#i think i mentioned this before but my first thought was dave was just gonna be some werewolf guy

[dapndots]

some old stufffff some is from a year ago. kind of a continuation of that one au i made

[kimstills]

i can see you

pairing: aaron hotchner x f!reader

summary: "here i was thinking that i was special because you would only look at me with that desperate look on your face, but i see that you give any old man that look, right?”

content warnings: jealous!hotch, reader is a panther (aren't we all), bathroom sex, mirror sex, p in v, sexual tension, unprotected sex (r mentions being on birth control but wrap it before you tap it!), rough sex, dirty talk, size kink if u squint, spanking, hair pulling, choking, dom!hotch, sub!reader.

word count: 3.9k (y’all this was not supposed to be this long lmao)

notes: day 18 of @hotchfiles marchhotchness 'self-image' but also HEAVILY inspired by this post from @softhairedhotch because it made me go FERAL and i love jealous hotch (but pls lmk if taking inspo was okay!!) this is also my first hotch fic ever so pls lmk ur thoughts or any other feedback <333

aaron hotchner was not a jealous man.

he had no right to be jealous over something that technically did not exist or someone that technically was not his.

and although he only had himself to blame for that, he really did wish that you were his. and as much as he was telling himself not to be, he was jealous.

but it wasn’t the typical jealous where he watched you be approached by someone much younger than him—someone your own age instead of his—and by someone who already had him beat in reciprocating that flirtatious energy you often used on aaron himself.

no, this type of jealousy was one that was boosting his ego and making him feel lightweight, albeit the fact that it still made him see red.

it was a typical night out with the rest of the team, all of you having agreed that the eight of you were in need of a couple of drinks after some long weeks of paperwork and back and forth cases.

you were all engrossed in the conversation, but you had left the table to get yourself another refill on your drink and had taken far too long than it normally would have, the rest of the younger members—all besides reid—having decided on hitting up the dance floor throughout the time you hadn’t returned to your seat.

it was practically natural for aaron to look for you in a crowd, but what he hadn’t expected to find was you, sitting in a bar stool on the right side of the bar, being hit up by a man who had to have been a couple of years older than aaron himself.

the front hairs of the man’s head were peeking of several grey hairs, paired with a matching grey beard and an overall radiance that screamed of that older man type that you were apparently into.

the sudden revelation made aaron feel dizzy, the confirmation of your attraction towards older men making his pants tighten as he watched the way you stared up at the man with that sultry look of yours—the one where you were somehow able to perfectly mix mischief and innocence seamlessly together.

while you had used that look on aaron countless times before, times where it had been only you and him alone in his office, way past working hours, he had never done anything about it. but, god, as he watched you do it to someone else, out on the open, there was nothing he was currently regretting more.

aaron’s train of thought was interrupted as he felt someone kick him from underneath the table he sat at, whipping his head to the person in front of him only to find rossi staring at him with a smug look on his face.

he cleared his throat, “what?”

aaron mentally cringed at the way his voice wavered.

“you gonna be done being jealous anytime soon and make a move or are you just gonna sit there throwing daggers at the guy?” dave asked, brows raised.

he took a long sip from his drink, trying to avoid the question for as long as he could as he tried to compose himself, “i don’t know what you’re talking about,”

rossi rolled his eyes, “oh, please, aaron. you don’t have to be a profiler to notice the way you can cut the tension that’s between the both of you with a butter knife,”

aaron’s brows furrowed.

“you have all the confirmation you need right there,” dave pointed his thumb behind him, signaling at you and the man, “if that’s not enough for you, then i’m declaring you helpless at this point,” he let out a sigh, standing from his seat, “i’m going to get another drink and if i find you still sitting here, wallowing in your thoughts after getting my refill, i’ll go up to them and encourage her to go home with the man.”

aaron’s fists clenched at the thought. at the thought of you sprawled on the bed of another man, wearing that same look you had on just now and staring up at him as you—

his body acted faster than his brain did, and before he even had the chance to process what he was doing, he stood from his own stool, not allowing for another moment to pass by as he stormed over to where you and the man were sitting.

from your side of the room, you can see aaron make his way over to you through the peripheral of your vision, the excitement of finally getting a reaction out of him making your heart skip and your thighs press together as you took into count the way his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

the pressure you put on your thighs didn’t do anything to relieve the ache you felt in your core as he reached where you sat, coming to stand behind—was his name michael? although the stranger you had began talking to was definitely older than him, aaron was a good several inches taller, towering over the both of you.

he cleared his throat, cutting michael off from whatever he had been talking to you about as he turned around with a raised brow. aaron’s expression didn’t falter, not sparing a single glance at the man as his eyes landed on you, “y/n, can i speak to you for a moment?”

you mentally rolled your eyes. ever the formal one.

michael scoffed from in front of him, angling his body so that he was able to properly glare daggers at your boss, “we were in the middle of a conversation here, if you don’t mind?”

although your attraction for aaron skyrocketed in comparison to the man you had just met, you were thriving off of the jealousy radiating off of the one you wanted the most, the ache in your stomach only growing.

before aaron had the chance to shoot out a reply, you set your hand on michael’s forearm, giving him a small, but sad smile, “i’m sorry, michael,” you butted in, jumping off of the bar stool, “i’ll be right back, okay?”

another scoff comes from michael’s direction, “whatever,” he grabs his drink and rolls his eyes, “don’t even bother coming back,”

ew.

this time you actually rolled your eyes, grabbing at your drink and drowning the rest of it. you shrug, “older men are always a hit or miss,” you mumble, setting the glass down.

aaron’s hand comes to wrap around your wrist, a firm but gentle grip on it as he pulls you close to him, “let’s go,” he seethes in your ear.

you hide a smirk as you follow behind him, letting your body practically flail as you struggle to keep up with him. when he notices your staggered pace, he matches his footsteps with yours, moving his hand from your wrist to your waist as he guides you through the crowd and towards the hallway that lead towards the bar’s restrooms.

the both of you gave a silent thanks at the fact that there was no line, the hallway scarce and dimly lit with the exception of a few people standing together against the walls, either flirting or talking.

“what are you doing?” you ask, standing behind him as he knocks on one of the doors, his grip on your waist still very much present.

“you’ll see,” he mumbles, yanking the door open by the knob after no one replies and pulling the both of you inside before slamming the door shut behind him.

you try to take a good look at the interior of the bathroom, trying to guess if it was a good enough place to do whatever the two of you were about to do.

a faint gasp escapes your lips as you feel something hard press into your ass, immediately melting as one of aaron’s big hands comes to rub at the side of your leg, right below your hip. his whole body comes up behind yours, his other free hand coming to your stomach to press you into him.

“aaron—” you try to speak but get cut off as you let out another gasp, one almost like a sigh, as the hand that was rubbing at your leg sneaks further up and wraps itself around your hip, aaron’s thick fingers digging into your skin despite the material of your shorts that blocked his hand.

aaron dips his head so that his mouth is right next to your ear, his breath and the faint touch of his lips against the lower part of your jawline sending shivers down your spine.

“is this okay?” he asks softly, a total contrast from the vice grip he had on both your front and hip.

you nod quickly, your hand coming up to your right where he held your hip to wrap around his own.

“use your words, honey,”

the pet name makes you whimper and your thighs clench in spite of the fact that you were standing up. you let out a ragged breath as he awaits for your answer, the hand that was pressed to your stomach furthering down until it was right above your pelvis but below your tummy, pushing you further back until you could feel how hard he actually was.

you whine, your other hand coming to wrap around that one, too, “yes,” you sigh, “it’s okay,”

aaron presses his lips into that same spot below your jaw, gently and lovingly before whipping you around so that you were facing him and pushing you up against the counter.

not even giving you a chance to process what he had just done, his lips crash onto yours roughly, making you moan directly into his mouth. your bring your arms up around his neck, running your fingers through his hair and tugging.

aaron hisses, slapping at your thigh in a firm way that had you let out another moan.

“aaron,” you whine, pushing up into his chest out of desperation.

he hums, “do you want my attention now?” he asks through the kiss, “don’t wanna go back and talk to that guy you were all over just a couple of minutes ago?”

“no,” you mumble, huffing as he breaks away from you to wrap his fingers around your chin.

he chuckles as your lips form into a puffy pout, “here i was thinking that i was special because you would only look at me with that desperate look on your face, but i see that you give any old man that look, right?”

“no!” you whine again, your arms dropping from around his neck to wrap around his bicep, squeezing at the muscle to try and pull him closer to you, “just you!”

his confidence was beyond what it normally was, feeling you squirm from against him yet still wanting his touch, “really? so you weren’t planning on going home with that man? all those times you touched his shoulder or the times he would touch your thigh meant nothing?”

“yes, they didn’t mean anything!” you huff, “you’re the one i want to go home with all the time!”

aaron’s heart clenched at your confession, knowing that deep down you really did mean all the time. he had just never been sure if you truly were interested in living a joint life with him. up until now, that is.

he brings his hands to your back, right by your shoulder blades as he connects your lips once more. your shoulders relax and you lean into him with earnest, squeezing at the muscle from his bicep.

you hum, satisfied as he begins to run his hands up and down, resulting in the fabric of your shirt lifting with every time he went up, eventually ending up in nothing but rolled up fabric under his palm. he breaks the kiss once more to toss your shirt over your head and near the sink’s counter, leaving you in only your shorts.

aaron stared at your bare breasts, not expecting you to have not been wearing a bra despite the tight shirt you just had on.

you shiver under his gaze, opening your mouth to say something before he lowered himself and quickly attached a mouth to one of your breasts, the other one coming up to grab and squeeze at it. you moan, gripping onto the marble counter for support as he presses sloppy and wet kisses to each breast.

his fingers come to undo the button of your shorts, hooking them inside your panties before shoving both articles of clothing down your legs, signaling you to kick them off of you. you toed your shoes off as well, leaving you completely naked and bare for him while he remained fully clothed.

he turns you around gently, bringing you face to face with the sight of you completely stripped in the mirror, the image making you clench your thighs together once more as you stabilized yourself on the sink.

aaron’s hands soothed all around your body, a whimper leaving you at the feeling of his calloused hands groping at your breasts before moving down to your soaking pussy.

as if on instinct, you spread your legs open for him, practically inviting him to dip his fingers into your folds and inside your entrance. the thickness of both his index and middle fingers stretching you out. you knew you had always loved his hands for a reason.

a moan bounced off the walls as he pumped his fingers in and out of you, moving torturously slow before he began to pick up the pace. you could feel your slick drip onto the floor and probably onto the rest of his hand, but all you could focus on was shamelessly bucking your hips into your hand and spreading your legs for even more access.

“you’re soaking, honey,” aaron says, hand coming back around to squeeze at your breast again, leaving you gasping as he pinched your nipples.

you whimpered, “just for you,”

“‘just for me?’” he repeats, “not for anyone else, right?”

you shake your head no, pussy clenching around his fingers, “j-just for you, aaron,”

his hand left your breast to smack at your ass, making you jump, “good girl,”

with that, he takes his fingers out of you, a throaty whine leaving your lips at the empty feeling. you arched your back into him, but immediately stilled at the sound of him removing his belt filled the room. you watched from the mirror in front of you as he undid his pants button, reaching past his boxers to pull out his cock.

oh shit.

your mouth dropped at the sight of his dick spring out from where it had been confined, your slick hole clenching at nothing at how big he was. you knew that aaron hotchner was definition of big dick energy, always wondered what he was secretly packing, but now you wondered if you were going to be able to take it all.

he was thick, veiny all around with girth too thick that it hurt just looking at him. as much as you could tell you wouldn’t be able to walk after this, it excited you far too much.

you gulped, meeting his eyes in the mirror, landing on his hungry gaze, “is it going to fit?” you ask quietly, trying to bring your legs back together.

“we’ll make it fit,” he says, sounding confident of himself, a hand coming to stop you from closing your legs, “will you let me know if it’s too much?”

you take another look at his cock before giving him a determined look, “i will,” you nod.

he nods back, angling your head with his hand so he could press a kiss to your mouth.

you give into him easily, arching into him until you feel the tip of his cock slip through your wet folds and line up with your entrance. you had taken dick before, but never this big, so as he gave you one last look, you took a deep breath before feeling him sink into you.

you gasp, already feeling full by just the tip, though the slickness of your pussy helping you in adjust.

“still good, honey?”

you nod again, too busy focusing on how his length was stretching you out further than his fingers had.

smack!

aaron’s hand landed another spank on your ass, making you snap your heads toward him with a confused, dumbfounded expression. he glared, “use your words.”

you huffed, doing your best to not roll your eyes, “still good,” you replied, going back to focusing on how full your pussy already felt, “is it in yet?”

“almost, baby,” you whined again, pushing your ass back onto him and earning yourself another inch inside.

humming in delight, you felt aaron begin to move, setting a slow pace as he inched himself in and out to get you used to the length that was already inside you.

“aaron,” you sighed, “give it all to me,” you pleaded at him through the mirror, “i can take it,”

he studied your expression, all needy and flushed as you tried to buck your hips further back to fill yourself up more, “let me know if it’s too much,” he warned.

you nodded eagerly but didn’t get a chance to reply as he shoved the rest of his length inside, the tip immediately hitting that one spot. you gasped loudly, the feeling of his whole cock inside you awakening a hunger inside of you, “fuck,” you moaned, dropping your hands so that you were resting with your elbows on the counter, “please, aaron. move,”

he hesitated for another moment, and just as you were about to look behind you, you felt him begin to move, pistoling his hips into your ass roughly.

you let out a shriek, your hands grabbing at anything you could reach in order to stabilize yourself as he began to mercilessly pound into you from behind. he slipped his dick in and out of you each time, your pussy hugging the veiny length each time he did.

the sounds your juices made due to you being soaked vibrated against the room each time his hips hit your ass roughly, and it only edged you on further.

“a-aaron,” you moan, breasts jiggling against the cold sink as the girth of his cock stretched you out, “aaron! oh, fuck!”

you thought you had felt good getting his attention when you were back flirting with the guy, but nothing could have prepared you for the feeling of his dick slamming into you.

from above, aaron grunted and groaned, fingers and nails digging into your hips harshly as he pounded into your perfect pussy. he loved the way you clenched around him, taking it back perfectly each time he slipped back in.

his hand reached for your hair, wrapping his hand around it and pulling you back until you were flush against him with your back still perfectly arched. he dropped his hand from your head to wrap around your neck, fingers digging into the sides.

you gasped, not having a choice as you looked at him through the now foggy mirror, the image of your body rocking with every smack against your body only adding onto the sensation.

“such a perfect pussy,” aaron grumbled into your ear, “this pussy was made for me, wasn’t it sweetheart?”

you did your best to nod regardless of how weak your body felt, of the way you could feel your slick drip down to your thighs or the way you were drooling from your open mouth, “belongs to you, aaron,” you mumble, surprisingly coherently despite the way he was choking you.

“yeah, it does,” he grunts, free hand coming to grab at your stomach again before pushing against the spot where his cock was evidently sliding in and out of you, making you squirm, “this greedy pussy belongs to me. not to that bastard you were flirting with, right, honey?”

you nod again, eyes stuck on the tummy bulge you currently displayed, your hole clenching at aaron’s cock even tighter at the way the indent disappeared when he slipped out versus when it reappeared when slipping back in.

“feels so good, aaron,” you mumble, saliva dropping from your lips and onto your pointy, practically rock hard nipples that jiggled with each thrust.

“yeah?” he asks, breath hot against your ear, “taking it so well for me, such a good girl,” he praises, hand leaving from your stomach to slither down to where your bodies connected.

you let out a squeal as his middle finger slipped through your finger and his index began to rub furiously at your swollen clit, the feeling making the knot in your stomach tighten and tighten.

you babbled aaron’s name like a loose mantra, bodies rocking together as he quickened his pace after realizing that you were close to orgasming, hand tightening around your neck and finger rubbing even faster than before.

“c’mon, honey, come for me,” he encouraged, “come all over my cock, pretty girl,”

it was all the confirmation you need to let yourself go, body shaking and aaron’s name being repeated as you chased the high, glad that he was holding you up with his hands as your whole body stuttered.

the feeling of your pussy clenching and unclenching around him violently made aaron groan, sweat dripping down his body as he began to reach his own high just from the way your body reacted to orgasming from his dick. from the way he was fucking you and from the way he was naming you as his own.

you could feel his pace falter from behind you, lazily meeting his pace as you tried to encourage him to finish, “come in me, aaron, please,” you whined, needing to feel him fill you up to the point where his come would leak out of you, “fill up my pussy, aaron,”

he gave you a look of unsureness through the mirror before you nodded at him, “i’m on the pill. it’s okay. please,”

that had been all the confirmation he need for him to finish inside you, his cock twitching inside you as his seed filled you up, making you moan as you rode out your own orgasm, still clenching tightly around him.

you giggled at the way his body practically toppled onto yours as he tried to catch himself, bodies pressed together as he held onto the counter with his dick still inside you.

he snaked his hand around the side of your face as his breath evened, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek and shutting up your whines as he pulled out from inside you with a kiss to your mouth.

“jack’s at a sleepover today,” he says after a few moments of silence.

you inch an eyebrow at him, watching as he leaned over to grab some toilet paper, snatching some off the holder before wiping himself clean of you and wincing at the sensitivity as he wiped gently at your own folds and thighs, “is he now?”

he hums, tucking himself back into his boxers and quickly buttoning his pants to help you put your own clothes on, “he is,” he grabbed your discarded shorts and parties from the floor and signaled you to lift your legs, “we can go home and i’ll wake you up with breakfast in bed and ask you to be go on an official date with me in the morning,”

your heart pulls as he buttons up your shorts for you, reaching for your shirt, too, “i’ll only say yes if we keep going when we get home,” you admit, making him freeze in his movements.

he pinched your nipple.

[ssahotchnerr]

Reader sending Aaron cute messages when he’s off on cases and him not realizing he’s kinda smiling when reading them? Or they just make him in a much better mood in general and the others let reader know when they’re officially introduced? Idk it sounded cute in my head LOL

all thanks to you

omg that's ADORABLE cw; FLUFF

"you!" you had merely crossed the threshold of dave's foyer, only to be attacked by a sudden, warm embrace.

"me?" you said within a laugh. you caught yourself before penelope's abrupt hug caused you to lose your footing, quick to reciprocate and the butterflies in your stomach somewhat lessening.

it was your very first night meeting the bau team, and you had been beside yourself with nerves for close to a week now - ever since aaron had first mentioned the get-together. as they were the next closest thing to aaron's family than jack, you equally wanted to make a perfect first impression.

you must've shown aaron at least five potential outfits before you had left his apartment, asking him over again if he were sure the time was right for you to meet them, and if he was even more sure they would take to you.

aaron had reassured you, that first, you would look stunning in whatever you wore. and second, they would adore you. he offered the comfort that he himself wasn't worried, because he knew them, and he knew you. "trust me," he had said, chuckling softly as he grabbed his car keys. "i'll be long forgotten once they get to know you."

likewise, aaron had already warned you - penelope was ecstatic to meet you and would not keep that hidden in the slightest. but if she were half of what aaron had already described, you knew the two of you were guaranteed to be instant friends. and her current show, was pure evidence of that.

"it's so nice to finally meet you. you have no idea how long i've been waiting." penelope grinned, buzzing from ear to ear. "like, once hotch opened a text from you while we were all sitting around, y'know, being productive. and boy, i knew he was a goner."

"really?"

"are you kidding? okay," she takes a second, as if she's mentally preparing herself, ready to paint the picture. "we were sitting there, like i said. his phone goes off, and y'know that normal face he makes - eyebrows kinda pinched, mr mcpouty pants? - you know the one. he picks up his phone, reads it and he smiles. full-on smiles, right in front of us. he didn't think we noticed, but we did. didn't he smile?" her hand smacks out onto derek's arm, who happened to be passing by, resulting in a gentle slap.

"yeah babygirl." derek flashed a smile in your direction. "saw it with my own eyes."

"so," penelope's hand now flew onto your arm, resuming her energetic story. "when he realized he smiled, god forbid right - mr grumpy face returns, rather labored this time because again, the world will end if we witness anything otherwise. hotch simply puts down his phone as if it were nothing, but oh my god, he was blushing so hard i thought he was gonna explode. he was so so tickled."

"aww," you laughed, your lips curving into a smile and more love for aaron - if it were possible- swelling in the middle of your chest. "that's so sweet."

"oh honey, and that's one time out of, millions. dare i say, he got used to smiling and was generally in such a better mood all around." she lightly shakes your arm. "earlier nights, later morning starts, no more mr mcpouty pants - well, for the most part. all thanks to you!"

you felt a familiar presence still behind you, a hand finding your back. "you blush when i text you?" you turned your head up towards aaron, blush of your very own tinting your cheeks.

aaron shrugged reservedly, helping you slide your coat off your shoulders and folding it over his arm. "i did mainly at the beginning."

"sir, no." penelope shook her head, a pleased smirk vibrant on her face as her gaze switched between the two of you. "you were blushing today."

[gyll-yee-haw]

can you write an angsty smut that obviously has a happy fluff ending (because my heart wouldn't handle if it didn't) where the reader ends up getting hurt during sex and uses their safe word? You can choose the man 🤭 I was thinking loki or Jake but it can really be any of his characters

I'm gonna be honest, idk about this one, it got... personal 😖

But I hope you like it, baby <3

Warnings: blood, mentions of a terrible ex-boyfriend (implied SA, but not described), use of safeword, lots of angst with a happy ending <3

Like 2.3k words

---

You knew David had one of those days at the station by the way he barely spoke before he was all over you.

It wasn't uncommon for him to come home from work and immediately start a make out session. Somedays he would drop to his knees and eat you out for hours. Sometimes he would rip your clothes off and manhandle you like a doll... doggie style was his favorite for this occasions.

That's where you found yourself now. It was very late and you were very tired. Still, when he walked into the room, you knew you weren't going to sleep so soon.

You didn't mind. Obviously, even when he acted like that, he always, always made sure you came. Made sure you felt really good... he didn't ignore for a second the spots he knew you liked. Pleasing you was probably the part that calmed him down the most.

But tonight you didn't really... feel like it? It was weird, David always lighted up a flame in you with the touch of his hand. And that's why you allowed him to do what he needed to do. Well... you wouldn't have to do anything, just... let him have his way, and you would get tons of pleasure from it, so why not?

You weren't sure why not... why you were not wet. Why the pain was so unbearable when he entered you. It hurt more that your first time with him.

"Ouch!" You complained.

"Sorry, baby, just..." He tried to start moving, but the friction was just... so uncomfortable. "Are you okay?"

He thought all he had to do was prepare you better. He spit on his fingers and began to stroke your clit. But God, it felt TERRIBLE.

He pulled out. Shoved two fingers inside. Your head started to spin. You were almost disgusted by it all... so overwhelmed... the room was suddenly too hot and you couldn't breath...

"RED!" You yelled.

David froze. You had agreed on a safe word very early on the relationship, since you had... a little trouble with intimacy. But it never even crossed your mind using it... you never needed it. What the hell was going on? He removed his fingers quickly, and sat you up, desperately looking for any signs of bruises on your body.

"Dave..." you called, feeling sick.

His eyes followed your gaze to the sheets under you. There was blood. Not a lot of it, but still... it triggered your most horrible memories. And David knew that.

Before you were able to give yourself completely to him, you confessed that you didn't have the best experience with intimacy during your previous relationship. Your ex just didn't know how to get you into it and you were too afraid of saying no to him most of the time, scared he wouldn't love you anymore... and all that caused you to get hurt sometimes. Bleeding was almost routine in your sexual life. But it never had happened ONCE while you were with David. He was the complete opposite from your abusive ex. He cared about your pleasure more than about his own. He never forced you to do anything. He studied every little reaction from your body, to know what you liked. And he never made you afraid to tell him how you felt. But seeing that little red stain on the mattress made you sick. No, this can't be happening again...

"Fuck, baby, I'm so sorry, hey... look at me, please..." The pain in his voice was obvious. He was thinking the same thing as you. He hated your ex more than you. When you told him about all the things he did, he wanted to kill him. And now... he was disgusted with himself.

You were numb. You didn't even want to cry. You simply disconnected from reality. You weren't sure how much time passed, but the growing desperation in David's voice indicated it was a lot.

"Talk to me, please, please, baby..." He grabbed the sheets tightly, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to grab you instead, bring you close and apologize for hours, but he wasn't sure if it was okay to touch you.

"You said..." Your voice was low and weak as you spoke. "You said this would never happen to me again."

"Angel..." Part of him was relieved that you spoke, but those were definitely the most painful words he had ever heard. "I can't tell you how fucking sorry I am."

"Want to be alone." You requested, emotionless.

"No..." He shook his head. "I can't leave you alone like this, you're not okay, baby, let me help, please..."

"Just need some time." You insisted, not looking him in the eye.

You went through so many things during these years you and David had been together. And during every single one of them, he was there to help. But how could he help now, when it was all his fault? That's all he could think of. Of course you wouldn't want him around. You're a fragile, precious flower, while he's was a violent, cruel, heartless man... he thought he could leave all that at the station everyday to come home to you, but he can't. That's who he is.

"Alright." He whispered, getting out of bed. He fixed his clothes and his first instinct was to kiss your forehead as he stood up beside you. But he couldn't do that. He felt like you would break if he touched you. And the worst part was that you felt the same way.

He walked away from the room, and you waited until he shut the door behind him to let the tears fall. You were so confused. He hurt you. Never in a million years you'd imagine that.

At the same time... it wasn't like it used to be with your ex. He stopped immediately when you asked. He didn't know... still, should he be this rough without a warning? Shouldn't he check for signs before anything? Was it fair to be the one he used to relieve his anger when you weren't the one who made him mad?

Well... it can be hot sometimes. When you are in the right mood, it's something you really enjoy... and you have a safe word for times like this, so... can you blame him? How would he know this time was different?

It was all too confusing and you had no idea how you actually felt. You didn't know what to do. You trusted David with your entire heart and you knew that he would take a bullet for you, it was obvious he didn't do it on purpose. But miscommunication is the most dangerous thing in a relationship and you can't let that happen again.

You stood up and removed the stained sheets from the bed, putting all of your anger on this task. Then you put on your clothes and sat on the floor, beside the discharged sheets. You were so mad that your past continued to haunt you. That it was affecting David, who had done nothing but help you heal. Now he wasn't there with you because of the crimes of another man.

You cried until you were exhausted, and ended up falling asleep right there on the floor.

When you opened your eyes, you were lost. You didn't remember why you were on the floor until you saw the sheets. You shivered. How much time had passed? Where was David?

You gathered all your strength to stand up and opened the bedroom door. The house was completely dark. Shit. What if he got himself in trouble somewhere? If he had left the house on the state he was earlier... he probably would.

Then you heard something. The TV. You rushed downstairs. David was asleep on the sofa. You sighed and walked towards him. Kneeling on the floor, you placed your hand softly on his face. But he was absolutely exhausted, he didn't wake up. You felt you were going to cry again. He was so beautiful... even though you hardly saw him looking this peaceful while he was awake.

You laid on top of him on the sofa, snuggling on his chest, legs intertwined with his. He still didn't wake up. It was crazy to think that man would ever hurt you... you never felt as safe as whenever you could feel him like this. You fell asleep again.

When he woke up, if it wasn't for the tears on his shirt, he would have thought it was all a nightmare and none of that actually happened. His body was tense under yours, he still wasn't very comfortable with touching you again.

"Y/N..." He called, hands slowly caressing your arms, trying to wake you up as gently as possible.

You opened your eyes, but it was quite hard to adjust... they were swollen from crying so much.

"Dave." You said, sitting up. He followed your movements, sitting beside you. "Dave, listen... I'm so sorry, I..."

"Don't you dare." He interrupted. "Don't you dare apologize."

"I overreacted." You insisted.

"No, you didn't." He took a deep breath. "I fucking hurt you. Could have been a lot worse."

"But it wasn't." You furrowed your eyebrows. "We have a safe word. I used it and... that's it, it's okay now. It didn't end up badly."

"How can you say it didn't end up badly?" He shook his head. "It ended up with you fucking bleeding and crying. Fuck, I'll never be able to get out of my head that look in your eyes... fucking scared of me."

"I'm not scared of you. If you put that gun against my head I wouldn't be scared. I trust you." You assured him. "I just panicked... got... bad memories. That look in my eyes wasn't for you, was for my past."

"I brought it back." He reached on his pockets for his cigarettes. David never smoked inside the house, but by the way his hands were shaking, you could see he was nervous.

"Well, I..." You were desperately looking for the right words to calm him down. "If I had used the safe word earlier, this wouldn't have happened. It's not your fucking fault, David."

"Yeah? Then why didn't you?" He replied, cigarette in his mouth, looking for his lighter. "Fuck..."

"Fucking look at me." You grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and threw it on the floor.

It was the adrenaline. You didn't think before doing it. He looked at you absolutely stunned. No one dared to say a word.

"Right... I can see you're not scared." He finally broke the silence.

You started laughing. Hard. Was it that funny or was that nervousness? It didn't matter, because it put a smile on his face.

"I'm sorry... I was just trying to be heard." You shrugged.

"Well..." He went back to a more serious tone. "Then why don't you answer my question? Why didn't you tell me to stop earlier? You didn't even need to say the safe word, if you just told me 'no', I wouldn't... I wouldn't have laid a finger on you, you know that, right?"

"I do." You replied. "I really do, I swear... but I... I guess I didn't realize how I really felt until it was too late, you know? I was happy that you were home and I wanted you around... wanted you to touch me and you know I like it when you're rough, so... I was confused. It wasn't anyone's fault. Specially not yours, okay?"

"I don't know..." He looked at the cigarette on the floor. "I feel like I could have read the situation a little better, you know?"

"You stopped when I asked you to stop, that's all you could have done." You grabbed his hand, caressing it with your thumb. "Everything else that happened... could only be avoided if you changed my past."

"I could still kill him." He joked. Or at least you hoped he was joking...

"Does that change the past?" You rolled your eyes.

"No, but it would be pretty fucking satisfying." He shrugged. "You know, I don't believe in this kind of justice. I promise I never killed anyone, but... for you? I wouldn't think twice."

"Well, you don't have to." You got closer, sitting on his lap and placing both hands on each side of his face. "What really helps me get through it all is all the love you've given me. All the respect. Just how fucking much you care... nothing else is gonna fix me. The way you made me believe that I deserve to be loved and taken care of... and that there are good people out there."

"That just can't happen again, baby... I can't do it." He sent you a pleading look.

"It won't, look..." You promised him. "If I ever feel uncomfortable again, I'll tell you right away, okay?"

"Please." His voice came out so weak. "If I hurt you I will never be able to live with myself."

"You won't hurt me. That isn't you." You assured him. "You're gentle and sweet... even when you're rough, I promise I always feel safe."

"I don't think I'll ever be that rough again." His eyes widened.

"David. Don't say that." You almost whined. "I want you to!"

"Y/N..." He sighed. "Let's just... take a break from that, okay?"

"Hm." You smirked. "Okay, baby, I'm not complaining about making sweet love to my wonderful boyfriend... it's just that... when I want it rough... I'm gonna tease you until I get it. I know how to break you, you know that."

"For fucks sake... you're a fucking menace." He rubbed his face with his hands. "Where's my cigarette?"

"Come and get it..." You giggled.

[ageofhearingloss]

Who Are You Now Pt. 3 ⎮Danny Wagner x Reader

A/N: hiiii my lovey doves! i just wanted to say a huge gimongous thank you for all of the recent love on this series; it means way more than you could ever possibly know and you all are so near and dear to my heart!! part 3 is here, finally! there's still quite a lot of angst, but this time there's more gratification ;) this chapter contains explicit sexual content so GO AWAY if you are a minor! please! (also there's a silly little jab at king dave welcsh but don't get it twisted, i love him and ttwf more than life itself so it's all in good fun)

this very special chapter is dedicated to a very special POPPY!!! americas sweetheart @gold-mines-melting may or may not make an appearance in this part, you're just gonna have to read to find out!

(pssst, read part 2 first)

pairing: danny wagner x female!reader

warnings: angst, alcohol consumption, brief mentions of smoking, 18+ GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT, minors DNI!! shoo shoo!! unprotected sex (please be safe, yall!), language, dirty talk, choking and a little breath play, fingering (fem receiving), slight degradation, spitting, some playful hitting, and i thiiiink that's it but please please please tell me if i forgot something

word count: ~11k (so sorry)

summary: you and your best friend have just moved to a new city and spontaneously meet a group of handsome young strangers during a night out. you hit it off with one of them in particular, but are left wondering if you are just friends or if there’s something more on the horizon.

The passage of time was completely lost to you as you sat atop a stool at your kitchen island. How long had you been sitting there? Minutes? Hours? Right now, your brain only knew two things: Danny had kissed you, and he left you without saying a word. Your heart took up residence in your stomach and your palms were slick with sweat. Questions running marathons through your mind. Not being able to complete one thought before a new, louder one interrupted. 

This is exactly what I wanted, so why am I freaking out?

You cradled your head in your hands as you rested your elbows on the cool countertop, digging your palms into your eye-sockets as you tried desperately to settle the butterflies flitting around your gut. The kiss had been showstopping, akin to ones you watched on the television when you were younger causing you to dream of the love you would have once you were all grown up. Thinking about his fingers running through your hair, breath warm against your mouth, it sent you tumbling further into the pit of anxiety-induced nausea. 

You vaguely heard the front door open and slam, knowing Natalie and Jake were returning with breakfast in tow, but you couldn’t bring yourself to greet them with your usual cheery persona.

“Y/n!” Natalie sang from the entryway, “Did you know Jake wears prescription sunglasses? That’s why he wears them inside! I always thought he was just a prick-”

“Nat, that’s a trade secret!” he called after her, his tone full of scolding sarcasm.

They bumbled into the kitchen, Jake carrying a tray of four coffees (one for Dan if he still happened to be at your place), Nat clutching a giant brown paper bag filled with bagels, the early morning excitement filling the air until her eyes landed on you. 

“Oh, shit.” Jake watched her halt in the middle of the kitchen, her mood falling immediately, as he slowly shifted his eyes from her to where you sat.

“Damn…”

You lifted your head to take them both in, face flushed and eyes wide with panic.

“Honey, what happened?” Nat set the bagels onto the island in front of her, shifting to take the coffee from Jake’s clutches before climbing into the bar stool next to you. She began rubbing reassuring circles into your back as you let your head fall into your hands once more, shooting her eyes between Jake and the stairs, a silent request for him to give you two some privacy. He nodded his understanding, giving you a quick sympathetic glance that you were unaware of. 

“I’m, uh, gonna go take a shower,” he announced. “Holler if you need me.”

The stair creaked underneath his feet, indication that he was no longer in the room and with that, you lifted your head once again to meet Nat’s gaze. 

“That bad, huh?”

“Not even!” Your arms shot up in exclamation, causing her hand to retreat from your back. “I mean, I don’t even know!”

She waited patiently for further explanation. 

“Nat… he fucking kissed me.”

A giant smile of delight made its way to her face as she clapped her hands together, but it was lost all too soon when she realized there was no chance of you celebrating alongside her.

“Okay… so why is this a bad thing? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

You shifted on your stool to directly face her and let a controlled sigh leave your lungs. The first steady breath you’ve managed since the entryway fiasco. 

“Of course it’s what I want, it’s just… We were gonna talk and then he had to go to work so there was no time and-” you closed your eyes in an attempt to unscramble your thoughts, “He kissed me and then just left without saying a single thing.”

“He left?”

You nodded, explaining the whole scenario to your best friend. She listened intently, asking appropriate questions here and there, offering her sage wisdom to help talk you through it. She advised that even though the ball is technically still in his court, that perhaps you should take initiative and be the one to reach out to him. “If you don’t, who knows how much longer you’ll be waiting. Lord knows he’s made you wait long enough.” Of course, she was right. But your stomach churned at the thought of now having to confront the kiss he bestowed upon you on top of the conversation you were already planning to have. 

The conversation you two were having had drifted to a completely separate topic; you and Nat were able to talk about anything and everything. You were just beginning to feel better, the latte beginning to wake you up from your mostly sleepless night, as your phone began vibrating on the counter next to the stove. You leaped off your stool instantaneously and grabbed your phone to check the caller ID.

Daniel.

“Oh fuck,” you whispered, “it’s Dan. What the fuck do I do?”

“Answer it! Maybe he wants to talk!”

Your hand was shaking, palms impossibly sweatier than they had been before as you swiped a finger across the screen.

“Hey, Dan-”

“Hey angel, I don’t have a ton of time, I’m just pulling up to the shop-”

“Angel?” You blinked. 

You were met with silence from the other end.

“Sorry... I- I just forgot to mention earlier that tonight is Dave’s release show for the band's EP. We’re all on the guest list, including Nat. I’ll send you money for an Uber, and text you the address of the venue once I get inside the shop. Just meet us there at 7.”

You couldn’t believe these were the words that were being spoken to you. Was this not the man who had slammed you against the wall and devoured you not even an hour ago? 

“Uh, yeah okay. That sounds good. Anything specific I should wear?” The boys very frequently collaborated on their outfits when you all went out together, and more often than not, you and Nat were the outliers of whatever vibe they were trying to go for that night.

“You look good in anything, so I’m sure whatever you pick out will be great.”

Your brain was cursing your heart as you tried to fight the smile creeping across your face.

“I gotta run though, I’m already a little late. I’ll see you later tonight! Bye, y/n.”

Before you could say your goodbye in its entirety, the line disconnected. You pulled your phone away from your ear, mouth slightly agape as you cartoonishly blinked at Natalie, unable to form words for a couple moments.

“Looks like we’re going to a show tonight.”

~~~~~~

“So he really didn’t mention the kiss?” Nat called from the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her effortlessly beachy waves.

“Not a peep.”

Sat in front of your vanity in your bedroom, you were finalizing your look, too. Your own hair sat high atop your head in a loose, messy bun, not having it in you to be bothered to do something special with it. You pulled out a few tendrils to frame your face, and then applied a quick coat of mascara. The look for tonight was minimal; you knew you’d be out late, and you wanted to save your future self from the trouble of trying to scrub off a full face of makeup at 4am. 

Getting ready to go out was a therapeutic experience for you and Nat; the two of you would even go far enough to say that it was more fun than the night out itself. A cheap beer was sweating rings onto the top of your vanity, and even though the music was blasting through the halls of your apartment, you could still hear Nat singing to herself from the bathroom. You had nearly forgotten the stress you had been under only hours prior, and you were eternally grateful. After all, tonight was a big night for Dave and his buddies, and you wanted to be a supportive friend. That wouldn’t be possible if your head was drowning in thoughts of Daniel. 

“You sure this looks okay?” 

Nat appeared in the doorway of your bedroom, hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back in long, loose tendrils. She wore a black denim dress that was perfect for any occasion paired with her trusty set of Doc Martens. You turned your body to look her way, already nodding enthusiastically before your gaze fully fell on her. After volleying a variety of comments back and forth, ensuring that the other looked great and didn’t need to change, you stood from the vanity and smoothed your dress. You decided on a deep red slip dress; it was loose and didn’t cling to your curves, but left your arms and legs exposed; you didn’t know if dancing would be a part of the night's festivities, but you wanted to wear something that’d be appropriate, just in case. 

Walking over to your closet, you pulled on an old pair of tall, beat up cowboy boots. The mockery never ceased whenever you wore them, but you’d be damned if you weren’t going to seize the opportunity now that you lived in a climate where they were part of everyday attire. Nat peeked into the closet as you slid them on, snickering before you threw her a warning glare, shrugging a simple bag over your shoulder. 

“Ready?” you questioned.

She beamed, “Ready. The Uber’s gonna be here in a couple minutes.”

~~~~~~

You’d be lying if you said that your nerves hadn’t made their reappearance on the drive to the concert. You had kept a short leash on your brain, not allowing it to wander too far, but now you were worried about seeing Dan after what happened this morning; would he acknowledge it? Ignore it? Worst of all, was he going to act weird? Thankfully, you ran out of time to let yourself begin to question how the night would unfold as the car screeched to a halt at the curb in front of the venue, seeing that your four men, and a mystery woman, were waiting patiently for you outside of the front doors. You studied the woman briefly before getting out of the car; she was stunningly beautiful, coffee-colored hair and piercing green eyes, her features nearly feline. She was chatting away with the twins, bubbly, outspoken, and invested in the conversation with genuine interest.

She has that same warming smile Josh has.

Adjusting the silk of your dress, you climbed out of the car, taking a deep breath before stepping to the side to leave enough room for Natalie to get out. It was Sam who recognized your presence first, that goofy grin of his displayed on his face as he began sauntering over to you, causing his brothers to turn and follow suit.

“Oh mama, you look great!” Josh exclaimed once he was in front of you, grabbing your hand while lifting his arm up to give you a little twirl. Every ounce of stress and anxiety you were feeling in the car instantly seeped away from your muscles once you stood in front of your friends. Jake had immediately flung his arm around Nat’s waist to pull her in for a quick kiss, and after you said hi to him and Sam and were out of Josh’s clutches, you let yourself finally look at Dan. His eyes were twinkling and smile shining bright, exactly how you always remembered him from the very first night you met. He sidestepped around Josh and pulled you into a tight hug, hands slightly bunching the material of your dress around your waist. Breathing in the musky scent of him helped focus your thoughts, reminding you that you had nothing to worry about. After all, he was one of your closest friends, and it’d take more than a kiss to mess that up. You’d decided that tonight would not be the appropriate time to talk about what transpired that morning, and with that you were determined to have a good time. If Daniel wanted to bring up the kiss, so be it, but you did not want to ruin an otherwise celebratory night with a conversation that had the potential to end in catastrophe.

Once you pulled out of his arms, you made your way over to meet the girl that was at Josh’s side. She was already beaming at you, and you couldn’t help but return it, finding that not only her smile was similar to Josh’s, but she had an equally inviting aura. Josh was speaking before you had the chance to let words fly.

“Y/n! I want you to meet someone-” he was interrupted by a playful nudge to his shoulder, the girl chuckling beside him.

“Ever the gentleman,” she grinned as she stuck her hand out past him. “I’m Poppy.”

You clasped her hand between yours without a second thought, “I’m y/n.” You shook it gently before playfully asking, “So you’re with Josh?”

“That’s right, mama,” Josh cut in, throwing his arm around her shoulder and placing a chaste kiss to her temple, “you snooze, you lose.” You rolled your eyes and laughed at his comment as he punctuated his words with a wink.

“Where’s he been hiding you away all this time?” You returned your attention back to Poppy who remained snug under his arm. She explained that she and Josh have known each other since high school, but had both gone separate ways for college only to have found each other again in the city of music. You learned she was also a musician, traveling around with numerous bands whenever any of them needed a resident saxophonist. “I just got back from a long stretch of touring a couple days ago,” she nodded thoughtfully, “I love it, but I am so happy to be home. Josh has told me a lot about all of you and I’m excited to finally meet everybody for myself.”

Greetings began to die down, Natalie and Poppy immediately bonding over their affinity for the twins, and soon you were being corralled inside by an anxious Daniel who informed you the show would be starting momentarily. 

The venue was stunning and cozy; an inviting environment that hosted the most talented up-and-coming musicians Nashville had to offer. Your little posse found a comfortable patch of standing room to the left of the stage, Sam insisting that you all didn’t drift too far from the bar (“I really hate spilling my beer on myself when I try to get back to my spot”).

The house lights faded to black just a minute later. Dan stood close to your side, whispering to you the names of the band members as they made their way on stage. Of course you knew Dave, but he identified Alex as the guitarist, Chris on drums, and Kyle playing the bass. You nodded your understanding, trying to focus on the words he was saying rather than the sensation of his breath hot against the shell of your ear; it was going to be a very long night if you couldn’t get your emotions under control. But instead of trying to stuff your feelings down like you had been for months now, you let yourself be distracted by Dave’s voice, losing yourself to the music. 

~~~~~~

He was mesmerized by the way you moved. He’s watched you dance plenty of times before, but the way your body moved always had the ability to steal the air clean from his lungs. The way you let your eyes fall closed and the sway of your hips. How your dress would ride up ever so slightly whenever you lifted your arms. The lights faintly glittering off the sheen of the gloss that painted your lips. The lips that he had finally pressed his own to that morning. 

The guilt he felt for ignoring the show was only slight; he was too entranced by you, and he could not stop from slotting an arm around your waist, letting himself sway along with you. When you felt his firm hold around you, you fluttered your eyes open and lifted your chin to give him a smile that set his skin aflame. The tilt of your lips made him realize that he would level the earth for just a chance to experience that smile again, and knowing that he was the recipient of such angelic beauty made his heart jump to his throat. He retreated his hand only to turn his attention to your hair, to the messy bun adorning it. Selfishly, he wanted to see the way your waves danced down your back and how they would sway in time with your movements, so with one fluid motion, he gently pulled the elastic from your hair, letting it fall around your shoulders before he smoothed it out, letting pieces fall to frame your face. 

“What’d you do that for?” You questioned with raised eyebrows, just loud enough for him to hear above the music.

Ever quick on his feet, Danny began gathering his own hair high atop his head, securing it with the tie that he had taken from you, “I was getting warm, the hair had to go up.” 

A smirk played on your lips, somehow seeing right through his excuse, but let him off the hook as you grabbed his arm, using it as leverage to reach up and whisper in his ear, “So, these guys are essentially a 1975 tribute band?”

You were driving him mad. The scent of your woodsy cologne caused the hair on his arms to stand up on end, throat bobbing as he leaned down to retort, “Don’t tell Dave that, it’d go straight to his head.”

Your head lulled back with the sound of a laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners as you let go of Dan's arm, returning your attention to the band as another song climbed to its peak.

With great effort, he finally peeled himself away to glance around at the others in the audience and just as he suspected, he wasn’t the only one enamored with you. He caught the eyes of those who were ogling a little too much, giving them a territorial glare that caused them to embarrassingly return their gaze forward. As much as he loved to show you off, you were his, whether you knew so or not. The way he was indulging in the sight of you felt nearly sinful, but he refused to let the moment go to waste and took inventory of every lock of hair, every freckle, every dimple, committing it all to memory. 

Dave’s voice rang in his ears as he returned his attention to the stage,

Take time to figure it out, I love you when I’m honest…

~~~~~~

“Oh my god, y/n! Natalie!” Dave called as he rushed into the mostly vacant house of the venue, the rest of the band trailing hot on his heels. “I’m so happy you guys could make it!” He pulled you two into a simultaneous hug, his hair and chest damp with the sweat he shed on stage. 

“You guys were incredible, congrats on the release!” Natalie beamed, your group adding their agreements and affirmations alongside her. 

Danny had moved to stand beside you, casually throwing his arm around your shoulders like he had done countless times before as you all chattered in excitement together. Sam and Kyle had drifted to get one more drink, Sam animatedly asking the bassist about some of the riffs he played on stage. At this point in the night, you were completely relaxed, content to be with your friends, old and new, and celebrating such a great accomplishment together.

“Oh shit, let me introduce you guys, sorry,” Dave said in a hurry, gathering up Alex and Chris, leaving Kyle in Sam's clutches. He introduced you to them, you eagerly shaking their hands and making small talk. Chris kept catching your eye, his smile gleaming in the light reflecting off of it. Alex was occupied talking to Poppy and Natalie, asking them questions about where they were from and what music they were into, as Chris directed his attention back to you and Dan, still snug at your side. 

“You two look good together,” he grinned at you, “I didn’t know Dan was seeing anybody.”

A blush crept to your cheeks but before you could think of a response, Dan was already on it.

“I’m not,” he replied flatly. “We’re just friends.”

What?

You thought you were blacking out considering how quiet it suddenly got around you, but rather your friends had stopped their conversations once they heard those words leave Daniel’s mouth. Sure, neither of you had any time to talk about what you meant to each other, and saying that you were just friends saved everyone involved from a long, awkward explanation, but he could have just left it that you two were not a couple. 

There was a period of charged silence, as if your thoughts were painted above your head in bright, neon lettering for all to read. That familiar rush of rage flooded your system, the feeling that you had tried so hard to quell during your movie night the evening prior. You were back to square one; you needed to talk to Danny. The show was over. You’d find a quiet place in the bar where you all were headed to finally say your piece. Glancing down at your shoes, you could feel their eyes on you. Could feel the weight of words unsaid. But thankfully, Chris soon rolled off Dan’s words with a nonchalant “Oh, my bad. Well maybe you two should be.” He waved off the comment dismissively and joined the rest of the group standing behind you two; it was clear the conversation had died right then and there and it was time to head to the “real party,” as Jake called it. 

The group divided up as you headed to the bar; you insisted that you, Natalie, Poppy, and Josh shared a ride while the others found their own way there. Josh put up no fight leaving his brothers, explaining that he hardly got a second away from them anyways. You needed a slight reprieve from everyone, knowing that these three were the ones who would not contribute more to the irritation that was present in your mood. Nat kept close to your side; she knew better than to mention what had been said, but offered her comfort in the source of her presence, something that soothed you no matter what. You assumed Josh had filled Poppy in, for she gave you a sympathetic smile that suggested she knew all too well what you were feeling. You made a mental note to have a stern talk with Josh later about if he ever fucked anything up with Poppy, you’d mount him over your fireplace. 

You sat in the front seat of the car, letting the other three babble away as you glared out the window, eyes chasing the passing cars. If you were honest with yourself, you wanted to go home. It seemed like impending doom awaited you at the bar, and you weren’t sure if you were prepared to handle it. But you knew the option of making a swift exit was long gone, so you decided that you’d attempt to let a couple drinks melt away your nerves. If not, they’d at least serve as liquid courage for you to face your fears. 

“You gonna stay here all night, or come with us?” Josh clapped his hand on your arm, pulling you from your thoughts with a knowing smile as you glanced at him over your shoulder. You nodded, your smile not reaching your eyes, and then turned to step out of the car, unsure about where your night was headed.

~~~~~~

Thankfully, the night had unfolded similarly to any other. You found yourself in a seedy bar surrounded by your favorite people, drinks flowing freely and conversation light and easy. The bar the band had chosen had a variety of games; dart boards lined the walls and one lone ping-pong table stood in the corner, highlighted by a flickering stained glass lamp hanging from the ceiling. Josh and Poppy had made their way over to it early in the night, their competitive streaks equally matched as you all watched a tournament unfold. They had remained there all night, heated words spewing back and forth and sweat dripping from their foreheads. The rest of you took turns refilling their drinks when one of you noticed they were low, all of you beyond amused by the unbelievable seriousness they both shared when it came to the tabletop sport. 

The other nine of you drifted towards one of the many dart boards, laughing and yelling more than throwing many darts. Sam had the worst aim any of you had ever seen, causing flowery insults to fly amongst the brothers. Everything felt great, normal even, except for the fact that Dan seemed to be avoiding you. He was conservative with his words, his touches, conversing with Dave and Sam much more than you, but tried to convince yourself that you were fine with it.

At the beginning of the night, his lack of attention made your heart pang with a hint of sadness; now after a few drinks, it felt like a game. You rarely instigated; you thought these petty games were childish and never helped the issue at hand, but you couldn’t stop yourself tonight. He would talk to you, and you were determined to make sure of that. Your plan was simple: jealousy. 

You latched onto Chris for the night; he was charming, easy-going, and possessed a smile that lit up the whole room. The two of you hit it off swimmingly, finding out you had plenty in common with each other and feeling delighted in his company. You hated that your intention was double-edged; you did want to get to know Chris better, but you were also too aware of Daniel’s stare burning through the back of your head. 

It’s working.

To deepen the blow, you agreed to be on Chris’ team for darts, Danny looking confused since the two of you were always a pair when it came to teaming up against others. You answered his expression with a wink of your own, turning your attention back to Chris as he began his throws. You put on your best show, widening your eyes just a smidge, being a hint more bubbly and giggly, things that would fall unnoticed by the rest of the crowd but not by the one person you wanted to realize. 

Once your points hit zero, Chris landing a double and winning you both the game, you threw your arms around his neck excitedly, him twirling you around in celebration. Jake and Natalie cursed their loss as Chris returned you to your feet, Sam already picking teams for the next round, securing Dan for himself. 

“Actually, guys, I’m gonna step out for a smoke.” His voice was jarring, considering you’d hardly heard it all night. “Daniel, you hardly smoke,” Sam complained, knowing his so-called dart partner was a great throw. “Come with me, y/n.” You spun to see Dan standing close behind you, his expression undeniably serious as he tenderly grabbed you by your hand. He swiftly led you away from the group before you could object, only having a quick moment to throw Natalie a glance of confusion as you grew farther away, soon enveloped by the sea of other bar patrons.

~~~~~~

“Dan- Dan! What are you doing?”

“Just.. come on,” he said through gritted teeth, the gentle hand he had previously offered you now a vise-like grip wrapped around your wrist. 

You were on his heels heading through the boisterous crowd at the bar, and realized quickly that you were not heading towards the front door where you were told you’d be going. He had informed the group that you two were going out for a smoke, but with how he was holding you paired with the alarming speed he was ushering you through the crowd, you knew that was the last place you were going. 

Oh, he’s pissed. 

You’ve rarely seen Danny upset, but when you had, it was frightening. His eyes were burning, all playfulness and serenity stripped from his demeanor. Only dominant fury raged through his system, and that is exactly what you wanted. You smiled to yourself even though you knew you were in deep shit, never have been on the receiving end of his anger. Your plan of riling him up played out perfectly, but now the steam that you swore was radiating off of his head had you questioning otherwise. Did you push him too far?

He pulled you towards a set of stairs that led down to where the bathrooms were located and your stomach twisted. You hesitated slightly in defiance but was matched with a quick tug on your wrist, signifying that you needed to continue moving. With that, you gave up the fight, following him down the dimly lit staircase, nearly tripping over your own feet in the process. Landing at the bottom, you watched Dan frantically look down the hall, illuminated by dingy lights and neon signs, only to see that there were plenty of people in line for both single stall bathrooms. He cursed under his breath, hand still wrapped around your wrist, and hauled you past the lines of curious onlookers. His stare was unbelievably dark, all caramel drained from his irises. And it excited you beyond belief.

You knew what this looked like, the two of you running hand-in-hand to find a private place,  and thinking about it caused a pink flush to grace your cheeks, but beyond that, you couldn’t find it in you to care. The lingering effects of the alcohol (albeit you were feeling pretty sober by this point in the night), the adrenaline from the show, all of it made you more eager to be with him. You let your gaze fall onto his back, your hair falling slightly to shield your face from any bystanders as you raced past them. The end of the hallway veered right, and soon you were thankfully out of the line of sight from others. You couldn’t fight the faint smile that graced your lips as he pulled you to every doorway lining the hall, checking the door handles with the hand that wasn’t chained to you. Most were locked or marked “Employee Only,” but soon he found a supply closet that allowed him to enter. 

Dan yanked you into the closet causing you to stumble forward over your feet and by the time you caught your balance, he had already shut and locked the door from the inside. You stood in the center of the room, cramped and damp with the smell of wet mops and bleach. Switching on the light via the string hanging from the ceiling, you finally turned towards Dan who was now leaning his back against the locked door. 

You stared in silence at each other for what felt like minutes, your arms crossed over your chest as you watched his gaze never lighten. He was the picture of stoic beauty, even if his expression should have sent you running for the hills. 

As much as you were hoping for him to break the silence, you decided it was time to end your standoff. 

“So… what?”

“You know what, y/n, don’t play fucking dumb.”

This is going to be fun. 

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, care to enlighten me?”

He shoved off the wall, stalking towards you with lion-like movements. His eyes hadn’t left yours since you entered the dim room, and usually this extended period of eye contact would make you shy away, but right now it was only contributing to the pool of wetness you could feel collecting between your thighs. 

“Why were you flirting with Chris?”

“Who said I was flirting?” He stood directly in front of you now, and you lifted your chin slightly in defiance as your eyes seared into his. “And why do you even care since we’re “just friends.””

He took one more step closer, pressing his torso against your crossed arms. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” he started condescendingly, “You think I can’t tell when you’re flirting? When you’re all hot and bothered?” His eyes flickered to your lips as he spoke, wetting his own with his tongue. 

Watching his movements caused you to clench your thighs together in search of any hint of friction or relief, and even though you tried your hardest to be subtle, his eyes shot down to note your fidgeting. Only then did a lupin smirk appear on his face. 

He slowly dragged his eyes up your body, lingering on every curve, to meet your stare again, bringing a hand to grip your jaw as he tutted at you in disapproval. 

“You’ve been playing with me all night, haven’t you, angel?” His hand on your jaw tightened as he tilted your head back slightly, bringing his lips inches away from yours. 

He says that as if he hasn’t been playing with me for months. 

You dropped your arms away from your chest as you backed away out of his grip, your own face falling as you watched his eyes flit between yours in a hint of concern and confusion. His arrogant smirk was wiped clean off his face.

“You think I’m playing with you? Are you going to tell me what the hell you’ve been doing for the past couple months?” Your eyebrows shot up in question as your breath quickened. Yes, you were toying with him tonight, but only in retaliation for his actions towards you.

“I feel like I’ve been going crazy thinking about all the times you’ve led me to believe that this,” you motioned between your bodies, “that we were something more, but it’s always radio silence from you.” Your hands were balled into fists at your sides, tears threatening to breach your eyes. “Did this morning not mean anything to you? I’ve been racking my brain all day as to what I could’ve done to make you act like it didn’t happen.” You dropped your chin to your chest now, forcing back the tears that you refused to let fall. “I just don’t get why you haven’t said anything.”

You were expecting his tone to shift, for him to comfort you like you were used to, but instead he reciprocated your frustration. 

“Why I haven’t said anything?” His back straightened as his eyes widened in shock. “Why haven’t you said something? I thought it was very clear that the ball was in your court. I fucking kissed you for god’s sake! How can you say it meant nothing to me?”

You darted your head back up to look at him. “You’re kidding, right? The pet names, your “friendly” touches, that one night at Jake’s,” you spat at him. “The fucking kiss? You initiate these things and then leave me in the dark immediately after! What the fuck am I supposed to think?”

He was struck speechless for a moment, his eyes softening ever so slightly as he stepped forward to close the distance you had put between you two.

His voice shifted to a domineering whisper, “I’m fucking scared, y/n, is that what you want to hear?” Even though his voice was softer, his mood hadn’t changed. “I know how I feel about you, and I’ve known it since the first night at Mickey’s. I waited until I knew my feelings were true, but I fucked it up along the way.” He dropped his forehead to yours and allowed his eyes to close. “I’m terrified to lose you, to do something-” 

“Just fucking do anything, Daniel,” your voice at full volume. You were growing impatient and increasingly more upset by his confession. “I’m sick of waiting around for you to decide what you want from me.”

He lifted his head back up, his expression telling you that he was taken aback by your tone. You two stood and stared at each other for another long moment, storm clouds of tension swirling around the room.

He moved to grip your jaw like he had minutes before, “Do anything?” The fire in his eyes returned although there was a new glint of mischievous darkness. 

“Please.” Your voice came out as a shallow whisper. 

“Be careful what you wish for, angel.”

With that, he crashed his lips into yours, slowly backing you up against the far wall of the closet, never breaking contact the entire way there. Your back finally hit the cold concrete with a slight thud, the pressure of his weight against you caused a faint whimper to escape your throat. It was quiet enough that you were sure he didn’t hear it, but his chuckle against your lips confirmed that he knew just how badly he was riling you up. He let go of his grip on your chin in favor of snaking both of his hands into your hair, similarly to what he had done this morning. 

Unlike this morning, however, it was you who was fighting for dominance. You intertwined your arms behind his neck, bringing him as close to you as possible as you lightly swiped your tongue against his lips, a silent demand for him to open for you. He gave you access for a split second, letting you fall into a false sense of control, before giving your hair a sharp yank that snapped your head back, causing you to completely fall open to him instead. Holding your hair in his fists, he pulled back from your mouth, looking at your already kiss-swollen lips and smudged mascara. Your jaw was slack as you gazed down the tip of your nose at him, chest heaving in a desperate attempt to get any air to your lungs. 

This side of Daniel was new territory for you; he had never given you the impression that he had a dominant streak, although you did realize that his brothers often fell in line whenever he commanded them to. It excited you beyond comprehension, knowing that you were still learning new things about the man you’ve spent so much time with. 

His hand lightly gripping your throat was what pulled you back from your thoughts and forced you to him. He squeezed the sides of your neck, still allowing you enough room to breathe, while his other hand left the back of your head and started roaming up and down your curves at an agonizing pace.

It was killing you how slowly he was moving. In hopes to relay that message to him, you daringly ground yourself against his body, feeling that his cock was undeniably hard and straining against his jeans, but you were quickly met with a firm squeeze on your hip, pressing you back into the wall. He tutted at you for the second time tonight, shaking his head in disappointment. 

“Who knew my sweet girl was so greedy…”

You gave him a set of award-winning doe eyes as both his hold on your throat and your hip tightened, causing him to let loose a shaky breath as you batted your eyelashes. The hand on your hip began traveling down your thigh and underneath your dress, moving dangerously close to where you needed him the most. Your breath hitched in anticipation as he snapped the elastic of your thong, earning you a dark chuckle in return. Dan leaned in next to your ear as his fingers danced along the waistband of your underwear. “Can I touch you?” he whispered, barely loud enough for you to hear. In that moment, he was the soft, caring Daniel you knew, making sure that you felt comfortable in your current situation. His shifts between light and dark sent you reeling, and you were certain you felt droplets of your arousal run down your inner thigh. 

Dan withdrew his head from the side of your face as you quickly nodded your approval, not worried if you looked too eager.

“Words, angel. Let me hear what you want.” His grip loosened to grant you the ability to speak clearly and your words tumbled immediately from your lips in a hurried slur.

“You, Dan. Please,” you writhed against his fingers, begging him to venture lower, “I want you.”

The second the words left your mouth, his fingers dug into the sides of your neck once more, somewhat restricting your airflow. He decided to show you an ounce of mercy, letting his index finger trail just below your navel, making you shudder. Your head attempted to fall forward to your chest, despite his restraints, as you felt him trace over your clothed core, ghosting circles right around your clit. No matter what situation the both of you were in, he still insisted on messing with you. 

You hissed through your teeth as he pulled your panties to the side, cool air hitting your throbbing heat as he began swiping two of his fingers through your folds.

“Fuck- Jesus Christ, angel, you’re soaked,” he whispered mostly to himself as he directed his gaze down to watch his fingers at work. Somewhere along the way, your dress had been hiked up around your waist, allowing you both front row seats to watch what he was doing. After gliding through your folds and swirling around your clit a couple times, he began teasing your entrance, gathering as much of your slick as he possibly could on his fingers. You groaned when you felt his fingers retreat, only to see him bring his hand up between both of your faces so you could marvel at his handiwork. 

“Absolutely filthy,” he glanced from his fingers into your half-lidded eyes with a devilish smirk splayed wide across his mouth. His words could have made you come on the spot; you were not prepared for him to be this vocal- this morning he remained completely silent. But damn, were his words a treat for you to hear. You watched with rapt attention as his fingers glistened, hardly realizing that his other hand had left your throat and traveled up to grip your jaw. He forced your eyes back to his with a tight squeeze on your cheeks. Eyes burning into yours, he brought his fingers to his mouth and slowly licked you off of them, savoring the taste with a satisfied hum. His tongue curling around his digits gave you a clear glimpse as to what he would be able to do if his head was buried between your legs instead.

He pulled his fingers away from his mouth and brought them to yours, resting the pads of his fingertips against your bottom lip. “Open up,” he said, accompanied by another sharp clench around your jaw. Your mouth fell open instantaneously as he rested his fingers along the top of your tongue, and you unabashedly sucked them into your mouth, eyes never leaving his. 

“How do we taste together, hm?” His eyelids fluttered at how warm your mouth felt, but he couldn’t bring himself to miss the chance of watching his fingers pump in and out of you. “You’re even sweeter than I imagined you’d be.”

Slowly withdrawing his fingers, you hollowed out your cheeks around them, causing him to curse under his breath. You didn’t dare let your eyes drift closed either as he brought his slippery fingers back down to your clit, the pressure featherlight and mind-numbing. Once again, you pushed yourself against his hand, needing more. Every nerve-ending in your body was burning with white hot flame and he knew it, too; this is exactly how he hoped you would respond to him, and he was determined to take his time with you and draw this pivotal moment out for as long as he possibly could. 

This man is going to be the death of me.

You finally relinquished any control you had over your body and allowed your eyes to close, your head tilting back against the concrete wall as you felt him glide one finger inside of you, exhaling a breath that you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. He stilled inside you, scanning your face, amused with how you looked in your already fucked-out state. He admired your beauty: how your lips were still glistening from his fingers, how your eyeliner had drifted to shadow beneath your eyes, how your hair was a tangled mess falling over your shoulders. You were a masterpiece, and he was hell-bent on making sure that you were his and only his for the foreseeable future. 

You grew impatient with his finger laying dormant inside of you, so you forced your eyes open to find him staring at you. Once he was caught, he flashed you a cheeky grin and a cocked eyebrow, “Hi, doll,” knowing damn well that you were growing tired of his teasing.

“Please,” you begged again.

He loved making you writhe in his grasp. 

“Shit, you sound so pretty when you beg. Please what?”

You brought your hand to cup his length still confined in his pants, and the feeling of him twitching against your fingers brought an entire swarm of butterflies to your stomach. He groaned at the contact, quickly trailing his eyes to see where you were grasping him. You made quick work of popping the button of his jeans loose, tugging the zipper down before his hand left your throat and traveled down to grip your wrist, halting your movements.

“As much as I want your hands on me, angel, we’re taking care of you right now.”

“Danny, I need more. Please, let me have it,” you clenched around his digit that still sat inside you, causing a shudder to ripple through him. If you had been in your right mind, watching him shake would have brought a smile to your face. But right now, all it did was send another flood of wetness to your core.

“Only good girls get what they want, angel, and you’ve been anything but good tonight.”

Your eyes shifted to him as you gazed through your lashes once more, praying to any god out there that he would drop the act and give you what you needed. 

“That's not true,” you mumbled out, your voice still hoarse from the hand that was previously around your throat. He brought your hand away from his cock and returned it to your side as he leaned into the crook of your neck, breath hot against your skin.

“Agree to disagree, but why don’t you stop being a selfish brat and show me just how good you can be instead.” He punctuated his words with a sudden curl of his finger, the tip of it tickling that sweet spot deep inside you. You gasped, head falling back again as your mouth hung agape, wondering to yourself if you’ve ever been this turned on in your life. You knew this was a high that you would be chasing for the rest of your life. 

His unoccupied hand began trailing up your body, pausing momentarily at your chest to swipe his thumb over your peaked nipple, and then moved on to return it to its rightful place around your neck. You were seeing stars already, that familiar elastic band of pleasure in your lower abdomen threatening to snap at any moment now. He pulled out his finger only to insert another one alongside it, his thumb beginning to rub circles against your bundle of nerves while his fingers got to work inside of you. 

“You know, I’ve imagined this more times than I care to admit,” he licked a quick stripe beneath your ear. “I’ve dreamt of how you’d squirm for me.” His fingers quickened their pace, alternating between pumping and curling as he felt your walls beginning to flutter around him. “How you’d react to my mouth, my fingers,” he emphasized his words with an especially mind-altering curl of his fingers as his voice deepened further, “my cock-”

His damn fingers.

Tears were threatening your eyes again as you peered over the edge of what you could tell would be one of the best orgasms you’ve experienced yet. You knew his hand around your neck was a purposeful way to bring this out in you, your heady state making you even more responsive to his touch.

“I’m-” you gasped, trying to find where your words were locked away in your brain, “Dan, I’m close-”

“I know, angel, can feel you squeezing me so tight. Will you be good and give it to me?” The circles on your clit were impeccably fast, “Please, let me see how pretty you are when you come.”

Right then, he released his hold on your throat, the rush of blood to your head sending you careening into oblivion. You let out a pitchy moan of his name as you released around his fingers, bracing yourself with your hands clamped on his arms. He continued his hasty pace, guiding you through your high as he chanted a slew of praises in your ear. Your tears must have finally fallen because his free hand was now cupping your cheek, thumb gently grazing underneath your eye to collect any stray droplets. 

He slowed his fingers to a stop only when you began showing signs of overstimulation, and as much as you would have loved for him to continue, to pull another one out of you, you needed his cock inside you. Now. 

You forced your eyes open as you collected your breath, although every inhale you took was shallow and unsteady. You were frantic with need already; his fingers had brought you to heights you had only experienced by yourself in your bedroom, and now you were obsessing over the thought of him stretching you out. You let go of his arms, fingers fumbling to find his belt loops but he suddenly stepped out of your grasp. He pulled himself away to stand directly in front of you, causing you to groan in dismay at the loss of his warmth and weight against your body.

“Don’t worry,” he chuckled, “I’ll give you what you want.” He reached out to stroke your cheek. “You really are a needy little thing, aren’t you?” Your breath caught in your throat as he gave you the gentlest of swats against the flesh. “Turn around, hands on the wall.”

You spun around at an alarming speed, still a little dizzy from the come down as you splayed your palms against the concrete. His hands were on you moments later, securing your dress high on your waist once more as he crouched behind you. You were on full display for him, and he was greedily drinking in the sight of you. He let his fingers trace over the swell of your ass, admiring every curve and divot of your body. You truly were an angel in his eyes, and being able to see you, have you, this way made his heart rattle within his chest. He hooked his fingers on the elastic that hugged your hips and pulled your panties down ever so slowly, helping you step out of each leg with a steady hand on your thigh. Unbenounced to you, he took them in his hands and traced the damp spot on them with the tip of a finger before shoving them into his back pocket. You wished you could see what he was doing, but some masochistic part of you was relishing in the anticipation of not knowing his next move.

“Bend a bit lower for me, sweetheart,” he said as he brought his hands back to your ass, spreading you wide open as you obeyed his command. Perhaps you may have felt embarrassed to be this exposed, but in your needy state you were lapping up any and all attention he would give you. You yelped in shock as you felt him spit directly into your pussy, following it immediately with one languid swipe of his tongue through your folds. His mouth was gone all too quickly, replacing his tongue with his fingers as he whispered, “Absolutely gorgeous, angel. All pretty and wet and pink,” he placed a chaste kiss against your ass, “I wonder how you’d feel fluttering around me-”

“Daniel, please. I can’t wait anymore. I need you inside me, I need you to fuck me-” You nearly sobbed out, your thighs beginning to tremble with impatience and your brain running a mile a minute. 

“Shhhh, sweetheart, breathe for me,” his hands ran along your thighs to help relax them and steady you. “I’ll give you what you want, you’ve been so good for me.” You glanced over your shoulder then, your brows knit together in need and frustration, but the sight of him knelt behind you made your head calm and all pent-up anxiety vanish. You watched as he rose to his feet and immediately picked up where you had left off on his jeans, working to free himself from the tight denim. He pulled himself out of his briefs, his cock springing up against the trail of hair that ran from his navel to the base of his length. Your mouth watered and your eyes widened at the sheer size of him. It was a known fact that Daniel’s body was sculpted out of marble, a true Grecian god walking amongst mortals, and now you knew that was true about every part of him.

Your throat bobbed as you stared at his length, bigger and thicker than you had pictured, and you knew he would fit snugly inside you. You finally broke your stare away from his cock to look in his eyes, hoping that your silent plea for him to fill you up was clear. Thankfully, he nodded as he gripped himself, giving length a few tight, slow pumps, before bringing the tip of it to trace through your folds.

You exhaled a steady breath, letting your head face forward again and dropping your chin to your chest. 

“You ready for me?” He tapped his length against your entrance, punctuating the question. You nodded swiftly, forgetting that he needed your words. You opened your mouth a little too late, his hand quickly creating a ponytail in your hair with his fist, using it to pull you closer to him. His action caused your back to arch and a hiss to escape your lips, the pain on your scalp only increasing your pleasure. 

 “You know the rules, angel.”

“Yes, yes Danny, I’m ready-” and once the words sprang free, he was inching his way inside you, both of you groaning in unison at the feeling. He moved slowly, pausing when he would hear you hiss as he stretched you only for you to beg him to continue, settling once he filled you completely to the hilt. Making sure that you were okay, he waited as you adjusted to his size, releasing his iron grip on your hair in favor of running his fingers through it. Your walls were pulsating around him, swallowing him further inside you as you relished in how full you felt. He was patient with you which you appreciated, but you were too eager for him to begin moving. Now that you weren’t restrained with his hand in your hair, you fell back forward, returning your hands to the wall. 

You took the opportunity the angle provided you to start sliding off his cock, and once he understood what that meant, he slammed back into you, propelling you further forward. One of his hands took purchase on your waist while the other splayed wide across your back as he pulled out of you only to swiftly bury himself to the hilt once more. Your head hung forward, hair cascading around your face like a curtain, swaying in time with his thrusts. He set a harsh, agonizing place, hips hitting hard against your ass as you let your moans fall freely from your mouth. Every stroke of the tip of his cock hit right where you needed it to, and it only took a few short moments for the knot in your stomach to begin tightening once more. 

“You feel-” he interrupted his thought with another sharp thrust, “I don’t even know the words to describe how fucking good you feel.” His hand began hurriedly running up and down your back in adoration. “You’re sucking me in so deep, angel.”

All you could manage was a string of whimpers in acknowledgment, your nerves feeling like pins and needles and your vision turning white. 

He slowed his pace, causing you to clamp your mouth shut to stop yourself from voicing your complaints due to how desperately close you were to coming, only to feel him clamp a hand on your shoulder, bringing your upper body close to his back once more. 

“Open,” he demanded. 

With how he was just pounding into you, you assumed he meant your legs, so you widened your stance further only to hear him chuckle darkly in response. 

“Very cute, doll. Open your mouth.”

You did as he commanded, letting your jaw fall open as he brought his hand off your shoulder in favor of plunging two fingers back into your mouth. He resumed his quick pace as you hummed around his fingers, withdrawing them all too suddenly and dropping them down to draw incredibly quick circles around your clit. 

His name fell from your lips in an agonizing moan, feeling the build-up of your impending orgasm cresting like a tidal wave. You could feel him beginning to twitch inside you, clueing you in that he was close, too. You squeezed your eyes shut, letting yourself completely succumb to his hold on you.

His digits remained on your clit as he pulled out of you quickly, causing a wretched cry to break free from deep within your chest. You had no time to think, let alone complain about the loss of him because his hands were on your hips within seconds, spinning you around to face him and pressing his body flush against yours, your back against that wall once more. He instructed you to jump, giant hands firm underneath your thighs as you wrapped your legs around his hips, crossing your ankles at his back. His strength paired with your back against the wall kept you suspended as he guided his cock back into you, not wasting any time in setting that same mind-numbing pace. He thrusted into you with reckless abandon, much less collected than he had been before as he let his forehead drop to yours, eyes burning into you. 

“Wanna watch your face as you come around my cock,” he said through gritted teeth before bringing his lips to yours in a searing kiss. You both were desperate for release and it was evident in your kiss; tongues tangling together, teeth clashing, and before you knew it you were clenching impossibly hard around him, your senses being overridden by the blinding release he was sending you into. Your eyes clamped shut and you pulled away from his mouth as you cried out his name, not caring how loud it left your lips. He continued along with his pace, his composure becoming increasingly more sloppy as his cock swelled inside you. 

“W-where do you want me, angel,” he panted in shallow breaths, not being able to hold back much longer. 

“I-inside,” words choking in your throat as he jackhammered into you, “I want you inside.”

That was all the confirmation he needed before his head fell back, fingers digging into the flesh of your thighs as a string of curses fell from his lips. He released inside of you with a final thrust, filling you with warm spurts, the feeling dizzying and addicting. He slowed to a halt, bringing his forehead to rest against yours once more as you both came down from your highs, breaths shallow and heavy. You clung to each other as you settled, relishing in the comfort of the other's arms until you felt calm enough to open your eyes, finding his there waiting for you. You pulled him into another kiss, this one short but passionate, allowing your brain time to catch up to the events that had just transpired. Once you were fully in your body again, you chuckled against his lips, causing him to parrot the action. Soon, you two were in a fit of giggles, neither of you able to continue the kiss any longer.

“You know,” you started after your laughter had died down a little, “I’m loving this ‘angel’ business.” You beamed at him, noting the faint sheen of sweat across his forehead.

“Good, cause it suits you,” he said as he placed a kiss against your cheek, simultaneously tapping your thighs to signify he was about to withdraw himself from you. 

“Wait-,” your eyes widened, suddenly embarrassed by what you were about to say. He raised his eyebrows to you in question, urging you to continue your thought. “What if I don’t want you to leave just yet.” He bared his teeth to you in a wide smile, laughing at your bashfulness.

“If you think for a second that this was a one time thing, y/n, you’re out of your mind.”

However, he stayed inside you per your request, feeling him slowly soften as his thumb grazed your cheek. Soon, though, your thighs began to shake slightly, both from overstimulation and from keeping you hoisted on his hips, so you braced yourself as he slid out from you, a hiss escaping through his teeth at the feeling. He carefully set you down, making sure that you were on steady feet before releasing his grip on your thighs. He took it upon himself to straighten your dress before tucking himself back in his jeans, and you began to smooth your hair and detangle any snarls that had formed during your activities. You glanced around your feet, trying to find your underwear but coming up short. 

“Dan? You seen my panties?” you asked, looking like a dog chasing its own tail as you spun around searching for your lost garment. 

“Yeah, I’m taking a souvenir,” he patted his back pocket nonchalantly before giving you a kiss on the top of your head. You playfully pushed him away with a devilish smirk, knowing that he wanted you to feel his come slowly cascading down your thigh, loving the thought of you walking around trying to keep your little rendezvous a secret.

He tilted your chin up with a delicate finger placed beneath your chin before he began swiping a thumb underneath your eyes, eliminating the smudged mascara and eyeliner you knew were evident on the tops of your cheekbones. You followed his eyes as he worked, all too focused on the task he had at hand. It warmed your heart immensely; something so domestic about this innocent moment made all of your earlier questions melt away. You were certain of how he felt for you, regardless of the sex you just had. 

“Alright,” he playfully pecked your nose, “all good.” He began turning towards the door before speaking again, “And y/n, I plan on taking you home tonight. We can talk in the morning, but just know you won’t be getting a lot of sleep tonight.” He swiftly unlocked the door and made his way through it, leaving you and the smelly mops in silence. 

After taking a few minutes for yourself, replaying every image of Danny back in your mind, you made your way to the bathroom. Thankfully, the line had vanished during the time you spent in the closet, and you were quickly able to clean yourself up further, realizing there wasn’t a whole lot you could do for the evident flush on your face and your swollen lips. But you made your way upstairs anyway after doing the best you could, hoping the poor lighting would hide every piece of evidence you were not able to wipe away. 

You found Nat standing at the bar, seemingly getting ready to close the tab. You tapped her on the shoulder quickly, getting her attention. Immediately, her eyes grew wide once they fell on you, a smile so wide that it looked like her face would split in two. With extreme subtlety and impossible swiftness, she took her hand and inched up the side of your dress just to where a panty-line should have been evident. She caught a glimpse of your bare skin before you were able to swat her away, exclaiming “I fucking knew it!” You tried shushing her, not needing any of his nosey brothers noticing your conversation.

“Did this just happen?” She asked, her voice an octave higher. 

“Yeah, and I think I’m in complete shock,” you rushed out in a soft voice, your own smile tugging on your lips.

“Oh my god, you’re telling me every single detail once we get home.”

“Well,” you began, “you’re gonna have to wait until tomorrow cause I don’t think I’m coming home tonight.”

To be continued…

taglist: @joopsworld @gold-mines-melting @shutupdevvie @indigostreakmorgan @sacredjake

[9leaguesofmirrors]

Just Can't Stand It (A Legz Akimbo fic)

So, I mentioned before that I wanted to write a fic about the scene where Legz Akimbo split, but from the perspectives of Dave and Phil. I touched on it in my first Dave and Phil fic, but I wanted to expand on that idea a little

CONTENT WARNING: Verbal abuse

"Phil?"

After looking through every studio in their tiny rehearsal space, Dave finally found his mate in the empty audience of a barren, black-box theatre. Clearly in a bad mood, and Dave understood exactly why

"Sorry, did you need the space?

"No, no it's alright. Just wondered where you'd gone off to."

"Just needed to get away for a bit."

Dave didn't blame him at all. It was been a pretty intense day at rehearsals, somehow even moreso than usual, what with Ollie throwing some pretty harsh accusations at Phil

"Need me to receive a very important phone call and leave you alone?"

That got a small chuckle from Phil. Not much, it didn't meet his eyes, but it was something

"You're alright, was getting a bit dull anyway."

"Well, if you're waiting for a show," he goes as sits in a seat next to him "you'll be waiting for a while."

"Better than being out there with him..." muttered Phil

Silence fell around them. Both of them knew what Phil's comment meant. Ollie was harsh on them both, but the abuse he delivered to him was far more blatant. Maybe because he knew that Dave was easier to mess with subtly, he never did understand sarcasm. Besides, he always thought Phil was the actor Ollie always thought he was, not that he'd ever say that out loud. He quite enjoyed not being dead or severely concussed

"What he said wasn't true, I know." Dave assured him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder "I mean, you're way to talented to have to rely on spreading your legs for a role-"

"Why don't you get accused of it?"

That was not what he was expecting to hear

"I never-"

I know," Phil sighed "I just... why is it always me? It's like he can't seem to fathom that I'm actually good at what I do. He doesn't see that I'm way better than he gives me credit for."

"I think he does." Dave looked at his mate's incredulous expression and nodded "Yeah! I think he does! I mean, you're a versatile performer with charisma and integrity. Ollie wishes he could be like you, and that's why he hates you. Because you're a real actor."

"Don't feel like it." Phil muttered

Sighing, Dave looked out at the empty performance space. Then there was a moment. A flickering light, as if a flame whipped across the stage in his mind

"If you could play any character in the world, who would it be?"

He watched as Phil pondered his question for a moment, either that or he was asking himself why it was being sprung on him. Regardless, he answered

"I want someone complex. maybe a good man that does bad things." That same light now started to glisten in Phil's eyes "I'd be a character with charisma, intelligence. Maybe someone in the British government. One that's lonely, but cares deeply for his family." He starts to smile sadly "But, knowing Ollie, he'd cast himself in that role."

"I wouldn't."

Phil's face became confused

"I'll write something, for us."

Then, Phil laughed

"Ollie will never let you."

"Worth a try, right?" Dave stood up, bounding to the performance area "And, if he doesn't like it, I'll make it myself!" He looked out at the empty rows and, for a fleeting moment, saw a full house. But something was missing "C'mon Phil, come join me!"

Rolling his eyes fondly, he did. And Dave put a hand round his shoulder again, looking out at the seats

"I'm gonna make a play," he said "that we'll both be great in. A serious, troubled character for you-"

"And a warm, comedic one for you?" Phil suggested "One that shows off your physical comedy."

"You know me well, you do!"

"It could be about two friends breaking into the entertainment industry-"

"-but one of them passes away-"

"-and they grieve the life they left behind-"

"-while also coming to terms with their friend's death!"

They looked out in silence again, but this time it felt buzzy and warm, like something was opening in front of them, ready for them to bask in

"This," Dave said, hugging his mate tightly "is gonna be our big break. I can feel it."

"A two-hander, just for us."

"Well, yeah. That's what a two-hander is!"

"Oh, piss off!" Phil laughed

Their laughter soon melted the frost that once clouded the air

*********************************************

"Ollie, you got a minute?"

It was finally time for a break, and Dave managed to catch their director before he scurried off

"If you're going to ask for a bigger part-"

"No, not at all! I just..." he started pressing the pads of his fingers together "well, I wanted to get a second opinion from our very own writer. See, I've-"

"I'm more than a writer, Dave." Ollie heaved an exasperated sigh "I'm a director, a producer, an actor and a-"

"Yes, yes, I know. But I'm coming to you in the hopes you could offer me some help... writer to writer."

That made Ollie do a double take, looking at him with sheer disbelief

"How can you call yourself a writer? You've never written a play in your life!"

"Well, actually," Dave ran to his bag, returning with a script that he slapped against the desk with great enthusiasm "I've been writing in secret for a while, and I came up with something recently that I want you to read."

Wordlessly, Ollie picked up the document and flicked through

Dave couldn't stop fiddling with his hands. This was the first time he'd shown anyone, other than Phil, his writing. And even he hadn't seen all of his scripts. Sharing something like that was deeply personal, a huge

"It's, um, it's not finished or anything. But I'd really appreciate the feedback and-"

"I'll read it," he waved his hand dismissively "I've got nothing better to do. Not unless Phil suddenly decides his lines are worth learning."

"To be fair to him, he's doing alright considering we only got the script last week..."

Realising that Ollie wasn't actually listening by this point, Dave simply left the room

*********************************************

"I read it."

By now, it was after rehearsals and Phil had been dismissed. It was just Ollie and Dave, with the former sat at his little table and the latter sat down on the edge of the stage

"And?"

"And what?"

"What did you think?"

Instead of responding, Ollie started to sift through and took out a few pages

"For starters, this scene has to go." He ripped the pages, much to the shock of Dave "It just doesn't work."

"OK, but could you at least ask me before destroying my-"

"And this scene."

Rip

"And this one."

Rip

"And this entire section. And, honestly, this whole character. While we're at it, let's just get rid of THIS ONE TOO!"

Rip. Rip. Rip. Rip. Rip. Rip

Dave wanted to storm over and yank the script right out of his hands, but the sheer shock of the situation had caused him to freeze. And he just watched. Watched as his pride and joy, his ticket out, his art, was destroyed with horrible ease

"What RIGHT?!" Ollie screeched as he threw the remains onto the floor, leaping from his seat and waving his arms wildly "What RIGHT DO YOU HAVE to COME IN HERE and show me this RUBBISH! I did not become Legz Akimbo's writer to be UNDERMINED like this!"

Dave opened his mouth to say something, but he suddenly became more focused on scampering backward upstage to avoid the madman coming towards him with a chair. As he saw it leave Ollie's hands, he cowered on the floor, hearing it slam against the back wall. He didn't dare lift his head, unprepared to face another potential attack

"I SLAVE AWAY at that desk for HOURS creating the BEST ISSUE-BASED PLAYS in Royston Vasey but NO. APPARENTLY IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH. JUST like how it wasn't good enough for Linda, NOBODY APPRECIATES THEATRE ANYMORE

Dave wasn't sure how events transpired between the tirade and Ollie leaving the ruined script on the floor as he stormed out, but one moment he was face-to-face with an angry director, and the next he was alone. He went over and picked up some of the paper, unable to cry. Just staring at the rubble of his imagination. Of what could've been a future. Maybe not a long future, but a future nonetheless. Something he could be proud of. Something he was proud of

"Are you just gonna stand there then?"

His eyes darted to the doorway, where Ollie stood with an irritated glare

"Come on, it's just paper. Surely you have another copy, no use crying over it!"

Dave opened his mouth to explain that no, he wasn't crying, but nothing came out. All he could do was shake his head

"I don't know why I bother sometimes." Ollie muttered, loud enough for Dave to hear, before walking off

The room felt like it had gone colder. The evening glow outside darkened as the walls closed in. Dave just stood there, motionless. Paper crumpled in his hand. His whole body was frozen until he heard a familiar ringtone come from his pocket. Putting his phone to his ear, he accepted the call

"Dave?"

Again, he opened his mouth to speak, fingertips pressing together. And, once again, nothing escaped his throat

"Dave, are you there?"

Nothing

"Look, if you're busy, I can wait."

Dave shook his head, as if Phil was somehow able to see it

"I just didn't hear back, wanted to know what Ollie thought about the script-"

That was interrupted by the rapid sound of Dave's fist being slammed against the table. Then his throat caught as he tried to choke back his tears

"He hated it."

"Seriously? Did he even read it?"

"It's on the floor. He ripped it."

"He ripped it up?" The shock was evident in Phil's voice "Do you... have a copy somewhere?"

"Yes."

For a moment, nothing was said. In the silence, Dave felt acutely aware of his surroundings. Of the slight buzzing of the lights, the fabric of his shirt sleeves over his arms, the shouting outside, the sweat on his brow. It was so much. So much. So much-

"Dave," came the quiet voice of his friend "I can pick you up if you want. Save you walking."

"... Alright."

"OK, I'm on my way."

"Right. See you then."

Dave hung up, sitting down on the stage with his head on his palms. He stayed there until Phil came back

Even then, he didn't turn his head when he heard his mate come in. It was like his whole body had fused together, rendering movement impossible. But he could tell Phil was looking around at the scattered remains of his work.

He watched as Phil went around, picking up each piece and putting it in the nearest bin. Then he went and sat beside him, looking at him with eyes full of apologies - as if he was the one that caused it

"I'm gonna miss you," Dave said quietly "when you leave for your big project."

"Hardly a big project." Phil chuckled

"Bigger than this. Not sure how Legz Akimbo's gonna go ahead without you."

"You're not staying, are you?"

"Can't leave. Where else can I go?"

When Phil didn't respond, Dave finally looked at him

"What else do I have?"

"You have your scripts."

Laughing hollowly, Dave looked at the bin

He then feels something familiar on his back, something warm. That simple touch probably wouldn't have meant much in any other context, but it said a lot here. It was comforting, unifying and gentle. They'd both spent so much time with Ollie that they'd forgotten what it felt like to be handled with care. Handled like they mattered. And, even if it was for a fleeting moment, it was nice to be reminded that they were important to someone

"If you're going, I'm going."

That surprised Phil slightly

"What, you're leaving?"

"If you are."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Dunno. Not here. You're the only reason I stayed, I liked doing stuff with my best mate. No point sticking around if you're going."

Instead of speaking, Phil slowly moved his arm around Dave's shoulders, holding him without completely invading his personal space

"Ollie's gonna kill us." He laughed "He'll go red."

"Purple, more like." Dave couldn't help but join in "He'll probably burst!"

It was strange, in that moment, to find some kind of joy in their situation. But, in the end, it got them through. The laughter, the warmth of it: it kept them alive

*********************************************

All through the performance, Dave wasn't present. He knew that. And Ollie probably did as well. His mind was split between two outcomes, leave Legz Akimbo and risk not finding steady work for years, or stay in a job that will slowly crush him? He needed his sanity, but he also needed money

He was so in his head, he hadn't realised Ollie had clambered off his shoulders and was now starting on Phil until he managed to catch the end of his rant

"Not because he's talented, it's not! But because he bums the director."

Dave saw Phil's face, that look of anguish and disgust, as he walked offstage. It was a low blow, they all knew that. Phil was a talented actor, yet always so unsure. That's what people in the industry, people like Ollie Plimsolls have always done: break people apart until they question their ability. He'd done that to Phil, that good-hearted, determined man with such a gift, and was intent on destroying him until there was nothing left

It wasn't fair. Not on someone as dedicated and talented as Phil Proctor

"Other people like me and Dave, we plod on, working-"

"Don't Ollie."

"WHAT? I'm telling everyone how DEDICATED we are-"

"I'm leaving Legz Akimbo."

"... WHAT!"

It felt odd, to say it out loud

He should've been nervous about Ollie lashing out again

Should've

But he wasn't

In that moment, looking at him now, Dave realised how small he truly was. Not just in height, but in significance. To him. For the first time, he saw Ollie for what he was. A lonely, bitter man that couldn't reach his own dreams, so took it out on anyone he deemed as a rival. A man that pretended to care about issues he didn't know a thing about, just because it made him look more important than he actually was

And Dave realised something in that very moment: he owed that man nothing

Not his time

Not his dedication

Not his work

Not his life

"Why are you doing this, Dave?"

His whole body felt light, but his head was heavy. As if all the pain and torment he'd absorbed over the years had finally been squeezed out of him, as if he'd finally been wringed like a sponge, leaving only exhaustion. Were it any other moment, he would've floated. But now he was oddly grounded, as if this was nothing more than a job he should've done a long time ago

"I just can't stand you, Ollie."

Mumbling an apology to their audience, he left. The adrenaline carrying him, in a steady pace, out of the auditorium and into the corridor, his eyes fixed on the exit

His hand met the handle, felt the coolness under his palm, and pushed it open. A familiar face greeted him in the front seat of a car

"Figured I'd save you walking."

Dave smiled softly and got in beside Phil, strapping in his seatbelt before they drove away, leaving that man behind them and advancing into whatever was waiting for them

[klein3ngl]

Hello :D do you have any p1 Dude headcanons?

hi hi.

oh boy, I thought I had a few, but after I sat down to write them just realized I might have a bit too much more than what I’ve expected, haha.

POSTAL 1 DUDE; headcanons

first of all! some headcanons make reference of how he was before the first game, so trying to apply them to the guy who’s terrified, sitting on the floor while hugging his gun would be pretty useless

also, if instead of a hyphen there’s a star it’s to address DID in Dude (I don’t have DID myself and I’m not close to somebody who has DID, all I know is from research I’ve done myself, so if there’s something wrong please tell me.

if you’re not into the DID idea just ignore the stars.

anyway, here we go:

✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

— Before what happened in 1997 I think he was still a disaster, but a bit more functional.

I’m not gonna dig a lot into how he was while growing up, but he’s an only child that comes from a christian yet dysfunctional family, so after he finally had enough saved money and the legal age he moved to another city (not Paradise) to start again and never looked back, probably with a bit of help coming from Uncle Dave, the only family member that cared about him.

★ P2’s been with him since he was a kid/pre-teen. P1 doesn’t really knows who or what P2 is and at first is pretty much afraid, thinking he’s a demon of some kind. But after a while and seeing how he stands up for him (when he’s unable to defend himself, make friends, etc) and he’s not really trying to harm him he relaxes for a bit.

— He’s always been pretty much a loner, but not to the point to isolate himself completely. He had a tiny group of friends who were also as “weird” as he was who were also into the alternative/goth subculture. Those were probably the best years of his life.

But still, following the last point, I also think he’s one of those people that when they feel bad they isolate themselves for some time and then come back like nothing happened. It usually worked, until it didn’t.

— I have no idea of where I readed I don’t know if it was the Wiki, TV Tropes, in a reddit comment or somewhere else but I think that during the development of “Postal” the Postal Dude was around 27 years old. I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ll go with that.

And, to add some more flavor, I don’t remember if it was Tumblr or Reddit, but somebody had the headcanon that the 14 of November, the day the first game begins, it’s also the Postal Dude’s birthday.

I can’t remember who had such a good idea but I love it way too much, I love angst with all my heart so now it’s my headcanon too.

(if I see the original headcanon again I’ll give credits to the person)

— [ tw // mentions of drugs ] Definitely smokes both cigarettes and weed, but the last one just from time to time. Has tried acid or mushrooms but rather stick to weed.

He hasn’t done crack or anything too heavy, not before 1997.

— He has little to no idea of how to cook. He can do some basic stuff to survive, and he has tried following a recipe in the past, but it’s definitely not his best . Not like he enjoys it either.

— His body: pretty tall. He has a bit of a complex with his height, finding clothes of his size can be complicated and it’s a bit awkward too.

His body is a bit built (he does some work out because of the idea that somebody can attack him at any moment is enough to make him try to learn some self defense alone in his room). Compared to P2 he's has more corporal mass, but not as much as P3 would have. He's an in between. Not skinny but not fat either.

He’s also pretty pale. Not because he can’t get tanned or anything, but because he would rather go out when the sun is already setting or during night or, in general, prefers to stay at his house.

In general he’s one of those people you see on the street and catch your attention: it’s not always that you see a really tall guy with long ginger hair.

— He doesn’t cut his hair because he likes how it looks on him but also because he’s too lazy (and anxious) to go to a hairdresser. He sometimes cuts it himself, and since he has no idea there have been times it ends up disastrous, but since I think his hair is a bit wavy it doesn’t look really bad.

He also doesn’t maintains it really well, he only uses shampoo and, maybe, one of those 3 in one bottles and that’s all. If it’s really cold he dries it with the hairdryer, but rarely does so.

— His handwriting is HORRIBLE. Not like if it’s like hieroglyphics, you can read it, but it’s just really ugly (the diary/war journal entries is how he writes, but since he was pretty stressed and scared it’s a bit more agitated). Also makes too much pressure, not to the point of ripping of the paper but you can feel it on the other face of the sheet surface if you brush it with your hand.

Likes to write for himself, it’s therapeutic and the best way to cope, the less harmful to himself too.

— Following the last point he also likes to make some doodles, especially when bored. Nothing too serious though, the typical thing you do when you’re in class bored and you only have a pen in hand and a paper. You’ll see plenty of them that decorate his notes and diaries. They’re a bit chaotic, his traces being a bit messy.

— If he was accepted in RWS he might have some knowledge about the videogame industry or related. Not sure of what, probably graduated in some studies about it. Maybe a programmer? I dunno.

— Definitely neurodivergent. Either autistic or ADHD. Or both.

His main interests being weapons, movies and videogames. Predilect genres? Terror and horror. He’s not much of a reader though.

On a side note, easily overwhelmed with people he’s not close with touching him (or in general, he’s not opposed to it but would rather if the other person asked for permission) and large crowds, and the main reason he wears he started wearing sunglasses it’s because sensitivity to bright lights.

Still, he’s undiagnosed so he has no clue why he’s like that and why can’t he be normal, sometimes thinking he’s a bit dramatic. His group of friends also had other neurodivergent people who he could rely on so he didn’t feel that bad after all.

— He hated going to clubs for that same reason, even the more alt ones. Too much noise and people. He probably went there because of his friends and enjoyed it for a little while, but would’ve rather been doing anything else.

★ P2 liked it more than him, so when they made plans with their friends he was the one who was in control most part of the time.

— He’s the kind of person that I think would listen to pretty much everything, but definitely his favorite genre is hard rock and metal and its sub-genres: goth metal, black metal, grunge, industrial, you name it. Maybe nu metal it’s not really his thing.

Still, he jams pretty much everything so you could catch him singing a Spicegirls song and he would deny it with his life.

★ It’s in fact P2 who prefers nu metal and wouldn’t care what he’s listening to. Would probably tease P1 about it though.

P2: “You’re listening to Madonna? I thought you didn’t liked pop”

P1: “...shut it”

p2: “Whatever you say edgelord… "LIKE A VIRGIN JUST, LIKE THE VERY FIRST TIME- ♪"”

— He’s bisexual, but still in the closet and pretty deep in there. He has done a few things with other guys but nothing too serious or further than making out probably. Partly because he has some internalized homophobia from the family he comes from (in himself! would never judge or care is one of his close ones was in the queer community) and because generally he sucks at dating.

★ Again, P2 is more open about it than him, and probably the one who had those interactions with other guys, but since P1 was not really uncomfortable with the subject he never went too far.

P2 tried to talk to him about it, but P1 just refuses.

— Also, how did I forgot to mention this? Religious trauma.

Now, he has a weird relationship with his christianity and beliefs, his morals, and how he views himself since he was teached to be a good christian, and he kinda wants to be good at the eyes of God, but at the same time he’s into too many stuff his parents told him they were satanic and bad. He has mixed emotions about it, it’s like he wants to let it go, but he’s unable to do so.

To him the cross he carries around his neck is not for the aesthetic, but he’s not because he’s a good christian either. And when he’s feeling at his worst? It’s like a dog collar, reminding him how all the trauma his family beliefs have harmed him, but at the same time he cannot let it go for some reason. It’s like an abusive relationship both with himself and with his religion, if he even believes in it. It’s complicated to understand? He’s just as confused as you are.

Maybe the problem it’s not the religion itself, maybe it was his family and now because of them he can’t really feel comfortable praying (even if he sometimes finds himself doing so on the nights of rough days) or having a normal relationship with his christianity. Whatever it is, he’s traumatized.

★ And P2 doesn't helps either. He just does not cares about it and when he sees P1 having a breakdown about it, knowing how hard the subject is for him, just prefers to not to get involved, because, anyways, what can he do to help him? He just does not know either, it’s something he has to resolve himself. He cannot help him in everything.

P1 sometimes has called P2 a demon during his attacks, and even if he just ignores it it’s true that it can get annoying after all the times he has tried to help him, and every time they had a fight about it P1 ended up worse, so P2 decided to not get involved any more time for that too.

— I think he’s both shy and introverted, but don’t misinterpret me; not shy in a cute bean who gets all nervous and blushy. No. More in the staring at the person like if he was a deer in front of the lights of a car type of shyness, trying not to get too nervous, and after a few seconds he responds to whatever that person said or asked, hoping it wasn’t too cringy or awkward. He usually gets like that when he’s interested in a person (doesn’t matter if it’s platonic or romantic) and doesn’t want them to get weirded out by him

More introverted than shy, that’s for sure.

— If he’s having a good day his neutral face just looks tired, in his worst I doubt anybody would be able to get to see him because in those days he locks himself in his house and refuses to go out, but if it’s the case (probably the clerk of a shop because he ran out of food) it’s a mix of anger and fear (mainly due paranoia and hallucinations, trying to put and angry face to make the others don’t bother him).

— He could be INFJ (Ni Fe Ti Se) or INTJ (Ni Te Fi Se). If that was the case I think it would be due to Se grip.

I could go more into details because I really enjoy MBTI and see how its functions work on fictional characters.

★ Not the same as P2 of course, but that's a story for another day.

— Pretty much stoic, but on the inside? A mess of emotions he does not know how to untangle correctly. He can get emotional when he’s alone, but that’s a part nobody would ever see of him. He’s not going to let anybody see him in such a vulnerable and weak state.

— Now, returning to the main point. I could really go into details of what or why I think it could have happened for him to literally go postal, but I think the main point is that he moved to Paradise trying to escape from his life. And you may ask “but you said those were the happiest years of his life!” yep, completely, but there can be a few things that alone could have been bad but tolerable, but too many of them make them unbearable: maybe he distanced himself from his friends, had to move somewhere cheaper because of money, his mental health going downhill, etc.

The thing is, he moved to Paradise, and it was probably his worst mistake.

Uncle Dave lived there, that’s why he chose that city, but even with that he had almost no contact with him besides the first few days? He was on his own, alone again.

— Ironically, I think he actually worked for a post office. It’s the only job he could find.

— Both his physical and mental state got way worse. He’s never been a really healthy person, but still tried to take care of himself at least a bit. Going out only when heavily necessary and, after a while, not even going to work anymore. That's when he really ran out of money and got the terrifying letter: he got evicted of his “safe place”. Was his house even a safe place at this point? He couldn’t feel safe anywhere anymore.

He could have called Uncle Dave, but at this point? He was just so disconnected with reality he didn’t know what to do.

★ P2 saw him fall and had no idea of what to do at this point. He was tired of trying to help him so he just ignored. P1 felt so bad that, even if he find P2 annoying at times it was the last thing he needed, the last familiar thing he had disappeared hurts him to the core.

— [ tw // mentions of self-harm ] Even if writing in his journal really helped him to calm down during bad days it doesn’t mean he didn’t do other more harmful things to himself when he was at his worst. Before moving to Paradise he handled it better, he was able to tone it down pretty much since he moved from his parent’s house, but after everything got so overwhelming again? He doesn’t know any better. And the worst part of it? Finds it both comforting and thinks that he deserves all this suffering. For everything. For moving away from his parents, maybe they were right after all. For being a bad christian, God, if he hasn’t done it already, would probably turn his back the day he has to pass Heaven's gates. For after being so happy and having friends and thinking he was getting better and how he throwed all out the windows. It’s all his fault, and he knows it, but he can’t bring himself to do anything, not even therapy, and cannot call his friends. Nothing. The world’s still going on without him. He just feels like when he was a kid, but worse.

★ And here’s where he appears: the Other Dude (to me not the same as P3). He’s shows him his most intrusive thoughts, those who make him feel sick. OD slowly persuaded him to do horrible things not to himself, but the others. He’s twisted and manipulated everything, every little hope he had. P1 confused P2 with OD at this point, and was the one who made P1 get out of his house after a really long time, but with a gun in his hand, ready to kill everybody who made him feel so miserable and worthless. At this point he’s just gone.

At first, ironically, P2 tried to get in the middle of it, a bit confused of what or who OD was. Why he was so similar to himself? How long has he been there? But even OD persuaded him at some point.

Both P1 and P2 were tired of the way they were living and feeling. So why not change it?

I’m not sure who’s the one who got out of the house ready to cause a massacre, if P1, P2 or OD, but the thing is they all agreed at some point.

— I know this is going to be a bit weird, but I don’t think the whole game stages are real? It sounds weird, but let me explain: you really think a guy who has been locked inside his house for so long, having horrible hallucinations, almost no sleep (and if he had any, probably full of nightmares), not taking care of himself is really going to go too far? It does not matter how many weapons he may carry, it’s practically impossible.

Maybe the first 2 or 3 stages, but not much more before the police/militars/whoever it was got him at some point. The others only happened in his head, his mind going ahead of him, overthinking, and lately, his guilt getting over him.

By this I’m not saying he’s less of a horrible person, he did what he did and it’s sickening, it does not matter how bad he was feeling, killing people who have nothing to do with you and your problems is not the answer. Even if they were the cause, it’s not the solution.

— Leaving aside that all the “Postal” games are usually a parodies of real life and black humor (asides from the first game and “Postal Redux”) and taking it for something more serious, I don’t think “Postal Dude” it’s the name of the Postal Dude.

It was a nickname given both by the survivors of the massacre and the media.

— Also, after what he did he was everywhere. In the newspapers, in the TV, in the radio. That’s how Uncle Dave and the group of friends he had back in the city he lived before found out. But how could he? He was such a nice, quiet guy… he wouldn’t hurt a fly!

His group of friends, who since he moved without saying anything, didn’t pick up their calls and in general ignored them and decided it was for the best to just let it be.

Uncle Dave, on the other side he was worried. What the hell happened during all those years they were separated? It couldn’t be something he decided overnight, there had to be something more, right?

— He got his hair shaved at the asylum. After that he didn’t had it that long in his whole life.

— He got locked in the asylum, and being locked in there, alone again with his thoughts, it was dead of him. Metaphorically speaking.

★ P1 went dormant, refusing to think of what he has done, or at least accepted to do. He couldn't take all that blame, it was impossible. Every time he remembers it he wants to puke. He now really want to be dead. There’s no way he can redeem himself from that, God definitely has abandoned him. OD also disappeared. He just provoked all of this and now what? He accomplished what he wanted, where is he? He bring out the worst part of P1, was he trying to corrupt him and breaking him was not in the plan or was the plan breaking him from the start?

Whatever it was left P2 alone, also feeling guilty of what he has done. He does not feel as bad as P1 but he also cannot feel happy as OD probably feels. What they’ve done it’s horrible, but how OD manipulated them to do it? Even worse. Even for P2 whose morality is more gray-ish than P1s.

He hates it, he’s locked in there with the hallucinations and barely speaks to P1 because he’s completely broken and refuses to do so. Now it’s the other way around. He’s growing resentful to him too for that, they’re both cupid, can he at least make him some company? Like he did when P1 was a child too? It’s unfair.

He has something clear though: if OD ever shows his ass again he will NOT let get on him like he did. And even if he’s annoyed at P1, not even him.

— After some time Uncle Dave brings himself to visit him. At first it was so grim. Dude felt so horrible for his actions he couldn’t bring himself to even look at him, but after some more visits, therapy and meds he started to light up a really tiny bit. It was something.

★ It was not really him, P1 was pretty much not wanting to know anything from the external world, it was P2 who decided to take the lead. P1 didn’t wanted to live anymore? Fine, he would take his chance then. To live the life he never could since he’s always been on P1 mind, rarely being the one in control.

Maybe he was pretending, or maybe he genuinely wanted to get better, but the thing was: he wanted to get out of there, if there was a chance to do so, he would try it. At first do what the workers said, and if that didn’t work he would escape. He does not care. He wants to try to live.

✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

okay I got a bit too carried away- I’m sorry-

hope you liked them! I’m not really skilled nor do I have practice when it comes to creating headcanons about characters even if I have a few ideas.

I’m thinking about posting a few more in a future,, but school work is killing me-

[crackinwise]

Feeling like I'm getting pranked by these story and directing choices.

Turns out Elsbeth KNOWS of this planet and the Mothers were calling her, and even Baylan knows it by the place purrgils migrate to die, but no one knew where it was or how to get there? Nightsisters knew how to ride purrgils but Elsbeth never thought of that this whole time, just like Ahsoka and Sabine--who witnessed Ezra do it--never had the idea all these years? Did I miss something important? It is very possible I did.

Sabine isn't even trying to escape the cuffs or cell or plan anything using all her experience as a badass Mandolorian and Rebel? She just sits around waiting for her fate, then busts out another failed Force move first before any other practical option? I don't know this Sabine, Filoni.

It is very weird and unearned to set up a "hey wanna hear how the universe began?" just to start it off with "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." Sir, Dave, my dude: that's the start of a whimsical fictional tale akin to "once upon a time." I thought Ahsoka meant old history lessons, not a fairytale? Also, that's Jump The Shark, ouroboros world-eating, meta nonsense even Lucas didn't do. You're really not going to tell us anything about this new galaxy we're going to or how long people have known of other galaxies or the means to get there? Really? Do you direct scenes just to eat time?

Sabine to her Howler, a too-smart canine-like pack animal she's known for like an hour, after it wisely fled from being murdered by bandits: "You abandoned me >:(((" ....Is she serious? I'd rather have my living transportation flee to use again than be needlessly killed? It came back! Wtf did you want?!

Baylan just sounds like a Dooku rehash. He's given us no new insight WHY he thinks the Jedi weren't enough or failed. Because that might flesh out a character and Filoni can't have that.

You'd think the reunion would be more excitable? Hype? Emotional? Sabine has apparently been depressed, doing nothing in Ezra's tower for years but they both reacted like they saw each other last month. Does Filoni know people are allowed to emote? Gasp, squeal, bounce, grin wide, cry? DIRECT, DAMN YOU!

Sabine isn't going to tell Ezra how she got here? Isn't that important? He sacrificed himself to exile Thrawn, and she's not gonna mention he's packing to leave? That she has no means to get them out of here herself? That for all she knows Ahsoka might be dead and not working on a rescue? She just wants to enjoy seeing him again? Is she.... does this version of Sabine have a lobotomy or overdose on valium? Is that what I'm missing here?

My brother is watching all these eps so excitedly, like he's marveling at a huge ornate castle appearing before him. But I feel like I was too skeptical to enjoy the castle, so I walked around its edge and saw it's really a fake façade propped up with plywood.

[detectivecarisi-1]

The Senator’s Daughter (Bodyguard!Dave York x Female Reader)

AN: This is my first time publishing my writing, its been a behind the scenes hobby of mine for a while, and I just decided a Bodyguard!Dave fic needed to exist... so I figured why not... right? This is just an opener to gauge interest I guess. I have a slow burn, smutty story in mind but I guess I wanted to just get this out there as a foundation for the story. Let me know what you think! I’d really appreciate it.

Rating: This chapter is M, but future chapters will be EXPLICIT, 18+ ONLY

Series(?)Summary: Following his divorce from Carol and an early retirement from the CIA, Dave York picks up a gig at a security company. When he is assigned to bodyguard the out of control daughter of a prominent United States Senator, for once in his life, Dave feels like he may be losing control.

Word Count: This chapter is 676, but I expect future chapters to be within the 3-5k range.

Series Warnings: Eventual Smut (18+ ONLY), AFAB!Reader, No use of Y/N, Divergence from canon, Mean Dom! Dave York, Bratty! Reader, AGE GAP (reader is of age!), Enemies to Lovers (they’re both mean to each other at the start!), Mentions of drug/alcohol abuse, possible conversations of politics, minor violence (a punch here and there)

~~~~~~~~~~

Dave York had experienced just about everything. Love, marriage, fatherhood, divorce, war, and cold-blooded murder. He considered himself a pretty well-prepared man. He had a plan for everything. Having lived through the most difficult things a person could, he felt as though anything else life threw at him, he could take in stride.

Following his divorce with Carol, Dave was ready for a clean start. When one of his old friends from the CIA retired and started his own security company, he all but ensured Dave a job should he ever need it. Chris Landers had nudged Dave in the ribs and joked “if you ever get enough common sense to get out of this hellhole, you know where to find me.” Initially, Dave took it at that, a stupid joke from a friend he would never see again. But, hey, things change. And to be fair, working for Chris doing silly little security jobs at concerts and the occasional escort for some stuck up politician was way easier, and paid better than the shit he was stuck with at the CIA. After a grueling custody battle with Carol, Dave didn’t even hesitate to call Chris. He needed a break.

After 6 months, Chris and Dave were doing pretty well for themselves. Landers’ Security was booming, constantly receiving calls from short staffed arenas and celebrities visiting the area. Chris was richer than he ever thought was possible working for the CIA, and Dave had gained notoriety as the best in the business. He became Chris’ go to man, reserved only for the most important jobs, and Dave maneuvered through them with an intriguing mix of cold and ruthless, while still remaining professional and cordial to the client. So, when Chris called Dave at 1:53 in the morning on his day off, Dave knew something was up.

“Alright, Chris, what do you need?” Dave answered after the first ring. He wasn’t even sleeping. A habit that alluded him since his time in the military. Chris sighed on the other line. Shit. This must be bad.

“Dave, you know you’re the best guy I got, right”

Instead of a verbal reply, Dave just hummed. Ready to hear whatever has Chris so fucking stressed.

“Look… there’s a job. You’re not gonna like it… you know Senator Leland’s girl?”

Knew her? Who didn’t know her? Before she turned 21, she was involved in multiple underaged drinking scandals. Photos of her passed out on couches or taking shots with frat boys graced gossip magazines and TMZ at least once a month. Since she had turned 21 three months ago, she has been spotted at every seedy nightclub in the state, and pictures of her dancing on tables, or stumbling out of clubs in short dresses with her makeup smeared across her face became a staple feature when news anchors discussed her father’s re-election campaign. Another spoilt little rich girl gone wild. Tale as old as time.

“Yeah… I know her. What happened this time?”

“Drug possession.” Jesus fucking Christ.

“Yeah, who’s surprised. Only a matter of time. Alright, Chris, what’s that got to do with you calling me at 1 in the fucking morning?”

“Her father hired us. He wants her to have a full-time bodyguard. Keep her out of trouble, ya know? You’re the only guy I trust so… you’re on the job, buddy.”

“Jesus Christ, Chris you can’t just…”

Before Dave could even start trying to back out of this shit, Chris jumps in “Listen, Dave. I get it. But you’re the only guy I think could control her. This girl is wild, okay? I couldn’t see anyone else wrangling her in. You think Johnson could pull this shit off? He couldn’t even manage a Wiggles reunion. It’s just until the election is over. 5 months. You get to stay at this big mansion by the ocean, you’ll get paid more than any other job, think of it as a 5-month vacation. Just keep her out of trouble. She’s 21, Dave. How hard could it be?”

Famous last words.

[hellfirehaley]

Strange Love Chapter 15

Songs mentioned: The Sweetest Taboo by Sade (THIS SONG IS EVERYTHING OMG) and The Last Command album by W.A.S.P.

Masterlist:

Chapter 10-14:

AN: Two chapters in the same day? Who is sheeee? Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist. The Winter Formal is in 4 chapters and let me tell ya; it's gonna be a doozy. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see in this fic as well. Shoutout to my babygirl @mvnsoneddie86 for proofreading and being the first to read every chapter and giving me the sweetest notes about them. I love you so much Kayla.

November 11, 1985

It was a Monday afternoon and you were at the record store helping Uncle Dave unbox new merchandise. School was pretty basic today with nothing memorable happening. You had just put out all the new pop albums when your uncle put on a new pop album that had just come in from a band called The Outfield.

“So how’s school going kiddo?” Dave asks as he does paperwork at the counter.

“School’s fine, my grades are great and I’m up to par on everything else,” you say as you stack the tapes.

“Are you excited for the dance next month? Your mom mentioned you’re going dress shopping next weekend for it.” Dave says without looking up as you blushed at the thought. In all honesty, you were nervous about it, especially asking Eddie and predicting his reaction. You had run numerous scenarios through your head and you were still nervous.

“Any suitors striking your fancy?” Dave asked, finally looking up.

“One but I’m nervous to ask him because we’re friends and I don’t wanna make it weird.” you admit.

“Sometimes in life, you’ve gotta shut out all the noise and take the leap, Peanut,” Dave advised.

You nodded, knowing he was right. You spent the next two hours going over scenarios in your head again of how to ask Eddie to the dance. One of the songs caught your attention off the new music Dave was playing and for some reason, you thought of Eddie as the rainy R&B track played. You went to the counter and pulled out the booklet, looking for the song titles. The Sweetest Taboo.

“If I tell you, If i tell you how I feel, Will you keep on bringing out the best in me? You give me, you give me the sweetest taboo. You give me, you give me the sweetest taboo. Too good for me. There’s a quiet storm and it’s never felt like this before. There’s a quiet storm that is you. There’s a quiet storm and it never felt this hot before. Giving something that’s taboo (Sometimes I think you’re just too good for me). You give me the sweetest taboo. That’s why I’m in love with you…” the sultry singer sang and you felt every single word. This was EXACTLY how you felt about Eddie Munson. You thought about all the things you liked about him: how he looks so tough and scary but you know he’s completely different. How he makes sure you’re okay before anything. How he is his genuine, authentic self unapologetically. How his personality shined through everything from his wardrobe to his accessories. You liked his long curly hair, his chocolate brown eyes, his sharp chin, his “I Don’t Give A Fuck” attitude. You were deep in thought when the bell rang, breaking your concentration as a pair of customers came in.

“Hi there! Welcome in. Let me know if you’re looking for something in particular,” you say with a smile. The pair starts to browse around as you go behind the counter to wait on them. While waiting, you look through another box of tapes and see one that catches your attention: The Last Command by W.A.S.P. You immediately thought of Eddie’s battle jacket that had a W.A.S.P. pin on it. You grab a copy and put it to the side for yourself. The pair comes up with the Thriller album and hands you the money. You make the change and give it back to them, wishing them a good rest of their day before you went back to the inventory room where Dave resided as he sorted through the new albums.

“Hey Dave” you say, getting his attention, “I’m taking one of the new W.A.S.P albums home so don’t forget to add it to your list,” you say before going back up to the front and putting $10 from your own money into the till. You were there for another two hours before Dave told you to leave for the day. You grab your backpack and new tape, walking out the door as you wave goodbye to Dave. 

The drive home was pretty easy with you just singing along to whatever was on the radio. You really wanted to get home to listen to the new album in peace but you knew that was nearly impossible with your brother being home. You got home shortly after the third song started on the radio and parked in your usual spot, shutting it off and getting out. You ran up the porch to get inside, working quickly to unlock the door and close it behind you. You kick off your shoes and head upstairs to your room, closing and locking the door. You changed out of your work clothes into a Pat Benatar shirt and some comfortable pants. You then grabbed your cassette player and put in the tape. The first track starts up with a slow build but you love it already. You grab your chemistry book and get started on balancing out the scientific equations while the sounds of W.A.S.P. helped keep you focused. You really loved Wild Child, Widowmaker and Blind In Texas so far as the tape played on. You were almost finished with the first page of equations when the tape clicked. You rewound it and flipped it over, starting up the next song, which started with a soft intro but then built up to a beautiful solo. 

By the time you got to the last equation, you were almost done with the album as you listened to a cover of Mississippi Queen that really worked. Right as the first chorus finished, there was a knock at your door and you got up to unlock it and open it, revealing Leo.

“Heyyyy” Leo says with a wave.

“Hi? What’s up? You say with a laugh as you go back to your desk.

“I was bored so I’m coming to bug you,” he admitted as he followed your lead and laid on your bed with a pillow in his arms.

“I almost forgot you always used to do that when I was busy.” you say laughing

“It’s the only time I ever get to gossip with you,” Leo says, “Like what’s going on with Steve and Ali?”

“Well Steve and Ali are together now, thanks to Robin and I and Robin has a crush on someone but is too chicken to say anything about it,” you say.

“Yeah? What’s Harrington up to? I didn’t see him at college.” Leo noted.

“He stayed behind to keep an eye on the kids. He and Robin work at the new Family Video store in town,” you say.

“We have a video store now?” Leo asks.

“Yeah right next to the arcade,” you note as you write out an equation.

“So are you and Ali planning on applying for the same schools?” Leo asked after a moment.

“Probably. I don’t know where her top 3 are but I’m sure we’ll end up together in the end,” you say.

“So where are you applying?” Leo asks.

“University of Indiana, Purdue, Indiana State maybe Notre Dame or Midwestern if I’m feeling ballsy,” you say, trying to focus as you finish the equation. “Here smartass, double check my shit,” you say, handing him the worksheer.

“Okay but you gotta tell me about Eddie,” Leo counters as he looks over your answers. You roll your eyes at that. Here we fucking go again, you think.

“What about him?” you ask

“What are you doing with him? Like staying the night and shit?” Leo says.

“Okay first of all, he stays over here and Mom’s fine with it. She literally had breakfast with him last week. Secondly, we aren’t having sex. At all. We’re friends.” you say.

“But you like him,” Leo states.

“That’s not your business if I do or don’t. Your business is everything Leo. Like what the fuck is that on your face?” you say, going to mess with his mustache.

“Don’t start,” he says firmly.

“Is that a bet? A pledge thing for your Frat? I simply must know. The suspense is killing me,” you say.

“Fuck off. I did it on my own accord because my girl likes it,” Leo says.

“Your girl? Oh you’ve got one now. And who is she?” you ask.

“Not answering that,” Leo says, flipping the sheet.

“What’s she like?” you ask.

“She’s pretty,” Leo says plainly.

“You suck,” you say laughing

“Sure do, but apparently you don’t since you got them all correct,” Leo says, handing you back your worksheet.

“Fuck yeah. That means I won’t fail the test next week. Can I have the car for a few more hours?” you ask

“Can you tell me where you’re going? Leo counters.

“I'm going to Eddie’s to give him a present I got him at work. Plus I haven’t seen him in three days and that’s weird for us.” you say with a face.

“I really don’t know what you see in the guy,” Leo says with an eye roll.

“I see someone who can make me laugh at any moment in any mood,” you say as you got out of the chair.

“So you see the opposite of Rob Morris,” Leo states.

“Exactly. The complete opposite of that asshole, who by the way, continues to make my life miserable whenever he sees me,” you note

“He’s a twit, don’t pay him any mind.” Leo says

“I try not to,” you say with a sigh as you eject the tape and put it back in the case.

“Just be back by 9 so I can run an errand before everything closes,” Leo says as you nod.

“Sure Leo I can do that.” you say as you grab your jacket and a hat since it was kind of chilly outside. Leo gets off your bed and heads back to his room. You head down the stairs and out the door, racing to the car and getting in. You start it up and back out, drive to Eddie’s, humming an old lullaby to yourself. You really did miss Eddie, even if it had only been three days since you had seen him. There was just something about him that you craved more of. It was like the more time spent with him, the more you longed to spend every moment with him. He’s done nothing but look out for you since day one and you wanted to make him yours but were also scared of what if he didn’t like you back and you feel the way you did in that kitchen last week: foolish, childish and embarrassed.

You pull into Forest Hills Trailer Park and continue in as you take the now familiar twists and turns to get to Eddie’s trailer. You see his van and Wayne’’s truck parked in their spots and you park next to them. You grab your gift and get out of the car, closing the door. You walk up to the door and knock a few times. The door opens and reveals Wayne.

“Oh hiya Y/N” Wayne says cheerily.

“Hi Wayne. Is Eddie here?” you ask as he opens the door for you to come in.

“Yep he’s back in his room. I’m sure he’s fine with you just going on back there,” Wayne says as he sits back on the couch.

“Thanks Wayne,” you say as you walk back to his room, hearing the sounds of Dio playing as you get closed and stopped at the door. Should you knock? You decided against it since it felt too formal so you opened the door and saw Eddie on the floor with books and papers scattered everywhere in his vicinity. Eddie didn’t hear you come in since his back was to you and the music was loud enough to mask the sound so you walk in and close the door behind you. You watch him for a minute as he mumbled to himself and flipped through pages. Right as he was about to roll a statistic, you decided to announce yourself with a clearing of your throat.

“So are you working hard or hardly working there Eds?” you ask loudly, making him jump and look in your direction. He immediately smiled and dropped the dice.

“I waaaas working hard but now that you’ve arrived, all that could change,” he jokes, “This is a surprise. What are you doing here?” he asks seriously.

“I might have got you a present,” you say, batting your eyelashes.

“You what?” Eddie says in disbelief.

“I got you a present,” you repeat as you gingerly made your way to his bed, careful not to step on his papers. You take a seat in the middle of his bed and hold up the gold cassette tape case with a smile. 

“My uncle just got the new W.A.S.P album in and I thought I’d surprise you with it,” You see his eyes light up at that and he smiled wide. “I figured we could go on a drive or something to test it out if you wanna get out of the house for a bit,” you offer.

“Oh yeah I’m super into that plan. Let me clean up and get ready then we can go.” Eddie says as he cleans up his papers and organizes them a little. He grabs his keys and shoes and lead the way out the door. 

“Hey Wayne, we’re going on a drive. Do we need anything while I’m out?” Eddie asks as Wayne shook his head.

“Nope we don’t need anything. Have fun kids,” Wayne said, waving you goodbye as you leave out the door.

“So do you wanna drive or want me to?” you ask as you close the trailer door.

“You can drive this time Y/N” Eddie says as he walks to your car. You nod and get in the driver’s seat, closing the door behind you and starting the car.

“So what’s the album called?” Eddie asked.

“The Last Command,” you say as you hand Eddie the tape before backing out and starting to exit the trailer park. The first part of the drive was quiet as you enjoyed each other’s company and the peaceful November evening. The sun was starting to set so the skyline was magnificent, displaying shades of reds, oranges, pinks and purples in it. Eddie pops the tape in the second you leave Hawkins, the guitar intro to Wild Child starting up.

“Have you already listened to it?” Eddie asks.

“Once earlier when I was doing homework. I wanted to make sure it was an acceptable gift for my best friend” you say as the first chorus rolled around. You let him focus on the music while you focused on driving which relaxed you. When Eddie leaned forward to flip the tape, he looked over at you.

“What?” you say with a laugh.

“You’re amazing. I can’t believe you got me this album and I hadn’t even told you I wanted it so the fact you got it for me means a lot to me,” Eddie admitted.

“It was my pleasure, Eds. I saw it and immediately thought of you so I couldn’t resist. Plus you’ve done so much for me lately, this is just a small token of my gratitude.” you say.

“It’s great Y/N really. Thank you,” Eddie says as he puts his hand on your thigh. You start to head back towards Hawkins once the sun was set and your headlights became a requirement. The fast paced metal in the background made it feel like you and Eddie were in another world since you were so far away from Hawkins. As you make your way back in town, you decide to make a surprise pit stop.

“Uhhh Y/N, my house is that way.” Eddie says.

“Yeah yeah you’ll be there before curfew. Keep your shirt on. I figured we’d get food before I take you home” you say.

“You’re a mind reader Y/N” he says as you take a left and start towards the Daylight Diner. The album ended a few minutes ago and you were back in comfortable silence.

“What did you think of the album?” you ask, trying to fill the void with something.

“I thought it was great. There were a few tracks I might learn for myself. What was your favorite?” Eddie asks.

“Either Wild Child or Widowmaker. What about you?” you say.

“Ballcrusher, Cries In The Wild or Sex Drive” Eddie says as you laugh.

“I fucking knew they would be” you say as you pull up to the diner and park, shutting the car off.

“Well you know me pretty well,” Eddie says as he gets out of the car.

“I do since we’re supposed to be best friends,” you say as you got out of the car and close the door.

“I think you do,” Eddie says as he opens the door for you. You thank him and walk in, going to the counter and taking a seat.  Eddie followed your lead sitting next to you.

“Hello. How are we tonight?” your waitress asks.

“We’re good. How are you?” you ask

“I’m good. Can I get y’all anything?” she says, grabbing her pen and notepad.

“I’ll take a cheeseburger with no pickles please and fries,” you say.

“I’ll have the same” Eddie asks.

“For here or to go?” the waitress asks.

“Could we get it to go?” you ask sweetly as the waitress nods, “Thank you ma’am” you say as she smiles and walks away. 

“So how’s your crush thing going?” Eddie asked out of nowhere. It took you a second to register his question and come up with an answer without giving away anything.

“Ummm….it’s going okay. I don’t think I’m gonna ask him to formal because it would be a lot of pressure for a first date. But I do wanna tell him soon.” you say.

“Sooner would be better than later.” Eddie advises. If you only knew Edward, if you only knew, you thought to yourself..

“What about you Eddie? Are you planning to go to Winter Formal?” you ask.

“Not really. There’s no one I’m dying to go with so unless someone asks me, I’m probably gonna stay home and get drunk or something.” Eddie admits.

“Sounds like a very good evening for you Eds” you say with a smile as the waitress brings you your order. “Thank you! Have a great night” you say to the waitress as you leave the cash on the counter.

“Thanks honey have a great night!” she says as you grab your food and follow Eddie back to your car. You’re fishing out your keys when Eddie speaks.

“Hey Y/N” he says softly.

“Yeah Eds?” you say as you unlock your door and get in, putting the food in the back seat,.

“Thanks for today, I really needed it.” he admits.

“Of course Eds. I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in like three days because of family shit but I promise I will never forget about you or ditch you,” you say genuinely as you unlock his door for him.

“Thanks Y/N. I really needed to hear that for some reason,” Eddie says. You take his hand and squeeze it before starting the car and start towards Eddie’s.

Taglist: @realeddiemunsonstandup @eddies-blunt @sharkbaitouhaha @spookyscoopstroop @bobbiewritesstuff @eveieforeve02 @apublicnotebook @grungegrrrl @stardustworlds @madaboutmunson2 @sunflowerhargroves @tayhar811 @imagine-all-the-imagines @sunflowerharrington

[androidcharles]

So Rupert, Calvin, and Konrad have been captured and have to save Charles in a video game! Meanwhile, Ellie and Henry are still sick. Are they going to be able to save them? Will it be game over for them?

Also gonna mention here that the next chapter after this one will be posted on Monday! The epic finale is almost here!

Chapter Directory: First | <- Previous | Next ->

Dave was sitting reading a book in the living room as Henry and Ellie played cards with each other. They figured it would be better to play a game rather than disturb Dave, who was concentrating on his book.

“Alright Henry, do you have any fives?” Ellie asked.

I THOUGHT WERE PLAYING KING’S CORNERS, Henry said.

“What? No? What?” Ellie said, glancing at her cards, “Uh, I think you need more than two players for King’s Corners.” Henry shook his head as he started to rearrange his cards.

“I swear, if you’re trying to confuse me to cheat it’s not gonna work. It only works on Charles,” Ellie said, “Do you have any fives or not?”

NO, GO FISH, Henry signed, groaning as Ellie picked up a card.

“I can see you guys are feeling better,” Dave said nervously as Henry asked Ellie for a three.

“I feel like I can finally breathe again! Which is good because I’m a fan of that,” Ellie said, “Just a little cold, nothing more. We still should have gone to a doctor.”

“NO!” Henry shouted, his cards suddenly flying everywhere, “NO NO NO!”

“No?” Dave said.

“Henry is scared of doctors for some reason. And needles… and medicine…” Ellie said, “I wonder why.”

Me too, Henry thought as he suddenly got a splitting headache. Dave looked at him sympathetically.

“I guess taking your medicine has been a hassle, huh?” Dave said, “I’m sorry. I understand how you feel though. I used to be scared of the doctor too, but I started to slowly get over my fears.”

“Aw, when you were a little kid?” Ellie said.

“Two years ago.” The two of them stared at him quizzically as he sheepishly chuckled.

“I was uh… going through a phase…” Dave said as they heard a knock at the door.

“Who could that be? Did you order pizza? Please tell me you ordered pizza,” Ellie said, stretching as Henry started to sort the cards.

“I’ll get it!” Dave rushed towards the door as he peered through the door viewer, before letting out a small gasp.

“Guys… it’s General Galeforce,” Dave said softly as he opened the door.

“General sir, it’s good to see you!” Dave said, saluting him. Henry and Ellie stood up as straight as they could as General Galeforce sighed.

“At ease you three. I was just going to ask if Charlie was home yet. He hasn’t buzzed in with any word about his mission and he, along with the Bukowski twins and Price haven’t answered any calls,” General Galeforce said.

“Get in the car, General, they’re in trouble,” Ellie said, pushing him out the door.

“Rose, I hate to say this, but maybe we should assess the situation before-”

“Get in the car, General, they’re in trouble, did you not hear me? I know you’re getting old, but I would think your hearing would last a little longer,” Ellie said bluntly.

“I beg your pardon?” General Galeforce muttered before Dave intervened.

“Ah, ah, General Galeforce, I think what Ellie is trying to say is that there’s really no need to speculate, because it’s obvious they’re in trouble. How long have they been gone?” Dave asked.

“Almost two hours now. Geez, those tech geeks probably downloaded something dangerous onto Charlie. Or worse, they did something awful to the other boys… Panpa, you’re gonna have to drive!” General Galeforce said, suddenly jumping in the passenger seat, “And what do you two think you’re doing?” General Galeforce gazed at Ellie and Henry as they climbed into the backseat.

“Um, what’s it look lik- ACHOOO! Uh anyway, we’re going to save our friend,” Ellie said.

“You two are still sick. You need to head back upstairs and get some rest!” General Galeforce said.

“Aw come on, General! We’re slowly getting better-” Ellie sniffled “-And plus we’re not that bad right now!”

“Ugh… alright, you two can come along, but nothing big, alright? You guys will play support,” General Galeforce said, “Dave, I need you to head to 2453 Grave Road.”

“All the way out there… alright…” Dave put the car into gear and headed out onto the road, trying as hard as he could to get there as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, back in the virtual reality world, Rupert, Konrad, and Calvin were trying to make the most of their situation as they ran through obstacles, solved puzzles, and defeated enemies of all shapes and sizes in their attempt to get to the end of the game. At first things were simple, as they jumped over small chasms and defeated small enemies. But after the third boss, things started to ramp up very unfairly.

Jumps were becoming more difficult and time consuming, puzzles were starting to become too out there, and enemies were more difficult to defeat. They had just managed to beat the fourth boss and they had one more world to slog through. They looked at how much time they had, they saw that they barely had an hour left.

“We can’t work in this condition! We’re gonna have to start grinding for XP!” Calvin said.

“We can’t do that! Who knows how long it’ll take to get to a much bigger level! Charles is counting on us, remember?” Konrad said, “We’re just gonna have to keep brute forcing it.”

“Hate to break it to you guys, but I have two lives left. And you guys only have one…” Rupert said.

“Um, how did we get only one life left? What happened?” Konrad asked.

“You don’t remember that you two fought over the lava pit?” Rupert asked, grinding his teeth.

“It was your fault!” Konrad shouted, pushing Calvin.

“Shut up, you,” Calvin said, pushing him back, “Look, we’re just going to have to hope we make it. After all, no one is coming to help us…”

“Than…” The three of them glanced at each other worriedly as they drew their weapons, tapping them to each other.

“If we don’t make it… it’s been an honor, gentlemen,” Rupert said.

“Ditto,” Calvin said.

“Yeah,” Konrad replied as they sheathed their weapons and headed into the last world.

Outside of the hideout, however, the car pulled up, right beside a military jeep as the four of them felt a pit in their stomach.

“They’re not out here, which means they’re in there…” General Galeforce muttered as he stepped out of the car.

Ellie coughed before clearing her throat. “Ha! No problem. Let’s just head in there and see what we can do.”

“I think it would be best if me and Panpa headed in there,” General Galeforce said, sorting through the jeeps contents and grabbing a gun.

“I don’t know if I wanna go in there…” Dave muttered, “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

WE CAN STAND ON OUR OWN TWO FEET, YOU KNOW. WE’RE GOING IN THERE BECAUSE CHARLES IS IN THERE. Henry signed at the general aggressively.

“Yeah, we’re not leaving our friend behind!” Ellie said, “Doesn’t matter how sick we are, we’re going in!”

“I’d feel more confident if they came with us, general, sir…” Dave said.

“Ugh… fine. You can go in with us. But stay behind and don’t do anything rash,” General Galeforce said, “Here, take this club Stickmin. You’re not very good at aiming from what I know.”

“Shut up,” Henry coughed as he took the weapon. The four of them started to head towards the entrance of the building, very carefully positioning themselves as General Galeforce looked to Ellie, ready to give the signal. Ellie gave a thumbs up and gave a signal for Henry and Dave to move out. The two of them headed towards the side entrance, hoping they could find something there while General Galeforce and Ellie took the main entrance.

Ellie and General Galeforce positioned themselves on either side of the door, General Galeforce nodding his head to signal to Ellie that he was going to kick down the door. Before Ellie could protest, with all his strength he kicked the door down, almost breaking it off of his hinges, stunning Ellie as he ran inside.

“C’mon Rose! Make tracks already!” he shouted, “GAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“GENERAL!?” Ellie shouted, running inside before coming face to face with three nerds, their eyes filled with glee as they pushed her down.

“H-hey!” Ellie shouted, while coughing, “You’d better stop and tell me what you did the general before-” Before Ellie could so much as respond or even fight back, a helmet was placed over her head, an electrical shock causing her to shriek before she was lifted up to the ceiling next to the unconscious general.

“Oh no… they’re in trouble. Henry, what do we do?” Dave asked.

The universe isn’t giving me anything for some reason… I wonder why… Henry thought as he looked up at the ceiling, seeing three other figures above where Charles was being held captive. His eyes suddenly fell on something.

A red helmet. It didn’t look like the other helmets. The helmet had a big D over the glass that surrounded it, making it seem like it was important. He grabbed it and suddenly saw a vision.

DAVE YOU’LL NEED TO GET CAPTURED, Henry signed.

“Nooooo nononono! I don’t wanna get captured!” Dave shouted.

YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. I HAVE A FEELING THIS HELMET IS RELATED TO THE OTHERS PREDICAMENT RIGHT NOW. JUST DO THIS AND I CAN PROMISE YOU YOU’LL GET OUT OF HERE ALIVE. Dave clenched his jaw before nodding his head, running out into the open as Henry took the D helmet.

“HEY YOU JERKS, COME ON OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME! I’M RARIN’ TO GO AND- AH I WAS JUST KIDDING I WAS JUST KIDDING DON’T HURT ME DON’T HURT ME PLEASE-!” The helmet was suddenly shoved onto Dave as the nerds snickered, an electrical shock sent through him as he was hoisted up by the helmet’s wire.

Henry knew what he was getting into. He had to put on this helmet if he wanted to survive this. He thrust the helmet on his head, screaming from the shock before passing out, the last sensation his body being pulled up by the helmet’s thick wire.

He felt like he was falling, falling forever and ever. It kind of felt like what happened when he reset after dying, only much less floaty as he suddenly saw a screen in front of him.

PLEASE ENTER THE FOUR DIGIT CODE.

A password? Did the others need a password? That didn’t matter. Henry decided to take a shot in the dark, putting in the exact numerical code that spelled out NERD.

6373… PASSWORD EXCEPTED. WELCOME BACK TO DEVELOPER MODE. NOW TRANSPORTING TO DEVELOPER CONSOLE. Henry was suddenly thrust into an empty room filled with a bunch of doors, looking around fearfully as he tried to make sense of where he was.

He used his sight to peek into every door he could, trying to find something when he found something interesting. He found Charles. He continued along this path only to find out that the others had been killed… He felt a sick feeling in his stomach as he ducked away from that route.

At least you were able to save him… this time…

Shut up shut up shut up… Henry didn’t need to be reminded of his failure to save his friends. He didn’t need to be reminded of anything like that at all. Happy endings… that’s all I want. That’s all I’ll ever need.

He finally peered into one of the doors and saw the others. Maybe if he followed them, he would be able to save them and actually save Charles as well. He thrust himself through the door, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead and fell flat on his face in front of Ellie, Dave, and General Galeforce.

“Stickmin. It’s about time you showed up. You’re gonna have to help us with these enemies! I’m not sure where they came from, but this simulation or whatever it is is providing us with weapons!” General Galeforce shouted.

“Oh, not good, not good!” Dave whimpered as he held a club in his hand, slime enemies approaching him.

“C’mon Henry help us! We’re not sick here so we can do whatever we want!” Ellie shouted.

Henry’s eyes darted across his UI, looking at his options before he saw something. He could summon whatever weapon he wanted. Just like real life. He noticed, though, that the dialogue box was saying that he was an insufficient level to wield the weapon. He tapped his level icon and noticed something. There was slider on the XP bar.

“Hmmm,” Henry hummed to himself as he slid the bar to the right, leveling himself up about thirty times over.

“Henry, what are you doing?” General Galeforce asked as he defeated another slime enemy.

“OH, ME NEXT, ME NEXT, HELP ME CHEAT HENRY! I was never a fan of these grindy games!” Ellie shouted as she ran at him, slashing at a few more slime enemies.

“How are you doing that Stickmin?” General Galeforce asked as Henry equipped the overpowered weapon. Henry just shrugged as he pulled back the string on his new bow, shooting a powerful arrow through the slime enemies, causing Dave to jump a bit as Ellie’s eyes widened in amazement.

“C’mon, Henry, help me cheat next!” Ellie shouted, “C’mon!”

“Alright, alright,” Henry said, suddenly realizing he could access Ellie’s UI… and the others as well.

Where are they? Henry thought. He brought up a map and saw that they were in the last world, but they were having a difficult time. Rupert, Calvin, and Konrad were on their last lives and their HP was already significantly drained.

Let’s fix that, Henry thought as he slid Calvin��s HP back up to max.

Meanwhile in world five, the three were already pretty much on the ropes, Rupert feeling faint as he saw static at the edges of his vision. What’s going to happen to them? What about Charles? What about his friends? He had to fight back tears as he tried to get back up and fell back down again, looking to Calvin and Konrad, who were… wait a minute, Calvin was fine.

In fact, he was standing up straight, a confused look on his face as he stared the monster down, trying to understand what was happening.

“Calvin…” Rupert whispered, “Help…”

“I don’t know how!” Calvin shouted, “One minute, I’m on ten HP and the next I’m feeling fine. Heck, my status ailments are gone!”

“Hey… mine too!” Konrad suddenly stood up as Rupert suddenly regained his vision, looking to his HP bar. His HP, along with his status was completely fine. What the heck was going on?

“Henry, they could probably use some help,” Ellie said, as Dave took an overpowered weapon and sliced at the slimes, General Galeforce congratulating him as he hoisted his own overpowered weapon.

“Henry, can you use your program or whatever to teleport us to the boys?” General Galeforce said, “Geez… holding this thing makes me feel like a young sergeant again…” Henry saluted him as he went through his UI before finding the teleport button. Feeling a bit uneasy, he pushed it and saw a doorway open before them. Through the opening, they could see Calvin, Konrad, and Rupert fighting once again, but they were losing HP fast.

“LET’S MOVE!” General Galeforce shouted, running straight through the doorway and loading his weapon, blasting the monster as Calvin took another hit.

“GENERAL!? You’re here too!?” Rupert shouted. The monster screeched as it dissipated into smoke, causing the boys to glow, indicating a level up.

“Calvin, Konrad, Rupert, are you alright?!” Ellie shouted as Henry and Dave followed her through the door.

“Price, I need a full report: Where’s Charlie?” General Galeforce said.

“He’s been captured! If I’m correct, he’s in the castle right now, but we’re never gonna make it in time,” Rupert said.

“We need to max them out on their levels so they can equip the better weapons and take down enemies easier,” Ellie said, “We’ve got less than thirty minutes to rescue Charles before whatever… happens to him.”

“They’re going to delete him!” Calvin said.

“That’s what the spooky screen said anyway… huh… where’s the general going?” Konrad said.

“Well, if I’m correct, what Calvin said must have set him off…” Rupert muttered, “We’d better hustle after him guys!”

“Roger. Let’s go Rupert!” Dave shouted. Rupert looked a bit shocked that Dave was here of all people, but he decided to let it slide as he followed the general, Henry messing with the UI a bit to max out the previous three’s levels and give them the best equipment.

“How are you doing that?” Ellie asked. Henry smiled as shrugged, wondering if maybe the helmet he was wearing was a bit more special.

“C’mon, let’s chase after them. We’re not gonna be left in the dust!” Ellie shouted as Henry tailed behind her, ready to fight beside her.

The monsters, however, were a bit thin as they raced through the last world, jumping over chasms and chopping down leftover monsters as the party rushed towards the huge castle entrance. They panted, looking at the timer.

“We have fifteen minutes to beat the final boss…” Ellie said, “Henry can’t you do something about that timer?”

“I’ve tried. Nothing…” Henry muttered, “We’re just gonna have to beat it.”

“We’re more than strong enough to beat this boss together. We just have to come with a plan,” Rupert said.

“Alright, how about this; I’ll go in and confront the boss and you guys can get into position to beat it,” General Galeforce said, “Henry, Rupert, since your rangers, use your bows to create a net to trap the monster. Konrad, you’re the bomber, so make sure that you lay bombs down to do damage. And Ellie, Dave, and Calvin can slash at whatever HP remains. I’ll make sure to deal the final blow with this baby…”

“You’re in your element general… I kind of like it!” Dave said.

“Me too, Panpa. I feel like I’m a young cadet again in this world. Let’s move out!” The seven of them got into position as General Galeforce opened the doors.

“Where’s Charlie!?” General Galeforce shouted. The red line screen appeared once again, static jumping to reveal Charles, who gasped as soon as he saw General Galeforce.

“G-general! It’s all my fault! You shouldn’t be wasting your time like this, just get out of here while you still can!” Charles said, “Henry has the developers helmet, he can get you out of here!”

“We’re not leaving without you Charlie!” General Galeforce said, “Now why don’t you set him free before I blast you into next week?”

“How funny… I thought that we had that helmet in a more secure location… no matter. This final boss will surely keep you guys on the ropes. Even with that paltry device…” The screen disappeared as General Galeforce stepped back, practically face to face with a huge dragon.

“Kids, now!” General Galeforce said, charging his attack. Henry and Rupert fired their bows, casting a net over the dragon as it thrashed through it. Henry decided to be sneaky and make the net fireproof, to prevent the beast from burning it. Meanwhile, Konrad had laid a dozen bombs under the beast as it started to screech, the explosions causing mass damage to its HP.

Meanwhile, Ellie, Dave, and Calvin had managed to slash as much damage as they could as Henry and Rupert fired shots into the dragon from a safe distance.

“Steady now…” General Galeforce aimed his blaster at the dragon as he pulled the trigger, firing a huge blast into it, causing it to melt away.

“NO! NO!” the screen’s voice echoed through the chamber. With only five minutes to spare, they had managed to beat the N.E.R.Ds game.

“THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT!”

“Adding more zeros to a bosses health doesn’t make it harder to beat… wah… what’s happening!?” Calvin and Konrad looked at their hands as they suddenly vanished into static.

“I think we’re being put back in our bodies! Let’s get out of here!” Dave said as he disappeared as well.

“If Charlie isn’t awake when we wake up you’re going to be sorry you-” General Galeforce disappeared before he could even finish the sentence.

“Well, that was fun. See you on the outside, Henry,” Ellie said, disappearing as well. Henry nodded his head, feeling himself falling once again as the world melted around him in a mix of static. Pretty soon, he felt his own fingers curling as the wire lowered him down onto the ground again. He pulled the helmet off, breathing a sigh of relief before suddenly coughing again, forgetting about his cold.

“Henry, are you alright?” General Galeforce said. He looked up to see the others pulling their helmets off, Calvin and Konrad high fiving each other as Dave squeezed Rupert in a big hug. Ellie rushed towards Henry to do the same, grinning from ear to ear.

“Geez, that was so stressful. I can’t believe we almost lost Charles again,” Ellie said. Henry sheepishly chuckled as he looked up and saw Charles curling his fingers. Suddenly, his soothing green eyes were back as he looked around, trying to take in his surroundings.

“Huh? What’s going on? What happened?” Charles said as the metal restraints on his arms and legs were released. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up and gasped, seeing all his friends together again.

“GUYS! I WAS SO WORRIED!” Charles screamed, stomping over to Henry and Ellie and bowling them over with the force of his hug.

“Charles… good to see you too…” Ellie said, coughing, “Guh, I forgot I was sick… gross…”

“We should probably get back home. You guys shouldn’t have gone out like that…” Charles said softly as he picked them both up.

“We should all head back. This has been quite the adventure but… hm?” General Galeforce suddenly picked up one of the discarded files, scanning his eyes over it as he gasped.

“Project SAI files? What the heck are the N.E.R.Ds doing with these?” General Galeforce asked. Before the others could start speculating, they suddenly heard Dave calling from the entrance.

“Hey, uh, guys… you might wanna come out here! Someone is calling on the radio!” The group rushed out of the building, already hearing the radio going haywire as a panicked voice spoke over the static.

“THE TOPPATS! THEY’RE INFILTRATING THE BASE RIGHT NOW! THEY’RE HEADED TOWARDS THE MAXIMUM SECURITY LEVEL!” the voice shouted, “WE CAN’T HOLD THEM OFF, THEY’VE GOT SOME KIND OF SUPER HUMAN WITH THEM. GAAAA-” As the voice cut off they got a pit in their stomachs as Charles suddenly felt static at the edges of his vision.

Oh Amelia, you didn’t… Charles thought as General Galeforce jumped into his vehicle.

“GET IN KIDS, WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME!” General Galeforce shouted. The group followed suit, getting into the vehicles and driving off, hoping and praying that the worst didn’t come.

- - - - -

Broken walls. Electric wires exposed. The security system tampered with. Injured soldiers and two empty cells. This was what the group had come back to by the time they had managed to get into the facility. The alarm blared overhead as the Triple Threat team stood at attention in front of General Galeforce, who was pacing frantically.

“It’s official sir…” They looked up to see Paul Ascott, one of the soldiers who lived on the base, a somber look on his face. If it was Paul delivering the news, it must not be good.

“Ascott… please tell me you have some good news for once…” General Galeforce said.

“Um… there were no deaths, if you’re wondering… but unfortunately… the Toppats were able to breach security and blow their way through the defenses. I’m sorry sir, but… the Toppat leaders have officially been broken out.” Paul shrunk away as General Galeforce gritted his teeth.

“After all that hard work. After all that TIME AND MONEY WE SPENT!” He slammed his fist against the table, causing the Triple Threat team to jump a little as he suddenly relaxed, shaking his head.

“This was just a horrible coincidence… I don’t understand why they waited until now to do this…” General Galeforce said.

“Hm…” Charles thought, “Maybe the letters had something to do with it. I’ll try to access them- aaah AAAH!” Charles suddenly cringed, clutching his forehead as Henry and Ellie stepped forward.

“Are you OK?” Ellie asked.

“J-just a bit dizzy. That’s funny…” Charles said, “Huh… must have been a coincidence…”

“Hang on… do you still have the physical copies of those letters? I just thought of something!” Ellie said. General Galeforce was confused, but instructed Paul to bring the letters to the team. As soon as they were delivered, Ellie got to work, looking over the letters and folding them in certain areas.

“I know this… There was a biker gang I used to run with back when I was nineteen years old. They used this same method to break out one of the big guys within the group back in the day,” Ellie said, “I think it’s like a code or something they use, where a certain word is mentioned, you fold.” Ellie finally put it all together and they gasped.

REGINALD AND RIGHT HAND MAN

IN THE SPRING WE WILL FIND A WAY TO BUST YOU OUT. WE WILL ARRIVE AS SOON AS WE HAVE SECURED OUR PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN. BE READY SOON AS WE WILL ARRIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF SPRING TO BUST YOU OUT. PREPARE FOR OPERATION COTTAGE BREAK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

“The letters were a code… general how come I didn’t know about this!?” Charles asked.

“This is such an obscure code, Charlie. Not even a person like you could memorize all the connotations of it,” General Galeforce muttered, “Right under our noses… I can’t believe it.”

I’M MORE IMPRESSED THEY MANAGED TO UNDERSTAND THE CODE WITHOUT FOLDING THE LETTERS, Henry said, tipping his head to the side.

“Maybe they did a… mental folding trick,” Charles said, playing with his hands a little, “Plus folding the letters would have given away that there was some form of code.”

“Well, it’s official. Let’s go kick some Toppat butt again!” Ellie said, “Are you with me Henry? Charles?”

“Uh huh!” Henry said, nodding his head.

“With you one hundred percent Ellie!” Charles said, “Don’t worry general, those Toppats will be back behind bars before you know it!”

“Charles, you do remember how many hoops we had to jump through to even gain the trust to put Stickmin on the airship to infiltrate it… It could take us months to gain the trust of the public to pull them down,” General Galeforce said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll still find a way to take them down. And those N.E.R.Ds too! We haven’t forgotten about them!” Ellie said.

“I appreciate your optimism kids, I really do. Thanks… Now if you excuse me, I have to sleep this entire day off. I suggest you kids get back home and rest too. You’re going to need it, because after your recovery, you might be busy,” General Galeforce said. The three of them nodded their head as Paul escorted them out of the base to take them home.

- - - - -

Amelia stood front and center in front of her father, who was readjusting his cape, pulling his stacked top hats over his head as he twirled his mustache.

“It’s good to be back…” Reginald said softly.

“Good to see you back, sirs. We’re sorry that things aren’t looking particularly presentable, but…”

“Sven, everything is fine, I promise,” Reginald said, patting Sven’s shoulder, “And as for you…” Reginald tackled Amelia with a hug as she laughed, hugging him back gently.

“It’s good to see you again, my princess! Oh, did you miss me?”

“More than you think!” Amelia said, her voice wobbling as Reginald beamed at her.

“Well, now that you’ve addressed the clan and hugged your daughter… what are you going to do now?” Sven asked.

“Well, first things first we should probably-”

“Find Stickmin and his friends and capture them!” The Right Hand Man shouted, pounding his fist into the palm of his hand.

“Now now, Right Hand Man, we don’t need to be hasty…”

“Are you kidding?! After they imprisoned us and the entire clan!? I highly doubt it’s hasty to try to get rid of them once and for all!” The Right Hand Man shouted.

“Andrew Bukowski, listen to me!” The three of them stood in shock, as it was very rare to hear Reginald call the Right Hand Man by his actual name. Only a few higher ups, Amelia, and Reginald knew his name and that was it.

“We are not in the state right now to actually do anything like that. Sure it would be nice to get rid of those pesky pests once and for all, but need I remind you that we have just returned? And doing such a thing while the clan is still undergoing repairs both internally and externally would just put everything in disarray? Surely you know that?” Reginald lectured, causing the Right Hand Man to shrink back. He smiled gently as he put a hand to the Right Hand Man’s cheek, caressing it as he sighed, placing his hand over Reginald’s.

“I want revenge as much as the next guy. But for now, let us get our assets in order before we start plunging into who knows what. Our PR is down the drain, our bank accounts are barely full, and our manor is massive need of repair and care. Let’s get those things out of the way first and than… we can get revenge…”

“That’ll take forever…” The Right Hand Man sighed as he looked into Reginald’s eyes, feeling a bit reassured, “But you’re right… we have to put the clan first. We can worry about degenerates like them later, I suppose.” Something in Amelia breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled at her father’s, who were now nuzzling each other.

“Let’s get out of here before they start making out,” Sven muttered, leading Amelia out of the room as they heard a sharp “I HEARD THAT!” from the room they were exiting.

“Boy, that was rough. Those government dogs put up a fight, but I have to admit, if it wasn’t for Burt and his team, we probably wouldn’t have been able to actually break through,” Sven said, stretching, “Aaaah, it feels good to not be leader. But you were an excellent right hand, all things considered. I guess in case anything like this happens again, you’ll be my right hand again, huh?”

“Sure,” Amelia said, “I have a feeling we have the night off.”

“Yep! It’s party time! This is probably the most excited I’ve been since I was promoted. Let’s get going!” Sven started to run down the hall as Amelia waved.

“I’ll catch up with you!” Amelia said, “I just need to take care of something!”

“Well, don’t take too long!” Sven shouted as he headed downstairs. Amelia smiled as she headed back into the higher ups shared room, sitting down on a cot and opening her messaging program.

GlitterToppatGirl: Hey.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You guys sure do like to cause trouble don’t you?

GlitterToppatGirl: Yeah. I would say I’m sorry… but I’m not really. LOL.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Geez, you guysusug are jerks, you know that?

GlitterToppatGirl: Whoa, what was that?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: What was what?

GlitterToppatGirl: Your text just kinda glitched there for a sec.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Probably nothing. Don’t worry about it. You’re not gonna get the upper hand on us just yet! We’re gonna get you guys, you know that riGHthrhgHT?!

GlitterToppatGirl: Are you sure you’re OK?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: I’m finenenENIEN, trust me.

Amelia felt a little bit of doubt as she sighed.

GlitterToppatGirl: Whatever. Have fun tracking us down. Like I’m gonna tell you where we are. I might have a little more free time after tonight though, so maybe we can meet up later.

Charles felt a bit uneasy at this sentiment, between all the static that seemed to jump at the edges of his vision and his balancing loyalties, he didn’t know what to do. It would be nice to see Amelia again, but would he really be willing to do so with everything that’s happening so far? Would he be willing to throw everything away if meant keeping his newfound friend?

Fine… I will. I will keep in contact with her. I want to believe that what I’m doing is wrong, but not about to let black and white morals get in the way of this. Amelia knows something about me… and maybe if I continue to gain her trust, she’ll start considering the side of justice more anyway, Charles thought. He smiled, feeling a bit strange (and not in the way he was feeling before) as he typed his final message to Amelia.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Sounds GREeatestateT. Let’s meet up later, OK? Sometime this WeeeekeekeeEKEK?

GlitterToppatGirl: Alright. Good night, goody two shoes.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Good night, trouBEBBELEBmaker.

Amelia still felt a bit unsure about Charles’ state of affairs as she closed the messenger app. Still, she couldn’t let herself be dragged down by someone who was technically her enemy. She opened the door of the bedroom and ran downstairs. She had a party to attend.

- - - - -

“Well, Wendell… we lost…” Theodore picked up the helmets, sighing as a screen loomed over his shoulder.

“You do realize that this has just begun right?” Theodore looked up, seeing Wendell’s projection on the screen, a sneer on his face as Theodore chuckled.

“I know that you’re feeling confident, but like I said, we lost… The game is over. They managed to beat it by cheating. If we hadn’t left that developers helmet out, we would have deleted those losers and managed to get them out of the way for the Toppats,” Theodore said.

“The Toppats no longer concern us. Now that I’ve planted a seed within that government dog… it’s time to find a way to get the girl,” Wendell said.

“Wendell, I think we’ve done enough damage as it is. Besides, I highly doubt we’ll be able to catch the girl!” Suddenly a bunch of mechanical arms sprung forward, grabbing Theodore as he started to struggle, the screen getting close as Wendell wickedly grinned.

“I’m just getting started with phase one of my master plan. For phase two… you won’t need that useless body anymore…”

“Wait, Wendell, what are you talking about? What are you-” One of the mechanical arms placed a helmet over Theodore’s head before he let out a loud shriek, suddenly passing out as Wendell started to laugh.

“Soon, phase two will go into motion… Don’t worry Theo… I can assure you that this next part of the plan is perfectly sound. For you see, once I’m done… we won’t need to worry about our humanity anymore...”

[vacantgodling]

i couldn’t sleep so have these gays and im gonna force myself to dream about them

wip: vampires don’t take road trips

character(s): darren de leon (mc/pov), gabriel “gabe” batari ; mentions of other characters

warnings: none! just confused gays being dudes! tl;dr darren is bi and thinks gabe is playing hard to get and gets a lil annoyed bc he doesn’t get why gabe won’t take the bait. in actuality, gabe is actually demi and has not experienced feelings for anyone before so clams up when directly flirted with. they like each other they just need to communicate lmao. chaos ensues.

early autumn skies and getting closer to someone you’re painfully attracted to…

The city lights were brighter than the stars out here, so far away from them.

I’d offered to take first watch since I don’t sleep anyway. My eyes continued to sweep across the desert surrounding around us, seeking anything unusual but finding nothing. I’d never been to a place before that didn’t rain; even in a brief trip to California summers and summers ago, I remembered the all-encompassing sheets of moisture that cut Dave and I’s trip to Disneyland short.

I wouldn’t say that I was surprised when Gabe came out to sit next to me. The novelty of it though, lingered. He should’ve sat further from me if he didn’t want our shoulders to brush; the nagging suspicion that he purposefully underestimated his broad wingspan to be in my proximity was growing stronger with every incident. I didn’t turn to face him right away, instead I kept admiring how I could pluck out the sheen of metal of a lone street lamp at the edge of the city from here.

“Not smoking?” He finally asked. I huffed out a laugh through my nose. What a conversationalist. “I ran out of weed two days ago. I don’t even think it’s legal in this state.” I glanced at him. His golden eyes were trained on me, little attentive crescent moons, like always. I looked back towards the city. “But, I think I’m starting to feel the merits of being sober.” I was giving him an “in.” As usual, Gabe didn’t take my bait. “I think Marco has some. Weed, I mean.”

“Yeah? That’s his stash though.” Growing bored of the city and not wanting to look at Gabe yet, I flopped on my back to study the stars. I didn’t know shit about astrology. I could probably ask Vlad and he’d name every constellation. Demi would probably bitch about his storytelling. The thought made me smile.

“Slacking off?” Gabe’s voice brought me back, I hadn’t realized I’d closed my eyes. I looked up at him where he was peering at me with a grin and bumped my shoulder against his knee. “I got you here keeping watch with me, big guy. You’re only enabling me.”

“Should I head back to the tent?” He asked. I could tell he was pretending to be unamused, I saw the tiny sliver of his mouth quirk up into a grin before his lips turned back into a frown. Brooders gotta brood. Either way, it was fun pressing buttons to see which one would break his facade. I was winning regardless.

“You wouldn’t.” I said, matter-of-fact. Gabe snorted, yet, he made no effort to move. Instead, he grasped my elbow with his free hand and gave it a light squeeze. “You’re right.” He met my eyes, then blindsided me with a devilish grin. “I don’t trust you.”

“Okay, rude.” I put my hand to my chest, but I couldn’t tell if it was in indignation or to keep my heart from rabbiting out of it. “First of all, what have I done to ever make you distrust me?”

“Tried to bite me when we first met, for one.” I rolled my eyes. “I thought we were past that Gabe, baby.” I gave him my best puppy dog eyes and ignored the way the tips of his ears turned pink. “You can’t keep holding that over me—you smell too good. Even Vlad agrees!”

“Keep your fangs to yourself.” He poked my cheek. I lunged at his finger for a nibble, but he pushed his hand against my face to keep me back.

“You really want me to keep them to myself?” I pushed myself up on my elbows to give Gabe my best, suggestive-yet-unimpressed stare. But as usual, whenever my flirting attempts got too bold, he stonewalled me. I cursed myself in the only language I knew when I saw his easy mask slide back into place, his grin dropping like ice shards. And he’d opened up enough to smile dammit—! Frustrated, I huffed, blowing stray bangs from my face.

“Do you get off on torturing me or something?” And he had the gall to look confused. “You’re really gonna make me say it?”

“Say what?” He asked.

“Oh you fucking— Don’t worry about it.” I waved my hand, dismissing it. I couldn’t do this conversation right now, and it wasn’t fair for me to get mad at him. Maybe he didn’t know how I felt—what I meant—and I was looking too far into things. I was being pretty obvious but it wouldn’t be the first time. This time would just hurt more.

I’d get over it.

Sensing my irritation, Gabe decided not to say anything. We sat in silence for a long, long moment.

He surprised me by breaking the silence first. It started with a point.

“Do you see that star there?” I turned my gaze back up to the sky, following his finger to a particularly small but bright cluster. It was hard to make out each individual element; they must be stars further out and even with my vampire enhanced eyes, my innate humanness bogged down my clear view. Still, I peered for a moment longer, then nodded. “My mother tells me she was born somewhere around there.” I looked to Gabe in surprise. It was easy to forget; how Earthbounds like the rest of us were truly on a different scale. Even though I struggled to see those stars, did Gabe see them clearly? Unclouded, with eyes meant to see through the depths of space. Only hindered by the Earth’s unusual gravity and atmosphere? Did he feel a sense of longing for out there… or was he content since this was all he knew? I wet my lips, searching for something to say. “Is it… common for Celestials to be born here?”

“On Earth? No.” Gabe wasn’t looking at me, and somehow it felt like the wrong thing to ask. “I’m… pretty rare, I guess.” He shrugged, then seemed to think for a moment. “… Where were you born?”

“Me?” A startled laugh I couldn’t help bubbled from my throat. “I um… New York, I think? Actually—“ I scrunched up my brow. “I don’t know. Dave hasn’t told me much about it and I haven’t really asked Liz. But New York feels right. It’s where most of my early memories are, anyway.”

“I was surprised when Vlad told me you lived there.” Gabe met my eyes again. The smile he gave me this time was softer, more genuine. He really was going to make my heart beat out from behind my ribs. “You don’t really have much of an accent.”

“Really? I’ve been told I sound like a New Yawker.” I beamed when I saw the hints of a smile tug at his lips again. “You expecting me to sound like a 50’s mobster or something?” His laugh was soft, but bright. The moon was envious. “Maybe. That’s all my knowledge of New York.”

“I’ll take you someday.” Once this is over. “You’ll hate it. It’s so loud and full of people.” Gabe rolled his eyes, but it looked fond. “Great.”

“Where were you born?”

Our conversation strayed until near dawn. Covering every topic from our birth places and dates (I can’t understate how elated I was when I found out his birthday is 4 days after mine. That, and the way Gabe deadpanned when I told him my birthday was April 20th—I wish I had Awilda’s camera), to the desert, plants, more vampire lessons. I wasn’t even tired when Vlad came stumbling out of the tent, rubbing his eyes from sleep, to let us know we could go back in the tent to rest. Moonglend and Awilda were going to find breakfast. I ruffled his hair when I passed, and his tired smile spread a comfortable warmth throughout my body in the form of minute tingles.

“Sweet dreams.” I told Gabe over my shoulder once I settled down into Vlad’s vacant sleeping bag. He didn’t say anything back, so I closed my eyes, settling down to sleep.

I was sure I imagined the ghost of warmth across my forehead before I truly drifted off, but at least it’d be a good dream.

[bjax27]

|It started with a Cheese Grater!| Total Drama All Stars II

Word Count: 7,615 Words (This one, might actually be worth eating some pizza with)

Link to the previous chapter:

https://at.tumblr.com/bjax27/salty-sea-ships-total-drama-all-stars-ii/cco9m2rtaf0n

“Last time on Total Drama All-Stars TWO!” Chris said excitedly.

“Our campers were rudely interrupted in their sleep by yours truly! We had a beautiful blood moon in our last challenge and I couldn’t resist getting some pictures. By me, I meant our contestants of course! Each of the teams gathered at the dock, received supplies, and set out to explore our islands. The Glamorous Golden Eagles didn’t do much of anything interesting in the previous challenge, and they got second. However, it was the Otters who won their first game after two straight elimination ceremonies! In the end, our military brat Brick was sent home after a disastrous night out on the water, via crazy gal Izzy! This week we’re gonna dial things back and head to Chef’s kitchen for this week's challenge. Who has the guts to play in Hell’s Kitchen? Will our lovely season one competitors step it up? And lastly and most importantly who gets the boot after it all? Find out on this week's dramatic campfire ceremony on Total Drama All-Stars!” Chris flashed a smile and held up two fingers.

Optimistic Otters

“I haven’t eaten this good in weeks, this food is so good!” Cody said excitedly.

“I know, they even have vegan and vegetarian options too!” Cameron picked up a waffle piece with his fork.

“This is what happens when you win. Learn that feeling, cherish it, and keep moving so we can keep winning!” Jasmine said, taking her seat down at the table next to Cody.

“She’s right, we don’t have time to lose. We just now got the numbers even again” Duncan added.

“Not to mention who wants to turn up food this good!” Duncan shed a single tear, and the butler wiped it away before it touched his plate.

“I don’t know if I can get used to that,” Duncan said, annoyed.

Glamorous Golden Eagles

“…and that’s why I needed to talk to you. No that sounds stupid, I can’t say that” Trent paced around the communal bathrooms anxiously.

Just then Harold entered. It didn’t take long to figure out what he was talking about.

“Still thinking about how to approach Gwen?” Harold asked, startling Trent.

“Maybe, why?” Trent stopped pacing and started to look at Harold.

“From the times we spent together during the Drama Brothers days, you were pretty cool Trent, just be yourself, man,” Harold said causing Trent to pause.

“Thanks, Harold, that means a lot. But it’s not that simple, I haven’t talked to her since that aftermath show. How do I even approach her anymore?” Trent worried. He sighed and before he walked out of the communal bathrooms, Cody came in.

“What’s going on Trent? Still feeling weird about the team switch?” Cody asked

“Yeah I am, I know that everyone on our team is super buddy-buddy, I mean, besides Harold, I don’t think I can say anyone is my friend,” Trent said glumly.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I’ve made any friends on my team yet. I feel like everyone knows who they know, and aren’t really making an effort to make new friends” Cody said, and Trent nodded in agreement.

“In due time, in due time,” Harold said as the boys left the communal restroom.

Colossal Cobras

“Morning girls, are we ready for today's challenge?” Sky asked, stretching her legs on the rug.

“I would say that I am but the last challenge was a disaster. We couldn’t do anything right” Bridgette answered.

“Girl, what’s with you and Dave? That brother is always trying to participate in challenges, he may mess up sometimes, but he tries” Leshawna asked.

“You really wanna know?” Sky asked nervously. She was more focused on stretching her body as she did every morning.

“Well, why else did I ask girlfriend?” Leshawna cocked an eyebrow.

“Well, I don’t really know. He was into me for so long and I thought maybe I was into him too, but any chance of us working things out was killed after he found out about my terrible ex” Sky said disappointedly.

“Well if it makes you feel any better, Geoff and I have been through it all together. If there is saving our relationship after the many fights we’ve been through, you should be fine” Bridgette comforted.

“Well, do you like him Sky?” Leshawna asked.

“I mean, maybe? I just want to win this competition, but he’s such a dork and he’s so cute, and I… probably like him don’t I?” Sky blushed.

“I needed some obvious hints to get with Geoff. I’m glad that the other Killer Bass guys helped me realize that I should give him a chance. We’re still together all this time later. I would be so down to help you out with this, after all that’s what teammates are for!” Bridgette smiled. Sky got up and hugged Bridgette in response.

*Cuts to confessional*

“At first, I wasn’t thrilled to be here, but this season just feels different. Back at home, I didn’t really have too many friends, I was always competing or training. It feels great to know someone has my back” Sky smiled happily. *End of confessional*

Sky, Bridgette, and Leshawna walked into the dining hall, to join their other cobra teammates, as well as some of the otters.

Just then, Chris appeared walking into the dining hall.

“Good morning Campers! Today's challenge will be a lot more laid back considering how much you’ve been through lately. Doing two physically intense challenges is definitely not easy on the body heh heh” Chris said walking over towards the door to the kitchen.

“You're telling me, Chris, my body has never been this sore before. Especially after the boat crash!” Dave whined.

“You guys crashed your boat? Hardcore! Who was driving though?” Duncan laughed.

“Oh, it was…” Scott just then got up and pushed Dave off of the bench. Dave landed on the floor with a thud.

“Oh, it was him? Can’t really say I’m surprised” Duncan laughed allowed.

“I didn’t crash the boat! It wasn’t my fault!” Scott protested. Chris was starting to get a bit annoyed.

“Okay! Enough! Now for today's challenge, campers you will be making pizza! You will have to cook a pizza with the ingredients that were delivered this morning. Anything goes as far as the dough the pizza is made with, its shape, or its toppings. As long as it’s recognizable as a pizza, it works! Each team will appoint a head chef, and anything they say goes as they’ll have the last word. Once each team has made its pizza, Chef, our former all-star Sam, and I will be the judges. You have two hours after you’ve gathered your ingredients and appointed a head chef. Once your pizza is finished, you can use the outdoor pizza ovens to cook it. Once you are finished with that, prepare your pizzas for presentation and wait til the time is up. Good luck campers!” Chris then exited the dining hall.

“Well, I know for a fact who we are not appointing as head chef” Trent snickered. Harold nodded in agreement almost instantly.

“I know right!” Gwen started to laugh following Trent’s quick remark.

“HEY! It’s not my fault, whatsoever. People just don’t know how to listen! I have absolutely no control over that” Heather protested, receiving no help from her remaining teammates.

“Whatever, let’s appoint a head chef already! Personally, I think it should be Sammy, she's a neutral party to all of us” Courtney commented.

The Golden Eagles all looked over at Sammy, which made her a bit uncomfortable, but she was happy that the team wanted her to lead.

“Okay, so it’s settled then, Sammy will be our head chef. Now, c’mon let’s go get some ingredients” Heather left the dining hall on that note. The rest of the team followed, except for B and Dawn who waited for a little before leaving.

Dawn motioned B over to her and whispered something to him.

“Aren’t you tired of being ignored like this? We ought to do something about it. After all, our contributions matter to the team just as much as everyone else. Just because we aren’t recognizable, or outspoken, doesn’t mean our word shouldn’t matter” B nodded in agreement, and the pair left the dining hall. Leaving it empty, as the Cobras had already left prior to the mini-team meeting.

Optimistic Otters

“The ingredients to my surprise are pretty extensive, from places all over the world as well. Oh, fresh cheese!” Cameron then opened a container that was labeled “fresh cheese” and an odor followed.

“Definitely smells like fresh cheese, that's for sure.” Mike covered his nose, and quickly placed the lid back on the larger container.

“Do you guys know what pizza we should make? I was thinking we went with a Margherita flatbread, something that shouldn’t be too difficult to make” Cody said aloud.

“Not a bad idea Cody, all those in favor say, I!” Zoey approved.

“I,” said Cody. “I,” said Cameron. “I,” said Mike.

“Well, if it wasn’t obvious enough, I’m for the Margherita flatbread idea as well. But what about you guys? Lightning, Duncan, Alejandro, and Jasmine?” Zoey asked as her teammates looked around for ingredients.

“I say we make a Chicago-style deep dish! Can never go wrong with that!” Lightning suggested.

“I too, like a good deep-dish pizza, Lightning. I am in favor of Lightning’s idea” Alejandro interjected.

“Well, I don’t each much of any pizza, but deep dish pizza sounds like a good time, I reckon” Jasmine joined in to nearly even up the debate.

“Well, that leaves Duncan. What’s your choice? And we have to hurry, we can’t spend all of our time deciding on what to make” Mike looked toward Duncan, as did the rest of his teammates. Duncan shook his head disapprovingly.

“As if it’ll matter anyway. We just need to make the food look amazing, and taste at the very least, good. A deep dish doesn’t have the best presentation, since all of the cheese is under the sauce. However, flatbreads look better and don’t offer as much food. Tough call honestly. But I think we should be different and do a deep dish. They won’t see it coming” Duncan concluded, and his teammates were taken back a bit, by his analysis of the situation.

*Cuts to confessional*

“As a convicted delinquent, you probably wouldn’t want to take my advice on anything food related. However, this is one thing I don’t like to play around with, I’ve watched too many cooking shows and competitions to know how this goes. Not to mention we’re feeding gamer boy Sam, and I don’t think he’s gonna care too much about what the pizza actually is” Duncan said.

*End of confessional*

“I say, we vote Duncan, as head Chef” Cody said shortly after, the team made their decision.

“I’m honestly not mad at it. His insightful words on our choice made it really obvious” Cameron joined in.

“I agree, this just makes too much sense not to” Zoey added as well.

“Okay! I’ll do it, now let’s go people! Get some tomatoes, flour, several kinds of cheese, butter…” Duncan listed ingredients as each of the competitors got them in the same order he listed them.

Colossal Cobras

“We gotta bounce back after that horrible loss, so who’s gonna step up and be a head chef?” Leshawna questioned, and each of her teammates exchanged glances.

Dave attempted to raise his hand, and this time neither Shawn nor Sky attempted to stop him.

“Dave? Well, if no one else want’s to volunteer I guess that’s fine” Leshawn shrugged.

“No, I will be the head chef!” Scott sneered quickly at Dave, before looking over at Leshawna.

“I find it awfully convenient, that you want to be head chef, now that Dave offered” Bridgette commented.

“Yeah, and what’s it to you, surfer girl? I think I can lead this team to victory, and Dave won’t be able to” Scott took a shot at Dave who felt threatened. Sky placed her hand on Dave’s shoulder.

“Okay, listen here country boy! That brother Dave already apologized for his mistake. You however have not. I think you should take the passenger seat for this challenge. Or else, we’ll have more of a reason to vote you off if we lose again!” Leshawna got in Scott's face, and he scowled angrily.

“In that case, I am completely fine with Dave being our head chef. Don’t say I didn’t offer you guys though” With that, Scott briskly walked past Leshawna, and walked toward the ingredients truck.

*Cuts to Confessional*

“My inside source told me that, Chris is a huge fan of Hawaiian pizza, which is already a controversial opinion. However, with Dave leading this operation, I will keep my lips sealed. If we do lose today's challenge, he is the obvious choice for elimination” Scott crossed his arms out of protest.

*End of Confessional*

“Okay, Dave. So what do you want us to do for you!” Owen asked excitedly.

“Well… I say we start with ingredients, but the question is what kind of pizza?” Dave asked. Sky looked over and was moments from speaking until she was interrupted by Tyler.

“Two words. Meat Lovers!” Tyler said excitedly, and the boys on the team were satisfied with that answer.

“Sky? You seemed like you were about to say something, what was it?” Dave looked on concerned. Sky looked over at Dave and started to blush.

“Oh, right. I was thinking about a cauliflower pizza with vegetable ingredients. How does that sound everyone?” Sky said. The boys of the team seemingly disapproved aside from Dave, and Scott let out a devilish smile.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I am all for it, as a vegetarian myself,” Bridgette said smiling. She then raised Sky’s hand to the air before quickly putting it down again.

“I am fully prepared to live off MREs when the zombie apocalypse happens, so I am down to prepare whatever. Your call Dave” Shawn shrugged.

“Okay, well, in that case, I think we should go with Sky’s idea. It’s super creative, and the other teams might not think of it. However, I do like a good meat lovers pizza, just not this time gents” Dave finished speaking. The rest of the team at first seemed divided, but more than willing to go with the idea.

“Not my first choice, but lead us to victory Dave!” Owen said excitedly, he then picked up Dave and squeezed him into his large frame. Dave squealed in pain, but Owen continued squeezing.

“Owen! Put me down! We have a challenge to win!” Dave was then gently put back onto the ground, and the team started their trip to the ingredients truck.

Glamourous Golden Eagles

Courtney and Gwen were on dough detail. Trent and Harold were making the sauce. B and Dawn were working on slicing the toppings out to the appropriate length. And lastly Heather was by herself working on grating the cheese. Sammy was watching over the entire operation.

“I’m glad we decided to keep it simple, nothing beats a nice meat lovers pizza” Sammy smiled, and Dawn looked over begrudgingly.

“Hey, what did I do?” Sammy asked, looking over at Dawn.

“Oh, nothing. Why do you ask?” Dawn immediately changed her facial expression and seemed much more pleasant.

“You cannot actually be this dense! Did you watch her debut season at all? She’s all for the animals, like the weirdo she is. This meat lover's pizza idea was terrible. SAME-ey” Heather protested.

Just then Sammy looked over disappointingly. She hadn’t realized that Dawn felt so strongly about animals and wildlife. In retrospect, it would’ve been better to ask everyone on her team, and not take a majority vote.

“I guess your right. I should’ve asked everyone. It’s my fault everyone” Sammy said glumly, and Courtney and Gwen looked at each other and knew what their next course of action was.

“Sammy you gotta stick up for yourself, Heather is just being unreasonable. It can’t be expected that everyone here knows one another” Gwen chimed in. Just then Courtney picked up a hand full of wet flour and tossed it at Heather. Heather, now filled with anger, walked over to Courtney with a cheese grater, and Courtney smirked.

“You did not just throw flour at my top!” Heather got closer and closer to Courtney.

“I did because you shouldn’t talk the way that you do. There are better ways to communicate issues with your team members” Courtney continued to smile in front of Heather.

“Do you wanna go?” Heather asked.

“Bring it on!” Courtney challenged.

Courtney and Heather started fighting in the very clean kitchen. Each dodging and weaving punches, hair pulls, and various items being thrown at them. At first, Courtney was winning in dominant fashion, unsurprisingly. Gwen looked on, having no idea what to do next, just deciding to cover her eyes. Just then Heather swung the cheese grater at Courtney and she landed a significant blow to the head. Courtney then dropped to the floor, the side of her head was bleeding, and she slowly began losing consciousness.

“Courtney!” Gwen, acted immediately, shoving Heather away from Courtney. Even Heather felt remorse shortly after, letting the cheese grater go after she got up from the floor. It all set in afterward, what she had really done.

The team was extremely disappointed with Heather, even more so than usual.

*Cuts to confessional*

“I am okay guys, I promise! Just needed some medical attention. Ouch!” Courtney winced in pain while tapping her head.

“Courtney, are you even okay to walk outside of the confessional by yourself?” Sammy asked from the outside.

*End of confessional*

“Gwen, pretty self-explanatory, but get her to the medical tent,” Sammy said. After a short pause, Gwen, tried to support Courtney’s head, while B did the rest and helped walk Courtney to the tent.

“Heather! You are in the dog house for this challenge! I do not want to see you in this kitchen for the remainder of the challenge! Harold, Trent, take her out of here” Sammy ordered, and Trent as well as Harold walked Heather out of the kitchen. Heather walked away under her own power.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me then Dawn. I am sorry about that, I should’ve asked everyone what they wanted to do. It’s still not too late to change the gameplan though” Sammy smiled, and Dawn approved.

“You are truly a sweetheart, you know that? If only you had received more attention as a child, then you would have reached your true potential” Dawn said casually.

“Uh- where did you-” Sammy was awestruck.

“Oh, it’s all over your aura. I thought everyone could do that sort of thing” Dawn shrugged. Sammy looked over at Dawn was casually slicing tomatoes, and didn’t know how to react.

“Ugh- such a disaster” Sammy slammed her head on the table and didn’t lift it up.

*Cuts to confesional*

“I almost feel bad for wanting to manipulate my team. However, I didn’t have to do much of anything this time, just throw Sammy off of her game since she was the only one left after that disaster. Courtney and Heather don’t mesh well together. Gwen and Trent have history, we’ll say. By the time Harold figures me out, he’ll probably already be eliminated. As for B, he’s too precious for this world, he can stay around. Poor boy, such a tragic past” Dawn strategized.

*End of confessional*

Just then, Trent and Harold walked back into the kitchen and looked over at what was left of the ingredients. Not much.

“Well, what do you suggest we do Trent? There is flour everywhere and no one here has even made the pizza dough yet” Harold walked over to the half-mixed bowl of flour and noticed some of Heather’s hair in it.

“Well, guys. I say we just make a nice plain cheese pizza. A majority of our ingredients are toast after that fight. We don’t have enough time to slice and cut toppings, since about an hour has passed, and we’re down several of our teammates. Let’s just see what we can do, with what’s left” Sammy lifted her head from the table, and sighed.

“Honestly, I think this is still salvageable. As long as we have something to present to Chris, Sam, and maybe Chef, we’ll be alright” Trent smiled sheepishly.

The four remaining players of the Glamourous Golden Eagles continued working on the now, plain cheese pizza.

Optimistic Otters

“Lightning, what is this?” Duncan asked.

“It’s the sha-sauce! What else could this sha-dang red stuff be?” Lighting protested. “Well, for starters, it looks really scabby and almost orange-colored. We can’t serve that! Not to mention, your like the only one who hasn’t finished their ingredients for our pizza yet!” Duncan said.

“I mean, if my opinion helps at all, it tastes a lot better than it looks” Mike shrugged.

“Well, if you wanna defend this sorry excuse of craftsmanship, and use it to help make our deep-dish pizza, then, by all means, go on ahead” Duncan protested, crossing his arms and moving around the kitchen.

“Zoey, how's the dough coming along?” Duncan walked over to her station. Zoey had just finished rolling out the dough with the rolling pin.

“Not bad, just get ready to put it into the pan” Duncan had approved.

“Jasmine, Cody, cheese is looking good. What kinds did you use?” Duncan asked looking over the bowl of freshly grated cheese.

“Isn’t all cheese just cheese…” Cody silenced Jasmine.

“We used a mix of mozzarella, and provolone, as well as bits and pieces of feta cheese to top it all off” Cody answered, saving Jasmine.

“Excellent, best news I’ve heard all this time. Alejandro, what do you have for me?” Duncan looked over at the cutting board filled with slices of tomato, pepperoni, and even a small mixture of buffalo chicken and red onions.

“Bro-migo! Since you didn’t assign me a specific task, I figured I would just have spare ingredients, we could use if need be” Alejandro said confidently.

“Not bad, at all. You get a pass today my friend. Now, let’s get to picking a topping for this thing, and finally, get to put it in the pizza oven, how about that?” The team rejoiced.

Colossal Cobras

“We did it! A nice vegetarian pizza. Time to put it in the oven!” Tyler exclaimed.

“I’m honestly surprised how smoothly this went, but we gotta get this thing in the oven first” Bridgette commented.

“Who's gonna do the honors?” Leshawna questioned.

“Well, I say…” Scott was about to interject.

“As head chef, I think it’s only fair that my man Shawn does it. He made the dough and even helped cut the toppings. He’s for sure got my vote” Dave said calmly.

Shawn smiled and lifted up the finished pizza which was already on the stone paddle and fully prepared to cook in the brick ovens outside. Carefully, he walked through the kitchen and made sure that he maintained a tight grip on the paddle as he walked outside.

Just then he notices Chris, Chef Hatchet, and Sam waiting at the judging table.

“Those babies are fired up and ready for ya boy! Just pick your favorite and put the dang pizza in there Shawn!” Chef broke Shawn's concentration, but not enough to drop the paddle. Shawn then carefully placed it into one of three brick ovens and briskly walked into the kitchen.

Just then Sam looked over at Chef Hatchet with a concerned look.

“What are you looking at tubby? I gotta make money somehow, even if it’s stupid comments like that!” Sam nodded at Chef’s response and he continued to play on his Nintendo switch.

As Shawn entered the kitchen his teammates awaited him.

Glamourous Golden Eagles

Courtney had just regained consciousness once again and awoken to Gwen standing by her bedside.

“What happened, where am I, and why aren’t you helping in the challenge?” Courtney asked. Gwen was surprised she regained consciousness so quickly, but the hit probably wasn’t as vicious as it had looked.

“Well Courtney, Heather knocked you out with a cheese grater, Chef had “diagnosed” you with a mild concussion, and then shortly afterward, you fell asleep for a little while, maybe around half and hour or so,” Gwen said.

“How is the rest of the team looking?” Courtney asked, feeling the bandages wrapped around her head.

“Not very good. Dawn and Sammy were basically the only ones who weren’t affected by this. B, left to go back and help once you made it here safely. Heather is outside, supposedly exiled for the remainder of the challenge by Sammy, and Harold as well as Trent have ensured it stays that way” Gwen gave a brief rundown.

Courtney couldn’t help but laugh hearing this. She slowly pulled the covers from the bed off of her and attempted to get up from the bed.

“Well, I suppose we should get back now huh?” Courtney smiled. As Courtney attempted to get up, she stumbled into an unexpecting Gwen. The two girls fell to the ground, creating an awkward situation. Gwen was inches away from Courtney’s face,

“I think you should sit this one out Court. You can’t even walk outside of the medical tent under your own power” Gwen who was under the pressure of Courtney’s body weight, attempted to stand up, and lift Courtney back onto the bed. With very little resistance from Courtney, Gwen was able to do so.

“Gwen, you know I hate being a sitting duck, but clearly your judgment is much better than mine right now. I can’t even fully stand up without someone walking with me. Just promise that you can lead these guys to victory. Oh, and tell Heather to eat some dirt” Courtney hopelessly laid back down into the bed. Gwen nodded and exited the tent.

As Gwen made her way back to the kitchen to see her Eagle teammates, she was immediately bombarded with questions.

“Gwen, how is she? I would ask B, but you know…” Sammy asked, and B crossed his arms into his chest.

“Well, she’s conscious. So it’s a start. I don’t think she’ll be any help completing the challenge though. She couldn’t even stand up under her own power” Gwen answered. Her remaining teammates frowned.

“Bummer, hopefully, she’ll be alright,” Trent said.

“Anyway, do we at least have a pizza to put in the brick ovens outside? Last I checked, we don’t have too much time left” Gwen asked aloud.

Just then, Harold had finished layering the sauce over the pizza dough, and Trent briskly walked over spreading the mozzarella cheese mix. The pair both raised thumbs up for approval.

“At least it looks edible. That’s a start. I just hope that we can finish this on time” Sammy buried her flour-covered hands in her face and looked dissatisfied.

“We’ll just see what happens. It’s completely out of our hands now. Based on everything that happened it could be so much worse” Dawn attempted to comfort Sammy to no avail.

Harold took the pizza and walked it outside to the brick oven. No one questioned him.

*Cuts to confessional*

“If I want to make things less awkward around my teammates, I’ve got to show I wanna win. But today, it’s safe to say someone’s going home on this team, regardless of my input” Trent shook his head.

*End of confessional*

Optimistic Otters

“I’ll take the pizza to the oven, bro-migo! It’s the least I could do” Alejandro said excitedly.

“It passes my inspection, so by all means, get it into the brick ovens outside,” Duncan said as he washed his hands at the sink.

Alejandro took the deep-dish pizza carefully out of the kitchen outside. Walking through the kitchen doors, and hearing faint sniffling behind the cabin. Deciding to place the pizza in the oven before looking to investigate.

“That makes three! All three pizzas at the very least made it to the oven!” Chris announced to the teams.

Alejandro, made his steps a little audibly louder than normal, trying not to scare the person crying. Eventually, he approaches a crying Heather a few paces further than behind the cabins.

”Chica, what’s wrong? Don’t worry, no one is anywhere near us, take a deep breath and I’ll listen, I promise. Alejandro placed his palm on her cheek.

��Ugh! You, the last person… I wanted to see, right now” Heather attempted to hold her emotions.

“Well, it’s not like you to be out of a challenge. Especially when you’ve got a team as stacked as yours! Now how are we gonna rematch in the finals if you’re crying the way you are right now mi amor?” Alejandro asked concerned. Heather wiped the tears from the remaining space on her cheeks that were not covered by the Spaniard's palm.

“I messed up, really bad. Like even worse than normal. This time I genuinely hurt someone” Heather stopped crying, but her eyes remained red and puffy.

“It can’t be any worse than you’ve called me before. However, I am listening” Alejandro took his hand off Heather's face, taking a seat shortly thereafter next to her.

“Well, Courtney and I got in a fight, as you can see by the flour all over my top” Heather started telling her story.

“Oh really now, I couldn’t tell by the runny black makeup marks all over it” Alejandro teased, getting playfully punched in the arm after his remark.

“Shut up! As I was saying, we fought. Things got really heated and I slammed a cheese grater on her head, causing her to get a concussion. Then Sammy temporarily kicked me off the team. I just don't know what to do, and I really wanted things to be different this time. I was sorry the minute the grater made contact with her stupid but smart, head” Heather concluded.

“That is bad, but listen, Heather, my mom would always tell us this whenever me, my brother, or my cousins messed up. ‘Que hagamos cosas malas no significa que seamos malos’ and the same applies here. Just say you are sorry to Courtney later. If she doesn’t accept your apology at least you can be at peace knowing you tried” Alejandro said. Heather wrapped her hands around Alejandro and pulled him in for a hug. Shortly after starting to cry again.

|Quick authors note| I tried to be nice with it, but using google translate was all I could do, anyway, this is what it says: (Just because we do bad things doesn't mean we are bad)

“It’s okay Heather, just take a few minutes, and we’ll walk back together” Alejandro embraced her, hugging back.

“Okay,” Heather said.

After a brief final preparation period from each of the teams, Chris called time and all of the teams met in front of the other judges.

“That’s all she wrote. Now, who would like to go first? Just kidding! It’s going to be the Glamorous Golden Eagles! Why? Because this is the worst they’ve looked all competition long!” Chris smiled after such a negative statement. Heather's ruined top with puffy red eyes to match. Sammy and Trent’s stressed faces and flour-covered clothing. Gwen and Harold ensured Courtney wouldn’t fall over, and Dawn and B were seemingly unaffected to top things off. The team wasn't anything less than a train wreck.

“As for the rest of you! Cobras, you're going second, last, and definitely THE least, the Otters. So the rest of you guys, scram! We don’t need everyone here watching us reveal scores” Chef yelled, startling Sam and causing him to drop his Nintendo switch on the table.

“Aww man, I was just about to three stock…” Chef interrupted Sam.

“Enough about the game tubby! You were paid to eat the contestants' pizzas, not play Super Smash Brothers!” Chef yelled once more. Sam took this as his sign to turn his Nintendo switch and face toward the Eagles.

“Wait, who do you main?” Harold asked.

“Rosalina and Luma,” Sam shrugged.

“Gosh! Seriously?” Harold scoffed.

“Well I've won countless tournaments with the pair so why wouldn’t I use them?” Sam shrugged once more.

“Anyway… what do you have for us Eagles?” Chris asked, unsure how to transition from such a random conversation.

“Well, it’s a cheese pizza!” Sammy said cautiously optimistic.

Harold placed the still-hot pizza pan on the table in front of the three judges. Next, B grabbed some hot crushed peppers and parmesan cheese from the inside of his jacket. Placing them on opposite sides of the pan. Then Dawn, placed some napkins down in front of the three to conclude their presentation. The three judges then grabbed a slice of pizza and placed each slice on their respective plates.

“First! The grease test.” Chris grabbed a napkin and placed it on his slice of pizza. The napkin was damp, but not completely soaked in grease.

“About what I expected at face value. Not too shabby” Chris then picked up his slice and felt the bottom of the crust until he was satisfied.

“A bit squishier than I would like, but it’s definitely cooked thoroughly” Chris shrugged.

“Alright, judges, let’s taste this now” Chris finished talking, picking up some parmesan cheese and placing some onto his pizza.

The Golden Eagles awaited ratings nervously. Chef was filled with disdain after only a few bites. Sam looked pretty satisfied. Lastly, Chris looked about the same the entire time he ate the slice.

“So, what do you guys think?” Sammy asked very nervously.

The judges walked away from the table and formed a quick huddle, discussing scores as well as thoughts and opinions. Once they returned, they all wrote their scores out of ten on a blank piece of larger poster paper.

“Just like how unoriginal the idea of a cheese pizza is, you have an unoriginal score to match. A six. I could take it or leave it. Not bad if this is the first time you guys have ever done anything like this” Chris shrugged.

“That was one of the most mediocre cheese pizzas I’ve ever had! four points” Chef shouted.

“It was good, not great. I would only get this pizza if it were a few minutes away from my house. 5.5” Sam concluded.

“With a combined score of 15.5 out of a possible 30 points, the glamorous golden eagles are a shoo-in for last place unless the remaining two teams crumble under pressure. Campers, you may return to your cabins, and you are more than welcome to take this leftover pizza with you”

“Thank you judges” Sammy frowned. Gwen took the remaining slices of pizza and walked off with her teammates.

*Cuts to confessional*

“That couldn’t have gone any worse. There’s no way the other two teams shat the bed so much that we get second place” Gwen facepalmed.

"I mean, I didn't think it tasted that bad" Courtney could be heard eating a slice from the outside of the confessional.

*End of confessional*

As the eagles walked off camera, the cobras came into frame lead on screen with their head chef Dave.

“Good afternoon judges! We have prepared an amazing vegetarian pizza. Including several vegetable toppings and a cauliflower dough base. Enjoy!” As Dave concluded his presentation, Sky and Bridgette placed the pizza on the table. Owen and Tyler then grabbed three empty glasses placing one in front of each of the judges. Leshawna then followed this up by pouring a blueberry açaí juice into each cup.

“Okay, so you can talk the talk, but can you all walk the walk?” Chris said, receiving a few confused expressions from the cobras.

“What he’s trying to say is, good work with your presentation, however, we have to see if the food is any good” Chef explained, and the confusion immediately went away.

The three judges, immediately three took slices from the pan without hesitation, placing them on their respective plates.

Without any further words, they all ate some of the pizza, analyzing the taste, texture, and location of the toppings.

“This is SO good! No further consideration from me, absolutely a 10. I’m sorry Hawaiian pizza but you have met your maker” Chris said in between bites. Eventually, he finished and took a swig of the juice.

“Not too shabby. Seven” Chef added.

“As someone who doesn’t eat much of any healthy alternatives, I must say this is simply exquisite. An eight from me” Sam concluded.

“I thank you judges, and if you are wondering what the juice is, it’s an açaí blend courtesy of Leshawna,” Dave said.

“Simply superb. For a combined total of 25/30, you have been guaranteed second place regardless of the pending results of the Otters. Now, this being said, I will NOT be offering you the leftovers of this pizza, as I will be having some of this later. Thank you. Now, come on in Otters, hopefully, you can match that energy” The Cobras cheered their way off camera.

“Yeah, baby! That’s what I’m talking about, that was so awesome!” Owen cheered.

“You know it Big-O! Up top!” Tyler and Owen slapped hands in the air.

“Now that’s how it’s done, keep this up and we’ll be winners once more,” Leshawna said.

“Now how about a round of applause for our head chef Dave!” Bridgette exclaimed. The group clapped their hands and Dave immediately blushed.

“Thank you everyone for giving me a second chance, I know it wasn’t easy to trust me after the last challenge,” Dave said. Bridgette nudged Sky.

“Dave. You were amazing, you helped lead us to victory and that counts for a lot in my book” Sky smiled.

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without you all” Dave remained humble.

*Cuts to confessional*

“We have a decent chance to win, and I scored brownie points with Sky! This couldn’t get any better, things are finally starting to go my way” Dave squealed with excitement.

“Dave is that you bro?” Tyler asked from the outside of the confessional.

“No, I think you’ve got the wrong guy… heh heh” Dave smiled sheepishly.

*End of confessional*

“Lastly, the Otters, let’s see what you got” Chris announced.

“Well judges, be prepared to have your socks knocked off because we made a meat lovers' deep dish” Duncan said.

Zoey prepared the pan in front of the three judges, soon after, Mike and Cameron came around with three empty glasses.

*Cuts to confessional*

“Since we didn’t have adequate time to make our own presentation as well as include a drink for the judges, we could at the very least match the Cobras” Cody confessed.

*End of confessional*

Lastly, Cody poured orange soda into each of the cups and quickly moved out of the way.

“Alright, so far so good. It smells great, and the sauce doesn’t look too bad.” Chris said.

“Ahem! Did we forget something here otters?” Duncan asked.

“Oh, quit your fuss, I’m right here! Just had to grab it out of the kitchen is all” Jasmine walked out of the kitchen with a block of cheese in hand, as well as a grater. She made sure that each pizza had an adequate amount of freshly cut cheese on top before back into place with her teammates.

“With no further interruptions, let the eating, commence!” Chris announced. He was the first to take a bite of the deep-dish pizza, and his face remained rather still throughout his time eating.

Chef and Sam were actually enjoying themselves eating the Otter's pizza. Once again, when the three finished eating, they called for a quick huddle. Afterward taking their respective seats, and wrote their scores under the table.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so a nine seems appropriate” Chef shrugged.

“Likewise, I’m with Chef, so a nine will do it” Sam added.

“Okay, guess it comes down to me. Well for starters, I don’t know who made the sauce, and who approved it, but it could’ve used some work. However, I want to give props for creativity as well as execution. Even still, can’t go any higher than a six, sorry” Chris concluded.

*Cuts to confessional*

“Are you fu-” Duncan shouted angrily, before he threw his pocket knife at the confessional camera.

*End of confessional*

“Unfortunately, a 24/30 is not enough to win today, but a commendable effort nonetheless. Cobras win! Heads up, you guys are safe from elimination” Chris exclaimed.

*Several hours later*

“Glamorous Golden Eagles, what happened out there today? Seriously. I was worried about you guys. You guys are my stars of the show, the cream of the crop, the top one percent, the…” Chris was interrupted by Courtney.

“Will you just get on with it already? I don’t think anyone of us wants to actually be here right now!” Courtney exclaimed furiously.

“Okay, okay, okay, Courtney due to her unfortunate injury with a cheese grater catfight in the kitchen earlier, is immune to elimination. Injury trumps all everyone” Chris tossed a marshmallow at the side of Courtney’s bandaged-wrapped head causing her to wince in pain.

“That and, let's be real. Nobody and I means, nobody here is getting an MVP award. You guys performed terribly. Now get your miserable butts in line for the voting booth” With that being said, the eagles lined up one by one to prepare to vote.

The peanut gallery containing the Colossal Cobras looked on with anticipation.

*Inside the voting booth*

“Heather. No point in asking around” Courtney said.

“Two, count 'em, two for Heather” Gwen followed.

“In a roundabout way, I think Sammy caused a majority of this fight in the first place. Plus, exiling Heather was pretty mean” Harold shrugged.

“I’m genuinely torn about who to vote for. Do I stick with my guns, or do I make a move that will get me brownie points with one of my friends” Trent said worriedly.

*Voting concluded*

“Voting was very split tonight, but that’s not my choice to make! B and Dawn are safe. Also, the least harmed from today's action, I’d bet” Chris tossed the pair a marshmallow each.

“Trent” Chris tossed a marshmallow in his direction.

“Harold” Chris tossed another marshmallow.

“Bottom three, Gwen, Sammy, and Heather. Who will it be?” Chris said.

“Well, I can tell you this for sure. Our fan-favorite goth will not be taking the escape pod home, not yet anyway” Chris tossed Gwen a marshmallow and Courtney looked over with relief. “The final two. Sammy, you weren’t a particularly good leader today, you didn’t consult all of your teammates, and that lead to a huge fight in the kitchen. Furthermore, you exiled Heather for the remainder of the challenge, pretty petty to do, as she’s one of your stronger members. As for you Heather, you concussed Courtney with a cheese grater and was unable to participate in today's challenge due to said exile. The votes were close, very close” Chris said as he picked up the final marshmallow, discarding the tray into the nearby bushes.

The camera quicked panned onto Sammy and Heather's emotionless expressions.

“Courtney, I am sorry, even if you don’t accept my apology” Heather looked over, and Courtney just scoffed.

“SHHHSHHHSHHHHHHH! Your wrecking it, don’t say a word! I expected better of you, season-one veteran! Anyway, let’s start at the top. The person going home tonight will be…” Chris intentionally dragged his final statement out once more.

*Suspense building further*

“Sammy. Determined by a matter of one vote, you are our fourth contestant eliminated” Chris tossed the final marshmallow to Heather who accepted graciously.

“I can’t believe that you get to stay here another day! If it were my choice, I would’ve sent you home” Courtney said angrily. It was only a matter of time before an uproar occurred between all of the team members.

“Sammy,” Gwen said sadly.

“Your chariot awaits, SAME-ey” Chris taunted.

Sammy looked over at her former teammates and smiled. Walking over to the dock and towards the escape pod. She heard the yelling and screaming coming from various voices, all except B and Dawn of course. Gwen walked over to the dock, just moments before her exit.

“Gwen, I thank you for believing in me. Tell Courtney that fighting Heather anymore would be pointless, we all know she’s gonna win when it comes to a physical or mental contest” Sammy continued to smile, before shortly letting out a laugh.

“Oh, I will” Gwen started to laugh as well.

“Sammy! Wait up” Unexpectedly, Jasmine came sprinting down the dock, and towards the pair. “Jasmine!?” Sammy asked, very astonished.

“Yes, it’s me. I heard everything, and Sammy it’s alright. You did your best, even if the others don’t see that. Love ya heaps girlie, maybe we can take a trip to Maccas one day, you and I, as friends” Jasmine took the unsuspecting Sammy in for a hug. They quickly let go, and Sammy hugged Gwen, and then she walked over to the pod.

“What he doesn’t know is. I have the actual remote” Chef laughed deviously.

“Goodbye cruel archipelago!” Sammy yelped from within the pod, as it sped off.

The camera panned in on Chris as his chaotic background was constantly moving.

“With that, the unpopular twin is gone! Find out next time who’s going home on Total Drama All-Stars, two.” Chris concluded.

Voting Breakdown:

Gwen: Heather Courtney (Immune): Heather Trent: Sammy Harold: Sammy B: Sammy Dawn: Sammy Sammy: Heather

Sammy: 4 Votes (Eliminated)

Justin (Eliminated 27th) Topher (Elimination, via cheating, 26th) Brick (Eliminated 25th) Sammy "Samey" (Elimination 24th)

[xxlosttrinityxx]

Since I still wanna flex some creative muscles without pushing pencil on paper, hope ya’ll are cool with chatter from whatever’s been bouncing round my skull. Goes without saying that it’s gonna be Madness Combat-related anyways since I’ve tried and failed to get rid of the worms for over a year (or so?).

-

MADNESS: Project Nexus Thoughts [ARENA MODE]

In general, I like to think that with each Imprint, each cycle & loop around back towards the end and beginning, the characters grow more aware in their own ways.

Some choose to bury it, ignore it. It’s too much trouble dealing with glimpses of lives before, the hazy memories of those they grew attached to only to be ripped away again and again. Either the burden of memory is an agony to them that they need to drink the pain away or they get so overwhelmed they drive themselves insane.

Others, rare as they might be, acknowledge what came before. The knowledge scares some into silence, for fear that what they may reveal might mess with the path that was set before all of them. Or others, either too brave or too recklessly stupid, embrace it. They’ll take the initiative to walk the path, seek out their boss, their Player, and stick with them through a hell they’ve grown comfortably familiar with.

I know my Player has already grown familiar, comfortable, willing to trudge through the maddening hell of blood & gore over and over with the goal, the notion in its head they’re doing the right thing, that he’s saving Nevada even by sacrificing his mind and body to the endless ouroboros of its own reality. It hurts, it gets annoying, but it knows what he needs to do to get each job and mission done with tact and grace.

Personally, I like to think even the staff that runs the new Status Quo location might’ve caught on at some point, even if it’s the 4th or the 100th Imprint.

Bossman always willing to get in a scuff just as a playful formality to the Player (perhaps even part of himself wishes he could fight in the field now and again, yet he’s gotten old and tired, fighting isn’t much for him anymore).

Chopper Dave finding himself daydreaming as he’s tied to a chair before a group of toughs (and Tony). In his drunken mind, he’s seen the image of the Player coming through the door at the other end of the room many times. Be it using stealth to take out Tony first then his goons, or all-out guns blazing bloodshed. How could he not smile when his dream comes true and he’s freed from the chair again?

Q-Bert eagerly taking his buddy Bossman up on his word in a heartbeat, with a fiery pit in his gut yelling at him that he’d never have to worry for cash again if he went with him now.

Or even Skinner politely following his old friend to the location, a calling in his bones that says that there’s no end to the amount of bodies that he can stitch together in a place like this. Mayhaps it puts some pep in his step and a flutter in his heart when he lays his cross on the medbay...

And the Gambler...! Even if his memory is more wiped than others, there’s no doubting the sense of familiarity he gets from watching the Player. Not to mention dumbfounded and impressed when they step through that door in reality as a Magiturge as the Maker had allowed them to.

Oh how I could go on and on... even listing off my own OCs and recruits/hirelings for this...

[vole-mon-amour]

6x20.

I'm gonna go INSANE. This was literally my first thought after Derek. That if Rossi is ever gonna sit like this with Aaron, the mood is gonna be SO much different. And it is! They're talking like old friends (and they are! It's not a (totally) work related thing, they're meeting after working hours and exchanging opinions and worries). They're so comfortable with each other. They are sharing a drink, something that would be extremely unprofessional and unappropriated with any other member of the team. Dave is so relaxed there, making jokes, trying to cheer Aaron up but not taking him for a fool or trying to make a joke out of the situation itself. He has his priorities straight (more like gay, but you know). And how Aaron is always Aaron for David—because he is Hotch for the rest of the team, & how David is always Dave for Aaron, at least when they are alone. He still sometimes calls him Rossi when he gives orders on where to go and what to do, "Morgan, you and Rossi go to ***", but it's always work related. When they are on a crime scene together in the same episode, just the two of them, Aaron calls for David from another room, "Dave?" & David drops what he's doing and comes to Aaron.

Aaaand, "I also know." Of COURSE you know. It's the base of your relationship. You know his deepest secrets, you know him on a very deep & personal level. You love him & you want him to be happy. And when he can't be happy, you want him to at least be okay.

Aaron Answering "I'm alright" and immediately frowning, recognizing what he's doing, and changing his answer (he wouldn't do this for & with anyone else, but because it is Dave & he trusts him, he opens up). David making Aaron smile in the darkest moments & Aaron making him smiling back. I think I've overused the word "familiarity", but it's what I love the most. "I know you. You won't fool me. I'm here for you because you need me, not because you have to ask me because Strauss told you so." There is a reason why one of my fav tropes in fiction is best friends to lovers & they are IT.

He always had trouble letting people in, but he let Aaron into his heart. And he probably loved him for fucking years. I am losing my mind.

David, looking Aaron in the eyes: I'm married to the team.

The meaning: You're my team & I'm married to you.

And Aaron's happy shy smile to that reply. They are so fucking in love, and I'm so in love with them, help. Also thinking about what might have happened in their past. Even if nothing romantic has happened, the feelings must have been there way before this. What if Dave couldn't work this out because his heart with somewhere else (e.i. with Aaron?) What if Dave always knew he's bisexual/gay (that can be the case, too, unfortunately), but kept trying with women? Not to mention that he's the same workaholic as Aaron himself.

They are in love AND married. "We will. You and I. It's going to get better, my love." Somebody shoot m— scream with me.

Husbands. Just husbands. Loneliness together. Getting through all this pain together. Healing together. This is just not possible with the rest of the team (and even Gideon didn't have this with Aaron). It's something only these two share, something very special, and you can pry that only from my cold dead hands (and even then I'll cling to that).

Bonus:

Honestly, they drink together at night, then get back to work all professional and not-connected-in-any-way. And the team doesn't know because they do that late at night where there's no one at the office. And I can totally see now how their relationship is a secret at work, at least the romantic part of it, but how they go home together & turn into that old married couple until they have to show up at work and act all professional again. Can't wait to finish the show so I can write something, my imagination is itching to write.

The consistency of Aaron sticking with David to go to crime scenes together (and calling him Dave <3).

[simmonsized]

🌟

(for the fanfic writer’s director cut meme)

alright so i made a joke post about this already, so i may as well go full in

I'm going to talk about Chapter 31 [S] Lazarus. Rise up. Or try to. It's kind of long, they all get long after I realized no one cared if I posted my whole heart one chunk at a time. So i'll do my best to cover some of the stuff I've been thinking of!

To start, obviously this one has an honest to god [S] file, which. i mean. C'mon, how could I not.

The rest is going under a cut lol.

Okay first thing about 31 you have to know is, it is actually one of the oldest chapters of RnG! back when I thought this fic was going to be 45k at most and didn't think I'd ever post it anywhere. Well, the first half. All the way up to him kicking down the door and hugging Dirk, that part was kind of always built in. Everything else had to kind of shuffle and arrange to fit what had become the narrative at that point, but I'm still pretty happy that was like, originally kind of weirdly the fifth chapter I ever wrote.

(also, funnily enough, chapter 30 was the first thing I ever wrote for rng, though it was going to be part of a very different au that centered around dave leaving and dirk being left holding the bag as it were, and it was just an exploration of him and bro as a pair of dirks. if that tells you anything about me lol.)

Also, as you may remember, if you were here from the Before Times, the run and go used to be rated T. lol i know, i think so too. "how did you get away with all that blood and vomit, ao3 user deserts" and the thing about that is, i didn't really think about it until freak mcnasty introduced himself.

i've said this before i think but as for "resurrection's one helluva drug" that sure is. a thing. i mention. i really patterned out his chapter to be like something between being an extended anxiety attack and that feeling you get when you've had too much caffeine or y'know, maybe something a bit stronger, where everything is too much too shiny, too fast, and basically what i was aiming for was just. "Manic," in a word.

i will not be fielding any questions about-- lets call him David. I hate D as a nickname it pains me every time i have to write it. I'm calling him David. forgive me. I will not be fielding any questions about David's freudian slips. He is an adult, first of all, and I have already spent enough time waving my hand at canon for you to know better than to ask. Not that you are asking, I am just cutting you off at the pass.

The same way I consider Chapter 6 to be a Blood and Vomit Trial by Fire, I consider Ch 31 to be a Trial of Dave's Most Embarrassingly Mortifying Freudian Slips, and i worry perhaps my own indifference and even delight in the cringe factor is contributing to the way people sometimes tell me they have to look away. I'm actually okay with that. Yes, he IS the reason I changed the Rating to M. Literally. lol!

I'm not gonna talk about Dirk and David here, because I think he's trying his best, and will continue, in his own way, to try his best -- though he tends to be quite selfish, as someone who has never had children and thus has never had to dedicate his life to something outside himself or his career, or the perceived "fight for humanity." It's kind of hard to explain what parenthood does to the way you think. but David doesn't have that. In a weird way, he desperately wants it, the same way -- wow i really said i wasn't gonna talk about it and then talked about it huh anyway -- the same way that Dirk wants to be his kid, but doesn't know how to be ANYONE'S kid, because he's always been alone.

What I wanted to talk about was the fact that Alpha Dave, David, and Bro, Dirk (Dietrich, if we're being funny) have the most fucked up, hilarious relationship in the world to me.

To start, there is absolutely this initial moment where they are both like "Oh this person is a threat," before this quickly dissolves into this kind of weird, double-dad reacharound (insert mobius double reacharound virus joke).

David perceives Bro to be a "Dirk" and also, in a way a "kid" because from his perspective, he is (at least) 30 years older than Bro, and clearly Something is going on here, which is concerning. His alarm bells are ringing, he just does not know what to do about the fact they are coming from inside the house.

From Bro's perspective, this is just Another Dave. He is not Bro's Dave, and obviously, he is an older Dave, who needs him even less than he already perceives both Daves to need him, but who is, somehow, ten times more annoying, and also, he is So Fucking Uncomfortable. Who wouldn't be, when you're seeing what your kid will look like, when he's your age? Possibly older? Bro never thought he'd live that long. He's probably a little freaked out, understandably.

Also yes, Alpha Dave almost walked off the edge of the roof, and yes, this is the first time Bro realizes "oh I think this guy would kill me maybe, if I caught him unaware enough" and thus the beginning of their fucked up little game of chicken. it is hard to know exactly what bro wants from that. i think it's a bit interpretive.

Just some more little things:

Because I saw someone ask, but American Spirits are like, The Old Hipster Cigarette, so the joke is of course, that Bro is a giant douchebag completely and totally on purpose. he doesn't lIKE them it's part of the joke. etc. Irony and forms of sincerity, stupid bullshit homestuck jokes, etc. If Bro was really dedicated, he'd drink Pabst Blue Ribbon, but he's a Lone Star loyalist. That's a joke transferred from my rvb days, but i don't feel the urge to explain it.

Bro's guilty pleasure is the Hallmark channel. All the movies are terrible but he doesn't have to pay attention and it's background noise, something that fills the empty space where uh. yeah anyway not quiet.

Dave's ringtone for Jade English is Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me". He could never bear to delete her number from his phone, not even after she died. He put it into each new model he got from then on, until the day he died.

the real reason that the guardians have the same handles as the kids until like, the "later" times is because it's too exhausting to come up with fake handles. that's it that's the secret. sorry. one day i'll come up with real handles for them.

Dave, as we find out later, has not been in the apartment since he left it ready for Dirk, some years after he was supposed to have come down to earth. Talk about devastating.

Anyway that is all I can think of to talk about!