartbeat.

On the flip side however... if this turned out to be just another one of Edgar’s traps, he couldn’t leave Isaac to deal with them alone.

The boy was skilled, that was for certain. But even he couldn’t fight them all on his own.

Arthur supposed he’d just have to sit the boy down and talk with him about it. He had a feeling he already knew what Isaac was going to say, but it was his safety that mattered here. Not Arthur’s.

He already lost the boy once thanks to Shay and his men all those years ago, and he definitely didn’t plan on letting it happen again. Not when so much was at stake.

“Dad?” Isaac called, returning to the tree with a new horse in his possession. “I’m back. I got you a nice Andalusian. They had a Shire horse sittin’ in there, but I thought he was too bulky. Figured you might like somethin’ with a bit more flexibility.”

When Arthur didn’t respond, the boy walked up to him and gazed at him worryingly, noticing his uneasy demeanor.

“...Dad?” He said again. “You okay?”

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts, still unnerved by his encounter with the Pinkertons. “Y-Yeah. Thank you, son. C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

“You sure?” Isaac checked. “You seem kinda... nervous.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Arthur replied, sounding a bit more stern than he intended. “Now come on. We need to leave.”

The boy clearly wasn’t convinced, but decided to drop it nonetheless. “...Okay. I’m ready when you are.”

Mounting up, Arthur and Isaac quickly hopped onto their horses before removing themselves from the area, eager to get the hell out of West Elizabeth with the money. Lord knew this state had already caused them more than a lifetime’s worth of problems, but with Edgar’s deal now sitting in the back of Arthur’s mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if leaving the state was the best course of action right now.

They only had three days to decide, after all. If they wandered too far from Blackwater, they wouldn’t be able to make it back if Arthur chose to accept his deal. Perhaps they could’ve lingered around Strawberry for a little while, but of course, there was the risk of running into Dutch if they did that.

Arthur just didn’t know what to do anymore. He thought sticking with Isaac would provide him a sense of clarity, but instead, all he found so far was a new list of issues to tackle.

There seemed to be conflict no matter where he went, and with his future now hanging by a thread, Arthur questioned if Isaac would be better off without him.

The only thing he knew for certain was that, unlike before, he now had a family worth fighting for. He had no idea where this road was going to take them, or if they’d even reach the end, but protecting Isaac was the only thing he cared about now.

And he’d be damned if he let those Pinkertons get their hands on him.

[shadowphoenixrider]

(Wrote this on a bit of whim. It’s some Katla/Nanu stuff as part of the OT4, and canon to their story. I’ve been more laissez faire with the games. Hope you enjoy!)

No secrets between us, Katla thought as she lingered at the doorway, watching the scene before her.

Kahuna Nanu had stretched his long body out along his blue couch, focused entirely on the tricks he was performing on his kendama, and not on the Alolan Meowth scattered about him - such as the three staring at the red ball, one slightly crouched as if debating whether to swat it.

It was a peaceful scene, and not one the trainer wanted to disturb, especially not with the topic she needed to discuss. It was easier to copy the Meowth and watch her lover’s skill instead.

That was until a soft ‘thump’ and the click of claws across a wooden floor drew Katla’s attention to the large Persian padding her way over, her curled tail lifting as she approached.

“Perr~” The Classy Cat announced softly, her headbutt knocking Katla back a step, a guttural purr rumbling out almost as soon as the trainer’s hand sunk into her thick grey coat.

“Hi Perla.” Katla murmured softly, stroking down her muscled back as the feline rubbed past her.

“There a reason you’re hiding back there, Kat?” Nanu asked, the sound of his kendama slowing.

Katla took a breath. You gotta do it. You can’t leave him out of the loop. Perla chirruped, looking up at her expectantly.

“No, not really.” The trainer said, stepping out of the doorway. “Just thinking.”

The kahuna’s red gaze shifted to her as soon as she came into view, Perla padding past her. He said nothing, the only sound being the clack of ball and cup.

“I need to tell you something. From my past.”

Clack.

The silence ticked on for a couple of seconds, his face inscrutable as ever. She would never challenge him to a game of poker.

“You don’t have to listen right now if you don’t want,” she said eventually. “I-I didn’t want to disturb you-”

Nanu sat up, scattering his small feline audience as he swung his legs down and causing a loaf-Meowth further down the couch to glare at him.

“Sit with me, Kat,” he said, although it was more an order than a suggestion.

She felt his stare follow her as she settled next to him. It made her slightly uneasy, and yet it also didn’t. Perhaps it was just a by-product of him being a police officer.

The trainer took a breath. Here we go.

“You know I started out with my Pokemon in Hoenn, right?”

“Yeah. Born in Galar, registered in Hoenn,” he said, winding the string around the kendama’s handle. “I remember.”

Katla smiled briefly - of course he did.

“Great. Uh, I know this is kinda out of left field, but do you remember there being a big storm in Hoenn about ten years ago or so? Had something to do with a Team Aqua?”

Nanu's steady gaze didn’t shift from her, but she did notice a crease appear between his thick eyebrows.

“I remember that name,” he began, sentence hanging for a moment before he looked away. “Some gang of pirates?”

“I guess?” Katla scratched her head. “They certainly dressed the part. But they’d graduated into eco-terrorists when I met them.”

The kahuna’s eyes slid back to her, his eyebrow arching.

“What is it with you kids and taking on criminal gangs that would make most adults think twice? Although,” a smirk pulled at the corner of his lips, “you don’t seem to know what danger is.”

Katla rolled her eyes.

“Ha ha, very funny, Officer.” She blew out a sigh through her nose. “If I’m honest, I would have preferred to avoid them. I was just a little kid on her first adventure with Pokemon, I didn’t need...I didn’t need what came next.”

Her gaze drifted to Perla, now lying on the window sill, oblivious to the two smaller Meowth playfully batting at her hanging tail as it swayed back and forth.

“They said they wanted to expand the oceans to make more homes for water-type Pokemon,” Katla continued, interrupted by an amused snort. “Yeah, that was my reaction too. The oceans are big enough without help. Anyway, in order to do that, they decided to find and awaken Kyogre.”

“It’s been a long time since I last went to Hoenn, but isn’t Kyogre one of the Pokemon deities there?” The kahuna asked, one eyebrow arched.

“Yeah, Kyogre is the God of the Sea.” The trainer sighed. “They thought they could control it. You can imagine how well that went.”

"Hmm.” She felt Nanu’s gaze linger on her. “So, where did you come in?”

Katla managed to suck in a breath, her heart beginning to beat a fast tattoo.

“There is a place called the Cave of Origins, said to be where life began. It contains a power that could cause something called Primal Reversion. Basically, Kyogre went to claim that power and become every bit as much as of a God as the legends make it out to be.” She explained. “The plan was for someone to intercept and defeat it whilst it was still just a powerful Pokemon and not ‘the Almighty’.”

She finally turned to meet Nanu’s eyes. “That someone was me.”

There was a long, long pause.

“An eleven year old girl.” The kahuna spoke slowly. “Hoenn had a Champion back then, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, Steven...Stone? He was there, he helped me get permission to enter the Cave. But I went in alone.”

Nanu said nothing, but she sensed his mood turn in an instant, his jaw tightening and the crease reappearing between his brows. She realized then that she’d never seen Ula’Ula’s kahuna truly angry. Annoyed, irritated and sometimes upset - nothing that held a candle to this. Even the Meowth were now eyeing their patron warily, ears twitching.

She felt uneasy about continuing her story, but they’d gotten this far:

“I...I didn’t make it in time, either. I had front row seats to see Kyogre attain its Primal form.”

Suddenly Nanu was on his feet, striding away with his back straight, sending Meowth skittering away in his wake. Perla lifted her head, her ears folding backwards as she watched her trainer.

The kahuna stared at a point outside, letting the uneasy silence drag on until a single, cold word passed his lips:

“Alone?”

Katla swallowed.

“Yeah. I just had my Pokemon with me. No-one could get to where I was anyway-”

“You shouldn’t have even been there.”

Nanu’s words were fiercely sharp - she had been subject to his taunting barbs during his Grand Trial, but these threatened to draw blood.

He kept his back to her, the only indicators of his expression being his clenched fists and every inch of his full height.

“The Champion - the strongest trainer in Hoenn. But won’t take on a deity Pokemon - instead palms it off on a child. A child that he didn’t even back up.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, his shoulders lifting. One second, two, three, and his breath hissed out again, relaxing. His fists uncurled, fingers flexing. It took another couple of seconds before Nanu could speak again.

“I guess you must’ve won, since you’re here to tell the tale.”

“Yeah.” Katla glanced away, forcing her voice not to peter out into a mumble. “I almost didn’t, though. Primal Kyogre was so powerful, the only reason I managed it is because of Latias. I befriended her when I rescued her from being harassed by Team Aqua thugs, and she joined my team in thanks.”

The trainer took a breath. “When she was Mega Evolved, she was strong enough to at least take a few hits from it. More than what could be said about me.”

Katla shrugged off her black and red jersey, revealing the whorls and stretched scars that patterned her forearms. Time had faded them, but they were still as clear as the day they’d healed.

“Kyogre’s Origin Pulse attack was so powerful that its energy scorched my skin. Most people mistake them for fire burns, but those who specialise in Fire types can tell the difference.”

“I did wonder about them, our first night.” She glanced up to see Nanu standing over her, his expression back to its apathetic default. But his crimson eyes were soft, almost hurt. “Knew better than to ask, though.”

“Thank you.” She ran her hands up her arms, the skin crawling under his gaze. “I would have lied to you anyway.”

“Figured as much.” He dropped to a crouch, studying the marked flesh. “Same as Kabu and his undershirt, then.”

“Kinda. I think that’s more because his scars aren’t pretty, though.” A wry smile pulled at Katla’s lips as the kahuna snorted derisively. “I just...don’t want to answer the awkward questions.”

“Hmm.” His eyes met hers, and it seemed like he wanted to say something, his jaw working. Then he looked back down at her arm. “Uh, they don’t look great - must’ve hurt like hell. You get any pain from them now?”

“Sometimes.” The trainer nodded. “They usually react to powerful or legendary Pokemon.”

“Hm?” Nanu’s eyebrow arched.

“Yeah. When Tapu Bulu appeared in our Grand Trial, I felt my scars tingle. When they use their powers, they tend to hurt.”

The kahuna pulled back slightly.

“Wait. If that’s the case with the Tapu, then the same must have happened with Eternatus.”

“Mmhmm.” Katla nodded. “And the legendary dogs. But Eternatus was the worst. Especially whatever unholy Dynamax it turned into - as soon it started attacking, it was agony.” Her arms prickled at the memory. “I managed to hide it from Hop, but it hurt so much-”

“Hey hey, enough of that.” Nanu rumbled softly, shifting closer, hand hesitantly moving to rest on her shoulder. There was a moment or two of silence before he spoke again: “So. You defeated the God of the Sea with the help of an Eon Pokemon. Now I understand what Kabu meant when he said it wasn’t your first rodeo.”

“He told you?” She looked up at him with alarm.

“No. He let it slip that Eternatus and Zacian weren’t the first legendaries you’d encountered.” The kahuna smirked, rising back up to his relaxed stoop. “Clammed up tighter than a Cloyster and told me it was something I’d have to ask you about.” He tilted his head, smirk becoming a smile. “Figured it was better to let you open up about it on your own time.”

She couldn’t help but smile back.

“Thanks, Nanu. I’ve told him and Stela about what happened, and I couldn’t leave you out of the loop.”

“That’s kind of you, but you didn’t have to,” he said, sitting back down beside her. A Meowth cautiously approached him, sniffing his hand.

“I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us.” The trainer explained. “And mine is...kinda important.”

The small feline purred loudly as Nanu scratched its cheek, its other fellows beginning to cluster around them again.

“I see...” His murmur was so quiet Katla almost missed it. After a long silence, she spoke again:

“So yeah. Eleven years old and I’d fought and beaten a deity Pokemon at full power. And all I got were these lousy scars and nightmares for the rest of my life.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Nanu’s expression get decidedly sour. The Meowth hopped down from his lap. “Then I went and became the Champion.”

His gaze snapped to hers, eyebrows arching up almost to his hairline.

“Say again.”

“Several weeks after the Kyogre incident, I challenged the Elite 4 and Steven. And won.”

The kahuna just stared at her, surprise clearly written over his face, yet the trainer had a feeling he was turning things over in his head - he was looking through her, not at her.

“Before you ask, no. I’m not Hoenn’s Champion any more. I gave it up after a while.” She sighed, resting her arms on her knees and staring at her boots. “It was all...all so quick. First Kyogre, then somehow I was the Champ, then the meteor, and it was all so much, too much-”

“Hey. Take it easy.” Nanu spoke, his voice quiet and steady. There was soft ‘shff’ of fabric as he scooted closer. “You weren’t much older, were you?”

“No, still eleven.”

Another breath hissed out of his nose.

“Guessing no-one helped you for those, either.”

“Not... not really.” Katla met the eyes of a particularly petite Meowth that came to sit between her feet. “I mean, Steven was there, but he was more directing me where to go, leaving a list of things I had to do. Not really...doing anything to help.” The Meowth made a sound almost akin to a beep, reaching up to her. The trainer reached down to pet it, making sure to avoid its charm. “The only ‘people’ that helped me were my Pokemon...”

A quietness fell between them, filled only with soft purring and the beginnings of rain on the Police Station roof.

“Kat,” Nanu’s voice was softer than she’d ever heard it, and she glanced up to him. There was a naked vulnerability to his face that made her heart skip in surprise. “You do have parents, right?”

Her brows furrowed for a moment.

“Yeah, I do, I thought I...told you...” She trailed off, hearing the real question underneath it. It took her aback for a moment, taking the Meowth’s insistent headbutt to bring her back.

“I do, I do - they do care for me, a-and they did their best. This- this isn’t one of those stories.” A quick glance at Nanu and the creases deepening in his forehead showed he disagreed. “They love me, they do. They just...I mean, what’s the manual for helping your kid deal with all...all of that?”

He grunted.

“Take your word for it.”

A part of Katla bristled, yet she let the anger ebb. No point quibbling now, after the wounds had been made and healed. Mostly.

“What’s this about a meteor?” He asked, mercifully pivoting away from the previous subject.

“The giant meteor over ten years ago? Was gonna smack into the planet and ruin everyone’s day?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, that one.” Nanu leaned back, crossing his legs. His own eyebrow raised in a mirror to hers. “Didn’t know you were involved in that too.”

“Yeah, well.” Katla snorted. “I thought saving the world was kinda a Champion’s job.”

“Can hardly you blame you for thinking otherwise, considering your predecessor.” Nanu drawled. His gaze lingered on her, his eyes twitching slightly back and forth. “Better or worse than Kyogre?”

“Better. I mean, this time the Pokemon wasn’t actively trying to kill me. But it still wanted a Pokemon battle.” She crossed her arms over her knees, watching the Meowth curl around her feet.

“Long story short, apparently this meteor had been foretold by an ancient group of people called the Draconids. They said the only way to stop it was to summon Rayquaza - the Hoenn deity of the Sky - and petition it to destroy it.”

“Wait, how is this different from Team Aqua summoning Kyogre?” Nanu asked. “Maybe they’re asking more politely, but you’re still asking a god to do your bidding.”

“I think the difference is in what was asked of them.” She explained. “That, and Kyogre was asleep.” She arched an eyebrow at the older man. “Sure you can relate to that - woken up in the middle of deep sleep and then just ordered to do something, no ‘please’ or ‘thank you’."

“Yeah. No wonder it acted out.” The older man grumbled, scratching the back of his neck. “Still, what made them so sure Rayquaza would listen to them anyway?”

”According to the legends, it has form - if a prayer to it can be amplified by some powerful artifact or location, it tends to respond. Unlike the other two Hoenn deities, Rayquaza has a closer connection to humanity. Mostly because it seems to be the only Pokemon than can get Groudon and Kyogre to stop fighting each other.”

“Huh.” Nanu leaned back. “Well, considering we’re still here, I’m guessing you succeeded?”

“Pretty much.” Katla nodded. “Got to Sky Pillar, called Rayquaza. It answered, I somehow beat it in a battle and it went and destroyed the meteor. World saved. Again.” She sighed, gaze drifting to where Perla was dozing on the window sill.

“I quit not long after that. People were insisting I stay on, or that they couldn’t believe I wanted to walk away, but...I was a mess. The nightmares, flashbacks, I-I couldn’t even look at dark water without-”

“Hey hey hey.” Nanu murmured, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “You did the right thing. Lot of people talk as if they know your mind better than you do.”

“Yeah. It was as if everything that happened to me wasn’t a big deal or anything.” She leant into him, resting her head against his chest. The slow, comforting boom of his heart was soothing, as was the kahuna’s gentle, almost furtive petting of her hair.

He hummed his agreement, the sound rumbling through his body. A couple of seconds of silence ticked by, the Meowth settling around them before he spoke again.

“I appreciate you opening up about this, Kat. Lot of things make much more sense now.”

A wan smile pulled at her lips.

“Suppose they do.” She looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat when she noticed he was watching her. “Thanks for listening to me vent, too.”

“I meant what I said last time. I’m here for you, just as much as Stela or Kabu.” His gaze was intense, not shifting even for a second. “I like a heads-up when you can give it, but don’t feel like you can’t come to me with things.” He gently brushed a lock of curly hair off her cheek. “I know I’m not the most...easy to get along with. But I care for you, Kat.” He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it again, shaking his head. “Wish you didn’t go through what you did.”

“Thanks.” She replied. “Could have done without the reprise in Galar, but here we are.”

“Mmm.” Nanu hummed, frowning for a moment. “You’ve got some nerve, though, going straight into the fray after all that. I thought you trying to scale Po Town’s walls was reckless enough.”

Katla lifted a shoulder.

“Had to be me. Didn’t want someone else to suffer the same things I went through. Besides,” a smile pulled at her lips, “this time I wasn’t alone. I had Hop with me.”

"And Kabu.” The kahuna murmured.

“Yeah...” She nodded, letting her mind wander back to a different time, a different place. Yet she’d been in much the same position, nestled against the chest of a man she loved as she’d tried to come to terms with what just happened.

“You’re not alone any more.” Nanu spoke, voice rumbling against her. “We won’t let that happen to you again.” His arm tightened around her for just a second.

The sound of the rainstorm filled the silence between them, before a Meowth yowled impatiently.

“Cripes, you can’t be hungry already?” Nanu groaned, answered by chorus of meows and one elegant ‘Perr~’. “Alright, alright. I’m coming, you bottomless pits.” He flashed Katla a weak smile before he got up, somehow managing to summon every Meowth in the station to cluster around his ankles within two steps. Perla joined them, albeit at a more sedate pace, taking the time to stretch luxuriously after descending from her perch.

Left alone for the moment, the trainer leaned back against the couch, letting out a deep breath. Thank Arceus. That went better than I expected.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

S.T. REWRITE - S2:E7; Chapter Seven, The Lost Sister - [Pt. 5]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

In their search for answers, psychic visions draw Eleven and Y/n to a band of violent outcasts and an angry girl with a shadowy past.

||3rd Person POV||

Jane is lead throughout the warehouse once her strength has returned, herself, Kali and the rest find themselves in a newer room that Jane has not yet seen. She and her sister come face to face with a wall decorated with photographs and documents of various people.

"These are the bad men, as you call them. The ones we believe are still alive. Do you know any?"

Jane's brown eyes sweep the wall, she is careful to take in every face studiously as she scans. Not a single photograph or document, no individual piece of parchment has gone unmarked. The words filter to the back of her brain as she soaks up the images, the only useful information to her. She finds no familiar faces, that is, until her eyes land on a folder news clipping of a bald man caucasian man. But she knew him as the four-fifty man.

The man in charge of hurting her mother. He did it. He hurt her mother, turned her into what she was today. Stuck.

"Him." Says Jane, taking the paper from the wall. "He hurt Mama."

"His name is Ray Caroll," Kali informs. "And he did more than hurt your mother."

[FLASHBACK]

The men step forward, the electrified weapon crackles as he whips it forward towards the cowering young girl. She knows what's coming, she knows the pain all too well.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"The bad men like Ray, they about us. It's made hard to track. But maybe not anymore."

The anger returns once more and Jane crushes the paper in her hands in a fit of rage. The paper rolled tight in her hands, she now sits in the warehouse her new companions surrounding her as she searches. They watch studiously as she sits almost statuesque, and some begin to grow irritated by the white noise of the static but then she moves. Her face scrunches up into a tight scowl behind her blindfold and she rips the paper in half. She discards the cloth from her eyes and looks to Kali, nodding.

"Gramercy Apartments. Washington and Bethel." Dottie reads, the phonebook hanging lazily in her hands. "That's gotta be it. Right?"

Kali is seated above her at the table and reaches out, taking the phonebook from her waiting hands as sits criss-cross on the floor.

"'Linburn.' Where is that?" Kali asks, leaning back.

"About an hour east." Funshine answers.

"We don't even have a new ride," Mick argues worriedly.

Kali leans forward, a smirk on her features.

"So we swap plates. We have plates, right?"

Axel looks to her incredulously but nods anyway from where he is seated beside Jane. "Yeah..."

"It's risky," Mick adds, beginning to pace.

The sly smirk returns to Kali's lips as she looks to her friend. "Where's the fun if there's no risk?"

"We want to give my sister a memorable first day, right?" She asks, a gleaming look in her eye as she looks to Jane.

"I'm in," Funshine quips, a kind smile directed at the girl. "For Miss Jane."

Jane smiles, and Axel sighs exasperatedly as he waves his beer can in the air exaggeratingly.

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Mick?"

Every eye falls to the woman and she sighs at the sky, shaking her head despite the ends of her lips curling into a smile. She looks to her friends and throws her arms in the air.

"Screw it!"

The group disperses into an organized flurry and Jane finds herself stranded in the middle, unsure of what to do. Though she finds relief when Kali sneaks behind her and gives her a smile and a reassuring squeeze of her shoulders. All around her, the gang prepares. Mick and Dottie wait as Funshine and Axel empty the safe, cocking their guns and checking ammo.

Kali drags Jane back upstairs to the room, for the final touch. Jane sits in the desk chair, albeit a bit confused as Dottie stands over her gauging her color as Kali plucks a dark blazer and shirt from the masses. Jane waits patiently as prods around her head, floating her hair back and adding a strange powder to her eyes and lips.

Finally, the rest of the gang is called up to the room once she is changed and ready, Dottie spins the desk chair and she revealed to as the newest member of their group. They gaze at her awe and there are several gaps and nods of approval.

Dottie folds her arm in as she leans against the wall, observing her work and she nods with a confident smile.

"Bitchin'."

"Bitchin'." Jane agrees.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The gang steps out into the sun with great stride, their newest member decorated proudly, her head held high. Like her friend before her, she wears cuffed jeans and black tee. A wool blazer hangs on her body, the sleeves pushed to her elbows but she is comfortable. Happy. Bitchin. Unsheathing the van from the tarp, they waste no time in piling into their "new ride". The can takes off, weaving through the twisted corners and alleyways and even blow past a bust, drawing a wandering eye from a suspicious officer.

The van hits the open road, Mick in the front seat and the others piled into the back. She takes a puff from her cigarette, one hand on the wheel and spares a glance to Axel in the passenger seat and blows a puff of smoke in his face. The music sounds in their ears and he sits bouncing in his seat, banging his head to the music.

In the back, Dottie plays a rhythm in the table as she hangs her head, Funshine nodding along next to her with a smile. Kali digs through the pile of masks, holding out different options for Jane before eventually losing herself in the music. Her head begins to move with the rhythm of the music, her purple hair flying all around her and Jane watches. She smiles in awe, a warmth spreading in her chest, finally feeling a sense of belonging and she allows her own head to sway to the music losing herself in the moment.

Times passes and much to Jane's disappointment the moment ends. The van pulls off the road at George's Gas n' Go and the gang piles out of the van. Jane lingers in the van door at Kali's side as she stares at the gas station uneasily.

"What are we doing?"

"Stocking up."

The duo joins their friends in the convenience store to find them already dispersed as planned. Jane sticks to Kali's side as she stops lingers by the store clerk.

"Hey, your bathroom is leaking."

The man frowns in response, hiking himself over the counter to see a pool of brown water flood out from under the door.

"Oh shit."

"Yes," Kali agrees. "Shit."

The pair watched in amusement as the man scurries over to the bathroom door, tiptoeing over the dry ground in disgust and heads inside closing the door behind him.

Axel stalks around the corner with a cocky smile and mischief in his eyes. He looks around at his mates and gestures eagerly around the store.

"Okay, contestants, you have a minute and a half, let's begin your supermarket sweep!" He cheers gleefully, sliding across the floor arms outstretched.

They sweep the area, Jane wanders down an aisle and picks up an apple. Her eyes venture further down the aisle to find the freezer of frozen treats and she discards the apple without a second thought. Making a beeline for the freezer door, she rips it open and grabs as many boxes of Eggos as she can carry. On the other end of the store, Axel jumps the counter and grabs a plastic bag fluffing out before pulling it with cash from the register. Funshine raids the other freezer for beer and Dottie - having already snatched some useful supplies for her and the other ladies - takes a gander at the selection of sunglasses.

"Hey! Put that back, or I'll blow your head off."

All heads turn to the counter where the clerk has returned and is now aiming a gun at Axel who raids the register. Axel slowly raises his hands, and the clerk steps forward.

"You hear me, freak?"

"Put the gun down," Kali orders slowly, stalking forward carefully her arms in a small surrender.

"Stay back." He warns. "Stay back."

"Darrel," she eases. "Your money is insured. We are only stealing from the war criminal billionaires who own this place. You won't even lose a dime."

As the words calmly leave her mouth, the others stalk forward to her aid in slow cautious steps.

"You won't even lose a dime."

"I said stay back." He spits, stepping forward in view of Jane.

Kali raises her hand further, her stature showing nothing but ease.

"We're on the same side. I promise."

Jane steps closer down the aisle. She has gone unnoticed so far and so she remains. The clerk is in her sights now as she reaches the end of the aisle.

"Stay back." He says once more, gun pointed in Kali's face.

With a forceful scream, Jane steps forward throwing her arm up the man. He is sent flying through the air and he crashes into a stockpile of goods that now surround him as he lays on the ground unconscious. The group gathers as they admire her work.

"Damn, Shirley," Axel marvels.

The sound of sirens quickly grabs their attention and it only takes them a matter of moments before they are safe in the van, loot in hand. Mick is quick behind the driver's seat, having taken watch over the van during the raid thanks to her quick thinking and driving skills, they lose the sirens in a matter of minutes leaving nothing behind but a cloud of dust.

||Reader's POV||

My stomach rumbles and I can feel the sharp edges as it growls. My hand comes to rest on my stomach and I fight a groan. Either I was slowing, or I didn't take into account how quickly it would grow dark. Most likely, it was a combination of both. I haven't eaten since Becky's and it's already getting duller out. I have to squint a bit to see but thankfully my eyes adjusted as the sun slowly began to fade away.

I've been taking breaks every hour and a half or so, and I've quickly come to enjoy them. I've already made a habit of checking my watch and I have to stop myself from checking it every other minute. I debate it carefully in my head and I decide that thirty seconds has been long enough. I turn over my wrist and examine the watch, and it is not a surprise at all to find that second hand has only moved thirty notches.

But eyes to linger on the watch itself and I smile as the memory of receiving the watch come back to me slowly. Dustin gave it to me for my last birthday. He had known I had been eyeing it for a while and he saved up money to pay for it. Well, technically he went splitzies with mom since it was a bit expensive, but I didn't care. I love it.

My smile fades and my stomach turns. I miss Dustin. And Mom, although I know I'm going to get an earful when I get home. Knowing Dustin, when he confronts me about going out on a solo adventure and lying to him not only as a sister but as a party member, he's going to give the silent treatment for a while. And that's just Dustin, I have no idea the extremity of what I'm in for when I return.

||3rd Person POV||

Mick draws the van to a slow as it creeps through the parking lot Gramercy Apartments. The sun has set over the horizon and the headlights sweep over glistening cement and the vehicle pulls to a stop. Mick and Axel turn to face the others, and Mick begins giving orders.

"We should case the place, stick to the routine. We have time."

"We also have her," Adds Kali. "Can you look?"

Jane nods and closes her eyes, the others watch her carefully with more patience than the last. A speck of blood peels from her nostril and her eyelids flutter open.

"He's watching television."

"Is he alone?" Mick asks.

"I saw him. No one else."

"Good enough for me." Kali shrugs.

The others nod in agreement, and Jane fiddles with the plastic doll mask in her hands. Mumbles of agreement percolate from the group and Funshine speaks up, adorning his namesake mask, a pink carebear.

"Let's do this."

The others follow his lead, and soon each face if covered, and one by one they pile out onto the street.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Punky, what's the matter?"

Ray looks at his drink uncertainly, and readjusts in his Lay-Z-Boy as the man on television storms in the room, flipping on the switch and coming to the child's aid with great worry.

The small girl named Punky pets her dog comfortingly but looked desperately to the man her eyes wide and frightened.

"A nightmare. I dreamt I was in the doctor's office. All of a sudden, he's started to give me a shot in my arm."

Unbeknownst to Ray, the chain lock on his door silently unlocks itself in the other room as the frightened child on the television set continues to describe her nightmare. As he listens, he realizes it is not his drink that has left the bitter taste on his tongue.

"Then the needle got bigger and bigger and bigger..."

The chain comes undone and dangles tauntingly against the wooden door, scratching it lightly and the TV pops, the screen going dark. With a grunt, he rises from his seat and reaches the set, fiddling with the knobs to get it to work. Out of sight, Kali is the first to enter the apartment, followed closely by Jane and Dottie and the rest.

"Hello, Ray."

The man whirls around, his heart pounding in his chest to find four masked figures standing in his living room.

"Jesus Christ!" He pants, running for the door.

He comes to halt to find a masked Funshine blocking the exit. Funshine stalks forward, getting in his face.

"Sit down. Please."

Ray continues to back up, the larger masked man never ceasing his advances and he is backed into his spot in the living room. He grabbed by the shoulders suddenly and thrown into the chair.

"I said sit." He spits.

He holds out a trembling hand, too afraid to meet their eye.

"Just, please... just take whatever you want."

Axel, leans forward mockingly, his hands on his knees. All the man sees is the tallest of the bunch with a spikey mohawk - which added to his already intimidating height - and contextually unsettling mummy mask over his face.

"Oh, we will." He growls.

Dottie imitates his moves, leaning forward behind her clown mask and tilts her head. "Where's your wallet?"

"Bedroom. My bedroom. My jeans." Ray stutters, gesturing around the corner and Dottie disappears pulling Axel with her.

Funshine stands guard at the only exit at attention, arms crossed his large frame blocking anyone from moving. Axel and Dottie raid his bedroom, stealing not only the money from his wallet but pills from his drawer and anything else of cash value. Meanwhile, El and Kali stand over the cowering man who looks between them swallowing thickly.

He expects the worse, but much to his surprise the taller girl - the one he knew was in charge - took off her mask revealing a familiar face. She glared at him, before giving the ok to her companion. She complies, peeling back the doll mask to reveal a young face. The leader raises a brow.

"Do you remember us?"

Not daring to speak a word, he shakes his head no. The girls do not move but every light, every bulb in the apartment flickers violently. The entire room flashes like a funhouse with a sharp hiss furthering the illusion. The lights darken completely for a brief moment and when they return he is shown two small girls, all too familiar.

"What about us?" The braided girl asks. "Do you remember us, Ray?"

He gapes in fear and the lights flicker once more, the older girls return and he met with a strong right hook to the face. He falls to the ground, hissing in pain where he know rests on his hands and knees. Pleasingly, he looks to their angered and vengeful faces and begins to weep as they did all those years ago.

"Please. Please."

"You hurt Mama." The younger girl spits, disgust and hatred dripping from her voice.

Yet another forceful scream erupts from her throat and she whips her arm out, Ray is sent flying with it. Like the clerk, he is sent into the wall where he lays now cowering in pain and fear. The pale girl with dark eyes marches forward, disgust and rage in her eyes at a mere glance. Her shoulders move rapidly, her breathing increases as she tries to control her hated but it too strong.

Blood drips from his scalp, and his whole body is shaking. He cowers as far as he can into the broken wall, though he can't escape. Kali watches in a trance as she finds the man who haunted her memories and cowered as she did under his wrath. She did nothing to stop Jane as she advances.

"Wait..." he croaks, his voice barely audible. "Wait, please... I just did what he told me to do."

Jane tilts her head, hot angry tears flood her vision but she does not let this break her focus or her goal.

"He said she was sick." He wept.

"You had a choice, Ray," Kali says, her voice stern. "And you chose to follow a man you knew was evil."

Jane throws her hand up and he flinches violently.

"No, wait! No, wait! Wait!"

Jane falters, though her anger does not.

"I can help. I can help you find him."

Kali's jaw clenched and she speaks through gritted teeth. "Find who?"

"Brenner! I can take you to him."

This is enough to shake Jane's confidence. She can feel herself breaking at the mention but it only fuels the emotion. Her eyes cloud and she tries desperately not to allow her voice to break.

"Papa is gone."

Ray shakes his head, a mixture of regret, pity, and guilt cross his face.

"No, he is alive."

"Don't lie to us, Ray."

The man's shoulder begins to shake and he is crying once more, tears streaming freely from his cheeks.

"I'm not lying!" He croaks, his voice falling into pitiful whimpers. "I swear... he trusts me."

Jane watches in horror, her stomach flipping and her heart clenching into impossible knots she fears it will stop beating. She refuses to believe it, she does not want to. She can't.

"I'll take you to him." Ray eases.

"If he is alive, Jane will find him. Just as she found you. Do it, Jane."

But Jane is frozen, she battles the fear of the horrid possibility and yet the image of him replays in her mind on a torturous loop. Four-fifty.

"Do it."

Four fifty.

"Wait."

The man is pulled slightly from the ground, his hands clawing desperately at the invisible hold around his neck. He chokes and gasps for air as Jane scowls at the man, her hand outstretched and clenched. He topples to the floor completely, and his eyes begin to roll back in his head as he slowly moves across the floor from her forceful hold. Jane only looks at him as nothing more than something brought in on someone's shoe.

She follows him, her grip still firm and Kali trails behind her proudly, whispering in her ear.

"Not too quickly." She suggests. "He wasn't so generous with your mother."

Jane watches with satisfaction as he slides across the tile floor, his face turning purple and his going bloodshot. Veins pop from his head and she feels strength in his pain. But her eyes drift to the broken frame near his head. It was him, smiling, his arms wrapped around two young girls.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Axel and Dottie reach the final door in the hallway and swing it open. Their stomachs drop when their eyes land on the sight of two young girls hiding in the corner, clinging to one another and a working phone, 911 on the other line.

"Oh, shit."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Jane releases her grip, her strain lifting and she begins to paint. The man coughs and gasps for breath, but he is relieved. Kali looks to Jane frantically.

"What's wrong?" When she receives no answer, she asks again louder and harsher. "What's wrong?"

Axel appears in the hallway, gesturing to the open door behind him where Dottie appears.

"We got a problem."

"Kids in the apartment." Dottie pants.

"Please..." Ray whimpers.

Kali desperately returns her attention to the task at hand, urgency creeping up.

"Did he show your mother mercy? No."

Ray's cries go ignored as Kali continues to whisper to Jane, her motives and wounds pushing her and Jane stands to stare at the pleading man. Torn.

"He took her from you, without hesitation."

"Please don't. Please."

"We got to go, K!" Axel shouts. "They called the cops."

"We finish this first." She snaps, returning to the girl. "Jane, now!"

"Please don't... Please. Please."

Unable to waste any more time, Kali whips out her gun, pointing it at the man who shrieks in fear. Jane's attention snaps to her hand and with one swift flick of her head, the gun flies across the room and crashes through the window, shattering the glass. Kali looks disbelieving at Jane, fire in her eyes seething and for the first time, Jane falters. Her eyes flicker to the ground and once again she feels like a scolded pet, nothing more than she was in the lab.

"Kali, we gotta go!" Axel shouts, running down the hallway Dottie on his tail.

Sirens were approaching and only then did they snap out of their trances. They fled down the apartment and out of the back door and down the stairs. They fumble across the grass out back, the police already swarming the apartment from the parking lot. Just in time and as promised, Mick pulls the van to a halting stop at the curb where it waits for them

The van is in motion before the door closed and when they find themselves ok the open road, Kali begins to speak. She turns to Jane, who sits beside her, her arms folded in and she closed off. Tears streak down her cheeks but this does not lessen Kali's venom.

"If you wanted to show mercy, that is your choice. But don't you ever take away mine. Ever. Do you understand?" Her voice raises as she gets in Jane's face. "Do you understand?"

Jane flinches, her breathing still heavy and spotty but all she can do is look away swallowing the bitter taste.

+++

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[mythriteshah]

Dinner with Violet & Steel

Within the mythril-blue halls of the Higuri Regalia’s Main Branch Headquarters was a vast dinner table made of that same blue metal.  Precious fabrics of tulle were placed evenly along the length of the table, as plates of exquisite food from all corners of Hydaelyn were being placed.

The Angels – Lord Thiji’s personal retinue of assassin-maidservants – were gathered around the table.  At the head was the Mythrite Sultan himself, being poured a glass of his Winter Lassi by his Main Branch Advisor, Veeveena Veena.  He and his Angels were regaling one another over their recent success in the Bloodsands…

Lilina: So how’d it go?! I wanted to witness the spectacle myself, but I have been so busy with my Summoner training…

Veeveena: Oh, it went quite well, Miss Lilina!  In fact, we would be honored if Miss Susuna could recall the story for us in full detail!

Susuna: Hey, can I at least get in a glass or two of wine first?!

The Angels chuckled as Susuna gulped down her caelumtree wine.  All the Angels were garbed in the uniform of their respective branches, save for a few who were wearing items from the PiB Catalogue: Veeveena in her Impurity’s Sampot as per usual; Isja in her Life-Warden’s Veil, and Himmeya in the Griffin-Mistress’ Choil.

After a good half-bell into their feast, Veeveena popped the question to her fellow Angel once more, who took another long sip of her wine before jumping up to the table in a dramatic fashion, startling her sisters.

Susuna: So there we were, surrounded by the typical Ul’dahn crowd of nobles looking for bloodshed! Even Ishgard’s own nobility came to spectate!  The Mythril Cup was nigh, and it was here that our latest operation would unfold: Violet Steel!

Luluma: But wait, I thought Miss Himmeya didn’t use weapons?

Susuna: I’m getting there! So anyway, the contestants were lined up in the Bloodsands: a big, burly Sea Wolf Gladiator; a not-as-big but just-as burly female Sea Wolf Marauder; a Midlander soldier of the Immortal Flames; a female Duskwight Lancer; a Sun Seeker male from the Black Shroud – a Redbelly Wasp; a pair of male twin Dunesfolk Thaumaturges, and a Highlander Thief!

Isja: Hm… I counted nine, including Himmeya.  Who was the tenth?

Susuna: She was a Far Easterner, by the look of her armor.  She had a pink scabbard which obviously housed a Doman Steel katana.  At the time, she was masked, so her face was obscured from view.  So as they welcomed the combatants, I placed a hundred thousand gil on Himmeya winning. The odds at the time were 100 to 1.

Lelena: What?!  Then that must mean –

Susuna: That’s right! Ten million gil was going to belong to the Regalia once Himmeya won!  Of course, the real victory was getting word out on the PiB Catalogue, which my sisters and Miss Shiro were manning just outside the coliseum at the time.

Umimi: Oh, when does the fun part come?  Let’s hear about the fighting!

Sesena: Oh, don’t be so impatient, Miss Umimi!  Suna’s gotta set the mood first!

Susuna: Whaddya mean? The mood is already set!  The fight started and everyone was goin’ at it! The Gladiator and Marauder ganged up on the swordmaiden while the Lancer and the Redbelly Archer did their thing.

Umimi, taking a sip of water: Now that’s more like it!

Susuna: The Flames soldier made good use of his shield, deflecting the elemental onslaught from the Thaumaturge twins!  Then here comes the Highlander Thief from out of the shadows, looking to draw first blood by taking out Himmeya!

The Angels gasped as Himmeya simply shook her head, biting into another piece of baklava.  The Enforcer was amazed by the taste that she had to stop and appreciate the flavor for a moment…

Himmeya, thinking: Damn.  Now I see why this is Lord Thiji’s favorite dessert.

Susuna: Unfortunately for him, Miss Himmeya was in her exclusive Fists of Ice stance!  When the Thief jumped onto her shoulders for an Assassination attack, she caught him off balance using Arm of the Destroyer, then quickly grabbed him by the leg, hung him upside-down for a mean Touch of Death to the gut, and chucked his tattooed ass across the arena, taking a shield bash and Scathe combo as he was sent flying into the wall!

Umimi & Veeveena: Nice!

The other Angels applauded Himmeya’s performance.  The Fist of Rhalgr disciple found it difficult to respond to such an ovation, so she simply waved sheepishly.

Isja: Who knew the Treasurer had such a talent for storytelling?

Sosona: Susuna may be the youngest between the three of us, but her expertise at information gathering and gossip is second-to-none.

Susuna: With the first combatant knocked out, Himmeya took up a new stance: the Fists of Water!  The Lancer incapacitated the Miqo’te bandit with a straight kick and went straight for the Flames soldier!  Meanwhile, the Thaumaturges enhanced their defenses with Manawards as they prepared a mean spell to throw at Himmeya!

Lelena: How would she be able to close the distance in time?!

Susuna: She didn’t have to. Much like the Fists of Ice slowing down opponents she struck, this stance had a unique effect as well!  The Fists of Water increased her effective striking range by at least ten yalms!  So she was able to instantly break their barriers with another antiquated technique: the One-Ilm Punch!

Meriri: Goodness, lass! Ye be puttin’ Pugilists to shame with yer skills!

Koyuki: It was at this point that the crowd had its eyes fixed on Miss Himmeya, and some had even inquired as to where she obtained her clothes!  You can only imagine what we told them in response!

Shishira: Lord Thiji dearest was spectating from the other end, cloaked in black and violet, signaling the next phase: bringing in the masses!  But for now, Miss Susuna should continue.

Susuna: Thank you, ma’am! So, with the Thaumaturges’ defenses shattered by a single hit, the Archer managed to recover and shot an arrow at the older brother, which really pissed off his younger sibling!  He gathered his might and dropped an orbital laser on his head – the Skyshard!

Isja: Heavens…!

Umimi: He died, right?

Susuna: He should have!  It’s a Limit Break, for Thal’s sake!  But capitalizing on this, the Marauder chick took out the exhausted younger with a mean Overpower, wrapping up the triangle knockout!

Meriri: So how was the swordmaiden doin’ in the midst of all this?

Susuna: She held her own no problem!  In fact, I was going to get to her in a minute!  So, the roster was down to half at this point, with only Himmeya, the Far Easterner, the Roegadyns, and the Flames Soldier remaining!

Yuanji: But you missed the Duskwight – what happened to her?

Susuna, taking another sip of her wine: Oh, right – her.  She got slashed right below the tits by the Flames soldier.

The Angels broke out into laughter yet again from the Treasurer’s remark.  Umimi nearly spat out her water as a result.  Thiji only shook his head, the only thing escaping his lips being a soft chuckle.

Susuna: Which is even funnier considering how she was talking so much good shite to Miss Himmeya before the fight began! 

Himmeya: Said I was better fit for ballroom dancing.

Lilina: Ballrooms can be arenas, too!

Susuna: Well-stated, Miss Lilina!  Very true! So anyway, he was up next. Himmeya readied her third trump card: The Fists of Lightning!

Lilina: Ooh! Ooh!  That stance had to have paralyzed her foes, right?!

Himmeya: Correct. Though my attacks kept hitting his shield, he would eventually find it harder to hold it up as the electric current danced around the metal and eventually shocked him.

Susuna: And that was when she gave him a double Tiger Claw Strike!

Himmeya: “Couerl Paw”, Miss Susuna.

Susuna: Eh, semantics! The point is, he was knocked on his ass and was eliminated!  All eyes were on Himmeya now, and the nobles were starting to see the meaning of “Power in Beauty” through our star performer!  So we directed them outside to the booth we had set up.  Those who stayed, however, were in for a treat! That Marauder chick was furious now, and charged at Himmeya full speed!  But she was able to stop her dead in her tracks with the Steel Peak technique, stunning her long enough to charge her power move… Uh, what did you call it again?

Himmeya & Sosona: Chesed (pronounced “heh-sed”).

Susuna: Thanks to Sona’s fine-tuning, Miss Himmeya overclocked her Fists of the Fiend and brought the full power of life and growth onto the face of the Marauder, sending her bouncing into the wall where she made a nice Roegadyn-sized hole in it before landing on her neck!

The Angels winced in pain.

Susuna: That left only Himmeya, the Gladiator, and the swordmaiden.  At this point, the Roegadyn was getting frustrated as her opponent was getting the upper hand, so he tried to draw her away with a Bloodstain – or Circle of Scorn, if you prefer!  But then she did this thing where it looked like she foresaw the incoming attack and instantly evaded it, sliding backwards a full 360-degrees before advancing and retaliating with a slash which disarmed him!

Luluma: So some sort of… Foresight Slash?

Susuna: Yeah, that’s what it sounds like!  Anyway, she sent the man into the air with a Tsubame-Gaeshi, then bisected the fool with an Ougi – some Far Eastern word meaning “Hidden Technique”.

???: The Hana-no-Fukei – the Scenery of Blossoms.

Everyone looked around to find the source of the voice.  Then from the entrance to the dining hall was a petite Midlander Hyur wearing the uniform of the Othard Branch, with a pink scabbard identical to the one Susuna described in her retelling.  She had auburn hair tied in a ponytail and golden eyes, flawless skin, and an air of poise.  She greeted everyone with a bow and immediately took a seat beside Himmeya.

Susuna: Introducing our newest Angel: Kaori Hanabira, the Petaldancer!

Kaori: Truly, it is an honor to be part of such a wonderful company.  It is grand to see my old friend Himmeya again.

Meriri: Wait, you’re the same lass who cut down the Gladiator?  Then how’d the rest of the match end?

Kaori: After I struck down that ruffian, I revealed myself to Himmeya.  We had befriended each other during the Rhalgr’s Beacon operation when she was still in the Resistance.

Himmeya: She stowed away on an East Aldenard vessel all the way to Limsa Lominsa, where she sought to return the favor of the brave westerners who helped liberate Doma.

Thiji: We are honored to have you among us, Miss Kaori.  You will serve us well as the Othard Branch’s Enforcer.

Kaori: I shall not disappoint.

Umimi: With all due respect, my lord… who won the Mythril Cup?

Thiji: That honor belongs to Miss Himmeya, of course.  They had shared a dialogue before sparring.  Both gave their all, but in the ensuing clash, Miss Kaori’s blade would shatter upon Himmeya’s enhanced fists.  Without a weapon with which to fend herself, and her own martial arts proving inadequate, the only logical choice was to concede.

Kaori: But it was an honorable duel, and I only entered to find Miss Himmeya in the first place. She enjoys fighting – as do I.  So I thought a coliseum battle would be the ideal event to find her.  The kami smiled upon me that day to find her there, though I was unaware of a greater scheme in the works.

Yuanji: Ahh – of course! Miss Sesena’s team was swamped after the match, were you not?

Sesena: We would have been were it not for the fact that Miss Shiro is a master assassin!  She gave everyone a copy with lightning speed!

Sosona: And now we have an easy 10 million gil in the bank; more exposure for the Regalia, and a new Angel. An awesome profit was won that day.

Susuna: The bookmaker was appalled by the outcome, but that’s the thing about gambling: sometimes –

Sesena and Sosona join in: You lose!

Umimi: But not for the Regalia!  This gamble was a victory for us all!  A toast to our success, and to our newest Angel – Miss Kaori!

Thiji: To Miss Kaori.

Yuanji & Koyuki: Kampai!

(Picture commissioned by Dizzyfuture)

[bubbyleh]

I See La Vie en Rose - Chapter 12

cw: discussions of past character death (little detail) and a kidnapping (one sentence devoted)

Chapter 12: You Weren’t Doing Anything, Anyway

Star Trek: The Original Series only lasted them a few months of binging. Over time, their little movie gang grew (Bubby was especially interested in the prospect of a show about space travel), until eventually Darnold found himself regularly hosting the majority of a pantheon in his living room. Apparently, only really getting into media these past three years (and even then, only children’s movies because of Joshua) means that you miss a lot of the classics, and Darnold is happy to provide.

But, well, Darnold’s not sure All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 is a classic. But they watched the original last week, and Benrey was very excited about a sequel. Though it’s kind of weird they’re watching an animated film meant for kids when Joshua isn’t around. Sunkist is on babysitting duty, and even knowing her, Darnold’s not sure you should leave that job to a dog.

Tommy is sitting in the middle of the couch, and Darnold’s leaning against him, somewhat tired. Bubby is on Tommy’s other side, with Coomer sitting on the floor by his feet. Gordon and Benrey are also on the floor, holding hands. They don’t get very far into the movie before it’s completely forgotten about.

“Huh, memories,” Gordon remarks offhandedly as Charlie Sheen dog shows his friend Itchy around heaven.

Darnold, who turned his brain off when they chose this movie, takes a few seconds to process that. “What do you mean ‘memories’?”

Gordon laughs, more awkward than funny. “Oh, uh. Just reminds me of when I ascended. Getting shown around and all.”

“It was- it was exciting!” Tommy chimes in. He subconsciously pulls Darnold a little bit closer. “I was the youngest for three-hundred years! And then- then you were there!”

“The dying is also reminiscent of back then, isn’t it?” Coomer says.

“Yeah,” Gordon winces, bringing a hand to his chest. “That wasn’t much fun.” Benrey shifts next to him.

“Wait, wait,” Darnold interjects, sitting up suddenly. “You’ve died before?”

Bubby startles. “Crap! I keep forgetting you’re here.”

Darnold fights the urge to remind Bubby that they’re in his apartment right now, because that would shift the conversation way too much.

“Yes, Gordon has died before,” Coomer explains. “In fact, so have my dear Bubby and I! It’s how we all reached godhood in the first place.”

“Geez, have a bit more tact?” Gordon requests, Benrey silently nestling into his shoulder.

Coomer appears sheepish. “My apologies, Gordon. It’s simply been so long since we’ve had someone to explain things to. You force us to filter ourselves around Joshua!”

“Yeah, because you’re gonna tell him I died! The kid is three, he doesn’t need to know that!” Gordon gestures to the TV. “Can we please just watch the movie?”

Benrey nods. “You might, uh. Die in this one, too. Gotta make sure, keep an eye on it.”

“The movie? All Dogs Go to Heaven 2?” Gordon asks, and though he sounds somewhat offended, he still chuckles.

“Mhmm,” Benrey says, mostly into Gordon’s shoulder. Fuck, they’re overly affectionate, but Darnold isn’t really in a position to judge considering he was just two seconds away from falling asleep against Tommy.

“But that- that happens?” Darnold asks. “Like, people die, and then they become gods?”

“Well, it happened, past tense,” Bubby clarifies. “It’s just the three of us, and Gordon died centuries ago-”

“Don’t exaggerate, it was two and a half-”

“Ages ago, Gordon!” Bubby cuts back in. “You’re ancient now! Just like the rest of us!”

There’s no way they’re serious, not with the big grins spread across their faces. While the two of them continue to play-argue, Tommy wraps his arms around Darnold and hugs him tightly. And maybe he’s a sucker for Tommy, but Darnold hugs him right back.

“Don’t worry,” Tommy assures him. “I’ve- I’ve never died, and my lifespan is infinite.”

“Alright,” Darnold puts off internalizing that for later. “Actually that, uh… that makes me feel better about you going off to fight those Skeletons, sometimes.”

Darnold doesn’t miss the way Tommy grimaces. “Well…”

Dranold draws himself back. “Tommy no.”

“Skeletons can... permanently kill us,” Tommy admits, not meeting his gaze. “They’re really the- the only thing that can.”

“Okay, fine, great,” Darnold rubs his face with his hands. “Let’s just watch All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 now, please? No more god talk.”

“I agree,” Benrey says from the floor.

Gordon finally looks back at the TV. “Fuck, we’re gonna have to rewind. I have no idea what’s happening.”

If Darnold gets a little more snuggly than usual during the movie, Tommy doesn’t say anything.

☆○☆○☆

“Psst, Darnold. You missed the ending.”

It’s not the words that wake Darnold up, but rather the finger annoyingly poking his face as he rests. He swats Benrey’s hand away from himself before sitting up groggily.

“Aw, Benrey,” Tommy laments, and Darnold notices that he was sleeping with his head in his lap. “You- you woke him up!”

Darnold groans and leans back against Tommy, eying the dark outside his window. “How long was I sleeping?”

“It’s ten.” Tommy places a hand on Darnold’s further shoulder. “The- the movie ended an hour ago, but…”

Faintly, Darnold can hear voices, Bubby and Gordon, having yet another debate in his home, which is fine. They’re in the kitchen, where he’s pretty sure they either have or are in the process of eating all his snacks.

“The dog played the system, he deserves his happy ending!”

“Charlie B. Barkin is a death criminal and will go straight to hell when he dies!”

“The movies are called All Dogs Go to Heaven, Gordon! Not Some Dogs Go to Hell!”

“He was going to hell in the first one, wasn’t he?!”

Benrey shrugs. “They’ve been, uh… talking about it since the movie ended.”

Crack!

“Oh shit.”

“Gordon! You distracted me!”

“I distracted you!?”

“You think I would break our new friend Darnold’s tableware on purpose?”

“No, it’s-!”

Darnold was on his feet the second he heard the breaking ceramic, skidding into his kitchen with Tommy on his heels. Bubby is standing at the sink, his efforts to wash the dishes from movie night halted by him gesturing to the shards of plate on the floor next to him. Gordon and Coomer, meanwhile, are sitting at the table, sharing a bag of chips.

“Aw, crap, are you okay?” Darnold starts to make his way to the broom closet behind Bubby. “Let me-”

“Hold it!” Bubby stops him after just a step. Tommy places a hand in front of him on instinct alone. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to walk around broken plates barefoot?” He points at Darnold’s socks.

“I’m wearing socks! And I was going around anyway!” Darnold argues, but Bubby won’t hear it.

He shakes his head solemnly. “There’s no way we’re risking that. You’re just going to have to tell Gordon where the broom is so we can sweep it up.” He grabs a paper towel from the counter, drying off his hands.

“What? Why me!?”

Coomer smiles. “You’re partially responsible, Gordon!”

Darnold points at the closet behind Bubby. “In there. There’s a broompan, too.”

Gordon grumbles as he retrieves the cleaning supplies from the closet. At that moment, Benrey finally pokes his head into the kitchen.

“Oh yo, Gordon. Why’d you break that plate?”

“BENREY!”

☆○☆○☆

They all sit around the kitchen and chat for a few minutes, the topic of morality in the

All Dogs Go to Heaven

cinematic universe thankfully shelved for another time. Darnold even joins in the snacking, though only a few chips. The conversation is nice, at least until it abruptly ends when Gordon notices the time.

“Fuck, I don’t wanna pay Sunkist overtime,” he sighs. “It was nice seeing you, Darnold. Later.” With a wave, Gordon disappears.

Benrey blinks for a few seconds. “Peace,” he finally says, before following suit.

“We really should be letting you head to bed,” Coomer realizes, and Darnold lets him think he has a normal sleep schedule.

“Get more of those chips,” Bubby orders him. Darnold knows him well enough at this point to know that means he had fun. Coomer and Bubby disappear together, leaving Darnold and Tommy alone in the apartment, leaning on the kitchen counter.

“They’re- they’re not too much, are they?” Tommy rests his head against Darnold’s.

“Tommy, your family is wonderful,” Darnold grins. “I like them.”

“G-good,” Tommy stands, walking a few steps forward. “They like you, too. They won’t stop talking about- about you.”

“You’re not staying the night?”

Tommy shakes his head. “I got- I got a lot of work to do. And I should check on Sunkist…” Darnold feels that surge of love again, the look in Tommy’s eyes when their gazes meet. “But we’re still good for Thursday, right?”

“Of course.” Darnold’s thoughts are cut off when Tommy kisses him. It’s a goodbye, short and sweet. They know there will be time for something more grand in the future.

“I’ll- I’ll see you then,” Tommy says, and then he’s gone.

Darnold stares at the empty space where Tommy had once stood, lovestruck.

☆○☆○☆

It’s one AM. It’s technically Monday now, and Darnold can’t get to sleep. He gave up on white noise from his phone an hour ago, for goodness sake. At this rate, nothing’s gonna knock him out, is it?

…

Fuck it, if he’s up, he’s up. Darnold wants Powerade.

Which is why, after wincing at the glow from his refrigerator light, Darnold is horrified to see he’s out of Powerade. In fact, thinking back on it, he’s pretty sure he saw Benrey chewing on a bottle while everyone was over.

Okay. Fine. Darnold can work with this. Just throw on a jacket, some pants, and shoes and walk to 7/11. It’s like a block away, and they sell Powerade.

So that’s what Darnold does. The cashier is too tired to care about the fact that Darnold looks like he rolled out of bed, which is a win. Can’t a man drink his one AM Mountain Berry Blast Powerade in peace?

The answer is yes. Darnold takes a sip, pulling out his phone. Might as well check social media on the way home, right? Who knows, maybe there’s some fun celebrity drama happening, or something.

He doesn’t notice the boney hand until it’s already grabbed him.

[brown-bi-beautiful]

Supernatural Series Rewrite

Supernatural Rewrite Masterlist

Dean Winchester x named reader (eventually)

Series Warning: language violence, angst, fluff, sexual content, Gore, molestation, mention of sexual harassment, usual supernatural violence. (If you’re triggered by any of these then please don’t read)

(A/n- I had to give the reader a name, there’s reason behind it but you can change it if you want. I changed some of the plot and some of the scenes but mostly it’s the same. I do not own the supernatural series but there are some things that are completely my imagination, it has nothing to do with the actual mythology or the series)

Dead in the water part 1

Season one. Episode Three.

Dead In The Water (Part 2)

"can we join you?" Sam asked Andrea as the three of you approached her. she was sitting at the park watching her son as he sat few feets away, colouring something.

"I am here with my son."she replied smiling and Dean looked over to him. "Oh.. mind if I say hi?" Dean asked and walked over to him without waiting for reply.

"tell your friend, this whole Jerry Maguire thing is not gonna work on me." Andrea said as you and Sam sat beside her on the park bench. "I don't think that's what this is about."you said trying not to sound jealous or rude.

"How is it going?" Dean asked the boy an kneeled in front of him but he didn't say anything, just kept colouring like he wasn't even there. "Oh, I used to love these things." Dean said picking up one of the green little army men toys. He starts imitating noises to grab Lucas' attention but it was no use.

"So, crayon is more your thing?" still nothing, he just kept colouring. "That's cool. Chicks dig artists. Hey, these are pretty good." Dean said looking at his drawings. "You mind if I sit and draw with you for a while? I'm not so bad myself." Dean grabbed a crayon and sat on the bench and started drawing. "You know, I'm thinking you can hear me. You just don't want to talk. I don't know exactly what happened to your dad... But I know it was something real bad, I think I know how you feel. When I was your age, I saw something. Maybe you don't think anyone will listen to you or...or believe you. I want you to know that I will."

You watched from the distance as Dean tried to talk with the kid. It automatically brought a smile on your face. Somehow you knew exactly what he was saying to Lucas. At some point you stopped listening to Andrea, you had no idea what she was saying. your whole attention was on the green eyed hunter who was now sitting on a park bench and colouring with a 6 years old. You rolled your eyes when his eyes met yours and he winked at you. You looked back at Andrea and tried not to look back at him.

"Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since.... His dad's accident." your attention was on Andrea and you started to listen again as Dean walked up to the three of you.

"Yeah, we heard. Sorry." He said.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asked.

"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress." Andrea said. You could remember similar thing happening to you after your mom passed away. You could relate with Lucas and so could Dean.

"That can't be easy for either of you."

"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot, it's just.. when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw."

"Kids are strong, you will be surprised by what they can deal with." You said breaking your silence.

"Hey Sweetie..." Andrea said when Lucas walked up to you and handed Dean a drawing sheet. "Thanks Lucas." Dean said and you leaned in to look at the drawing and then he walked back again.

"I think we should head back. Thanks for your time."Sam said and you made your way back to the motel.

"I'm gonna go grab some lunch, you guys want something?" Sam asked. "Yeah.....lunch." you answered and he rolled his eyes before separating his away from you two.  It was a bit of awkward silence between you and Dean when you entered the motel room.

"So? You're not gonna call James Dean?" Dean said sitting on one of the beds and you sat on the other.

"it's not even close to 6 yet, don't wanna look too desperate. Besides what's it to you?" You asked putting a hand under your chin and resting it on your knee.

"What? You're my friend right? I mean friends share things right?" He looked like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince you.  "Yeah, I guess." You said with a smirk and lay down on the bed, not even bothering to take off your boots. "You know what? I think I'm gonna call him once it is done." You lied waiting for Dean's reaction and you could literally feel him getting pissed off. You tried to control your giggle. If you were honest, it was really flattering that it bothered him so much. "Yeah whatever." He mumbled a reply.

"So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie." you heard Sam as he walked inside the motel room making you sit up with a frown. "What do you mean?" You asked.

"I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead." Sam replied looking at you and then at his brother.

"He drowned?" Dean question with and raised eyebrow. "Yep. In the sink."

"What the hell?" You mumbled but loud enough for them to hear. "So this isn't a creature, we are dealing with something else." you added. "Yeah but what?"Sam asked.

"A water wraith maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water." Said Dean and it hit you in the head.

"Water that comes from the same source. The lake." You said making both the brothers look at you. "Which would explain why it's upping the body count. Lake's draining, it will be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants... It's running out of time." you added.

"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere, this is gonna happen again soon." Dean said getting up.

"And we know one other thing for sure, it has got something to do with Bill Carlton." You said.

"Yeah it took both his kids." Dean said and continued wearing his shoes.

"And I've been asking around, Lucas' dad, Chris, Bill Carlton's godson." Said Sam.

"Then let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit." Dean said getting up and you followed him to the car.

The whole ride you spent talking about the possible outcomes of what it could be, and all three of you agreed on one thing, vengeful spirit. You came up with it and you were pretty sure that you are right but you couldn't explain why would a vengeful spirit want to hurt the whole Carlton family.

When you finally pulled up at Carlton house bill Carlton was sitting on the same spot as last time and the three of you walked up to him.

"Mr. Carlton?" you said in a soft voice when you reached him and he looked up at you. "We would like to ask you few questions if you don't mind." said Sam.

"We are from the department of-" Dean started but he was cut off by Bill.

"I don't care who you are with. I've answered enough questions today." Bill said not looking away from the lake.

"your son said he saw something in the lake. What about you? You ever see anything out there?" You asked but he didn't answer so you continued. "Mr. Carlton, Sophie's drowning and Will's death, we think there might be a connection to you, your family."

"My children are gone. It's... It's worse than dying." His voice broke and his eyes filled with tears. None of you could understand how he must have felt at the moment. "Go away... Please." He said and the three of you turned around to leave him alone and walked back to the Impala.

"What do you think?" Sam asked as you approach the car.

"I think the poor guy's been through hell. I also think he is not telling us something." Dean said. While they were busy talking you're glanced at the house carefully.

"What is it?" Sam asked you and you ignored him. "Dean can I look at that drawing Lucas made you." you said not looking away from the house and Dean handed you the paper.

"Huh, maybe Bill's not the only one who know something." you said opening the folded paper, staring back at you was the six year old kid version of Carlton house. Both of them seem to understand what you're talking about.

"We gotta talk to the kid." Dean said getting inside the car, and you and Sam followed. You arrived at the sheriff Devin's house and knocked on the door. Andrea was the one who opened up. She looked a bit confused to see you guys.

"we need to talk to Lucas about the drownings." You blurted out when Dean was about to say something and he gave you a little glare.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good time."Andrea said.

"Just for a few minutes." Dean pleaded.

"he won't say anything. What good it's gonna do?" She protested.

"Andrea, we think more people might get hurt, we think something's happening out there." Sam said.

"My husband, and the others, They just drowned. That's all." She stuck to her point.

"if that's what you really believe, then we will go. But if you think there's even a possibility that something else can be going on here, please let me talk to your son." Dean said and Andrea look down nodding her head to the direction of her son's room.

"Thanks, come on Alex." Dean said and walked toward his room. "Wait, me? No I can't." You let out a small nervous laugh.

"Yes you. Look we've both been through this." He pulled you to a side. "And besides I don't know how to talk to kids." He said.

"Yes you do. You did great in the park and you love kids remember." You said and he glared at you. "And Dean we'll probably scare him if we gang up on him. Go, you got this." You said and he nodded then you pushed him inside Lucas' room and walked back to Sam and Andrea. Lucas was sitting on the floor and colouring and dean bend down to his height. "You know, I wanted to thank you for the last drawing. But the thing is, I need your help again." He pulled out the drawing Lucas made him before and put it down in front of him.

"How did you know to draw this?" Dean asked and Lucas kept colouring. "did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me." Dean said but there was no reaction from the boy.

"You are scared." He finally stated. "it's ok, I understand see, when I was your age I saw something real bad happen to my mom. And I was scared to. I didn't feel like talking just like you.. but, see, my mum, I know she wanted me to be brave, I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave, and maybe your dad.. wants you to be brave, too." Dean said and your heart broke for little 4 year old Dean being scared and alone.Lucas finally put down his colours and looked up at is mother, then he picked up another picture and handed it to Dean. "Thanks Lucas." Dean said and got up.

when you got back in the impala, Sam was looking at the picture Lucas drew and Dean was driving. "Andrea said that the kid never drew like that till his dad died." He says over the music.

"there are cases, going through a, traumatic experience would make certain people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies." Dean explained.

"whatever is there, what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow? It's only a matter of time before somebody else drowns. So if you get a better lead, please." Dean said and you raised your eyebrow at his behaviour.

"Sam can I see the picture." You said and he handed it to you and sat sideways on his seat so he could see both you and Dean. "I think I've seen this somewhere, we have to find this house." you said.

"Oh, well the problem is, there's about thousand yellow two stories in this County alone." Dean said.

"You see this Church? I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here." You sassed back.

"Oh College girl, thinks she is so smart." He said making the two of chuckle.

"Or maybe you are just really slow." You said making Sam laugh harder.

"You know, what you said about mom." Sam said after a pause and you slipped down further into your seat. 'again with the uncomfortable family topic.' you thought but didn't say anything. "You never told me that before." Sam continued.

"It's no big deal." there was a little awkward silence before he broke it. "Oh God, we're not gonna have to hug or anything are we?"  Sam chuckled at his brother and you sigh, happy that the uncomfortable conversation was end.

He pulled up in front of a white Church and all three of you got out of the Impala. You looked at the church and then at the drawing. there was a yellow House across the street similar to the one in the drawing.

"Maybe it's his house." You said pointing at the little boy in the drawing standing beside a small red bicycle.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Sam said making his way to the house, you and Dean followed him. Sam knocked on the door and an old lady opened up. "We are sorry to bother you, ma'am, but does a little boy live here by any chance. He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle." Dean asked.

"No, sir." She was not lying but she immediately started to become paranoid. "Not for a very long time." Her voice broke and you gave her a confused look. "Peter's been gone 35 years now." She said and led you inside the house. She stood in front of a picture of a young boy. "The police never...I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared." You looked around the house and your eyes fell upon the set of tiny green army man. You nudged the boys and nodded at the table where the set was.

"You know... It's... It's worse than dying." Mrs. Sweeney said and a tear visually rolled down her eyes.

"did he disappear from here? I mean, from this house?" Dean asked.

"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school and he never showed up." She broke down a little and you stepped forward in order to give her comfort. You were short but she was even shorter than you. You put your hands on her shoulder as to calm her down, not knowing what to say. Your eyes fell on a picture stuck to the mirror behind her and you took it.  You turned it and the back of it said. "Peter Sweeney and Bill Carlton, 1970." You put it inside your pocket before Mrs. Sweeney could notice.

The three of you decided to drive back to the Carlton's house to confront Bill Carlton. "They were childhood friends " Sam said starting at the picture you gave to him.

"Ok, this little boy Peter Sweeney vanishes and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow." You said.

"Yeah Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something."

"And Bill, the people he loves, they are all getting punished."

"So what if Bill did something to Peter?"

"What if Bill killed him?" You wondered out loud.

"Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge, it's possible." Dean agreed.

"See. I told you it was probably a vengeful spirit." You exclaimed and hit the back of Dean's shoulder. "OW." He exclaimed.

"Oh my god, did I hurt you little girl?" You asked in a monotone.

"Alex, you probably don't know this but for a little creature like yourself, you hit quite hard." He said as he pulled up at the Carlton's house.

"Mr. Carlton." Sam called out as the three of you made your way around the house and toward the lake. "Hey check it out " Dean pointed toward the lake and you saw Bill in a speed boat going further into the lake. You guys ran as quick as you can and made your way to the dock.

"Mr. Carlton, you need to come back." You yelled while waving your hands in the air.

"Come out of the water!"

"Turn the boat around!" Dean yelled but he kept going. Suddenly the boat was flipped in the air by an invisible force and as soon as it hit the water, both the boat and Bill both vanished.

"Call 911." You said and Sam was immediately on his phone. The cops came 10 minutes later and you guys decided to stay there and give your statements.

"Oh You guys are coming with me." Jake stated when you started toward the Impala. You decided not to argue and go with him.

When you entered the precinct Andrea's voice rang in your ear. "Alex? Sam, Dean. I didn't expect to see you here." She stood up and handed something to Lucas.

"So now you are on a first name basis." Jake said before turning to his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner."

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I don't really have the time." He told her.

You frowned at the Look on Lucas's face. No one noticed it but he looked a little panicked. "I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true? Is something going on with the lake?" You heard Andrea ask her father and your attention was back at them.

"Right now we don't know what the truth is but I think it might be better if you and Lucas went home."

Suddenly Lucas started whimpering as he stood up and and started pulling in Dean's hand. "Lucas, hey, what is it?* Dean asked bending down to his height but Lucas kept whimpering. Andrea was by his side in an instant.  "Lucas, it's okay, it's okay. Hey, it's okay." Dean said and the boy calmed down a little.

Andrea lead her son out of the precinct but he kept looking back at Dean. Jake frustrating banged his cap on the door and went inside his office.

Dean was staring at where Andrea and Lucas went. You grabbed his hand and he instantly looked down at you. You give it a gentle squeeze and smiled at him reassuringly. Letting him know that the three of you will solve the case, for Lucas, for the 4 year old Dean.

******

Dead in the water part 3

Taglist:

@rach5ive @paintballkid711 @hobby27 @colie87 @iilooveereadiingfiics @spnchick1996 @greenarrowhead @for-a-brothers-love

[nerdynarrator28]

No Regrets

A/N: Here it is Nonny!! The Arthur x Reader Smut!! I hope you enjoy it! This is my first time writing Arthur! Soo again I hope you enjoy it! Along with everyone else too! ❤️☺️

Warning(s): Fluff/Smut

Pairing(s): Arthur X Reader

Summary: You were in the gang, for maybe about two years now. You helped with missions, cleaning, doctoring. You had a certain eye on some Cowboy, Arthur Morgan was his name. You wanted him badly..but would he want you. You were inexperienced in sex, would he want you still.

——————————-❤️————————————

Everyone in the camp was sitting around the camp fire, drinking and laughing having a good time. You of course, was sitting underneath a tree, with a journal you keep with you. You loved drawing, it was very peaceful for your soul.

You were currently sketching a small rabbit who was a few feet away. Something spooked it, making it hop away.

You huffed, “god..damnit.”

You closed your journal and sat it down next to yourself. You closed your eyes, taking in the swamp smell, with the warm air surrounding you.

The gang had recently moved down to, Shady Belle close to Rhodes which Arthur and Lenny had found. It was nice big plantation house, finally something with a roof instead a tent. You chuckled to yourself at the thought.

Footsteps shuffled your way, making you re open your eyes and look up to see Arthur standing there with a hand on his belt. He had a cigarette in the other hand, taking a puff of it before he spoke. You loved hearing his voice, it turned you on very much.

“I see..yer enjoying yer self out here..” he nodded to the journal you had.

You smiled, “of course..Arthur..” you chuckled, “I was sketching, a rabbit..but something spooked the damn thing.”

Arthur let out a harty chuckle, and tossed his cigarette when he was done with it.

“Is that so Y/N.” He grunted as he sat down besides you.

“Yes..Arthur.” You giggle, making him smile and nodded his head while looking down.

Arthur Morgan was a very shy man and stumbled over his words when it came to women. But anything else, he was very outspoken for. Seeing you sitting there he enjoyed it but he didn’t want to say it because he was afraid. Things were quiet between the two you before you spoke up.

“Thank you..Arthur..for finding this place.”

He chuckled, “well..thank Lenny..he told me about the damn place.”

You giggled, “well thank you both..I guess..it’s nice to have a roof over us.”

He nodded his head with a soft smile playing on his lips, “of course.. Y/N..yer welcome.”

Arthur rubbed his chin, with his gloved hand. You took in the features of this man, he saved you plenty of times. You were very thankful of that, if it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t be here. You had eyes on this man, he made you feel things that you didn’t know you could feel.

“Y/N..are ya okay..”

“Yeah..I’m fine..” you smiled, with a soft blush appearing on your face. Arthur laughed standing up helping you, by taking your hand.

“Thank you Arthur.”

He nodded, “yer welcome Y/N. I’ll see you ‘round.” He gave you a smile before leaving.

“Damnit..Arthur Morgan” you huffed as you stormed inside the house and up to the room.

...

Later that night, you were sitting by the campfire, with Sean, Javier, Uncle, Micah and Lastly Arthur.

You smiled over to Arthur, as he handed you some whiskey. You took it, and took a swig of it, Arthur left for a few minutes but he told you he was going to be back.

“So..Y/N..a-are you a-a virgin.” Sean drunkly stated, with a smirk.

You felt the heat rise to your face, “I’m not..I’m not goin’ to answer that..Sean.” You were embrassed, with such a question but it was Sean and he was drunk.

“C’mon sweetheart..tell ol Micah..so he can take care of ya..”

“No micah..stop it..l-“ you stammered, as he walked over to you and tried to kiss you.

“Micah..Stop..it” you cried, Arthur heard your cry and walked quickly seeing Micah trying to force a kiss on you.

He growled, as he grabbed Micah and tossed him on the ground, “You Damn Drunken Fool..Ya Leave Y/N alone..Ya hear.. or I will take care of you myself..” he had his finger pointed in Micah’s face.

Micah chuckled with a smirk, “you seen she want-“ he was cut off by Arthur Punching the living shit out of him. Micah was knocked out.

You pulled over your Shaw, and walked over to Arthur and softly placed a hand on his arm. He turned to look at you and placed his hands on each side of your arms.

“Are ya..a’right” he huffed, you slowly nodded your head, with tears escaping your eyes.

“C’mon..let’s..let’s go take a walk.”

You nodded, as he placed a hand on the small of your back. Arthur and you walked towards the back of the house, and sat on the back steps.

“Arthur..thank you.. for saving me again.”

He softly chuckled, “Well yer welcome again.” He sighed, “what happened Y/N. Back there”

You closed your eyes, and sighed. “Sean..he asked..if I was a virgin..” you blushed while whispering the last part.

A tiny blush appears on Arthur’s cheeks, he coughed and bent his head down keeping his eyes on his hands.

“Oh..well..” he coughed.

You blushed, “Yeah, I listen..Arthur I’m real s’rry that I told you that..”

He chuckled, “it’s a’right Y/N..I asked.”

Things again were quiet between the two of you, while in the background the tree frogs, and bull frogs were singing. Also the crickets were chirping and fireflys were flying around.

“Arthur..can I ask you..a personal question.” You spoke softly.

“Soah” he grunted as he took out a cigarette and lit it.

“How..how many women have you been with..”

Arthur coughed, almost choking on his cigarette, he blew out the smoke. “Y/N..I- listen you’re a very sweet girl..”

“Arthur Morgan..I’m fine..I can handle it..”

Arthur blushed, and chuckled with a soft sigh escaping his lips.

“Not many..to be honest..”

he whispered softly, he was embrassed should he be talking about this with you. Normally with the other men, yes but with you..it felt different.

“Well..I never had many..men either..” you looked away with your face beat red.

Arthur couldn’t believe a woman like you didn’t have many men, but that was perfect. He was nervous on he was about to ask.

“Y/N..can I try somethin’..have ya ever had first kiss.”

You shook your head, “no..never..”, he nodded and coughed, and slowly pulled you into his side.

Arthur looked down at you, with the moonlight hitting on your face making you look perfect. He let out a sigh, and leaned down kissing your lips softly but full of passion. You found yourself kissing back, you loved the taste of him, and the smell of Sweat and Cigarette smoke.

Both of you pulled away, you played with your hands nervously.

“Arthur..I I want you..ya know..” you blushed.

“Y-ya do..” he was taken back and now nervous he hadn’t been with a woman in for awhile., “You s’ure ya want to do this Y/N.”

You looked at him with a soft smile, “of course..Morgan.” He coughed, with a smirk playing on his lips.

“Then..c’mon”

he took your hand and lead you inside shady belle, and took you up to his room. You walked in first, Arthur then came in closing the door. You were nervous as hell, you felt like you could vomit that’s how nervous. You felt self conscious of your body though, you were afraid of him not wanting you.Arthur could see that you were thinking, he swallowed nervously, and pulled you into him.

“Y/N like I said..are ya s’ure”

You nodded with a soft smile, “of course..”

He nodded, and leaned down kissing you with passion, you kissed back. The kiss was getting pretty heated, soon both of you were undressing each other slowly. You were naked now, but your hands were covering your breasts and crossed your legs to hide most of your lady parts.

Arthur seen this, he placed his finger underneath your chin, and made you look to him.

“Y/N I’m serious..if you don’t want to do this..then we don’t have to.”

“Arthur Morgan..I want this..I do..just.” You sighed closing your eyes. “My body..”

Arthur then knew what you were talking about, you were nervous about your body, and how it looked. He chuckled, while he sat you down on the cot, and climbed on top of you.

“Y/N darlin’ yer body..is just fine..” he whispered huskily into your ear, as he moved some kisses down your neck.

“Really..” you moaned,

“Yes..sweetheart..c’mon open yer eyes for me.” He moves your hands away from your chest, taking in your breasts, he swallowed nervously.

Arthur kissed down your chest, and took a nipple in his mouth and started to suck on it. You sighed out in pleasure.

“Arthur..”

Arthur knew he was doing something right, he kissed even lower, down your belly and past your belly button. He patted your thighs open for him.

“C’mon darlin’ let me in.”

You nodded, as you opened your thighs for him. He smirked, and kissed on the inside of your thighs, and made it close to your slit.

You shivered in pleasure as, you felt his warm breathe hit your wet slit.

“Arthur..I need you..”

“Not yet..sweetheart..we gotta get ya ready”

He kissed your slit, and sucking on your clit making you arch your back and grip his brown hair.

“Arthur..Arthur..Yes..”

He removed himself, and kissed you softly making you taste yourself.

Arthur then removed the rest of his clothes with your help, and got back in position.

“Ya ready Y/N.”

You nodded your head, “of course” you panted. Arthur slowly inserted in you, you whined out in pain. He stilled waiting for you to get used to his size. You nodded your head, as for him to start moving, he started to thrust slowly and speed up the pace. Eventually..both of you came quickly, being your first and his first again. Arthur laid there with you by his side, he pulled you into his side.

“That was amazin’ Arthur..thank you.” You giggled, he chuckled. “Of course..Y/N.” You nodded and yawned.

“You don’t have regrets with me..Arthur.” You blushed, he shook his head with a chuckle. “Of course not..Darlin’ I have no regrets with this..with you..” Arthur kissed you softly, as both of you soon passed out.

[fan-writer02]

Something

Hiccup was acting... strange.

And if that wasn't the understatement of the season. She knew Hiccup. Well, not know him, but, know what he's like, what he does, and how he behaves. I mean, it wasn't like she watched him, per se, (She's not a stalker, sheesh) she just noticed when he messed up, or when he made a lame joke at the mead hall. She didn't like to talk much, especially since the only people her age were absolute idiots. So, she observed. And Hiccup was an interesting one to watch.

She felt slightly guilty to admit that his fumbles amused her.

But while everyone seemed to think he messed up 24/7, she'd have to disagree. Because they only noticed his mistakes. Even his own father seemed to only acknowledge him for the things he did wrong. She knew he did his best, and, in some situations, he even succeeded.

She'd spotted sketches on the wall at the Forge, and she highly doubted they were Gobbers. She'd seen his sloppy excuses for "weaponry designs" first hand when he attempted to draw her a new axe. After much frustration, he threw up his hands (hand) in exasperation, called for Hiccup, and had her describe what she wanted. He disappeared into that little room of his, and returned not one minute later with papers in hand. The charcoal drawings were fantastic.

Sadly, as much as he longed to follow in his father's footsteps, she knew that it just wasn't for him. He wasn't built for that type of exhertion. He was brainly, if anything.

And don't mistake her acknowledgments as coddling. She didn't favor the scrawny kid. She was just being honest, like she tried to be with all matters.

Which was why the past day's events bothered her so much. Never, as in ever, had Hiccup succeeded when it came to dragon killing. His sloppy attempts were just that. Sloppy. And attempts. He'd never once succeeded.

So how did he manage to frighten a dragon- and not a small one either- into surrender, without even using a weapon? She'd only known one person who could do that, and that was Stoick. Stoick, who had burly muscles and years of experience under his belt.

It bothered her more then she'd like to admit.

She gnawed on her lip as she thought, staring at nothing as she fiddled absently with her fork. The "gang" chatted over their food, but the conversation was lost to her. She hated secrets. Hating not being aware. And she had a strong feeling Hiccup was hiding something.

"We could be falling off the edge of the world, and I don't think you'd notice." Ruffnut huffed under her breath, nudging her in the ribs with her elbow.

Astrid jerked away, doing a double take. "What?"

"Boy, you were gone."

Astrid frowned and tucked her hand under her chin "I'm thinking." she twirled her fork between her fingers.

Tuffnut tugged on Ruff's just then, distracting her before she could prompt Astrid for an answer. Which was a relief; she didn't feel like talking.

After popping the rest of her bread into her mouth, she stood and headed to the door. After dropping her plate at the wash bins, she slipped outside.

The cold air did her a favor, cutting to her skin and effectively slapping her out of whatever daze she'd allowed herself to fall into. So, with a shake of her head, she bounded down the steps. She jumped the last ten, landing easily on her feet.

But even the cold night air couldn't drive her thoughts away. Shortly after she set out down the street, her mind fell back again onto the last day's events. How... How had Hiccup threatened a dragon, when he was obviously so tiny. Even his voice wasn't intimidating.

It was then that she realized. This mystery was going to drive her absolutely insane.

With a growl, she kicked at a wayward stone in frustration. It bounced against a stack of crates, before smacking into a nearby building. Looking up, she realized she was in fact standing in front of the Forge. She paused, the sounds of scuffling coming from within. Curiosity got the best of her, so she stepped nearer to look inside the small dirty window.

It took her a moment to decipher anything through the grime that coated the thick glass. But even with the limited sight, it wasn't hard to figure out who the small figure was that bent over the work table.

There was a single candle lit in the Forge, but it sounded like Hiccup was hard at work. Things clanged, the sound of metal against metal, and the woosh of the billows could be heard. Carefully peering through the a neighboring grimy window, she watched as Hiccup rushed back and forth between the work bench and the glowing red ovens. He seemed to be mumbling to himself.

There was a strange contraption displayed on the table. Something like a ridiculously tiny sail. A mixture of cloth and mechanisms. It looked like nothing she'd ever seen before.

What is he doing? She watched as he, in his hurry, tripped over a bucket on his way to the ovens. He went down in a heap, disappearing behind a weapon rack. It was almost comical.

Astrid tried not to dwell on the fact that she let a small smile slip.

"Stupid-" he grumbled, getting back onto his feet and continuing to the ovens, albeit much more carefully then the previous attempt. Sitting on the billows, he jumped up and down a couple of times to build the fire.

She pulled away from the window and took a few steps down the street. It didn't feel right watching like that, without him knowing she was there. It felt too close to spying, no matter how curious she was. And even if she didn't like to, she stuck to her morals.

Now she was creeping, in a matter of speaking.

Sighing, and knowing the only way to get any answers out of him was to actually talk to him, she lifted her chin and entered the building. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd do... but anything had to be better then peaking through a window like a freaking four year old spying on the baker.

Walking briskly into the Forge with all the gusto she could muster, she plucked an axe out of a nearby barrel. For a few moments, she wondered if Hiccup had even noticed she was there, for he merely continued mumbling under his breath, bent over the weird contraption.

She clunked the axe against the wood, successfully stalling him. He jumped, head whipping around to stare at her with large eyes, his sweaty hair flopping over his forehead.

"A-ah, Astrid! Hi-" He scrambled to scrape his papers together into a semi- neat pile, shoving them into his apron pocket. He wiped his hands against his pants legs, but didn't move closer.

She watched all of this, eyeballing the papers cautiously.

"Wh-what can I do for you?" He stuttered awkwardly. She looked up at his face again, absently dragging her hand down the axe blade. She struggled to find something to say.

"Just looking." She eventually settled on. He swallowed noticeably, his adam's apple bobbing. She continued. "I heard the clanging from outside, and since everyone's at the Hall, I wanted to make sure a critter hadn't crawled in and was making a mess."

The excuse/fine-line-of-a-lie surprised her with how legit it sounded. She glanced about the room again, trying to make it look like she was indeed inspecting for the suggested animal.

He gave a lopsided smile. "Ha... n-no... just me."

She gave a small nod, looking again at the unfinished devise on the table.

He seemed to read her mind, for he hastily began fiddling with it again. "I'm just working, ya know, gotta be prepared for the next raid!" He said it almost too cheerfully, but she didn't know what to gather from that. She reasoned he had a good reason for being happy, he had done well in the Ring that day, after all.

"I see. Is that another arrow catapult?" She gestured towards the devise.

He blinked, then shook his head. She noticed the way he moved his arms in nervous gestures, how one minute they were jostling at his side, picking at his sleeve, or bouncing from tool to tool. They were constantly moving.

Now, they moved from his apron pockets to the contraption behind him. He laughed nervously again.

"Um... just an experiment. Probably won't become much. In fact, you have a good point- I should just scrap it all together." He began picking up the small pieces around it, dumping them in a cup. Looking over, he peered out from behind his bangs. "Y-You sure you don't need anything..?"

She looked from him to the "experiment", then back to him. It boggled her, because he was acting like he normally did. Dorky, constantly tweaking his inventions, clumsy, and awkward. If she hadn't known about what had happened in the ring that day, she'd never have given his antics a second thought. It bugged her, because she knew that something... something was up.

But gosh darn it, she couldn't figure out what the heck it was.

"Ah... I think I'm good. Like I said, just checking in." She flipped the axe back into the barrel, before turning on her heal and ducking out the door. She paused outside for a few moments, going over everything that had just happened. Nothing odd came to mind. He was just... hiding something. And doing it disturbingly well.

Furrowing her brow, she crossed her arms and continued home.

I have absolutely no clue what this is, or what it's trying to be. It was more of a word vomit to get over this writers block then it was an actual story.

Yesterday, I decided to reread some of my older one-shots. Like the last chapter/story in my HTTYD Requested One-shots. And like... they're actually not half bad. Before reading them I always thought they were crap, ya know... but now, going back, I've realized how out of touch I've grown with my writing skills. And with all of this HTTYD 3 news and hype, I'm really starting to miss how obsessed I once was with the series.

So guess what. I'm gonna sit down during my free time -like while I'm drawing, instead of watching youtube videos- I'm gonna rewatch RTTE. I haven't watched that show in months, and tbh, I'm so excited to revisit it. Hopefully that'll get me back into the "fandom", so to speak. Just back into the mood. I miss it so much, and I'm really starting to miss the tumblr fandom as well. As much as I hate tumblr on a whole, I do miss the few nice people I'd met there. I've even contemplated returning (especially in the past couple of days). So who knows. But, I also wanna give you some of my plans for the new year.

I do want to keep writing (well, pick up writing again is probably a better way to put it), and not just for HTTYD. I'll probably write some stuff for Marvel as well, here and there, especially after Avengers 4/Engame, but I also really really want to write more HTTYD. And you know, if that means joining tumblr again to get into the "mood", then so be it!

The reason for all of this might be because we/I moved this past Fall, and I'm homesick as heck. And because of it, I'm also really sick for what I used to do back home. Like fangirling over fandoms.

I've been so set on growing up this past year. Of... going out of my comfort zone, that I pushed away my fandoms and the friends I'd made through those fandoms. (animalsarepeople2, katurdi, thepurplewriter333 *hugs*) And I am just lonely. I miss hanging out with online friends, especially now that I've moved and all of the few friends I had are back home. I miss you guys.

But, one good thing came out of this whole "year of growth". I've learned how to manage my time on the internet. I used to spend too much time obsessing over fandoms at such an unhealthy level, that all my free time was spent in my room in my bed on my phone. This past year I've been working more, hanging out with family, etc. I've learned to limit myself to what I do online.

So yeah, sorry for such a long A/N. Just wanted to give you the 2019 update. Expect me to return, even if it is slow at first. Wish my luck, and the happiest of New Year to you all! Love you, and thanks for all the support. *hugs*

Toodles-

Kat

(P.S. If you guys find any typing/grammar errors plz lemme know! I want to up my editing game. :D)

[ill-skillsgard]

Sweet Demons, Part 3 - Zeitgeist/Axel Cluney

Title: Sweet Demons

Description: It's the weekend of Friday the Thirteenth, the biggest motorcycle rally and festival in the Western Hemisphere but nothing is more enticingly chaotic to her than the mysterious new member of the famous Motor City Sweet Demons.

Warning: 18+ Mentions of drugs/alcohol/violence, eventual smut/various kinks 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

I spent the day in the backyard with all of our house guests, pretending not to be thinking about Axel as I'm sure he was pretending like he wasn't thinking about me. Every once in a while we would catch each other staring and look away with faces that betrayed all innocence. The sun was hot, spirits were high and so were we. Joints got passed around endlessly and I partook until I could no longer stand the glorious haze floating around my head.The guys were loud and proud, drawing attention to the garage from our neighbors and people still hanging on from the rally. All manner of people young and old walked by to catch a glimpse of all the shiny motorcycles roaring in and out of our infamous driveway.Despite the urges I had to display my inherently bratty side, I knew that I had to keep most of my comments to myself when it came to all of their show-boating. My dad would make sure there was no shortage of snarky comments so I hung in the background and observed.Axel, however, was at the forefront of most of the activity. It was easy to see that he had become the Sweetheart of the Sweet Demons. Max often stood next to him, clapping him on the back or shoulder any time a particularly agreeable statement was made by one of them. They looked too good together, like partners in crime often did. It was unusual for a new recruit to be treated with such reverence. It made me wonder what exactly it was that set Axel apart from the hundreds of other people vying for a position in their motley brigade. Usually, if you were on the bottom rung in the gang, you got treated as such but nobody was making Axel run errands or refill drinks. In fact, if I didn't know any better I would have thought that Axel was Vice President, the way he and Max hung off each other. My dad took a strong liking to Axel as well. He had ridden his bike up into the garage so everyone could look at it which was something that they always did that I never understood. They would all take turns showing off their bikes like it was some kind of class show-and-tell. When Axel rode up on his bike they all swooned over it and for good reason. It looked like there had never been a scratch on the thing before. It was a fully custom Harley that Axel called "the Acid Bath Widow-Maker". She was matte black and acid green all over from bars to brakes. To me, it seemed like a little much but to everyone else, the Widow-Maker was definitely something to behold. With its fat chrome muffler and outrageous iodized green clutch it was no wonder Axel's bike drew attention. If I had ever seen a bike more suited to a man it was right then as they all stood around it, admiring every heavy metal curve and leather detail. My dad's eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of the bike. "Max, how's your recruit got the flashiest chopper in the gang?" "Oh yeah, he's pretty! The bike's not too bad either." Max joked. They all laughed and I just shook my head with a smile on my face. The only person that wasn't feeling the love so much was sitting on a nearly-broken lawn chair in the corner of the garage with an empty beer bottle between his thumb and index. Braun just watched from afar like I was doing only instead of laughing with the rest of the group, he scowled. That was until my dad snapped his fingers in Braun's direction. "Braun, beer run. Get these boys a top-up, will ya?" Big Al shot in his direction. Braun, eager to obey my dad's every command, popped out of his seat. "What does everyone want?" "I'll have another one of these," Max Sweet indicated his domestic beer of choice. "I'll have the same," said Axel. "Just do me a solid and bring out the whiskey. I have a feeling it's going to get finished by the end of the day," Dad said. I grimaced at him but I knew not to berate my dad for drinking too much in front of anyone but I did have to make it a point to talk to him later on. Whenever he drank in excess it always got me worried and he was the kind of guy to keep doing exactly the thing he shouldn't do especially if someone was giving him shit for it. I knew it was a special occasion but it didn't keep me from worrying either way. "Angel? You want something?" Braun asked me. "Not right now, I'm good. Thanks." "Ah, get her a gin!" Dad said. "No, really. I'm okay for now," I insisted. "Bring the lady a gin!" Max yelled. "Make that two!" Janet piped above the noise. "Two gins, two beers, whiskey. Anything else? Fuck, I'll have to build a bar out here too," Dad mused. I didn't notice how long Braun had been in the house for until I had to use the bathroom. When I walked inside I heard cursing coming from the kitchen and saw Braun leaned up against the kitchen counter sucking down a beer with an angry expression on his face. I stopped by the doorway and peered in inquisitively, catching his attention immediately. "What's going on, Braun?" I asked. "Nothin'," he mumbled. "Aren't you supposed to be getting drinks?" That was when he slammed his beer down on the marble island and looked at me with his eyes blazing. "Why the fuck should I have to be the bitch boy, huh? Axel should be the one in here getting everyone's fucking drinks. He's the new recruit. But no, everyone treats him like he's fucking Max Sweet and it's bullshit. I'm Al's apprentice. I'm Big Al's fucking apprentice. He's a rookie!" "He might be new to the club but he's no rookie," I explained. "I'm learning bikes under your father. He chose me to take care of the garage! I should be the one giving drink orders! I've been to more Fridays than he ever will in his fucking life!" "Dude, just calm down-" "No! Fuck you, Angel. You don't give a shit either because you're fucking him! He doesn't even know what it's like to be bottom-rung because everyone thinks he's all that! Anyone can buy a fucking bike like that. He's probably some rich asshole's reject son that just bought a bike one day. I make bikes. I fucking fix choppers all day, every day!" "You think I didn't build my own bike?" Axel's voice made me jump when it seemingly came out of nowhere.Braun's spine straightened like he was pulled up on a string and his glare softened for only a moment until he realized it was too late to play it off like he wasn't just trashing Axel. I could practically feel the heat radiating from both of them and I was stuck in the crossfire. What I thought was going to be an eruptive argument from across the kitchen quickly turned much darker as Axel stepped into the room, briskly approaching Braun. When he was five inches away Axel leaned in and although they were of similar heights, Axel did appear to puff up while Braun deflated. "You got a fucking problem with me?" He asked. "Yeah, I do have a fucking problem. Don't fucking come in here and act like you're the fucking President when you're just a recruit. You don't make demands of me. This is practically my garage." "No, it's not, Braun." I chided. He looked over at me and replied, "it will be! It's definitely not going to be yours!" "Ignore her," Axel stepped to the side, cutting off Braun's view of me. "Your business is with me, not her. Now... Tell me again about how I'm some rich guy's kid? Tell me how I didn't fucking earn my way into the club! Oh, and while you're at it, please explain to me how I didn't painstakingly put together my own fucking bike over the last five years of my life! Just because you're Al's apprentice doesn't mean you're not a little bitch with a little bitch attitude and just because you work at Motor City doesn't make you exempt from getting your ass handed to you by a rookie." "Fuck you, man! You should humble yourself because guys like you get eaten alive on the road. So fucking cocky." "We're the same age and I'm the one riding with the Demons, I taught myself how to build, I made myself into a colleague and not a little cocksucker bottom-rung bitch. I get the pussy you wish you had. I ride with the people you wish you could ride with. Why the fuck would I be humble about that?" "Enough, guys. Jesus fucking Christ. Let's just go back-" Braun shoved Axel away violently but instead of toppling, Axel caught his footing immediately and squared his shoulders, clenched his fists and glared at Braun so vehemently you could feel the air in the room grow thicker. I watched as Braun immediately regretted his decision when Axel grabbed him by the collar of his tank and pulled him in. "Stop!" I yelled. Axel's throat bobbed and it almost looked like he was about to vomit even though his eyes were shooting beams of anger into Braun. With his free hand, Axel pressed the back of his palm to his mouth, stifling what appeared to be a burp. "You better get the fuck out of my face right now or I'm going to disfigure you so bad they'll have to use your dental records to identify your mangled fucking corpse." When Axel tossed Braun away he stormed out of the kitchen immediately to avoid any further conflict, smashing by me with no regard. I scoffed as he left the house and when I turned back to Axel he was still covering his mouth and trying to swallow down whatever it was making its way up his throat. "Fuck," he grumbled. "I gotta go." Then it was Axel's turn to quickly brush by me. He made his way back into the garage through a barrage of greetings and questions as to where the beers were. All that could be heard was the heavy rumble of an engine turning on and a chorus of moaned questions as the Acid Bath Widow-Maker chugged out of the garage and ripped down the street. I went to the front window to catch a glimpse of Axel riding away but by the time I made it there he was already a drone in the distance. The familiar hobble of my dad's limping gait sounded from behind me. "The fuck was that about?" Sighing, I replied, "Braun and Axel almost just tore each other's throats out." "What the fuck's the issue now?" "I don't know. They're both just fucking peacocks." Dad's eyes turned into questioning slits, "this wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a mutual interest in a certain ex-President's daughter, would it?" "No, dad. I think... Braun just doesn't want to be the beer bitch anymore." "Axel rode off because Braun didn't want to grab a few drinks? Angel... You think I'm stupid?" "No, dad. Honestly. I think Braun has some predispositions about how the club's hierarchy works. He thinks because he's your apprentice that he shouldn't have to fetch drinks for the new recruits. He tried to call Axel out and got all mad. Both of them left." "That kid has got a lot of learnin' to do." "Whatever. I'll get the drinks from now on. Or better yet, if someone wants a beer, they can get it themselves! I'm sick of all these hot-heads around me. It's too much." Dad came closer to look out the window as I had been. "I know you hate it here but... I just got you home. Don't look for the first excuse to get out again. The weekend is almost over and all these cocky sons-a-bitches will be out of here soon." "I'm not looking to leave, dad. I just don't want to deal with this all the time." "You won't." I rolled my eyes, "just every Friday the Thirteenth weekend until I die." "Sorry, you're an old biker's kid. Comes with the territory.""Yeah," I sighed. "I know."~*~When night fell and Axel didn't come back, I set out looking for him. There weren't too many places to go in town so my search was narrowed to the bars and restaurants on the main street, the only tattoo shop within a hundred mile radius and the waterfront. I made my way down the road from our street toward the denser part of town. People wearing sandals and eating ice cream from cones passed by the storefronts that were all illuminated in red neon, displaying all of the new Summer must-haves. Name brand surf t-shirts and sunglasses, inflatable beach toys and overpriced kayaks all adorning the windows drew attention from most but not me. I was on a mission to spot the Acid Bath Widow-Maker. Luckily, Axel's bike was one of the most noticeable attractions in the town and I spotted it parked by itself where the street met the border of concrete roadblocks just before the sand. The sun had set and the street lamps came on to illuminate the walkways and that was where I saw it glistening. I got up really close to it to hear if it was ticking and still hot but it wasn't. I saw his clothes draped over the seat and his boots on the ground next to it. It appeared as though Axel had gone to the beach for a little swim. I started walking toward the beach even though it was dark. There were big white square signs posted all along the waterfront warning that there were no lifeguards and swimming after sunset was discouraged. I remembered being young and seeing people getting busted for drinking on the beach and that was really the only thing the cops gave a shit about. You could go swimming after dark but it was a risk one would have totake on their own. Many nights I had gone down to the water with my friends and instead of being amateurs that drank on the sand, we would bring our drinks out with us on the water so that the cops rolling by on quads would be none-the-wiser. That's what I was reminded of as I approached the water and looked out from the pier to where the waves disappeared against the line of the sky. "Hey, you weren't touching my chopper just now, were you?" I whipped around and saw Axel approaching from my left, dripping wet in his boxers with his hair all pasted down on his head, body shimmering from the little beads of water clinging to his skin. Jeeringly I replied, "I wasn't touching your stupid bike." "Kind of looked like it from here. Now, what business do you have stroking a man's hog without his permission?" "Ew, don't say that," I reviled. Axel snickered and didn't quit taking steps towards me until my chin nearly connected with his broad tattooed chest. He looked down at me while raking his fingers through his hair, pushing it all back from his forehead. I matched his gaze and stared up at him with just as much intensity. Braun may have been scared of him but I certainly wasn't. "You wanna go for a ride with me?" Axel asked, walking his two fingers up my hip for only a couple flirtatious steps. I could feel my insides turning to liquid. It had been a long time since I had been on the back of a motorcycle and when Axel asked I felt an eagerness inside that hadn't existed since before I was a teenager. "Sure." "You wore a skirt, too. Good choice." "What do you mean?" I asked. Axel smirked as hot as the Devil and said, "well honey, there's only going to be a thin layer of material between what is essentially a giant vibrator and... That nice little pussy. Unless of course... You didn't wear any panties?" "I wore... An excuse for panties." Axel hummed deep in his throat and eyed me all over. "Fuck, you're going to get me in a lot of trouble." "The only person that's going to give you trouble is me." "Oh, is that a promise?" "I don't make promises to bad boys." "Fair enough," he snickered at me. "Let's go." I watched Axel put his clothes back on starting with the socks he had tucked away in his boots. Once he had on his pants he shoved his feet into the huge green boots that matched the details of his bike. Instead of putting his shirt on he folded it and handed it to me. "Hold this for me." He swung one of his long legs over the bike after kicking the stand up. I stood back when he turned on the engine and gave it a little rev as he looked at me, smirking like he had convinced me to sell my soul because I had agreed to go for a ride with him. He looked smoother than silk on his bike like he was born to sit atop a chrome horse. He looked like a king with his arms draped over the bars all relaxed and totally careless. "Hang onto me real tight, you got it?" He yelled over the rumble of the engine as I prepared myself to mount the back of the leather seat. I wrapped my arms around his bare waist, giggling because I hadn't felt so excited to ride in a long time. He backed us up very slowly and then we quickly lurched forward. My grip on him tightened and he twisted his neck around one more time to make sure I was still going with it. "Don't let go of me!" "I know!" The leather seat warmed up quickly and I wrapped my arms around him even tighter as we took off down the road. It was exhilarating to be on the back of a bike again. Everything zoomed by so quickly that it started to look like nothing. The road unfolded endlessly and soon we were a mile away from the main street heading towards the mostly empty labyrinth of back roads that fenced in the town. We cruised through the farmland and I laid my cheek on Axel's back. His skin was so smooth and supple that I thought about kissing him but quickly thought not. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea about how I was feeling about him. The conversation that we had had about his little intimacy issue was still a prominent thought in my head. But he smelled so good, even after swimming in the lake. I supposed it was enough for me to rub my cheek against him a little bit just to savor the feeling of his softness. He sped up as we sliced through the forested back roads and circled way back around into town again. By that time his hair had fully dried and stayed put in that permanently windswept way. He pulled up a couple of houses down from mine and turned back to me before asking for his shirt back. I handed it to him, leaned back and watched him slip it on over his head. "How did that feel? You like riding with me?" He asked, turning his whole body around so he could face me a little more on the bike. I had let go of his waist but was tempted to touch his hips just a little bit more, so I did. "Yeah, that was fun." "You all nice and revved up?" I nodded my head. "Good. Now... How about you hop off the bike and make your little way into the house, go up the stairs and go wait for me in your bedroom? Does that sound like something you want to do?" "Okay." I peeled myself off of the leather seat and got off with some help from him. He held up his hand and allowed me to use it to get myself up to the sidewalk but before I could start off he pulled me back by my wrist, "Woah, woah... One second. One more thing," he said, eyes dropping to my skirt and then looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Our eyes locked as he slid his hand up and under my skirt and used two fingers to caress the warm crotch of my panties. He shivered when he felt what he wanted to feel and quickly replaced his hand on the throttle before anyone had a chance to catch him touching me. "I can't wait to be balls deep inside you." "Me neither." "Now go on. Get home before me so it doesn't look suspicious," he pointed toward the garage. For the time being, Axel had robbed me of words. I was feeling strong feelings of attraction to him. It was more than just a drunken hookup and fling. I could picture myself riding with him again, I had had so much fun. It was nothing like riding with my dad or even on my own. The way his body felt in my whole grasp as we flew down the road shook me to my core and awakened a long-buried urge inside. He was weird and tasteless but the way his eyes smoldered at me coupled with the fact that he was so damn tall and so fucking handsome was a cocktail of emotions that had me wet between my legs by the time I crept into my house and made my way up the stairs. I figured most of the guys were in the garage or in the clubhouse so I did manage to get into my room without anyone spotting me and forcing alcohol down my throat. For that, I was thankful because I wanted to be of sound mind for when Axel finally found his way to me. I didn't want a drunken, sloppy fuck again. I wanted orchestrated, raw, hungry sex to satisfy the cravings that my partner of choice was eliciting from the depths of my endless carnality. It almost took him too long to find his way to my room but I figured he had probably been held up, especially after having stormed off earlier in the afternoon after his spat with Braun. I wondered what kind of things my dad had said to Braun after learning that he and Axel had had an argument that almost ended with violence. I could just imagine the sour look that must have been pasted to Braun's face all day. For a moment I felt bad for Braun because I knew that he was a plain guy with the same aspirations as half the guys in town who also happened to have a crush on me. I tried not to feel guilty about it because I knew that I shouldn't but I did anyway. That was until Axel turned my doorknob, pushed the door open gently and peeked inside to see me sitting at the edge of my bed waiting for him. He came inside, walking light on his feet, green boots clashing with the carpet so much it looked like they were glowing. He carefully closed the door and looked back at me, seemingly impressed that he managed to come in without making much of a sound at all. "Lock the door," I told him. Axel turned the lock on the knob and smirked at me right after. That little safety feature had earned me lots of time to stash things when my dad used to come knocking. Although I didn't suspect he was going to then since I was much older and he rarely ever made it to his own bed from the clubhouse anyway. No, we were pretty much free to do whatever we wanted so long as we could keep our noises below the music I had put on to drown out what could potentially and hopefully be a good night. "Sorry I took so long. I had a lot of explaining to do. Guess Max wasn't too pleased with me taking off." "What does Max care? You guys had a bit of an argument and you took off, so what?" "Ah, don't worry about it. It's not important. What is important is how are you doing? Did you miss me?" "Terribly," I lamented with an exaggerated tone of sadness. "Don't worry, honey, I'm here now and guess what? I've been daydreaming about that sweet, tight, little pussy all fucking day long. I think I need it." "What makes you think you've earned it?" Jolted by his reaction, Axel dropped down to his knees and inched his way across the carpet closer to me. "I'll do anything to get between those legs, mama." Subconsciously my thighs clenched only because the hot sting of arousal permeated through me like melted butter after watching him crumple for me. I had been with a lot of guys that had their own little sexual shtick but the way Axel looked at me I could see it was not so much an act as it was a fierce display of uninhibited lust. The man was serious about his needs or at least he was very good at playing the part. "Do anything to me. I'm all yours, baby." "Well, well now. What a change of character! You're such a bad boy out there in the streets but in here you're so nice and obedient. Why is that?" "I can't help it. When I see you I want you to destroy me... Probably because I know you can." "But what if I want to be the baby?" Axel tried to hide a smile as he stood halved on his knees but he couldn't stifle it for long. "Fuck... I mean, you can call me Daddy if you want to but I don't know how Big Al would feel about that. If he were to walk by and hear his Angel bouncing on some scumbag's dick... Might take offense?" "Nobody will hear us. Dad sleeps in the clubhouse most nights and I'm grown. If I want to bounce on some scumbag's dick while calling him Daddy, I'll do just that. But... I think I kind of want to teach you some lessons first." "I'm all ears, honey." "First, I want you to take off your clothes." He rose to his feet again, looking enormous from where I sat on the bed. He kicked off his boots, pulled off his shirt and started undoing his belt buckle so he could slip his pants and boxers down his impossibly long legs. He was already half-hard and I had to bite down on my lip at the mere sight of him. He was quite a spectacle of a man. All arms, legs and torso, skin as pale as paper and his tattoos did nothing but make him stand out even more. His oil-stained fingers gave me a nostalgic feeling and seeing him completely naked from the waist down was just as enlivening as the ride we had taken together not but thirty minutes prior. "Can I..." I began but didn't fully have the confidence to utter the question at first. "Can I tie you up?" "Fuck yes you can." "Get on the bed," I told him as I got up to rummage through my top dresser drawer where I kept my underwear and all of my sex-related toys and treats. I pulled out two sets of handcuffs; one very high-quality, hardcore heavy metal and one not so serious- the kind you buy for twenty bucks at a novelty store for your first time. I decided to use the more heavy duty cuffs because I felt like he would appreciate the real metal above the nickel-plated beginner cuffs. He had already climbed onto my bed and laid on his back with his arms tucked behind his head in anticipation. "Oh, mistress. I knew that you were very, very naughty," he mused as I approached, swinging the cuffs like a pendulum on my finger. Licking his lips, he said, "Oh, I just know I'm going to regret this." I climbed over him and only felt slightly embarrassed about how it felt to handcuff a fully grown man to the headboard bars of the bed I had had since I was a teenager. I couldn't help but wonder if he took me seriously or if he was just humoring me but when I snapped one cuff around his wrist and then the other one it was too late for him to back out and the sudden realization of power I had over him was so delicious and bursting with potential. His eyes followed me as I scooted down his body, letting my fingernails trickle down from his hands to his arms and down his chest. He tittered at the sensation and got himself as comfortable as he could with his wrists bound to the metal bars. "I get a safe word, don't I?" He asked. "If you like." "Mercy." "Oh, I like that." "So... What are you going to do to me?" He inquired, curiosity evident in his voice. I smirked a desirous portent and began to move against him slowly. I was still clothed in my panties, skirt, and top so the friction between us was dulled and necessarily so. I wanted to prolong his sexual suffering for as long as I could. It gave me a thirst that I didn't know I had, watching him tied up underneath me. Having somebody so mysterious and feared voluntarily surrender themselves to me was not something I got to experience all of the time. He groaned and closed his eyes while I wiggled my hips back and forth softly, smiling down at the man who was growing harder by the second. "Oh, you like to tease real nice and slow, huh?" "Sh, sweet boy. Close your eyes and get as hard as you possibly can. I want to feel it throbbing." He closed his eyes and sank his head back into the pillow, sighing and letting his arms relax. By the way, his bicep muscles flexed I could see he had been tense but with each gentle caress of my hips he melted further into the mattress, purred harder from the sensation and let his lips fall apart so delicately I was tempted to kiss him. So I did. I leaned over his body and kissed his bottom lip very quickly before he had a chance to react. I expected instant retaliation but instead, his eyes fluttered open and he stared up at me. I lifted my skirt and looked down between us so I could see what it looked like to grind myself against him. The tip of his cock glistened and he let out a whimper as he looked down too. "Fuck," was all he managed to say. He closed his eyes and sank his head back down again, twitching and moaning until his breath was lost. "I love hearing you moan, baby boy." "C-come on. I'm so hard. Sit on my cock, already." "No way. You don't make demands," I gently berated as I got off of him to get a better look at his fully naked body. I ran my hand over his chest and up his neck, tracing the tattoos and admiring his soft skin. The way he watched me was so satisfying like he was expecting me to do something terrible to him at any second. "Fuck, you have a nice big cock on you, don't you, bad boy?" "Mhmm." He nodded his head. "It's been a while since I've seen one so big," I told him and it was the truth. Once he was fully erect, his shaft laid over his stomach, the tip reaching just below his navel. I grasped it delicately, pulling lightly and running my thumb over the bubble of pre-cum that had formed there. When I gave him another squeeze he moved his hips upward, encouraging more of my stimulation but it was beyond gratifying to hear the whimpers he tried to muffle so I held back until he settled down. "You're going to torture me aren't you?" He asked breathlessly. I nodded and gave him a little kiss on his stomach. I couldn't hold back the smile of pure joy as the possibilities of all the ways I could make him my toy ran through my head. "Please be nice to me?" He begged. "You weren't nice to me last night. I think you deserve a bit of punishment." He sighed. "I suppose I deserve it." "Yes," I agreed, trailing more kisses up his ribs to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll make it hurt real good for you." I fully pressed my lips to his and for a sliver of a moment I thought he would return it but he turned his face to the side away from me. "Come on, Angel," he whispered, making no eye contact with me almost as though she was ashamed. "You can say mercy any time you want but we just got started, little boy." "Please... Do anything you want to me but just... Can we bring the focus back down to uh... My situation here?" "There you go making demands again. Who's the one tied up again? Oh, wait. It's you." "Please... Just be careful." I wasn't exactly sure what he meant when he asked me to exercise caution but I didn't want to ruin the mood by prodding him too far so I obliged him and crawled back down to continue with my salacious torture, much to his relief. I knew eventually we would circle back to the topic of why he wouldn't let me near his face but until then, I would enjoy the pleasure and pain I could inflict on him.