#i sent it to stick and she had a moment lol

[mushroom-through-the-stargate]

less angsty post storm headcanon - whenever Rodney gets hit with the I Don't Wanna he tells Elizabeth that it "isn't jiving with his walkabout" and she understands and assigns whatever it is to another scientist

[xxsabitoxx]

Blizzard {Giyu x Reader Imagine}

Warnings: Unprotected sex, outdoor sex, big dicks lmao, creampies, praise kink, awkward fumbling, rough sex, breeding kink, delirious dirty talk, possessive Giyu

A/N: this isn't the surprise fic!!! This was supposed to be a short imagine but I got a bit carried away and it's turned into a decent sized fic lol. ENJOY!!

Word Count: 4K

You were sitting side by side in a dark cave, shivering slightly as you tried to process your current situation. A joint effort mission up in the mountains wasn’t exactly unusual, considering many slayers had unfortunately disappeared over the course of a few months after being sent up here. “Do you think there is enough material in here to make a fire? I don’t think we’ll be getting out of here any time soon… it’s too dangerous to send our crows out.” You squinted at the water pillar, his eyes focused on the cave wall opposite of the two of you. “It’s likely just rocks, not enough to start a fire unless a bird or some animal left something up here.” 

You sighed, pushing yourself upwards to begin rummaging around. Nevermind needed fire to see, you needed fire for warmth. There was no way the two of you would survive up here without some sort of warmth. “We’ll have to look around then…” Giyu watched you move deeper into the cave, getting up himself to accompany you. Getting sent on a joint mission wasn’t odd, but being paired together certainly was. Typically Shinobu would be the one to accompany Giyu on these missions, however she was busy with a wave of patients at the butterfly estate. Though, Giyu couldn’t really complain. If there was any other hashira he wouldn’t mind getting stuck in a cave with, it would be you. You were probably the least judgemental and the only one who he didn’t feel awkward trying to converse with beside Shinobu and Rengoku. 

“The storm will probably go through the night, it doesn’t seem to be slowing any time soon.” The only way you were able to see each other was due to the moonlight bouncing off of the falling snow by the entrance of the cave. “Then we really need to hope some animal abandoned a nest up here… if not we’re going to freeze to death.” You really didn’t want to die in a cave. You both moved forward, rummaging around the cave for what felt like an hour until finally… “Here! Something must have been living up here.” Brush, sticks and rocks were piled into some odd shaped nest. Not that it really mattered, all that mattered was that you had enough material to make a fire for at least a few hours. “Great…” his voice was a bit strained, the cold was already getting to him. In your own excitement, you had briefly forgotten how cold you were as well. 

“We should probably make it a little further up, there were some rocks that would block the fire from getting hit by the draft.” Giyu brought his hands to his mouth, blowing warm air on them as you gathered enough sticks and brush to start a small fire. You carried the materials back, sitting down as Giyu got to work creating the pile and creating a flame. You were starting to lose feeling in your fingers as a small spark erupted before turning into a burning flame. You both let out sighs of relief, pushing past any awkwardness as Giyu moved to settle beside you. In situations like this, body heat would be your best friend. “Do you really think it will last through the night?” the chill was subsiding just a bit, you were no longer shivering uncontrollably. “It’s likely. We’ll have to be ready to leave the moment it looks like it’s letting up.” 

“But what if we start moving and it begins again? Then we’ll be stuck in the snow with no shelter.” He was quiet for a moment, thinking over your words. “We’ll have to hope it clears all together.” He glanced at your crows, both huddled together by the flame and covered with some of the brush for extra warmth. “I guess so…” you sighed, watching your breath fan out around you. “We should try and get some rest… or take turns so we can make sure the fire doesn’t go out.” You could already feel your eyes getting heavy, leaning into Giyu’s shoulder subconsciously. “It’s probably for the best, you sleep first and I’ll watch the fire.” You hummed out a response, eyes closing as your body relaxed. His warmth on your side and the fire before you was enough to lull you into shallow comfort. 

Your sleep didn’t last long, maybe forty minutes had passed before you woke up shivering. The fire was still going strong, but the sheer cold of your environment was outweighing the warmth before you. “It doesn’t seem to be letting up…” Giyu spoke softly, watching as you pushed yourself upwards. The sudden loss of contact didn’t go unnoticed, the warmth fled just as quickly as you pulled away. “Shit…” you cringed, moving  yourself back over to press against his side again. This situation left no room for awkward feelings when it came to personal space. Giyu was shivering worse than you, haori pulled tightly around him, knees pulled to his chest. You needed a way to keep warm, the fire wasn’t cutting it and neither was huddling together like this. 

“I have an idea…” you spoke softly, eyes shutting as you remembered a particular survival tip. You weren’t sure if it would work, hell someone could have been lying to you for shits and giggles. But you were  desperate enough  to give it a shot. “Yeah? What is it…” you swallowed, focusing on the fire as you mulled over your options. “I’m… not sure if it will work but it’s something I was told a few years back…” you started, pulling your legs to your chest to mimic his position. “The best way to keep warm in situations like this… is skin to skin contact.” Your words hung in the air for a few beats of silence before Giyu mustered up a response. “So you’re saying we need to strip?” If you weren’t so cold, you may have laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I-I mean we don’t need to be fully…uhm…nude but like… our tops…need to come off.” 

You glanced at him, jumping just a bit when you realized he was already looking right at you. There was a moment of silence between the two of you before you finally started moving. “We’ll freeze to death if we just keep staring at each other.” You were shouldering off your haori, your own embarrassment outweighing the cold as you fumbled with the buttons of your top. Beside you, Giyu was watching intently as he too pulled his haori off. “S-stop watching.” You ground out as your top fell to the floor beside you. Pushing up on your knees, you watched as Giyu’s skin was revealed to you. Muscles wrapped his body, scars littering his torso. You wished you were seeing him like this under better circumstances. That thought  made you look away, this was no time to think such lewd things. But the way he was looking at you… 

A moment later, you were both shivering and topless. You stood before him, watching as he shifted his legs open. “The easiest way to d-do this is for you to sit on my lap. We’ll uh… face each other and hug? If that makes sense.” He concluded, his cheeks red from embarrassment and the cold air blowing in from the storm. You nodded, eyes focusing on a spot just above his shoulder so you didn’t have to look directly at him. You clambered awkwardly into his lap, closing the distance by pressing your chest to his and wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly in hopes of slowing your racing pulse. Giyu’s arms snaked around you, grabbing his haori and throwing it over you. You tried to focus on your breathing, nerves getting the best of you regardless. 

It was deafeningly silent, neither of you speaking as you were waiting for some sort of relief. Though, you really couldn’t tell if it was helping at all, instead of warmth you were more focused on the rise and fall of his chest pressed to yours. You were all too aware of the muscles pressing into your softer skin, the pressure of his grip on your body. Then, finally, if you could push all of that aside, you’d be able to focus on if this was even helping at all. If anything, you were hoping Giyu would be the first to speak up. Unknown to you, he was going through the same mental battle. Your body was soft, your chest squished against his. The weight of your arms around his neck paired with the pressure of your lap on his was enough to let his mind wander to dirtier places. If he wasn’t so damn cold, he would let himself think this was for more than warmth. 

“I-is it helping?” your voice is hushed, you couldn’t speak above a whisper if you tried. “I can’t t-tell yet.” Giyu was trying to force his body to relax, his own nerves were beginning to put a death grip on your body. Not that you minded, you were fairly certain your arms were squeezing his neck. How he could breathe, you weren’t quite sure. You remained silent for a few more minutes, the body heat trick was beginning to work but both of you were too caught up in your nerves to even realize. “Y-you know…” Giyu started softly, a particular survival trick coming to his mind now. It was from Uzui, so naturally he didn’t trust there was any science behind it… “Yeah?” you spoke softly, muscles just barely beginning to relax into his embrace. 

“Uzui uh… he told me about another way to create heat during situations like this…” he swallows, debating on if it was even worth saying. Then again, you squirmed a bit in his lap and all logical reasoning went out of his mind. “Oh…Uzui gave you survival tips?” you couldn’t even begin to imagine where he was taking this. “I think he was fucking with me… but he said that a good way to create body heat is uh…friction.” He squeezed his eyes shut, embarrassed that he couldn’t just spit it out. “Friction… as in…” You figured he meant sex. “As in… intercourse.” You couldn’t help but laugh, “Intercourse? What are you, eighty?” you forgot about your nerves momentarily, pushing off of him a bit to meet his gaze. “You’re suggesting we have sex?” The red on his cheeks seemed to spread, down his neck and up to his ears. “Y-yeah.” 

“I-if it’ll keep us from freezing to death…” you begin, eyes locking with his. “It’s purely for the sake of survival…” he added to your reasoning. “It’s not like anyone will know…” you continued, searching his eyes for validation. “It’s to save our lives… completely justified.” he concluded, hands gripping your waist just a bit harder. “T-then let’s do it…” you swallowed, throat a bit dry as heat began to pool in your gut. You were already forgetting about the cold, clit throbbing as you felt Giyu twitch to life beneath you. “Yeah…let’s do it…” you don’t quite recall who moved in first. All you knew is that his lips were pressed to yours, your hands tangling in his long, black hair and tugging at the surprisingly soft strands. All the while, Giyu’s slender fingers were nimbly undoing your bottoms, trying to shove his hand down as far as it would allow. 

You mewled against his parted lips, cool fingers meeting the scorching heat of your cunt. He made a noise that sounded something like a strangled whimper. “N-no time to mess around… I need you in me… let me warm up.” Your breaths mingled, heat growing steadily between the two of you as the blizzard raged on outside. “I-I’ll hurt you if I go right in.” he murmured, lifting his hips for you as you pulled the belt and his bottoms apart. “I can take it…” or so you thought. The last thing you expected was… “Christ, Giyu. What the fuck…” Your heart thumped wildly at the sheer size of him. “I told you…” if you tore your eyes away from his cock, you would have seen the ghost of a smirk on his lips. “You’re massive…” you were saying it more out of shock than a complement but he twitched regardless, keen and eager to accept your praises. 

“Which is exactly why I’m not rushing this…” He’s slipping two fingers between your slit, collecting your warm arousal on his finger tips before dipping them inside your awaiting entrance. Giyu watches your face, studying the way your pupils seem to dilate, watching as a breathy whine slips past swollen lips. His saliva is glistening on them, drawing him in to kiss you again. He wants to see you covered, not only in his bites and marks, but in his cum. He swallows against your lips, fingers stretching you open awkwardly as you try to get your pants off without interrupting him. It’s not going to happen, pants be damned for the time being, all you can focus on is his fingers brushing along the spongy parts of your walls. “G-giyu…” your hips are driving down on them, begging him to add a third finger in. 

He stills you with his other hand, introducing a third finger slowly before moving his hand from your hip to tangle back in your hair. He holds you in place, tongue slipping past parted lips and sliding around your own. He could sob as your smaller hands wrap around his length, offering him warmth and relief as you pump him slowly. Your fingers toy with the tip, collecting his pre before dragging them delicately down his shaft. You take a mental note of the veins that feel oh so prominent against your fingers. It’s not nearly wet enough, but Giyu isn’t willing to let you tear your mouth from his. Your squelching as his fingers fuck you open, any sort of discomfort melting away to wet pleasure as you suck him in. You’re aching for his cock, clit throbbing in neglect as you try to pull your head away from his iron grip. 

“T-this is more than enough… Please, I can take it. I’m a big girl you know, Giyu. Your cock isn’t going to break me.” You’re fighting to keep your gaze on his, yelping as he retracts his fingers. “If you’re so eager, take your pants off and put it in yourself.” His tone is as icy as the weather outside and you find yourself jumping up to follow his commands. Giyu pushes his pants down further in order to not ruin them, watching as your bare cunt is exposed to him in the golden, shadowy light of the cave. You’re on your knees again a moment later, grabbing his base and angling your hips in a certain way so the dull head of his cock is pressing to your entrance. “Do me a favor…” it’s your turn to bark out a command, he’s more than willing to listen. “Rub my clit.” You would laugh at yourself if you weren’t so serious. You knew the stretch would still be a bit uncomfortable, you needed something to pull your mind from it. 

Giyu didn’t question it, hand coming down to rub circles on your pulsating cunt. You sunk down slowly, biting your inner cheek as he speared you open. You didn’t slow down, dropping your hips lower until half of him was sheathed inside of you. You were torn between pain and pleasure, thighs aching already from the effort of keeping yourself up. Giyu’s gaze was shifting between your face and where he was disappearing inside of you. You held your breath, sinking lower until there was barely any space between you. One more go and he would be fully inside of you, yet you were mentally wondering how you’d go about doing that. You swore he was pressing into your cervix, that there was no way you could fit the rest of him. “Fucking Christ, Giyu…” you scolded him, as if he had any control over the size of his dick.  

“I told you you wouldn’t be able to handle it… there is no need to rush-oh.”  you sat down the rest of the way, fighting the urge to immediately pull back up from the pressure. “I… can take it.” you grounded out, eyes shutting against your will as your walls spasmed around him. “Yeah…seems like it.” Giyu grounded out, fingers still diligently rubbing your clit as you tried to adjust. “I… got it in…  did what you asked…” you huffed, raising your hips slightly to slowly drop down again. “Fuck me… please Giyu.” you were giving up, skin nearly burning as you were waiting for his response. Instead of saying anything, he flipped you. Just like the kiss, everything seemed to happen in a blur for you. You barely registered the ice cold stone pressing to your bare back as Giyu hovered over you, hair falling down around you. You must have tugged the tie of his ponytail at some point.

“I’ll fuck you, just like you want, but you have to promise me something first.” you were looking up at him with wide eyes, hands by your head because you didn’t know what to do with them. “Anything… anything you want to hear, I’ll say it.” You were losing your sanity in this situation. Whether it be from the cold or his dick, regardless you were willing to do anything he asked of you in that moment. “Promise me you can handle this.” His voice is husky, eyes lidded as his hips rock gingerly into you, too eager to stay still. “Promise… I can take it.” That was all he needed to hear, hips drawing back half way just to snap back into you. The moan you let out was nothing short of animalistic, heat blossoming over your face as the noise seemed to echo. It only fueled him, hips repeating the motion over and over, addicted to the way your breasts and thighs jiggled with the force of his movements. 

“C’mon, you’re doing so good for me.” He’s shifting his weight onto one hand, reaching down between your bodies to toy with your clit again. “I can feel it already, you’re going to cum all over my cock, aren’t you? Make a fucking mess of me, yeah?” you’re babbling nonsense, agreeing with every word he says as his cock stretches you just right. “It’s a damn shame, nobody is going to know we did this… our own little secret. Nobody is going to know how good I fucked you.” your eyes are watering, not expecting this side of Giyu. “Then again…” he buries deep, forcing you to look at him as he lowers his head. “We could do this any time you want, I’d gladly be at your mercy.” You nearly choke on air, unable to get enough in your lungs as he looks at you. “You’d like that, wouldn't you?” He’s moving again, watching tears well and slip down your temples. 

“You’d love for me to fuck you where everyone can hear. Let everyone know that lame ass water hashira is dicking you down, real fucking good.” You’re nearly drooling, fucked stupid, drunk off his cock and the terribly degrading words. “Tell me, tell me how good I make you feel… tell me how you’ll never be satisfied by another cock.” He’s lost in his own pleasure, the warmth of your pussy enveloping him, forcing him to utter words he shouldn’t say out loud. “Never… I’ll never be satisfied… fuck… by an–ah..another.” you’re babbling again, this time it’s just a bit more intelligible as he pounds into you. You’re coming before you can prepare yourself, body arching upwards as your eyes squeeze shut. You’re tense all over, wailing loudly as Giyu fucks you through your high, no intentions of stopping. “Good girl… fuck that’s my good girl…” 

He’s watching your arousal cling to his shaft with every thrust, collecting at the base in a sticky ring. He could cum just from the sight of it. “Your good girl…” you whine, hands clinging to his biceps as he continues to rut into you. You can’t even feel the sting on your back, the ache of your thighs as your legs are wrapped around his hips, nor can you feel the pain of overstimulation as it’s already returning as arousal. “Come in me… please Giyu… need you to keep me warm even after you leave me.” you can’t think straight, mind fuzzy and vision blurry as you clench around him. You want to feel his warmth impossibly deep, even deeper than he is now. “W-what if I knock you up? Then what?” He chokes, your pleas are too appealing to deny. “Then everyone will really know how good you fucked me…fuck… just think about it, yeah?” 

Your head is falling back, chest heaving as your pleasure grows to be overwhelming. “Think about you? Stomach swollen because you’re carrying my baby? That’s what you want, isn’t it? Everyone to know I fucked you so good you let me cum in you, breed your greedy, fertile cunt?” You’re squealing, not used to Giyu being so bold. “Yes! Fuck how many times do I have to say it?! Cum in me… please…” it left your lips in a broken prayer, urging him to just give in even though the logical part of his mind was screaming at him to pull out. He doesn’t, hips forcing into you with one last, hard thrust. Spilling the contents of his release deep inside of you, ears ringing from the sheer force of it. You’re gasping for air with him, shivering despite the warmth you feel as his release fills you. Your heart is pounding, blinking stars from your eyes as your body relaxes for the first time since getting stuck in this cave. Giyu, on the other hand, is tense, forcing air back into his lungs before he can look at you again. 

“U-uzui’s advice worked.” you choke out, giggling as Giyu nearly collapses on you. “It… it did.” his head is buried in your neck, inhaling the scent of you, skin slightly sweaty and warm. There was not one ounce of cold you could be bothered by, feeling warm from the inside out, especially with Giyu still inside of you. “This storm better end soon…” you could only begin to imagine the cold air biting your damp skin as soon as your body regulated again. “Sick of me already?” His voice is muffled against your neck, forcing a smile on your lips. “No… definitely not…maybe the storm could do us a favor and last at least a few more rounds…” you're running your fingers through his hair, tensing a bit as he raises again to pull his softened dick out of you slowly. “No… not yet.” you stop him in his tracks, hips gingerly pressing the little he took out, back in. 

“I don’t want to lose any of that…just yet.” coming out of your lust filled dazed, you are slightly worried about the possible consequences of your hormone induced actions. Giyu only hums, mind wandering about the possibilities of what you two had just done. That was something to worry about when you weren’t technically in a life or death situation. His  eyes trailed over your unmarked neck, mind wandering to the things he wanted to do to it. Slowly he’s moving back up to your swollen lips, the urge to bite them clawing at the back of his mind. He doesn’t realize how close he’s gotten to you again until you’re laughing softly. “Let’s just stay like this for a bit… for warmth….” you wink at him, watching that blush blossom across his pale cheeks yet again. Giyu’s head is falling forward, huffing out a small “...for warmth.” as he kisses you again.

[yanderecrazysie]

Can we get a love poison scenario with Satan where he basically drugged reader into loving him after she rejected him. But the things about this love poison is that externally and verbally reader seems to be now deeply infatuated with him.

But internally her true aware self is still in there trapped and silenced by her drug controlled body.

I felt uncreative with the name lol but I absolutely love this idea

Title: Black Magic

Pairings: Satan (Obey Me) x Reader

WARNINGS: yandere themes, drugging, wizarding AU

Summary: Never trust another wizard’s potion.

"Take a sip of my secret potion One taste and you'll be mine It's a spell that can't be broken And'll keep you up all night"

-From "Black Magic" by Little Mix

“Woah, are you sure you’ve done it right? It’s all pink.”

Your potions’ project partner, Satan, gave you a shrug, his blond hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. You were sure you didn’t look much better than him- you could feel sweat beading on your brow and rolling down your temples. The heat from the two cauldrons in such a small space was definitely getting to you both.

“The goal of the project was to create a potion that makes the drinker happy, right?” Satan asked, giving the potion a swirl with the mixer.

“Right,” you replied, “But mine is yellow. Not pink.”

Satan gave you an awkward smile, “I don’t mean to brag, but I am the top of the class, (Y/n). Have you considered the idea that it’s not supposed to be yellow?”

You frowned, reaching out for the potions’ book, but Satan pulled it out of your reach and read it, “It doesn’t say anything about the potions’ color. I guarantee you, though, this potion will make you happy.”

“Not as happy as my potion will make you,” you shot back with a laugh.

The two of you each pulled out a vial and dipped it in each other’s potions. For a moment, you considered the bright pink liquid with a hint of hesitation, then you downed it. If something was wrong with it, there were All-purpose Antidotes a few feet away in the glass cabinets.

Satan was smiling like an idiot, so unlike the calm smile you’ve seen on him before. You tried to tell him “I told you so” but you were unable to open your mouth. You felt like you were floating, but not in a good way. Almost as though you were in a fog.

“Satan…” the voice that left your mouth was not your own. It had a dreamier quality and a soft sigh at the end. Almost as if… “I love you.”

You tried to take the words back and apologize, but nothing came out. A dopey smile spread across your face and you couldn’t wipe it from your lips.

Satan’s smile grew wider as he watched the love potion take full effect. Your eyes grew hazy and adoring, your stare relaxing into a loving gaze. He had hoped for this outcome, but seeing you transform into what he always wanted you to be… it was far more exhilarating than he could have ever imagined.

He stepped around the cauldrons and moved closer to you and, to your horror, you leaned closer to him until your lips nearly grazed his. You screamed silently at yourself to back away, to turn and run, but your mind and body were no longer one. Your mind was confused, betrayed, horrified….

But your body just wanted his touch.

“How do you feel?” Satan asked, “Happy?”

“So happy, Satan!” you cooed, “I’m so happy because you’re here! I love you, Satan!”

He reached out a hand and gently brushed a strand of hair from your face. Such a romantic motion sent shivers down your spine. “I’ve always wanted to hear you say that,” he murmured. 

You wanted to ask what was wrong with him, why he had done such a thing, but you were no longer connected to your voice.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” Satan said gleefully, his smile stretching into something insane, a mix between your happy potion and his sick pride at turning you into a mindless lover, “But you never look at me the way I want you too. This is just a… nudge in the right direction. Surely you understand?”

“Of course I understand!” you whined, “I don’t know how I never saw you before!”

“I don’t know either,” Satan says in a voice so smug you wish you could punch him in the face over it.

“You and (Y/n)? When did you two become a thing?” Mammon asked, eyes zeroing in on the way you held hands with Satan. Your hand squeezed his so tightly that it hurt you, but you couldn’t stop.

The giggle that left your mouth was so unlike you that you felt sick, “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Mammon hid a pout, “No reason at all.”

“Mind your own business, brother,” Satan said softly. You just giggled and wrapped your arms around Satan’s. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips.

“Aww!” Asmodeus said loudly, “So cute!”

You wished you could vomit all over Satan’s stupid, shiny shoes to show him just how displeased you truly were. You were counting down the hours until the potion wore off.

Satan spent nearly an hour showing off your relationship. You couldn’t wait to give him a good kick in the crotch once you were finally out of this fog. 

But, to your horror, Satan pulled out a vial of pink liquid, handed it to you, and said “Drink.” 

Your love-bound body didn’t hesitate.

[m0nsterqzzz]

★ Happy Endings in the Avengers Compound ★

paring: wanda maximoff x female reader

summary: Wanda is to afraid to make a move with you but what about when you get a date that isn't her?

warnings: literally nothing, it's just pure fluff, jealousy if that needs a warning? really shitty ending cuz i didn't know how to end it lol, a tiny bit ofcussing, terrible writing

a/n: I wrote this while I should've been taking notes in English cuz I was so boreddddd got this idea from a video my friend sent me that was all like, "girl whos obsessed with you does your makeup or something" cuz there's this girl in class who likes to do people's makeup and it was so fucking funny cuz she kept making comments I swear so yeah I just wanted to say that. enjoy :)

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

With a big grin, you harshly push open Wanda's bedroom door and squeal. “I got a date with this really pretty girl at the coffee shop!” Wanda's head snaps up from the book she's ready, and no amount of enthusiasm takes over her face. “A girl? what's her name, last name, date of birth, addresses, place of work, and hometown?” you chuckle, sitting criss cross on her bed and taking her cold hands in your warm ones. “Her name is Vanessa but I call her V, her last name is Tanner, birthday is March 23rd…I don't know what year, I don't know her address, she works at the hospital a few streets away, and I don't know where her hometown is.”

She takes a moment to think before questioning, “So you're going out with a woman you barely know? That doesn't sound safe honey.” You chuckle and nod. “I do know her! We spent like two hours talking in the café!” She looked back to her book and muttered, “Yet you still don't know how old she is.”

You giggle, and a sudden thought appears that makes you smile even brighter. “You should do my makeup! She's taking me out to dinner at a really fancy restaurant at seven.” Wanda frowns. You hate fancy restaurants. The last time Tony tried to take the team out to one, you stared at the menu with a disgusted look on your face the entire time. Wanda ended up taking you to a diner later that night, and the burger you had was much better than the snail food Tony made you try. Why are you going out with this girl if she didn’t even care enough to learn that?

Wanda rolls her eyes a bit. “Why would I do that?” She asks, and you smile. “Because you love me.” you say. and she mumbles something incoherent before looking at your face and sighing in defeat. 

You cheer, launching yourself into her arms and letting your head rest against her chest. The corners of her lips tug up at your happiness, but they go back down when she remembers why. 

“Come on butterfly.” She helps you up off the bed, leading you to her vanity and forcing you to sit on the chair. She grabs a bronzer stick, gently applying it to the middle of your cheeks, kind of on your cheekbone. She grabs a beauty blender and blends that in before grabbing a blush palette. Bucky walks into the room, laying down on Wanda's bed and beginning to talk about some guy he met at the park today. “And he’s such an attention seeker!” He ends with, and it’s silent until Wanda speaks quietly- clearly to you, “Just like that girl you’re seeing.” You scoff, and Bucky bursts out laughing as he looks between the two of you. “What's that supposed to mean? You haven’t even met them yet!” You say, and Wanda shots back, “And I don’t want to.” Bucky holds his stomach in laughter, and both you and Wanda turn to glare at him. The frown on your face is clear as you look at Wanda, and she sighs as she tells you, “I’m sorry okay Butterfly? I just…..I don’t know.” You miss the way Bucky smirks at the witch as he leaves the room quietly. 

“I guess…..I just don’t like that she has you and I don’t.” This brings a small giggle out of you. “Of course you have me Wands! You’re my best friend!” You say, oblivious to the way she grimaces at the word “friend”. She sighs, and doesn’t say anything as you apply some eyeshadow and highlighter to your face. “There you go Butterfly.” You look at yourself in the mirror, grinning at the sight and then at her. You kiss her forehead in thanks. “Thank you Wands!” You say, beginning to run out of her bedroom to go search for an outfit to wear. 

“Anytime darling.” She mumbles, releasing a heavy sigh and holding her head in her hands. Someone gently knocks on the door, and she wipes her tears away and says without turning around, “What’s up Butterfly?” A slightly deep and raspy voice speaks teasingly from her doorway, “I thought that nickname was reserved for your girlfriend?” 

Wanda turns around, facing the redhead woman in the doorway and lets the tears fall. Natasha’s smile falls, and she instantly walks to Wanda and wraps her up in a hug. “She-she’s going out with someone else Nat! I’m too late!” Natasha knows about Wanda’s crush on you, as it was revealed after Wanda finally snapped at her after months of the ex-assassin teasing her about the way she looks at you. Natasha’s always been a very, go for it type person, so that’s the advice she had given Wanda the first time the younger girl asked for help asking you out. The witch practically laughed in her face.

“It’s okay kid……it’s okay.” Natasha tries her best to soothe her, but nothing seems to help as the tears continue to fall so she hesitantly pulls away and asks, “Do you love that girl Wanda?” The answer is obvious. “Yes….more than I love anything.” Wanda says. Natasha gently smiles. “Then you’re going to do what you should have done a long time ago. You’re going to buy her her favorite flowers,” Wanda nods along, sniffling a bit as she tries to build up her courage. “,you’ll put on some nice clothes instead of sweatpants and a hoodie,” she giggles and looks down at her comfortable clothes before nodding. “,and most importantly, you’re gonna do it today. Before she goes out on that date. I’m like 84.62 percent sure she likes you back so it’ll all be all right.” Wanda’s eyes go wide. She was expecting this to be more of a in a few weeks plan, but clearly Natasha had other thoughts. The redhead doesn’t give room for complaint though, as she simply gets up and walks out of the bedroom.

Wanda takes a deep breath, wiping her tears and glancing up at the clock on the wall. It’s currently 4pm, so that means there is 3 hours until your date with that bimbo.

Three hours for her to get a bouquet.

Three hours for her to figure out what she's even going to say.

Three hours for her to get her shit together.

Those three hours are spent with Bucky and Natasha, spending the first hour going to multiple stores in search of the perfect bouquet. It’s stupid really, the need to find the perfect bouquet but the older two just roll their eyes and stay silent. 

The next hour is spent trying to figure out what to say, and both Natasha and Bucky could not stay serious as Wanda rehearsed on a pillow. That pillow was thrown at Natasha's head.

The last hour was an hour of panic, especially when you came in to say your date was 10 minutes away. This was her time. She walks through the hallway, finding you sitting on a couch in the living room. You changed clothes, and you look absolutely stunning. She stops walking for a second to admire you, but a giggle from behind her causes her to abruptly turn around. She sees Tony, Natasha, Bucky, Steve, and Thor all standing there with smiles.

Tony's is more of a smirk, but everyone else's is supportive as they give her silent thumbs up. She rolls her eyes at them being nosy and continues to walk closer to you.

Your focus is on your phone, but you look up with a bright smile when you notice Wanda's platform docs. “Hey Wands! What's up?” She swallows thickly, sweaty hands gripping the bouquet a bit tighter behind her back. “Wands? Why do you look so nervous?” You giggle, and she can't help but smile at the sound. 

The group is still watching from the doorway, and Natasha rolls her eyes when Tony pulls out his phone and presses record.

Wanda reveals what she was hiding, and you immediately gasp at the sight of the beautiful flowers. “Well aren't you just a gentle woman my dear? These are beautiful Wands. Thank you.” She smiles as you bring them a bit closer to your nose and sniff them. “Not as beautiful as you.” She cringes, and you immediately burst out laughing. “That was sweet but it was definitely the cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say.” She nods.

Tony agrees quietly and Bucky hits the back of his head.

“So um….Butterfly.” You nod to acknowledge her. “I was- I was thinking recently and um…” Your phone begins to buzz, and you simply place it in your purse as you give her your full attention. “Well…” She takes a glance at the group who's still in the doorway, and they all send her encouraging smiles. It's then that you notice them, sending them all confused smiles before looking at Wanda again.

She's taking one last deep breath when Jarvis suddenly alerts the house. “There is a woman named Vanessa Tanner at the front gate, saying she's here to pick up her date.” Natasha and Bucky instantly panic, looking at each other before going back to Wanda.

As if those are the magic words, Wanda's eyes widen and she begins to ramble, “I really, really, really like you Butterfly and I know you may not feel the same way but Natasha and Bucky said you did and I figured that if there was a little bit of hope, I should try it.” A shocked look takes over your face. “It's totally fine if you don't feel the same way but I just couldn't let you go out with that bimbo named Vanessa if there was even a small chance you liked me….half as much as I do you.” She doesn't take her gaze off the floor, and she takes your silence as an answer as tears fill her eyes.

“Wanda. Look at me.” You demand, but she shakes her head no and continues to study the carpeted floor. “Wanda. Look…at…me.” She slowly looks at you, and the happiness in your eyes is enough to make her let out a small sigh of relief- not complete relief though. 

“I wish you had told me this before I practically threw myself at a woman I barely know. Because I'd much rather you be the one picking me up for dinner than Vanessa.” You both giggle, and she hesitantly asks, “So...what does that mean for us?” 

Natasha rolls her eyes and Tony shouts, “Ask her out you dumbass!” It's clear he's talking to the witch in front of you and she blushes red as she glares at him before turning back to you. “He's right. So, would you like to go out with me Butterfly?” 

You take a moment to pretend you're thinking about it before asking playfully, “And what would we do on this date Miss Maximoff?” She hadn't really thought about it, so she takes a minute to do that before declaring, “I'd take you out to dinner, not a fancy restaurant with food you hate, but your favorite dinner a few streets away. And then I'd take you dancing to that place we went to for your birthday because you had a lot of fun there, and then I'd bring you back here and make you a homemade dessert. Your favorite.” You smile. “Then yes, I’d love to go out with you Wanda Maximoff.” You lean in a bit to kiss her cheek, and she blushes a bit.

Suddenly, cheering erupts and the sound of a confetti popper going off can be heard. “What the hell Tony?” Wanda asks, but both of you can’t help but chuckle. He grins. “This long lasting nightmare of having to be around you two’s sexual tension is finally over!” Natasha smacks his arms and questions, but it’s more like telling him what to say, “Don’t you mean, “I popped that confetti popper because I’m so happy two of my teammates have finally found happiness”?” He’s silent for a minute before he laughs loudly as says, “No. Not at all. I meant to say, this long lasting nightmare of having to be around you two’s sexual tension is finally over! Let’s party baby!” You giggle, but Wanda narrows her eyes, letting them glow red. Suddenly, the second unused confetti popper in Tony's hand flies up to be level with his face, and he mumbles, “Well shit” right before it goes off. 

While he’s spitting out small pieces of paper from his mouth and trying to blow them out of his nose, the doorbell rings. “It is Vanessa Tanner.” Jarvis notifies, and you start to walk to the door with Wanda hot on your heels. “Where are you going?” She questions with a hint of sadness in her voice as she’s sure you're going to go on that date with Vanessa even after everything just happened. 

“I’m going to go tell her it won’t work out.” You say casually, and the smile is right back on Wanda's face as she uses her powers to freeze you in place and run ahead of you. You simply laugh, calling out, “Wanda! Wanda!” She turns around for a second to look at you. “Be nice please?” She giggles. “It’s nice of you to think I can do that Butterfly.” She runs off to go probably harass Vanessa, and you're left frozen in the hallway with a small chuckle. 

What Wanda doesn’t know is that you’d been waiting for that day even longer than she had. She’d always been it for you, ever since the first day she came to the compound. But over time, you slowly lost hope she felt the same way, and decided to just move on. If Wanda hadn’t done that sudden declaration of love, the future you two eventually have together would have never happened, and that's something you now think about daily.

[july-1804]

8 with some juicy angst lol

8. "I can't do this alone!"

Jack feels sick when he sees Nico hit the ice.

He's laying in a heap as the brawl starts, Siegs dropping his gloves first in retaliation for the dirty hit against his captain. It didn't take long for the remainder of the players for both the Devils and the Rangers to drop their gloves and start fighting, thankfully away from Nico's limp body.

Jack blinks and the trainers are on the ice, calling for the team doctor and EMS staff. Timo and Haula are helping them onto the ice as the fight is broken up, players being sent to their respective penalty boxes. Jack shakes off his gloves, feeling his palms start to sweat and bile rising in the back of his throat. He feels someone's hand on his shoulder--Luke, maybe, but Jack can't peel his eyes away from his husband on the ice.

"He's moving his hands," Luke murmurs into his ear, trying to bring Jack down from his impending panic attack. "See? He just pointed to his head. This is all just a precaution, bro, Nico's tough."

Jack blinks again, trying to refocus his eyes on Nico's movements, taking a shaky sip of a water bottle that was thrust into his hands. They were putting the neck brace on him, the team doctor kneeling down at Nico's head to hold it still. Nico tried to sit up but was ushered back down by the medical staff, pinning his arms to his chest. He could hear raised voices of his teammates telling Nico to stay down, the arena falling eerily silent.

"I can't do this alone," Jack croaks out to Luke, the transfer board being slipped between Nico and the ice.

"You're not bud, Nico is going to be fine," Lukes tries to reassure him, but Jack shakes his head in response.

It wasn't just if Nico were to die--it's if he was paralysed and couldn't ever walk again; if he had post-concussion syndrome and couldn't continue his hockey career; or if this hit was the one that causes a CTE diagnosis down the track. Jack wouldn't be able to continue playing hockey, putting a brave face on for Mila when Nico's heart and soul had been taken away from him--the light from behind his eyes forever dimmed. Mila hadn't even turned two yet--she would never have any memories of Nico prior to this life altering moment.

"There's less than 2 minutes on the clock, Keefe won't play you again for this game. Fitzy will call Nico's parents and tell them as a formality, you know how it is. Then we'll get you back in the dressing room, a quick shower and change and I'll drive you to the hospital," Luke takes charge, trying to keep Jack from bursting into tears on the bench.

He feels someone hoist him up by the elbow as sticks start tapping the ice as Nico is wheeled off the ice, surrounded by an entourage of concerned faces.

Luke was right, both of them were benched for the remaining minutes of the game. Jack lets himself be led down the tunnel and into the locker room. The room is too quiet--they'd won the game, but without Nico's presence it felt as if they'd had their biggest loss of the season. What if this was Nico's last game of hockey?

Jack blinks, and he's being guided into the passenger seat of a car. The back seat is devoid of a carseat, and Jack realises he must be in Luke's car.

"Mila's at home," Jack says with urgency as Luke slides into the drivers seat.

"I've already sent Hazel a message and given her the heads up. She said Mila's completely fine and is more than happy to stay until we get home," Luke tells Jack as he peels his car out of the garage.

They're met at the front door of the ER by one of the trainers, being led to a private room tucked towards the back. The trainer was smiling, Jack thinks to himself as he tries to steady his racing heart; so maybe Nico was okay after all? Or was the smile merely to cover up the severity of Nico's injury?

Jack has no clue what he's about to walk into when the door to Nico's room was opened for him, but he was not expecting Nico to be sitting up in bed and smiling at him. Jack stops in his tracks and bursts into tears.

"Oh, Schatz," Nico says, face falling at his husband's state. "I'm okay, baby. Come here." He holds his arm out towards Jack, patting the bed beside him. He registers the team doctor leaving the room as he moves towards Nico on autopilot, letting himself be pulled into Nico's side as he cries.

"All my scans are clear, nothing's broken. Just a concussion," Nico says into Jack's hair.

"Can we take you home tonight?" Jack mumbles, face buried in Nico's armpit.

Nico shakes his head gingerly. "They want me to stay for observation tonight. I threw up in the ambulance and they couldn't roll me onto my side fast enough, so I have to get some antibiotics through an IV just to be sure my chest is okay."

Jack feels himself start to settle down, hiccuping between shuddering breaths just like Mila when she's recovering from a meltdown.

"I can't do this alone," Jack tells Nico as the thought of their daughter crosses his mind. Mila needs both of her parents--Jack needs Nico to be okay.

"You don't have to, baby. I'm right here with you and everything is going to be okay."

Nico was right, everything was okay. Luke lets Jack sleep in the car on the way home, thanking Hazel repeatedly as he updates her on Nico's condition. He finds Jack standing in Mila's nursery, cuddling the sleeping baby to his chest as he buries his nose into her hair.

Jack's eyes are closed, curled protectively around Mila as Luke pads into the master bedroom. He'd stolen a pair of Jack's pyjama pants, slipping into the king sized bed next to his brother and niece. Nico would be home in the morning, Jack was coming down from his adrenaline high, Mila would be hugged by both her Daddy and her Papa in the morning, and Luke's job was complete--Jack didn't have to do it alone.

[kanencrow]

Ponds and Ponderment - Shauna Shipman | One Shot

Summary: Shauna finds you at the pond with a guitar in your arms, after you run off to get away from 'Ben's impromptu gun lesson'. She finds out your reasoning for why you don't want to take part, and the two of you share a moment of mostly peaceful conversation and comforting silence, before it's inevitably interrupted by an awkward Javi.

Warnings: Swearing, Guns, Established Relationship, Triggering Dialogue (brief talk of r's dad's attempted suicide).

A/N: All characters are 18+ by default. Feel like I got a little carried away in writing this, so forgive me if there's too much description and not enough dialogue! I edited this one as much as I could to make it so that you and Shauna have an actually established relationship, too. Didn't want to pull what I did with my last Jackie one shot and make it full of tension lol.

Word Count: 4000+

Somehow, allowing your bare feet to slide through the clear liquid of the pond they hung over provided you with a sense of calm from the otherwise stressful atmosphere, as you mindlessly plucked a tune with the nylon strings connected to the guitar in your arms. The bloom of the sun shone between the trees and onto you, while you sat at the edge of where land plummeted into a small body of water. Even with the distant thought of your impending doom while you all waited for a rescue from the forest, you still managed to find a sliver of serenity in the moment you had to yourself. Granted, the wounds – albeit trivial – still lingered as a soft throb, but the original pain had significantly lessened, which made navigating the new lifestyle you lived a little easier.

The soft melody of the instrument was all you focused on. You hummed softly, matching the notes you played with your fingers and thumbs, but it was mindless and uncoordinated in the way it progressed. Still, somehow, the music that you could hear didn't sound like nails on a chalkboard. It instilled a sense of hope, in a way. You tried to keep the tune that emitted as lighthearted as possible, and you were glad that you had seemed to succeed in something that came across as so simple to someone with a naturally optimistic mind. You made sure to relish in your own little victory, though, as the ghost of a smile creeped up onto your lips, like an annoying pull.

You were certain you would have lost yourself in the act of playing the guitar, if it weren't for the soft clearing of someone's throat from behind you, as a grouping of sticks quietly crunched under their shoe. It didn't take you long to turn your body and look over your shoulder to take in the sight of whoever approached you, and when your eyes fell onto Shauna, your posture visibly straightened, as a natural smile overtook the one that had barely been noticeable just a moment ago. Still, even then, it was small in comparison to the ones you shared with your girlfriend in the past, but it didn't seem like she took offense to your lack of expression.

"Hey, Y/n." The pause between her greeting and saying your name didn't go unnoticed by you. Maybe she was surprised to see you sitting at the edge of the earth, above a pond that hopefully didn't have anything lurking within the depths of it. Maybe she was treading lightly, not wanting to set you off, because it wasn't like you portrayed yourself as a full blown optimist when you stormed away from the cabin earlier, after Travis almost blew everyone’s head off with the rifle you found. Whatever trepidation she carried, it seemed to visibly fade, when you lifted your leg up to rest it on the grass and turned towards the brunette, your palm resting over the strings of your guitar, just so it didn't play an unwarranted tune.

"Hey, Shaunie," you greeted back, which was the ultimate sign that you weren't going to send your earlier annoyances towards her. You could tell that she appreciated such. She sent you a small smile, while she clutched her signature leather notebook against her hip, cradling it with her fingers and palm, and you couldn't help but lower your eyes to ogle the item for a moment, before you eventually flickered your gaze back up to meet her own. "What're you up to?" You made sure to keep your tone light, not wanting to come across as though you were some detective wanting to know her every move and thought, but you couldn’t really help your curiosity, since everything she did interested you.

She was your girlfriend. 

Luckily, she didn't seem to take your question the wrong way. With a simple glance down towards her notebook, Shauna shrugged her shoulders and pressed her lips together, before she lifted her chin to level her focus with your own. "Just... looking for a quiet place to write, I guess," she stated, before she slowly started walking forward, seemingly choosing the spot beside you as a good place to do such. “And, maybe I was also just looking for you,” she added on after a second, with a shy tone underlining her voice, as she lowered her head and smiled awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by her own admittance. 

The gentle smirk that formed on your cheeks in response to her demeanor was immediate, and as you followed her form, your head was forced to lift, just so you could fully watch her face while she lowered her posture and sat down. Her movements were careful, which wasn’t necessarily a surprise, considering the pond was right in front of the two of you, and by the time she set her book to the side to unlace her shoes, you scooted closer to her and slowly leaned in to press a soft kiss to the bone of her cheek. "Didn't want to be involved in Coach Ben's impromptu gun lesson?" you asked quietly, murmuring the humorous question out as you pulled your face back slightly and reached out to settle a comforting hand on her thigh. 

The position was a little awkward with the guitar in your arms, sure, but it was worth the slight discomfort, when Shauna leaned into your shoulder at your small act of affection, when you eventually turned your body to fully face the outcrops of the rest of the forest again. Your leg dropped back down to lull over the pond, and while you felt the weight of your girlfriend rest against you, you felt your chest warm, as the pad of your thumb mindlessly rubbed over one of the nylon strings of your guitar.

"Guess not," she inevitably admitted, pausing to think about it for a moment, while her brown eyes stared towards nothing in particular, "I don't think I'm meant to handle firearms," she clarified, which earned an agreeable hum from you, understanding the sentiment that you yourself couldn't help but share. 

Your girlfriend heard your sound, too, and so it didn't take her long to acknowledge you, when you felt her hand, warm and slightly calloused from the days of work around the cabin, rest against the skin of your knee, "I take it you're not a fan, either?" she questioned softly, "Is that why you left?"

"Kinda," you replied, "you remember how I used to go hunting with my dad? I'd be gone for the entire weekend, so I'd sometimes miss practice?" you reminded her quietly, as the nail of your thumb scraped along the wood of the guitar, and when she silently nodded her head against your shoulder, you continued. "He taught me how to use a rifle. We used it to kill deer, sometimes boar, or even some turkey. Y’know… whatever we could find in a forest."

You paused and squinted your eyes subconsciously, as they narrowed towards the trees. "I never told you this, but my dad had a habit of getting a little... emotional whenever he was drunk," you explained, "so... one night, I went out to the garage to grab a can of soda, and... I saw him on the steps with that same rifle held up to his chin…” you trailed off and swallowed, “it was, uh… pretty shocking."

The moment you stopped talking, your voice trailing off, Shauna's expression fell, and a look of genuine shock painted itself over her features, before she lifted her head from your shoulder and turned her face to look at you. "You... never told me that," she stated, her voice distant in thought, as her tone portrayed her disturbance. "When did that happen?" she then asked, as she subtly scooted closer to your side, pressing herself flush against you, and smoothed her free hand up to your upper thigh. She was attempting to provide you with her own form of comfort, and it seemed to work in her favor, when your knee lulled to the side slightly to nudge against her own, as if to convey your appreciation.

You shrugged your shoulders mindlessly, almost too shy to even continue, "Happened, like, a year or two ago," you admitted, as your finger mindlessly plucked a single nylon string, which emitted a quiet, high-pitched note. "He saw me, and um... I expected him to be angry with me, but he just... he started crying and promised that he wasn't going to touch a gun again." You shrugged your shoulders and flinched your eyebrows down, still confused by his reaction, to this day. "Seeing him like that was pretty... intense," you mumbled, as you lowered your head down to rest it against your guitar, your chin nestling against the wood while a sigh escaped from your nostrils. "After that, we stopped going on those trips, and I was fine with that, but... I couldn't look at a rifle the same way." You suddenly let out a quiet chuckle, "Which sounds kinda dumb when I say it out loud, but..."

"It's not dumb," Shauna replied, her voice stern, but still containing a certain softness to it, while her eyes roamed your side profile, and her hand came up from your thigh to rest against the back of your head. She spotted a fading bruise on the side of your neck when her fingers combed through the strands of your hair, and with no one around, she chanced a moment to lean towards you and press a gentle peck to your temple. "I wish you told me, but I can understand why you didn't," she admitted quietly, while she pulled away to watch you intently, her brown irises filling with concern towards you.

You shrugged, feeling heat rise to your neck at her affection, as your lips pursed in thought. "I didn't know how," you defended, "and it just felt wrong to openly say that about my dad," you told her, before the corner of your lip quivered and you let out a bittersweet huff through your nose. "My mom doesn't even know about it." You paused for a moment, before you spoke up again with a quieter volume to your voice. “It just didn’t feel right to tell anyone that my dad tried to, y’know… shoot himself." Your tone carried thought, like you were only just now thinking about that particular memory and letting yourself go through the motions. 

But you cut yourself off from thinking about for much longer.

Intentionally, you started playing the guitar that remained in your arms when Shauna didn't make the effort to respond to you. You didn't hold it against her. The quiet was something the two of you mutually found comfort in, especially when it also consisted of being in each other's presence. Simply existing together, without the need to try and fill the silent void with meaningless conversation that only came off as repetitive and annoying. It only caused you to lose yourself in the tune of your instrument, keeping it soft and weightless, for the sake of aiding the girl beside you in concentrating on whatever it was that she eventually started doing with the notebook that she had in her hands. You had only glanced down once to take in the sight of the book, but it was so quick that it didn't allow you the chance to truly snoop and figure out her intentions.

It wasn't like that was something you did anyways. You knew better than anyone else not to touch her journal, because she valued the secrecy of it. Like now, with how she was conscious in hiding the page she wrote on by lifting the leather cover to shield the paper that adorned her… questionable handwriting. It was a habit of hers more than anything – she knew you wouldn’t peek, so you couldn’t bring yourself to feel offended by the action, as obvious as it was. If anything, you felt a little envious that she was able to have that outlet. You would have killed to have some sort of camcorder or diary to relay your feelings to. You could vent, or rant, and there wouldn't have been that natural judgement one would typically get from a human being.

Though you digressed.

"What song is that?"

You heard the faint smack of Shauna closing her journal from beside you, while you peered over the guitar and watched your fingers pluck the strings. You weren't wanting to make a mistake, though at the sound of her voice, you almost did, which caused you to bring the made-up tune to a stop and retract your hand, letting your wrist hang over the thick wood of the acoustic. "Just my own," you admitted, as you turned your head to meet her curious eyes.

She gave you a look of confusion in turn, and you smiled small, as you mindlessly glanced down to look at her hands that rested over the book that sat in her lap. Seeing them made your stomach unconsciously flutter, when you thought about how they always touched you with gentleness and love. "Guess you could call it improv music making," you added, while you lifted your eyes up to look her way again, feeling bashful. "Just kinda... going with the flow."

Shauna seemed to become endeared by your explanation when a lopsided smirk creeped up onto her lips. "In all the time I’ve known you, I never knew you played." She shifted in her spot, lifting her leg up, so that it rested against the earth below you and her, and you noticed the way she turned her body to fully face you, as if to silently convey that she was open to you.

"You're good, babe," she admitted quietly, before she gestured towards the instrument and cleared her throat, growing a little embarrassed by her compliment. That wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. "At the guitar, I mean." She didn't need to clarify, but you still appreciated such, as a quiet huff of amusement slipped from you, while your smile grew into a soft grin.

"Thanks, Shaunie," you told her, making sure to address her by the nickname that only you and Jackie were allowed to use for her. You felt heat rise to your cheeks, and it ballooned up your neck and created a borderline uncomfortable warmth that you couldn't push away, no matter how hard you tried. It was hard to ignore the fact that her compliments made you feel important. Maybe it was the reassurance that you were still good at something that caused you to feel so flattered in response to her kindness. You lacked the mental capability to handle a gun, due to the trauma that surrounded it, but at least you could play the guitar. No one else could, but you could. So, that had to count for something.

All you could do was try and search for the light that sat at the end of the tunnel, when it came to the entire situation that you and the rest of the Yellowjackets faced. You tried not to think about it, but you couldn't ignore the new lifestyle you had to live. You tried to smile, you tried to be lighthearted and optimistic towards the fact that you all were stranded in the fucking woods, but it was borderline impossible. You were lucky that you had a medical box full of Tylenol and other pain pills for your wounds – which hadn't caused too many issues for you as of late – or else… well…

You didn’t really want to think about the other outcome. 

"Are you guys not doing the gun thing?"

You snapped out of your whirlwind of thoughts when you heard the distant voice of Javi from over your shoulder. Clearing your throat, you turned your body to look at him, and Shauna did the same, her knees pulled up into her body, while yours crossed over each other to rest completely on the dirt. You hung your arms over your guitar as you addressed the younger boy with a small smile, speaking before the girl beside you could. "Nah," you replied, voice shaking slightly, which forced you to swallow thickly, "that whole gun thing isn't really our thing." Your girlfriend seemed to agree with your sentiment, when she nodded her head and let out an awkward chuckle.

Javi nodded, while he stepped over rocks and lumps that sat on the earth to make it closer to the two of you. His attention seemed to fall onto Shauna and what laid in her lap, and at his obvious focus, you couldn't help but move your attention over to where her hands sat, too. They were covering the journal that had a pen sitting within the spine of it, closed and preventing your eyes from seeing her terrible handwriting, and you found a warmth of affection bloom within your chest, seeing her protection over the notebook in action, which caused the corners of your lips to curve up into a small smile. "What are you writing?" he questioned.

Shauna's attention was immediately drawn towards the younger kid, in response to his question, and she shrugged her shoulders in reply to his curiosity. "It's my journal," she answered simply, as she glanced down at it for a split second, before she raised her brown eyes back up to meet Javi's, who donned a look of innocent confusion on his features in reply.

"Like, a diary?".

"Yeah," your girlfriend replied, "kind of." She flitted her eyes away from him to stare at nothing, seemingly losing herself in a temporary bout of thought. "It's just my way of trying to make sense of what's going on and... how I feel about it." She glanced at you and let out a quiet, nervous laugh, and you smiled softly at her in reply, while she unconsciously continued with a shrug, her focus moving back up to the younger kid. "Well, that probably sounds pretentious, but... hey, when I'm famous, they can go into the archives, right?"

"I'd buy one of your books," you uttered absentmindedly, which earned a flattered smile from Shauna, when she glanced back over to you and sent you an expression of love, just with her brown irises that you often found yourself daydreaming about. And you bashfully shrugged in turn, trying to play it cool – like you weren’t screaming from the inside at the look she gave you, as your chin lowered to rest on your guitar, and your forearm acted as a cushion as you glanced at the floor between you and her. "You know, like... if we ever get out of here," you added on, after a moment.

Javi lingered around, and his presence seemed to cast a shadow over your body, which caused you to lull your head to the side, just so you could look up at the boy while you still rested against your arm. He stared at Shauna's notebook, and it didn't take long before she recognized what he was silently trying to convey, when you heard the sound of something ripping to your left. "Here," she uttered, as he reached forward to grab the pen and slip of paper she held out for him to take, "there's no wrong way to do it."

Javi clutched the gift he received to his chest in response, and you smiled gently at the sight, as he sent her an appreciative nod, before he stepped back and walked away from the two of you without another word. You and she watched his form disappear behind a pairing of trees, and by the time he had fully vanished from your sight, you moved your gaze back over to Shauna, who held an expression of contentment on her features. Seeing happiness exude from her caused your stomach to flutter with butterflies. 

"Are we sure that's Travis' brother?" you questioned quietly, your voice echoing as a whisper. You almost expected Shauna to not hear you, with how hushed you were, but when she shifted her eyes away from where Javi had gone to look at you, it was clear that she had. You immediately noticed the way her eyebrows creased, as though your comment had confused her greatly, and her lack of understanding only seemed to endear you, when you lifted your head up from your guitar and leveled your focus with her. "He's, like... super sweet, compared to his older brother."

"Oh," Shauna hummed, suddenly realizing what you were attempting to convey. It didn't take her long to nod her head in response to your opinion, as a small laugh slipped from her lips, and she nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess he is." She glanced away to think for a moment, and you waited patiently while you shifted in your spot, trying to find more comfort in your position. "He's young, though. Who knows, that sweetness might turn into something else," she admitted, which earned an agreeable grunt from you.

But you couldn't help but grow a little disappointed at her assumption, when you lowered your gaze to focus on the nail of your thumb that mindlessly picked at the ridge of your guitar. "I really hope not." Shauna moved her brown eyes to stare down at you, and she felt a frown weigh on her lips at the melancholic expression that lined your exhausted features. "Between him and Laura Lee, I think they're the only two that have some shred of optimism left," you said, before adding, "and Jackie. I think she's trying to keep everyone's mood on the up and up, but I can tell that she's losing her hope, too." 

The way she couldn’t even get out of bed today was proof in itself. 

Shauna's expression fell into a look of deep contemplation at your words in regards to her best friend, and she absentmindedly nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she murmured, "I think you might be right."

You huffed, though it lacked the usual amusement, as you lifted your chin up to look at her with your eyes that she herself often found herself enraptured by, always loving the colors of them and the way they blended to create a unique, one-of-a-kind hue that was yours. "Unfortunately." You grabbed the neck of your guitar and lifted it off of your lap to set it beside you, and it created a quiet thump against the earth in turn. "I don't mean to be a Debby Downer, but... it's just hard to pretend. I can't pretend." You scooted closer to Shauna the moment you said those words, and she was quick to take you into her arms, when you leaned your head against her shoulder and hugged her tightly. "Not to myself, at least, or someone else who also realizes that things are pretty grim."

"It's not that I think things are grim," Shauna replied, gently countering your implicated assumption of her thoughts, as she tilted her chin down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead. She breathed in deeply the moment she pulled back, before she let the air flow out of her nostrils, and when she turned her head to stare out towards the pond, you lifted your eyes to look up at her face, which allowed you to see the way her brow creased in ponderment. "I just think... people need to be more realistic, I guess," she clarified, which earned an understanding nod from you in response.

"I hear you," you uttered mindlessly, which forced Shauna to turn her head to look back down at you again, her arms squeezing you gently, as a small, melancholic smile came to her lips. You sent her one back, upon meeting her stare with a simple raise of your chin, and after a silent moment that consisted of the two of you keeping your focuses interconnected, you flicked your eyes down and stiffly shrugged, while you pressed your lips together shyly and moved one of your arms away from her waist to pluck at the fabric of her flannel. "I guess all we can really do is make the most of it, though, right?"

At your attempt to keep the atmosphere light, Shauna let out a quiet huff through her nose, before she lifted a hand to rub at your bicep and stared towards the trees, content to just watch the forest while she kept you secure in her own protective embrace. 

"Right," she muttered. 

[kiss-me-cill-me]

Now We Pay The Price | Pt. 2

Start with Pt. 1 HERE!

Pairing: Jonathan Crane x Reader

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: ALL OF THE SAME WARNINGS AS PART 1, plus more angst, some fluff, general dark themes, depiction of a stick n' poke tattoo, violence, makeshift weapons, fear toxin, Crane spikes someone's drink (not the reader's)

A/N: Back by mildly popular demand lol :) First, I have to give a huge thank you to @cillianslvt for all of her help with brainstorming, concept bouncing, and song picking! She gave me the perfect inspo for this part: Supercut by Lorde.

I wanted to do something a bit different here, so this is told in alternating cuts between the fallout from part 1 (written in past tense) and flashbacks to the reader's college days (written in present tense just to be confusing lol). I probably will be writing one more part for this, but it might be a while before it's out because I kind of want to take a small break from angst haha. But, I hope you enjoy this part!

***Please read the warnings before continuing. Minors DNI***

Somewhere out in the echoing hallway, an alarm buzzed.

“Lights out in five minutes!”

The guard’s booming voice was almost too muffled to understand through the thick metal door. But you weren’t paying enough attention for it to matter. It was the same routine, for the hundredth time. You didn’t need an announcement to know that you were about to be plunged into the dark.

And besides, you had more important things to worry about.

Your fingers traced over the hearts that still littered your bedsheets. Contained to one of the corners for now, but wild and scattered, as if they might be about to spill out over the rest of the white cotton at any moment. Unrestrained.

You clenched your teeth, trying hard to focus on something other than the hailstorm of tremors that seemed ready to wrack your body. Your skin was prickling. If you opened your mouth, you weren’t sure if what came out would be a sob or a scream. You didn’t particularly want to find out.

The familiar sound of a key in the lock was enough to pull you out of your stupor. Quickly, you covered the doodles again, and whipped your head toward the door, hoping.

But no. It was nobody. Some faceless orderly, sent to give you the pills that you never took, if you could get away with hiding them.

Tonight, though, you decided to behave. You had certainly been causing enough trouble lately. And besides, if you were being honest, you could use them. Your mood had been a complete mess all day, and a little stability would be nice, for a change.

You swallowed your pride along with the pills, and flopped back onto the mattress. As soon as the orderly was gone, you inched the sheets back down, exposing the blue stains. Tomorrow was laundry day, and you knew that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy them for much longer.

Seconds later, the lights flicked out, and you were left alone with your memories.

The asphalt beneath your feet feels like it’s not even there as you practically skip down the driveway, and you’re not sure how gravity still has a hold on you by the time your hand wrenches open the car door.

“Hey!” You smile as you climb in, whipping around quickly to fasten your seatbelt. Maybe that will be enough to ground you, but it doesn’t seem likely. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“You took long enough to get out here,” he replies, slightly snarky.

But when you finally look up at him, his soft half-smile makes your heart melt, and your legs and arms feel even more weightless than ever. His blue eyes peer over at you from just below the rim of his glasses, and he tilts his head while he waits for you to respond.

“Fuck off, Jonathan,” you laugh, waving a hand in his direction.

He shakes his head, shifting to take hold of the wheel.

As he starts the car, the two of you sit in silence for a moment, and you use the opportunity to take a closer look at him. He’s bundled up tightly in his jacket. A slight chill permeates the air, though you feel perfectly warm sitting next to him.

“I don’t know how you can stand driving around without listening to music,” you say suddenly, reaching for the radio.

It takes you a minute to find anything worth listening to. Static mixed intermittently with snippets of sound fills the car as you carefully turn the dial, until finally landing on something you know. Satisfied, you sit back.

“I don’t know how you can stand listening to this,” Jonathan laughs. “I mean, are you even hearing these lyrics?”

“I like the lyrics!” you insist. “What’s wrong with them?”

“They’re just cheesy,” he says, dismissively.

You roll your eyes, and settle back with your arm resting against the car door. Before long, your head is bobbing along to the music, and you start to hum.

You’ve only known Jonathan for a few weeks, but already it’s become nearly impossible to ignore the way your heart pounds when you’re next to him. It’s nerve wracking - to think he might not feel that way about you. But you don’t let yourself imagine that possibility too often. It’s better to stay positive, and look to your future together. You honestly can’t imagine things any other way.

At the start of the chorus, your humming turns gradually into words - quiet at first, and then louder when Jonathan doesn’t try to stop you. Soon, you’re singing at full volume.

“You know, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents,” he informs you.

When you look over, you notice the small smile that tugs at the corner of his lips.

“But music improves mood and cognition,” you shoot back, interrupting your singing to give him a slight shove. “Shouldn’t you know that, Mr. Psychology Major?”

Jonathan scoffs, but mercifully keeps his mouth shut when you open yours to start singing again, rolling down the window to scream into the night.

Your eyes, tight with heavy sleep, shot suddenly open, to be met by the darkness of your cell. Breath heavy, you tried to remember the dream you’d been having. Whatever it was, it had gotten you worked up. So much for the sedatives doing you any good; maybe Crane hadn’t actually upped your dose like he’d threatened to do.

Or he had, and this was just your body’s paradoxical reaction to the sudden increase. Not that you had been taking the regular dose with any consistency.

You considered getting up, but what was the point in that? There was nowhere to go but from one corner of the small room to the other, and you had spent enough time pacing back and forth to last a lifetime.

The small window set high up on the wall of your cell let in a sliver of light, just briefly, as a rotating searchlight made its round, and you closed your eyes again.

The university’s library is calming, in a way. The seemingly endless stacks of books reach out to greet you as you run your hands over their spines, walking slowly down one row and then another. 

You’re looking for something specific, but not a book. You know that he always comes here at this time.

Jonathan is crouched down to reach something on a low shelf when you finally see him. You hover, half-hidden, at the end of the row where he’s kneeling, and watch as he flips through the first few pages of a book. Satisfied, he stands up, and you saunter into the aisle to join him.

“Hey,” you call, softly. “Thought I might find you here.”

Jonathan tucks the book under his arm, and looks at you curiously for a moment.

“Hey,” he echoes, apprehensive. “Don’t you have class right now?”

“Do I?” you ask, stopping next to him. “Whoops. Whatcha reading?”

“Nothing. Just a book for class. Unlike some people I know, I take academics seriously.”

As he talks, he tilts his head to the side and takes a step closer to you, crowding you back against the bookshelves. He’s smiling. Just having fun with you; you’re sure of it. But you can’t stop the warm rush that spreads over your cheeks.

You try to straighten up under his gaze, bringing the tip of your nose close to his.

“I take this stuff seriously, too,” you insist. “Here, I’ll prove it. What’re you studying?”

Before giving him a chance to respond, you reach down and snatch the book from his hand. Brushing a thumb over the cover, you consider the title.

“Phobias, huh?” you muse. “No offense, Jonathan. But you’re not very scary.”

You beam as you watch a blush creep over his cheeks. He’s been doing that around you more often, and every time you notice it, your heart swells.

“You don’t think so?” he drones, taking another step closer.

He’s nearly on top of you as you press back into the row of books, and you feel your heart leap into your throat. Not out of fear, but for an entirely different reason.

“Nope,” you challenge. “Not scary at all.”

“Hm. Guess I’ll have to try harder then.” 

He snatches the book back and starts to move away from you, but before he can get too far, both of your hands shoot out. Your fingers grab onto his sweater, and faster than you have a chance to think, suddenly your lips are pressing against his. Eyes squeezed shut so you don’t have to face his reaction, you hold him. But when you let go of his shirt, he stays there for a few seconds longer, before pulling away.

“That was scary,” you breathe, finally daring to meet his cold eyes.

But, what you see there is softness, mixed with slight shock. The piercing, frost-blue that normally seems to slice through you has taken on a watery quality, as if something has melted, if just for a moment.

You take a deep breath as Jonathan leans back in.

By the time the orderlies had started to wheel their huge bin of laundry down the narrow hall, your white sheets were already torn off and crumpled at the foot of your bed. You weren’t about to take the risk of anyone else seeing the hearts you’d drawn. This way, they were unlikely to be noticed. At least until after they’d already been mixed with all of the other patients’ laundry, untraceable to you.

Before, the worst that could happen was you losing your pen - a sorry excuse for entertainment, but nothing vital. Now, losing that same pen meant losing your one chance at freedom as well, and you weren’t prepared to give that up.

You stood in the far corner of the room, watching silently as two men came in to collect your sheets. They didn’t comment on the fact that you’d stripped your own bed - perhaps too caught up in their meaningless conversation to notice.

When they left, you finally felt able to breathe again. You exhaled, trying to push every last trace of air out of your lungs so that you could start fresh again.

Sitting back down on your new set of sheets, you ran your hand over the blank space that no longer bore even a faint trace of love.

“What are you doing?” Jonathan asks, leaning over your shoulder to peer down at whatever has you so occupied.

“Giving myself a tattoo,” you reply easily. 

“What?”

“It’s just a little heart - see?”

You carefully hold up your wrist to him, showing off the half finished lobe of a heart. One side of it, anyway. It’s slow going, but you’re determined to take your time; to not rush through the impulsive decision you’ve made.

“Why would you do that to yourself?”

“Because I felt like it,” you reply. “Do I need another reason?”

“Did you at least sterilize your wrist - and the needle?” he sighs.

“I used some hand sanitizer. M’sure that’s good enough.”

Jonathan pinches the bridge of his nose, putting his other hand on his hip.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he complains.

“Well, it’s not like I can’t stop now, though - right?” you say, playfully. “You’re always telling me not to leave things half finished.”

Jonathan sits down in the chair next to you, as you go back to carefully maneuvering the needle. Your tongue sticks out from the corner of your mouth, frozen in concentration. You jump, just a fraction of an inch, as the sharp point breaches your skin.

“Give me that,” Jonathan mutters.

He’s already swiped the needle away from you, and is holding your wrist down securely against the table as he inspects your work.

“This isn’t going to heal nicely,” he informs you.

“I don’t care.”

To your surprise, he dips the needle into the little pot of ink that’s sitting on the table between you, and then lines up the point to continue.

“You’re pushing it in way too deep,” he says, peering over his glasses.

When he presses down, the sharp end of the needle barely seems to graze you. It doesn’t hurt so much when he does it. Jonathan’s thumb brushes over the flesh of your palm, soothing you.

“You’re good at this,” you comment. “You’ll make a good doctor someday.”

Jonathan tries to hide his smile, but you catch the small curl of his lips despite the way he’s hunched over, focusing on your tattoo. The second jab is just as painless as the first, and you smile back.

“This isn’t exactly what I picture myself doing for work.” He laughs - just a small hum, but it’s there.

“Right - you want to study the fear of needles. Not be the one jabbing patients.”

“Something like that,” he agrees.

The two of you sit, huddled close in the silence; you watching Jonathan work as he gingerly uses the needle. It’s strangely intimate, and you feel closer to him than you have in a long time. 

Not because you’ve spent too much time apart. On the contrary, you’ve been seeing each other more often than ever. But the more time you spend with him, the sharper you seem to feel his small absences. It has, lately, started to seem like you need to see Jonathan more and more often just to feel normal; like you’re in danger of something bad happening when he’s not there.

“Thank you,” you say.

“For what?”

“The tattoo means more, now that you’re the one doing it.”

Jonathan keeps his head bowed, trying desperately not to let you see his expression. The tips of his ears give him away, though, as they turn a bright pink behind strands of hair that have fallen away as he leans down.

“Jonathan?” “Hm?”

“It’s polite to say ‘you’re welcome’ when someone thanks you,” you tease.

As he looks up to narrow his eyes at you, you take the chance to lean in and press a kiss to his cheek.

The harsh white fluorescents buzzed over your head as you leaned back in your uncomfortable chair. You’d sat in this same plastic seat for probably dozens of therapy sessions. Not once had the miserable thing ever done anything other than give you back pain.

“Are you paying attention?” the doctor in front of you asked.

“No,” you replied.

What was the use in lying, when it was obvious to both of you?

The doctor hummed in annoyance, shuffled some papers, and frowned at her clipboard. 

“Well I suggest you start,” she began, “because what we’re trying to do here is very important. You know your appeal is in the process of being reviewed, and…”

You tuned her out, turning your attention to the much more important matter of planning your escape. Even just thinking those words made you feel strangely giddy. This was something that happened in movies and cheap paperback novels; not real life. But, you had made up your mind, and there would be no going back now. You were going to rebuild your life with the person who mattered most, and doing that meant that you needed to get out of here.

You thought of the ballpoint pen, now modified and hidden, deep within the bones of your mattress. It had taken patience to sharpen the plastic casing against the concrete, and patience was something you didn’t have much of these days. But in the end, it would all be worth it.

“...three counts of manslaughter, and two more of - are you listening?” the doctor repeated. 

“Why should I? We both know that I’ve heard this a thousand times,” you sighed.

The doctor, equally as exasperated, crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. It’s your life.”

“My life doesn’t exist in here,” you whispered. “Not the one I want, anyway.”

“Well, it’s the one you’ve got, so maybe you ought to start acting like it,” she suggested.

You ignored her, and retreated back into the world that only existed inside your memories. Yours… and his, if you were lucky.

The room is dark and full of music. Music, and bodies - swaying in time to the rhythm; draped over furniture or pressed up against walls, as lips meet and hands wander. You pass by two people who look like they’re three seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off, and duck under the raised elbow of somebody else as they pump their fist in the air. A clamor erupts as you pass; some conversation you’re not part of that’s full of hollered laughter and shouts.

You’re looking for Jonathan, amidst all the colors and flashing lights. You’d left him several minutes ago to go and find the bathroom, and got turned around on your way back. The slight buzz of alcohol makes your limbs a bit looser than usual, and you pause to savor the deep thrum that emanates from the sound system. As you close your eyes, your feet sway a little, and you smile.

Jonathan is never interested in going to parties with you, but for whatever reason, he had accepted the invitation tonight. You like to think it’s because he just wants to spend time with you, even if loud, messy gatherings aren’t usually his idea of a good time.

Finally, you find your way back to the couch where you left him. And there he is, smiling that soft half-smile you know so well, from the hundreds of times it’s made your heart do somersaults in your chest.

You frown. Scowl.

Jonathan is leaning forward, hands on his legs as he talks to another woman. Smiles at her. You stop short in your tracks, and watch from a distance as Jonathan tilts his head to her ear, whispering something.

The girl stands up, giggles while she looks down at him for a moment, and then walks off. You see red; a crimson wash that feels slightly too familiar as it drapes over you.

Jonathan, still on the couch, smiles for a moment longer before reaching into his pocket. The girl has moved on by now, and you watch as the affable grin is wiped neatly from Jonathan’s face, replaced by something blank and more difficult to categorize.

There’s a tiny glass tube in his hand. You can’t see what it is exactly, but you can make out the way he removes a cap, and then brings his hand close to the red plastic cup that’s sitting on the table in front of him, right where the woman had been.

Your rage propels you forward, and without time to think things through, you’ve grabbed the sleeve of his jacket before you even realize you’ve reached him.

“Shit- Oh. It’s you,” Jonathan mumbles.

“What the hell are you doing?” you hiss.

Jonathan looks at your hand on his arm. The vial, now empty and still pinched between his fingers, hidden from the rest of the crowd. And then back up to your face.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” he begins.

“What are you doing?” you repeat, your voice wobbling louder.

Jonathan’s eyes dart off to the side, and he stands up quickly. Suddenly, his hand is in yours and he’s dragging you off, heading for a set of glass doors that lead to the back patio.

“Let’s go somewhere more private,” he says, and you can barely hear him muttering over the sound of the screeching music and the pounding, frantic whir that seems to have taken over your head. 

By the time you’re outside, the door shut firm behind you, you haven’t calmed down a bit.

“Jonathan-”

“I swear, I’m not doing anything bad,” he interjects. “I know that it… probably looks like I’m-”

“Why her?” you say, softly.

You can’t even stand to look at him as you speak. Your whole chest feels impossibly heavy; as if it’s consuming the rest of your body, piece by dissolving piece.

“...What?” Jonathan looks at you curiously, as you feel yourself fall even more fully apart.

“Why her, when I’m right here, huh?” you demand, tears squeezing out from behind your damp eyelashes, even as you try to blink them back. “I’m yours, Jonathan. I’ve been yours. All you have to do is ask.”

“That’s not… God, I’m not trying to-”

“You don’t even have to try with me!” you cry, voice rising up into a frenzy. Your hands fly to slam against him, pushing him by the shoulders. “You’ve never had to-”

You cut yourself off, and cradle your wrist to your chest. The tattoo that he gave you is settled close by to your heart, and you bring your other hand up to trace absently over the ink that mirrors it.

“Listen to me,” Jonathan says, taking hold of your shoulders. You look up at him, salty tears still welled in your eyes, starting to spill down over your cheeks. “That’s not what I’m doing. This is just… research.”

“Research?” you echo.

“Yes. That’s all,” he assures you. Both of you have started to calm down, and the pressure of his hands on your shoulders finally becomes noticeable. “It’s for… how do I phrase this?”

The sounds of the party are muffled out here, but suddenly a sharp scream rises over the music. Both of you turn to peer through the glass doors, and you catch a brief glimpse of the woman from earlier, just as the red plastic cup falls from her hand. She claws at her face, and sinks to the floor, still screaming.

Your focus shifts back to Jonathan, and you watch as he stares through the glass, his eyes frigid and, suddenly, calculating. His hands are still on your shoulders, and you feel as his grip tightens slightly, as if his fingers are itching to do… something. You can’t say quite what.

“...Fear,” you breathe, quietly.

You aren’t sure exactly what’s going on, but some sort of vague understanding has started to seep into your nerves, mending the frays that had threatened to form. Like healing salve, soothed over all of the tiny rips and tears that had nearly pulled you apart, only seconds ago.

“Yes,” he agrees. “That’s all I wanted her for. I swear.”

It takes you a moment to realize he’s looking at you again, a serious expression on his strained face. His eyes seem to bore into yours, but it’s comforting, just to feel like he’s burrowing into you.

The commotion inside becomes louder; more shouts of alarm rising to join the first, and you hear something crash to the ground. But you’re not paying attention to that anymore; you’re swimming in Jonathan’s eyes as the tears slowly dry from yours.

“Jonathan?” you ask. “Can we go home?”

He turns to look again at the riot that’s quickly developing inside; the bass of the music replaced now by shrill cries that have risen above everything. For a moment, you think he’s about to refuse, and the lump in your throat almost tears through the delicate flesh of your neck.

“Sure. Let’s go home,” he agrees.

You walk, hand in hand, away from the party. Looping around the house and down the sidewalk, your fingers intertwine with his in the night air. You smile, and grab onto Jonathan’s arm, pulling him closer.

Today was the day.

You pulled your sleeve down, trying to cover the now-sharpened pen casing that was held tight in your sweaty hand. The tip of your finger brushed over the point, as you went over the plan in your head again.

If you could manage to be stealthy enough, you wouldn’t even need the pen. Not that you would hesitate to use it, but there was a certain amount of risk that you’d prefer to avoid if at all possible. Things could get messy, and that would be sure to draw attention. For once, you didn’t want Crane to notice what you were doing.

You stayed close to the wall of the cafeteria, practically hugging the stone as you walked briskly. It was important to be fast, but not too fast.

“What are you doing?” asked a sharp voice behind you.

You would have spun faster than either of you could blink, pen at the ready to plunge into his neck. If only you hadn’t recognized the voice.

Crane grabbed you roughly by the shoulder, and you screamed silently behind your eyes.

“Nothing,” you said calmly. “Going for a walk.”

“You’re not allowed to do that,” Crane sighed, already dragging you to face him. His expression was just as drab as the bricks that now pressed into your back. “What’s in your hand?”

Your finger flicked over the sharp point again. This was the one possibility that you hadn’t imagined, of course. The one opponent your weapon was useless against, all because you couldn’t bring yourself to use it.

With your jaw set and shoulders squared, you straightened up to face him. You wouldn’t shy away from his eyes, even if looking at them meant facing the disappointment that lurked, not-so-subtly beneath their surface.

Crane grew impatient awaiting your answer, and grabbed you by the wrist. You let him. It was useless to resist, and the two of you glared at each other as he yanked your hand and your fingers fell open. The story was written over your palm, almost as clearly as if you had used the pen to record it across your own flesh.

Crane picked up the wrecked pen, considered the jagged edge of the plastic, and pocketed it. Without another word, he turned and dragged you out of the cafeteria, heading toward your cell.

Jonathan’s hand in yours is restless; seeming to flutter as his thumb drifts absentmindedly, rubbing back and forth in a way that might be more soothing for him than it is to you. You want to help him, but you’re not sure how. You’ve noticed the anxieties that have seemed to overwhelm him lately, and you wish there was more you could offer him.

“Maybe you should take a break,” you suggest. “We could watch a movie or something. Go for a walk?”

Jonathan shakes his head, and tears his hand away to go back to scribbling on the pad in front of him. The paper is already littered with letters and symbols that mean nothing to you. Three vials full of pale liquid - Jonathan’s pet project - roll gently back and forth on the table.

“I can’t get it right, and I don’t know why,” he snaps, frustrated. “I need to run more tests, but…”

“I could test it for you,” you offer.

Jonathan looks at you with a mix of shock and, maybe, revulsion, and you feel yourself shrink back into your seat.

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” he says.

“You don’t have to ask,” you reply. “I’d do anything for you.”

His expression morphs into something that’s harder to read. That’s been happening more and more often lately, and it’s started to panic you when it does. You know him so well, but suddenly, there are sides to him that seem almost foreign to you. You bring a hand up to cup his sharp cheek, and the smile stretched over your own face feels plastic.

“Us against the world,” you remind him.

Jonathan places his hand over yours, only for a moment before pulling away entirely.

“I just… want to know I can do something,” he says. “Something I set my own mind to.”

“You can,” you assure him. “You have.”

“My whole life, I’ve felt as if I’m just reacting to things that are outside of my control,” he continues, almost as if he hadn’t heard you. “I just want to understand why.”

Emotion has crept into his voice, and your first instinct is to pull back. You ignore it. Instead, you place a kiss on his temple, and he lets his head fall to rest on your shoulder. The room is silent for a moment, as you wrap both your arms around him and try to think of something to say.

“You know I’d be lost without you, right?” you ask, gently. 

“That’s because you have a dysfunctional attachment style.”

You stop. His words, flat and unemotional, pierce through you as if he had stabbed instead of spoken them. You can feel the ground opening up at your feet, and struggle to reassert yourself.

“That’s not true. You… don’t mean that,” you flounder.

“Maybe I don’t,” he agrees, halfheartedly. “Who knows anymore.”

Your heart aches. You hate that he’s talking like this is the end of something. A foregone conclusion that’s just out of his grasp, but that he doesn’t even care to reach for. A sentence on a page, half-finished but forgotten.

“You’ve been working too hard,” you decide. “You’re tired.”

“I am tired.”

“Let’s go to bed, then,” you suggest. 

He nods, and you take hold of his hand to guide him, the dark ink of your tattoo pressed up against the blank space on his wrist.

Back in your cell, Crane didn’t bother to lock the door behind him for once. Instead, he stood directly in front of it, hands on his hips as he stared down at you.

“I would say I’m shocked, but I’m not,” he sighed, voice already grinding against itself. “But, what I can’t figure out is this. What gave you the idea that this would go well for you?”

You didn’t answer.

“It’s not as if I don’t monitor you.”

Normally, the admission that he’d been paying attention to you would have made your heart flutter. But now, it felt like there was nothing more than a pit in your chest. The same one that was always there, longing for something that could fill it without being swallowed.

“You’re lucky it was me who found you, and not somebody else.” He moved one hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose, just like he always had. For as long as you’d known him. “Don’t you ever stop and think before you act?”

That was insulting. You’d spent plenty of time thinking about this. In fact, it was all you’d been focusing on for weeks - at least when your mind was clear enough to focus. 

And really, he was one to talk. How many times had you helped him crawl out of one failed situation or another? It wasn’t fair for him to talk like everything he did went perfectly, when both of you knew very well that it didn’t.

“Don’t have anything to say?” Crane pried.

You felt anger swell furiously within you, and - as if to prove the point he’d just made - you surged forward without thinking. Crane didn’t have any time to react, and you pressed your lips up against his in a harsh kiss that felt sickeningly void of love. Your cold fingers grabbed at the front of his sweater, and you felt your lips crush into your teeth, desperately searching for some hint of the spark that you felt certain was still there.

Crane scrambled, his back pressed against the hard door, and finally tore you away from him.

“What are you doing?” he spat.

Your eyes were downcast, unable to meet his, and you bit the cracked skin of your lips.

“Who knows anymore,” you replied, echoing his words from long ago.

“You need to control yourself,” Crane hissed. “If you can’t, I’m not going to keep making excuses for you.”

His words might as well have just echoed off the stone walls, vibrating in an empty cell. You weren’t listening. You weren’t even there anymore.

Fleeting as a beam of light. 

Crane collected himself and then left, departing just as the sleek ribbons of past life came to wrap over you again.

You woke, not realizing that you’d fallen asleep. You weren’t sure how long it had been since Crane left, but, judging by the way the lights were already turned out, it had been hours. 

Automatically, your hand went to the top corner of your mattress, intent on blindly tracing over the hearts that had once been there on the sheets. But of course, they weren’t anymore. Instead, though, you heard a clatter as something fell to the floor.

That was odd. Certainly, you hadn’t left anything there this morning. It wasn’t as if you had any possessions to leave.

Groping in the dark, your fingers slid across the floor. Finally, you found it, and held the object up close to your face.

A key.

Your lips curled as you held tight to the metal.

Read Pt. 3 HERE!

[the-really-lonely-mountain]

Along for The Ride - Part 1

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Summary: Transported to Middle Earth, you must Join Thorin Oakenshield's Company as they travel to reclaim Erebor! OR: My take on the classic 'modern girl in Middle Earth' troupe. With this first installment, we are following the first movie of The Hobbit trilogy, and falling in love with Kili on the way! Slow burn with this one y'all, nothing spicy till the next work I'm afraid.

Tags: Kili / Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Modern Character in Middle Earth, During The Hobbit, How Do I Tag, Canon-Typical Violence, Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien), wrote this while I had covid, in like 4 days lol, implied soulmates, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Freeform, Holding Hands, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members, Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship, Fluff and Humor, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf?, Hair Braiding, Dwarf Courting, My First Tumblr Fic, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live, Thorin Oakenshield Lives, Fíli Lives (Tolkien), Kíli Lives (Tolkien)

Word Count: 6,292

A/N: I was utterly appalled by the lack of Kili writers on here and Ao3. Y'all who write for Kili, I've been eating your crumbs like it's the shit (cause it is) for weeks, but one can't be sustained on crumbs alone so I've prepared a feast!! This is the first fic I've ever wanted to post, please be gentle. Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are loved and treasured!!

Tagging the amazing Kili writers I've been living off of for the past few weeks and who have inspired me so they might share in the feast as well lol go check out their stuff too: @mikathemonster, @cowboybeepboop, @littleenglishfangirl, @ethereal-inquisitor, @sweetpeakili

Photo credit: @immawriteyouthings

Divider credit: @cafekitsune

You were having one of those days that made you want to run away from everything. Instead, you walked on the golf course behind your house after hours; no phone, no umbrella, no bag this time, just you. You had what you could fit from your hands in your jean pockets as you walked the grassy field. Something twinkled and caught your eye on the far side of the fairway, there was a sparkle in the ferns. You walked over and began looking through the underbrush. Your hand grazed a smooth stick with a mangled end that encased a gem. You picked it up hoping for a better look but were transported to another world instead!

You appeared in the new world holding the staff. You were standing beside an older fellow with a pointy hat and long grey beard. You looked around and saw many other gruff, burly-looking men sitting in an encampment. They looked as confused as you. You did the only thing you could think of doing at that moment.

You turned around and took off running as fast as you could.

The wizard whose staff you were running away with asked the younger dwarves in his company to fetch you for him. They ran after you as quick as the wind. You dodged trees and hurdled bushes, making an all-around great effort. You were slowing down though. You stopped for a moment to catch your breath and plan. A twig snapped in the distance; quick footsteps closed in on you. You took off again. You needed a place to hide, a moment to think for God's sake. You were afforded no such luxuries. They were gaining, you were tiring. In your drained haste, you tripped on a bush which sent you stumbling and struggling to regain your footing given your momentum. You finally fell and scampered to take cover behind the roots of a great tree. Their footfalls grew slower and drew nearer. They were so close you could hear their words now.

“…She’s hiding, Fili,” one said much closer than you expected them to be.

You tried your best to steady your breathing. Your heartbeat was so loud you knew they could hear it.

“Stop scaring her Kili,” The other chastised. “You know she’s got to be scared half to death”. He walked past you, studying the ground. The other came up the other side of the tree doing the same.

You gripped the staff preparing yourself to be found. They turned in unison following the same tracks and looked up at you simultaneously. They were both panting but not as hard as you. Fili, the elder and more experienced of the two knelt where he stood a few yards from your curled trembling form.

“My name is Fili” He put his hand on his chest and motioned to the man next to him, “This is my brother Kili. We mean no harm to you.” He kept his distance and showed his empty hands. You stayed firmly pressed against the tree trunk, your chest heaving rapidly and your eyes as large as saucers. They could have tackled you, beaten you, or done any number of terrible violating things, but they kept their distance and spoke softly.

“What’s your name?” Kili asked, with a charming smile as he crouched beside his brother.

“Y/N,” you said in a shaky freaked-out tone.

“Y/N, that’s our friend wizard’s staff,” Fili said, “If anyone can figure out how you got here, he can.”

“But you gotta come back to camp with us,” Kili said reaching out his hand as a peace offering. So many horrible things could happen to you in the wild of this new world, but even more on top of that could if you didn’t go with them.

“How can I trust you?” You asked them. They looked at each other.

“How can we trust you?” Kili threw back at you with a suspicious look and recoiled his hand.

“Touche” you nodded returning his look.

“Seems we are at an impasse then,” Fili huffed at his brother, “You want to get home, and our wizard can do that. The only way that can happen is if you come with us back to our camp. We can only offer you our word and promise on our honor as dwarven princes that you will not be harmed by any in our company.”

You thought for a moment and nibbled at your lip, “You promise?” you looked up at Kili this time.

Kili looked you deep in the eyes, and very seriously said: “No harm will ever come to you, on my honor as a prince.”

You nodded at this, “Very well”, and tried to stand up but were stuck against the tree. The 2 men easily lifted you back to your feet. You followed them back to the camp.

You tried your best to hide behind Kili as you approached the wizard smoking a pipe. You peeked from around his shoulder at the other men in the camp. They were looking at you.

“Please sit, my dear,” The wizard said to you, motioning to the rest of the long log beside him “We have much to discuss.”

Your legs wouldn’t move you from behind the dwarf. You were still quite afraid.

“She seems to have taken a liking to you Kili,” the wizard said to him. The rest of the company let out a soft chuckle of agreement. You couldn’t see it from your angle, but Kili smiled and nodded.

“Sit down child, we aren’t going to hurt you,” One of the dwarves sitting across the fire said. You took a deep breath to gather your courage. One false move by any of the others would have you bolting again.

You moved from behind Kili and sat beside the wizard still clutching the staff.

“May I take that from you?” the wizard politely asked. You handed it to him. He explained how this type of thing had happened to a couple of his wizard friends before, but he didn’t know the remedy or spell to undo it or how to prevent it from happening again. You sat quietly listening and nodding. He explained to you and the rest of the company that he was leaving to travel to his friend and inquire about your predicament. In the meantime, he convinced the company and its leader, Thorin you came to know, to keep you in the company as an innocent bystander to help around the camp and whatnot till Gandalf (the wizard) could figure out what to do with you. Gandalf gave you a small sack of coins, instructing you to get a bag, a bedroll, clothes, and any other necessities you’ll need at the next town.

As the fire died down so did the company. They got out their bedrolls and sleeping gear like a synchronized unit and as quickly as they started, they were all asleep snoring softly. Kili had first watch and was sitting on the ground next to you leaning against the log you were on. You slid onto the ground next to him curled with your knees to your chest. He looked over at you. You looked over at him.

“I don’t know what to do now,” you said not hiding the waver in your voice very well, “I’m so scared.” You couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. You cried into your hands as quietly as possible, so you didn’t disturb and anger the others. If you had looked at Kili, you would have seen him in a slight panic and at a loss for what to do, he didn’t know how to console crying women. You sobbed into your hands knowing you just needed to let it all out then you’d be fine. Kili looked at the fire and put his hand on your back. Physical contact of any kind back home was next to nonexistent, it felt nice to know he was trying his best to comfort you. After a few minutes of uncontrollable sobbing and hiccups wracking through you, you began calming down. When you were able to breathe properly, you wiped your face even though tears kept falling. You sniffled and rested your chin on your knees letting the tears fall silently now.

“Do you feel better?” Kili guessed in a soft tone and rubbed his hand on your back.

You nodded at him, “Yes” You took a deep breath and wiped the tears from your eyes as best you could, “Thank you” You looked at him and smiled a little. He smiled and nodded too, still concerned but returned his hand to his lap. You sniffled and looked at the fire.

“Really though I don’t know what I’m doing,” you said. “I’ve never been camping before,” you paused to think. “I don’t know how to fight or use a sword or make a fire or hunt or-or—” You were working yourself up and starting to cry again. Kili cut you off before you could start sobbing hysterically again.

“WOAH! Woah!!” alarmed, he put his hand on your back again, “It’s ok. Calm down.” he said harshly, “Take a deep breath, that seemed to help last time,” He mumbled the last part under his breath. That made you smile despite yourself.

“You don’t know how to console someone, do you?” You took a deep breath and wiped your eyes. He shook his head and took his hand from you. “Seems we’re both out of our depth then,” you said making the mood a bit lighter.

“In my defense, I was raised in a pack of manly men,” He smiled fondly “It’s a wonder my mother got through to me at all.”

“So, you do have a mother,” you said, making him look at you quizzically “I assumed you were raised by wolves,” You shrugged. He laughed and you couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re not completely wrong about that,” He smiled, looking over at the men across the fire. There was a momentary silence. “We’ll teach you those things, how to fight, how to make a fire, all that,” He looked over at you, “I mean who knows how long Gandalf will be, and you’d have to be pretty stupid not to pick up a thing or two even from this bunch.” You smiled and nodded; this calmed your nerves a little. A moment of silence fell between you again.

“Is it ok if I stay up with you?” you innocently asked, “I’m not very tired.”

“Sure,” he said casually, “May I ask about your life back in your world?”

“OK,” You nodded.

“What do you do?” he asked, you gave him a weird look. “Like for a living, how do you make money, how do you spend your days?”

“I’m a student at university at the moment.” He looked at you confused this time. “I spend my days studying at a desk, it’s boring and dull” You quickly summed up.

“Ooohh,” He said, “No wonder you couldn’t run for shit,” He laughed.

You scoffed, “So rude,” You huffed, failing to hide your smile. He was glad you were cheering up a bit.

“If it’s so boring and dull, why don’t you do something else?” He asked, naive to your world and its ways.

“It’s…complicated” you sighed “I have to study to do what I want to do for work even though I don’t want to work or study or do any of that, but I have to make money somehow because I need money to do stuff and buy things because the world I live in is shitty that way and it’s so frustrating sometimes,” you gritted your teeth to make your point.

“Well, what do you want to do then?” he asked, trying to understand your strange world.

“Sit on the beach,” You said without hesitation “…Listen to the waves…sleep on a blanket in the sun,” you sighed wistfully. “Die happy and rich.”

“That does sound nice” He agreed “I’ve never seen a tropical ocean before, the seas near the Blue Mountains are all frozen over.”

“Surely there’s a beach somewhere in this world,” You refused to believe the universe sent you to a world without a beach.

“There is! I’ve heard stories of Southern Gondor, where the sun makes the sand hotter than forges, and the water falls over the horizon in every direction.”

“That sounds like the beaches from back home,” You felt a little bad for him. You’d been practically raised at the beach because it was the only free thing to do in your hometown.

“May I ask a question?” you asked this time.

“Of course,” He shifted to lean against the log and face you.

“What are you guys doing?” you gestured to the camp around you.

“We are on a quest!” He said proudly, “A quest to take back our ancestral home from the dread dragon Smaug,” he said in a sinister voice. He explained about Erebor and the dragon and Thorin to catch you up. You listened, nodded, and took it all in, asking questions and giggling at his jokes. He was a decent storyteller.

“And I’m just along for the ride I guess,” you said deflated about your role in all this.

“If it’s any consolation, you’re quite good company,” He indulged; Kili always got so lonely on watch.

“Yay!” you said over a yawn, “I’d hate to bore any of you,” you replied, genuinely fearing your stories may never measure up to theirs. You leaned over and laid on the soft grass, curled in a ball with your arm as a pillow. You tried not to shiver from the cool evening breeze. You heard some shuffling of fabric, and then a blanket fluttered on top of you. You looked at Kili who smiled and said: “I’m quite the furnace at night, I’ll be fine without it,” he reassured.

“Thank you,” you said over another yawn. You didn’t expect to fall asleep but the next thing you knew it was early morning and you were awoken by the clanging of pots and spoons. You sat up and looked around to get your bearings.

‘Still in the same strange world’ you thought not fully awake. Kili appeared, greeted you good morning, and handed you a bowl of white goo he called porridge. You thanked him and ate your breakfast in silence like the rest of the company. While the men packed up the camp you were tasked with washing the dishes in a nearby stream. You were struck by the beauty of the incredible woods around you even in the dim morning light. You returned to camp and put the dishes in their bag, which was taken by one of your new companions. You felt out of place without a task among everyone who knew what to do. Balin saw you standing in the middle of the camp looking lost. He asked Thorin what they were to do about their lack of an extra pony for you. They decided you could ride with Kili seeing as he was the lightest (next to Bilbo) and his pony could take the weight and because you seemed the most comfortable with him. The old dwarf with a white-grey beard curled up at the ends approached you with as much of a nonthreatening air as he could muster.

“Good morning, my dear!” He greeted you with a chipper smile. “My name is Balin”

“Good morning,” you replied. “I don't quite know what I’m to be doing,” you said sheepishly.

“That’s ok lass, it’ll come with time,” he reassured, “For now, you’ll ride with Kili so you can see if he needs help getting ready.”

“Ok,” You nodded and started walking in Kili’s direction. You stopped in front of his pony and petted its nose and down its neck. “I’ve been told that I’m to ride with you,” you said timidly looking at him adjust his saddle. Kili looked at you and nodded.

“I’ll be happy to have a lovely conversation again” He smiled and looked back at his saddle, making the final arrangements.

He turned to you and said, “I’ll give you a leg up,” And jabbed a thumb at his pony. You nodded and approached the animal. You put your hands on the ponies back and bent your leg waiting for him to help. He leaned forward so he could whisper in your ear: “Wrong leg”. You blushed quite profusely at that and switched legs. He heaved you with such strength he nearly threw you over the other side of the pony. You made yourself comfortable behind the saddle before he hooked his foot in the stirrup and carefully mounted so he didn’t knock you off.

“You ok?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yep!” you smiled. He nodded. You were excited to see new lands even though you feared what they harbored.

“If you need to hold on to me when we get going you can,” he said, making you both blush despite yourselves.

A few moments later Thorin called out: “Company ready?” in a deep booming voice, “Aye!” They all replied in unison. “Company, move out!” He bellowed and urged his pony forward. The rest followed behind him one by one. When your animal lurched forward you grabbed Kili's waist for dear life. The company was silent till they got to the end of the forest. You had your cheek pressed against Kili’s shoulder and your chest against his back. The fur of his coat was very soft against your face as you turned your head to look over his other shoulder. You yawned but didn’t realize you did it right next to his ear and breathed down his neck. He determinedly kept his eyes on the pony ahead of him to keep the blush rising in his chest at bay.

“You can take a nap if you need to,” he said over his shoulder in a soft voice for only you to hear.

“That sounds like a good idea,” You yawned again. You buried your face in the soft spare fabric of the hood on his back and cuddled closer to him to rest your head on his shoulder. You closed your eyes and sleep swiftly took you. He knew this because he could feel your breathing slow on the back of his neck. He was happy you could sleep and couldn’t help his smile. You shifted now and then, turning your head one way then a while later turning it the other. Kili tried not to talk or move too much in fear of waking your delicate slumber. By midday, you felt very well rested. You took a deep breath and released your grasp on Kili to stretch your arms above your head, arching your back to wake yourself up. You quickly slipped your arms around him again, so you didn’t fall.

“Good morning!” He chirped, “Well afternoon really,” he corrected with a smile, “Sleep well?”

“Mhm,” You hummed against his shoulder “I haven’t slept that well in a long time,” you said thinking back on the restless weeks before your arrival in Middle Earth.

“Good,” He nodded. “Happy I could be of service.”

“Yes, you make quite the comfortable bed,” you replied.

An easy silence settled between you for a while. You contentedly watched the landscape pass by while he kept the pony on the path.

“What’s a good weapon for a beginner?” You asked knowing you needed to start wrapping your head around the fact that you could be stuck here forever and needed to protect yourself. He thought about that for a few moments.

“I’d have to say a bow,” He shrugged, “I don’t know honestly, lemme ask Fili,” he kicked up his pony to walk faster to be next to his brother. “What is the best weapon for a beginner?” He asked him. Fili glanced at you and thought for a moment.

“Hmm I think a sword would be easiest,” He replied, contradicting his brother.

“A sword?!” Kili said incredulously “No that’s one of the harder ones,” He swatted his hand as if to swipe the words from the air.

Fili scoffed “For you maybe,” he said barely keeping his teasing smile under control “But not to the rest of us, my weapon-challenged brother.” That made you giggle. Kili huffed and pulled his horse back, so he wasn’t beside his brother anymore.

“Are you that bad with a sword?” you asked, trying not to laugh too much.

“No!” he exclaimed, “I’m just better with a bow and arrows,” he pouted.

‘Awe he’s so cute when he pouts’ Your thought took you by surprise.

“Perhaps you can teach me, Archer,” Your voice was lower than you intended, making you both blush. Your breath ghosted over his ear making him shiver just a little. He turned his head to look at you over his shoulder, his face so close to yours. He looked at your lips then deep into your eyes holding eye contact.

“Maybe I will,” he said in a deep gruff whisper that made you gasp and goosebumps rush over your skin. He turned back and smiled; proud he could get a rise out of you. You huffed and distanced yourself from him by leaning back, needing the space to calm down.

As night drew closer, Thorin led the company to the edge of a forest and found a shallow cave, more like a cliff overhang to make camp for the night. He told Fili and Kili to take care of the ponies and Oin and Gloin to make the fire. After the meals had been handed out Thorin told you to take Fili and Kili a bowl. You walked through the forest and found them looking at a downed tree in panicked awe.

“Something took 4 of the ponies,” Fili said to you, hoping you’d have the answer to their predicament.

“Yes, and…” you nodded at them trying not to panic yourself “What are you going to do about it since it’s your problem?”

The brothers decided to see what took the ponies and if they could handle it themselves, no need to worry Thorin, right? You followed them as they tracked the pony-nappers. Kili hid behind a tree and peeked around, you hid behind him and peeked over his shoulder. 3 large trolls were something to worry about, and a sight that made that dreadful feeling drop from your chest into your stomach. Your grip on Kili’s coat tightened.

He turned to you and said in barely a whisper, “Go back to camp and tell Thorin”.

Fili was immediately against it, huffing and puffing from behind his tree. Kili shrugged and motioned with hands as if to say, ‘What else would you have us do?!’ Fili huffed again and snuck around the tree. He tried to cut the rope fence with his sword, but he took too long. The trolls caught him. They were deciding ways to eat him when Kili looked at you in alarm and told you to go back to camp. You ran as fast as you could.

“Ponies! Big grey troll things took the ponies!” You said out of breath pointing the way you just came “Fili…in…danger”. Thorin cursed in dwarfish and rallied the company. Balin told you to keep your distance, so you didn’t get caught in the fight.

The dwarves fought bravely but were captured. Bilbo bid for more time while you thought of a plan. You heard the trolls complain about daylight coming and that gave you an idea. You saw the trolls had made camp in the shade cast by a large boulder. You wedged a branch under the rock and used the leverage to try to roll it. It was very heavy, and you were not. It took everything in your power to push the branch to roll the boulder down the ditch edge it rested on. The trolls were washed in sunlight, turning them to stone and freeing the company. They cheered when you stepped over the branch and into the clearing. You helped them from their confines and smiled and blushed when they praised your good job.

Back at camp the company gathered their things and discussed what to do now. Fili suddenly hushed the company.

“Warg howls in the distance,” He whispered to Thorin “They are coming!”

“RUN!” Thorin yelled at the company. Following Thorin everyone started running. You all ran as fast as you could onto a hilly plane sprinkled with trees and boulders. You ran and ran till the Wargs finally caught up. They began to encircle you. The company fought the beasts, taking them down as still more came at them. You went to hide behind the rock formation but fell into it instead. You climbed out as the Wargs were closing in.

“Down here!” you called “There’s a passage this way!” you slid down to make room for the others. Thorin was the last one, as he slid down a horn was blown near the entrance to the passage.

“I can’t see where it leads, do we follow?” One of the dwarves asked.

“Yes! We follow!” Thorin barged through the dwarves and led the company through the narrow pass. You all walked for a few minutes, but then Thorin rounded a corner and slowed as he realized where he’d unwittingly led the company. The rest kept walking around him, but Bilbo stopped and said in admiration: “Rivendell”. You stopped as well to take in the view before you. It was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. A small town on the side of a mountain with water flowing from beneath some of the glittering structures.

As Thorin led the company over a bridge, you grabbed Kili’s arm to steady yourself as you looked around and took in the ornate statues and architecture of the front steps of a large building. A man much taller than you or the dwarves approached the group.

“We would like to speak to Lord Elrond,” Thorin said through gritted teeth. He was swallowing his pride for the betterment of the quest, that much was clear through his clenched fists and tense shoulders.

“Lord Elrond isn’t here,” The elf said regretfully.

“Then where is he?” Thorin’s patience was growing thin. A horn was sounded on the other side of the bridge you’d just crossed. Everyone turned to see a group of horses galloping towards them. The dwarves began shouting in dwarfish and closing ranks with their weapons ready for battle. You were pushed into the very center of the circle as tall horses and riders circled you. They stopped suddenly and the one on a black horse dismounted.

“My Lord Elrond,” The elf who first approached you said with a bow.

“Lindir” Elrond bowed his head at him then turned to the leader of your group, “Welcome Thorin son of Thrain,” He looked over the dwarf “You have your grandfather's bearings.”

“I’m afraid I know you only from the stories my grandfather told me,” Thorin was doing his best to be polite. (You were later informed that the stories were mostly about him being a ninny.)

“I’d like to offer you and your company a taste of our elfish hospitality,” Elrond said with a warm smile.

“Does that mean we’ll eat?!” Bombur called from the back. The company chuckled at him.

“Yes Bombur, that means we’ll eat” Dori replied. The company cheered at the prospect of a full belly and a warm hearth.

Not long after, you were sat next to Bilbo and Kili at a large table. The salad appetizers were very good despite the dwarves not liking green food very much. You giggled at their jokes about how bad the music was or how they wanted chips and meat. Thorin was sat at another table across from Elrond discussing something you couldn’t hear, but you could tell it pained Thorin to be in the other man's presence.

You turned to Kili beside you. “Thorin looks constipated,” you said in a low voice barely containing your laughter “He can’t even pretend to be enjoying this”. Kili looked over at his uncle and laughed with you.

When the meals were served there was boisterous laughter and general dwarfish shenanigans, the usual at any merry dwarfish gathering. Bilbo looked like he was having PTSD from when they were doing the same at his house at the beginning of the quest. At the end of the meal, Thorin and Balin disappeared with Elrond to discuss a map. You asked Kili if he would escort you to the markets with as much innocent girlish need as you could muster to solidify your security. He agreed and walked with you through the corridors and to the market. He helped you get a fair price on a bag, a blanket, and a bedroll. The next thing you needed was clothes to blend in.

“What do the women around here wear exactly?” You asked him. He shrugged.

“It depends, I guess” He had his hands shoved in his pockets as he followed you around the clothing stalls like a puppy.

“Gee, that’s a big help.” You teased.

After some more wandering you found a stall selling clothes that looked your size. You purchased a dark blue form-fitting tunic that stopped above your knees and had slits on the sides that went up to your hips. It paired very nicely with the brown pants and brown coat with dark blue highlights you bought as well. Kili helped barter with the merchants since you didn’t know the fair price of things here. In another section of the market, you bought spools of black, blue, and pink thread. You put your belongings in your new bag.

“Are we done?” Kili asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He was ready to go back to the others and be away from so many elves. You sighed and rolled your eyes playfully and nodded. He led you through the busy crowded markets by holding your hand. You were thankful he was in front of you so he couldn’t see your blush. You made it back to the group, who had set up camp in a courtyard garden at the end of a hallway. Just as you arrived two female and two male elves came down the hallway.

One of the males stepped forward, “The bathhouse is ready for you now” he said to the group.

“Bath?! We don’t need no stinkin’ bath!” Exclaimed a dwarf from behind the fire. The rest heartily agreed, not ready to drop their pants on elvish soil it seemed.

“I’d like a bath” you timidly said, not wanting to make a fuss but very much wanting to be clean.

“Very good mistress dwarf, if you’ll follow us,” one of the female elves said. You were tense as you followed the four elves down the corridor, not sure what you were doing.

“You best go with her lad,” Dori said to Kili, “You never know what an elf might try to pull.” He glared at the back of the elves as they walked away. Kili nodded and ran after you.

“Y/N!” He called making you and the elves stop.

“Oh, change your mind, Kili?” You asked with an innocent smile, happy to have his company.

“Yeah, I guess so.” He smiled too.

You were led to a large door that opened into a covered hot spring that flowed over the balcony to create an assumably gorgeous waterfall. Columns lined the outer edge of the room which was split down the middle by a cloth partition. The male elves walked to one side of the divider with Kili in tow, while the females walked to the other. The elves asked that you wash under the heated shower of water off to the side before entering the hot springs. They left you to your own devices.

“I’ve never seen anything like this have you?” You asked Kili across the large room.

“No” He smiled at the wonder in your voice from seeing new things and making discoveries. He thought it was very cute.

You placed your bag and new clothes on the vanity in the corner. You undressed and stepped under the warm shower. You used the bar of soap you found to wash your hair and body. It was the best-smelling soap you’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

“Hey, Kee?” You hollered.

“Yeah?” He yelled back.

“Do you plan on keeping your soap?”

“No…Why?”

“I’ll take it then. I’ll need extra anyway,” And you were so happy you did. That soap made your hair silky smooth and stronger than ever. You rinsed the suds away then stepped into the hot springs.

It felt luxurious. You couldn’t help but moan a little as the heat pulled every knot and tense muscle from you. Relaxed, you floated in the steamy water.

“You still there Kili?” you asked suddenly nervous he’d left you.

“Yeah, I’m here” He replied, “We shouldn’t take too much longer though, Thorin could be back any minute and who knows what kind of a mood he’ll be in.”

That made you enjoy the bath a little faster. Not long after you began drying off and getting dressed. You took the hairbrush and beads and other miscellaneous hair trinkets that were on the vanity. You looked in the mirror at your new outfit. It fit as you thought, though a little snugger in some places than others, hugging your curves to allow for movement yet still baggy for breathability and insulation. Overall, a nice ensemble.

“Ready Y/N?” Kili asked from across the partition.

“Yeah, you can come over, I’m just packing my things.” You replied, folding your old clothes, and putting them in your bag with the rest of your things.

“Here’s the soap” He handed it to you.

“Thanks!” You smiled at him; you simply wrote his flushed cheeks off to the hot water. When you stood, he was able to get a much better look at you in your new clothes.

“A perfect fit I see” He smiled, looking you up and down. He couldn’t help but imagine what you’d look like wearing nothing but his tunic. A line of thought he blushed at and quickly willed away.

“Does it look alright? I don’t know how it’s supposed to fit” You fussed with the hems and the folds trying to make them lay better. He grabbed your hand to make you stop fidgeting.

“You look great,” he said with a genuine smile. You smiled and nodded your appreciation.

You walked back to camp, making moneyless bets on what mood Thorin would be in when he returned.

As you approached Fili saw you in your new outfit and said, “Well look at this…” Making the rest of the company look at you too, “Our wee lass looks like a bona fide middle earther now!” They cheered at your near-complete indoctrination.

“Now she just needs to learn how to fight like one.” Bofur quipped from beside the fire.

“Then I wouldn’t need any of you to protect me!” You put the back of your hand to your forehead feigning a damsel in distress, making the company laugh. You sat on the ground beside the long chair Kili was now examining his weapons in and leaned against it. You held out a stone fish figurine to him.

“As a thank you for helping me” you cleared your throat “…And for being my friend.” You couldn’t meet his eyes, but you knew he was smiling a little around his reed pipe. He took it from your open hands. You know it wasn’t much but it’s all you could offer.

“Maybe one day you can return it to the ocean,” you said, referring to your previous conversation.

“Maybe I will,” he smiled down at you with genuine fondness.

“Bombur!” Bofur called before throwing a sausage to his cousin. The table, which took skilled elfin craftsman months, even years to craft and carve out of solid wood, collapsed under the massive weight of Bombur. Everyone erupted in laughter, it was nice to be part of the group and share in the merriment.

~~

Thorin stopped Balin on their way back to the camp, “We should leave her here,” He said, “She is a liability.”

Balin had a terrible sinking feeling in his round tummy when he thought of splitting you up.

“So what if she is, Thorin?” Balin said near pleading. “Have you ever seen your nephew that happy or open with a girl that quick before? I’ve never seen the lad so engaged in a conversation that didn’t have to do with weapons before last night. So what if she dies on our quest, at least we gave them a chance to happen, and if fate finds their pairing favorable it will all work out!” Balin was desperate to keep you and the young prince together if only to keep the sinking feeling at bay.

Thorin huffed, “Very well, but her blood is not on my hands,” He walked away and into the camp.

~~

Thorin and Balin returned, and the tone became slightly more serious—slightly. The company settled and laid their bedrolls in the grassy parts of the garden. You laid yours out as well and prepped for sleep by removing your shoes and coat. The night was warm enough that your blanket would suffice. You looked up at the stars wondering if any of the constellations were the same as back home. You cuddled your coat to your chest relishing the feel of the soft fabric. The low conversation between Fili and Kili, while they sat on watch across the fire, lulled you to sleep.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

[youkaiyume]

Hello, it's been a while since I did a rant. But WARNING for gross medical things:

SO it turns out my old nemesis the ovarian cysts have plagued me again. I found out about three weeks ago when a weird pain wouldn't leave my pelvis and went to urgent care and they suggested a CT scan. ONLY! for my insurance to deny me cuz they think I needed more probable cause for one so my doctor just recommended I go to the ER (which ironically is way more expensive for insurance to pay for than a simple CT scan but they did it to themselves lol).

Turns out I have cysts on BOTH of my ovaries FUN. But the left one is very concerningly big and probably needs to be removed but I can only do so by getting an approval of an OBGYN. So after finding one and waiting for my blood tests to come back so she can determine if she can surgically remove it--

YESTERDAY I had a SUDDEN AND SEVERE pain that hit me. I was at a solid 10 on that pain scale and vomiting and sweating so I drove myself to the ER again for the second time in two weeks. Frustratingly, the MALE doctor came back and was just like "well it looks like while we were doing your ultrasound you weren't consistently experiencing pain" which I was ready to bite his head off because let me tell you. While I was laying stretched out letting them do the ultrasound I was in the worst pain the ENTIRE time. And it was not a short ultrasound. It lasted over 20 mins and even after they asked me if I could survive sitting through the vaginal ultrasound after which would be another 25 mins. And those are painful just for the stick poking around in your yoohoo alone. I begged for pain relievers and when I described it they were like "oh that's labor level pains"

SO Mr. I don't have a Uterus doctor, DON'T TELL ME that your machine says I wasn't in pain. He even hit me with a "well I don't know what your pain tolerance is" as if to minimize or make me feel like I was overblowing what I was feeling. Like, fuck that guy. But because technically the imaging showed that the cysts haven't ruptured or caused my ovaries to twist it was considered "non emergent" and so the just gave me painkillers and then sent me home and reiterated that the only way I could get it removed at this point was to beg my OBGYN and convince her it was an emergency. In the meantime it was "oh you'll have to live with LABOR LIKE PAINS 24/7 until they let you have surgery." In the meantime they said I should only return to the ER after I've took all my pain meds and my pain doesn't improve OR if something worse happens. like a rupture.

WHICH btw are the exact same symptoms I have today so I was like how will I know cuz I can't imagine a worse pain than this one to which they were like "shrug"

I was in tears. Oh but it gets EVEN BETTER. Called my OBGYN this morning and she said my blood tests came back and that unfortunately they detected higher than usual levels of cancer markers in the cyst so that means she can't surgically remove them for me, she has to foist me to an Oncologist so THEY can remove it. She tries to say it doesn't necessarily MEAN cancer but hnnnnnggg that does not help with my anxiety at the moment.

Now calling the Oncologist to make an appointment today was a whole ordeal itself cuz their system kept going to voicemail so I had to call all the departments until they finally let me through but I had to run back to the hospital to try to get my Ultrasound discs for them. But even then they were like "your appointment isn't until next Wednesday" because THATS when the doctor meanders into work. So I'm like OH so like, in the meantime what if something happens??? And they're like well you gotta call back your OBGYN to see if you have other options. Which turns out she is also out. Until Tuesday. So I'm like. Guess I'll die then!

I don't even want kids!!! These ovaries have caused me nothing but trouble!!! Please rip them from my body!!

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

Hi! I had this idea stuck in my head for a while. What if Miss Thornhill forced the reader to go against Wednesday when she realized that the reader had feelings for her?

A/N: I dunno if this quite hits your request, but it kinda ran away from me at a point lol

Wednesday x GN!Reader

Groans echo in the small room. Sweat soaked your clothes and shackles bruised your wrists. All you could do was listen to the thuds of red boots as they pace the floor.

"You're more stubborn than I thought." Thornhill fills another vial of whatever she was torturing you with. "I know you know more than you're telling me."

"I'm telling you all I know," you cry out. "Wednesday doesn't see me as a confidant." You grunt in pain as she kicks you.

"I thought I told you to get closer to her. You like her don't you? It should be easy."

A soft sob slips out and Thornhill slips into her motherly persona.

"Oh honey. It'll all be worth it in the end. I'll even spare Wednesday her life so you can have her." She sticks a needle in your neck and empties its contents. "But maybe this will remind you that I won't accept failure anymore.

Pain sinks into your veins as the poison takes effect. Screams echo, making the walls rattle. Thornhill leaves you thrashing on the ground and you black out in agony.

-----+++++-----

When you come back to consciousness, you're trudging towards your dorm room at Nevermore. It isn't clear how you made it here. You were just on autopilot. Whatever Thornhill shot in you still pulsed in your veins. The pain, while dulled immensely, still ripped through your body. You just hope you didn't run into anyone before you made it to your room.

Of course, your luck was shit recently.

The one person you especially wanted to avoid rounded the corner and dark eyes pierced through you. You could only manage a weak grimace in greeting.

"H-hey, Wednesday."

The goth watches your posture. The way you used the wall to hold up the near entirety of your weight. The sweat raining down your face from exertion. The way your breathing makes your entire body heave. After some silence, the girl turns around and goes back the way she came. You let out a sigh of relief only to see Wednesday come back with Enid in tow.

"Carry them to our room," she commands. "Something is going on and I intend on finding out."

"Did you really just bring me here to be the muscle?"

The withering glare sent her way answers Enid's question and she picks you up with an apology. You're far too weak to even resist.

You find yourself in Enid's and Wednesday's shared room. On Wednesday's own bed no less. The wolf whines softly and looks at you worriedly while Wednesday tries to deduce what was wrong with you. It takes a while, but you manage to get the strength back to say more than two words.

"It's poison that was injected straight into my veins." You lean your head to show the needle prick on your neck. "I was tortured. Been getting tortured."

"By who? And why?"

Your mouth opens to answer Wednesday. You try, but nothing comes out. Only a groan triggered by memories of your pain. Your body begins to writhe from the phantom pains. You feel a cold compress on your forehead. Thing was gently taking care to calm you down. It takes only a few moments for you to calm down.

"Enid, Thing. Leave us alone."

Both look at Wednesday before slowly leaving. Once the door closes, the goth's attention immediately presses onto you. Your fear of more torture makes you shake uncontrollably. Wednesday was capable of so much and you were terrified to become another victim. Tears start to fall from your eyes.

"P-please... I don't want to hurt again..."

Wednesday's eyes soften slightly at the sight of you. She was used to seeing you more upbeat. You would often invade her space just to be near. For some reason, you liked having her around and she had gotten used to it. Seeing you like this was abnormal. She didn't like it one bit.

Recently, the goth noticed you trying to keep your distance, yet also involve yourself in her investigations. While she appreciated your help, the constant push and pull made you suspicious to her. One way or another, she'll figure out why.

You felt a hand on your forehead before it starts running down your hair. You stifle a cry. Wednesday's voice, though soft, cuts through to you.

"I don't intend to hurt you, Y/N. Whether you tell me what you know or not." She pulls her chair closer to you. "Priority right now is your well being."

She continues her ministrations and it soothes you. You still didn't trust your voice, but you wanted to help Wednesday. Even with all the torture you suffered, you would push back against Ms. Thornhill until the end. With a wince, you slowly reach into a hidden pocket in your jacket and pull out a vial of blue liquid. Wednesday stops her hand and widens her eyes.

"That's nightshade. Why do you have it?"

You hand her the vial. Taking deep breaths, you pushed through to answer.

"I was supposed to use it on you. To get you out of the way. At least after getting your blood."

"My blood?" You nodded.

"I don't know why, I swear. That's all I was told." Tears start to fall again as fear of punishment engulfs you again. Wednesday moves to soothe you again.

"I believe you. Do you know who did this?" Another nod.

"I-it was Ms. Thornhill." Even saying her name aloud made you shiver. "She found out about my feelings for you. Wanted to use it to get to you."

That news surprised Wednesday. You had feelings for her? Everything makes sense now. All of your actions come to the forefront of her mind as she analyzes your relationship with her. Her face hardens when a new goal is added to her list.

"We will talk about those... Feelings at another time." She softly caresses your cheek. "For now, rest. And I will make sure Thornhill pays for what she did to you."

For the first time in a long while, you smile. Wednesday will surely be true to her word.

[magnifythesun]

Absolutely loved ur latest prompt about Anthony picking Ian up and how you stick true to their characters it feels too realistic. On that note, since I'm an avid fan of protective worried Anthony, would you pls write something with Ian passing out while filming and Anthony hyperventilating over it.

aaaa this prompt has had my mind spinning since I first read it I'm so hyped to write it! and thank you soooo much, I tried really hard to keep their voices realistic in that one and I'm honestly very happy with the way it turned out! I'm so glad you enjoyed!! :D

(post-writing note: this turned out way more comfort than hurt lol, but it was just too cute to resist!)

It was a rager of a hot day in southern California. They were filming their latest sketch, which was unfortunately entirely outside, and were eager to just get the thing done.

"Should we take a break?" Anthony asked, "It's been a few hours out here, and this heat's really killing me."

"Let's just finish up this scene," Ian said wearily, his face slightly red from the sun.

Anthony nodded in agreement and turned to tell the crew to set the cameras at another angle.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ian suddenly drop like a sack of potatoes, one second standing, then not. It was almost like a bit. It would have been funny, except that the way he ragdolled to the floor sent a horrid chill through Anthony. That was not the way someone fell on purpose, for comedy or otherwise. Anthony turned.

"Ian?" He said, distantly.

Erin was already running toward him, holding her huge water bottle. "Someone bring a sheet!" She called over to the crew, who, behind the sudden haze in Anthony's vision, were little blobs scurrying to and fro, some toward Ian, others running toward the house.

Anthony stumbled over. "What happened?" Erin glanced up at him. "Is he all right?" Her eyes widened at the way he was swaying on his feet.

"Don't you pass out too!" Erin snapped, voice tight with worry. "Go sit down." She waved toward the shade by the house.

"But, Ian," Anthony started. He swept his eyes over his friend, who was starting to stir. Ian's eyelids flickered, then opened as he started to wake up.

"Ow," He groaned, raising a hand up to clutch at his forehead. "Oh wow, my head hurts really bad."

"Like you hit it?" Erin asked sharply, then looked back up at Anthony. "Anthony. Go sit down."

Anthony took an involuntary step backward from the command in her tone alone, then kept backing up until his back hit the side of the house. Tears jumped to his eyes, and he knew in that moment he needed to get out of sight. He went inside the house, ignoring the way different members of the crew were reaching out to him, worry in their voices, and headed straight to the bathroom. Closing the door, he sank to the ground immediately, trying to breathe.

His breath was tight in his throat, like a great beast had a hold on his neck and was squeezing him. The sensation traveled down to his chest, causing him to gasp quick, shallow breaths as he tried to wipe away his tears.

Was Ian alright out there? His mind was spiraling as he desperately sucked in little gasps of air. He had just left him there, too wrapped up in his own frightened reaction to comfort his friend. A pang of guilt burned bright in his chest. He had to get this under control and he had to get back out there.

Anthony focused and started his yoga breathing routine that he used every time he exercised. Slowly, slowly, he controlled his breathing. He stood up shakily, and glanced in the mirror, making sure to wipe the tears from his eyes. There was nothing he could do about how pale he looked, or how red-rimmed his eyes were.

He took one more deep breath and pulled open the door to the bathroom. Walking out, he could hear many voices in the kitchen, which was out of sight. Sounded like most of the crew had taken shelter from the sun in there.

Anthony turned toward the living room and startled. Ian was sitting there, a wet rag on his head and Erin's big bright blue bottle of water clutched in his hands. Anthony felt his breath catch in his chest again.

Anthony walked over to him. "Hey, man. You feeling okay?"

Ian smiled guiltily up at him. "Well, better now," He glanced up at Anthony towering above him and patted the couch cushion next to him. Anthony sat. "I should have called a break sooner. I could tell it was getting to me."

"You don't need to push yourself that hard," Anthony said quietly.

"True," Ian's mouth quirked. "Plus the crew deserved a break too." Ian stared off in the direction of the kitchen for a moment. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, fingers shifting on the pastel surface of the bottle.

Anthony grimaced. "Yeah, I'm good."

Ian turned to look at him, a sharp look in his eye. "Uh-huh."

Anthony intently examined the table in front of the couch. "You saw?"

Ian took a big gulp of water. "I may have just woken up from the consequences of my own hubris, but I, I caught a glimpse."

"Sorry," Anthony said quietly, "I really don't know what came over me."

Ian didn't say anything for a moment, just slurped another sip of water. Anthony couldn't look at him. Then, Anthony felt Ian's hand, cold from the surface of the bottle, rest on top of his own hand and squeeze slightly.

"Always good to know you care." Ian said lightly, the veneer of a joke over his words, but the slight drag of his thumb over the back of Anthony's hand emphasized his words.

Relief and affection rushed through him, and Anthony glanced at Ian. "Your head okay though?"

"When is my head ever okay?" Ian laughed, "But yeah, I didn't hit it. Water?" He lifted the bottle and offered it.

"God, yeah." Anthony took it with the hand that wasn't still covered by Ian's and took a long, refreshing drink. "I can't believe we still have to go back out in that to finish filming."

"Ugh, don't even remind me," Ian groaned.

Right then, Erin's voice called from the kitchen, "Alright, back out there to shoot in ten minutes!"

Various shouts of "Heard!" echoed around the house, accompanied by several grumbles.

"I gotta lay my poor heat-stricken head down for a few minutes before we head back out there," Ian said.

"Oh okay," Anthony said, preparing to get up to let him lay down, when Ian just tilted his head slightly to rest it on Anthony's shoulder. Anthony stilled, his breath catching for the nth time today.

"I'm gonna try to visualize myself in the Arctic," Ian mumbled, "Quiet on set."

Anthony tried to not shake his shoulders as he laughed. "Alright, alright. Make sure to get back from your polar expedition in ten."

Anthony let himself rest his eyes too, the warmth of Ian's hand and head soothing the last of his rattled nerves.

[alpaca-clouds]

Baldur's Gate 3 - Or: Why Endings are hard

The last few days I have seen quite a few posts going around about Act 3 and in general the ending of BG3. Which is understandable, because yes, the ending still kinda feels... off. Some decisions feel forced, some of the character endings feel unsatisfying, and how the game deals with Orin and Gortash also kinda feels off. There is a reason, why I did not write just one, but two fix its for the ending.

But let me talk a bit how this happens and why this is in fact quite a common thing to happen. If I had a dollar for everytime I enjoyed a thing where people were unhappy with the ending of the "thing", I would have enough to cover this month's rent lol

Now, let me talk about the most obvious fact first: Act 3 of BG3 is very long. Mostly because of all the side quests you can do - though you theoretically do not need to do, of course. Though even if you do only do the story-stuff, it is fairly long for one reason: The companion quest most finish up here.

As in my other stuff about the ending: Spoilers under the cut!

Let me quickly make a list of the stuff that is more or less essential to the plot happening in Act 3. Like, quite a bit of this you do not need to do to finish the game, but... For the story to properly finish up this is part of Act 3.

Confront Gortash (Karlach's quest is tied to this)

Confront Orin

Finish off Cazador

Save/Kill Shadowheart's parents

Save Duke Ravengard

Do the Balduran quest

Do the Sorceror's Tower and have Gale talk to Mystra

Deal in either way with the Githyanki revolution

The Counting House

Rescruit Minsc

Deal with Raphael in one way or another

Deal with the Elderbrain

That is a lot, right? And this is all without other sidequests that you can do in Act 3 (like dealing with Ethel and "Build-a-Clown").

The only companion, who does not give you anything to do in Act 3 is Halsin. (I don't know about Minthara, because I never managed to recruit her so far.) Okay, admittedly, also kinda Karlach, because you have to go against Gortash either way and other than that there is nothing that happens in her questline. Which, yes, is one of the reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying.

Now, I absolutely understand why this happens. Because of the thing we actually see with Karlach. It kinda feels off that one character does not really have anything to do towards the end. It feels unsatisfying.

Let me stay with Karlach for a moment. Because she is a good example. One of the main reasons her ending feels so unsatisfying is, that you do not really do a lot for her. Like, in Act 1 you fight Zariel's people sent after Karlach and talk to Dammon. In Act 2 you talk to Dammon. In Act 3 you fight Gortash, which you gotta do either way.

I would argue, that her ending would feel a lot more satisfying, even if it stayed the exact same, if you just were allowed to try and fix her. Maybe do something for the Gondians or Ironhands so they might try and fix her. Or try to get Gortash to fix her (like I wrote about). Or do a more complicated quest for Dammon to get something that might fix her. It does not need to actually work. But just you trying to do something would make the ending feel better.

I have seen people argue that Wyll has the weakest stuff in Act 3, which I very much do not agree with. Like, Wyll and Lae'zel both get a very short end of the stick in Act 2 (there is not really a lot happening for either in Act 2), but Wyll actually has two quests in Act 3, which is in fact more than anyone else. Especially as the Balduran quest ties him directly to the main plot.

Of course, I am still going to argue that Astarion and Shadowheart have the most satisfying ends of their questlines.

But let me get back to the main issue. The main story ending does feel... Hollow. And I think really that this boils down especially to one thing: The main plotline does take away your choices in Act 3. Yes, sure, you can try to become the new Absolute and stuff. But... That's about it.

Sure, you can ally with Gortash. But he dies either way.

You cannot really ally with Orin in any way.

And as I bemoaned so many times: The game forces you to choose whether to ally with the Emperor or Orpheus. Either way does only give minor differences for the ending. And no matter how much you allied yourself with the Emperor so far, he won't listen to you no matter what you say.

In the end the issue with Act 3 - as it is with so many of those endings in stuff that people felt were unsatisfying - is a pacing issues. You want to give all storylines (in this chase the character quests) a proper ending, which all needs to happen in that last Act, because it would feel off, if a main character does not get to do anything in that Act. (Again, like Karlach.)

Yes, I absolutely agree that we actually needed MORE STUFF in Act 3. Especially for Gortash and Orin. But on the other hand the third Act was already SO MUCH.

And that is without going into the problems of development cycles. Like, I don't know how bad it was with Larian working on Act 3, but especially the stuff with the Epilogue feels a lot like they actually did not finish everything. This feeling also gets supported by the fact that Act 3 to this day is more buggy than the first two Acts.

Yes, the problem is the writing - but given this is a game, that writing also needed to be implemented. Maybe they wanted to do more with Gortash and Orin - but they didn't get around to implementing it all.

If this was a non-interactive story, one could have probably tied up several character quests together. But of course that does not work here, because the game cannot know which characters you will have along in Act 3. Like, sure, it would totally make sense to tie up the plots of Karlach and Wyll. But there is a chance either might have died or left the party - or that you have not recruited one of them. Hence... bloating.

And really, the only thing one could do about it would be to add more. But that would make the bloating worse. It is... complicated. Planning stories is complicated.

[whiteboardartstudios]

Goodbye, Gendaen

fan art for @mtqcomic

Thoughts and LONG ramble under the cut! (includes spoilers!!!)

A while ago (like last week maybe?) I realized that I've been following this comic for almost a year, and I still haven't drawn Mysta yet! I figured that with the recent end of Chapter 3 and that *huge* lore drop (I was NOT expecting that oh my goodness the theory wheels are turning in the void that is my brain) now would be a pretty good time to draw her! So that's where this came from! :D

I thought that it would be fun to draw Mysta looking sort of like a knight? Partially because it makes for cool posing and composition but also because I think that if she was in D&D she would be a paladin due to the whole "Hero sent by Destiny" thing (I considered sorcerer or warlock as well, but her moveset is mostly melee at the moment so I thought that paladin fits better. Plus this opens up the possibility of Gendaen being an Oathbreaker paladin, depending on how that whole situation with the Crimson went. (also now I kind of want to put the main cast of mtq in D&D even though I don't actually know a lot about D&D ToT. I think Eth would be a ranger maybe multiclassed into something magic-related, because rangers have a favored enemy mechanic that gives them advantages on fighting a certain type of enemy, which could be Crimson enemies for D&D Eth. Yele is (kind of obviously) a druid because of the whole dryad thing, and Zaïl is definitely giving rogue energy to me.)) Anyways, D&D-related sidetrack aside – hello??? End-of-chapter-3 lore drop? (/positive) I have SO many questions. First of all, what happened to convince Gendaen to switch sides? For someone who allegedly spent his entire life trying to cleanse the Crimson, it would've taken one heck of a worldview-upending revelation to get him to join it. With the information we currently have, it seems pretty clear that Gendaen isn't mind-controlled or corrupted or anything – not just because of the reasons Eth gave in page #169, but also because from all the interactions we've had with Nelun Soma'o/Gendaen, he seemed to be pretty chill? I pointed out in my first fan art post that it doesn't seem as if Nelun Soma'o is being built up to be a villain character and is instead more of an antagonist with a slight mentor role, and I think that still kind of holds up now. Gendaen definitely wants Mysta to help him and/or the Crimson with something, and as Yele said in that recent comic, things aren't really adding up. I'm still slightly suspicious of the Order of Learning as well (insert person pointing at conspiracy theory board meme here lol), since you would think that if Gendaen and Eth are really close then Gendaen might have told Eth about the whole Crimson situation, right? On Page #250 (which is marked as 150??? probably a typo but idk) Gendaen says that he didn't want Eth to be roped into this whole situation, which could be a reason for keeping him in the dark – though if he knew Eth really well then he might have suspected that Eth wouldn't just let him disappear and would go searching for him. Another possible reason (in my theory) if the Order is evil or something and Gendaen learned something that he shouldn't have learned, maybe he knew that Eth wouldn't believe him because of his loyalty to the Order? I may just be connecting random dots and calling it a picture here but *something* is going on and until we get more clues on what that may be, I'm sticking with this theory lol :P EDIT, I was rereading Gendaen's character sheet and it says there that he has a strong code of honor and fights for the underdogs (not the exact phrasing but it's close). 👀 does that mean the Crimson is in some sort of underdog position? 👀

Anyways back to the drawing a little, I gave both Gendaen and Mysta a sort of braid-like element in their designs to sort of tie them together a bit visually (Mysta's is on the sides of her head, which is kind of hard to see so I added a little ribbon to show that parts of her hair is tied back, and Gendaen's is in his golden hair accessory thingy). I think that there's definitely some sort of correlation between Gendaen's disappearance/switching to the Crimson and Mysta being sent to Sol Ybberia, and I also think that both of them are going to play an important role in whatever happens in the future, hence the braids (to show that their destinies are kind of intertwined, as the two Heroes of Sol Ybberia). I also thought that it would be fun to put Gendaen in a stained glass window instead of actually physically being present, because up until the Nelun Soma'o reveal, all the things we know about Gendaen are basically all from Eth's recollections of him, which for me definitely paints a bit of a "Character haunting the narrative" kind of vibe. I also think that with the Nelun Soma'o reveal, the somewhat glorified (for a lack of a better word – I think Eth might be a little biased when it comes to Gendaen, considering that Gendaen has been missing for about 5 years, if my math is correct? 5 years feels like a long time to me and I think that if a person important to me has been missing for that long then my impression of them would definitely start warping to how I want to remember them/who I wanted them to be and I might start unintentionally ignoring the things that doesn't quite match that image in my head. Speaking of/case in point, Eth's reaction to the Nelun Soma'o reveal!) image of Gendaen that we had got thrown in a metaphorical blender with our idea of the Crimson at the time, and it just makes things a whole lot more complicated in a very interesting way. (If you look at the bottom right of the image you can see Nelun Soma'o's cloak coming out of stained-glass Gendaen's cloak, which I thought would be a fun little detail to include). Hence, the stained glass is kind of the "perfect Hero who disappeared to advance the plot" Gendaen and we can see Mysta kind of splitting the glass with her Rotted Fork from a composition point of view, referencing that huge lore bomb she dropped a couple of pages ago and how that changes our (or at least my) perception of Gendaen as a character entirely. I really do like the plot twist, as I think it makes Gendaen a more 3-dimensional character with more complicated motivations and narrative significance, as before I mainly knew him as "predecessor to Mysta" and "one of Eth's sources of motivation", but now he my understanding of Gendaen also extends to things about Gendaen himself and not just about his role in relation to other characters (for example, "Gendaen is helping the Crimson for reasons currently unknown" or "Gendaen is planning something that involves Mysta??? and he's in the Void??? And apparently Mysta is supposed to jailbreak him out at some point in the future?" He definitely has something planned behind the scenes, I don't know what it is and I want to find out).

MORE THINGS about Gendaen (can you tell that he's my favorite character at the moment ToT), what's up with those last words? If I'm correct (and I think I am, I scrolled all the way back to the page where the gods were introduced just to check this ToT), Nomù is Compassion? How is compassion related to Gendaen's alliance with the Crimson? I mean, when you think of the Crimson, compassion definitely is NOT the first value that comes to mind. Right now it seems that to me, Gendaen's plan with Mysta and the Crimson and the Void is connected to Nomù somehow? (the "I won't disappoint you" is definitely interesting). I don't have a lot of thoughts or theories on where this might be going, I just thought that it was something interesting to metaphorically chew on for the next while. It definitely seems like it has some sort of narrative significance, at least.

There might be more things that I wanted to talk about, but I can't really think of them off the top of my head right now (it might be due to the fact that it's currently quite late in my time zone ToT I am sleepy) so that's all from me for now :D (Also dropping the version of the drawing with just the lineart here because I think it looks really cool)

I hope you have a really nice day and/or night! :D

*a starry rift in space opens up in front of me and I faceplant into it like it is a mattress* (gotta make that dramatic exit!) [Image ID: The first image is a colored and rendered image of Mysta from the Mysta's Terrarian Quest webcomic standing in front of a stained glass window of Gendaen. She is holding the Rotted Fork spear from Terraria, and she has a determined expression on her face. The stained glass shows Gendaen with his back turned to the audience, and one closed eye is visible. His cloak is flowing to the right of the image, where it emerges out of the stained glass as it fades from green to dark grey. Crimson vines, green trees, and white clouds surrounds Gendaen in the stained glass. Outside of the glass portrait, real crimson vines are creeping along the stone walls that the portrait is on, framing the portrait and Mysta in the middle. A red light source is shining down from the upper right corner of the drawing. End ID.] [Image ID: The second image is a work-in-progress version of the first image without any color and only some minimal shading, with all shades being in monochrome. Mysta's lineart is noticeably darker compared to the line art of the background. End ID.]

EDIT: Forgot to add image ids, they're here now TwT

[halfagone]

You know, that recent post with more thoughts on bio mom!Selina has given me an idea. Because Bruce and Selina, in one version of canon, have a daughter. Helena. Huntress. Consider: Another twins au, but with Danny and Helena instead

You have activated my DC knowledge, and I hope you know that >:3

Helena's character is a little more complicated and I am here to ramble about that before I get to the meat of this ask. There is a universe where Helena grew up to become Batwoman, not Huntress. And that is because she was raised by her parents and didn't get separated. But since you specifically mentioned Huntress, I'll try to stick with that one.

For anyone that doesn't know this part of DC comics that well, something you should know is that there are two Huntresses. Helena Bertinelli and Helena "Bertinelli", otherwise known as Helena Wayne. In the New Earth and Prime Earth comic series, their version of Huntress is the real Helena Bertinelli, whose family was a part of the mafioso and she was dubbed a "mafia princess".

But then, there's Earth 2, where Helena Wayne was actually Robin before being sent to another universe alongside Kara (more specifically, Power Girl) and ended up taking the alias of Helena Bertinelli, who had existed in this world but had been missing/presumed dead.

So where does that leave us? [Added a Keep Reading because this got long lol]

Since you specifically addressed Helena as Huntress, I'm going to be using this comic run:

You could probably write a story about how Danny finally finds Helena again and the two reunite, thus revealing that Helena had lied to almost everyone and she was indeed Helena Wayne once upon a time. And this of course would lead to revelations and heart-to-heart discussions about Bruce and Selina's relationship and what kind of parents they were. I like to imagine that when Danny reunited with his family for whatever reason that separated them, Danny becomes Robin as well. So there are two Robins stalking the streets and scaring the living daylights out of criminals.

However... if you wanted to make things a little more interesting, we could take this version of the comic and take it for a little spin.

In the original canon, Helena has already operated as Huntress for years before Damian figured out the deception. She's already an adult, and largely on her own.

But in this case, we can make Helena freshly from the other universe. Lost and unsure and all on her own. Enter Batfamily. The moment they get her in their sights they realize that oh, she's Bruce's kid from another world/timeline/whatever their first assumption is. And then, when they get her to open up, she reveals that she has a twin. Bruce is Unwell at the information and Helena is inconsolable because they only just got him back, and now they've lost her. Her parents are never going to let her out of the house again after this!!

Meanwhile, Danny is losing his mind and their parents are trying to do everything to get her back and it's a whole mess.

If you want to make things a little more interesting, you could make Danny and Helena the only Wayne children, so that when she goes to the other universe she's super taken aback by how many siblings she could've had and "isn't that our neighbor Tim? Tim Drake? Danny's bestest friend ever? What are you doing in that egghead suit, Danny would be appalled to see you dressed like that."

Something I will have to say is that we probably don't get a lot of AUs like this because the rest of the Batfamily would probably be adults and there's a rather large age gap between Damian (as the youngest) and Helena + Danny, in this case. Unless you have them from another world, of course.

Think... Batman Beyond, with Terry McGinnis. It's an amazing series, but pretty much all of the main characters that the fandom typically writes about are retired. There is no Nightwing or Red Hood or Red Robin. Damian is alive but he's back with the League of Assassins. Let's not talk about how Tim and Barbara are married.

I think this AU could be really fun, and I'd be interested in trying it out some day. But it is one of the trickier instances. But no less exciting because of it. ;3

[grace-writes-shit]

I Found You (Bucky Barnes X Rogers!Reader)

Words: 4.1k

Warnings/Themes: Angst! Character death, abduction, torture, human experimentation, allusions to PTSD, depression, thoughts of wanting to be unalived

Characters/Pairings: 40s!Bucky Barnes x Rogers!Reader, Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter (Mentioned), Howling Commandos (Mentioned)

misspygmypie asked:

Hello 🥰 I saw your request post and figured I'd send something in. I've had this idea for years, and it would be fun to read it!

You know when Steve finds and rescues Bucky at Hydra in the first movie? What if it's reader who they're rescuing and Hydra did some experiments on. Maybe she's Steves sister and they wanted to get to him through her and obviously Bucky has a thing for her lol 🥰

A/N: Sincerest apologies for taking so long to get this up. I've been taking on extra duties at work since my partner got fired and things have been super crazy since it's end of quarter. it also hasn't been the best for my mental health, so writing had been a struggle. probably why this ended up being so dang angsty. Sorry. Adulting seriously sucks. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Rain pattered gently on the canvas walls of the medical tent, while boots splashed noisily in the mud it created. Outside of the tent, she could hear the daily drills going on, soldiers training, and officers shouting commands. Her own fellow nurses milled about the tent, tending to wounded soldiers or doing other daily chores. It was a quiet day for the 107th Infantry Regiment.

“Alright, Private Richards, try not to go sticking your hand into random holes again. I doubt the next rabbit will be so kind.” Nimble fingers began tidying up the bloodied cotton balls and gauze used to clean and wrap the boy’s hand. 18 years old, you would think he’d know better than to stick his hand in holes in the ground.

“Yes, First Lieutenant, ma’am…” The boy grabbed his jacket and sulked out of the med tent. She laughed to herself as she watched him go. Knowing him, he’d be back soon enough. Not unlike his Sergeant, who wandered in a few moments later, a lazy smirk on his lips.

James Buchanan Barnes. Or as she’s known for most of her life, Bucky. The charming Sergeant was her older brother’s best friend, having been around since she was small. They were all thick as thieves, hardly seen without one of the others.

It may or may not have been a blessing to constantly have Bucky around. He was kind, funny, and took good care of her and her brother. However, other boys and men didn’t seem too eager to get to know her with him hanging at her shoulder. It’s even worse now with Steve being triple the size he was a year ago.

Occasionally, a brave soul will strike up the nerve to enter the medical tent and ask her out to the nearest town for a drink and a dance. But Bucky had uncanny timing. He always popped up just as she was about to answer.

“Now, a pretty face like that shouldn’t look so angry.” A voice sounded in her ear. A startled gasp escaped her and her hands fumbled the tools she had been organizing. Bucky caught a pair of forceps before they could hit the floor.

“James! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” She admonished him with a firm smack on the shoulder. He chuckled and rubbed the sore spot.

“Ow, careful there, doll. Gonna take my arm off with that strength.”

“Oh please, it’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of you.” She spun out of his reach when he tried to grab her arm. A small smile graced her lips as she made a final spin to face him. “Did you need something, Bucky?”

“What, I can’t come see my best girl just because I want to?

 “I know your troop is supposed to be running the course right now, so no you can’t just come see me because you want to,” she said while gesturing for him to sit on the cot in the corner or her station. “Now, what mess did you get yourself into to be sent here?”

“You know me so well, Darlin’,” he whispered wistfully, smiling up at her with those big blues. He wore a dopey smile as he presented his cut left hand. She pursed her lips and tried to fight the blush rising to her cheeks. Damn him.

Stepping closer, she took his calloused hand into her softer one and observed the cut. It wasn’t too deep but still needed to be cleaned and dressed.

“What happened?” She remained in between his legs as she prepped some alcohol and gauze. His right hand toyed with the fabric of her skirt. With a narrowed look, she smacked the back of it.

“Just a climbing exercise; a nail was sticking out of the wall and caught my hand.” His voice was hushed as she worked. She hummed and began cleaning the wound. He hissed and jerked his hand back. With eyes rolling, the nurse grabbed his hand more firmly.

“You big baby.”

“Your big baby.” She smacked his arm again.

<><>

Gunshots fired all around her, men shouting and screaming. Some in pain, some as a battle cry. But all she could think about was how gentle Bucky’s hands had been in hers. And how much she wished it was his hands on her right now.

But larger, rougher hands now tore at her. Pushing and pulling. She screamed from behind her gag and her hands strained against the restraints. Black boots kicked out at her captors as she fought like a feral cat. She twisted this way and that, anything to loosen their grip on her. But against four burly men, she didn’t stand a chance.

She guessed they had gotten tired of her struggling because a blunt weapon struck the back of her head and she fell limp to the ground.

It was cold. Colder than she had ever been. The air was damp, making the ache in her lungs worse. Blurry eyes peeled open. The room she sat in was dark, only a green-tinted light on the other side of the room illuminated the space. Its murky light cast deep shadows around the room that seemed to move. Her head lolled to the side as one shadow moved closer.

Ah, not shadows. Men. Hydra.

“Good evening, Miss Rogers.” His voice was heavily accented and polite. Nothing like what you’d imagine a torturer or murderer to sound like. “I am honored to have Captain America’s sister as my guest.”

She groaned. The gag was no longer wrapped around her mouth, but her tongue felt like lead. Thoughts struggled to focus and grasp what this man was saying.

“Such a shame, a First Lieutenant, Chief Nurse, so much promise in your future. But because of your brother, you’ll never get to meet that future. We have another one much better suited for you.”

His words floated through her mind but didn’t stick. She was a nurse… She helps people. Why was she here? There were soldiers at camp that needed her. Bucky needed her…

“..ucky…” She slurred, drool dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Her bones felt heavier than lead and her muscles were like the slop served at breakfast. The shadows at the edge of her vision danced ever closer.

“Don’t worry, my dear, you’ll forget the pain soon.”

<><> 

Bucky tore through the camp, Steve hot on his heels. His blue eyes roved over the multitude of bodies and injured, searching for that familiar head of hair. Always done up so prettily. Like last week when she was bandaging up his hand. Her nails were painted red, and her hair was twisted up into a flawless bun. Her red-painted lips smiled warmly at him. Fear gripped his heart at the idea that he would never see that smile again.

“Bucky, stop!” Steve clamped a hand on his best friend’s shoulder, forcing the Sergeant to a stop. It wouldn’t do his sister any good if they lost their heads. As much as he wanted to tear the whole world apart until his sister was safe, he knew that reckless actions could get her killed. If she wasn’t dead already…

“She’s – she’s gone, Steve. Where is she!?” Bucky spun to face Steve, his eyes wide and slightly crazed. He can’t lose her. He never got to take her on a date. Never got to hold her close and confess how deeply and fervently he love her. Bucky bit down on his lip to stop its wobble. He can’t cry, not yet. Not while there’s still a possibility she’s out there.

“I know. I know, Buck. We’ll get her back. No matter what.”

Footsteps rushed up to the pair. A soldier stopped in front of them, slightly out of breath. “A-a letter for you, sir. It-it has the hydra insignia.”

Upon reading the contents, Steve and Bucky took off to Colonel Phillips' tent. The older man sat at a desk, signing letters to the families of the deceased and missing. Steve hardly gave the man time to put his pen down before requesting a team to rescue the captured. He decided to leave out the fact that he was only doing this to get his sister back.

“I understand the heroic need to save the day, but those who have been taken prisoner are far behind enemy lines and we don’t have the manpower or resources to conduct a rescue mission.” Phillips’ response was expected, but it didn’t stop Bucky’s jaw from clenching or his hands from balling into fists.

The Colonel looked at the two young men standing in front of him. He knew exactly why they wanted to go. Only a fool would think that Captain America wouldn’t move heaven and earth for the younger Rogers. An even bigger fool wouldn’t see the lovesick look every time James Barnes was near her, or the way his gaze follows her as she walks across the base.

Phillips sighed heavily, digging through a stack of letters yet to be signed. First Lieutenant Y/N Rogers. MIA.

Steve took the letter with shaking hands. Bucky felt a tear roll down his cheek.

They were dismissed and the two trudged away. A silent look was exchanged and they agreed. They would go after her with or without permission.

<><> 

“…name… Rogers…” Chapped lips mumbled her name over and over again. A tired mind determined to hold on to herself. Don’t forget. Don’t forget. “…Y/N… Rogers…”

“Y/N?” A voice hissed.

“Y/N/N?” A different voice, closer this time.

“Steve! She’s here!” The buckles around her wrists and ankles fell off one by one. Warm, calloused hands that she dreamed about cupped her face. She groaned and willed the fog from her brain. These hands. Bucky’s hands.

“Buck…” She croaked, red lipstick smudged, and once pristine hair hanging limply around her face. His smile brightened the shadows in her vision. Steve had joined them and helped her sit up.

“Hey, doll. What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” Giving her a watery smile, he pushed the hair from her face. The cheap line earned him a weak chuckle.

“Oh, what any girl does in a place like this,” she responded. Together, the two men helped her to her feet. The room pitched suddenly, her legs giving out under her. Whatever they had given her made her legs weak.

“Guess you make me a little weak in the knees,” she joked as Bucky swept her into his arms. She tucked her head into his neck, leaning heavily into him. Steve carefully led the way out, checking around corners and taking out any enemy soldiers that they crossed paths with.

Eventually, the trio made it out of the now-burning building. A mass of freed soldiers met them and together the company fought their way back to their camp. Bucky cradled her close to his chest the entire time. He stuck close to Steve, letting him take the punches. Steve didn’t mind.

For almost two weeks she was laid up in a cot in the medical tent. It was strange, in the years that she had been an army nurse, she had been the one giving care. She had never been the patient. And the patient of her subordinates, no less.

Her closer friends teased her that she was a horrible patient. Their teasing helped ease the residual anxiety and adrenaline from her ordeal. But what had really helped, was Bucky’s constant presence. During meal time and recreation time, he would come to visit her in the medical tent. Steve would drop by as well, but it was mostly Bucky.

As the days passed, Bucky seemed more and more nervous, however. Like he had something to say, just on the tip of his tongue. Sometimes, when he maybe thought she wasn’t looking, she caught him looking guilty. She hoped beyond hope that he didn’t blame himself for what had happened.

“You’re cleared to return to light duty, First Lieutenant,” Second Lieutenant Fredricks said with a smile.

The first few days of light duty were spent organizing and assisting. Then after a week, she was cleared to begin training again. Nurses didn’t necessarily need to do the drills the men did, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t. She also preferred to stay in shape and to keep her skills from going rusty.

Growing up with her brother being bullied, Y/N learned how to defend not only herself but Steve, as well. The elder Rogers sibling didn’t care for her fighting but he did appreciate that in a pinch, she could defend herself.

In the early morning, dressed in a pair of trousers and a simple shirt, Y/N makes her way to the track. A run should be light enough.

She could make out the tall frames of Steve and Bucky amongst the other men getting ready for their morning run. Bucky smiled as she approached.

“Hey, how’s it going? You sure you’re okay to be running?” Bucky brushed his hand over hers when she stopped in front of him. The touch made her stomach flutter but she smiled confidently at him.

“Actually, I’ve never felt better. I’m tired of being cooped up in the med tent for so long.” She bent to tighten her boots’ laces. Bucky shrugged and patted her shoulder, teasingly telling her to not fall behind. She scoffed and took off after the troops in a light jog.

Steve and Bucky kept pace with her, both worrying she might become too tired and collapse. Their hovering and not-so-subtle glances did not go unnoticed by her. Irritation settled quickly in her bones. She wasn’t some fragile flower. Just because something bad happened to her doesn’t mean she going to break at any moment.

Spurred by anger, her legs moved faster on their own accord. Steve glanced at his best friend as they sped up to match. Soon, the three of them were overtaking the other troops. Bucky was breathing heavily as they passed the frontman, now in a full sprint.

“W-wait!” He panted as the two Rogers siblings were now racing down the path. How was she running that fast!? How wasn’t she tired? Her smaller frame broke past Steve, who was now struggling to keep up.

The younger Rogers didn’t even notice the concerned and shocked looks she was receiving. The wind rushing in her ears and the trees blurring in her vision was all she could focus on. She felt like she was flying; her feet barely touching the ground. She felt free.

She burst into the clearing at the end of their running trail, the morning sun warming her wind-chilled skin. The grass kicked up as she skidded to a halt. A laugh erupted from her, her head light with adrenaline and awe. Then reality sunk in.

Bucky and Steve broke through the tree line a few minutes later.

“Y/N!”

She turned to look at them, her brows scrunched together and lips forming a thin line.

“They did this to me…” She murmured, gazing turning down at her clenched fists. She had thought she was feeling so good because she survived Hydra’s torment. How quickly this revelation brought her down. They poked and prodded, injected, and dissected. They had changed her.

“Doll?” Bucky approached her slowly, hands out in front of him. Seeing her lip wobble had his heart shattering in him. Throwing caution to the wind, he wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest, drowning her sobs in the rough fabric of his shirt. Her brother stood beside them, rubbing his hand over her shoulders.

“I’ve got ya, sweets. I got ya,” Bucky muttered into her hair. “We’re gonna figure this out. It’ll be okay.”

Lord, he hoped he was telling the truth.

<><> 

Months went by as she adjusted to her new abilities. After she discovered her inhuman speed, she quickly learned she was inhumanly strong. Not as strong as her brother, but definitely stronger than any other man in the camp.

She began training with the men, easily laying anyone flat during sparring. Even Steve struggled against her. While he surpassed her in strength, she made it up in speed and agility. She had been given the moniker of Lady Liberty once the higher-ups found out.

But despite the usefulness of these abilities. She couldn’t help but feel violated. Every night she woke up in a cold sweat, dreaming of their cold instruments and icy laughter. More than once she ended up in the clearing from months before.

Each time she made it out there, Bucky wasn’t far behind. He held her as he had back then, whispering comforting words and stroking her hair. This night began no differently than the others. They sat in the middle of the clearing, the half-moon illuminated above their heads.

“I’m sorry, Bucky… You don’t have to come out here with me every night.” She sniffled, wiping her tears from her cheeks. She was settled in between his stretched-out legs, her own draped over one of his thighs. He shook his head and sighed.

“I don’t mind, Doll. Really.” Soft lips pressed against her temple. “Unless you tell me to go, I won’t leave your side. I can’t.”

Shining eyes looked up into his baby blues. She had never felt so safe and protected as she did in Bucky’s arms. Even though she could easily kick his butt in a fight, she knew he would fight tooth and nail for her. And she would burn down the world for him.

There was no doubt in her mind as she pressed her lips to his. He sighed against her as he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer by the waist. Everything clicked into place with this kiss. They had been dancing around this thing between them for years, neither willing to take the leap and possibly lose what they already had.

But the feeling of her lips on his, the taste of her on his tongue had him bitterly regretting not doing this sooner. How many kisses could they have had? How many dates and late nights have they missed? He sure had a lot of time to make up.

“I love you, Y/N.” His breath fanned across the skin of her neck as his kiss-swollen lips brushed along it.

“I love you, James.”

<><> 

Over the next two years, the Howling Commandos slowly but surely made their way through the Hydra bases. First Lieutenant Rogers led alongside her brother, Captain Rogers. Not only as extra muscle, but as a nurse, and occasionally, spy. Bucky didn’t like the idea of his girl being ogled by slimy nazi men, but she convinced him that no one would expect a woman to be a super soldier.

She would infiltrate their meetings as a piece of eye candy, acquiring information as needed and then arresting the men as she saw fit.

But this particular mission didn’t require revealing dresses or sultry makeup. Rather, she wore a winter coat and combat boot with reinforced soles. The speed that she ran quickly ate through nearly all of her shoes.

The Commandos were all situated on a cliff overlooking another with a set of train tracks. They were waiting on the train carrying Doctor Zola. Glove-covered hands clenched at her side. Doctor Zola. One of the men who had turned her into this. Turned her into a weapon.

Bucky’s heavy hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his side. His soft lips brushed against her temple.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he reassured. “We go in, kick some ass, and then get out. Easy.”

She chuckled and pressed a kiss to his waiting lips. The other men had the decency to look away from the couple.

“Alright, lovebirds, let’s get a move on.” Steve’s voice called out from the edge of the cliff.

She scoffed at her brother and kissed her sergeant once more. “See you on the other side, tiger.”

<><> 

Things were going south very quickly. Hydra had more gun power than she had thought. A huge man with bigger guns than himself stood in the doorway to their car. His guns glowed blue as they powered up.

Steve shoved both his sister and Bucky behind him, holding up his shield. The blast had her teeth rattling in her skull, her body flying back further than the boys. The impact of her head hitting the metal floor caused stars to dance in her vision.

She could barely comprehend the cold rush of air from the massive hole in the side of the train. And before she could gather herself, the man was priming another shot, pointed directly at her. Shaking legs tried to bare her weight as she scrambled for her gun.

Bucky had gathered himself faster than her or her brother, so she could only watch as he picked up Steve’s shield and fired a few shots at the enemy. A scream ripped from her throat when blue light shot out at her sergeant.

Bucky went flying, the shield in the other direction. Both the Rogers siblings jumped into action. Steve went for the shield, quickly taking out the other man. She leaped for the hole in the wall of the train that Bucky had flown out of.

Her eyes widened with horror as she gazed upon the man she loved, hanging on for dear life to the crumbling handrails.

“Bucky! Hold on!” She reached out to him, trying to find her footing to get to him and pull him to safety. The look in his eyes was one she had never seen on him before. Blue eyes wide with fear, his mouth poised in a silent scream. And as his fingers brushed against hers, tips barely able to curl around each other, he was gone.

His scream was joined by hers. The image of him falling to his death will forever be ingrained in her mind. It’ll be the last thing on her mind as she goes to sleep and the first one when she wakes up. It’ll be there when she fights her way through Hydra soldiers, and as she sends her fist straight into Johann Schmidt’s ugly, red face.

Steve worried about his sister’s mental health since that day. She had retreated into herself. Long gone was the witty and strong woman he knew. His sister, who had always been so bright, had been replaced by someone who only knew how to fight.

She only spoke to give orders or to communicate during battle. Her words were always clipped and to the point; no room for banter or sarcasm. The icy wall she had built around herself was all to conceal the torment her mind tortured her with.

If only she had been stronger, maybe she wouldn’t have been down for so long. If she had been faster, she could have reached him before he fell. If she had been better, maybe he wouldn’t have died. Every moment was filled with these thoughts. Awake or not. It was all she could think about.

Eventually, she became too tired. She fought with everything she had; Bucky at least deserved that. She wouldn’t give up simply because it would mean he died in vain. However, with each new opponent, she could help but wish that this one would be stronger than her.

No opponent was ever stronger than her. Until now.

It wasn’t a person that she now faced her death with. But a plane filled with explosives. Schmidt was gone, as was the Tesseract. Now, she and her brother faced the cracked windows of the plane. She tried to keep her lip from trembling as Steve spoke with Peggy.

Even if she hadn’t gotten her happy ending, she had wished her big brother would have gotten his. Tear-filled eyes opened when she felt a hand come to rest on hers. Steve’s face was solemn as he spoke.

“I’ve gotta put it in the water.” He was half telling Peggy and half asking for permission from his sister. It wasn’t just his life going down for millions of others, but his little sister’s, too. The siblings shared a weighty look before she nodded.

Lady Liberty listened quietly as Captain America spoke with Agent Carter. No.

Y/N listened brokenheartedly as her big brother said his goodbyes to the woman he loved and who loved him in return.

And as Steve redirected the plane to the icy terrain below, she closed her eyes and imagined the warm hands of her love. His blue fire eyes and easy grin. The feel of his lips against hers. The sound of her name on his tongue.

I’m coming, Bucky.

[hugmekenobi]

S2: The Bad Batch (9)

Chapter Nine: The Crossing

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: Echo leaving your squad is something you all have to deal with. A mission from Cid sees the effects of this change become obvious and tensions rise.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, use of a pet name (sweetheart), mild spicy moment that stops abruptly, familial angst, reader and Tech kinda get into it, reiterating the Force works how I need it to cause it's a more obvious theme in this chapter lol, kissing, reader described as being strong, general emotions (I'm terrible writing them so apologies)

Word Count: 7.6K

Author's notes: Didn't know I'd be releasing this today but I got it done and wanted to share :) Beginning to work on Ch10 too! Enjoy!

“You left pretty soon after Cid briefed us?” Hunter said as he came through the door of the ship to find you sitting in the cockpit.

“It’s getting harder to be in her company.” You provided as an explanation. Cid had been less than sympathetic when you all had told her about Echo and the more days that went by and the more stressed she got about time running out on her operation, the more unpleasant she became.

Hunter knew exactly what you meant. The necessary but minimal financial payoff of sticking around was slowly becoming not worth the shitty jobs or putting up with Cid’s general demeanour. Ideally, he’d have you all leave to do something else, but he kept coming up empty on the latter part of that plan.

“Where are the others?” You asked.

“I sent them to gather supplies before we leave.” Hunter explained. He came to kneel in front of you and traced his hands up and down your thighs, making his ulterior motive for sending the others on an errand run quite clear.

Oh, how you loved a man that planned ahead. It had been quite a long time since the two of you had had any alone time and the frustration had been building for a while now. Lingering looks and innocent touches that threatened to turn not so innocent the more you both did them and it was threatening to boil over so, with jobs from Cid still being scarce, you two had decided to take advantage of an empty Marauder. “So, we have about 30mins give or take.” You said with a suggestive grin.

“Uh huh but we can’t mess about. We’ll have to be quick.” Hunter replied regretfully but he figured a quick moment was better than no moment at all, especially given the recent dry spell.

“Hhmm you have the dirty talk down to an art form.” You breathed as you stood and grabbed his scarf and started leading him back to your bunk.

Hunter’s reply took the form of cupping your face and bringing his lips to yours in a bruising kiss. He laid you down without parting his mouth from yours because it had been too fucking long since he’d been able to do this.

You moaned in relief at having him this way again. You tangled your fingers in his hair and kissed him back with fervour.

Hunter kissed his way down your chest, and he reached for the waistband of your leggings, but he paused and grumbled in annoyance.

You propped yourself on your elbows. “Why’d you-” It was then you heard why he’d stopped-Wrecker wasn’t exactly softspoken. “They really have impeccable timing.” You groaned. You pushed him off you with an aggravated huff and fished out both sets of armour so it would look like the two of you were getting prepped for the mission rather than looking like anything improper was about to happen.

“That was quick?” You said casually as Omega came through the door first, hoping any signs of being flustered or caught off guard had left your face.

Omega merely shrugged and set off to her room.

You followed the young girl’s back. You knew she was taking Echo leaving a bit harder than the rest of you and you hoped there’d be opportunity to talk to her about it properly soon.

“We got the supplies but gotta say Sarge, I don’t know where you got the rest of this stuff cause it doesn’t actually exist here.” Wrecker said as he came aboard.

“Not on this planet anyway.” Tech added as he stored some of the food away.

You made stuff up? You turned to Hunter with an affectionate smile.

“Thought it would buy more time. I forgot Tech would be aware that they weren’t available here.” Hunter mumbled as the ship took off.

You chuckled. “Guess your mind was elsewhere huh?”

“It definitely wasn’t on ipsium mining.” Hunter grunted.

You laughed in agreement. “Well, gotta focus up Sergeant, we have a mission to complete.” You said, patting his thigh.

You stood and walked along the hallway before you had to stop. Your lips and body still tingled with remnants of what nearly happened. Yeah, you were not a fan of this whole dry spell situation. You leaned your hand against the wall and released a long, deep breath in order to channel a sense of calm and to get yourself back in mission mode.

“Come on, sweetheart, we have a mission to complete. Can’t be getting distracted now, can we?” Hunter teased as he walked past you to join his two brothers in the cockpit.

You showed him your middle finger with a playful glare before you also went to the cockpit.

--

The location of the mines was utterly depressing. It was a barren wasteland. Nothing but desert as far as the eye could see. You sensed this mission would amount to very little and just be an unnecessary waste of time.

You found yourself having a rare moment of wishing you had a helmet like the other three. You and Omega both had to shield your eyes from the dust that the ship stirred up as it had landed.

You all made your way around the corner and found the entrance to the mine Cid had sent you to.

“According to Cid’s coordinates, this is the mine she purchased.” Tech confirmed as he studied his datapad and walked up to the controls.

“And we’re supposed to do what?” Omega asked monotonously. Cid hadn’t given clear direction in the briefing. She had seemed to think stating that she was sending you all to her ipsium mine was enough information.

“Excavate the site got ispium. It is tremendously valuable when refined.” Tech explained. “However, in its raw state, the mineral is highly combustible, like a primed thermal detonator.” He included in his answer before he wiped some of the grime away from the control panel and inserted the key to open the mine doors.

“Sounds dangerous. I like it.” Wrecker said with a laugh.

The door creaked open, and the entry platform was raised but before any of you made a move to enter, Hunter turned to the sound of thunder in the distance and looked at the clouds on the horizon. He knelt down and ran his hand through the red dust.

“Problem?” You asked him.

He thought for a moment. “The storm’s moving away from us. We should be fine.” Hunter replied as he stood. “Tech, (Y/N), and I will mine the ipsium. Wrecker, Omega, you’re on lookout.”

“Both of us?” Wrecker questioned.

“Without Echo, we are a man down. We need Wrecker to assist with operations in the mine.” Tech mentioned.

The mention of Echo had Omega letting out a sad sigh. “You four go. I’ll be the lookout.” She said flatly.

“I really don’t think we need four people for this. Three should be fine.” You said.

“(Y/N) is right. Two sets of eyes are better out here. Cid warned us about poachers in the area. Keep your eyes peeled and comm us if you see anyone.” Hunter ordered before he picked up the mining gear and the three of you headed inside the mine.

--

The three of you walked through the dark tunnel. The only sound was the rhythmic beeps of Tech’s scanner.

“My scans are not indicating a sizable presence of ipsium.” Tech stated as he stared at his datapad. “Looks like Cid was deceived into purchasing an already depleted mine.” Tech added.

“Gee, there’s a shock.” You muttered but you couldn’t help but feel a little bit smug at the idea of Cid being ripped off.

“Keep scanning. We’ll extract whatever we can.” Hunter said.

You continued to walk for a short while before Tech’s voice stopped you both.

“Wait. I am getting a faint reading.” He lowered his visor and looked up. “There.” He pointed to a high corner of the mine.

The three of you walked over to the section of wall it was located in.

Tech peered up. “The ipsium is going to be difficult to reach.”

“We’ll need to carve out a bigger opening in the rock to get it.” Hunter figured.

“The mineral is far too unstable.” Tech disputed.

“Or I can just…” You clicked your tongue and gave a small wave of your hands.

Tech shook his head. “Any carelessness or slightest friction around it can cause a destructive chain reaction.”

You bristled at the word carelessness. “I’d be careful.”

“You can’t predict-”

“I can predict my unique skillset better than you can.”

“I’m sure-”

Sensing rising tensions, Hunter interfered. “What do you suggest, Tech?”

You pulled back and reflected on what had just transpired. You couldn’t recall a time you had gotten actually irritated with Tech. And he was right, you could have the best intentions and apply the most care but dealing with a mineral this unpredictable needed something that was designed to get it properly. Evidently you were feeling more frustrated than you realised.

“Someone smaller climbs up.” Tech said simply.

“I’ll sub out.” You offered.

--

Omega moved the small pebbled across her hand before chucked it into the canyon.

Wrecker noticed the irritability in her throw. “Hey. What’s with you?”

“I was thinking about Echo. It’s weird without him around.”

Wrecker had to agree with her there, but it wasn’t really a new feeling for him. “Yeah. But you’ll get used to it.” He said to comfort her.

Omega’s comm beeped and Tech’s voice came through.

“Omega, we require your assistance.”

“On my way.” She replied and stood up with a tired sigh.

--

“How’s it going out here?” You asked as you came out the mine.

“Quiet.” Wrecker replied simply.

“Passed Omega on the way out. You notice anything off with her right now?”

Wrecker nodded. “I think she’s taking Echo leaving a bit harder than we are.”

“Yeah, I figured.” You agreed. “I almost snapped at Tech back there. She’s not the only one feeling the strain.” You said as you came to stand beside him. “How are you doing with it all?”

Wrecker breathed heavily and adjusted his blaster. “Alright, I guess. It definitely feels different but he’s doing what he needs to do.”

You sighed. “Yeah….” You trailed off for a moment before continuing, “Guess I’m just upset another person to provide impulse control has gone.” You added with a teasing nudge of your shoulder.

Wrecker chuckled and the two of you continued to keep watch in comfortable silence whilst you waited for the others.

--

Hunter gave Omega a hand up to where the ipsium was encased in the wall.

Omega got herself settled and took the drill from Hunter before she looked down to Tech. “Now what?”

“Drill into the fossilized quartz until you reach the active ipsium inside. But you must be precise. If the mineral becomes compromised during the retrieval…”

“Chain reaction, explosion. Got it.” Omega interrupted with a roll of her eyes. She started to drill into the blue quartz.

“Be… very… careful.” Hunter said slowly as he watched her.

“I… know.” Omega matched his tone as she focused on her task. When the drill got deep enough, she swapped it out for the syringe and successfully drained the yellow mineral. She passed the tube down to Hunter who passed it to Tech to store safely in the case.

Tech brought out the next tube. “Good. Again.”

--

Despite your talk with Wrecker, you couldn’t help but feel distracted. You understood why Echo had left and you were happy he had found this new path and purpose, but your mind kept wandering to worrying about what he was doing and if he was safe. You weren’t as sharp as you needed to be and that was a problem because it meant your ability to feel into the Force around you for any threats or anything out of place was compromised. As you felt your mind start to distance once more, you shook your head to get back to the current moment, but it was at that time that the others emerged from the mine so your attention was now on them.

“That storm’s changing course.” Wrecker informed as he walked up to join the others.

“The weather patterns on this planet are most irregular.” Tech said to Hunter. It wasn’t often that Hunter was wrong.

“We have what we came for. Let’s get back to Ord Mantell.” Hunter gave the case to Wrecker.

You were about to let yourself relax but when you saw the way Hunter suddenly stood more alert, you felt the unfamiliar presence by your ship, and it was then you knew you had royally messed up. You and Hunter sprinted back in the direction of the ship.

It was then the others heard the sound of an engine firing up.

“That sounds like our ship!” Omega gasped before she, Tech and Wrecker set off after you and Hunter.

You could only watch in despair as the Marauder flew off into the distance. You had fucked up. You had majorly fucked up. You cringed as Hunter whipped round to face you and Wrecker.

“You two were supposed to be on lookout!” He snapped before he turned away with a shake of his head and removed his helmet.

“There was no one there!” Wrecker protested.

“Clearly that was not the case.” Tech said.

“Shut up, Tech. That’s not helpful.” You said harshly before you risked stepping next to Hunter. “Hunter, we couldn’t see anyone.”

“You should have.” Hunter couldn’t help but say to you.

You pulled your mask down. “I know that. I’m sorry.” You didn’t bother explaining that your head hadn’t been present. That would just make things worse, and it was a poor excuse. You were more disciplined than that.

“There has to be a way to get it back, right?” Omega asked Hunter, unable to keep the distress out her voice.

Hunter said nothing, the violent storm ahead was proving to be a more immediate concern right now.

“Tell me, how exactly did you two miss our ship being compromised?” Tech asked you and Wrecker.

You turned to glare at him. “Gee, I don’t know. Could it possibly be because you felt the need to park behind this giant cliff face?”

“Yeah, maybe if you hadn’t docked it out of view, we would’ve seen someone approaching.” Wrecker agreed, his level of frustration matching yours.

“Well, there was no other suitable landing zone. Besides, I thought your particular skillset wouldn’t see such a thing as being an issue.” Tech couldn’t help but quip in your direction.

“Tech, don’t even-”

“I’m merely pointing out a flaw in your previous argument in the mine.”

“Parking a ship out of view in an area known for poachers seems like a pretty big flaw to me too.” You retorted angrily.

Omega’s eyes darted between you all and feelings of distress and concern started to rise within her. A few weeks without Echo and everything seemed to be falling apart.

Hunter sighed and spoke up. “We can’t stay here. Where’s the nearest town?”

Tech examined his datapad. “During our approach, I scanned a spaceport approximately 40 klicks south of here.” He signalled the direction. “Perhaps we can acquire transport there.”

“You know how long that would take?” Wrecker griped.

“Since we do not have access to long-range communications without our ship, it is our only option.”

“Let’s move.” Hunter directed.

You set off towards the canyon, a veil of awkward hostility draped over you all as you made your way down. You didn’t like feeling this tense, but it seemed to be the common theme right now. Clearly, Echo’s loss was being felt more than any of you had anticipated.

--

You’d been walking for a couple hours and there was no end in sight. It was hot and your mouth was dry, and you felt like your face had a layer of dust caked over it. You wiped a hand across your forehead.

“How much further?” Wrecker asked as he took his water back from Omega.

“You will not like the answer.” Tech replied.

“Here.” Hunter handed you his water cannister.

You took a few small sips from it before you handed it back. “Thank you.”

Hunter nodded as he took it back.

“Are we okay?” You asked tentatively.

“Yeah.” Hunter said.

“I know I should’ve done better back there….”

Hunter sighed. Today had been the closest the two of you had gotten to having a falling out and he wasn’t a fan. “I know you do.” He replied. “There’s no sense in me putting you down when I’m sure you’re doing that plenty enough on your own.”

“You’d be right about that.” You said with a grim smile.

“You and Wrecker were both there and the ship was parked in a poor area, so it isn’t your error to carry alone. A mistake was made but if we dwell on what happened, we won’t make it through this. We gotta move on.”

You reflected on that for a moment. “Sometimes I forget that you can be quite the wise leader when you want to be.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes.” Hunter said lightly. “We’re fine.” He confirmed.

You breathed a sigh of relief.

“Havoc-4, this is Havoc-5. Do you copy?” Omega called into her commlink. “Echo? Are you there?”

He’s too long-range. Echo won’t pick up our signal.” Hunter told her.

“Especially since he disabled his communication device.” Tech informed.

“What? Why?” Omega asked anxiously.

“I assume he’s on a sensitive mission.” Hunter’s raised arm halted any further explanation from Tech.

You all stopped.

The most you could pick up on was the nerves of the people around you. Whatever threat he was sensing, it wasn’t human.

Hunter studied the ground beneath him and saw the vibrations in the ground.

It wasn’t long before the rest of you felt the deep rumble in the canyon and you all turned to look behind you as it grew louder.

“What’s that?” Wrecker asked nervously.

“Run!” Hunter ordered, nudging Omega in front of him.

--

The stampede caught up to you all rapidly and it was now a case of staying on your feet long enough to find cover and not get trampled to death.

Hunter pulled Omega out the way of one of the oncoming deer-like creatures. He glanced up and saw the opportunity to get clear. “There.” He pulled out his grappling hook and threw it to the rocky ledge that formed a thin bridge across the canyon. He let Omega up first before he started to climb with Tech close behind.

You waited until Wrecker secured his, but he had barely attached it before you both got caught up in amongst the stampede.

“Wrecker! (Y/N)!” Omega cried.

Hunter scanned the area anxiously, hoping beyond hoping that you both would reappear quickly.

Tech also looked below for any signs of you but all he could see for the moment was the backs of the animals.

It felt like hours, not a matter of seconds before you both reappeared. You don’t know how you managed to achieve it, but somehow you were both able to scramble up the wire into safety. The only casualty being the case filled with ipsium was left behind.

“You must protect the ipsium case.” Tech shouted to Wrecker.

You knew better than to offer your services. One strike out from an animal as you lifted that case out of there and you’d all definitely be done for. You felt bad for Wrecker though.

“Well, what about protecting me?” Wrecker replied fretfully as he peered down to the intimidating scene below.

“If it explodes, we’ll all be dead.” Tech yelled back.

Wrecker took a few deep breaths before he dropped down and shielded the case with his body.

You all watched on uneasily but within a few moments, the last of the stampede had passed.

You and the others slid back down to the ground.

Hunter helped Omega down before he came over and placed his hands on your shoulders. “You alright?”

You nodded before you indicated over to Wrecker. “It’s really him we should be asking.” How you doing, Wrecker?

“My back.” Wrecker grunted in reply as he shakily stood up and stretched his spine.

“I would advise not dropping it next time.” Tech told him.

“Why don’t you carry it?” Wrecker snapped.

“Fine.” Tech replied simply before he lugged the case over his back.

You stared past them and sighed at the sight of the dark dust clouds approaching with the sounds of thunder in their wake. “Well, that would certainly explain the stampede.”

You all started to run once more.

--

Bit of churned up rock bashed against your back as you ran, and it was the second time in the space of a matter of minutes that you were all swallowed up by a threat of nature.

“We need to find shelter!” Hunter yelled over the wind.

“There is another mine. Thirty metres ahead!” Tech said.

“I see it!” Omega shouted in confirmation.

You all veered off to the left and sprinted for the door but the conditions being what they were and running with a heavy case meant Tech tripped and fell.

You and Wrecker noticed he’d fallen behind and you both dashed back to help him up.

“The case!” Tech protested as you both helped him to his feet.

You squinted through the clouds of dust and took half a step forward to try and retrieve it, but a bolt of lightning struck a bit too close for comfort.

“(Y/N), forget it!” Wrecker bellowed.

You knew he was right, you turned on your heels and the three of you headed for the safety of the mine.

“Where’s the ipsium?” Omega asked loudly over the thunder and lightning.

You all faced the canyon and saw the case be carried up in the wind and struck by another bolt of lightning.

“Get down!” Hunter cried.

You all barely made it down the mine tunnel before the rocks behind you exploded and tumbled to the ground and you were encased in darkness.

--

Hunter lit up his lantern and led the group of you back in the direction of the entrance only to find it was completely sealed off due to the cascade of rocks that had come crumbling down thanks to the ipsium explosion.

“So, now we are trapped.” Tech declared. “And we have lost all of our ipsium.”

You could feel his gaze flicking between you and Wrecker. “And I suppose that’s our fault too?” You said coolly as you kept your eyes from him and stared at the mess ahead of you.

“Well, technically, yes. If you had not let our ship get stolen, we would be aboard it right now with the mineral.”

Hunter saw the challenging stares between the three of you. “None of this is helping. Can you move them?” He asked you.

You regretfully shook your head. You knew your limits and right now, with everything going on, you had reached them. Even when you’d had the proper training and guidance, whenever you reached this point of emotional conflict, you were of little use to anyone in the Force-wielding department. Your head was completely scrambled, and your emotions were all over the place. It had been a long time since you’d felt this undisciplined.

“I thought moving rocks was a simple feat for someone like you.” Tech couldn’t help but say.

“Tech.” Hunter scolded, his voice rising slightly.

You turned to him sharply. “Tech, believe it or not, my ability is something I know more about than you do and I’m telling you right now, it won’t get us anywhere. Now I could wander off or meditate for hours on end to get myself back on top form or I can help move these boulders the same way the rest of you are.”

“Then let’s start digging.” Hunter ordered, not wanting to give Tech a chance to respond for fear of what it could lead to.

“Fine.” Wrecker grumbled as he shouldered past Tech.

--

Helmets had been long since removed and you’d also removed your top layer to be left in your vest top to stay cool.

Omega tapped the datapad and paced anxiously whilst the rest of you continued the laborious process of removing the boulders. “Something’s not right. The Marauder’s transponder isn’t relaying a signal.”

“It was probably disabled by the thief who commandeered it.” Tech theorised with another jagged stare towards you and Wrecker.

The rock you were moving cracked down the middle, but you said nothing as you pushed each half away, and Wrecker just released an irritated growl.

“Well, then how are we gonna track it?” Omega asked.

“The ship’s not important right now. We need to get outta here first.” Hunter said.

“Quite correct.” Tech concurred. “Besides, it is most unlikely that the Marauder will be recovered.” He said plainly started to push against another boulder but made little headway.

“What? Don’t say that. We have to get it back!” Omega said, her distress rising once more.

“We can always acquire another ship. It is merely a mode of transportation.”

“The Marauder’s our home. We already lost Echo. We can’t lose that too.” She said,

You paused what you were doing and looked over at her and the toil Echo leaving had taken on her was evident. Your infighting probably wasn’t helping either.

“Omega, we didn’t lose Echo.” Hunter said as he worked his way down from the boulders towards her. “He’s just… on a different mission.” He tried to explain.

“But he’s not here. He’s- He’s not with us. We’re supposed to be a squad.” She protested.

“This squad existed before Echo was a part of is, and it will exist after. What is your issue?” Tech asked bluntly.

Omega recoiled with a glare at Tech before she chucked his datapad at him.

“Omega-” Hunter called tenderly as he went to reach for her.

“I want to be alone.” She said roughly as she picked up one of the lanterns and walked further down the mine.

You all turned to stare at Tech.

“You really are firing on all cylinders today.” You spat.

“I merely stated the truth.” Tech said.

“She already knows the truth. That’s why she’s upset.” Hunter added, a hint of frustration coming through at his brother’s lack of sensitivity.

Wrecker shook his head at Tech.

Tech said nothing, he merely moved to another boulder.

--

Wrecker groaned as he cleared another boulder. “It’ll take days to clear a path at this rate.”

“Complaining won’t make it go faster.” Hunter said frankly.

“And it may not be days, maybe a few more hours.” You said with a bit more levity in your tone as you moved a couple boulders away with a flick of your wrist. The methodical nature of the task had seen you start to find your centre once more and you were feeling more in tune with the Force again.

“Alternatively, this weapon could use a well-placed detonation.” Tech strained as he leveraged himself on against one boulder and used his legs to try and dislodge the one in front of him. “A small amount of ipsium would be more than enough.”

“It’s like you’re wanting me to stay pissed off.” You said with a roll of your eyes before you moved another boulder away.

“And we had a small amount, but somebody dropped it.” Wrecker said as he took care of the boulder Tech was working on.

“Fine.” Tech said dully. “Since losing the mineral was my mistake, I’ll search for any potential extractions within this mine.”

“That’s not the only mistake you need to fix.” You pointed out. You all may have understood and accepted why Echo had left but the ripple effect of his departure was clear in the dynamics between you all at the minute, but Omega was struggling with the whole thing. You knew the four of you would get past this bump, but you weren’t certain Omega would unless someone had a proper sit down with her. Tech wouldn’t typically be your first choice, but he had seen to heightening Omega’s upset and he needed to learn why it had happened and rectify it too.  

“Yeah, go check on the kid.” Wrecker agreed.

“But she said she wanted to be alone.” Tech argued, confused as to why he should go after her when her intentions had been clear.

“Look, she’s clearly having a hard time adjusting to Echo leaving. Talk to her.” Hunter said.

“Very well.” Tech said with a sigh before he grabbed his pack and helmet and set off in the direction Omega had gone.

--

Tech’s scans brought him to a hole in the wall. He followed the tunnel, and he followed it until he saw through another gap in the wall the tell-tale blue light of the quartz that contained the ipsium and Omega’s stuff was right outside it. He peaked through to see her working diligently on mining the mineral. “Omega?” When she didn’t pay him any attention, he called her name again but removed his helmet and softened his voice, “Omega?”

“I’m busy.” Omega replied stand-offishly as she kept her focus on the drill.

“I can see that. Are you aware that you are surrounded by enough ipsium that, if not handled correctly, could take down this entire cavern?”

“Then you better not distract me.” She said as she extracted the ipsium. She took the vial out and lifted it up towards Tech.  “Thought we could use this to blow our way through the cave-in.”

Tech’s focus was on his datapad. “I came to a similar conclusion myself.”

“Little help?” Omega said grouchily.

Tech reached down and took it. “This vein appears to be much more pure than what we found in Cid’s mine. Perhaps you should extract as much ipsium as you can.”

“You trust me to do that?”

“I am fully aware you are capable of the task.”

Omega glanced away for a moment and shook her head at this typical Tech response, but she couldn’t dwell on it. “Grab the empty vials from my satchel.”

--

Omega handed over another vial. “How many are left?”

Tech shuffled through her bag. “This is the last one.” He revealed as he passed it down to her.

Omega looked to the piece of quartz that was hovering over a chasm in the carvern. It was just out of reach so she went as close to the edge as she could, but her foot slipped. She pulled back and stretched to try again but as she activated the drill, it fell from her hand, and she tumbled over the side. She was able to grab a hold of a rocky outcrop, but she dangled helplessly over the darkness below. “Tech!” She grunted.

Tech looked through the hole and upon seeing Omega’s situation, he instantly took off his pack and started to clamber through. “Hang on!”

Omega tried to hoist herself up, but she wasn’t able to, and her grip loosened, and she fell to another rock handle even further down.

Tech reached for her but could only watch with horror as her hold faltered and she fell into the chasm below with a scream. “Omega!” He didn’t hesitate. He jumped down after her.

--

What was below was a river with strong rapids and a current taking them both away. Tech swam and took a hold of Omega to try and keep her above the water, but they were unable to fight back against the flow and were at the mercy of the water as it took them away. They took a deep breath as they were both pulled under quickly.

--

The three of you all took a moment to rest. You wiped some sweat off your brow, but it was then you felt that familiar sensation you wished you had felt earlier in this shitty day. From the way Hunter’s face turned to a frown and he glanced down the mine, you guessed your instincts were back on side.

Wrecker noticed the look the two of you gave each other. “What is it?”

“Tech, come in.” Hunter said into his comm. “Omega, do you copy?”

When no reply came, you stood and pulled your top layer back over you and swiftly reattached your armour and vambraces turned to Hunter. “Something’s wrong.”

He nodded his agreement.

Wrecker and Hunter grabbed their helmets and the three of you set off to search for the others.

--

Tech and Omega came spilling out into a pool of water set aglow by the ipsium quartz that was beneath them. The water itself kept blue light radiating throughout the cave.

They swam to shore, coughing and spluttering. They both lay on their backs and Tech lifted his goggles to release the water that had leaked in. It was then that their comms chimed, and it was Hunter’s voice they heard.

“Tech, Omega, do you copy?”

Tech exhaled heavily as he pulled out his comm. “Affirmative. We took an unforeseen detour, but we are alive.”

“Where are you?”

“That is a good question. Stand by.”

Omega looked around the cave for any indication of their location. She glanced behind her, and something caught her eye. She got up and walked towards the faint yellow light that was shining through a crack in the cave wall. “Tech. Look.” She whispered.

Tech examined his datapad. “There is a passageway just beyond this wall. We could use the ipsiym you mined to access it.” He said excitedly before he lifted his comm. “Hunter, we found an alternative way out, but you will need to retrieve our gear.”

--

“Found it.” Wrecker said as he led the way through the tunnel.

“All right, Tech. We’ve got the gear and the ipsium.” You said into your comm as you picked up Omega’s stuff.

“Good. Next, you’ll need to carefully scale down the narrow crevasse and descend into the aqueduct below. You will come upon us once the rapids eject you over the waterfall.”

“Cause why would it be a simple case of following a path.” You grumbled to yourself as you climbed through the hole and stared down the crevasse Tech was talking about.

“But you must not compromise the mineral vials, or you will perish.” Tech warned.

It was then that Wrecker saw exactly what Tech was talking about. “You got to be kidding me!”

Hunter followed you in. “Hang tight. We’re on our way.” He told Tech before he signed off.

“I hate this planet.” Wrecker whined before he got ready to join the two of you.

--

Tech sat down next to Omega. “We will be out of this cavern in short order once they arrive with the mineral.”

“Except we still don’t have the Marauder or a way off this planet, and we can’t contact Echo for help.” Omega said miserably as she hugged her knees to her chest.

“We do not need help. We will figure out a solution as we always do.” Tech said simply.

Omega had to take a breath. “Everything is changing, and you don’t even care.”

“I am not sure how I should care about change. It is a fundamental part of life.” Tech said hesitantly, not fully sure if she would grasp what he was trying to say.

He just wasn’t getting it and Omega’s frustration and unhappiness got the better of her. “Echo left. Why doesn’t that bother you?” She snapped.

Tech paused for a moment as he considered his response. He kept his tone as gentle as he could manage. “I am aware that you miss him, but we have to adapt and move on. That is what soldiers do.”

“We’re more than that. We’re a family. Aren’t we?” Omega asked, her voice quiet but hopeful that she wasn’t misguided in how she felt about all of you, and it was something you all experienced too.

“Well, uh, yes.” Tech stammered, taken aback by the question as he hadn’t given the matter much thought. So much of his life had seen war being a central issue, there hadn’t been much in the way of feeling that true family connection, save for the usual sibling dynamics. They’d seen themselves cast out by many of their fellow brothers and so they only really had each other but the arrival of you and now Omega had seen that dynamic start to change and grow, but it had felt so natural, he hadn’t fully realised how familial things had become. “Yes, of course we are.” He assured her.

“Then why don’t you act like it?”

Tech looked to the space ahead and found himself needing a moment to consider his reply because he didn’t have an immediate answer for her- a rare position for him to be in. He could list of facts and data with no issue but being asked to consider his feelings on a subject, particularly one of this nature, was new territory for him. He released a sigh. “Echo chose a different path, as did Crosshair.”

Omega’s eyes widened slightly as she heard Tech use Crosshair’s name. It had been so long since any of you had mentioned him.

“I have to respect their decision.” Tech continued. “Even though it can be difficult to understand, we must carry on. I may process moments and thoughts differently, but it does not mean that I feel any less than you.” He told the young girl.

Omega looked at him let his words sink in. What he had said had helped her see a different side to him and the whole situation and she knew talking about such things would have been hard for him, so she appreciated that he’d done it. Before she could say anything, a distant scream interrupted any potential conversation. The two of them watched as you, Hunter and Wrecker came splashing into the pool.

Omega knelt down beside a coughing Wrecker as he lay on his front. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Wrecker could only manage to hold his thumb up.

--

As you climbed ashore, you tossed Omega’s stuff ahead of you and gently put down the ipsium satchel. You risked a glance in Hunter’s direction and immediately regretted it. The way water dripped from his face and his hair- which framed his face perfectly- had you biting your tongue to keep back an appreciative groan. You knew he could feel your eyes on him and saw that he was getting ready to look at you. Don’t look or speak to me until you’ve dried off. To be blunt, I cannot cope with how hot you’re looking right now.

To be honest, that suited him just fine because he was sure that if he focused too much on you right now, he’d be struggling too. The water had certainly helped but he was still trying to cool off after the hours spent next to you as you all had worked to clear the mine. Watching you work without your top layer off earlier had been a trying feat as he’d seen the strength and power you’d exuded. The droplets of sweat that had been dotted around your exposed skin demonstrating your capability and making you all the more enticing.

--

Hunter held onto Omega’s ankles as he boosted her up to place a vial of the ipsium by the fragile point on the cave wall. He carefully put her on her own two feet once she’d done that and the five of you hustled behind a rock.

Realising the others had put their helmets back on, you pulled your hood and mask up as Tech drew his blaster.

“How come he gets to blow it up?” Wrecker grumbled.

“If the shot is not precise it will cause another cave-in.” Tech replied before he fired his shot.

You all laid flat as the explosion sounded and the rocks crashed to the ground, and you were met with the joyous sight of sunlight.

--

As the others moved to leave, you gently touched Tech’s arm. You couldn’t quite get away with the typical sibling dynamic of fighting and then moving on from it a few hours later or at least, not when this situation had felt like a proper fight rather than a minor squabble. You needed to put this matter to rest properly. You didn’t like how on each other’s backs the two of you had been recently, Tech, can we talk for a second?

Tech turned to face you expectantly.

You exhaled deeply. “I know things were kinda tense for a while back there. I certainly didn’t display the best parts of myself and acted poorly. I just wanted to say sorry I was so hostile towards you.”

Tech dipped his head in acceptance. “We all say things and act differently in the heat of the moment, myself included. I’m sorry for my part in things too.”

You pulled your mask down and smiled warmly at him before you both followed the others out of the cave.

--

You shielded your eyes from the sunlight and looked across the horizon to see what you assumed was the spaceport Tech had referred to earlier and his words confirmed that.

“That is the spaceport but there does not appear to be much activity.” Tech revealed.

“Well, there better be some chow there, because I’m sick of rations.” Wrecker said.

Hunter had taken his helmet off again. “Let’s check it out.” He said as he glanced at Omega.

Omega nodded and led the way down.

“Permission to talk and look at you again?” Hunter said humorously as the others stepped past him.

You faced him and grinned. “Ah yes, much better. Permission granted, Sergeant.” You kissed his cheek but before you could walk away, Hunter took a hold of your waist and cradled the side of your jaw as he brought his lips to yours. You placed your hand on the centre of his chest and sighed happily into the kiss.

He couldn’t help it; he acted without really thinking it through. It had been a trying and tiring day and he needed it. It was a brief, sweet moment since you both knew it wasn’t the time nor place for anything more, but it was exactly what was needed.

“Stop looking at me like that.” You murmured as you pulled away and held his gaze. Warmth flooded your veins and your body started to tremble at the adoration is his eyes.

“Like what?” Hunter breathed, although he was sure he already knew given the way his body was reacting and what he was experiencing was reflected in your own eyes.

Before you could form a reply, you were interrupted.

“Hey! You two coming or what?” Wrecker hollered.

You and Hunter laughed quietly before the two of you set off after the others.

--

It was nightfall by the time you reached the port, but it was a disheartening sight. Everything looked old and decrepit. It was desolate. You weren’t going to find help here.

Wrecker let out a dejected groan as he came upon an empty pot.

“Where is everyone?” Omega asked.

“It’s abandoned.” Hunter said heavily. “For a while, by the look of it.”

“We came all this way for nothing!” Wrecker said, his spirit defeated.

“Not nothing.” Tech countered. “I can send out a long-range transmission with that array.” He indicated to the satellite ahead.

--

“No can do, I’m all tied up at the moment. You’ll have to figure it out yourselves.” The holographic image of Cid said.

The sheer lack of concern and casual way she dismissed your predicament shouldn’t have surprised you, but you still found yourself getting aggravated. “Are you fu- are you serious?” You caught yourself as Omega had half-turned to face you.

“Cid, you sent us on this mission.” Hunter argued.

“Well, I didn’t tell you to get your ship stolen, did I?” She retorted.

You scoffed and had to withhold the flurry of insults that threatened to leave your mouth.

“Cid, we need your help.” Omega implored.

“Just like we helped you regain control of your parlour from Roland Durand, and when we cleared your sizable debt with Millegi-”

“I didn’t ask for a recap, Goggles.” Cid said crossly. She looked at Omega once more and the pleading look behind the girl’s eyes got her to reluctantly back down. She groaned. “All right. Give me a few days and I’ll see what I can do.”

“We don’t have enough rations to last a few-” Any protest from Hunter died as Cid immediately signed off.

“What do we do now?” Wrecker asked him as he munched on his ration bar.

Hunter just stared at the piece of food in Wrecker’s hand.

“We’ll figure it out, like we always do.” Omega said optimistically as she shared a nod of understanding with Tech.

The rumble of thunder got Hunter’s attention. He stared at the storm in the distance and looked around him as his squad fell in line behind him. He felt your hand intertwine with his.

We’ll get out of this.

“Never knew you were such an optimist.” He whispered.

I can find it when I need to. You said as you gave his hand a comforting squeeze. You knew you guys would figure something out, you were nothing if not resourceful.

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