#i was considering goin real cursed with this but held back

[gaoau]

puce

it's the color of her face.

is there color in your world? warnings — none. word count — 1.3k

prev. — next.

"yer a coward," atsumu sneered down at rintarou. flirt versus shades of grey; which popped out more?

rintarou rolled his eyes as a half-assed response, slumping over the lunch table.

atsumu clicked his tongue. he stormed out of the cafeteria, admittedly carrying more annoyance and frustration on his back than it concerned him. ginjima held his head in his hands while glaring at the food atsumu left behind. they knew he was coming back.

the door to the classroom that he did not belong to was wide open and welcoming intruders like him. atsumu scanned the room and the faces he couldn't care to recognize with downturned lips. he switched his expression upside-down almost instantly upon finding [name].

"[nickname]-chan!" he called almost at the top of his voice, innocence and mischief mixing together in his lively tone.

[name]'s teeth clamped down on her tongue and her shoulders scrunched up. if anything, people hollering her name to interrupt her senseless babbling wasn't common. on top of her self-damage, one of her friends dug her elbow into her gut.

"my god, yer friends with that brat?"

an offended gasp resounded. "brat?! dude, he's so cool, d'ya have his number?" she hissed her whispers at [name] with sparkling eyes.

"um, i still haven't gotten osamu-kun's number."

[name] rolled her eyes, an amused huff slipping past her lips. "quiet. no, i don't have their numbers."

"'kay, but [nickname]-chan?" shijiki grimaced at the excessively comfortable calling of her friend's name. she didn't appreciate it one bit. [name] laughed along a dismissive shrug of her shoulders.

the same elbow stabbed into her stomach again. "yer gettin' real chummy with 'em. don't be shy, girl, share a bit."

before [name] could spout a defense, atsumu's palms settled atop her shoulders. she jumped. "[nickname]-chan!" he cheered. his fingers pressed down on her uniform, his grin glimmered as if it were harmless.

"can i help ya, 'tsumu-kun?" [name] craned her neck to find his scheming gaze. she didn't miss shijiki's frown.

"yeah, how 'bout ya come with me?"

"uh," she drew out. her eyes flickered between her food and her friend. he only continued to smile down at her. "i'm eatin' lunch?"

atsumu patted her shoulders. "bring yer lunch, we're goin' to the cafeteria."

"but i'm good here."

"sunarin's callin' for ya."

[name] raised a brow. "oh, is he now?"

"now, now," he chuckled. his left palm slid to her upper back and slapped her playfully. "don't be like that." as [name] winced distracted, atsumu snatched her bento from her desk.

she blinked stunned, staring blankly while her lunch left the room without her. "what—? that's my foo—'tsumu-kun?"

atsumu waved the lunchbox in the air. he stopped at the door to flash his teeth at her. "come get it."

"but—he left." [name] breathed in deeply to maximize the heaviness of her sigh. she struggled to maneuver around shijiki's legs and leave her seat.

shijiki latched her fingers around [name]'s wrist before she could follow after atsumu. she glared up with quivering pupils. "i can share my lunch with ya." she cursed herself for the hesitation evident in her voice.

[name] spilled her ahahaha! giggles, slipping away from shijiki's hold. she played with her friend's hair and grinned warmly. "i'll be fine. i'll just have lunch with 'em. don't miss me too much." she pressed a fleeting kiss to the crown of her head before skipping out of the classroom.

shijiki slumped in her seat and slammed her forehead against the desk. the girls surrounding her silently agreed to offer her bits and pieces of their own lunches for comfort.

"'tsumu-kun—ah!" [name] ran straight into atsumu waiting by the door. she stumbled back a few steps while he only chuckled. her bento was still safe in his hands.

"c'mon, i'll escort ya."

[name] laughed to herself as she rolled her eyes, but complied nonetheless. might as well humor him considering he kept her food hostage. "my, my, what a gentleman." he seemed to be in a hurry; she quickened her pace to catch up and match him.

atsumu glanced at her through the corner of his eye, his lips lifting into an impish smirk. "not as much as yer knight in maroon tracksuit, hm?"

her body halted involuntarily. atsumu turned to meet her squinted eyes and pursed lips. why would rintarou even mention that flickering piece of nonsense to his friends?

"i don't like where this is goin'."

"ya like suna, don't ya?" he motioned with his head to resume their walk.

[name] nodded—whether at his question or signal, she wasn't so sure anymore. "of course, yeah."

atsumu snorted. "not as friends"

"oh. well. i couldn't tell ya. i dunno."

"sure ya don't."

"he's very interestin', i'll give ya that." the gesture on his lips grew exponentially to cover half of his face. [name] raised her palms. "but—but—i can't distinguish my interest in 'im between mere curiosity or a crush."

"so ya thought 'bout havin' a crush on him." his eyes seemed to glimmer brighter than her own could ever hope to try. excitement glistened in the coyote brown of his irises like swirling caramel.

"there's a possibility." she contemplated her next choice of words. the sounds arranged themselves at the tip of her tongue for her to savour them. "sometimes i catch myself lookin' at 'im in class."

"oh? oh?"

a weight lifted off her shoulders as soon as her sentence vanished into the air, only to be replaced by a crawling warmth consuming every inch of skin. atsumu neared her face to hers with a lively grin. "stop that." she pushed him away for safety.

"yer face's doin' all the talking," he laughed.

"huh?"

"yer all flushed and red. suna'd kill fer a pic of you right now." it didn't take him much time to think over his decision. he pulled out his phone and snapped a low quality picture of [name].

her laughter scraped a rock against the concrete. "that's illegal."

atsumu tossed his phone into her hands. "see for yerself." he held the door to the cafeteria open for her. as she scanned her own blooming features on the screen, atsumu guided her to his table.

"i wouldn't say—" she knocked her shin against rintarou's seat. his eyes glazed over her. "i wouldn't say red; s'more puce."

"what's puce?" asked rintarou, raising a questioning brow.

atsumu traded his phone for [name]'s lunch. he didn't allow any choices when he settled her bento on the space beside rintarou's. "[nickname]-chan's face," he snickered down at both of his victims across from him.

"puce's used ta describe flesh when there's a rush of blood. like flushed cheeks. an' also, it's the blood stain a flea leaves on linen after it's crushed."

"well, that escalated quickly." [name] snorted at the comment; rintarou smiled.

"i'll send ya a pic later." her glare traveled towards atsumu, who sat grinning proudly to himself. "i left my phone in the classroom."

"oh, i can take care of that."

nobody could question him as rintarou's phone vibrated from inside his pocket. [name] peeked over his shoulder to see the pattern of his password—which she instantly forgot. he opened up atsumu's chat for both to see he had the audacity to send her picture.

she blinked only once, slowly. rintarou could feel her pupils slicing his neck. she whipped towards ginjima beside atsumu in an instant. "i don't think we've met. [surname] [name], good to meetcha." when people usually extend their right hand, [name] opted for the left one.

"ah, oh, ginjima hitoshi, good ta meet ya."

"i like yer hair, ginjima-kun."

"oh, thanks."

rintarou chuckled and pinched her glowing ear with his fingers. she jolted and froze under his touch.

"your ears are burning."

her eyes stuck to ginjima as she giggled, "good thing i've yer cold, dead hands, rintarou-kun."

he laughed again, watching amused while she struck up a conversation with his teammate. maybe atsumu was becoming the better twin.

[yukippe]

minajirou is nice because jirou's like goth or emo or whatever you call a hot topic outlet manager and mina's literally the epitome of light. she's the rebel jock of jirou's dreams and she bounces until sunshine bleeds from her eyes so the two of them kind of have that light dark thing huh.

[chowtrolls]

Everything Moves

Word Count: 1583 words Brief: Part 1 of the Introduction into a New Character  Google Docs Link || Part Two 

Drinking with a mask was a two-hand job. You tilted the mask up just enough to bring the cold glass to your lips, to let the golden bitter ichor burn its way down your throat. The cup, now half empty, returns to its place on the bar, and your mask moves back down. 

“You mentioned strange activity at the old church?” The bartender, as bulky as she was, seemed surprised when you spoke to her. You truly couldn’t blame her, the town you had been stationed in was wary of newcomers. Especially those of higher castes, not that she could tell with your mask. She turns towards you with a cautious smile. 

“Aye, th’ old monastery. It’s real close to an abandoned cavern…The jades all quit, ‘n the monastery jus’ rotted away. Always gave me the heeby-jeebies. Fuckin’ monastery seemed too close to monster-y…so I avoid it!” A small, but nervous laugh, escapes as she cleans a glass. You respond with a small nod. 

“What sorta strange activity?” Your head tilts slightly. An old habit developed to compensate for your hidden face. The mask made it difficult to communicate some days. But it was enchanted, or perhaps cursed, as to keep you focused on your task. It ensured your goal was always in sight, and prevented you from feeling too much. 

“Trolls goin’ missin’...or comin’ back weeks later. They’d be…different. Actin’ strange...” The bartender trailed off, as if this was more personal for her. She set the now dry glass down in its stack, and avoided your gaze. You simply nod again. She leaves you to finish your drink alone. You wouldn’t complain at the newfoun solitude. It was nothing new by now. 

Many sweeps ago, you had said goodbye to your dearest friend. You had served alongside him, mercenaries in this organization dedicated to ridding the planet of rainbowdrinkers. A moment you dreaded dwelling on any longer than necessary. But ever since then, you had traveled alone, seeking and killing rainbowdrinkers wherever you could. You had gotten word of activity in this small town and decided to station yourself there to find out what was going on. Something deep inside your chest said it was important. 

You don’t stick around much longer after that brief interaction. Your steps are slow as you travel, ensuring that it’d be a long night of walking. A man of your size was slow and cumbersome, though that could be improved upon if you simply took off some of your protective gear. You insisted upon wearing armor, carved with the insignia of the organization you once worked for. Your greataxe was strapped to your back, larger than you, but definitely heavy. As you walked through the woods, you found yourself humming a song to fill the silence. Humming turned to singing. Singing made the time pass. 

It took a couple nights for you to reach a clearing. The walk was, for the most part, unremarkable. The only excitement was a close encounter with some bandits, who ended up much stronger than you had anticipated. You made your camps, tended to your wounds, and continued your travels. Even in the solitude of the woods, you kept your mask on, even to sleep. You didn’t need any emotions leading you astray. When the trees parted to welcome you into the desolate clearing, you almost feel relieved.

Moonlight filled the clearing where the monastery rotted away, creating a rather beautiful scene. You only pause to take the sights in for a moment. The woods surrounding you were serene and quiet. Were it not for what you knew awaited inside, you would’ve considered this  scene to be peaceful. Instead, it was just eerie. The now-headless statue in the center was proof of that statement. The grand oak entrance had what appeared to be carvings of said statue that adorned it at one point, now hidden by the vines growing through the rotting wood. Despite their rot, they held steady, refusing to budge as you pushed. You heave a tired sigh and rest your greataxe upon your shoulder. Things never could be easy, huh?

You decide to go around back and search for another entrance. There is a terrace visible, but the likelihood of you making such a climb and surviving was incredibly small. For a silent moment, you wished your lusus was still with you. She could’ve helped you up there. The added benefit of not traveling alone would’ve been nice. Sometimes you wondered if this journey was worth it, but there was a strong pull in your chest. You had to avenge the death of your friends, your family. They deserved justice. You were their last hope for achieving that. Lost in thought, you almost pass what appeared to be a cellar door. 

After a brief investigation, you realize it is, again, locked. The lock looked frail, but refused to break despite your best efforts. So, you heave your greataxe behind you and take a deep breath in. Just as you’d been trained to sweeps prior. With a grunt, you swing upwards, and allow gravity to aid as your axe descends upon the wooden cellar doors. The wood split with a crack, quickly claiming your axe as its own. You blink in confusion. A few solid tugs later, you determined that your axe was completely stuck. 

It hurt more than you’d care to admit to let go of the worn down handle. Your hands fall to your side, but your gaze rests on the blade firmly lodged into the wood. How could some stupid cellar door be the end of your greataxe? You had spent sweeps with the weapon as your only friend. The handle was worn down where you gripped, a testament to how loved it had been. The blade itself had been in perfect shape, you kept it pristine after all. Where the blade met the handle, visible now, was a symbol carved into the metal. Perhaps the symbol so lovingly etched into your blade was the piece that you found so difficult to part with. 

Defeated, you accept your poor greataxe’s fate. You kneel beside it, spending a quiet second to pay your respects. From there, you decide to investigate some of the smaller buildings nearby. With luck, there would be something useful there. 

The first building was a worn-down stable. It reeked of decay, with rotting hay and a collapsed roof. It clearly had animals at one point. Though, it was obvious now that this was no place for any living creature, not even yourself. The tack room was, for the most part, useless. The equipment was all in various states of decay, none of the food was anywhere close to edible. You did, however, find a pair of garden shears. Your lusus had always advised you to be resourceful. With your greataxe gone, you could use another weapon. Sure, you had handaxes, but it never hurt to be prepared. You decided to not stick around long, lest the remaining roof collapse upon you. That would be your luck, after all. The second building was, unremarkably, completely empty. It appeared to have been a servant’s quarters, but held nothing of value, even after a thorough investigation. 

The Messiahs above must have heard your pleas, because the third and final building to investigate was mostly intact. A skeleton lie on a bed while the rest of the small space was rather undecorated. You stopped to pay respects to the skeleton before searching the bedside table. There, Messiahs be blessed, you found a key. It was small, but with luck, maybe it would unlock the cellar door? The kitchen was empty, with most of the food being expired or moldy. The rest of the small building held nothing of value. 

You couldn’t shake the strange thought that something bad was going to happen, something strange was boiling below the surface. This thought stuck with you as you returned to the cellar door. The key fit- thank the Messiahs!- but despite your best efforts, your axe was still horrifically stuck. Such is life, unfortunately. You kneel down once again to pay another quiet moment of respect before beginning your descent. 

The cellar is as desolate and rotted as the rest of the place. The uneasy feeling in your chest is rising with each footstep. You decide against exploring the partially caved-in cellar, and make your way up the stairs. You find yourself in the kitchen. Your sense of unease grows in the silence of the church. For a place supposedly bustling with activity, this place was pretty dead. 

Your feet seem to know where to go before you do. The walls are crumbling, vines barely holding the broken rock together. Dust rises with each footstep. As you turn into a hallway, one of many, your eyes settle on the candlelight drifting from one of the open doorways. From the size of the entrance, it would’ve been one of the main rooms when the church was used for its intended purpose. 

You knew better than to rush in. But you couldn’t help yourself. You were determined to get to the bottom of this, to find out why you had felt so unsettled, even while wearing your mask. You rush into the candlelit nave, full of empty pews and stained glass windows. 

You make it only a few steps before freezing. 

Sitting before you, in a throne placed where a preacher would share sermons, is a man you once knew.

[verai-marcel]

Tech Support (RDR2 Fanfic, Arthur x F!Reader, Neighbor AU, Chapter 1 of 2, 18+)

Summary: With most people stuck at home by the government’s orders, Arthur and Eliza agree to keep Isaac at Eliza’s house for his safety, since Arthur still works outside and could contract the illness that is sweeping through the country. You offer to help Arthur set up a webcam for him to be able to speak to his son online, and he is ever so grateful for your help.

Author’s Notes: With the increase in the use of video conferencing lately, I had an idea of how Arthur & IT Tech!Reader could spend some more time together.

Tags: dual honor Arthur, smut, tech things; High Honor: fluff, romance, caring Arthur, supportive Arthur; Low Honor: stuck, pushy Arthur, horny Arthur, light role play

AO3 Link is here, angel.

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Side A - High Honor

Word Count: 1737

You were sitting on your bed, browsing the news when you heard a knock on the door. Cautiously approaching the door, you peeked out the peephole.

You saw Arthur, scratching the back of his head as he looked upwards.

You opened the door; if it had been anyone else, you would have grabbed a robe to throw over your lounge shorts and your tank top, but Arthur had seen so much more of you at this point.

“Hi Arthur!”

“Hey there, darlin’,” he greeted. “Um, could you help me with something? Uh, that is, if you got some time.”

“What do you need?”

“Can you help me set up a webcam? I don’t know where to start,” he said, shuffling a bit.

You smiled. “Of course, sweetie. Do you have one yet, or do you need to get one?”

“I need to get one. I don’t even know if my computer will handle one, anyway.”

You cocked your head at his statement. “Um, let me see your computer.”

***

You had no idea that there were still laptops out there without built in cameras or microphones, but apparently Arthur had one. It looked old too; he had pulled it out of his closet and dusted it off, literally. When you booted it up, you found that it was running Windows 8, which made you laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“This… this is like some kind of technological relic.”

“Will it still work?”

“Probably.”

You managed to get it working, but with his old battery, you had to crawl under Arthur’s desk and hook up the power cord, fish it up behind his desk, and set up his laptop with the old webcam that you had lying around your apartment. You rigged together a cord organizer with some of Isaac's Lego bricks.

"There you go. You need help with the software too?" 

Arthur nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

With only one chair in his room, Arthur patted his lap. You smiled and sat on his thigh while you went through the different settings and set everything up before helping him with the video software itself. 

By the end, Arthur was itching to try it. He texted Eliza, and within minutes, he set up his first video call. 

As you moved to let Arthur have his call, he wrapped his arm around you to hold you in place.

“Please, stay,” he said, looking up at you with those irresistible eyes of his.

You sighed. “Alright, but only because I miss Isaac too,” you said cheekily. You threw on one of his hoodies, since you weren’t wearing a bra and you wanted to be a least somewhat decent during the video call.

He hit the call button.

"Hi Daddy!"

Isaac's smiling face showed up on the screen, and you smiled back. You hadn't seen him in a while and you missed him. He paused for a moment, then called out your name happily. 

"Why are you sitting on Daddy's lap?" 

"Uh…"

Arthur wrapped an arm around your shoulders. "Because she's Daddy's girlfriend now."

Isaac's jaw dropped. There was a moment of silence, and you weren't sure how he was taking the news. 

You shouldn't have been worried. 

"Does that mean you'll be my second mommy some day?" 

"We'll see, pumpkin," you said hesitantly, but Isaac just smiled happily.

“I hope so, because I love you.”

“I love you too, kiddo,” you said as your heart melted and your eyes filled with tears. You had been babysitting Isaac for over a year now, and you felt incredibly blessed to have his trust.

***

You had excused yourself soon after, escaping to the living room to let them have dad and son time on their own. Sitting on the sofa, you couldn’t stop smiling, replaying Isaac’s reaction in your head while you scrolled through some news articles on your phone.

After some time, you heard Arthur come out of his room. He plopped down on the sofa next to you, his face lit up with a happy grin.

“Thank you,” he said as he kissed your cheek. “That made him real happy. And me too.”

You kissed him back. And kissed him again. And again. Soon you were straddling his lap, your arms wrapped around his neck, his hands roaming your back and your rear, his tongue practically down your throat as you rolled your hips against the bulge forming in his pants. 

Suddenly he picked you up in his muscular arms and carried you to the bedroom. Laying you down, he pulled his shirt off, just as you pulled his hoodie off and threw it aside.

“Yer wearin’ the same thing you were when we first…”

You looked down and laughed. Same lounge shorts, same tank top. “You like it though, right?” You winked at him.

He laughed as he dropped his pants and kicked off his boxers, climbing into bed with you. “I sure do,” he said as he kissed around the neckline of your tank top. Taking your breasts in his hands and squeezing them, he nuzzled the valley between them. “So soft.”

Arthur then traveled down your body, his hands snaking up the legs of your shorts to stroke you through your panties. “Gettin’ a little wet down here. Maybe we should take these off.”

You smirked as you took off your shorts & underwear off, but as you moved to take off your tank top, Arthur stopped you. When you looked at him, a little confused, he just gave you a guilty grin.

“I like seein’ that tank top on you,” he said, reaching out to squeeze your nipples. “I like seein’ these through the fabric.”

“You naughty boy,” you teased.

He just chuckled before scooting back and lowering himself between your legs, his mouth immediately going for your core. His tongue was hot against your nether lips as he sucked and licked around you, not quite giving you enough pressure where you wanted. You jerked your hips upwards, but he grabbed a hold of your hips and held you in place. He was ridiculously strong, his arms like lead weights against your pitiful attempts to get closer to his lips. Instead, he teased you with soft laps and gentle kisses against your folds.

“Fuck me, goddammit,” you cursed as he swirled his tongue around your nub for the fiftieth time without giving you enough of his touch.

“Bad girl,” he crooned, and suddenly you found yourself flipped onto your stomach. “Behave, or I won’t give you a reward.”

You whined, but stayed still as he spread your legs slightly and crawled up your body. His lips kissed a trail up your back to your neck, to your ear, to your temple. His hips rolled, his cock sliding between your cheeks tauntingly before he angled himself down to enter your wet pussy, slowly pushing forward until his cock filled you fully. He lay on top of you, his breaths in your ear growing heavy with need as he began to slide in and out.

“My sweet angel,” he whispered in your ear as he made love to you from behind. “You goin’ to be good for me?”

“Yes, yes, fuck yes,” you moaned.

He gently pulled out of you and turned you over. You wrapped your legs around him as he entered you once more, lovingly rolling his hips to a languid rhythm, looking you in the eyes as he made love to you.

“Yer so beautiful,” he murmured as he sped up, his thrusts became more erratic, his movements uncontrolled as he gave in to his desire and chased his pleasure.

“I want to watch you come,” he requested, and as he lifted himself up onto his knees so he could watch your whole body, you reached down to touch yourself, stroking your clit and grabbing your own breasts to heighten your pleasure.

“Arthur,” you breathed. “You’re so fucking hot, you’re gonna make me come so hard…”

“Goin’ to fill you up, angel,” he rasped as his hips thrust harder into you. “You feel so good…”

Your body tensed. Your breaths grew ragged. And like a firework bursting into the sky, you came apart, your cries mixed with curses as you felt the pure pleasure coursing through your veins. And all the while, Arthur watched you, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he controlled himself, pumping into you with long, strong strokes as you rode out your climax.

As you started to catch your breath, Arthur reached down to stroke your clit, and you nearly screamed. 

“Too much, too much!” you cried out.

He smiled as he pressed on your clit just a bit, making you writhe from the sensation.

“Damn,” he muttered before falling upon you, his face next to yours, his hips suddenly pistoning into you like a jackhammer. “Love seein’ you like this,” he huffed, short of breath as he picked up speed.

He moaned your name before he came, his cock filling you up, his come spilling out of you as he thrust once more, pushing as far inside of you as he possibly could before finally relaxing and rolling off of you.

You looked over at him; his face was relaxed, a smile on his lips, and his eyes, full of tenderness were directed at you. 

“I…” he started to say, then trailed off.

“What?”

He rolled over to face you fully. His hand went up to hold your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin.

Looking up at him, you noticed he was looking a little forlorn.

“You alright?”

He suddenly pulled you into his arms and held you tightly.

“Ar-Arthur?”

“I miss my boy, s’all.”

You hugged him back. “I know, me too. He’ll be back soon, don’t worry,” you said, trying to soothe him, rubbing his back.

“I know he can’t be here all the time, but I wish you were always here with me,” he said quietly. “Would you… would you consider movin’ in together with me?”

When you were too shocked to answer, Arthur pulled away. “Don’t have to answer me now,” he said quickly. “Jus’ puttin’ it out there. If we lived together…”

He didn’t have to say it.

Then I won’t have to be alone.

You pressed your forehead against his. “Give me some time, Arthur.”

He nodded. “Alright. I’ll wait.”

But you knew right away.

You knew in your heart, you had already said yes.

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Chapter 2 - Low Honor

[theultimatefanficwriter]

Your writing is phenomenal! How about fem!reader x Mondo, and reader is patching Mondo up after he got into a particularly nasty brawl with a rival gang? 💖

This is an awesome prompt! Thanks for the request! Sorry if it’s a bit short, I ran out of ideas at the end, but I had a lot of fun with it!

Tender Care-Mondo Oowada x Reader

You hummed to yourself as you prepared dinner for you and your boyfriend, Mondo Oowada. You smiled as you chopped the vegetables for the stew you were making, thinking about how lucky you were to have him as your boyfriend. He was so protective of you, and though others thought he was intimidating and tough, he was so soft and kind around you. He was actually so sweet, but that was a side only you got to see, and you had to admit you kind of liked it that way. It made you feel special.

You were starting to get a bit worried. Mondo usually got home about an hour ago, and if he’s ever running late he always calls you. You knew he was capable of taking care of himself. He’s not the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader for no reason. But you still couldn’t help but feel a bit of concern.

THUD

You jumped at the sound of something colliding into your front door. You turned to the source of the sound and slowly made your way there. You stopped in front of it when you heard the sound of someone fumbling with the doorknob. You swallowed nervously as you crept closer and looked through the peephole. You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Mondo, but your face quickly contorted into worry when you noticed him holding his side. You flung the door open, causing your boyfriend to stumble forward. You rushed forward to grab him, stabilizing him enough to keep him standing.

“Mondo!” You cried, and started to lead him to the couch. Your boyfriend had his arm around your shoulders as you gently gripped his sides, trying your best to hold the much stronger and heavier man up. You reached the couch and carefully sat the biker down, Mondo letting out a quiet curse as he did so. You sat beside him and looked him up and down. He had a black eye, and was bruised everywhere on his body. His jacket had multiple tears in it, and you saw blood on his face, as well on his hands. But what concerned you the most was the large red stain seeping through Mondo’s white undershirt. Your worried eyes shot up to Mondo’s face. “Mondo, what happened?!”

“Rival gang…came outta nowhere.” He grunted out as he turned to look at you. “They got the jump on us and…well…” You felt tears begin to form in your eyes as your worry increased. Mondo noticed and cursed under his breath. “Shit. Babe, please don’t cry. I-I’m ok. Really.” He forced a smile and reached a hand out to cup your face. He brought you closer to his own, placing a light kiss on your lips. “You know I hate seeing you cry.”

You pulled away from him, the tears continuing to form. “But look at you!” You whimpered. “You look terrible!” You stood from the couch and began heading quickly to the bathroom. “Let me go get the first aid kit!”

Mondo held a hand out to try to stop you, but winced when he reached too far and hurt his shoulder. “Motherfucker.” He sighed and leaned back on the couch. Man, he hated worrying you. You already worried enough about him being in a gang, so him coming back looking like this must have you on the verge of a panic attack. He had considered staying over at one of his gang members’ places so he could rest up a bit before coming home, but he knew you’d just worry about why he didn’t come back. He shook his head as he glanced in the direction you had gone. “Fuck, I don’t deserve that girl.” He muttered to himself.

“I got it!” You called as you ran back into the living room holding a red box. You sat beside your boyfriend as you placed the kit to the side and opened it. Before you took anything from it, you looked Mondo up and down. “You…you may have to take your shirt off.”

Mondo grimaced. “Shit, I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that.” He sighed as he carefully shrugged off his jacket. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and started to lift it, before cursing loudly in pain and gripping his shoulder.

“Mondo!” You exclaimed, your eyes widening.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” The biker insisted through gritted teeth. “One of those bastards got a few good swings in on my shoulder.”

“You need to go to the hospital.” You told him, though you knew what he was going to say.

“No, Y/N.” Mondo responded bluntly. “Nothin’s broken, and I ain’t dyin’. So I’m not goin’ to a hospital.”

“But they can take care of you better than I can!” You argued.

Your boyfriend gave you a smirk and grabbed your chin. “Babe, no one could possibly make me feel better than you could.” He pulled you into a kiss, which you returned.

You pulled away shortly, then made your way to Mondo’s shirt. “Let me get this for you.” You said quietly, having resigned yourself to the fact Mondo wouldn’t go to a hospital. You carefully pulled it over his head, though he did clench his teeth when he had to raise his arms. As you tossed the shirt to the side and looked at your boyfriend’s bare chest, you almost passed out right then and there from pure stress.

There was a large gash across his stomach. Your head immediately shot up to look at Mondo, your mouth open to speak, but he beat you to it. “No hospital.” He said sternly.

“Mondo, this cut is dangerous!” You informed him.

“We stopped the bleedin’. It just needs to be treated and bandaged.” The gang leader shrugged off your concerns, much to your agitation. “We woulda done that at the time, but we didn’t have the supplies.” He gave you a small smile. “It’s not as deep or bad as it looks, I swear, babe.”

You gave him a skeptical look before reaching into the first aid kit. You took out some peroxide and dabbed it on a cloth. You looked up to Mondo, who was looking down at you. “This might sting a bit.” You warned him.

He let out a laugh. “Baby, look what I just went through today.” He shook his head, a smirk on his face. “I think I can take a little sting from some peroxide.”

You sighed at your boyfriend’s stubbornness. You loved him to death, but he insisted on keeping up his tough guy act even around you. You placed the damp side of the cloth on Mondo’s cut, and you heard him hiss as he stiffened. You carefully ran the fabric across the wound, watching as it started to bubble up.

Mondo’s fists were clenched tightly, and he was gritting his teeth, doing his best not to show any weakness as you continued to treat his wound. He relaxed a bit once you had finished disinfecting all of his cuts. His previously tightly shut eyes opened as he watched you place the cloth and peroxide back into the first aid kit. You pulled out a roll of bandages and began to wrap it around your boyfriend’s middle. “You really are an angel, baby doll.” He muttered, a soft smile forming on his face.

You glanced up at him and returned it, your eyes still full of worry. “Well, someone has to deal with demons.” You teased through your shaking voice.

Mondo smirked and let out a chuckle, though you noticed he winced part way through it. “Oh, I’m a demon, am I?” He reached a hand out to you and gently grabbed your chin. The two of you locked eyes for a moment before Mondo released you, allowing you to return to your work at bandaging his wound. “If I was in better shape I’d pin ya to the couch so we could test that theory.”

You felt your cheeks flush at that comment. Even in situations like this, Mondo always kept his cool. Of course you knew he was secretly raging on the inside, but he did his best to keep his anger in check around you. You sighed as you ripped the bandages and placed them back in the first aid kit, closing the kit as you did so. You stood and looked the biker up and down. “Alright, I just need to get some ice for your eye.” You turned and went to the kitchen where you grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. This wasn’t the first time Mondo had come back with a black eye, so you always kept an ice pack cold in case he came back with another one. You returned to your boyfriend and handed him the ice, to which he held against his eye. You then grabbed his other hand with both of yours and pulled. “You need to get to bed.” You told him.

Mondo sighed as he stood, stumbling a bit and having to lean on you for stability. “Man, fuck that other gang.” The gang leader mumbled angrily. “I just wanted to come home to my beautiful girl and have a nice meal. Now I made her have to play doctor.”

You rolled your eyes. “I wouldn’t have had to play doctor if you would have let me take you to see a real one.” You pointed out.

Mondo locked eyes with you as the two of you entered your shared bedroom. “Babe, you know that’s only as a last resort.” He reminded you. “If I, the leader of the most well known biker gang around went to a hospital, police would be called, I’d be arrested, there’d be a whole ass scene-.” He shook his head. “Not worth it unless somethin’s vitally injured or I’m dyin’.”

You sighed as you slowly sat Mondo down on the bed. You knew he was right. You just wished it could be as simple as taking him to the hospital.

Mondo looked at you and frowned. “I know bein’ with me ain’t easy. I told ya that when you agreed to be my girl.” He reached up and grabbed your face with both hands. “I fuckin’ love ya so much, Y/N.” He breathed as he looked deep into your eyes. “The only thing I want is for you to be happy.” He dropped one of his hands and used it to rub the back of his neck. “And…if that means you leavin’ me to go be with someone who has it easier…”

Your eyes widened as you felt tears begin to form in your eyes again. You smashed your lips against Mondo’s, taking the biker by surprise. You carefully placed your arms around his neck, being sure not to touch any injured areas. Mondo eventually relaxed and deepened the kiss, placing a hand on the back of your head to push you closer to him. Eventually you pulled apart and buried your head in his neck. “You idiot.” You whispered. “I don’t care how difficult it is being with you. I said as much when you asked me out.” You placed a kiss on your boyfriend’s neck as you continued to speak. “I love you more than anything in the world, Mondo. I wouldn’t trade anything for that.”

Mondo choked back tears of his own as he wrapped his arms around you. “But seeing me come home like this…I know it hurts you. I know you just want a normal life.”

You pulled away from his neck and instead pressed your forehead against Mondo’s. “Seeing you injured hurts me because I love you. I worry about you every second of the day that you aren’t home because I’m afraid you could get killed. Because I might lose you.” You smiled as a tear fell. “But this is normal for us. And honestly? I really wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Mondo smiled at you. “You really are too good for me.” He told you quietly before closing his eyes and pressing his lips against yours once more.

[gophergal]

😳😳 I promise it wasn't meant to be this long I PROMISSSEEE

Anyways here you go for the fic written with a random character of my choice <3

———

Gopher giggled as they reblogged the post. 

'Reblog if you dare someone to write a fic about you and a character of their choosing...'

It was sort of silly, but the idea of being inside of a fic seemed pretty entertaining. They also knew some damn good writers and knew they would come up with something good. All they had to do now was... sit and wait.

Gopher could be patient, but eventually they had their limits. An hour passed by and, after refreshing their activity page about a thousand times, they decided that they would rather waste their time on something more important than just prowling around on Tumblr. 

...and that something important was sketching Michael again. They pulled out their tablet and pencil, set up their computer, and got to work. They drew until their eyes burned from the blue light illuminating off their screen. A yawn caught in the back of their throat and just then they finally took the opportunity to glance at the clock in the corner of their screen. 

1:28 AM

Damn, they hadn't even realized they had been drawing for that long. No wonder they felt so tired... They glanced back at their drawing and worried at their lip as they considered their options. Head to bed— or continue. Though the prospect of passing out on their nice warm bed sounded amazing, there were a few more details they had yet to fill in. Their hand made the decision for them, moving forwards and penning at the dark tablet sensors. 

Their eyes felt heavy, lids staying shut every time they blinked. 

Just... one more... line...

They tried to encourage themself, but their mind was slipping already. Before they knew it, they had passed out on top of their tablet, face pressed against the cool screen.

"Excuse me... sir—" They were awoken by a voice calling out to them, one they didn't particularly recognize. Their eyes slowly opened and they squinted as they were blinded by bright hues of red and gold. "Ah, you're finally awake."

Their brows furrowed and a hand came up to lazily rub at their eyes. After the sleep had been rubbed out of them, they finally opened their eyes and took in their surroundings. They soon came to the realization that they weren't on their couch anymore. 

They were sat in a booth, covered in a deep velvet cloth that felt way too expensive for their tastes. Red was the main color of everything in the room. The booth seats, the carpet, even the walls followed the same crimson pattern. The only thing that wasn't red were the shiny gold prices put in place around the room to accent it, and the large golden chandelier that hung right in front of the stairs that lead to their seat. They were amazed, and confused.

Even more confused when they caught sight of the man who had been trying to wake them. A pale man, tall, and with a very nice trim tuxedo stood before them. He had long raven hair that was pulled back in a neat ponytail and handsome chiseled features. The thing that was the most concerning to them, though, was the eyepatch that seemed to be carefully placed over his left eye. 

His hand had been placed on their shoulder, and it appeared that he had been trying to shake them awake for a while. A polite smile came to his features. 

"Are ya alright? Ya've been passed out here for a while." They looked up at him with big doe eyes. They... they couldn't believe what they were seeing. They had to be dreaming. Right? There is no way they couldn't be dreaming. They were currently sat in front of a fictional character their friend Goro had been simping over for the past few months. There was no way this wasn't a dream!

"I... who are you?" They managed after a moment. The man pulled his hand away from their shoulder and instead smoothly moved into a curt bow. 

"Majima Goro. I'm the manager of the Grand." He answered. They sucked in a breath, now even more confused. They cursed themselves for not knowing more about the Yakuza series, would have made the situation a bit less awkward maybe. 

"What's... what's the Grand?" They muttered out their question, and Majima glanced up at them with a confused look.

"Ah... it's a cabaret club. You're... in it right now." He explained, furrowing his brows. 

"Oh... yeah." They pretended to understand. This definitely was a dream... but for some reason everything felt so real. They could feel the soft velvet against their skin as they sat up, they could smell the overhang of booze and nicotine in the air. It made their nose wrinkle with disgust. Plus, how could they appear in a building that existed within the game if they had never known about it. It... didn't make sense. 

"You're a foreigner, yeah?" Majima spoke again, "Did ya get drunk n' pass out in the booth? I don't remember ya being here last night." 

"I don't remember being here either. I actually don't know how I got here." They admitted, and he shot them a surprised look. 

"Well... as far as I'm concerned, customer is king. I don't mind ya bein' here as long as ya don't cause any problems." He finally said. Gopher nodded in agreement to the conditions. "Ya remember anything before ya got here?"

"Yeah... I was at my house drawing and then all of a sudden I was here."

"At your house?"

"Yeah. I live in America by the way." They assumed they must now be in Japan. Majima shot them a surprised look. 

"That... really is a long way away. And that's all ya remember?" Gopher nodded. Majima looked puzzled. Before he could give his two cents on how exactly they must have ended up here, he was interrupted by Gopher's stomach giving a loud groan of disapproval. 

"Ah— are ya hungry? I guess if ya came all the way from America ya would be hungry, right?" He looked just as confused as they felt, "Ya can order somethin' if you would like." 

"I would but I don't exactly have any money on me." Gopher admitted. 

"It's fine. It'll be on the house. Whaddya want?" He offered quickly. They paused for a moment at the question. 

"Whatever you have." He nodded at the request.

"I'll be back, then." He bowed again and headed down the stairs. It really was a beautiful building. It was strange to think that he managed it all. But that wasn't the subject at hand.

There had to be an explanation for this. It didn't feel like a dream at all. In fact, it felt quite real. Everything was nailed down to the last detail, almost as if it had been carefully written by someone on the other half of a screen... It was strange. It didn't make sense. 

"I wasn't sure what ya would like so I brought ya a fruit platter. Ya can pick and choose what ya like. We ain't exactly git sustainable food cause we ain't a restaurant y'know, but it'll do." He announced as he walked back up the steps, tray in hand. He placed the tray in front of them, and it held all types of fruit. Some they had never even seen before. They pick and chose their favorites and began to eat. 

"Thank you." They almost forgot to mutter. Majima just nodded. He stayed standing next to the table, almost awkwardly. Gopher finally realized after a few moments that the rest of the cabaret club was completely quiet other than them. 

"If it's a cabaret club, shouldn't there be more people here?"

"We were goin' to open, but then I spotted ya. I didn't want to open and leave ya stranded in here, thought it'd be best to check up on ya first." He admitted. Gopher was almost surprised by his politeness. 

"Well, thanks for that. And the food." Majima just nodded curtly. 

"Any ideas as to why ya ended up here?" He questioned. 

"Not exactly. Just... fell asleep and then I was here. It doesn't make much sense." Majima hummed thoughtfully for a moment and glanced up at the perfectly painted tan ceiling. After a few moment his eye moved back down to theirs. 

"Maybe ya should go back to sleep? If it brought ya here, it might also get ya outta here?" He offered his insight.

"True. But that seems too easy." He shrugged.

"You'll never know till ya try it." Gopher nodded along with agreement, setting the plate aside.

"True. I guess I could try it..." They yawned and spread their arms out across the table, laying their head in their hands. An overwhelming wave of tiredness suddenly crashed over them. It was almost as if Majima had casted a spell on them, forcing sleep to overtake their body. 

"Ya look sleepy already."

"Yeah..." They muttered, eyelids already fluttering shut.

"Well then don't let me disturb ya."

"Majima?" Gopher piped up, their voice barely a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"It was nice meeting you." A few moments of silence passed. Gopher was sure they must have fallen back asleep at that point and he had already vanished, but after a few moments his voice came in crisp and clear. 

"It was nice meeting ya too."

Gopher woke up in their room.

****

Bro, I love this. I will admit, the “Ah, you’re finally awake” made me stop and think, No no, this isnt a fucking skyrim meme in disguise is it, and thankfully it was something So Much Better! THANK YOUUUU GOROOOOO

[scribbles97]

Left Behind - Chapter 30

PART 1 / PART 2

Chapter 22 / Chapter 23 / Chapter 24 / Chapter 25 / Chapter 26 / Chapter 27 / Chapter 28 / Chapter 29

TRIGGER WARNING - MENTION OF MISCARRIAGE

It was only out of convenience that she and Lee had agreed to share the twin room of the suite. After all, Sally had volunteered to take the single room and Hugh and Kyrano the other twin. It left the boys to top and tail in the two double rooms and John and Ridley to take the double room across the hall. 

It didn’t mean Val had to like it. 

Lee was insufferable when he was worried. 

She knew he meant well. Knew it was simply because he cared. Knew that he got scared that he would lose something more than what he had in the past. 

It was because of his and Lucy’s parents that International Rescue had been born. Jeff had seen the grief of the loss and how it had affected his wife and his best friend. He had been there when the blame had been thrown back and forth, if only someone had been there faster, if there had been something to dig through the snow quicker, if only one of them had gone with them.

She remembered the day well though, remembered how both Gordon and Alan had been fussing, Virgil had had the flu, and Scott, John, and Jeff had gone to the store simply to escape it all. Her parents in law had wanted to escape it too, suggested to Lee that they took a walk up the mountain for some fresh air before dinner. They had tried to insist that he go with them and leave Val and Lucy with the three moaning children that just wanted to play in the snow. 

She remembered how he had refused, insisted that he was going to make the most of the time with his wife before he headed to Mars just a matter of weeks later. 

Absentmindedly, she felt for the ring on her finger, the plain silver band still in place after all that time. 

She knew he didn’t really blame her for what had happened to his parents. It was just a case of hurt and unfortunate circumstances that everything bad that had happened to Lee had always happened whilst she was around. 

She had been the one to lose their baby after all. 

A rescue that only she knew she shouldn’t have been on. It had been all hands on deck, everyone needed to help where they could. There was a reason she hated earthquakes most of all. Aftershocks that nobody could ever quite predict and buildings already made unstable threatened further destruction. 

The stupid thing was she hadn’t even been inside when it had happened. When the aftershock had hit and the community centre had come down and a stray rebar hit her just in the wrong place. 

She knew immediately there was no hope for the baby she had been carrying, barely a clump of cells but already so much a part of her. 

It wasn’t until much later that she found out that there never would be a baby. It was a sacrifice the doctors had had to make in order to save her. 

Surrogacy and adoption had been thrown around as ideas too early on, when she and Lee had still been hurting and grieving for someone they had never even met. Perhaps she would have considered it, if only life hadn’t gotten so hectic, if five nephews and an adoptive niece hadn’t filled the hole left. 

Lee had gotten angry. Blamed her for being out in the field when she shouldn’t have been. Not only had she risked her own life and that of their baby, but others too. More what ifs had been thrown around, accusations that couldn’t be taken back even if only said in anger. 

She could pinpoint the exact day their marriage had ended, even if no papers had ever been signed. 

It was only a fear of being lonely that left them together. 

And it was only habit that they shared a drawer in the hotel room. 

Except when she came back from her shower, half the drawer was empty. Glancing around the room, she realised that a whole half of it was empty. No glasses on the bedside table, no dirty socks left at the bottom of the bed, and come to think of it, no toothbrush in the bathroom. 

No sign of Lee anywhere. 

She should have seen it coming, they were moving Lucy that day. Taking her home to the Island so that her family could be near her even in between rescues. 

Except Lee had disagreed, had insisted that she would be better off in hospital with real supervision and real equipment available. Virgil and Sally had quickly shot him down, insisting that Elliot was more than capable of monitoring Lucy and their equipment more than sufficient. 

With the rest of the family on side, there had been no competition. 

Pulling out her phone she set it to dial as she rubbed her cropped hair dry. 

“Val,” The accented voice of Kyrano answered, “I’m currently securing the airport.”

She sighed, rummaging through her bag with a shake of her head, “Lee’s running.”

Kyrano snorted, at least that was what it sounded like down the line, some noise of disapproval before he tutted. Val stayed silent, waiting for some confirmation that he at least wouldn’t get out of that airport without Kyrano knowing. 

“Have you spoken to him?”

Holding her phone to her ear using her shoulder as she fastened her bra she rolled her eyes. Everyone always left it to her to speak to Lee, some old assumption relating to the remains of their marriage no doubt. On occasion the duty would fall to Lucy, being the older of the pair there was a certain authority she held over Lee that she was willing to use when needed. 

Lucy was unavailable though, so it was clear who the job fell to. 

“Not yet.” She sighed, kicking her legs in the hope her jeans would pull on just that little bit easier, “I wasn’t sure if anyone might have spoken to him, didn’t want to scare him further away if I could help it.”

“He might not be running,” Kyrano reasoned, “He did alright after Jeff vanished.”

Vanished. The word still seemed wrong considering for so long they had been saying how he had died. 

When Jeff had vanished Lee had been there, had been the one that had tried to get Jeff off of the damn ship before it blew. He had been there to actively do something at the time of the accident. 

He hadn’t even known where Lucy was when she had been hurt. 

“This is different,” She murmured, “And you know it.”

Kyrano sighed again, “Alright, I’ll tell my people to keep an eye out but you need to find out for sure if he’s a definite flight risk.”

Val scoffed as she picked up her shirt from the pile, “I’ll find out alright.”

“Keep me updated.” Kyrano told her, “I’ll see you at the airport later.”

“F.A.B.” 

Throwing the phone onto her bed, she glared at it briefly as she found the arm holes of the top. Like they didn’t already have enough on that day with moving Lucy, no minor deal given the security in place and medical equipment required. 

Groaning in frustration as the shirt refused to pull on, she stopped for a minute, standing with the stretchy material over her head and only one arm in a sleeve. 

“Inconsiderate bloody bas--” She uttered, spying the label of the shirt in front of her and realising it was back to front. 

“Why?” She uttered to herself as she pulled her arm from the sleeve and twisted the material around over her head, “Why can’t he just think? Huh? We’re all bloody stressed and unhappy and-- Oh come on!”

Top twisted too far or not far enough, she wasn’t sure, but the label was still in front of her face. Yanking it off of her head she threw it on the bed alongside her phone, deciding that the tank top would do, even if the weather outside was on the cooler side.

She’d be in her car at least. 

Grabbing her phone and leather jacket from the bed, she turned for the suite door, pressing dial as she went and resisting the urge to curse at the busy tone that answered. 

“Aunt Val?” Alan called as she passed him on the sofa, “Where you goin’?”

She smiled, turning to the youngest nephew as she straightened her collar, “Just to talk to your Uncle, have you seen him?”

“Nah,” Alan sighed, “heard him go though, like early this morning.”

Frowning at him, she tilted her head, “It’s not like you to be up early?”

His eyes fell to his datapad as he locked the screen and tilted it towards himself. 

“Alan.” She warned, dropping her voice and narrowing her eyes at him. 

He pouted, sighing as he looked up to her, “Please don’t get mad?”

Shifting over to sit on the arm of the sofa, she folded her arms, “What have you been up to?”

Still watching the tablet in his lap, he sighed heavily, “I was playing on the simulators, seeing if I could beat John’s high score.”

Raising an eyebrow, Val tilted her head, “And did you?”

“Turns out I couldn’t actually find what his score was.” Alan huffed, “So, I don’t know.”

From what Lucy had been saying, and from what she had seen herself, it was entirely possible that Alan could have at least matched John’s score. 

Not that she was going to tell him that yet. 

“How about, when we get back home you and me will have a go on the full simulator?” She offered, “Show the others what you’re made of.”

He sat straighter immediately, “Really? We can?”

If he had have been younger she would have ruffled his hair, but Alan was too big for that now. Too old to be treated like the youngest without protest. 

“You’ll fly Three Kid, I’ll make sure of it.”

She didn’t add that if Lee didn’t pull his finger out it might have been sooner than any of them had expected. 

***

Anger had been the prominent feature on Scott’s face when she had arrived at the hospital and told him Lee was gone. 

That had quickly been followed by rushed, tense words and a show of storming out of the room with a promise to find him. 

Val had been left with Lucy, silently praying that her sister-in-law would forgive her for letting her little brother slip away as he had. She didn’t doubt her best friend would understand, Lucy had always said how stubborn and pigheaded he was. They had all clashed with him one time or another. 

He’d never gone completely off the grid before though. 

Never vanished off silently in the early hours without anyone noticing. 

“He must hate me Luce,” She sighed, “First your parents, then the baby, now you. What kind of wife is also a bad luck charm?”

A gentle tut from the doorway made her turn, Hugh nodded to her once as he stepped into the room, hair scruffier than ever but shirt ironed to perfection. 

“Tell her Luce,” He muttered as he eased down into the chair on the other side of the bed, “How could she ever be bad luck?”

She eyed him across the bed, Hugh knew the story, had sat and drunk whiskey with her over it one night when the weather had been cold and the memories painful. Both had shared their stories, been reminded that they weren’t the only one in the world to feel like they had been at fault for losing someone dear to them. 

“Lee’s gone, Hugh.” She uttered, “Without a trace.”

He nodded, leaning back in the seat and resting his feet on the edge of the mattress, “That’s not on you though.”

She could have disagreed, insisted that she should have seen it coming and should have spoken to him to stop it. 

Something on her face must have given her away.

“Val,” Hugh chided softly, “Lee has made his choice. Just because he feels differently from the rest of us isn’t an excuse for him to run away. Our focus here is Lucy.”

Looking back to the bed, she took a breath. Lucy was still pale, eyes black, burns hidden beneath the swathes of bandages. 

“Do you blame yourself?” She whispered, not looking to Hugh as she took her friends bandaged hand. 

“Every damn day.”

It was easy to guess as much, Hugh cared for Lucy, more than just as a friend. He had been there for her when Jeff had vanished and it seemed like since then he had never left her side, even if they did live on the opposite sides of the world.

Hugh wasn’t Jeff though. 

And Lucy wasn’t one for always listening to what others told her. 

“You shouldn’t,” She looked up to him, knowing that he would be watching Lucy, “Nothing would have persuaded her to get out of there.”

Val knew it was only easy for her to say because at the time she hadn’t been there and she hadn’t known what had been going on. She could guess that was equally part of the reason Hugh was blaming himself. 

“I should have dragged her out sooner, she could have died Val.”

She didn’t voice the thought that Lucy wasn’t out of the woods yet. Hugh no doubt knew that anyway. 

“She was desperate to know about Jeff,” Val countered instead, “My guess is that nothing would have got her out of there.”

Nothing but the answers she needed to hear. 

Hugh closed his eye as he shook his head, reaching out to rest his hand over Lucy’s as he sighed. Something that looked like pain crossed his features as he bowed his head. 

“Hugh? What is it?”

His lips pursed as he looked up to her, his eye dark and exhausted. She could see the fear there, the look of a man that had almost lost everything and was terrified of losing what he did have left. 

Val knew how to wear the exact same look. 

“We won’t lose her.” She assured, smile tight as she looked back to Lucy. 

Hugh snorted as he sighed again, “That’s the problem Val, I think I already have.”

[fuckyeahscienceparty]

Scars (Medic/Engineer)

Healing isn't easy but maybe, sometimes, possibly, it's worth it.

...Yeah. Definitely worth it.

-

thanks to @l-i-n-u-s-k-a for betaing for me! 💕 enjoy some gay science lads 'v'

-

Engie cringed at the sudden blaring of his alarm clock, squinting as he blindly reached for the snooze button. When he finally found it, he let out a small sigh as the beeping switched off, taking a moment to sit himself up and let out a yawn.

After reaching over again for his glasses, he let out a soft, "G'morning, sweetheart," a bit confused when he didn't hear any sleepy, annoyed grumbles in response.

He turned to his left, surprised to see that Medic's side of the bed was empty. Odd. He was pretty sure they went to bed together last night....

He shrugged. No matter. He probably just woke up before him this one time. After all, both their sleep schedules were absolute garbage, it really wasn't a surprise that Medic just happened to be up earlier.

He took a few more moments to just sit there and wake himself up before kicking the blanket off, stretching a bit once he'd gotten out of bed and cringing at the chorus of popping joints that followed.

After picking out some clean clothes, his work overalls, belt, and boots, he treaded out of his room and towards the bathrooms, his soft whistling echoing slightly in the empty halls. The silence was pretty uncharacteristic for RED but considering it was only about 5 am, nobody else would be waking up for at least the next hour.

Which meant he and Medic would have to be the ones making breakfast for everyone. Again. And while yeah, it was kind of annoying being the one making food for everyone all the time, it did mean spending some more quality time with his personal mad scientist...

Hey, you win some, you lose some.

Engie stopped whistling when he got to his destination, spying Medic at the sink as he made his way in.

Medic himself was already full dressed and looking in the mirror, leaning on the sink with one hand while the other rested on his back. His expression was a little hard to read in the reflection but he seemed to be thinking about something.

"Mornin' sunshine," Engie hummed, shifting his belongings into one hand so he could pat Medic on the shoulder a couple times.

When he did so, Medic's face immediately lit up, turning towards his boyfriend with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, my love!" He beamed, leaning over slightly to give Engie a kiss. He couldn't help but chuckle fondly at Medic's enthusiasm.

"You're up early. Somethin' goin' on?" Engie asked. Medic seemed to hesitate.

"Nope. Just woke up about an hour ago and couldn't go back to sleep," Medic shrugged.

"You sure? You didn't even notice me walk in," Engie teased. Medic smiled sheepishly.

"Ahaha, sorry, just got a little... lost in my thoughts, I suppose. You know me."

"That I do. You let me know if you need anything though, yeah?"

"Mhm, sure. Are we making breakfast again?"

"Seems like it."

"I'll let you get ready, then. Meet in the kitchen?"

"Read my mind, starry eyes."

Medic smiled again at the nickname, giving Engie another kiss as a goodbye before heading out of the bathrooms.

-

Engie let out a satisfied sigh as his Sentry went to work on BLU's unwitting team members, chuckling at the sound of a nearby Scout cursing his mouth off as he tried to run in the opposite direction of where he originally intended to go to avoid the hail of bullets aimed directly at him. Pyro giggled in amusement from beside him, holding their fist out for him to gladly bump.

Not much for them to do now, really. His sentry combined with the offense the rest of his team was currently providing meant BLU would most likely run out of time before they could get their cart to the next checkpoint and Pyro had been vigilant in looking out for any wandering baguettes on legs. Not than any had come around lately; they'd made sure of that.

The both of them were currently leaning against Engie's dispenser and watching his sentry carefully, letting out greetings to the occasional person who passed by for heals and ammo refills.

At one point, Pyro let out a mumble as they heard the teleporter whirring up, the both of them turning their heads to see a... rather frazzled Medic appear before them.

"Hey, Doc! You ok?" Engie called out, Medic panicking and immediately raising his crossbow at them.

"WOAH woah woah, it's ok, it's just us, I promise," Engie yelped, Pyro letting out a muffled yell as both they and Engie held both their hands in the air. Medic hesitated before lowering out his weapon and strapping it back to his belt.

"Sorry my love, sorry Pyro, just being... cautious," He sighed, running a hand through his already tousled hair.

"It's ok, starry eyes, I get you. Be careful out there though, yeah? BLU Spy hasn't been around here lately but the little bugger is probably still out there, somewhere.

Medic relaxed a bit at Engie's nickname for him but tensed up again at the mention of BLU Spy, the anxious look coming back to his face.

"Yes, uhm, I'll keep it in mind," He said distractedly, hand traveling to his back to the same spot he'd been touching that morning. He then shook his head before taking his medigun and flipping it on, turning to see if he could find anyone from their team to follow after.

"Hrm, Mmdm!"

"Ah- yes, Pyro?"

"Hhm mm hh m mrr hmm hrr mm??" They asked, Medic looking to Engie for his opinion.

"Fine by me! I reckon I can fend for myself for a while. Y'all have fun now, hey?" Engie grinned, Pyro clapping their hands happily before picking up their flamethrower.

"Danke, mein Schatz. I'll try and have them back before 12," Medic joked, aiming his heal beam at his new patient.

Engie chuckled, waving them off as Pyro gleefully went headfirst into the fray, Medic following closely after. That being said, he still seemed pretty wary as he quickly looked around, occasionally shifting one of his hands to his crossbow.

It wasn't necessarily weird for him to being doing so? Seeing as danger and also explosives could be lurking around literally any corner, but it wasn't very often Medic acted this spooked.

He'd ask him about it later. For now, both of them had a job to do, and that meant neither of them letting their guard down for any reason.

...Even if he was a little worried about this reason.

-

After battle, the two of them went their separate ways for a few hours. After all, Medic still had a hoard of birds to look after and Engie was really intent on finishing a new rocket launcher prototype for Soldier since his current one was starting to fall apart.

The next time they saw each other was around 11:30 pm, the both of them having retreated to Engie's bedroom to get some rest.

Well, not without Medic prodding at him to put down his tools and go brush his teeth, but still.

Currently, they were both ridding themselves of their uniforms, Medic humming softly as tossed his vest into his basket of dirty laundry.

'Well, better late then never,' Engie noted to himself, turning to Medic as he placed his hardhat on top of their dresser.

"Hey, honey?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Are you doin' alright?"

Medic took an involuntary pause and let out a sort of... nervous chuckle.

"Of- of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno, you've just seemed real skittish today, which isn't really like you. And you keep touchin' that lil spot in between your shoulder blades."

Medic's face fell a bit. He shook his head.

"It's. It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Honey, just from the look on your face when you say that, I'm worryin' about it," Engie frowned as he slid off his goggles.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"It's nothing, I'll get over it."

"But you don't have to get over it by yourself, Doc. I care about you. A lot. And I wanna help you feel better, even if it's just by a little bit," Engie insisted. Medic's expression softened.

"Well..."

"Yeah?"

"...It's just. BLU's Spy has been going after me a lot more often and... it's gotten to the point that even with respawn, there's a pretty deep scar where the knife always gets plunged into my back," He admitted quietly, hand involuntary moving to the affected area. Once he realized what he was doing, it look a lot of willpower to stop.

"Funny thing is, every time I touch it I'm always reminded of the numerous times I've felt cold steel sink into my spinal cord. Which you know, I should be used to by now considering I've dealt with it for however many years, but it. Still hurts sometimes. And I just... can't stop touching it. It's almost like I want to make myself miserable," He said, letting out a wry chuckle.

"...Can I see it?" Engie asked. Medic raised an eyebrow.

"Why? I mean you probably have a similar scar, considering you're also a favored target."

"Yeah but Pyro's been takin' care of him for me lately so I haven't really seen his smug lil face around in a couple days. Besides, I'm just... curious," Engie explained with a shrug.

Medic looked like he was going to protest again but decided against it. He sighed.

"...Ok," He said softly, turning his back to Engie and sitting on their bed as he started to undo his tie and the buttons on his shirt. Engie came a little closer as he did so, putting his goggles on his nightstand and trading them for his glasses.

"Ohhh sweetheart..." He mumbled involuntarily as Medic pulled his shirt down, revealing lightly tanned skin that was littered in various scars in varying shades and sizes. Most notable was the deep, discolored sort of 'x' shaped one near the base of Medic's neck, a painful reminder of all the times he'd been both figuratively and literally stabbed in the back.

Engie knew he was scarred. They all were. Kind of a given in their line of work, really, he especially had his fair share. But he'd never really looked at the one's on Medic's back that closely before, and boy were there a lot of them...

Medic shuddered slightly as Engie softly grazed his thumb over The Scar, though didn't really make an effort to stop him. Around it were several other scars that looked just knife wounds, some old and faded but others taunting and red. Numerous grievances too plentiful to count.

It was almost painful to look at.

"Honey, why didn't you tell me he was botherin' you?" He asked softly, sitting on the bed behind him with his legs crossed. Medic hesitated again.

"I didn't want to distract you. You're always so busy trying to keep all your machines alive, you shouldn't need to keep me alive too. That's my job."

"But that's what they are, baby, machines. I love them like my own children, you of all people know that, but at the end of the day I can just piece 'em back together again. It's not as easy for you, even with respawn available," Engie sighed.

"...I know," Medic mumbled, hands gripping his own arms tightly as he sort of caved in on himself. Engie felt a pain in his chest. Medic wasn't really the... Emotional type. So seeing him so vulnerable, so... hurt? It was never a sight he felt easy about.

"It's ok sweetheart, I know emotions and stuff ain't your strong suit," Engie assured, leaning over to press a soft kiss on Medic's back where his main scar was.

Medic flinched when he did so, freezing in place.

"You alright, darlin'?" Engie frowned, moving over so he could look at Medic's face.

"I'm- it's- uh. Fine. It's fine," Medic stammered, turning his head away from him. He didn't, however, resist when Engie gently cupped his jaw and turned it back, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Medic couldn't help but relax a little, leaning over to softly head bump Engie's shoulder.

After that, the two of them wordlessly got up to finish changing, Engie opting for an old t-shirt from one of his colleges and pajama pants while Medic just slapped a pair of pajama shorts with little birds on them.

Once the two of them had gotten into bed, Engie put his arms around Medic's torso, Medic himself putting one of his hands on top of his. However, as he reached over to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed, Engie pressed a kiss on another one of his knife wound scars.

And another. And another. And now he was just trying to give a smooch to every one he saw, Medic's heart feeling as though it was going to swell out of his chest.

"I'm just going to get even more of them, you know," He breathed softly.

"And I unfortunately can't stop that. But I will do whatever it takes to help you heal, even if it means I'm kissin' every scar on your body," Engie murmured gently into his skin, pressing a final kiss on his neck.

"...God, what the fuck did I do to be so lucky?"

"Nothin' but be yourself, sweetheart. That's all I could ever ask of you."

[songofseraphine]

Beasts and Bounties

Part one of The Song of Seraphine, a collection of stories that take place in The Witcher universe. 

Warnings: Cursing and slight adult themes

A/N: I do not own any of the characters except Seraphine.

The tavern was bustling with conversation, laughter, and the occasional curse.    Seraphine sat in the back corner of the tavern by herself but her gaze was set on a pair of men at the table next to her playing a round gwent.  She knew very little of the game, never having the time or want to play.  But she would admit, watching the two men play was entertainment at its finest due to the crude insults they would say to one another.  Each time the tavern door opened Seraphine would be alert and move her gaze from the game of gwent to whomever had entered the tavern.  This time, when the door opened, she watched as an older man came sauntering inside looking disheveled.  He sat down at the first table he came to and almost immediately and ale was placed in front of him.  The men that had been playing gwent stopped their game and turned to the newcomer. “Angus?  What happened to you?” one of them asked.

              The man, called Angus, gulped down his mug of ale and another was placed in front of him by the barmaid.  “Went on a hunt with Metri.  Thought we’d be safe in broad daylight, but that blast griffin…  The damn thing got Metri.  Told me to run while he shot at it… so I did.  We never thought that damned thing would be out in the middle of the day…” he stopped talking and took another swig of his ale.  Seraphine could see that the man was haunted by what he had seen and that the townsfolk were terrified of the monster hat had been terrorizing them for gods knew how long.

              “I could take care of the griffin for you,” she stood from her chair with all eyes on her.  Several men choked on their drink while others laughed in her face.  She ignored their outbursts and went straight to Angus. “Where did you see the creature last?” she asked.

              He looked up at her and scoffed.  “What do you think you’re goin’ to do lass?  Ask it nicely to leave us all alone?” he would have laughed too if his spirits weren’t previously broken.  “It’s suicide, girl.  Leave the job for a real hunter.”

              She was the one to laugh then.  “A real hunter?  Like you? Last I checked you left your friend to be mutilated by the beast.  I’ve killed griffins before and know what I am doing.  You shouldn’t have gone out there in broad daylight anyways, that’s when they are most active you oaf,” she told Angus and the others in the pub silenced themselves.  She left out the part where every griffin she had killed was sleeping on her arrival and that she had planned it that way.  It was beside the point.  “Listen, I’ll make a deal,” this got everyone interested.  “I kill the griffin, bring back its head and I get a reward.”

              The pub owner laughed this time from behind the bar.  “You’ll die out there, girl!” he said and more laughed with him.

              She laughed with them playing it off as some kind of farce then her features became serious again and she dropped the laugh.  “I’m serious.  If I do die, you’d have nothing to lose.  But if I don’t and I come back with a griffin’s head strapped to my saddle, you have a griffin off your hands,” she said and the crowd was silent in thought. Seraphine figured they all were about to shoot down the deal, not wanting to put any faith in a woman they didn’t know.  It was a common theme whenever she would offer her amateur skills to rid a village of their monsters but she was persistent.

              “Head straight west, towards the mountains, about a half a days’ ride from here. You’ll come across some old ruins. That’s where I saw it last… that’s where I left Metri.”  She nodded and began to head for the door.  “Girl,” he said to get her attention.  She turned back to Angus as he took the crossbow off his back and held it out to her.  “It’s not much, but it just might save your life.  Come back and we owe you 200 coin. ”

              Seraphine took the crossbow and nodded her thanks then headed for the door. She mounted her white horse with the crossbow strapped to her back despite having a regular bow already strapped behind her saddle.  “Let’s go, Vega,” she said giving her a slight kick.  That was all it took for the horse to begin galloping along the direction Seraphine guided her, west.  As she rode she rifled through her things searching for a potion she bought from an alchemist in Ellander.  It was made to boost stamina even for a human such as herself.  She had tried many potions, the ones that were safe for human consumption at least, and she found that they all had one thing in common… they tasted like shit.  The awful taste had actually been worth it when they had saved her life a time or two. She took a mental note to gulp this one down before she reached the ruins.

              The sun began to set and she thought it best to set up camp rather than to find the beast in the dead of night.  She tied Vega to a tree and removed her saddle and blanket, using them both as a makeshift bed.  It was a chilly night but she was too worried a fire would attract unwanted attention and instead settled for bundling up in her worn cloak.  “Keep watch, Vega,” she said and the horse let out what she imagined was an amused sigh.  She lay her head back on Vega’s saddle and closed her eyes, letting sleep overcome her.

 Seraphine was up with the sunrise and quickly saddled Vega.  She decided she would eat on the way there.  The berries and dried meat she feasted on really made her wish she would have bought something before leaving the tavern.  Instead she would mentally promise herself the luxury of bread and cheese when she returned with a griffin’s head strapped to her saddle as promised. “This just might be the job that gets us our ticket to some much needed time off, Vega,” she said and the horse neighed.  Seraphine popped another berry into her mouth and savored the flavor as it gushed between her teeth.  “Wherever we go we can’t stay long,” again Vega neighed.  “You know why, girl.  Staying in one spot means getting recognized and getting recognized means…” this time she huffed through her nose, “…exactly,” Seraphine said then dropped a few more berries into her mouth.

              A drop of water landed on the tip of her nose and she looked up to see the clouds that had begun to cover the sky.  Rain was both a pro and a con.  A pro because rain meant the griffin would be less likely to leave the ruins.  Con because the rain would make it much more difficult to see clearly.  She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and continued riding along.  It wasn’t much longer that she started to come across the remnants of a man-made stone building.  

Through the forest and just up the ridge she could see the source of the crumbled stone.  She dismounted from Vega and began gathering her things. She draped her cloak on the saddle and pulled on her leather belts and straps that would hold her gear.  Her sword was sheathed at her side, quiver full of arrows strapped to her back along with the borrowed crossbow.  In her left hand she held her own bow knowing that if things didn’t go smoothly she wouldn’t be able to reload the crossbow as quickly as she could a regular bow.  A part of her hoped the beast was sleeping and that she could get this over with as quickly as possible as she had done with griffins in the past.  It was a cheaters way out and in some ways made Seraphine feel a little guilty but it was a job, and it was one that made decent coin.   She grabbed a couple of potions out of the saddle bag along with an apple for Vega. She then walked to the front of her large friend and rested her forehead to hers.  “You know what comes next girl.  I am going to leave you here, untied.  You cannot… for any reason, come to my aid if you hear me in distress do you understand?” Vega’s ears moved as she spoke.  “We are done after this, Vega, I promise.  It will just be wild dogs and the occasional ghoul when this is done,” she said then fed the apple to her friend. “I’ll be back before you even realize I’m gone,” she said getting a sigh in return.

She looked down at her worn riding clothes and brown leather corset.  They were a far cry from being considered armor but they would just have to do.  As she walked she braided then tied off her brown curls with a strand of leather. When she reached the top of the ridge she took one of her potions and quickly sucked it down, discarding the vial on the forest floor.  Her eyes scanned the ruins of what used to be a rather large estate and she tried to concentrate on what she heard through the soft pattering of water running off of the trees behind her.  A light mist covered the area but it had stopped raining.  She reached for an arrow and prepared her bow, wanting to be ready for anything.  It was absurdly quiet and there was unfortunately a lot of ground to cover. She made sure to stay low and keep checking the sky for any sign of the beast.

All that remained of the old structure were the walls and even then it was hard to consider them a structure at all, the tallest one stood just a foot above her.  As she rounded one of the taller walls she heard the sound of something breathing.  She peaked around the stone and held her breath as she peered upon the griffin that was seemingly enjoying what was left of a sheep.  The beast was facing away from her giving her a perfect shot if she was quiet enough.  Seraphine took a slow breath and drew back the string on her bow, taking aim at the beast’s head.  She exhaled and released her arrow but the moment she did an invisible force from the other side of the griffin sent her flying back and onto the ground.  After tumbling back a distance she heard the griffin screech and tried her best to gather her senses.   “Fuck,” she cursed while picking herself up off the ground. She looked back toward the beast and could see it was now flying and below it stood a figure and even though her vision was blurred she could see it was a man.  She reached for her bow but when she picked it up she realized it was broken in half and cursed again.  Instead she took the crossbow from her back and held it with her left while taking her sword in her right before marching towards the beast and the man.  

On closer inspection she could see the man had rather long white hair and other than the crossbow in his hand he had two swords strapped to his back.  Seraphine aimed her crossbow and shot at the beast, getting another ear-piercing screech from it.  This time the man cursed and shot his own crossbow.  The griffin landed harshly on the ground looking shaken from the repeated blows but it was still standing.  Cursing, she reloaded the crossbow and took another shot at the beast’s head before it could get in the air again.  Seraphine unsheathed her sword and dared take another step closer until the griffin attempted to take off again.  The invisible force that had previously knocked her over was again emitted but this time she watched it come from the man and luckily it didn’t hit her.  The griffin fell back to the earth and the man shot another bolt, hitting the beast in the face once again.  Seraphine took this moment of the beast’s weakened state to her benefit.  Before it could gather its bearings she climbed atop the beast and plunged her sword in the back of its neck.  Its’ blood sprayed from its body and covered the front of her as it let out one last screech.  She gripped onto its fur as it writhed beneath her in its final moments of desperation and when it finally stilled Seraphine unsheathed her sword from the griffin’s body and looked over to where the man still stood.  

Staring back at her were a pair of glowing yellow eyes that nearly made her gasp.  He looked rather confused due to the events that had taken place and they continued to stare at one another.  “You’re a woman,” he said in a deep, rugged voice.

Seraphine wiped some stray hairs from her face only replacing them with streaks of the griffin’s blood. “You’re a witcher,” she said in response then climbed down from the beast’s back.  Her head was still spinning from the griffin’s shrieks so she played off her faintness for the need to just sit down.  She wiped her sword off in the grass surrounding her, trying to get rid of as much blood as she could.  She looked up at the witcher again to see he was still watching her. “You owe me a bow, by the way,” she said making his eyebrows pinch together.  She closed her eyes for a moment trying to dissuade the dizziness to no avail.  “Before… when you did the first… blast… thing, you sent me flying backwards and I landed on my bow.  It’s broken, thanks to you.”

“I’m sorry?” he said but instead of sounding sorry he sounded confused.  

Seraphine stood, or at least tried to and when she stumbled a little to the left the witcher just watched. Her vision was still a little blurry but she looked at him and squint her eyes.  “I know you,” she said now using her sword, which was planted in the ground as an aid, to balance herself.  “You are Geralt of Rivia, are you not?” she asked and he gave her a quick nod.  “You don’t look old.  I would have thought you were an old man by the description … “White Wolf” you’re called,” she paused and took the time to look him up and down.  He looked to be about thirty and was well built.  Even through his black armor she could tell he was a tall and muscular man. He had a sharp jaw line and two distinct brows that she thought would give away his every emotion, that was, if he had any. “You don’t look old at all, you look…” she began but was interrupted by another dizzy spell.

“Griffins’ screech is known to disorient its prey.  It’s normal to feel dizzy,” he said as he watched her from a few feet away.  

“I’m fine,” she insisted but she indeed was not.  The moment she tried to take a step she lost her balance and fell to the ground.  This time the witcher whistled twice and not a minute later Seraphine heard a horse’s hooves approaching.

“Here,” he said and she looked back at him to see he was crouched down beside her now offering her a pouch filled with water.

“I said I was fine,” she said but took the water anyways and took several long drinks from it.  “I’ve done this before, just well… usually I catch them a little more off-guard.  I will be fine, I just need a moment.”

“Done this before?” he asked and she nodded.  “What for?”

She let out an amused puff of air before looking at him, this time catching his yellow eyes with her own hazel ones.  “Same as you, Witcher, for coin,” she said before taking another sip of water. “Women can do two things for coin, sell their bodies to a stranger or sell their souls to a husband.  I’ve witnessed the latter and found it didn’t suit me and I have no interest in the former,” she said and stood back up to examine her beast.  “Now, because I killed this damned thing I expect most of the coin but because of your chivalry I will share the profits.”  He looked amused but instead of arguing he simply let out a soft “hmm” and nodded. This time she was the one to whistle and moments later Vega approached with the rest of her gear.  Seraphine approached her horse and dug out a sharp knife she had gotten made for cutting meat and looked back to Geralt.  “I’ll get the head, no sense in both of us being covered in blood is there?” she said getting a raised brow from the silent witcher. “Did you happen to come across a corpse of a young man out here?  He most likely would have had some coin on him as well,” she said while kneeling down beside the griffin’s head.  She plunged her knife into the existing neck wound on the griffin and began to slice. The sound of a coin purse landing beside her feet pulled her attention away from her work.  It didn’t look very full and at best would buy her a new shirt. “Eh… keep it,” she said but he left it at her side.  “The contract you picked up, what were they offering you?”

“150,” he said and she glanced up at him with a smile.  “You?”

“200.  We will take him back to the village I came from.  Though they may not offer as much when they see me return with a witcher…” she said, earning a scowl from the man.  “I have no quarrel with you, sir, but last I checked people don’t much like your kind.  That’s why I am usually paid more than the average witcher.  For one they find it amusing that a woman would do such work and two…” she sliced through the throat one more time finally separating the head from the griffin’s body, “…they don’t want to deal with a witcher. No offense.”

“None taken,” he said but she could tell offense had been taken.  He brought over some rope to help her tie around the horns of the beast so they could then tie it to her saddle.  

“As I said, I have no problem being seen with you but keep in mind we may lose coin.  If you can handle that then so can I, I suppose,” she said then lifted the head off the ground using the rope to carry it over to Vega.  She could feel the witcher’s eyes follow her and tried to not let it bother her.  She had been playing this situation off rather well but in truth she had never met one of his kind before and never thought she would have.  To her, witchers were almost all gone and rarely would she hear a tale of one killing off a village’s monster.  Come to think of it most of the time they were tales about none other than the witcher that now stood only a few feet away from her. “Shall we go?” she asked after grabbing the coin purse he had tossed at her.  He gave her a nod but first walked over to the griffin and she watched as a wave of flames burst from his hand.  Sera’s jaw dropped as she watched the griffin become engulfed in flames. Without saying a word, he mounted his horse and she did the same, her movements quite stiff.  “W-we’ve about half a days’ ride east but if you don’t mind I believe there is a river just a little off course that I would love to stop by? I don’t know what I look like but I am sure it’s not well,” she said and he nodded as they rode side by side.  He was a quiet one this witcher, then again she had never known a witcher before him so maybe they were all this quiet.

“Your name?” he asked earning a slight jump of surprise from her.

“Sera… well Seraphine but if that’s too much for you, then just Sera, seeing as you are a man of few words,” she said, realizing this was the first time in a long time she told someone her name.  She realized maybe she shouldn’t be her usual sarcastic self with this particular stranger but then again when she looked back to see his response he did look rather amused, if you could call a lack of a scowl on his face amusement.

They rode in silence until they reached the river.  Sera dismounted from Vega and left her untied so she could drink from the river.  “How long have you been doing this?” he asked while eying her up and down.  Through the grime and blood she knew she looked rather young.  She wasn’t yet twenty-three but had lived a long life.  

“A few years,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.  She did the math in her head and realized it had nearly been four years that she had been on the move.  She knelt beside the river and cupped water in her hands so she could clean her face. Geralt knelt down at the bank a little ways down from where she was and they looked at each other.  Sera’s hands scrubbed at her face, neck, and arms, knowing her shirt was well past the point of saving. “I was nineteen when I killed my first ghoul and I guess it went on from there.  Wolves, wild dogs, ghouls… simple jobs to get money.”

He looked confused.  “There are plenty of wild dogs and ghouls out there still… why fight griffins?” he asked.

“The money.  This was my last one for a long time, monsters of all kind. I have saved enough to book passage to wherever I choose and buy a cottage when I get there.  Land for Vega and far enough from anyone that would be a bother,” she was rambling but he was listening.  Most of the blood was off her skin now so she slurped up the next handful of water.

“You named your horse Vega?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yes Vega.  I know it’s a human name but she’s the only friend I have. What’s your horse’s name?  Horse?” she said getting defensive.

She was surprised to hear him laugh.  “Her name is Roach,” he said and she scrunched her nose up.  

“Horse would have been better. That’s a horrible name, the poor thing,” she looked over to where Roach stood near Vega.

“All of my horses have been named Roach.  She doesn’t mind it,” he said with an amused smiled.  

“How do you know?  Have you asked her?” she was joking, of course. She shook her head and walked back over to Vega.  “We should get going it’s already going to be late when we get back, might as well get there in time for the whole village to still be in the pub,” she said as she got back up on Vega.   Geralt followed and they made their way back to the village.

 Darkness had taken over hours before they reached the village.  Seraphine let out a satisfied sigh when she finally saw the lights emitting from several of the buildings in the distance.  The journey with the witcher hadn’t been half bad even though most of the time they remained silent.  The little conversation they did have was mostly about monsters they have and haven’t come across.  

They came up behind where the pub would be but Seraphine pulled back on Vega’s reins when she heard commotion. “She should be back any moment. She left just yesterday and it’s only a half a day’s ride from here,” said a man that Sera recognized as the pub owner.  

She dismounted Vega and watched as the pub owner, Angus, and a man that made her stomach turn on recognition stood and spoke to one another.  “Fuck,” she said and started pushing Vega back towards the forest.  

“And you are sure it was this woman?  Her name is Faline, or Faye,” the man she had encountered too many times in the past spoke while holding up a horribly done sketch of her face.  

Geralt dismounted Roach and looked to Seraphine then back to the crowd outside of the pub.  She began quickly untying the griffin from her saddle and when it was free she carried it over to Geralt.  “I… I’m sorry, I can’t go any further.  Just t-take it, keep the coin for yourself, Witcher.”

She tried handing him the griffin’s head but he didn’t take it so she set it on the ground at his feet and began to turn away but he grabbed her arm with a firm hold.  “They’re looking for you, why?” he asked.  She tried ignoring the question and escaping his grasp but it was no use, the man was much stronger than she was.  “Why did you lie about who you are?” his voice was much deeper now and the normal rough tone was even rougher and she was certain his hold on her arm was going to leave a bruise.

Seraphine tried not to look intimidated but it was a little difficult when a man that could easily crush her like a berry.  “I wasn’t lying.  My name is Seraphine.  I’m not who they’re looking for… well I am but the things they say I’ve done I didn’t do. I ran that was it,” she said. “Please, let me go.  You can have all the coin, I don’t care.  I just can’t be seen by that man, do you understand?” her voice cracked as she spoke, practically begging for her life.  She watched as he looked back and forth from her to the group at the pub but eventually he released her arm and she let out a sigh of relief.  “Thank you, Geralt.  If our paths should ever cross again, I owe you.”

“Leave,” he said then picked up the griffin’s head and started walking towards the pub with Roach following behind him.  

She didn’t need to be told twice. Seraphine quickly mounted Vega and rode back to the safety of the forest.  She didn’t stop riding until the village could no longer be seen or heard and she kept riding for nearly half an hour more.  She stopped in a clearing beside a stream.  Instead of taking everything off of Vega, as she normally did when they camped for the night, she kept it on in case they had to run again.  “I’m sorry girl, I really thought this would be it,” she said as Vega drank from the stream.  She sighed and sat down on the bank beside where her horse stood and put her head in her hands.  “I’m tired of running, Vega,” her voice was barely above a whisper and the only response she got was the sound of Vega slurping down more water.  Seraphine lay back on the bank and closed her eyes.  She shouldn’t have taken the job in the first place.  She should have paid no mind to Angus’ words and should have continued watching the men play their uneventful game of gwent.  She was so close to being free and if they wouldn’t have caught up to her, if she wouldn’t have made herself known, she could have easily booked passage on a ship.  Now any harbor within two days ride of that damn village they would be waiting.  She cursed under her breath even though she wanted to scream.  She couldn’t risk giving her location away to neither man nor monster.

Moments later, after listening to Vega graze in the patch of grass for nearly an hour, Seraphine was convinced it was safe enough for her to catch some sleep.  That was until the sound of coin hitting the ground right by her head made her eyes shoot open.  She reached for her sword and stood all too fast making her stumble back towards the river. When she gathered her senses she saw Geralt standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. “H-how did you find me?” she asked still holding her sword up even though he was completely unarmed.  

“Witcher senses,” he said with a smirk.  “Put that thing away, Seraphine,” he told her.  She slowly complied then looked at the coin purse he had thrown at her.  She picked it up and weighed it in her hand. “It’s your share.”

“You got all 200?” she asked and he nodded.  She peeked inside the pouch and could tell he barely took enough to pay for a meal. “Did you tell them I ran?”

“I told them you were dead,” he said making her eyes shoot back to his.  “Told them you went down trying to kill the griffin.  Told them you were already dead when I got there and that I burned your body along with the griffin’s.”

“Why?” she asked but he only shook his head.  He whistled and Roach came to him.  Geralt reached into his saddle bags and pulled out several items wrapped in cheesecloth.  Seraphine watched as he walked over to a fallen tree trunk and sat in front of it using it as a back rest.  Then he sat there, in the middle of the clearing, after lying to a bounty hunter about her death, and set up a picnic.  “What are you doing?” she asked as he uncovered the bread, cheese, and salami he must have bought from the pub.

“Eating,” he said then looked over to where she still stood.  “Sit. Eat,” he told her and she complied mostly because she was starving.  She sat beside him and they ate the food in silence.  She was thankful that he never asked questions or demanded an explanation. He just offered his food and his company and she did the same, and that was enough.

 The morning covered everything in a thick fog and when Seraphine woke her clothes were drenched due to the mist.  She sat up and looked around realizing that Geralt was still there because Roach still stood with Vega just as they had the night before.  She walked over to the stream and knelt down then splashed some water on her face. When she turned back to the horses, Geralt was standing beside Roach.  His sudden appearance made her jump and he glanced over in her direction. She walked over to Vega but her eyes never left his.  She opened the saddlebag that she stored her earnings in and pulled out the coin purse that belonged to Metri.  “You should have taken more of the share for the griffin.  After all, I ended up eating half of what you kept last night.”

              “You were hungry,” he said as if that were an excuse.  

              She nodded.  “Still… please, just take what was on Metri.  I owe you more than that just for the simple fact that you saved my life,” she said while handing the purse out to him.  For a moment she thought he was going to deny it but eventually he walked over and took it from her hand.  “I appreciate everything you’ve done, Geralt.  I hope our paths cross again someday,” she said while mounting Vega.  

              He gave her as genuine of a smile as Geralt of Rivia could give but it was enough.  “If they do you owe me some sort of explanation to whatever that was,” he motioned in the direction of the village making Sera smile.

              “So be it.  Until then,” she said then gave him a nod.  She gave Vega a kick and rode off further away from the danger of the village and deeper into the forest.

[kmclaude]

Writing: A Monster (III) - Family

AKA Vampire!Tiefer AU

A vampire AU story of my characters Jehan and Tiefer and them where Tiefer’s a vampire, so sex and violence ensue and sexualized violence and violent sex also ensue, as well as cursing, mentions of various abuse, dubious consent, penetrative and nonpenetrative sex, infantilizing, and overall cruelty. This part features daddy kink and urine (in a mostly nonsexual way.)

Check the reblogs for links to part I and part II. Most of this is under a read more because it is LONG.

---

When Jehan kissed his godfather and agreed to stay with him -- choose him -- sure, he didn’t expect Tiefer to embrace him with open arms and suddenly give him free reign to come and go as he pleased, but he thought they would at least be beyond tying him down to the bedframe. Unfortunately, that was just wishful thinking.

“Parrain, please, you know I won’t leave.”

“An’ I believe you, baby, I do,” Tiefer said from above him as he tied his wrists to the frame, loose enough that he could move around, at least to roll his feet to the ground and piss in the bucket that Tiefer had dragged in from the yard and left beside the bed. “But I can’t go takin’ any chances. We gotta be careful now if you wanna live like a normal family.”

“Normal families don’t tie each other to the bed,” Jehan huffed, though he had laid in it willingly. Or, rather, as willingly as he could given the circumstances.

Tiefer frowned. “Mine did.” He tightened up the ties and then reached up, adjusting the freshly applied bandages he’d placed over his eye -- “for appearances,” he’d said when he’d applied it, right before walking Jehan to the back bedroom. “I promise, it won’t be much longer. Just until I can transfer out of this parish, somewhere far from here. Then you won’t have to hide away.” He pouted mockingly. “I’ll just tell the archbishop I’ve been so traumatized with what happened and so grievously injured at the hands of the poor confused godson I cared for so much, he’ll have to grant my request. And if not, well,” a dirty smirk crossed his face, “I’ll just say I fucked a bunch of little boys. They’ll transfer me without a word.”

Jehan obviously didn’t find it as funny as his godfather did.

“Speaking of little…” Tiefer walked around the bed and grabbed Jehan’s hips, hands on the waistband of his underwear, tugging the cloth down and off his legs.

“No-- wait--”

“Oh calm down, I’m not gonna touch you,” he huffed. “Ain’t got enough time to enjoy it.” He threw the pair of underwear to the other end of the bed. “Unless you’d rather piss yourself than use that bucket, you ain’t gonna want those on you.”

“Thanks...I think…” Jehan pouted, obviously preferring the third, unavailable option of an actual toilet but there wasn’t much he could do besides wait it all out: wait out the day, wait out Tiefer’s transition to a different parish, wait out his moods and trust until Jehan could get the upper hand...wait out Tiefer staring between his legs. When Tiefer’s gaze didn’t waver, however, he quickly crossed his legs, pulling his knees up to try and hide himself.

Unfortunately, it only gave Tiefer a very lovely and direct view of his still-smarting ass--an irony which was not lost on Tiefer, considering the sharp laugh he’d breathed out.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jehan huffed, his face flushed.

Tiefer frowned. “Regrettably.” He leaned over Jehan, kissing him lightly on the forehead. “Gotta straighten out my story with my superiors,” he said, petting Jehan’s cheek and then his throat and his chest and his stomach until he reached between his thighs. “An’ then there’s the funeral service.” His fingers wrapped around Jehan’s cock.

“You said you wouldn’t--”

“Don’t interrupt, babydoll, that’s very rude,” Tiefer said, baring his teeth. “Like I was sayin’, gotta say the funeral for your mama an’ little baby brother.” He pumped him until he was just hard enough and then slowed, running delicate touches around the head. “Then, of course, I’ll have to tidy up on aaaall my duties that had gone slacking since I was...indisposed…” He glanced down at Jehan’s pink cock, flushed with blood, and grinned, teeth bared as he withdrew his hand. “Fuck you’re so cute, boy...too bad I won’t get a taste for a long while…”

“Wait--”

“See you later, Jehan.”

“No, don’t-- Come back!”

Tiefer all but disappeared in thin air with how fast he seemed to have left the bedroom, crossed the house, and gone out the sorry excuse for a door, leaving Jehan stripped, tied to the bed, and painfully, desperately aroused.

“Fuck.” He was in for a long day, alone with just his thoughts--thoughts of his (now late) family, his tenuous future with Tiefer, and his way out of all of this hell--and the latest ‘gift’ Tiefer deigned to bestow on him.

************************* Time passed --or at least it had to have considering eventually, with a few less-than-appetizing thoughts, Jehan was no longer in the compromising situation he started in-- and eventually Tiefer returned around sunset.

“Honey I’m home! Did ya miss me?” His voice carried down the dilapidated hallway and announced his arrival in the bedroom moments before he entered, face alight with a smug sort of glee. “Good to see you’re almost just the way I left you.”

Jehan was far less chipper. “I miss my mother, my father, and my brother; not you,” he replied. “Now let me go, I gotta piss.”

Tiefer frowned. “Missed you too, sweetie,” he said and nudged the bucket he’d left at Jehan’s bedside with the toe of his boot; the slosh of piss against metal replied. “Well, you obviously ain’t too good to use this.”

“‘Cause you left me tied to a goddamn bed all day long, what else was I supposed to do?”

Tiefer shrugged. “Piss yourself.”

“Look can you untie me so I can piss in the toilet like a goddamn human being?”

“That any way to ask for a favor?”

Jehan huffed, an angry desperation that quickly faltered when he met Tiefer’s gaze. “...Please?”

“Fine.” Tiefer circled to the head of the bed and began untying Jehan, still frowning at him. “I’ll let you go.”

“Thank you, parrain.” Jehan’s reply came quick, but Tiefer said nothing, expression still sour, until he’d finished untying him and Jehan found himself free to sit up, leave the bed, walk to the door, and--

“Where you think you’re goin’, boy?”

So much for Tiefer’s good mood.

Jehan froze. “The...toilet?”

“Ain’t you goin’ the wrong way?”

Jehan turned to look at him. “No?”

Tiefer pushed the bucket towards Jehan with the toe of his boot.

“But you said--”

“I said I’d let you go,” Tiefer replied. “Ain’t said you could use the commode.”

“Parrain--”

“Keep trying me, Jehan, and I’ll make sure your only option tomorrow is to piss yourself like the bratty little child you are.”

Jehan’s cheeks went red and he stepped away from the door. His gaze flitted between the bucket before him and Tiefer a few feet away, leaning against the bedframe, a dead silence hanging in the air.

It didn’t last long.

“Thought you needed to piss,” Tiefer drawled. “You know, I’m more than happy to help you with your sorry little excuse for a cock if you’re having trouble.”

“Can’t you leave? Or at least turn around?”

“ ‘Fraid not,” Tiefer replied, looking Jehan over and pointedly letting his gaze rest between Jehan’s thighs.

Scowling, Jehan spat something that sounded suspiciously like “pervert” before closing his eyes so he wouldn’t have to meet Tiefer’s gaze and relieving himself in the bucket. When he was done, he didn’t look up but merely stepped back towards the door. “Happy?”

“I’d be happier if it were my hands on you rather than your own. But...” Stepping away from the bed, Tiefer scooped up the bucket and, as he passed Jehan, emptied it over his head before chucking the bucket aside. “Yeah, I’m happy.”

“Fuck!”

Tiefer sneered as he stepped out of the room, glancing back at Jehan, now piss-soaked. “We can do that later. C’mon, I brought home dinner -- not that you deserve any.” He laughed and headed down the hallway, calling back: “Wash up first, you fuckin’ reek!”

Jehan bit back the urge to ask him whose fault that was in the first fucking place.

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

“I’m sorry.”

Those were the first words out of Jehan’s mouth as he walked into the kitchen, freshly clean of piss (or as fresh as he could get given their accommodations.) This new life of his was all just a game. He knew, in order to survive, he had to play nice, real nice, but good God did Tiefer make it difficult sometimes. Like earlier.

“Oh really?” Cigarette dangling from his mouth, Tiefer looked up from unwrapping the small take out containers from the bag he’d picked up on the way back to the house. His mangled eye was unbandaged. “What’re you sorry for? Besides getting dressed.”

Or like right now.

Jehan sighed. “I’m sorry for being a brat.”

“And?”

“And for being rude.”

“And?”

“And for...calling you a pervert?”

“Hm.” Tiefer pursed his lips. “Well I guess if that’s all you want to say sorry for…”

Jehan had to work to keep his incredulity from showing all over his face as Tiefer was still facing him.

“Here. Red beans.” Tiefer pulled the lid off a container and chucked a plastic spoon in it before he handed it to Jehan. “Eat up. Once it goes cold, it’s cold. We ain’t got shit in here to reheat it.”

“Thanks…”

“Not that you deserve it.”

Jehan frowned around  spoonful, swallowing hard. “If I don’t deserve it then why bother? We got cold cuts in the icebox.”

“You’ll be eating cold cuts for the next month until we leave.”

The spoon fell out of Jehan’s hand. “Excuse me?!”

Tiefer took a long drag. “I transfer out of here in one”--he held up a finger--”month so until then, we’re stuck here.” He paused, lowering his hand. “Or...well...you’re stuck here. I got my own bed to sleep in--and for appearance’s sake, I really should. Miss havin’ you in it, though...”

“Fuck that! I’m just supposed to be chained up here for a month?!”

“No. Not all the time. Just when I’m not around.”

“Which is starting to sound like all the damn time! Am I supposed to just be tied to that bed and hope you remember to maybe give me some food?”

Tiefer sneered. “Well maybe then you’ll miss me,” he said, taking another drag.

Jehan was silent for a moment. His hands shook. Then -- screams.

“THAT’S what this was all about? THAT’S why I couldn’t fucking piss in the toilet--why you dumped it on my fucking HEAD? You’re mad ‘cause I didn’t miss YOU?!”

Tiefer pursed his lips, cigarette dangling between his fingers. “You done your bratty little tantrum?”

“No I’m not fucking done, you--you fucking--you fucking monster! I hate you! You’ve taken everything from me!” He threw what was left of the dinner Tiefer had bought him at Tiefer’s feet. So much for playing nice. “Fuck your house, fuck your stupid vampire blood disease bullshit, and fuck you!”

Slowly, Tiefer put out his cigarette. “You said you wanted a home,” he said, his eyes unblinking on Jehan. “You said you wanted to be with me. A nice, proper little family, you an’ me.”

“Didn’t have much of a fucking choice now did I, parrain?”

“I told you I could make this good for the both of us and all you had to do--all you had to fucking do--was be good. You think this bullshit” --he gestured at the spilled container on the ground as he stepped over it, coming face to face with Jehan and towering over him-- “is being good?”

Jehan scowled up at him. “Blow me.”

Tiefer snarled before grabbing Jehan by the front of his shirt and pulling him up on his tiptoes to meet his eyes. “I didn’t even ask for your fucking love--you’re your daddy’s son, I know better than to expect that,” Tiefer spat. “All I ask is that you fuckin’ fake it, do what I say, and be good, and so far you’re doin’ a piss-poor job.”

“So get rid of me then,” Jehan replied. “Oh wait, that’s right! You can’t. Because I’m your literal fucking meal ticket. So maybe you should do what I say and I say don’t leave me tied to a bed all goddamn day and then throw piss on my fucking head because you’re so goddamn insecure that the teenager you’ve been fucking for YEARS whose entire family you also fucking MURDERED didn’t MISS YOU!”

For a long moment, Tiefer didn’t say a word. And then, he laughed, his sharp teeth glinting. His very very sharp teeth. That were inches from his face.

Jehan felt his heart sink like a stone into his stomach.

“Oh Jehan…” He leaned in, his lips barely brushing Jehan’s. “I gotta say, it is exciting watchin’ you get all riled up like that, thinkin’ you’re hot shit. Makes me wanna rip open your throat while I fuck your little boy cunt ‘til it bleeds.”

“Wait--”

“In fact, I might just do that.”

“No!”

“No? You’re gonna tell me no?” Tiefer sneered and closed what little space was between them, kissing Jehan hard before shoving him onto the ground and standing over him. “You may be right -- I can’t get rid of you -- but I can make not only this month but the rest of your miserable fucking life a living hell if I so choose,” he said as he positioned his foot between Jehan’s legs, the heel of his boot pressing down on his crotch, “and you, my stupid little brat, you’re really helping me make that decision.”

Jehan gazed up at him from where he lay on the dirty floor, wincing at the press of Tiefer’s foot between his thighs. “I…” This was a mistake. He shouldn’t have let his anger get the better of him. He needed to salvage whatever he could. “I’m s--”

“Screwing yourself? Pretty fuckin’ badly yeah.”

“No, I’m s--”

“Stupid? Yes. Yes you are.”

“I’m sorry,” Jehan bit out.

“Couldn’t hear you from up here, brat. Say it again.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tiefer pressed down, harder. “Louder, you stupid piece of shit!”

“I’m sorry!”

“‘I’m sorry’ what?”

“I’m sorry sir!”

“And what are you sorry for?” Tiefer asked. Each word was punctuated by a slow grind of his boot.

“I’m sorry for not missing you--sir!” Jehan added with a pained squeak. “And I’m sorry for being a brat a-and being rude!”

“Hmm.” Tiefer stepped off of Jehan and slowly offered his hand.

Cautious, Jehan reached out and was pulled to his feet--too hard, even, until he was flush against Tiefer’s chest.

Tiefer kept his grip on Jehan. “So, how you gonna make this whole little tantrum up to me?”

“By...not doing it again?”

It had been worth a shot.

Laughing, Tiefer let Jehan go. “I don’t think that’ll cut it.” He looked Jehan up and down. “Nah, boy, I think you better get your ass into that bedroom ‘cause you might’ve wasted your dinner but I ain’t wastin’ mine.”

“You’re not gonna rip my throat open, are you?”

“Mmm, depends. How good you gonna be for me, baby?”

Jehan was silent under Tiefer’s gaze, adrenaline from his outburst beating against every bit of good sense that reminded him he needed to behave, to play the long game, to be good…

To play house.

Slowly, he stepped forward and, reaching out to put his arms around Tiefer’s neck, kissed his godfather, gentle and soft. His hands ghosted down Tiefer’s shoulders, his arms, stopping at his wrists as Jehan took him by the hand and lead him to the bedroom.

“Very,” he answered once they were beside the bed. Jehan stripped off what little clothing he still had on him and, turning around, sat on the bed delicately. “I’ll be very good for you,” he said, pulling Tiefer closer and adding, “Daddy.”

Tiefer’s eyes went wide and for a moment Jehan was afraid he’d gone too far and severely misjudged his godfather -- at least, taste-wise -- but then Tiefer composed himself, any shock quickly replaced with a snide grin and wicked gleam in his eyes as he tightened his grip on Jehan already flush against him and -- oh. Oh.

He hadn’t misjudged at all.

“Prove it, then, my little brat.”

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

“Wait--wait, stop, please--parrain!”

Tiefer pulled away, blood reddened lips downturned in a frown. Jehan was stripped bare beneath him, his heaving chest and throat littered in bite marks and smeared blood; Tiefer had brought his hands down along Jehan’s behind, and in response Jehan yelped as if he had been burned.

“I’m still...hurting...down there.”

Something flashed in Tiefer’s eyes -- anger and insult, perhaps, at being denied.

Jehan quickly wrapped his arms around Tiefer’s neck, pulling him down into a kiss as a hot, wet apology. “I’ll make it up to you,” he promised once he pulled away, breathing heavy, “if you’ll let me, daddy.”

Tiefer hummed something that sounded like assent enough and, much like a bored cat tolerating a favorite child moving it, allowed Jehan to roll them over until he was on his back and Jehan, naked and bloody and wincing, straddled his hips. There was drying blood on Tiefer’s lips and pinched boredom across his face, as if he was still largely put out and merely counting down the few moments of time Jehan’s slutty little whine of “daddy” had bought from him.

Reaching down, Jehan undid his godfather’s pants and gently pulled his hard cock out. He bit his lip, trying to keep his expression from turning to disgust as he spat in his hand and slowly stroked both himself and his godfather before leaning down, his hips against Tiefer’s, their cocks pressing together, hard and slick with spit and precum. It wasn’t awful, and the control was welcome (much better humping that huge cock than being split open on it) but the thought of another month like this, stinking of blood and sex in a decrepit shell of a house -- the thought of a lifetime of this, living at Tiefer’s whims, having to wear a mask over his festering anger, having to play a fake role to avoid his godfather’s brutal rages, having to be a son, a friend, a lover -- made his stomach turn.

The disgust must have shown on his face because Tiefer’s hands pressed heavily on his hips, keeping him still, his smaller cock trapped between Tiefer’s and his own belly.

“It must really hurt, baby, what with that face you’re makin’.”

“Oh.” Jehan sat back against Tiefer’s thighs. “Y-yeah.”

“Kinda hard to cum with you lookin’ ready to vomit all over me.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll do better, I--”

“Scoot up,” Tiefer interrupted, lazily beckoning Jehan further and gesturing towards his chest.

Jehan did as he was told, situating himself on Tiefer’s chest, knees on either side of Tiefer’s head, and letting his godfather pull him forward until his cock pressed against blood stained lips.

“Good boy.” He took Jehan into his mouth, as far into his throat as the teenager’s length allowed, his hands warm and heavy on his hips, pulling him forward.

“Parrain--”

Tiefer hummed softly -- which earned a very startled jerk from Jehan -- and pulled away with a soft pop. “Go ‘head, fuck my mouth,” he said before kissing the head.

“Pa--”

“Do what Daddy says, Jehan.”

Jehan blushed. Tiefer had never told him to do that before -- hell, he’d actively punished him for accidentally thrusting into his mouth without permission -- and God, if he hadn’t thought about what it would be like, how fucking wonderful it would be to grab his godfather by the hair, nails digging in, and to abuse his throat, make him choke and gag until he vomitted all over himself, all the while pushing his cock down, fucking him harder and harder and harder --

“Fuck!”

At some point he had to have done it -- his vision was white, his hands were tangled in white, and white trickled down Tiefer’s chin from where it had escaped his lips, stretched around Jehan’s cock, mixing with the blood smeared on his face. Chest heaving, Jehan let go of Tiefer and fell back against him, his cock making an obscenely wet pop as he went.

Tiefer merely watched as if nothing had happened, despite his flushed cheeks, messy hair, and burning throat.

“When I said I’d make this nice for the both of us, I meant it,” he said, slowly. “An’ ain’t it nice?”

Jehan was slow to nod. “U-uh-huh…”

“You want it to keep bein’ nice?”

“Yes.” At the look Tiefer gave him, Jehan quickly amended his answer. “Yes sir.”

“Then be good for Daddy, Jehan,” Tiefer ordered. “Y’can start by returning the favor.”

And as Jehan leaned down and took his godfather in his mouth and felt a hand in his hair gripping tighter than it needed to be, he knew he wanted it to be nice because nice was the only way he’d be able to keep behaving, to keep being good -- to find a way out -- without losing his mind.

[turquoisemagpie]

The Dark Mystery of Mark I. Plier Manor. (Part 1)

Ryan: This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved we investigate the dark mystery of Mark I. plier Manor as part of our ongoing investigation into the question: are ghosts real. (Shane lightly shakes his head.) Ryan: This case… it’s got everything. It’s got murder mystery, it’s got scandals, it’s got disappearances, and, more importantly, it’s got ghosts. Shane: Woah! How the heck are you going to title this, if it’s both Supernatural AND True Crime? Ryan: Yeah, this is one of the biggest cases I’ve ever looked into. There are so many theories out there for so many questions that come out of this. I think this is probably the largest number of theories we’re ever going to cover on this show. Shane: Wow. This is either going to be extremely intriguing or extremely boring, depending on what theories you’ve decided to give us, and, knowing you, I’m guessing it’s going to be the theories given by those people who wear tin foil hats. Ryan: Hahaha! Well, you’re about to learn all that is to know about it. Shane: Oh, goody(!) Let’s go.

At 12pm on the 12th October 1948, known romantic film ex-actor Mark I. Plier held a poker night at his manor in Northern LA. After over 12 hours of drinking, gambling, and all manner of activities that could be likened to a bachelor’s party, his guests went to their own private activities at 1:30am, some retiring to their rooms for the night, others heading off into other areas of the house, including Mark I. Plier. Exactly 7 hours later, at 8:30am, on Friday 13th, Mark I. Plier was found face first, on the floor of the stairway leading up from the parlour room, dead.

Shane: What is this fucking deal with Friday the 13th? Ryan: I think it’s just a thing where, because 13 is an unlucky number or part of the devil’s number it’s just- Shane: The devil has a number? Like a phone number? Ryan: No, I- (wheeze) Shane: We should call him up some time! See how he’s doin’! Maybe he can answer some of this spooky nonsense going on in the world. Ryan: The Devil! Call now! At 13 666- (wheeze) Shane: (wheeze) 13 666 69 69 69! Ryan: Hahahaha!

Strangely the police weren’t called to the scene until 33 hours later. And when they arrived on the scene they found only LAPD detective Abe Micks, bleeding from a bullet wound through the heart, and absolutely nobody else in the house.

Shane: Everyone left! They just got the heck outta there! Ryan: No... well, yeah, honestly if I was in a murder mystery situation and given the chance to leave, I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d get out of there too. Shane: But that makes you suspect number one, because everyone’s like ‘oh, why was he in such a hurry? He must have been the killer!’

Abe was investigated by the police through interrogation into the whereabouts of the other house guests, but throughout the questioning Abe remained silent, staring into the wood of the desk seemingly distracted in deep thought. It was only when one of the officers said the word murder that Abe reacted, claiming to quote “snap his head back up at the speaker, with a fearful look in his eyes.” It was also noted that whenever he did talk, he did everything he could to avoid the word murder, referring to it only as ‘the killing’. All that Abe could tell willingly was that quote “Colonel did it. He did it all. He’ll pay for what he did.”

Shane: ‘Colonel’? Colonel who? Ryan: Umm- Shane: Colonel Mustard!? Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the candle stick? Ryan: Hahaha! To be honest when you see the profile photos of all these people involve you are honestly going think this is all just a big game of Clue.

Abe was put in a psychiatric hospital for 2 months to recover and then discharged from the LAPD in late March 1950. Until then, the events that happened in the house and the whereabouts of the house guest remained a complete unanswered mystery, until, after the LAPD released a call out for anyone who knew information about the events at Mark I. Plier Manor to come forward, in which only one person came forth; the manor’s butler, Benjamin, who worked in the manor with it residents in its last 5 years. Almost 60% of the record for the case of the Mark I. Plier Manor are all from Benjamin’s court testimony, with under 20% the eyewitness testimony from the deranged detective.

INVESTIGATION: Outer Manor- 11pm

Ryan: Welp... There’s the manor. Do you know anything about the things that happened in this place, Shane? Shane: No. I’m more curious as to why it’s called ‘Mark I. Plier Manor’. Ryan: It’s the name of one of the victims of this house. He was an actor who owned the house and... just probably decided to name it after himself. Shane: He sounds like a douchebag. Ryan: Well, according to critics from his films and director who worked with him, he was known to be pretty much an asshole. But we’re not really here for him. We’re here to… hopefully get some answers as to what exactly happened the day after he was murdered. (Both men look up at the manor.) Shane: Sure looks ominous. Ryan: Yeah, this place is giving me the shivers. And we’re not even inside yet. Come on. (They head through the gates and up the path to the front door of the house. The gardens surrounding the place are overgrown and unkept. The exterior of the house has decaying wood and crumbling stone walls.) Shane: It’s a pity they haven’t bothered to maintain this place. It would make a great family home. Ryan: … You have a strange taste, you know that?

INVESTIGATION: Entrance

Ryan: So, we’re about to enter the manor now… And you remember what I told you about the word you’re not supposed to say? Shane: Oh yeah. Thanks for reminding me. Ryan: Oh shit, you’re gonna say it aren’t you? Shane: (shouting as he enters the house) MURDER! … Shane: What’s supposed to happen when you say it? Ryan: There’s supposed to be thunder, apparently. Shane: Well, it doesn’t seem to have worked. Ryan: Well, no, but considering it’s a clear night tonight, if you say it again, and we hear thunder, on a night when their no clouds in the sky, we can claim the curse may have some authenticity. Shane: But if I say ‘murder’, and there isn’t thunder every time I say ‘murder’, then that proves that on that particular day of the murder, there was probably a storm going on that just so happens to rumble every time someone said ‘murder’ out of coincidence. Ryan: Stop saying it! Shane: I can’t hear the thunder, Ryan. I’ve said murder several times now. Ryan: You probably can’t hear it because you haven’t stopped talking to try and hear for it- Shane: M-m-m-m-MUUUuuuuuURDEEEEErrr!! … Shane: Right! That’s a box ticked under ‘bullshit’. Moving on! Ryan: (wheeze) I hate you so much.

Let’s get into the events of Mark I. Plier Manor, starting with the Poker Night. Those invited, in order of arrival, were the then Mayor of the Northern LA region: Damien Lémieux, LAPD detective: Abe Micks, US Army Corp Colonel: William Jackson Barnum, and an unknown District Attorney. The Mayor and the Colonel were close friends with each other as well as with Mark, the detective was solely a friend to Mark. While the District Attorney wasn’t known to anyone but the Mayor, who had recently hired them in his community council, it is unclear how or why they got their own separate invitation. What’s further puzzling is that due to know one at the manor knowing clearly who they were, to this day the District Attorney has been unidentified.

Shane: Hmmm. Suspicious. Ryan: Oh ho! I’m just getting started, boy!

Other people involved in the gathering was Benjamin, and the manor’s chef. According to the bill of the party the police had found in the manor, Mark had spent $400 on music entertainment, $256 on banquet party food, and a shocking $870 on alcohol. Judging by the waste of the party that was left over, the men drunk the equivalent of 9 glasses of wine between them. Which is strange, considering the fact Mark I. Plier was allergic to alcohol.

Shane: Wow! That’s a lot of shots! I’m surprised ANY of them survived it. Ryan: Well, as you can tell by the fact we’re discussing this entire case, not many survived it… Shane: …because they died of alcohol poisoning. (wheeze) Case solved! Ryan: Haha! Yeah, that’s it, guys, thanks for watching!

INVESTIGATION: Parlour

Ryan: So, this is the parlour room. This is where the poker night took place. Shane: It’s a big room. Agreed, if everything wasn’t covered in dust and cobwebs, I think I would definitely hold a poker party in here myself. Ryan: … Are you not feeling that cold breeze right now? Shane: Nope. Ryan: It’s so cold in here. Shane: Probably because the window’s been smashed and the air from outside is coming in. Or you’re goin’ crazy. Ryan: I hope it’s not the latter. … Ok, If there’s anybody here with us?... Mark, are you here with us? … Ryan: (pulls out a whisky bottle) We heard you like to party, Mark… so err, let’s all have a drink! (Pours out whiskey into 3 glasses) Shane: Honestly the only plus side to believing in ghosts is the fact you have a… I wouldn’t say ‘good’ excuse… Ryan: (wheeze) Shane: … but a ‘reasonable’ excuse to just get wasted! Ryan: I’ll drink to that! (Takes a sip) Shane: (wheeze) I will to. (Takes his glass) Ryan: (holding glass aloft) So! We’ve poured you a glass too, Mark… Or anybody else who’s in this room. Anyone want to join us in a toast, lift the glass.  … Ryan: A toast… to… friendship! … Shane: Your loss, boys. (Drinks) Ryan: Yep. (Drinks) Shane: Woah. That’s.. surprisingly weak. Ryan: Yeah, I watered it down, in honour of Mark. (wheezes) Shane: You son of a bitch!

The party went on from 12pm until very late into the night until the activity in the parlour spread all around the house after 1am. At 1:50am, with everyone passed out, the party officially ended. The next morning, at the foot of the stairs towards the parlour, Mark was found by all members of the party but the Colonel, face first on the floor, still in his red robe smoking jacket he had worn all through the previous night, blood dripping from a bullet hole in his back.

Shane: So, he was shot. Ryan: … if a bullet hole can indicate anything on a human body, then yeah, it indicates being shot. Shane: Mmhmm! Detective Madej is on the case. Ryan: … You didn’t do… you… never mind. Moving on.

An hour later, the detective set up forensics for the scene. Benjamin admitted at this time he insisted on calling the police, however the detective responded, according to Benjamin’s testimony quote “I AM the authorities.”

Shane: Hmmmm. I’m not sure about this guy. Ryan: Yeah, Abe is an interesting guy. His parts to play in this whole case sort of… jumps between ‘he’s innocent’, ‘he’s guilty’, ‘no, he’s innocent’. Shane: He’s like a light switch on the whole case. Ryan: (wheeze) A very poetic description there.

The detective then took a rectal test to determine that the body was killed around 1:30am.

Shane: Eww. Ryan: (wheeze) I know. To be honest I’m sure there was probably a better way to tell when the body died… than a rectal exam. Shane: Hahahaha! He just did it for kicks, probably! Ryan: Hahaha!

At this time, according to each suspects testimony given to Abe at the time, The District Attorney was in their room, and had coincidentally passed out at exactly 1:30am, while the Colonel, the Mayor and Benjamin all retired to their room between 12:30am and 1:00am, while the chef stayed up until 1:15am to clean up after the mess of the party beforehand.

With no one proving to be the killer, as if suspicions couldn’t get any higher, at 9:30am, an hour after the body was discovered, the detective came back to the crime scene to find the body was nowhere to be found.

Shane: Oh nooooooo! Ryan: Yep. This is about to get interesting. Shane: As if it wasn’t interesting before! Ryan: … Is… is that that sarcasm? Shane: No, I mean it. This is genuinely an interesting case. Ryan: Hmm. I detect a small bit of sarcasm in your voice. Shane: Nah, that’s just how I normally speak.

There was an entire house search by nearly all members in the house, but after a whole hour, the body was never found. The fruitlessness of solving who the killer was, plus the sudden disappearance of the body, became too much, and at 1pm, the detective and the Colonel pulled guns on each other, both accusing each other as the murderer. The duel came to a quick end as, at 1:02pm, Mrs. Celine Barnum, the Mayor’s sister and Mark’s wife, arrived at the house.

Shane: (gasps) The drama! - wait?... ‘Mark’s wife’? Ryan: Yep. Shane: Wouldn’t it be Celine Plier if she’s married to him? Ryan: They were married before he became and actor and changed his name. Just because he changed his surname doesn’t mean she had to change hers too. Shane: I see… but… like the reason I was confused is because… Barnum is the... Colonel guy’s surname, right? Ryan: Oh! Oh, buddy. Keep that thought in mind, for when we get to the juiciness of the theories. Shane: Oooh, I bet the theories are real juicy. Ryan: It’s a lot of juice. Seriously, this case has the most theories I think we’ve ever covered in Buzzfeed Unsolved history. Shane: Oh, Jeez…. ‘Oh, juice!’ (wheeze)

Celine Barnum had been married to Mark for over 4 years and worked as a spirit medium. Believing there were quote “darker forces at work”, Celine insisted that a séance needed to be conducted to get a better understanding as to why her husband was killed.

Shane: How... did she know her husband was killed? Ryan: She was told as she arrived at the house. Shane: Oh, right. Yeah, I was about to ask like who is she? She just bursts into the house, like, ‘I’m here now, fuckers!’- Ryan: (wheezes) Shane: ‘Y’all mother fuckers need Ouija!’

A séance was conducted between Celine and the District Attorney, then there was, according to Benjamin, a second séance conducted between Celine and the Mayor. During this time, the Colonel went to his room after feeling tired and enraged with a number of the other house guests, Benjamin returned to his duties in the kitchen, while the District Attorney, the detective and the chef went outside to discuss the events of the house with the only other employee of the manor, the groundskeeper: George Gardener. Suddenly, 10 minutes later a bright glowing light shown through every door and window in the house.

Shane: Oh no. Ryan: hehehe! Shane: Oh no no no no. Ryan: What’s wrong, Shane? Shane: You’re not going to try and sell me that the whole house is a fucking alien spacecraft, are you? Ryan: Hahahahahahaa! Shane: A fucking UFO? And it just takes off into the night sky? You are, aren’t you? Ryan: Haha. No. But, to be honest, you still won’t like what was actually happening.

All house members ran into the house to inspect the light, and found the light coming from the séance room, and standing in the doorway was something truly disturbing. As described by both Abe and Benjamin, they saw Celine Barnum standing in the light of the doorway, who, quote, “was surrounded in a red glow” and “had an emotionless, ice cold stare”. There was the sound of quote “pierced screeching” described as “the sound of an out-of-frequency radio”. The figured scared the men so much they remained motionless in shock as the door closed, Celine still inside the room, and no sign of the Mayor.

INVESTIGATION: Séance room

Ryan: So err… this is the room where Celine held her séances… Jeez, I don’t like this room at all. All the stuff is still left here, including the board and the... crystal ball. Shane: Did they leave it out of respect or… where they just… lazy? Ryan: I think they were more scared. Shane: Of what? What were they scared of? The glass ball? Ryan: I don’t know. - but, you have to admit, it’s scary looking to that ball, isn’t it? Shane: Nope. Ryan: Just imagine seeing a horrible like monster face screaming at you through the glass. Shane: That’s sounds dope, honestly. Ryan: … Ok. Let start… Is anybody here with us? … Ryan: Celine Barnum, Are you here? … Ryan: Damien Lémieux. Are you here? … Shane: … Ain’t much going on, Ryan. Ryan: Yeah, I know, but we’re just getting started. (Ryan takes out spirit box.) Shane: Miss Celine and Mr Damien, I apologise in advance, as my friend is taking out a screaming box that apparently you can try to talk through… Although you’ll have to speak over the voice on the radio, as Ryan is going to believe any nonsense that comes out of it as you. Ryan: Shuttup. (Ryan turn on spirit box, frequency buzzes through in bursts of white noise.) Ryan: Is there anyone here? /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* Ryan: If there’s anyone here, my name is Ryan, this is Shane. Can you say our names? /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* Shane: It’ll be better if you ask them questions that need an answer that’s more than one syllable long. Ryan: Yeah, good point. Shane: Then it’ll be more convince— /*/IS DEAD/*/* Ryan: … That sounds like a guy saying, ‘he’s dead’. Shane: Yeah… it also sounds like ‘BLEE BLEH’! Ryan: Who’s dead? /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* Shane: Well, they are. Ryan: I’ve told you before, not all ghosts know their dead. /*/GO BAC/*/*/O SLEE/* Shane: … ‘Go back’? Ryan: ‘Go back to sleep’! Shane: (wheeze) Sounds like a nanny! ‘Get back in bed and go back to sleep, you little shits!’ Ryan: Ha ha (!) /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* Ryan: Celine, are you here?... It’s believed you were possessed before you disappeared. Is the thing that possessed you here? /*/*/MAD/NESS/*/*/TO CHOOS/*/* Shane: I don’t think these ‘ghosts’ are the smartest in the world. Ryan: I’m going to turn the box off now. Last chance to speak. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*-- (Crystal ball rolls off table) Ryan: AAUGH! Shane: Jeez! (wheeze) That almost crushed my foot! Ryan: Did you knock it?! Shane: I didn’t. Maybe you did? I wasn’t paying attention. Ryan: It rolled off on its own! Something pushed it! Shane: No, it didn’t. Ryan: Well, how else could it have started rolling on its own? Shane: NOT by a g-g-g-ghost! It’s spherical. It rolls. It’s natural. Ryan: You can’t not admit that it’s strange. Shane: It’s strange, but it’s not... beyond the bounds of reason.  

The groundskeeper, who before had never set foot in the building, locked the door. No one knew what happened in that room during the séance, nor what happened after the door was locked, but whatever happened, when the police finally unlocked the room, Damian Lémieux and Celine Barnum were gone, with no sign of any escape from the room and no evidence of any bodies. All that was left of the siblings was the broken bottom-half of Damien’s cane and Celine’s séance set up.

With this shocking event, the employees of the Manor handed in their contracts and left the house. From 5pm until 8pm, the detective, the Colonel and the District Attorney were the only ones left in the house. What happened during that time is unclear, but Abe claims that the Colonel and the District Attorney came to confront him, in which the Colonel pulled his gun out on him again and shot Abe. Abe was knocked out for over 10 hours and admits to this day that he has no idea what happened to the last two people in the house. At 9:31am on the 14th October Abe Micks finally called the police to the manor.  

(to be continued... )

(’thumbnail’ by @septicstacheedits) 

[charlie-jennings]

Charlie and Ally Hide from the Parade

Charlie and Ally avoid the actual parade, but deal with the fallout all the same.

@allyxroman

{PRE-PARADE DISASTER} Ally was worried about today. A parade in theory was a good thing, it could mean inclusion, maybe things taking a turn for the better. But.....she wasn't naive enough to believe that. New Eden was a lot of things, but being Pro-Switch wasn't one of them. So with the plan in place to spend the afternoon with Charlie watching movies and eating snacks, she headed out to the address he'd given her, hoping that today would be uneventful and her worries were for not. She was usually in her diner clothes when he saw her, and last Friday she'd at least tried to dress up a bit more with jeans and a nice top, but with a day ahead of her of being lazy, she decided on just a simple pair of black leggings and a t-shirt--not like she had to impress him or anything. They were just friends. Just friends. That's what she kept telling herself as she made her way to his building, a tote bag hanging on her shoulder with some movies and boxes of candy inside as she made her way inside and to his floor, letting out a breath as she knocked on his door.

(Charlie)

Since waking up that morning, Charlie had felt a sense of unease. He couldn't quite explain it - there was really no proof that anything was going to go wrong or be bad, he just had over thirty years of experience of being hated. A Pro-Switch rally would never work in a city as prejudiced as New Eden. Something bad was bound to happen. Not that he could convince any of his roommates of that. Or any of his friends. All of them still held onto hope and optimism that maybe things wouldn't be so bad this time. Charlie only felt a little bit of relief when a soft knock sounded at his door. He was glad that Ally would be here today, both because he enjoyed her company and because she wouldn't be anywhere near the parade itself. He smiled at her as he opened the door, relieved to see she'd dressed casual too. He'd thrown on a older, worn-in t-shirt and basketball shorts just long enough to cover his scarred knee. "Hey," he greeted, opening the door wider for her come in. "Looks like it's just us today - all my other roommates are gone." Charlie shut the door behind her and motioned to the small living room, equipped with a couch and a TV and some of his roommates' more flamboyant posters. Luckily, they'd all left early enough for him to clean everything up - it wasn't to his standards, but at least the floors were vacuumed and the counters wiped down. "Feel free to make yourself at home... kitchen's over there, bathroom's just down the hall, and my room's at the end down there." Charlie flushed slightly, realizing she really didn't have a reason to need his room.

Ally

Ally didn't feel her anxieties lessen until he opened the door and she saw his face. The reaction was almost immediate as she felt her shoulders slacken, her whole body practically letting out a sigh, sagging in relief. "Hi." she breathed out, looking him over. He looked more relaxed here, in his space. She liked the look on him--so much so she hoped he hadn't realized she was just staring for a few seconds before she snapped out of it, moving inside once he'd opened the door. She nodded as he spoke of his roommates, glancing around all the while. His place was much bigger than hers, cleaner. Felt more like a home, more lived-in. She almost immediately felt comfortable. As he started pointing out places she followed along with her eyes, a little quirk of her lips as he included where his room was but she didn't make a comment on it, just nodding along. "Okay." She walked in more, taking the bag off her shoulder to put it down on the table nearby before she glanced to the door, making sure it was locked. "It....I don't know. It felt different outside. Like there's tension in the air of the whole city.." she explained, turning to look up at him. "There were police pretty much every corner. I felt like I was being watched as I walked out of my building...." she bit her lip, sighing. "All your roommates went? To the parade?"(edited)

Charlie

Charlie nodded - he hadn't been outside yet, but he could still feel something in the air. "I know what you mean. I hope I'm overreacting and just being ridiculous, but..." he trailed off. But. "Yeah, far as I know, they're all down there." He knew Vienna was back in town but wasn't sure if she'd actually headed down there or not. If he had to guess, she was somewhere in the thick of things. He tried not to think about that. "I, uh, I'm glad you got here alright. I considered actually meeting you at your place or somewhere halfway to walk you here. I think I'm goin' crazy. Everyone else seems to think I'm crazy or just overreactin'." It was a relief to hear Ally wasn't one of those people. Charlie sighed. "Anyway - I, uh, picked up some popcorn and candy for us. And a couple of frozen pizzas..." He looked a little sheepish - honestly, he wished he could've provided a little bit better of a meal, but there wasn't much that could feed two people in his budget. "I know we just had it, but I wasn't sure what else to get."

Ally

"I..don't think you're overreacting. Some people I've been talking to all week were talking about going in groups- safety in numbers and all, but..I dunno. Nothing about any of this sounds safe.." Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say considering his roommates were all out there, but it was the truth. She gave him a little smile as he said he wanted to meet halfway and she shook her head, "It's alright. It's early in the day and before things started, so I figured it'd be okay. I got here in one piece, and it's not too far from where I live at all, so we're good. And you're not going crazy. You're being cautious. That's a good thing, Charlie." She wanted to reach out and take his hand, her fingers had even twitched a bit, about to reach over, before she stopped herself, a little blush on her cheeks at the realization. "Hey, I love pizza, if it wasn't obvious with me eating half of one by myself." She tacked on with a laugh, "So it's very okay with me. We can put one in in a little bit? And I brought some movies too, and some more candy. So we're set. So how about you pick the first movie and I'll make the first bag of popcorn?"

Charlie

Ally wasn't wrong - nothing about this did feel safe, at least to him. At least one other person agreed with him. Charlie didn't realize how close her hand came to touching his, only noticed the blush that mysteriously bloomed across her face. His own cheeks were burning and he mentally cursed himself - he was a thirty plus year old man; his penchant to blush had gotten old very fast. He cleared his throat softly and nodded, grateful that she was alright with the pizza. "Good... next time we hang out, I promise something other than pizza. And not ramen." Charlie wasn't sure exactly how he'd make good on that promise, but he intended to try. "Alright - let me see what movies you got. I'll pick from those. Sound good?"

Ally

Ally noted the similar flush on Charlie's cheeks--noted that she'd seen it before and it made a little smile tug on her lips. She thought it was cute on him..maybe liked the thought that she'd caused it. She wasn't about to dare to say that out loud though. Instead she just focused as he spoke again, a real smile coming onto her face at the words. Next time. They'd barely been together ten minutes and already he was thinking of a next time. ..But that's what friends did right? Hang out. Plan ahead. All just friendly business. She needed to get a grip. "Alright, yeah. The candy in there too is for both of us, so just take whatever you'd like and give me like..five minutes." She announced, toeing off her shoes by the door and taking one of the popcorn bags, heading off to where he'd pointed the kitchen out to be. It felt a bit strange, walking around his domain like this- but strange in a good way. She didn't feel uncomfortable here, or like she was walking on eggshells. The fridge was probably stocked, the cabinets full of various mugs and plates and things. Much more of a home than her own place was. She allowed herself to take it all in once the bag was in the microwave, looking at all the little knickknacks and things around the room before the popcorn finished and she pulled it out, walking the path back to where the living room was and giving Charlie a smile as she saw him, padding over to him. "Did you pick?"

Charlie

Charlie watched as she headed toward the kitchen, little smile on his face. Ally seemed at ease, comfortable, not at all like the uncertain girl he'd first met for lunch and taken up to his favorite fire escape. And why shouldn't she feel comfortable? They were just friends, even if the phrase seemed to make his gut wrench. By the time she came back, he'd already plucked out the original Halloween and put it in the DVD player. "You got good taste in movies," Charlie complimented as she returned. He scooted over on the couch so she'd have plenty of room and let her get comfortable. "Not sure if it's a good idea or not, but I picked Halloween. We can definitely watch something a lot lighter after if you feel up to it..."

Ally

Ally smiled at the compliment, nodding her appreciation towards him as she went to the couch and sat beside him, her legs curling up under herself as she comfortable. "Charlie." She started, already starting to eat some before offering him the bag. "I packed it because I like it." And because he said he liked it too. "So it's okay with me, promise. Unless I mean..if you want to watch something lighter after..." she asked with a grin, nudging at him a bit. "I have a musical or two. Some Disney movies. I bet you're a Hercules fan.."

Charlie

Charlie couldn't help but groan a little bit, chuckling at her suggestion. "Is it - is it weird that I ain't really seen Disney movies?" he asked, turning to look at her. "We didn't really watch TV and movies growing up. And by the time I was old enough to go do whatever on my own, I figured out I liked cheesy ass horror movies. Action, some comedies... but yeah, Hercules? Got no clue about it."

Ally

Ally paused at that, looking over at him, "Wait--really?" she tilted her head a bit at him. At least growing up she'd seen mostly all of them and was even allowed a tv in her bedroom (her parents' attempts to give her something to 'occupy' her with to try and sway her away from painting their walls). "I mean, there's nothing wrong with cheesy horror movies--hence why I even brought some of those comedy horror ones, but..you need to see some Disney. I loved them as a kid. And, well..for the first entire year of my boarding school? I kept to myself so I watched them a lot. They made me feel better. Feel...normal, I guess."

Charlie

Charlie shrugged. "Yeah, really. I mean, my momma took me to see the Lion King when I was a kid, but that's about the extent of it for me." There wasn't the extra money for movie theaters and VHS players. "I mean, I'll try 'em out." Even if he was a grown ass man, if it made Ally happy.... She was his friend after all. Just his friend. They were just friends. "I'm glad you had 'em with you then and they helped. Horror movies always did that for me, especially once I got out." Charlie knew it was messed up that after all the blood and gore he'd seen while serving in the military, horror movies still offered him the most comfort. It was like they made it easy to pretend the things he'd seen were as fake as what was on the screen. "You got Hercules with you?"

Ally

"That was one of my favorites." Little fourteen year old Ally figured if Simba could survive all on his own out in the real world, maybe she could too. "Yeah?" She grinned, nodding. "Okay yeah. I won't make you watch all of them. And in return I'll watch whatever scary movies you want." She figured it'd be a good compromise. Besides, there really wasn't anything much scarier than reality, so bring it on. She passed the popcorn between them as he spoke and she looked over at him, humming softly. It actually made sense, that horror movies helped once he was out of war. This time she didn't resist as she reached over, laying her hand on his arm for a moment. "I'm glad you had something too. I...I can't imagine.." she trailed off, shaking her head. She didn't want either of them to think about what he'd been through, what he'd seen and experienced in all his years in the military. Instead she squeezed his arm gently before passing the bag back to him. "I do, yeah. I brought that one, Lion King, and Aladdin--that one's actually my favorite."

Charlie

Charlie turned to look at her when he felt her soft, warm hand fall on his arm. Her touch was soft and warm and electric all at once. "Ain't got to imagine, darlin'. It's alright now." It wasn't alright and it would never be alright, but he didn't want Ally to worry and wonder and get herself lost in it. "How's this then, we'll finish this movie up and do Aladdin," he offered, shooting her a small smile. "That way we both get to see what we like. Maybe you can convert me on these Disney movies."

Ally

There it was again, just like the other night. Darlin'. She'd never been called anything like that before. Never knew what it was like for someone to call her a petname or anything of the sort. It was nice--especially coming from him. It was probably just more of his southern gentlemanly ways coming through though, nothing to get all...fluttery over. "If you say so." Ally murmured in response. She didn't think it was all that true--something like that? She didn't think it'd ever truly be okay, but she wasn't going to push it. Instead at the movie offer she smiled, nodding at him, "Okay deal. Then after we can get one of those pizzas going, maybe watch a comedy or something." By then the parade would probably be in full swing- so a comedy would be something very useful in trying to not think about reality just outside the windows.

Charlie

Charlie nodded and settled back onto the couch, propping up his long legs on the coffee table. It was actually fairly quiet; he was used to the outside noise and maybe one of his neighbors screaming or fucking in the background. He supposed everyone really had gone to that stupid fucking parade. "I'm good with that," he replied. He reached over for the bowl of popcorn, feeling a new blush creep up his face when his hand brushed against hers. Christ, what was he, 12? Charlie stole a quick glance at her before bringing up his handful of popcorn. How was he supposed to concentrate on the movie?

Ally

Ally glanced over as he propped his legs up, noting that the shorts rode up just enough that she could see the beginnings of the scarring of his knee. She wanted to see the rest, wanted to know more about his past. But she wasn't about to ask. Again, it wasn't her business--if he ever wanted her to know, he'd tell her. At least, that's what she told herself. She tried to focus on the movie, her own flush coloring her face as their hands brushed together and she had to let out a breath, mentally shaking her head at herself. She'd never been this person- some shy, flustered girl around a boy--a man, nearly ten years older--. He was just her friend and she needed to relax. Eventually she managed to, watching the rest of the movie. It was more towards the end that she got sucked into it, so much so that the music and the suspense made her tense up, jumping at one point and she huffed out a laugh, groaning as she dropped her forehead against his shoulder for a second, "Yeah, we're definitely watching Disney after this..."

Charlie

Charlie settled into watching the movie, only occasionally glancing over to Ally to make sure she was alright with the movie. He was a little surprised when she jumped toward the end and leaned into him. Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “You alright?” He asked, looking down at her with a grin on his face. “We’ll make sure to get you some Disney after this for sure. You’ve been a trooper.”

Ally

“Yeah, yeah, just...got too sucked in I guess.” She mumbled, her face flushed as she finally pulled her head up to look at him. Their faces were close and his body was warm and solid against hers—at least she had a good excuse for the flush on her face this time, and the awkwardness as she pulled away. She couldn’t really focus too much at the end of the movie, too hyper-aware of Charlie beside her until the credits finally rolled. “I’d say I’ll go start the pizza, but I don’t know how the oven works and I don’t wanna burn your place down.” She teased lightly. “Wanna do tjat while I get the next movie ready?”

Charlie

Charlie gently nudged her with his elbow, giving her a playful smile. “Alright, I’ll go put it in for us,��� he said, groaning softly as he got up from the couch. Slowly, he made his way to the kitchen and busied himself putting it in. As it preheated, he came back in and plopped back down on the couch. Charlie pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “Well, parade oughta be starting soon...”

Ally

Ally gave him a grin as he agreed, nodding and watching him go, once again alone in his space. She looked around again, a little smile on her lips at how...homey it all was. She didn’t have a tv in her apartment, barely had a couch. Her space was as isolated as the rest of her life. But this, this was much nicer. When he came back she snapped out of her thoughts, her smile dimming “Yeah...probably.” She agreed, looking to the window before back to him, letting out a breath. “Thank you again, for inviting me over. I.....I don’t know how today is gonna play out.  But I’m glad I’m not alone.” She murmured, looking to him as he sat beside her again. “I..I feel safe. With you.”

Charlie

“You’re welcome. It’s nice to have someone over to hang out with.” Vienna was one of his closest friends, but they had a different dynamic. He doubted that she’d ever sit on the couch and hang out the way Ally had. “You can always feel safe here, Ally... I wouldn’t ever let no one hurt you when you’re around me.” Charlie meant that sincerely - so long as she was around, she’d be safe. “Anytime you need or want to come over, you can.”

Ally

Ally huffed out an amused little breath, humming a bit, “You have no idea.” She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she just..hung out. Probably when she was still in school. As he spoke again she smiled, something warm settling in her. She’s never had that either—someone to protect her, who cared about her wellbeing and wanted her safe. It left something akin to butterflies in her belly. But they were just friends, she had no reason to be feeling things like that. “I’ll keep that in mind. And well, my place is tiny...and I don’t really have a tv, but you’d be welcome there too. For the record.” She met his eyes for a moment more before letting out a breath and nodding to the tv, “You um..ready? For Aladdin?”

Charlie

Charlie nodded. "Ain't nothing wrong with tiny," he replied, giving her a small smile. "Honestly, I lived in a place like that for a couple months when I first came here, trying to get my footing." It was a trade off - either have a very cramped apartment with virtually nothing in it or have roommates which you may or may not get along with. He'd gotten lucky with his own. "Yeah, Aladdin sounds good to me. I got to get up in a couple minutes to put the pizza in, but go ahead and start it." Charlie sat through the first couple of minutes, only getting up again when he heard the ding in the kitchen, signalling the preheating was done. "I'll be right back..."

Ally

Ally shrugged, "I've been there almost a year. And honestly? I don't think I could ever afford much else. I'm barely scraping by as-is. If it weren't for the diner and the free food I got a few times a week...?" she trailed off, pursing her lips a bit. She didn't want to think about living in a shelter, or being homeless. She was grateful she at least had a roof over her head, a bed to sleep in. It was more than some others got. She hit play with a smile, laughing as she shook her head and tugged him back down, "No, you watch! Don't make me quiz you at the end." She told him with mock-seriousness, waving a finger at him as she stood. "I'll get the pizza, you enjoy a classic." with a smile she was off, taking care of putting the pizza in the oven and coming back a few minutes later with a box of m&m's. "I never got to ask you what your favorite candy is.. And do you prefer candy candy, or chocolatey ones?"

Charlie

"No, I understand... toward the end of my pay period, I pretty much live on those ninety-nine cent ramen packs and Vienna's goodwill." Though she didn't say anything, his roommate tended to notice when he began skipping meals to save money. He'd often find a banana or bread and jam left on his bed even if he swore she hadn't seen him skip. "It fucking sucks being broke..." Didn't they all know it. It wasn't like a switch could do much to improve the situation either. Charlie let out a playful sigh and nodded, settling back into his seat as Ally went to put the pizza in. He looked up at her question and shrugged. "I don't eat much candy, but when I do, it's usually chocolate."

Ally

"Same except instead of ramen it's those mac and cheese cups." She replied with a laugh, grinning at the thought that they just continued to have all these similarities- even ones as silly as their cheap food. "It does. But...still. There's people who're worse off. At least we have jobs, we have places to call home. Shit's bad but..it could be worse." Once she was back to the couch with her box of chocolates in hand she offered it over to him with a smile, nodding to her bag, "I have peanut m&m's in there too. And those ones that have caramel inside. Had I known you preferred chocolate I would've stayed more with that, but I also have skittles, gummy bears.." she blushed a bit, shrugging. "I wanted to make sure I'd have something you liked."

Charlie

"Yeah... that's what I try to tell myself. Plenty of homeless switches out there with no hope of really getting anything more." Charlie had seen it countless times, often on his commute when people would flock to the busses just to get out of bad weather or the cold. Resources for homeless were reserved for dominants and submissives first. "Shit, you ain't got to do all that," Charlie replied, shaking his head. "I appreciate it. But one thing you oughta know about me is that I'll eat anything. Literally." His lips curved into a little smile as he reached in to take a few M&Ms out of the box. "There wasn't such a thing as picky growing up. Whatever was cooked was what I ate and it only took a couple nights of goin' hungry to figure out I hated how that felt more than I hated how something tasted. When I got into the military? Only got that drilled into my head that much more. MREs and slop in the chow hall was always better than nothing."

Ally

"Exactly. And trust me. That whole...being homeless thing? Not fun." After school she had no where to go while in Washington. She tried busking painting in the park, tried applying to places, but no one wanted to hire a lowly switch. It was almost a month of moving around until she managed to find a roommate in a sub who was desperate enough even to take in a switch if it meant a little extra income. And for the few years Ally lived there, it worked. "Hey, it's not about being picky! Just because you're not picky doesn't mean you don't have preferences. Like the other day with the pizza? I said I don't like olives--doesn't mean I won't eat'em if it's all there is. So if there's choices, you should get what you like the most. And in this case, the choices are of the sugary variety." she smiled as she said it. "And hopefully the choices I brought are better than military food." she nodded to her bag for him to take whatever he wanted out of there. "For the record? I like peanut m&m's. And gummy bears."

Charlie

Charlie chuckled. "I guess I really ain't got preferences neither. I just eat whatever's in front of me." There had never been much room for him have a preference for food in life. "If you held a gun to my head I ain't sure I could tell you what I truly prefer. I'd just make a choice but I feel pretty much the same about it all... but I will say, yes - what you brought is better than any of the shit I ate in the military." He shot Ally a grin and nodded. "I'll remember that." For what, he wasn't sure - they were just hanging out, just friends. Maybe as a birthday gift or a snack for the next time they hung out he supposed. "There's some gummy bears I bought at the dollar store, but they're probably a little more hard then gummy."

Ally

"Ugh, fine." Ally rolled her eyes at him but had a smile on her face as she ate a few more candies, not wanting to fill up solely on junkfood when they had pizza coming to them shortly. "If you ever change in the future though and start having preferences? Let me know. Otherwise you'll totally be showing me up as the better friend in this pairing by remembering all of my favorites." Ally smiled as he spoke, taking her eyes off the screen to look at him, "I don't mind if they're a bit harder. I don't discriminate. All gummy candy is good candy in my eyes." She continued watching the movie then until the pizza was finished, not really realizing it as she started humming along to the music a bit, mumbling some of the lyrics under her breath unconsciously.

Charlie

"I doubt I could show you up at anything, for the record," Charlie commented, popping a couple of the candies into his mouth. The movie was fine - it wasn't really his thing but there was no way in hell he'd say that to Ally. She was relaxed and clearly enjoying it which meant more to him than anything. Charlie noticed the way she hummed and softly sang the lyrics as she got up to take the pizza out, making him suddenly more focused on her than the movie. It was cute and it was nice to see her enjoy herself. With a smile, he got up from the couch to join her in the small kitchen. "Sorry, didn't mean to miss the movie, just wanted to show you where the plates and stuff was..." Charlie accidentally brushed against her as he reached up to get a couple of plates down and opened up the drawer to pull out the pizza cutter for them.

Ally

Ally glanced over at him, a little smile on her face at the comment but she didn't say anything back, instead she just tried to stamp down those silly flutters inside herself again. She promised she'd be right back as she went back to the kitchen once the oven beeped, getting the pizza out to cool. Before she could even call out to him to ask where the plates and things were though he was there and she smiled, a little flush of pink coloring her cheeks as he easily reached over her to get out the plates. "I probably would've needed a step-stool to get them anyways." she quipped back lightly, a little smile on her lips. With his help she got everything cut up and just brought it all over to the couch where she curled up once again with the plate in her lap, her expression a bit bashful as she looked to the credits rolling. "Thanks for indulging me. You can pick the next movie. I just..always liked that one. I think it's the whole....even if you're poor and seen as worthless to the world..you can still find someone that could maybe one day love you. And it won't be for money or anything fancy. Just..for being yourself."

Charlie

Charlie grinned at her. "Well, you can always use my height," he teased gently. He ate his couple of slices of pizza quietly, amused by Ally's obvious joy in the movie. It wasn't that he found it childish - moreso that he was glad to know of a couple things that brought her joy. It was clear from the stories she shared that she had little to be happy about - hell, the two of them had that in common. Charlie could definitely understand her explanation in loving the movie. "No, I get it... I do." He'd had love like that once, or at least he thought he had. He'd never been naive enough to think that he and his ex could work once they were back stateside, but it didn't make being abandoned feel any better. "We can do something funny next, maybe, since we already had scary. Sound good to you?"

Ally

"Gee thanks." Ally teased, smirking at him in between bites. "Can't offer the same, sadly. Maybe like, an arm rest or something."  The more time she spent with him, the more relaxed she felt, at ease. It should've scared her, how easily she felt she could open up to him. Her walls were coming down at an alarming rate--but when he smiled at her, she found herself not quite scared of it. "Comedy is good." She agreed, finishing off another slice and getting more comfortable, practically sinking into the couch. Besides, a comedy would be a great way to get her mind off what could be happening in the city now that the parade was no doubt in full swing.

Charlie

Charlie got up and changed out the movies, picking and old Seth Rogen comedy for them to watch. He briefly glanced at his phone to check the time and see what was going on - it was well after two now. The parade was definitely in full swing. Nothing bad had happened so far. The knots that'd been in his stomach all morning were slowly easing up. He plopped back on the couch beside Ally and put his feet back up on the coffee table. Usually he was careful about keeping the scars on his knee covered, but this time he didn't even notice the shorts had ridden up. Charlie was more focused on the screen and trying to stay awake - now that he had his belly full and was comfortable, it was getting hard to keep his eyes open.

Ally

Ally finished with her food for now and leaned forward to put the plate on the table as Charlie sat back down beside her. As he did and he put his legs back up she noticed that he didn't tug the shorts further, uncovering more of his knee. She bit her lip as she stared for a moment, a little frown tugging on her lips. "You...you said it doesn't hurt you anymore, right? Just..uncomfortable sometimes?" She asked softly, unconsciously shuffling a bit closer to him, almost like trying to get a better look. "Either way, I'm...sorry you have to deal with it. I'm sorry you don't get more help for it when you deserve it.."

Charlie

Charlie looked over at her, noticing how far his shorts had ridden up for the first time. He hastily pulled the leg back down, covering up the scarring. "No... it don't hurt most of the time," he explained. "I get pins and needles in it, sometimes it goes numb. Sometimes it does hurt and feels like someone's set fire to it. There was a lot of nerve damage done to it," he explained. He shrugged. "I got it replaced and that's the best I could hope for. It's fine now." Clearly this was a sensitive subject. It wasn't fine. He wasn't fine. Charlie still suffered occasional nightmares and panic attacks and his knee did sometimes hurt. But what could he do? The physical therapy was the only thing he could afford and he barely afforded that.

Ally

Ally opened her mouth to speak but then stopped, frowning instead as she saw him hastily tugging his shorts back down. "Sorry--I'm sorry. I..- you don't have to talk about it. I didn't mean to stare.." she severely hoped her lapse in judgement wouldn't ruin the otherwise good time they'd been having and she let out a breath, biting her lip. "Just um....if you ever wanted to talk about it? Or...about anything. Or vent or..whatever? You can. With me. Just...yeah."  She sounded ridiculous, she should just stop. "Sorry."

Charlie

"No, you ain't got to be sorry. You didn't do nothin' wrong," Charlie replied, shaking his head. "I just - it's a sore subject." And it had wounded him far more deeply than just physically in the end. He couldn't run like he had once before, he was slower as a whole, and some nights the pain and the pins and needles feeling kept him up. "I'm sorry for being weird about it... it's just a - a thing I got," Charlie explained. "I'll talk about it one day... just - maybe not today?" Today was too good of a day to get bogged down with ghosts from his past.

Ally

Ally rolled her lips into her mouth, shaking her head, "No, it's fine. You have nothing to apologize for and...you don't ever have to tell me if you don't want, okay? I'm not entitled to your past or anything." and she wasn't. They were friends now sure, and he knew more about her past than anyone else ever has, but that still didn't mean he had to reciprocate. She shouldn't be nosy. She moved to grab her bag then, taking out the bag of gummy bears and giving him a little attempt at a smile, "Peace offering?"

Charlie

Charlie offered her a smile, hoping to show her that he wasn't mad or upset with her. "Ain't nothin' you need to make peace over. I promise." But he took a couple gummy bears from the bag all the same and popped them into his mouth. "And Ally? I promise I'll tell you one day..." Just not today. He supposed it wasn't entirely fair given that he did know so much about her past already, but there were some things that were too personal. Too close. Things he didn't like to think about with himself, let alone talk about with other people. Charlie was glad when they settled back into the movie, enjoying the peaceful, quiet companionship that they shared. He was starting to feel a bit drowsy again, a consequence of being full and comfortable and plain exhausted.

Ally

There he went being sweet again, and there went those damn butterflies again. She really needed to get ahold of herself. She tried to tell herself it's just because he was the first person to befriend her and show her kindness--of course she'd maybe develop some sort of crush because of that. It was just something silly and would go away with him. That's all. Right? "Whenever you want. There's no rush or..anything. And if you never do, that's okay too. It won't make me like you any less." She ate a few more gummy bears after that, settling in with him, thankful that the awkward tension she herself had created had dissipated. Instead she just focused on the movie and again the comfort of just being around him. She felt relaxed, at ease as she shuffled more into the couch, and before the movie was even finished, Ally found herself dozing off beside him, her head lolling off and resting against his shoulder, her body slumping a bit into his side.

Charlie

Charlie leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. He could feel Ally's warm little body close to his and didn't miss her head coming to rest on his shoulder. He was careful not to move his shoulder and just let her rest right where she was. Hell, he was tired too. It was all too easy to slip into a little doze right along with her even if he felt his stomach doing flips. Was he really so starved for touches and affection? Was this what he'd been reduced to - getting all worked up just because a pretty girl laid her head on his shoulder? Christ he had to get it together. Ally was sweet and gorgeous but he got the impression that the last thing she wanted was anything more than a friend. Charlie wasn't sure how long they dozed. It felt like something between five minutes and five hours. All he knew was that suddenly their phones began to blow up at once with a public emergency alert, and his text message sound was going haywire as well. They both shot up and he reached for his phone, unable to make sense of things at first in his sleep haze. "Oh fuck..." he finally muttered once he realized what was going on. "Oh fuck." Vienna was trapped inside some bar, right in the middle of the riot.

Ally

Ally didn't even remember falling asleep and she certainly didn't know how much time had passed, but the loud, sudden blaring coming from both their phones made her shoot awake, jolting off him in surprise. It took her a second to get her bearings, her fingers fumbling a bit with her phone to turn off the siren noise. But once it did and she was coherent enough to read the alert on her phone her stomach dropped. An incident. A curfew. Something happened. She looked over worriedly as Charlie's own phone continued to go off, seeing the fear there. She realized then she could hear muffled noises out the window and she put her phone down, moving towards it and moving the curtains to look outside. People were running, some screaming. Some were running away, some were running towards. Something bad was happening and she felt the fear wash over her like a cold wave. "Ch-Charlie.."

Charlie

Charlie was texting his roommate back and forth, worry clear on his face. As Ally called for him, he moved over and stood behind her to get a look out of the window. Gently, he put his hand on her waist and slowly pulled her back. "C'mon, let's get away from the windows..." he suggested, suddenly feeling cold pooling in the base of his spine. Once Ally had moved away, he closed the blinds just as a precaution and walked to the front door to ensure it was fully locked. "Vienna's down there," he murmured, looking quite panicked. "I can't get even fuckin' get to her... she's down there with a broke nose and I can't leave. Who knows where the others are..." Leaving meant an instant arrest according to the emergency alert. Charlie couldn't afford to get arrested. "You can stay here," he offered, as if she had a choice. "And when the curfew is over, I'll take you home..."

Ally

She wished she'd looked away just a second earlier--maybe then she wouldn't have seen someone bashing in the windows of an apartment across the street. Were the people outside Switches? People who hated Switches? What if they tried to come here too? Ally's head was spinning, fear mounting up in her by the second even as she let him lead them away from the window. She didn't miss the way he closed the blind though, how he made sure to lock the door. It did little to quell the panic prickling through her body. She noticed he was panicking too though and she went over to him, reaching up to cup his cheek for a second just to make him focus. "H-Hey, hey. She's okay though right? I mean.....overall?" How okay could she be? With a broken nose? "Just..try and contact your other roommates...your friends." She realized then that she herself didn't really have anyone to contact. What if she'd gone to the parade after all. What if she'd gotten hurt? No one would've even noticed. She'd have no one to try and contact... She pushed those thoughts away, squeezing her eyes closed for a second as she tried to drown out the muffled commotion going on outside.

Charlie

"I - I think so," Charlie replied, grateful to have Ally here to calm him. If he'd been all alone here, there was a fairly good chance he'd be breaking curfew and making his way to Vienna, trouble be damned. Now he had someone else to worry about and protect and he couldn't abandon her here by herself. "I'll reach out... figure it out." There was Daya to think of too, and Max, and Aaliyah - had they all gone? Were they alright? Charlie shuddered from the thought. He didn't miss the fear written all over Ally though. He reached for her hand, gently squeezing it. "Hey... hey. Don't be scared, alright...? You're safe here. I promise." No one could hurt her here. "We'll be alright." It was loud outside and he was sure it wasn't going to calm down any time soon, but they would be safe as long as they stayed inside. "C'mon... let's sit back down on the couch, turn the TV up louder so we ain't got to listen to that shit outside."

Ally

"She's...she's texting at least. That's..a good thing." She knew enough about Vienna to know that the girl was important to Charlie, so she hoped she was okay. She didn't want to think about what Charlie might do if she wasn't. "Okay.."  She had some people at least..right? That Daya girl had been really nice to her. Tegan. Even the big one with the tattoos who liked baking. Maybe this was a wakeup call to stop isolating herself so much. If everyone got out of this somewhat okay, maybe she just might. Ally looked down to her hand for a second as Charlie grabbed it and she swallowed, hesitantly curling her fingers over his own and she stepped a bit closer as she heard a car alarm go off, followed by what sounded like more shattered glass. "Wh-What if we're not though? What if.....what if they try coming here? If switches are being targeted maybe...?" her mind was running a mile a minute, panic clawing more up her throat at the thoughts flooding her head. This was a switch-centric neighborhood...

Charlie

It was. The more Charlie heard from her, the better he felt. Clearly, however, Ally was still afraid. “They won’t come in through here. And if they do, I won’t let nothing happen to you. I promise.” Charlie would do everything he could anyway. “What could I do to make you feel better?” He asked, slowly running his thumb across her knuckles.

Ally

Ally was scared. And she was panicking, and she needed to get a handle on herself. She was safe. Here with Charlie. He..he’d keep her safe. She just needed to keep repeating that to herself in her head, over and over. His thumb over her her knuckles brought her back to reality, his skin a bit calloused and rough but warm, gentle. She shook her head. “Just..just stay with me.” Not like he had much choice- he could get arrested if he left. But still. She couldn’t go back to watching movies, pretend like chaos wasn’t happening right outside the door. “Try and call your friends.” She offered, figuring he had more to worry about than her and her panic attack.

Charlie

“I ain’t going nowhere,” Charlie assured her. Not that he could. “They’re fine - I’ve been getting texts in from them.” He hoped to soothe her, make her feel a little better about their situation. Going back to watching movies didn’t seem possible now. “If it’d make you feel better, you can take a bath. I ain’t got any bubble bath or nothing but soaking in the water is relaxing all the same. Would that help?” Charlie asked, hoping to find something that would soothe her.

Ally

Ally rolled her lips into her mouth, nodding. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she quickly got it out, fumbling a bit to read the message there. "My boss?" she murmured. Apparently her diner had become on of the places people were flocking to and she frowned the more she read the group text sent to her and her coworkers. "A...a fight broke out. People got hurt....cops are all over.." she let out a shaky breath, pocketing it once again. "It'll be closed tomorrow." at least she didn't have to worry about going to work, but if things were damaged... She sighed, shaking her head before looking back up to him, a tiny little attempt at a smile on her lips- even if it didn't even come close to meeting her eyes."A bath, huh?"

Charlie

Charlie’s brow furrowed - it seemed hard to believe that all this was happening right outside. What had started it? And what were the chances there would be blowback for the switches? “That’s probably for the best,” Charlie said evenly. “No telling what’s gonna happen in the next couple days...” Not to scare her - he was just a practical guy who knew how these things would work. Charlie softened a bit and nodded. “Yeah, if you want... anything that’ll make you feel better. Baths help me feel better.”

Ally

The next couple days.... What would all this mean? Whatever it was..it wasn't going to be good for switches. She felt something twist unpleasantly in her stomach at the thought.

But for now they were safe. Charlie's friends were okay. She had to focus on what little positives she could. She looked up at him then, at his expression. He was another positive. He was probably just as scared as she was--probably more so given his loved ones were out there-- yet here he was, just trying to calm her down and make sure she was okay. She didn't deserve him. She debated for a moment before nodding, figuring it might be a good idea. "A-Alright..might as well since you're stuck with me all night."

Charlie

Charlie offered her a smile. “C’mon, I ain’t stuck with you. We just got an extended movie night.” He nodded down the hallway and put his hand on the small of Ally’s back, guiding her down the hall. “You can borrow one of my shirts and some shorts if you want. They’ll probably be way too big for you,” Charlie said with a smirk. He opened the door to his room and led her inside, motioning toward his closet. “You can pick out anything you want. And the bathroom’s just outside the hall. Everything’s clean, I promise - clean towels under the sink. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything...”

Ally

Ally managed to roll her eyes, trying to keep focusing on positives, not dwell on the chaos. They were inside, she was with Charlie, she was safe. She repeated it like a mantra. She felt his hand on his back and leaned into it a bit, letting him lead her into his room. Once again she found herself looking around, taking in all the sights of his space. She looked to his closet and nodded, another little smile on her face. “I don’t mind.” She was alone in his room then and she looked around, amused by the pinup posters he had. Images of women she could never live up to—but it didn’t matter, she was just his friend. She had no reason to try and live up to anything in his eyes. She didn’t go through his closet for too long, just pulled out an older T-shirt, one that was soft and worn and another pair of shorts he had. He was right, they’d be big on her, but oh well. With a little pile of clothes in hand she went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and trying her best to stop thinking of everything happening outside.

Charlie

Charlie let her relax in the tub for a little while as he checked up on his friends. Everyone he could reach was safe as far as he could tell, though he still worried. It was a long night ahead. He watched the news to try to get a sense of what was happening, but no one seemed to know. There was mass confusion and panic as everyone struggled to figure out what was going on. It was a while later before Ally emerged and he couldn’t help but grin at how big his clothes were on her. “Feel any better...?” He asked, scooting back over so she could sit on the couch beside him.

Ally

In the end she just took a shower, and it at least helped a little, the water pouring on her drowning out the thoughts in her head. She hoped His roommates wouldn’t mind it as she used some of their shampoo and conditioner and a little while later she was out. She’d texted Daya, sent a few more messages out to people she’d been friendly with other the last few weeks, got updates from work. A window had been busted through, looters tried to take food. Might be closed the next day too. She sighed as she thought about the hit her paycheck was going to take but...oh well. Charlie was right that his clothes were huge on her, the sleeves of the t-shirt nearly going beyond her elbows and the shorts passed her knees. The clothes smelled like him though and were soft and clean so she was very okay with it all. She left her damp hair over her shoulder as she walked back out, a bit shy as she met his eyes and hummed a bit. “Yeah..a little.” She assured, moving to sit beside him. She saw the news on, tjat pit in her stomach growing again. “Any...updates?”

Charlie

Charlie considered lying to her, but knew it would do little good. Eventually Ally would see the news for herself. "There's been people killed," he said, his voice soft. How many? They wouldn't know any time soon - probably not for days the full effect of the violence. "Everyone I've reached out are okay though... shaken up for sure, but okay." He could tell that the news was only making Ally more anxious. "We should watch something else. Ain't nothing we can do about any of it anyway. We can put on another movie..." Even though that felt wildly inappropriate. Charlie wanted a cigarette, but even he was nervous about going outside even to the fire escape. Just because he wasn't afraid of much didn't mean he was in a hurry to go looking for trouble. "You, uh - you drink?" he asked. "Can have some of my whiskey if you want..."

Ally

Ally’s face fell at the news of people being dead. How many? Five? Ten? more? She exhaled shakily, nodding “That....that’s good at least..” she mumbled, settling in beside him. “I never realized just how...isolated I am. Til now. I don’t really have anyone to contact. To check on. And likewise....” she trailed off, pursing her lips. “If I were out there, if something happened, who would care?” She said it more rhetorically, mumbled to herself more than anything. “I don’t feel like watching a movie right now but...yeah. I drink. A drink sounds good right about now actually.”

Charlie

Charlie gently nudged Ally again, hoping to make her feel better. As if it was possible in a situation like this. "Hey, you got someone now... and someone to check on you," he added. She no longer had to be isolated and alone if she didn't want to - he would take care of her just as he tried to do with Vienna. "Alright, then let me go grab what we need." He got up from the couch again and disappeared into his room to pull out a new-er bottle of whiskey. Only a quarter of it had been drunk so far. Charlie set it down on the coffee table and then disappeared into the kitchen to grab some mugs from them to drink out of. Normally, he drank straight from the bottle, but this seemed more polite. "How much are you thinking?" he asked, unscrewing the cap on top.(edited)

Ally

Ally looked over as he nudged her,his words at least somewhat soothing her frayed nerves.  “So you’re my walker and my bodyguard now?” She asked softly, trying to relax some more as she gave him a little nudge, leaning against him for a moment. “For what it’s worth...you have me too.” She moved off of him so he could get up to get the drinks, and soon enough she had a mug in front of her and she let out a breath “However much you think this situation calls for.”

Charlie

Charlie laughed. "I'm just a friend who knows how to beat up people who could hurt you," he explained. "And I appreciate knowin' you got my back." He poured a generous amount of whiskey into the mugs, about half full, and passed it over to her. "I'm thinkin' at least this much," Charlie replied, bringing the mug up to his lips for a drink. The taste didn't phase him anymore even though it was strong and cheap. "I got some cards if you'd rather play cards than watch this." The death toll on the TV was rapidly rising as the announcers became more frantic and Charlie didn't want Ally to panic anymore than she already had.

Ally

Ally smiled again, more genuinely this time, “Sounds an awful lot like a bodyguard to me.” She teased softly. She accepted the mug with a sigh, wincing as the alcohol burned the back of her throat but she welcomed it, it gave her something else to focus on for a moment. “If you want..” she murmured, shrugging. She looked at the tv again, feeling dread pooling in her body. The death count was already nearing one hundred...  “Can you turn it off?”

Charlie

Charlie nodded, ready for a break from the bad news himself. He reached for the remote and turned the TV off. But without any noise coming through, all of the yells and breaking glass from outside were amplified even more. He reached for the mug and took another sip. "I'll get the cards... you, uh, want to put on some music from your phone?" he asked. "Whatever you like best. I'll grab my charger for you too." Better Ally to pick her favorite than him - he knew his taste of music wouldn't exactly help the anxiety in the room.

Ally

The silence in the room amplified the chaos outside and she swallowed, glancing to the window before back to the cup, forcing herself to take a long drink. “Yeah, I’ll put something on.” She murmured, letting him go off. Curiosity got the better of her once alone and she couldn’t help but walk over to the window, peeking through the corner of the blinds to look down below.  So much for a curfew, given the people out there. There was a store down the block with the windows smashed open, people running in and out to steal things. Others were yelling, close to fighting. All that was missing was something on fire for it to be a true riot— and even then she didn’t doubt there was one happening a few blocks away. “God...”(edited)

Charlie

Charlie returned back to the room, pausing just in the doorway to watch Ally. She was looking out of the window again, no doubt at all the chaos down below. "C'mere, darlin'," he said gently, hoping to coax her away. "Best they don't see anyone's up here, just in case..." Much as he was trying to be confidant that no rogue rioters would find their way up here, truth was, Charlie figured it could go either way. Less anyone saw anything up here, the better. He set the cards and the charger down on the coffee table and took a seat on the floor before beginning to shuffle the deck. "Alright, your pick - war, blackjack, go fish - or somethin' else if you got an idea," Charlie offered, pausing his shuffling to take a sip of whiskey.

Ally

Ally bit her lip, glancing out for a moment more before listening to him, letting him pull her away. She made sure the blinds were fully drawn, the curtains covering. “Sorry..” She murmured, looking back to him “the store on the corner...it’s been looted. Windows smashed in cars..” “I only know blackjack. I never really learned anything else.” She told him softly as she moved to sit beside him on the ground. She stayed close to him, feeling at least a little bit safer next to him and she grabbed her phone, tapping a few things on the screen before music started to play. “What’s your favorite? Teach me something?”

Charlie

Charlie nodded. Clearly, things had escalated quickly and they'd continue to do so until the police finally put a stop to the riot. Problem was, he had little doubt the police would contribute to as many deaths as the riot had - they'd just never admit to it. Instead of saying as much, however, he merely began dealing the cards evenly between them. "I'll teach you War then, pretty simple," he started, grateful that the soft music Ally played was enough to drown out most of the noise going on outside. "So - we each got twenty-six cards. We'll turn over each card one by one and whoever's got the highest card wins the stack. If they're the same, then you put down one card face down, one face up. Whoever's got the highest card wins all the ones in the pile. Winner is the one who's got the most cards at the end. Make sense?"

Ally

Ally listened as he spoke, paying attention to the rules and choosing to mainly focus on his voice instead of the yelling happening outside. She nodded every now and then, needing a few rounds before finally getting the hang of it. By the time she was done with her mug of whiskey she felt warmer, a bit more relaxed (which she figured was the whole point of it) and by the time they’d gone through the whole deck, she was actually pretty good. She filled up their cups once more, deciding to play a deck of blackjack as well to pass the time, to give them something to do. By the time they'd gone through the deck again though she couldn’t resist anymore and she caved, reaching over for the remote to see updates on the news. The thing was though, just as the tv turned on, their phones both buzzed again. The alert she got was the same as what was on the television: the city was on lockdown. The city was in chaos. The city was in flames. ....Almost three hundred dead. Probably mostly switches. She'd just thought a dozen or so. But this...this was outside of anything she could've possibly imagined. Ally felt her eyes watering, her hand automatically searching out Charlie’s on the floor beside her, and maybe it was the alcohol or maybe the fear, but either way she didn't even second guess it as she pressed into his side, hiding her face against him.(edited)

Charlie

Charlie wasn't sure how long they played cards - a while. Despite the chaos raging outside, they found some measure of peace inside his apartment. After finishing up a round, he started to reshuffle the deck again and noticed Ally reaching for the remote. He opened his mouth to ask her not to turn the news back on, that he didn't want to know. Not now anyway. But the emergency alert sounded on both of their phones at the same time, saying everything the TV was. Charlie swallowed hard and set down the cards. Ally curled in close to his side and he let her, wrapping his arm gently around her waist to pull her in close. "It's okay, darlin'... it'll be alright," Charlie said softly, though it wasn't and it wouldn't be. How do you move on from something like this? How was he supposed to go back to work and function? His hand slowly rubbed up and down her back, a comfort for himself as much as it was her. "Hey... y'know, it's gettin' kinda late now and it's been a long day... you want to lay down? You can have my bed - my door's got a lock on it if it'd help. I'll stay out here and make sure no one comes through..."

Ally

"How?" She asked quietly, brokenly, muffled into him as he pulled her in. She let him, moving even closer still as his arm wrapped around her waist. So much hurt and turmoil just because people like them existed. How could it ever be okay? If anything, things were probably just going to be even more worse now than ever before. Ally sniffled quietly, trying her best to swallow passed the lump in her throat, trying to focus on his hand moving along her back, the rhythmic rise and fall from his breathing. As he spoke up she listened but then immediately shook her head, lifting it so her eyes could meet his--up close enough that there'd be no hiding how red hers were, the fear still in her gaze. "There's no way I can sleep right now.." She admitted, swallowing again before giving another shake of her head, "A-And Charlie no, I....I'm not taking your bed, don't be crazy."

Charlie

Because the world is evil. Because they hate switches. Because they were never going to give us a peaceful day. And if Ally thought this was bad, Charlie knew it'd kill her to know what their government did to people who weren't their citizens. "I know... but I can't stay up and watch TV and wait for my phone to go off. Ain't nothin' you or me can do..." Charlie said softly. The crowd didn't scare him so much as the police. If he, a switch, was caught breaking curfew he couldn't be sure he'd ever get out. "I ain't crazy, I can take the couch. My sheets are clean, I promise." Just like everything else in his room - not a speck of dust could be found on any of his sparse belongings.

Ally

He was right. There was nothing they could do. Absolutely nothing. Ally had never felt so helpless and useless in her life. The thought made her curl into him a bit more. "It's not about being clean or anything just...this is your home. That's your bed. I'm not making you sleep out here....besides. We both know I'd fit a lot better on this couch than you will." The attempt at a joke was hollow, but it was the best she could do right now. So she just gave him a little nudge on where her hand had landed against his stomach, "Just..go get me a blanket or something, and I'll clean up the plates and cups from in here."

Charlie

"I can fit on the couch just fine," Charlie protested, giving her a playful nudge of his own.  It would be uncomfortable for him, but he didn't want to her to have to be. There was one compromise, but he wasn't sure he would go for it. "I mean... if you - if you're alright with it, we could share. I got enough pillows to put one between us..."

Ally

Ally was already moving to get up, figuring she could just out-stubborn him and ignore his further protests. She was about to move to stand to grab the dishes to take to the sink when he spoke again and she paused, kneeling beside him. It would be a decent compromise, and she'd seen his bed, it was plenty big enough.... She'd literally never shared a bed before with anyone in her life though--and now she was asked to by her first real friend? One she inconveniently having some silly crush on? She bit her lip, glancing at him, "You're really deadset on me not sleeping on this couch, huh.." it wasn't a no.

Charlie

Charlie felt a blush creeping across his cheeks. He played off with a little laugh and nodded toward it. "Truth is, I got no clue what's on the fuckin' thing," he admitted. "My roommate already had it when I moved in. And he ain't half as clean as I am, so..." I mean, it was a legitimate fear. Charlie was sure the couch had been banged on a few times, at least. "Besides, I think we'd both feel better if you were behind another locked door. And you wouldn't sleep out here, hearin' all the noise." Plus Ally was terrified. Only a flimsy door (albeit locked) stood between her and the "outside". Charlie didn't doubt there were people at least on the first floor of the building trying to get out of the chaos, and more probably heading up to the upper floors.

Ally

Ally felt her own blush creeping up and she bit her lip, hesitating for a moment more. Being behind two locked doors did sound like a decent idea. And with the way he said it, it just made those butterflies ripple up again. He wants me safe. Her thoughts mirrored his in that she had little doubt people would be rushing into the building--at least into the lobby area. The further away they were from all that, the better. Her mind was made up before she even said it. "Alright." She agreed, nodding. "I'll still clean up here, tidy everything up. You um...can you get the bed ready then? Maybe check on your friends again, just..make sure they're still safe."

Charlie

"Uh... yeah. I'm gonna take a quick shower and then I'll be ready," Charlie replied. He slowly pushed up off the floor and retreated into his bedroom to grab a new tshirt and pair of boxers for himself, then made his way to the bathroom. Charlie wasn't in there for too long. He stood under the spray of the shower, mostly contemplating what would happen next. What he would do. New Eden would chaotic for months to come after this and being a switch would only get harder. But he had friends here to look after, a sort-of life - could he really leave all that behind? He pushed it from his mind as he dried off and started getting redressed. For Ally's sake, he had to appear perfectly calm and unbothered, as if this was all some minor inconvenience. Charlie returned to his room, putting his dirty clothes away before he began turning down the bed for both of them. As promised, he put a pillow in the middle to help mitigate any awkwardness. As the sirens continued to wail and voices hollered outside, he pulled up the sound of waves crashing on his phone, hoping to help drown it out for both their sakes. "This alright?" he asked when he heard Ally return, offering her a small little smile.

Ally

"Okay." She agreed, watching him get up and go and she stayed there for a moment, still kneeling and just letting staring out at nothing, her thoughts drifting. Things were...bad. This was bad.  Hundreds of people were dead, so many more injured. This was going to have repercussions for all of them. She was afraid to walk out that door, knowing full well that life was going to be so much worse from here on out. That was tomorrow's problem though--that's what she had to tell herself. For now at least, she was safe. With that in mind she got up, gathering the plates and the pizza platter, the mugs and the whiskey, taking it all to the kitchen. She took her time in cleaning, quickly having realized Charlie liked things clean, tidy. She put everything away where she remembered it being and then went back to the living room, wiping down any crumbs, rearranging the cushions on the couch, making sure everything was spotless. It was when she heard another loud crash outside and glass shattering to the ground that she turned off all the lights, double checking once more that all the locks were on the doors. She had to resist pushing the coffee table in front of the door and instead just went to the bedroom. The first thing she noticed was the sound of waves, somewhat managing to drown out the chaos from outside and it unraveled something in her, soothed her a bit. She looked to the bed then, seeing the line of pillows and she managed a little smile, nodding, "Yeah...Perfect."

Charlie

Charlie knew he couldn't wave his hand and make all of the outside problems go away. Eventually, they'd both have to go outside and face everything that had happened and continued to happen. But tonight, at least, he could help them both pretend. As Ally came into the room, Charlie walked back to the door and made a show of locking it for her, just to help her feel a little more safe. "I'm sorry all this happened..." As if he could control it. As if he had any choice in it. "When the curfew's ended, I'll walk you home." It was a shame Ally didn't have any friends or family here. He'd ask her to stay, if she wanted, but figured they needed to get through the awkward stage of sharing a bed first. Charlie's hand hovered over the switch for the ceiling fan. "You, uh, alright with the fan being on?" he asked. He hoped she'd be okay with it - wearing clothes to bed was already going to make him a bit warmer than normal.

Ally

Ally watched him lock the door, the quiet click of the lock given them an added layer of protection. "I turned off all the lights. Made sure again everything was closed and locked." When he apologized though she let out a breath, shaking her head, "It's not like I'm the only one being affected here, Charlie." She told him softly, knowing he was going to be just at risk as she was now whenever they even just walked outside. "And okay." She wasn't about to tease him about bodyguarding and walking her around--not when she felt like it might be necessary to not walk around alone tomorrow. She watched him move to the switch and she smiled a bit, nodding, "Yeah, I'm fine with it. Sorry if...it'll be uncomfortable, sharing the space. If you get hot or something let me know. I'm still okay with taking the couch." She assured once more even as she moved to one of the sides of the bed, hesitating before sitting on the edge.

Charlie

"I know, but... I don't know. I guess I'm just so used to bad shit happening I don't even question it anymore," Charlie sighed, shaking his head. He flipped on the switched, the rickety creaking sound of the fan giving a little more noise to help cover up the conflict outside. He walked over to the bed and eased down onto it, sighing softly as he did so - God, what he wouldn't give for a real bed with a real frame. "It ain't uncomfortable for me, I promise," Charlie replied. Sharing a bed a beautiful woman (even one who was just a friend) was hardly a hardship for him. He untucked the comforter and sheets and pushed the comforter off of himself, already preparing to be a little warm just from wearing clothes. "Try to get some sleep, darlin' - long as this night was, tomorrow's gonna be even longer," Charlie said softly as he laid down on his back. "When the riot stops... that's when things'll really get crazy."

Ally

"Well...whatever happens..we'll deal. Together." It was a loaded promise, something that again should scare her but...it didn't. Once again, all she felt was safety with him, trust. Maybe the universe knew just how shitty things were about to get and decided she finally needed someone to lean on a little bit--and as Charlie moved to lay down beside her, she watched him. If he was who the universe chose, then she was very okay with it. "What a comforting thought." She quipped wryly but nodded and moved. She helped with the sheets, kicking them down to the foot of the bed before she moved to lay down as well, curling up on her side to face him. With the lights off, it felt more intimate but..also safer still. Like a veil had been draped over everything. With the sounds of the fan and the waves, she could almost pretend that the world wasn't falling apart right outside the window. "I'm glad I'm here. With you. I...don't think I'd feel safe right now anywhere else in this city- including my own home."

Charlie

When she spoke, Charlie turned over on his side to face her as well, nodding. "I'm glad you're here too. I woulda already done something if you wasn't." He would've bolted as soon as he got Vienna's text, threat of arrest be damned. Ally had given a good reason to stop and think. "Goodnight, Ally," he said softly, his lips curving in a soft little smile though it was doubtful she could see it in the dark. "If you need me, wake me up, alright...?" Charlie closed his eyes, listening to the sound of waves crashing from his phone, the old rickety ceiling fan, and now Ally's soft breathing from beside him. Sirens and crashes and screams could still be heard faintly outside, but it was nothing he hadn't gotten used to years before. Sleep didn't take too long to come for him.

Ally

Ally didn't want to think about that; he'd looked frantic when Vienna had texted him...if she hadn't been there, he might've run out after her...could've been arrested. She'd only just gotten him in her life, if she'd lost him..... She put a halt to those thoughts immediately. Instead just nodded as he spoke. "Okay. Goodnight, Charlie." Sleep didn't come as quickly for her though, so instead she just tried to focus on the sounds in the room, the waves crashing, the way his breathing evened out in a matter of minutes. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she looked at his outline, the subtle shifts with his breaths, and when a louder crash was heard outside she reached across the pillows, her fingers moving softly down his arm til she got to his hand, her body shuffling a bit closer. You're safe. It's okay she kept repeating it over and over until finally, finally she managed to doze off. Even in her sleep she moved though, a bit restless- the blankets were kicked lower, the pillows nudged aside and away, unconsciously seeking him out and the safety of his hold.

Charlie

Charlie woke up with a warm body pressed close to him. He could feel soft breath on his neck, could smell the scent of his own shampoo, and there were small, cold feet pressed against his calves. When he opened his eyes, he realized the pillow between them had been tossed aside in their sleep and Ally was cuddled in close to him and his arm had instinctively snaked around her. Charlie bit his lip. A part of him wanted to wake her up, just so she could move if she wanted - but the other part of him wanted to enjoy this for just a little while longer. His heart pounded in his chest, unsure of what to do. Ally was beginning to stir in her sleep, clearly close to waking up herself. Much longer and the choice would be out of his hands altogether. "Mornin', darlin'," Charlie said softly, his voice deep and gravelly with sleep. He braced himself, hoping she wouldn't freak out or get upset.

Ally

As Ally slowly began waking up, a few things started pinging her senses: she was warm, her pillow was moving. It took another second to realize it wasn't a pillow, but a person. Another second to register one arm under her, the other wrapped around her waist, her legs loosely tangled between an other's. It was the first time in her life she'd ever woken up in someone's arms. Then she heard his voice. Ally's eyelashes fluttered opened, her head shifting just enough to glance up, meeting Charlie's gaze with her own sleepy one. Part of her thought she should be freaking out--another part thought he should be freaking out. But instead he just had his arm around her still, her own hand tucked up against his stomach and she shifted it, sliding her hand to his side. "Morning." her own voice was soft, breathier than normal and she shifted a bit, feeling like she should pull away, but she didn't. Her eyes ducked down to his mouth for a second, lingering, her thoughts buzzing over how close they were and a blush tinging her cheeks pink before she looked back up to his eyes. "So much for those pillows..."

Charlie

Charlie shivered. He was so fucking touch-starved that the feel of her hand sliding along his side was enough to garner a reaction from him. He knew they should pull away but he didn't want to. Ally was warm and soft and he could hardly think of her as just a friend when she fit so perfectly in his arms. Ally's face was close to his, her soft pink lips right there - he could kiss her. But he supposed it was a blessing she hadn't flown out of his arms already. Charlie didn't want to scare her. "Yeah, so much for 'em," he said softly, a little chuckle rumbling in his chest. "Guess we just got cold."

Ally

Ally was close enough to him that she noticed the reaction, the little shiver rolling through him. Had she been the cause of it? The thought woke up those butterflies in her gut. She was barely aware that her hand moved, sliding up along his shirt just a little more, her thumb stroking back and forth lightly against the ridges of his ribs. She hummed in response to the words, nodding a bit, a little smile ghosting on her lips as she heard his little laugh. "Yeah, guess so." She couldn't stop the way her eyes darted down again, feeling what could only be described as tension between them, crackling in the air like electricity and she slowly licked her lips, parting them slightly, unconsciously shifting just the tiniest bit closer before somewhat getting ahold of herself enough to speak and she looked up at him through her lashes. "I-I um...--we...we should probably..get up.."

Charlie

Charlie swallowed, relishing the feeling of her soft touch, unsure when he'd be able to feel something like it again. Ally's lips were so close, parting just a little as she scooted even closer to him. Did she want him to...? Was she trying to...? He didn't know. Rarely was he ever unsure of himself, but it'd been a long time and he'd been rejected enough lately that he wasn't keen on trying again. "Probably," Charlie said softly, though he didn't move a muscle to make it happen. They should get up, see what damage the city had taken overnight - but here, wrapped up in each other, they were safe. And he wasn't ready to lose that. "Ally..." he said softly, trailing off as his eyes focused on her plump lips. He couldn't say what he wanted, couldn't ask - he felt frozen in his spot.

Ally

They were close enough that Charlie could probably feel the way her heart was pounding in her chest, only getting harder still when he agreed they should get up but he still didn't move. He was her friend, her first real friend in god only knows how long...surely that's all he could see her as too right? This warm, sweet guy who had these beautiful models pinned up on his walls. Surely he didn't feel the same thing... Right? But then the way he said her name made her stomach do somersaults, and that electric feeling was still just building, the tension feeling like a rubber-band being pulled to its limits. His eyes mimicked her own, his gaze dropping down to her lips, and even though she kept trying to tell herself they were just friends.... Ally finally let the rubber-band snap and she leaned up, her heart threatening to tear itself out of her ribcage as she tentatively pressed her lips against his.

Charlie

Charlie couldn't say he was surprised when Ally finally pressed her lips to his - the tension between them was amplified to the point it was palpable that morning. Maybe he was an idiot for not doing it himself. But he couldn't hard think about that while she was kissing him. He responded instantly. His hand gently slipped into her hair as he kissed her back, tentative at first to give her a chance to pull away if she wanted. When she didn't, his stomach did a little flip. Charlie let his lips move with hers, letting her set the pace of wherever this was going. Mostly he was just happy to be touched, to be kissed, to have someone in his arms even if it was only for a little while. Ally may have initiated things but Charlie took it a step further, letting his tongue gently swipe across her bottom lip, his way of asking for permission. He wanted to taste her, wanted to spend all morning with her just like this. Fuck New Eden, fuck the riots, fuck everything outside of that bedroom.

Ally

For only a second she was worried she'd done the wrong thing and screwed this all up. She was going to go back to being friendless and alone, more isolated than ever because she had to go and fuck things up by letting her stupid emotions get in the way.... But then he was kissing her back, his hand sliding up into her hair and she shuddered in response, her own fingers twisting into the material of his shirt against his side, holding onto him. At the first feeling of his tongue against her lip Ally sucked in a little breath, her lips easily parting for him and a tiny, barely-audible little noise escaped out of her. She'd kissed people before, but it was nothing like this. It was either being a silly teenager and practicing, or it was all teeth and tongues and urgency. Nothing like this--soft and slow and burning under the surface, making her toes curl and her heart stutter and the hand against his side tugged a bit, trying to pull him closer as she pressed her head up in an attempt to deepen it further.

Charlie

Charlie couldn't help but let out a soft little moan, happy that Ally hadn't managed to come to her senses and push him off of her. He was content to kiss her like this, slow and sweet, letting his tongue find hers. Ally's hands had twisted deeper into his shirt and he felt wanted for the first time in a long time. This wasn't a cheap booty call. This wasn't a one night stand to scratch an itch. This was... this was different. Charlie wasn't sure how long they laid in bed, kissing each other as if it was the only source of oxygen in the room. It felt like hours. Could've been. They'd slowly been shuffling, one awkward movement at a time, and he was finally on top of her, holding his weight up on his arms as they kissed. Charlie finally was the first to break apart, only for his kiss-swollen lips to attach straight to her jaw next, leaving a trail of soft, wet kisses behind as he moved down her neck.

Ally

Ally couldn't help but shudder again as she heard the little moan he let out, her thought again being I caused that. I made him make that noise. She wanted to make him do it again. She had a brief moment of wondering what other noises she could pull out of him, what little reactions she could cause. She wanted to learn them all. She was out of breath in the best way possible and she really didn't care. She didn't care that her hair was fanned out along his pillow, her face flushed, her (his) t-shirt twisted and rucked up a bit around her body with their movements. All she cared about was his mouth on hers and how amazing it felt when they'd finally moved enough that he was on top of her, pinning her down. Ally gasped shakily for breath as they pulled apart but the noise quickly ebbed off into a breathless little moan as his lips just continued on, moving down her neck. This was another thing she'd never experienced and it left her shivering, little goosebumps prickling up along her skin. "Charlie..." it was just as soft and breathy, her lashes fluttering and her head tilting to the side, baring her neck more for him as her hand moved up along his back and sank into his hair, holding him close.

Charlie

Every hair on Charlie's body felt like it was standing on end as she moaned his name. The soft little noises he'd pulled from her had been heaven and he desperately wanted to hear more of her. His mouth moved to the other side of her neck, copying the pattern. But now her (his) shirt had to go. Charlie propped himself up on one arm, his eyes glued to hers as his other hand slipped just under her shirt, slowly pushing it up. He was taking his time, making sure this was okay first - God, he wanted to see all of her laid out before him, wanted to be greedy and taste every part of her. Wanted to feel her hands slide through his hair, over his body. God, he wanted.

Ally

For not the first time in her life, Ally hated the regulations and laws placed against them. She wanted to know what all this would feel like inhibited by the shots they had to take. She wanted to know if it was possible to feel more overwhelmed then she already was with the way his mouth moved along her skin. She wanted to know how everything felt with him. She was about to whine at the loss when he pulled away, but then she felt his hand along her stomach, his fingers sliding along her belly making her visibly shudder as he started pushing her shirt up and she wanted it, she did. But then, uninvitedly, thoughts from her past started creeping up in her head, memories from the last time she'd been any sort of intimate with someone floating up and she hesitated. She didn't want to mix the two--and this...whatever this was with Charlie, whatever it could be..she didn't want to rush it and ruin it. "Ch-Charlie, wait.."

Charlie

Charlie immediately froze when she told him to wait and moved his hand away from her stomach. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft and clearly filled with concern. "We can stop if it's - if it's too much too soon." They were moving a little fast. Despite having shared many a secret between them, they hadn't known each other that long. Not really. Charlie swallowed hard and stayed where he was on top of Ally, using both of his arms to stay propped up so that he didn't crush her tiny frame.

Ally

Ally frowned a bit when he froze, feeling just how quickly he pulled away, like he'd been burned. Like he'd done something wrong. She couldn't let him think like that so she immediately nodded, "No, yeah, I...I'm okay. I promise." She glanced to the side where his arms bracketed beside her and she moved her hand to slide up his arm, stroking lightly. "M'sorry.." she mumbled before moving up further still, licking her lips and swallowing as her fingers slid up his shoulder and along his neck, up til she was cupping his cheek. "I-I just....I've never...--" she bit her lip, trying to get her thoughts into words. "I don't...want to rush. I...this..you. I don't want to screw things up."

Charlie

"You ain't got to be sorry, darlin'," Charlie murmured, leaning down to gently brush his nose with hers, wanting to convey that everything was alright. He wasn't mad, hurt, or disappointed. He leaned into her touch and pressed his lips to her palm, wanting to show her that as much as tell her. "It's okay, we ain't got to do this now. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. We'll do it when you're ready, alright?" To show his point, Charlie reached between them and gently pulled her shirt back down to cover her stomach. "We won't rush. We can stay here for a while, if you want, just kiss. Or we can get up and I can walk you home..."

Ally

"I...I like it when you call me that." She admitted quietly, a blush on her cheeks as she said it. Despite the anxiety she'd been feeling a little smile crept up onto her lips as he brushed his nose against hers, as he kissed his palm. It was all so...soft. She'd never been treated so gently before and it all kind of made her want to cry from how good it felt, how starved she realized she was of it. The feeling was only amplified by how understanding he was being- even just the way he pulled the shirt back down..it was all perfect, and more than she'd ever gotten. Walk home... Those words brought reality crashing into her. The whole reason she was here, all that'd happened last night.. It was like the bubble they'd been in had been shattered and she swallowed, glancing to the window. All she could see was the sun shining. There was no more screaming, no more sirens and glass shattering. From this position..it was just another day. She knew better though. The weight of it all settled into her stomach. "Stay. Just....just for a few more minutes. Pretend that..everything's okay right outside these walls." As she said it she tugged on him again, wanting him closer, wanting the safe feeling of being wrapped up in him.

Charlie

"Yeah? So I'll keep calling you that," Charlie replied, grinning down at her. He could feel the sudden shift in the air when he mentioned walking her home, no doubt calling back memories of the day before and what awaited them outside. He carefully moved off of Ally, settling back down beside her on the bed. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her tight, pulling her closer to him so she could feel safe once again. "So then we'll keep pretending," he murmured, leaning in to brush his lips to hers, feeling empowered now that he knew she wanted to this too. "We'll pretend all day if we want to." Charlie pressed his lips to the tip of her nose and then to her forehead. "Can't no one get us here."

Ally

This time her smile was bigger, much more genuine at his response. She let him move off of her and barely waited a second before curling in close, mimicking the position they'd woken up in but this time closer, more purposeful. She tangled her leg through his again, wrapped her own arm around him as he followed suit. She was safe here. They were safe here. She tipped her head up a bit as he brushed his lips against hers, her heart doing a little jolt at how simple it was, how he'd done it without a second thought. It was something she could happily get used to. "That sounds nice." She agreed softly. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead, curling more into him to soak up just a little more of this peace, knowing eventually they had to get up, had to face reality. But reality could wait at least ten more minutes.

Charlie

Charlie slowly ran his hand through her hair, enjoying the closeness as much as anything. The crippling loneliness he tended to feel was suddenly very... gone. Ally made it easy to ignore the terror and chaos outside in favor of her small, soft body pressed to his. He wasn't sure how long they laid just like that. But eventually, they had to get up to eat. To drink. To take care of all of the things they couldn't ignore forever. After Charlie had gotten up to brush his teeth and get something to drink, he returned to his room, not bothering to shut the door as he changed into another tshirt and a pair of jeans. He was about to pull the clean shirt over his head when Ally walked in. For a moment, he froze - outside of the haze of their makeout session, he was keenly aware how scarred up his torso was. He quickly tugged on his shirt, not really wanting to dwell on it right then. "You, uh, you ready to head out?" He asked, knowing the answer. Neither of them were ready to head out. But they had to.

Ally

Ally would've preferred more than anything to just stay in bed with him, to keep his arms around her, his lips on hers. But eventually they could no longer ignore reality. So with a sigh she got up with him, trying to ignore the dread coiling through her more and more as she got ready. She decided to keep his t-shirt on and put her own leggings and shoes back on after washing her face and brushing her teeth. She gathered up all her movies and things in the bag she brought. Everything was set. She went back to the bedroom then, pausing when she saw him without a shirt on. She wasn't surprised that he was muscular--she could feel it through his shirt with how close he'd been. But what surprised her instead was all the scars on his body. ...Were they all from the war? The questions were on her tongue and she flushed as she realized she'd been staring but she snapped out of it, biting her lip as she nodded. "I--yeah. Yeah, let's...get this over with." She held her hand out for him, a little hopeful look mixing with the anxiety she was feeling about stepping out the safety of the apartment.

Charlie

Charlie took her hand gladly, lacing his fingers tight with hers as they made their way from his apartment. Outside was... chaos. Broken windows were commonplace, trash littered the streets, cars had been abandoned in the middle of the road. Unconsciously, Charlie tugged Ally a little closer to him as they made their way to her place. "Jesus..." He muttered. Businesses were closed left and right and for the first time he began to realize the impacts. Food would be harder to get, basic services would be shut down for a few days. "You sure you're gonna be alright at your place...?" Charlie asked. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe he was over worrying. He just didn't want her to be afraid.

Ally

Ally had tried her best to prepare herself for what was outside, but it still hadn't been good enough. It was like they'd walked onto the set of an apocalypse movie--except everything was very, very real. She felt Charlie tugging her closer, and when she saw what was unmistakably a large puddle of blood in the middle of the empty road, she let him. People had died right outside their window as they slept. She wondered if this was anything like a warzone. For a second, she almost thought about asking. Instead she kept her hand tight in his and held his arm with the other, somewhat hugging it to her side as they walked and she hummed, nodding even though she wasn't looking at him. "I um..yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine." Ally led the way to her apartment, glad they weren't even ten blocks apart. The thing was though, their surroundings didn't get any better as they walked--if anything, it was worse. There was more blood smeared on the concrete, against walls. Glass shattered, trash everywhere, there was even a burned out shell of a car in the middle of the street. The bodega on her corner had been severely looted, every window shattered, the aisles inside toppled over. "I..I'm just up the block..." she mumbled, although fear laced the words.

Charlie

Charlie didn't like this. Ally was a grown woman and capable of handling herself, but the closer they got to her place, the worse the surroundings looked. It was complete devastation on this side of town. "Ally..." Charlie said her name softly, hoping she might reconsider. Although the riot had now been contained, he didn't like the thought of her being alone at her place.  She'd been petrified the night before - he had to imagine it'd be worse by herself. "You can stay a day or two with me, you know. Until this gets cleaned up..." Or at least partially cleaned up.

Ally

Ally shook her head, looking up at him, "Charlie, no. I....I don't want your roommates getting annoyed with having some stranger in their space. I've been alone for forever, remember? I'll be fine." there was an adamance in her voice, almost like she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to him--maybe even more so. She led the way to her building, her heart sinking though when the door to the lobby was wide open, the key panel in the front dangling off the wires. She lived on the second floor so she never bothered with the elevator and she led him to the stairwell, unknowingly gripping his hand a bit tighter when there was debris in the stairs too and it was only the knowledge that his knee might be hurting that stopped her from tugging on him, from just up and running the stairs. The lightbulb at the top was shattered, glass on the ground as she opened the door to her floor. "No..." she breathed it out to herself as she entered the hall, the first door broken, the second looking like it had a dent in it from trying to be kicked in. She mumbled a few more 'no's' under her breath as she sped them up, walking down the hall to where her place was towards the end, noting the light pouring out into the hallway before she even got all the way there and that's what it took for her to yank her hand out of his, sprinting the rest of the way. A little sob bubbled out of her as she stood in her doorway on shaky legs, the door kicked in and nearly off the hinges. A little side table she had by the door was toppled over, all the drawers' contents spilled out on the ground. It took a few seconds to realize the ripped paper she saw all over the floor was her paintings or from her sketchpad. She saw her easel at the back end of the apartment cracked in pieces all on the floor, the window above her bed wide open with the screen torn. And that's just what she could see from the doorway.

Charlie

"But you ain't got to be anymore..." Charlie replied, though he wasn't sure his words were getting through to her. When they finally made it to her building, his stomach twisted in apprehension. Clearly, this place had been looted. He tightened his grip on her hand as they made their way up the stairs. Ally's anxiety was palpable, and his concern was growing with every step they took. Finally, they made it to her apartment, only to find the door kicked in. Ally's apartment had been ransacked. Charlie let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her and pull her close to him, keeping her upright as they surveyed the damage. He started to say it's alright but he knew it wasn't. None of this was alright. "C'mon... let's - let's go in. I'll help you start to clean up," Charlie offered, gently guiding her to the door.(edited)

Ally

If Ally had been scared before, it was nothing compared to now. Everything she owned was in this tiny place...and now most of it was ruined, gone. She hadn't realized how weak her knees felt til she had Charlie's arms wrapped around her, keeping her upright. She couldn't help the tears either, the complete, utter feeling of helplessness washing over her. What was she going to do? She felt his nudge, heard his words, but it took a few seconds to just get her bearings before finally just silently moving. It was even worse inside. Mostly all her paintings were ripped up, her sketchpads torn into or left scattered all over the floor. A few dishes she had in the kitchen were in pieces on the floor. Her drawers were all yanked open, clothes spilled out all over. Her little 'nightstand' by her bed was toppled over too, the drawers pulled out and she felt a fresh wave of tears coming over her at the sight. "I....I had all my money in there.." she didn't have a lot, but she'd been trying her best to save up during the year she'd lived in New Eden, trying to maybe one day get herself a better place to live. And now... She sank down onto the edge of the mess of her bed, her head in her hands as she silently cried.

Charlie

Charlie's stomach twisted in anger as they walked through her small apartment. Everything she owned was broken or disrupted in some way. And when she realized all her money was gone, his heart sank for her. No doubt Ally didn't have a lot to start with, but with none now and being out of work for a few days... Charlie clenched his fist, wanting so badly to find the people responsible and beat them until they both felt better. Instead, he sank down to his knees in front of Ally, letting her cry for a moment just to get her frustration out before he gently took her hands in his. "I'll help you," Charlie said softly. "I'll help you clean up. And you can stay with me until your landlord gets the lock fixed. I'll make sure you ain't got to worry about food until you get paid." It would mean skipping physical therapy and certainly giving up his cigarettes for a while, but he'd do whatever he could to help out and he certainly wouldn't tell Ally about his short term sacrifices. Gently, Charlie ran his thumbs across her knuckles, trying to comfort her the best he could. "We'll figure it out, alright. Me and you. You ain't got to do this by yourself no more, you understand?"

Ally

Ally's shoulders shook as she cried, her head spinning. What the hell was she going to do? She had no money to repair things, to replace what she'd lost. She'd need a new window screen, a new door.. how was she even supposed to stay here now? Not to mention her brushes and pencils and charcoals were ruined. She'd never get to replace her artwork... She was vaguely aware of Charlie in front of her and a part of her wanted to push him away. They'd barely known each other a few weeks and now he was seeing her like this.. It was all just....too much. But then he was touching her, pulling her hands away from her face. At first she ducked her head down, not wanting him to see her like this--no one saw her like this-- but as he spoke she looked up, her face red and splotchy, tear-streaked, and she shook her head. "I...I can't ask you to do that.." she said weakly, sniffling. Times were hard enough for them, probably even more so now with the riots and looting. Food and money was going to be difficult for even the Dominants to come across. For switches though... She glanced down at her hands as he ran his thumb along her knuckles, the gentleness of it reminding her of this morning, of the few moments of happiness and bliss they had together while ignoring the rest of the world. She wanted him in her life. She wanted this...whatever this was. She just had to let herself be open to it. Be open to him. "I...I don't know what I'm gonna do.."

Charlie

"You ain't askin' me," Charlie assured her, bringing her hand to his mouth so he could press a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm offerin'. And all you got to do is say yes." She couldn't stay here - she didn't even have a door. It wasn't like she could afford a hotel room until all the necessary repairs were done and he doubted any shelters would be very welcoming of her. It made sense for her to stay with him, just until things got settled. "Well, first, we're gonna try to clean some of this mess up, alright?" Charlie reached up to cup her small face with his hand, gently swiping his thumb across her cheek to wipe away some of the tears. "And then, we're gonna pack a bag for you with your clothes and anything that's valuable to you. We're gonna try to find a place to get some food, then we're gonna go back to my place." Charlie had lived through his share of crises. The only thing to do was put a plan together. "You need to try to call your landlord, let 'em know you got to get a new door and all that."

Ally

Ally opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, hesitating. She wasn't good at accepting help, at taking favors. She learned a long time ago she could only really depend on herself after all... She looked around at her place again. It looked like a hurricane had blown through. And the thought of being here alone, without even a door sent a shudder through her. And what if she'd been here last night? What would they've done to her? She swallowed, closing her eyes for a second as she forced those thoughts away. "Wh..What about your roommates?" She closed her eyes again when he reached up to wipe away her tears, relishing in the touch for a few long moments. He was right and she knew it. She was scared to start depending on someone...but she was even more scared to go through all this alone. She opened her eyes then, looking to his before finally nodding in agreement to everything.

Charlie

"They'll be fine. Given the circumstances, they ain't gonna mind." He knew Vienna wouldn't at least. The other two he didn't concern himself with. Besides, aside from using the bathroom and the kitchen, he didn't think Ally would be venturing too far out of his room for much anyway. His roommates wouldn't even be bothered by her. Charlie leaned up, gently brushing his lips to hers after she gave him a nod. "Alright then... we'll start right here." Slowly, he stood up and pressed a final kiss to her forehead before he began getting to work. He picked up some of the turned over pieces of furniture and set them up right and gathered some of the clothes scattered across the floor.

Ally

Just the same, she was still going to feel like a freeloader. If she was going to do this she'd just..have to stick to Charlie's room for as much time as possible--if she was allowed to stay there? Maybe now he'd finally cave and let her take the couch. The little kiss came as a surprise but she wasn't mad about it- if anything it loosened up that knot in  her belly just the tiniest bit. She watched him for a moment, silent as he just started righting furniture before she took in a long, slow breath and got to work. She piled up the torn pieces of paper, her artwork now nothing but shreds and she swallowed, just tossing it into the trash. She got bigger trash bags too, just throwing things away, not wanting to think too much on it as she picked up broken pencils, chunks of wood from her easel, shards of ceramic or glass. She helped pick her clothes up too, pausing only long enough to grab an old dufflebag she had to start putting some things away in there instead to take with her.  All in all it took over an hour to clean up, more tears shed as she looked at how full the trash bags were as compared to how empty her space was, desolate of any color from her art.  "I'll go toss this stuff. Just um...go to the fridge, take out anything we can take....food's not gonna be easy to come by for the next few days I don't think.."

Charlie

Between the two of them, they made quick work of getting the space righted. Even Charlie noted just how empty it felt afterward, devoid of any kind of personality or anything that might make it feel like a home. He now appreciated the odd little knick-knacks his roommates had decorated the apartment with. Charlie nodded. "Alright... I'll bring what I can." As Ally took the garbage bags out, he opened her fridge, glad to see the burglars hadn't taken everything of hers. What food he could find he carefully packed into another duffle bag of hers. She was right - food would be hard to come by and the less they were out in public for the next few days, the better. There wasn't much to pack, but it was more than he had at his place. He looked over when she returned and felt his heart break at the look on her face. "You'll be alright, darlin'," he drawled. "I promise. You'll make it through this."

Ally

Walking down the hall to the garbage shoot Ally noticed others on her floor were in the same boat she was. Her building was mostly switches after all...she should've known it'd be a target. She just hoped others weren't home either, that they'd gone to the safety of being with others like she had. She quickly made her way back to her place, sighing as she looked around. It was still messy, but nowhere near as chaotic as it'd been before. As Charlie raided the kitchen she went to the bathroom, glad at least the mirrors weren't broken or anything as she packed away her soaps and toothbrush and other things to take, just dropping it all into a plastic bag before going back to Charlie. When he looked at her and spoke she just bit her lip and nodded, deciding to just give into it a bit and moved to him. She was always strong, shouldering everything alone in her life. But right now...she at least had someone to help her out. Someone she could depend on. She leaned into him, hiding her face into his chest for a moment. "I...I don't think I could do this alone." It was scary to admit even to herself, let alone out loud. "If...if it hadn't been for you.....if I woulda been here last night.."

Charlie

Charlie immediately took Ally into his arms, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Slowly, he ran his hand up and down her back to soothe her. "Hey, everything happens for a reason, right? You're alright. And you ain't got to do this alone. I'll help you every step of the way, I promise..." His hand slid up and gently ran through her hair, happy to hold her tight and try to give her a little bit of comfort. Charlie wasn't sure what he'd do in her shoes - probably be just as scared as she was. For now, he'd just hold Ally close and help her in any way he could. "You'll be alright," he repeated again, for her. "I'll help you through this."

Ally

It was still so overwhelmingly new to be touched like this, to be held in someone's arms, to feel safe, protected...wanted. She just wished it wasn't all marred with the reality of everything else. Ally wrapped her own arms around him for a moment, just hugging onto him, keeping her eyes closed as she focused on the hand in her hair, the thrumming of his heart under her ear. It helped calm her a little bit. "Thank you." it was all she could really say. Finally after a minute or so she lifted her head enough to look up at him, her eyes meeting his. "Alright..let's....let's get out of here."

Charlie

"You're welcome," Charlie said simply. When Ally looked up at him, seemingly ready to go, he nodded and slowly let go of his hold on her. He grabbed the two duffle bags and shouldered them. "Yeah, let's... I uh, I texted Vienna, just ran things by her. She's pretty beat up after everything but said she wants to meet you. She's fine with you staying." He wanted Ally to feel welcome, to know it really was alright for her to stay for a couple of days to get things sorted. "So you'll have that to look forward to," Charlie said wryly, giving her a grin. "Just don't get upset if you see her face - she got it pretty bad but she's alright, been to a doc and everything already."

Ally

Ally at least wanted to help carry her own bags, but she didn't think Charlie was going to budge on it so she didn't argue and instead just carried the plastic bag with her bathroom things. She took one last look around, feeling almost like she was abandoning the place and she sighed, frowning to herself as she just turned and headed to the doorway. "Okay that's good at least." At least sh wasn't going to be barging in. She frowned at the thought of the girl being beat up though,  the reality of everything settling in her again. She wasn't the only one going though this--not by a long shot. People had it way, way worse, with places completely destroyed, places on fire. People had their businesses wrecked, no cars. People were in the hospital. People were dead.  Sure she didn't have any money, and her own home no longer felt safe but...she was safe. And she had a place to go, she had someone to help her through it. She was a lot better off than so many others. She managed to wrench the door somewhat into the frame to give the perception that it was closed, figuring it'd have to do for now, and she nodded to herself before reaching over for her hand, tangling her fingers through his, "Let's go home."

Charlie

Home. Charlie had never really thought of his apartment as a home before. It was old, it always had an off smell, and besides Vienna he didn't care for his roommates. He saw his apartment as a place to store his few belongings and crash - nothing more. But helping Ally through this gave him a new appreciation for the place. The first thing Charlie smelled were pizza rolls, still sitting out on the counter for Ally and him. Vienna wasn't out at the moment, however, so he assumed she'd gone back to bed to rest. She'd come out when she was ready. He brought Ally's bag of food to the kitchen, getting to work putting the few perishables away. "Vienna left us some pizza rolls," he told her, nodding to the few left out on the baking sheet. "If you're hungry, you should eat some. I, uh, told her it'd be alright for us to share the food you brought if it's alright, so she's alright to share with you too..."

Ally

The walk back to Charlie's place was quicker than the walk to hers. She just wanted to get out of the streets, get back to the safety of his apartment. No one could touch them there. It wasn't until they were inside once again and she heard the defining click of the lock that she felt like she could at least breathe once again. Despite everything, something as simple as some food left out made a tiny little smile tug on her lips. It was thoughtful. It was something she wasn't used to. Ally nodded as he spoke, putting the bags down for now on the table til she could put them all away and she followed into the kitchen, immediately nodding, "Of course it's okay. That's why I said to bring it. I....if I'm staying here, I'm not going to freeload. Once the diner opens up again I'll see about bringing food here, and I...I can split my paycheck. Pay back for the water I'll use or electricity or..whatever." it was the absolute least she felt she could do. While Charlie put her food away she got out a plate and cut the rolls up a bit, moving to lean against the counter beside him and she gave him a little nudge, holding one of the pieces up to his mouth, "You've done enough. You need to eat something, Relax a bit."

Charlie

"Don't worry about it," Charlie reassured her. Maybe he should talk to his roommate's first, but it seemed a bit too much to ask for her to pay for things like water and electricity considering how little she'd use. He leaned against the counter, giving her a little grin as she held the pizza roll to his mouth. Charlie shook his head. "I'm fine. I ain't hungry." And he wasn't. Whenever he was stressed or not feeling it, he tended to not want to eat. Today was one of those days. "I could use a smoke though. You, uh, want to join me?" He'd have to carefully savor and enjoy the last of his cigarettes - in order to get through the next couple weeks, he'd have to give them up.

Ally

“Oh I’m definitely gonna worry about it.” Ally shot back but she gave him a little smile as she said it. There was no way she was staying here utterly for free. She just...couldn’t do it. She rolled her eyes then, letting out a breath as she dropped it down. “I....yeah, me neither. But I don’t want her to think it’s going to waste either..” maybe she could put it away in the oven til later, reheat it for lunch or something. At the offer she nodded. “I’m not really up for smoking right now, but I’ll go with you. Let me just put the food back in the oven for later.” She didn’t smoke as heavily as she did back in Washington, but she knew he liked to, so she wouldn’t waste one of his- knowing how expensive they were. “I need to call my landlord too, see how long it’ll take for..everything.”

Charlie

"We can eat it later then," Charlie suggested, shrugging his shoulders. There was always a later when his hunger would actually return. "Alright, you can call 'em while we're sitting outside. C'mon..." Charlie picked up her bag and took it back to his room, setting it down on the side of the bed where she'd slept the night before. He opened his window which led out to a fire escape - one with exceptionally less impressive views. Still, he grabbed his pack of smokes and slid out to the platform, ready for his cigarette. It'd been a long couple of days. Charlie lit up while Ally called her landlord and idly listened, careful to blow his smoke away from her. He wasn't sure what they were doing, if this would turn out to be a casual thing - but he liked her. He liked being around her. And he was hopeful he didn't have to be so damn lonely anymore.

Ally

Ally nodded, wrapping the food back up and putting it back into the oven for later before heading to his room with him. She noticed he put her bag on the side she'd slept on, feeling those butterflies perk up a bit at the thought that that would serve as her side (besides, it would be more comfortable than the couch..). She followed him out the window, glancing around to make sure they were safe before settling in beside him. She spoke on the phone as he smoked, the landlord doing the bare minimum and saying a temporary door would be placed in 'today or tomorrow' and a permanent fix would take about a week, same with the window screen. It was better than nothing. With a sigh she hung up the phone and looked out to the city.  She was still trying to wrap her head around everything that'd happened. The chaos, the destruction...the death. New Eden wasn't safe. But right here, right now? She was. She looked up at Charlie, giving him a little smile before moving a bit closer, resting her head against his arm. She didn't know what this was...they certainly weren't just friends anymore but....it didn't matter. Right now he was comfort and safety. Right now, he was kind of all she needed. And that was enough for now. end

[eerythingisshaka]

Wakanda Got Y’all Pt. 6

[Black Panther x Insecure Mashup]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Some smut pops off.  This a Molly chapter, btw!

Molly sits in her office typing up a deposition for a case she is working on.  She sits back rubbing her eyes out of exhaustion from all of the meetings and paperwork she has had to thumb through this week, her vacation could not come soon enough.  Molly reaches for her phone to check her messages for the umpteenth time.  Erik hadn’t hit her back since she followed Issa’s basic advice of texting him first to make plans.  Molly knew Issa had no clue what she was talking about.  The only message she got was from Issa asking about some girls night get-together with the crew, date tbd.  That was definitely a big mood for Molly at the moment:  bougie wine and apps for half price happy hours.  

When Molly headed home that evening, she stopped by the doggy babysitter to pick up Flavor Flav.

“Hey, man!  You have a good time with your homies and girlfriends today?”  Molly smiles, petting him lovingly.

The doggysitter looks at her wearily.  “Mr. Flav is definitely a casanova to say the least.”

Molly shrugs.  “Thankfully he is neutered cuz bitches be crazy, right?”  Molly cackles to herself as the doggysitter walks away stone faced.

Molly rolls her eyes as she walks out, talking to Flavor Flav.  “Snooty ass.  Your little self lucky I get a discount here, or you’d be in the hood where the real ones at.”

As Molly walks towards her car, a person catches her peripheral across the street.  She does a double take before recognizing the gentleman.  Erik in the plain daylight with a little Boxer puppy dog in his arm walking up the street, looking too good in his classic distressed jean jacket and shades.   Molly ducks on one side of her car to avoid being spotted.  She curses under her breath as she looks through windows to track his path.   Erik looks behind him for traffic before starting to cross the street, causing Molly to unlock her doors and fly in the backseat of her car to out Flavor Flav in his carrier.   Instead of going around the car to get into the passenger door, she tries climbing over the front seats to make for a smooth getaway.  Unfortunately, her elbow landed on the horn, causing a loud honk.

“Shit!”  Molly says with her eyes closed before peeking to see Erik peering at her in her car.

“Aye, Molly!”  Erik says, flipping his shades off, grinning like they were old friends seeing each other for the first time.

Molly straightens herself up in her seat and lets the window down.  “Hey, wassup?”  she asks.

Erik leans in with his puppy.  “Nothing much right now.  I didn’t know you had a dog.”  

Molly nods, bucking her eyes.  “Yup.  He’s pretty quiet, so I can see how you may have ignored him….”  Molly lets her statement linger, hoping the underlying message is louder.

Erik peers at Molly biting his lips to fight back a smile.  “I see.  Look, I got your text but I didn’t hit you back cuz I didn’t want to come off too...thirsty.  I mean, we had fun at the diner spot and your apartment, but I couldn’t gage your signals either.”

Molly thinks back on the vodka tonics she drank with the blunt she had via Erik’s stash and it may have messed with her judgment a little.  “No, it was fun...for me.  I didn’t want it to end but you pulled some psychology shit on me that had me second guessing.”

Erik’s puppy fights his hands to get to Molly, but Erik holds it close.  “Uh huh.  And I mean that shit.  I don’t wanna fuck you up with a good time cuz you timid acting all of a sudden.”

“That’s why I texted you soooo…I’m making an appointment...”  Molly says.

Erik looks at Molly a moment too long before looking away smiling.  “Aight.  That’s what I wanna hear.  For future reference ‘hey big head’ isn’t something I respond to so...”

Molly clutches her pearls looking fake hurt.  “J’accuse me of these things?  What is the meaning of this?”

Erik reaches for his pocket.  “I can give you physical evidence if that’s necessary.  Read receipt and all.”

Molly puts her hands up to block his phone.  “Nah, nah, nah.  It ain’t gotta be like that.  You good on any MLK boulevard out here.”

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought.  So, where to Moll?”  Erik puts his puppy down on the seat as it still bucks to fly towards Molly.

Molly shrugs, petting the dog a little as it licks her hand.  “I don’t know, you puttin me on the spot.  What’s his name by the way?”

“HER name is Missy, and she my main bitch, just so you know.  And there you go pussy-footin around.  You let me pick, it might be Waffle House with Kelli and Baku again if you playin.”

“No!  Hell no, anything but that!  Kelli is a damn mess, and with him they are walking porn flick waiting to happen.

“Oh, you know what, if you ain’t got no ideas, I actually just thought of something you might like.”  Erik says, picking Missy up.

Molly perks up in curiosity.  “Whatchu thinkin?”

Erik wags a finger.  “That ain’t the deal!  You wanna know where you goin, you pick.  Otherwise, I’ll tell you when we pullin up.”

Molly rolls her eyes.  “Now, you know you can’t pull that shit today.  I still don’t know you from shit else, so you gotta at least give me some hints.”

Erik thinks about it.  “I mean I promise I won’t kill you?  But if that ain’t enough, I’ll give you three guesses.  Use em wisely.”

Molly plays with her keys in thought.  “Is it a place of business?”

Erik half nods.  “Yeah, yeah it is.”

“Ok, is it a crowded place?”

Erik bites his lip, shaking his head.

“Oh my God, Erik, if you playing me with some innuendo shit-”

Now Erik was clutching his pearls, laughing.  “Come on!  I don’t always joke about sex with you!  Chill!  Now was that a question, cuz you got one left.”

“No, uh uh!  Ummm, should I eat before?  Oh, is it like casual or formal?”

Erik looks at her disapprovingly.  “Moll, that was like three questions, you better pick one with your indecisive ass.”

“Fine!  Should I eat before?”  Molly asks.

Erik chuckles.   “Hungry ass...you could, but not heavy I’d say, just in case.”

Molly squints at him before putting her keys in the ignition.  “Ok, Erik.  When you tryna do this?”

Erik backs up off the car.  “We doin this at 8pm tomorrow night.  Don’t need your heels either, dress comfy.”

“Ha!  You answered one of my other questions, bloop!  I’m working on this project for work though, so no overnight shit unfortunately.”

Erik and Missy start down the sidewalk.  “We’ll see.  You might enjoy it that much.”

--

Next day Molly gets dressed for another night with Erik.  She took a half day from work just because she could, and to get her entire body reupholstered for the evening.  As she put her face and wig together, Molly talks to Issa on speaker.

“Awww, so you and Flavor Flav and his dog could go on playdates!”  Issa squeals excitedly.

Molly clicks at Issa.  “You know Flavor Flav is like middle aged right?  He don’t wanna be associated with no high energy child.”

“Oh! Speaking of playdates, you down for the girls night right?”

Molly sets her face.  “Yes, it’s been a minute since we all been together for a tea time, and we all got little situations and shit.”  Molly cackles as she whips her wig on.

“We still whores in Tiffany’s eyes, just to keep up humble.  But I’m not ready to call T’Challa a situation.  We just made out and watched some shows until we started yawning.  Plus now his ex is dropping hints and I don’t want that smoke.”

Molly’s eyes widen.  “Oh shit, is she threatening you or something?”

“I mean, a little bit.  She said it in riddles, but it as pretty clear she want T’Challa to stay single.”  Issa mumbles.

Molly looks herself over in the mirror.  Some cute pastel pink cuffed short shorts, a breezy blouse with a nice mid-plunge back and a long necklace with a simple circle/triangle charm.  “Listen, I know they puttin money into We Got Y’all, but there is no reason for her to dig into your personal life.  She don’t even know you like that.”

Issa snaps her fingers.  “Yo, that’s right!  She don’t know me!  I should invite her to our girls night!”

Molly looks back at her phone in shock.  “Excuse me?”

“It would be perfect!  I haven’t gotten to know her yet, this way I could show her the real me and maybe even some more details on T’Challa.”

“You lookin to have a Real Housewives reunion is what you wanna do.  I don’t want alcohol soaked bundles bitch, quit playin.”  Molly says picking her phone up to make sure Issa heard it.

Issa shushes Molly.  “No!  We are co-workers, ain’t none of that goin down, we’ll be braiding each other hair by the end.  You just worry about where dude is taking you out.  I didn’t take you for the adventurous type.”

“Pssh, I’m not, trust me.  But that’s what I’m tryna do, live a little.  I keep my head in the books too much, I ain’t let loose in a minute.  He just better act right.”

“Watch him pull you up to McDonalds for the dollar menu, haha!”  Issa cackles.

“Tsk, bada ba ba BYE BITCH!”  Molly hangs up on Issa with love in her heart for her friend.  She was thinking the same thing, but she held faith this will at least be a good dick night if anything.

A few moments later, Erik texts her that he has arrived at her place.  Molly tries to hold back her approval of his wheels as she gets in.  “Hey, you’re on time.  I didn’t know if you were gonna test me again like ‘do you really want me to come over?’ type shit or not.”

Erik scratches behind his neck flexing.  “Hell nah, I got reservations girl!”

Pulling off, Molly looks over at Erik goofily.  “Ahh, reservations huh?  Good, I’m hungry as hell!”

Erik looks Molly down.  “Shit, where the hell it all go.  You always lookin for your next meal.”

Molly puts up a finger.  “I will suppress that shade you just thrown so we are clear!  My metabolism will not be shamed tonight, kind sir.  Continue your route, this will be considered in your review.”

“Oh, so now I’m Driving Miss Daisy?”  Erik smiles, light catching his gold fronts.

Molly stifles a laugh.  “If you wanna dig into old aunty references, yeah.  Let’s go Morgan!” she says with a handclap.

The drive out was so long that Molly almost fell asleep with the lull of the ride.  She stirs when she feels Erik’s hand on her leg.  “Aye, get up, we here.”

ERik undoes his seatbelt getting out.  Molly checks her mouth for drool real quick, smoothing her hair before he opens her door.  Taking his hand she looks around the airfield.

“Nigga, is this a airport?”  Molly asks confused.

Erik chuckles looking out in the distance.  “In a way.  It’s private, so you ain’t seeing no flights come through any time soon.”

Molly chokes back a gasp, pointing at something in the distance.  “Did you really set up a table over there?  With the candles and shit?”

Erik shrugs sneakily, as he walks her over to the spot.  Rose petals covered the tablecloth with shutes of champagne surround some chocolate covered strawberries.  “I told you I had a reservation.  The maintenance crew woulda lapped these up if I had been even a minute late.”

Erik takes a glass handing it over to Molly.  

Molly sips, picking up a strawberry.  “I mean, this just isn’t what I had in mind though.  You got me speechless with this.”

Erik bites his lip, gazing into Molly’s face.  “That’s fine, we ain’t gotta talk at all honestly.”

Molly almost chokes on her berry, sipping some more champagne.  “Slow down, I mean this is nice, but did you really bring me out here to just talk and eat fruit?”  Erik makes an O face, stepping back from Molly.  “It’s nice I said!  I’m just sayin though-”

“Ok, Ms. Annalise Keating!  You need somethin to shock your system, you ain’t said nothin but a word.  Let’s get high then.”  Erik takes Molly’s drink and sets it on the table.  

Molly shakes her head.  “Uh uh, I told you I got work, Erik!”  He wraps his arm around her waist as they walk, pointing ahead of them.  “You see that bird over there?”

Molly can’t help but notice the single engine plane in the middle of the tarmac.  “Oh shit…”

Erik starts laughing.  “You remember I told you I’m a pilot, right?  You bored and everything, let me show you the city from the sky, huh?”

Molly stutters feeling herself combust with sweat.  “Erik, I’m not too good with heights.”

Erik goes to open a door, unfolding a set of stairs.  “Once you get up in the sky, you won’t even be worried about it.  You been on a plane right?  Business meetings and alldat?”

“Yeah but-”

Erik reaches a hand out to Molly.  “I’m tryna bring a little more excitement in your damn life.  I don’t know what you been goin through, but I ain’t seen that air of confidence from when I first met you.  Trust me on this, I ain’t gonna let us down, I got you.”  Erik’s voice we barely above a whispers towards the end of his sentence, but Molly took a deep breath to hype herself up before walking towards him, placing her hand in his.

Getting into the second seat behind him, Erik helped to buckle her in properly, giving her knee a pat of reassurance as he closed the door.  Getting into the front, Molly watched Erik as he buckled himself in, flipping switches and pushing buttons.

Molly starts to get nervous again.  “How long have you been flying?”

“A little over ten years now.  Started when I was at the Academy, did a little in the Navy.”  Erik says, looking over his panel as the engine starts up.

Molly grips her seat, her voice quivering.  “Oh yeah, military, that’s great.  Land of the free, home of the brave.”

Erik looks over his shoulder.  “You gonna be alright, breathe for me.”

Molly breathes out roughly and erratically.  Looking at the tarmac illuminated by little lights gave her more anxiety as the plane began to move, circling the lanes.

“Ohhh my God, oh my God!”  Molly yells out.

“Yeah, we on our way, just a while longer, you can take it.”  Erik encourages her calmly.

“Wooo, no I canNOT!  It’s too tight in here, I need air!”  Molly exclaims.  

Erik pushes the acceleration, getting ready for lift off.  “You mess with any damn latches back there, I’m throwin your ass out myself.  Don’t fuck with my shit!”  Erik says authoritatively as they achieve lift off.  Molly still woots and hollers as her stomach dips between her legs.  Locking her thighs together, she sings praises to the Lord and Savior.

“See?  Ain’t so bad.  Look at the window, Moll.”  Erik says.

Molly exhales as her head stops spinning.  “We ain’t out the woods yet, nigga.  But damn…”  Molly’s voice is taken when she sees the city lights below her.  “Damn, it’s like the stars are under our feet….oh shit, my head spinning again.”  Molly takes a break closing her eyes.  

Erik laughs.  “We ain’t that high, you good.  It’s beautiful though, right?”

“Uh huh.  It really is.”  Molly says peaking cautiously.

“This my favorite place to be.  Up in the air, it’s the best view you can ever have.  And it’s peaceful and quiet….usually.”  Erik quips.

“Ok, you gotta give me credit for even getting in this thing.  I didn’t promise to be cute and silent about it.”

“No, you didn’t.  Got me there Ms. Keating, but I wouldn’t take it back for nothin.  I finally got some realness outta you, no primpin or posh actin shit.”

Molly chuckles, wiping her brow as the high of adrenaline courses through her, stimulating her senses.  “I ain’t never been a punk, remember that.  Now I am ready to get down.  Too much excitement and champagne.”

“Oh, you ready for the ground?”  Erik starts to descend too sharply, making Molly feel it in her stomach again.  

“Shit!  Easy!”  Molly screams out.  Erik had full control of the reactions of her body with the mess he kept trying to pull from the cockpit.

“Yeah, you felt that one, huh?”  Erik does an evil laugh as he descends properly onto the tarmac.  Once they land, Erik lets Molly out of the plane down the little set of steps, looking frazzled as expected.  

“Damn!  Look at you!  Lookin like you just went 12 rounds, girl!”  Erik takes his finger, swiping it across Molly’s collarbone to dramatically measure who sweat before wiping it on his pants.  Molly was so glad to finally be on the ground she practically lept into Erik’s arms, pulling him in for a tongue heavy kiss.  Erik groaned in surprise, but quickly went with the flow as his hands traveled her back, tripping back on the set of stairs behind him.  

Molly’s hands find his belt, unfastening it and his fly to gain access to his joystick.  “Damn, you that hard al-fuckin-ready?”  Molly has breathlessly as she undoes her shorts, pulling them down.  Erik looks at her entranced, pulling his pants down further, stroking himself as she gets undressed.  “Cuz I fuckin like you?  Damn, just bring yo ass.”

Molly straddles him on the stairs, stretching herself over him as she clutches his shoulder and one side of the plane for stability.  Erik grips Molly’s ass, willing her over him completely as he begins to work a rhythm with her.  Molly shrieks with pleasure.  “That’s it, gimme that big dick daddy long stroke!!”

Erik bites his lip as works his hips towards her, pummeling her walls in response.  “Don’t fuck up my tempo, ride this shit out til I’m done!”

Molly could barely take it but did her best as she began to slouch weakly from the pleasurable contractions breaking her down to squeeze around him.  Erik pulls Molly up by her neck to look him in his face as she came.  Molly finds some residual strength to work her hips with his, licking on his mouth pleading for him to cum.  Erik smacks her ass in retaliation, snarling and straining as his end drew near.  Erik popped out of Molly, pulling Molly up to him as he jacked himself off, spilling his seed over her ass cheeks, grunting viscerally as he finished.

Erik looks up at Molly, letting out a deep breath, looking very relaxed.  “Now that’s what the fuck I’m talkin bout Molly, shit!”

Molly felt all her walls coming down as her state of arousal hangs heavy like a fog.  In a haze of bliss, Molly plays in his locs.  “I know what you mean.  You fucked the brokeness out my pussy real quick.”

Erik screws his face up.  “The hell you talkin bout?  Pussy broke?”

Molly shakes her head, trying not to ruin the moment with her and Issa’s inside joke.  “I mean, you broke this pussy up, baby!  Damn!”

Erik laughs, stroking her face.  “You still hungry?”

Part 7

Masterlist

RagTag

@hbicprettyprincess @theunsweetenedtruth

@kimianostalgia @airis-paris14

@afraiddreamingandloving

@chaneajoyyy

@myfavemarvelfanfics

@nys30

@blkintrovert

@allhailnjadaka @cutewylie @bidibidibombaclaat @muse-of-mbaku

[jceydrew]

ice cream.

so i told @aceofintuition i’d write them a little drabble about their version of joey (who we all like to call ‘snowy’ in our little group chat) spending time with his daughter. i figured i should post this somewhere.

warnings? it’s sugary sweet and i didn’t proof read it. typo’s and errors beware!

Sundays had always left the Drew household a little more occuppied, a little more lively; and yet at the same time, a little more cozy. Where Joey had often found himself in the studio during the week and, if his sacrifices had called for it, late into the evening, Sunday had been a roadblock to all every gripe and headache that had been work. It had been one of the days that he could not only spend relaxing, but within the company of his family. No longer in the presence of uptight workers who he often found himself frustrated with, but with those who had cherished that had broken down that business demeanor that he usually upheld, that cracked away at a man who had been more soft than one would figure.

Particularly, Joey found the Sundays where he spent time with his daughter to be his favorite. The atmosphere had changed since her dreadful diagnosis, one that had plagued him with levels of sorrow and an inexplicable force in his veins to reverse that, to free her of the pain. But around the household, he and his wife had, and would do, absolutely anything to make sure she had everything she had ever needed and wanted. Her smile had been worth every penny in the entire world, and every drop of blood and life that he could offer. Even with their efforts in mind, she had always been a wonderstruck girl, not unlike her father; Even when her health had been rapidly declining, she had faced the odds with an optimism only his own blood could have. It had made the pain and stress far, far easier on them.

His footsteps had been light as he carried himself to her bedroom door. Knuckles rapped against the door, his other hand holding onto the knob, awaiting approval. A familiar voice had squeaked out a, 'Come in', and that had been his green light. Slowly, he pushed the door open to not disturb her too much, half of his torso and head peeking through the space made. No matter how many times she had seen him, she would always light up like a firework at the sight of him, the book in her hands--Something he and his wife had supplied for her when they had been busy, so she could get lost in her own little world of whimsy and imagination--Long forgotten in favor of his presence.

"Papa!"

"There's my little star. Didn't interrupt too much of your reading now, did I?"

Her hair follows as she shakes her head in a sound no, her hands outstretching as a silent plea for him to come closer. Obligation is hardly the word, the sheer act of spending time with her more so a pleasure: What sort of father would he be, after all, if he didn't enjoy spending time with his family? Slipping fully into her room, the door shuts behind him soundly, soon walking over to the edge of the bed.

"Well, that's mighty swell. I'd hate to interrupt story time -- What's new in that book of yours?"

Blue eyes blink as she grabs at her book and thrusts it towards him, excitement radiating off of her like a buzz.

"This one's a book you'd like very much papa! It's about a--a engine! He's real sad lots," She pauses, a little thoughtful. In a single second, she seems to have hopped back onto the next train that was giddiness, "He thinks he can't do nothin'--And all those other trains are mean to him. But he shows them, papa, he really shows them!"

"Is that so? Well, I'd sure love to meet that little train. I think me and him would get on just dandy."

She nods again, opening to a random page and pointing to the colorful train character. Joey squints as he examines the little engine, the shot of him finally making it over the hill; It was a sign of hope. He considers it good that she had decided to read that one.

"Do you think--D'you think he can be in an episode with Mister Bendy?"

"Well, sure he can! You know, Bendy's real fond of trains."

Those words are enough to make her over the moon, reaching over just enough to hug his arm.

"Yay! Mister Bendy's gonna meet the little engine that could, he's--" She pauses again, lips pursed curiously as her eyes peek up at him, quizzical. "Don't you gots work to do, papa? Mama says you're always so busy."

Joey's tongue clicks, his hand carding through and ruffling her hair. "Oh, don't listen to her. I can always make time for you."

That seems to satisfy her enough, the smile once again present, but her eyes not leaving him. "Are you gonna read a story with me?"

"As much as I love tellin' stories, I've got something better planned for us today!"

A tilt of her head. "What's that?"

"Why, we're going on an adventure!"

The look that had reflected in his daughter's eyes had said it all; The way that they had squinted in skepitcism, in disbelief had left his heart wince with a sting, but it had been fresh coal to the burning fire that was his relentless ambition to give her a life nothing short of golden.

"Papa, you're silly," She giggled at that, and Joey knew that her laugh was worth all the years off his life that he could give. "Mister Doctor man says I can't go on adventures no more." No matter how depressing the thought had been, one that could break down even the strongest of people like dust, she had said it all so cheerfully, so full of life and spirit. It was something he knew that he could admire in her; Something that had reminded him of himself, at one time, that he was thankful to see it on her than himself. She had needed it more than he did.

Still, he plays along. With a shake of his head, his lip curls into a scowl and his eyes narrow rather comically; A caricature of one of his employees would witness.

"Now that's no way to talk, little lady." Up into his arms he scoops her from the lonely, depressing shell of her bed, tucked against his chest as a form of safety. "Doctors are awfully smart fella's, I'll give them that much. But you can let ol' white coat ruin your sense of adventure! What is it I always say?" There's a hum in thought; False, but his eyes roll to the ceiling in faux thought, a finger raising to tap his chin. "Gee, I just can't seem to recall. Think you can refresh my memory for me?"

There's another melody of a laugh at that, and he knows he's done well. Where skepticism once sat in her blue eyes had been replaced with stars. "With enough belief," She starts carefully, as if reciting something so terribly delicate and dear to the heart, "Anything is possible--There's no such thing as im...impa..." The one cheerful grin warps into concentration, struggling with the word. This time it's his turn to  laugh; light and warm as a finger taps her nose, not condescending but endeared by the display.

"Im-poss-i-ble." Each syllable is pronounced slowly for her to gauge and understand, soon met with an eager nod from her in response.

"Yeah, that!"

"You'll get it next time, sweetheart. Remember; Practice makes perfect!"

There's a silent confirmation between them as he carries her over to her wheelchair. She may have the spirit of a lion, but he can't help but see her as so fragile; That if he isn't careful with her, she much break in his hands like glass. It shows in the way he slowly settles her in her wheelchair; A sight, when empty, only makes him clench his fists and brainstorm on how he can give the Gods more to grant him with what he had truly desired, on what he can do to get her walking again. Someone so young, so nimble, so full of life and stars and sunshine had deserved to walk and run just like all the other children. Why she had been the one of the unlucky ones to be so cursed with such a damned disease had been beyond him, but it had been tragedies like that that had left him questioning the world.

Whatever trance of his own thoughts he'd been momentarily lost in, however, she breaks him out of with a soft question: "Papa? Where are we goin'?" Snapping to life, his hands take hold out of her wheelchair's bars, pushing her out of the room, as careful as he had put her in it. The smile is evident in his voice, even if she can't see it with him behind her.

"We're going to the park. Now, I told your mother we were just going for a li'l air, but," He leans enough for her to see him as she cranes her neck up at him, and he greets her with a finger to his lips and a wink, "Don't tell her I'm gettin' you ice cream. She's gonna have my head on a plate for that."

A light twinkles in her eyes as she gasps, tiny hands covering her even tinier mouth. He knows that that's a light that deserves to shine. "I won't tell her, papa, I promise!" Her voice is meek and small like a mouse, a whisper that's interrupted by childlike giggles.

His grin widens at that, a state of happiness settling through his bones, of affection only a father can hold for his own child. "That's my girl."

--

Joey couldn't say that his memory held the exact date of when he had last gotten her ice cream. Taking her out and about on Sundays had never been against the norm; He and his wife had done the best they could to make sure that she hadn't stayed cooped up inside all day. Hell only knew what it would mean for her happiness to be left in a dreary room and no way to get around that had been free of struggle. So they had taken her anywhere her heart had desired; To the park, to the beach, once even, by her persistance and a firm sweep of his employees to make sure nothing had gone wrong, to a small lot of the studio to show her 'Daddy's workplace.' They had all been fond memories, but there had always been something special about having ice cream and watching the clouds in the park.

The weather seems to be perfect for the outing; Not too hot and not too warm. Clouds speckle the sky, fluffy and a bright white against the clear blue sky, and many families had been out on such a day. There came a certain delight with her pointing out strangers and making commentary, asking him questions about nature, or when she saw a dog playing fetch and how she so badly wanted a puppy for Christmas. The fresh air had done her good--And with his shortening age, Joey supposed his own had benefited from it, too. His eyes scanned around before stumbling upon a lone ice cream stand; The line slowing to an empty queue. Wheeling her towards it, they waited patiently behind the following patron, who had waited for their scoop. Once given, Joey approached.

"What can I get for you folks?" His voice held a twang native to Brooklyn, the positive expression on his face genuine rather than the forced smiles some workers seemed to have.

"Two, please. One mint chocolate chip and--" His head turned down to his daughter, who had been staring at the menu as if it was the hardest decision known to man. "What would you like, sweetheart?"

"Strawberry!"

"And one strawberry." Joey punctuated it with a snicker, raising his head back upright.

"You got it, pal." The owner turned his back to them, busying himself with getting the waffle cones and their share of scoops.

Reaching his back into his slack's pocket, he pulled his wallet out, flicking it open only to be disrupted by the sound of a blown raspberry. Furrowing his brows, his head again turned downward to meet his daughter, who this time had her arms crossed and her face scrunched up in that of disgust. It was obvious what had come over her, such were the way of children, but Joey couldn't help but ask.

"What's the matter?"

"Mint is yucky, papa!" Her tongue stuck out with an exaggerated 'blech' sound. "Tastes like toofpaste!"

"Oh, cut your old man a li'l slack. See, when you grow up into an adult, you don't get to enjoy normal, fun flavors anymore!"

At that, her expression fell, caught up in the lie. "Huh? Why's that?"

"It's a sad story. Real sad. I don't think you'll be able to bear it."

A whine came from her throat, insistent.

"Alright, alright. Y'see, when you grow up into one of those--Adolescents, you start to lose your right to have fun like all the old tykes and tots. You can't enjoy this or that anymore--There's this big council of fun--We call 'em uh, well, the Bee Oh Cee Eff--That tells you what you can and can't like. And the most heartbreakin' thing they tell you is that us adults only get two ice cream options: Raisin and mint! Scary, in'nit?"

She nodded with a pout. "I don't wanna be an adult!"

"Well, everybody's got to be one. That's why you gotta make a promise -- You gotta stay young at heart, no matter how old you get. Even when you're ninety-two. 'Cause that's the best thing you could ever be."

A nod came from her, followed by a little salute.

The ice cream owner seemed to laugh at that, boisterous and the sort of laugh that had been booming, enough to snap Joey's attention back to him.

"Mint for the fella and a special double scoop for the li'l lady."

Fingers pulled across the bills in his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

"Naaah-ah-ah, no way, pally. Dis one's free a'charge, a'ight?" There was an unquestioning look in the owner's eyes when they had met Joey's; A look of sympathy. Of silent, agonizing apology for his situation. It had been pity in it's rawest form, of a stranger trying to make life even a touch easier for a girl so troubled. It was people like that that had made the world a better place, hadn't it?

"Well, thank you very much." First he took her cone, then his own. "What do we say to the nice man?"

"Thank you, mister!" Her hands waved to him, before reaching out for her ice cream. Joey obliged, handing her both his--One she pouted at--And her own, something she hadn't minded. His hands would be occupied with pushing her around until he could find some place to settle, a routine they had gone through before.

It hadn't taken him long to find a bench underneath the shade of an old oak tree: One barren and free of too much activity from other visitors. It had been the perfect place for a rest stop, her chair left right besides him as he sat on the bench with his own ice cream. The two sat in a comfortable, understanding silence; Conversation hadn't always been needed. There was a certain harmony, a certain easiness, in just sitting down and enjoying the presence of family. Gaze lost on the lazily drifting clouds, a much tinier hand overlapped his large one that had rested on the flat surface of the bench, pulling his attention away. Glancing over, he blinked in question; She hadn't looked upset by any means, enjoying her ice cream, although a little sloppily. He'd clean her face off in a minute.

"Papa?" She started, voice quiet.

"What is it?"

"Next time, can I get three scoops?"

The sudden question, asked so privately as if she would get in trouble for it, brought out a laugh from him. It was moments like these that made everything worth it.

"Sure, sweetheart. Whatever your dream is, it's my job to make it come true."

[kohakuhime]

The Reluctant Guardian, ch. 14

Hey folks~! Here’s our next installment! As a heads up for this particular chapter, I am backtracking just a smidge - the previous installment had a time skip of three days, so...think of this like a rewind. Expect the next update by 1/13/18!

Disclaimer: this takes place post canon, and this refers to events that take place in an alternate verse. Isabel, Kazuo, Mikomi, and Travis belong to @mpuzzlegirl​; Darien, Alana, and Risa belong to me; Yumi Mutou, who is referenced, belongs to @wizqevelynart​; and YGO and its associated characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi

                                              Three Days Earlier...

It had not been a good night.

Joey had spent nearly the entire night searching the city, ranging from old haunts from his teenage years to the corporate side of town, and yet he had not found any sign of the twins. Tristan and Ryou had helped as much as they could, but they too had come up empty handed.

Mai had found the shared phone the twins used on the roof across from their workshop, after dialing and hearing their ringtone. It had not been far from the alleyway where they had found the smoke bomb they had used. Joey for now was taking it to mean that they had gotten away—he did not want to think about the alternative.

It was not until the early hours of the morning when Joey trudged back into the apartment, leaning against the door. Mai was waiting for him, phone in hand. “Anything?”

“Nothin’.” Joey crashed into the nearest chair, hanging his head. “No sign of them. Either they did a real good job of hiding, or someone got to them.”

He did not have to look up to see the uncertainty on Mai’s face. “Joey…I don’t think it was just Sora and Claire who’ve disappeared. Nor Rowen or the other kids.”

Joey’s head snapped up so quickly he popped his neck, and he cursed sharply. “Mai, where’s Risa?” he said urgently, his heart crashing to a halt. “Is she—“

“No, hon, she’s okay,” she said hastily. “Risa got home around midnight. She took a cab.”

Maybe it was because he had been up all night, maybe it was the stress, but it took Joey a full minute before his mind processed what Mai had said. “Why’d Risa take a cab? Wasn’t she supposed to go back to the Game Shop after she was done at the amusement park?”

Mai’s features were grim. “Joey, Risa said that she was supposed to meet Yumi there…but Yumi never showed up, didn’t answer the phone, and when Risa stopped at the shop to check on her it was closed.”

Yugi didn’t close business during the day unless there was an emergency or a tournament he was involved in. There shouldn’t have been a reason to close the Game Shop.

He had not been able to get a hold of Yugi at all, come to think of it. At first he had thought it was because of the signal strength from different areas, but now…

“Mai, when was the last time we heard from Yugi?” he asked very quietly. “Or Téa?”

Mai did not get to answer. Joey’s phone started ringing and he jumped, pulling it out of his jacket pocket. Spotting Isabel’s caller ID, he answered it. “Yeah? Anything?”

“Joey, Noa and I were wondering if you and Mai wanted to come to breakfast with us.”

Joey blinked. He shot Mai a bewildered look, and Mai motioned for Joey to put the call on speaker. “Uh, Isa? Say that again?”

“Noa and I wanted you and Mai to join us for breakfast this morning.” Isabel’s voice was cheerful over the phone.

“We’d love to,” said Mai brightly, making Joey jump. “What time would you want us over?”

“You know that one café over by KaibaCorp? Do you mind meeting us there?”

“Sure! Hey, you don’t mind Risa tagging along do you?”

Joey, who was only seconds from protesting, stopped speaking at the look Mai was shooting him. Oh—he got it. He shot a thumbs up and rose to his feet.

“No, not at all! Mikomi and Kazuo are coming too—Noa wanted some testers for a new piece of tech he’s working on, and he apparently has standing permission from Kaiba to use his laboratories.”

“Okay, sounds good! How soon do you want us, Isabel?” Joey said.

“As soon as you can. I know it’s only six AM, but—“

“Nah, we’re up anyways and I’m hungry anyways. We’ll be over as soon as we can. Thanks, Isabel!” Joey hung up, reached for a broom, and started for the closed bedroom door. “I’ll get Risa up.”

                                        +++++++++++++++++++

When they arrived at the café, Isabel was already standing outside waiting for them. As Joey and Mai drew closer, Isabel held out a paper bag and a cup of coffee towards them. “I ordered for you guys already,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

On the front of the bag were four words written in sharpie: Play along. Being watched.

Joey took the bag, keeping the side with the message hidden. “I eat anything, Isabel, no worries. So where’s Noa?”

“Oh, he’s over at KaibaCorp already. We can walk over,” she said, already crossing the street. Mai and Risa tailed after Joey; their daughter had taken the cup of coffee, looking puffy eyed and grouchy.

Travis was standing inside the entrance to KaibaCorp with Mikomi and Kazuo. The moment Risa reached them Travis whisked her away and into a stairwell off the right. “Travis is their guide to the labs today for their work with the product testing,” Isabel said aloud, and then in a lower voice, “Cover story, in case.”

Joey and Mai discreetly gave a thumbs up, following Isabel through the front lobby, into the elevator, and then raised an eyebrow when Isabel stuck a keycard into the slot next to the buttons. The doors closed and the elevator went up.

“Noa’s office?”

Isabel did not answer, stepping out once the elevator reached its destination. Joey did a double take when he saw the sign for the floor. “Uh—“

“Executive suite?” Mai said, and her eyebrows arched. “Oh my.”

Isabel walked all the way to the end of the hall, pushing one of the doors open and motioning for them to go inside. Joey stepped through the door, staring at the large business office around him. Noa was in the office chair behind the desk, his eyes fixed on the computer.

Joey couldn’t help but grin when he saw the desk. “Of course that nerd would have a Blue Eyes paperweight—and wait, is that a Blue Eyes computer mouse?”

“Yeah, well, Seto is predictable in that fashion,” Noa said, leaning back into the office chair. He rose from the seat and moved to the right side of the room. “Don’t worry about the kids for now—Travis is downstairs with them. Come on over with me.”

“Darien and Alana?” Mai asked, looking around. “Are they already here?”

“They said they were staying behind and out of Domino,” Noa said. “They felt they would get in the way.”

Mai exchanged looks with Isabel. That didn’t sound right for Ellie’s parents, especially considering how much they loved their family. Isabel offered a small, helpless shrug in response to Mai’s questioning expression. Something must have changed since last night.

As they approached, Noa flicked a light switch. Instead of turning off the lights, however, the switch plate lifted completely up and disappeared into the wall, leaving only a finger scanner and a pack of alcohol wipes.

Noa used one of the wipes on the scanner, then pulled out a safety pin and sighed. “I hate this part,” he muttered, and then he pricked the point of the pin into the flesh of his thumb. He squeezed his thumb until a small bead of blood welled onto his finger, and then pressed it against the scanner.

No one had time to protest. There was a small beep and the wall to the right of the switch suddenly slid open. Noa motioned for them to step inside, cleaned the scanner plate off with the wipe, and then stepped inside, the door hissing closed behind them.

“Seto insisted on DNA specific identification in addition to scanning fingerprints,” Noa said irritably. “Anyways, welcome to Seto’s panic room.”

The room inside was different from the spacious and well-furnished office. There was not as much space in here, Joey noted. A smaller sofa was pushed against the wall; on one side of the wall were several monitors and another office chair. There was a small refrigerator in another corner of the room.

“We’re being watched by someone unfriendly?” Joey asked without preamble.

“Yes,” said Noa. “I’ve already swept Seto’s office for visual and audio bugs, and checked his desktop for unwanted guests. I’m just being extra careful—only a Kaiba can get into this room, so the chances of anyone else getting in here are non-existent.”

“What's goin’ on?” Joey asked. “You wouldn’t have called us all here unless you found something.”

“First thing’s first,” Noa said, and he looked as if he had swallowed something distinctly unpleasant. “Dartz came by our house last night.”

Joey felt rather than saw Mai stiffen at his side.

“He’s confirmed all the missing kids are with him and wanted us to pass it along to you. Apparently Darien saw him last night when we asked, so he knows.”

Momentary relief briefly flitted through Joey’s thoughts. His sister’s kids were safe…or as safe as they could be, considering who had the twins. His small smile vanished as suddenly as it appeared and his mouth turned down at the corner. “Why the hell are we letting Dartz keep them safe?”

“Not by choice,” said Noa, his own voice dark with anger. “Dartz has found a way to stay off the radar, likely with magic. In true fashion, he decided to tell us what he was doing after he did it. I don’t like it any more than you do, but at this point he’s out of reach unless he comes to Domino again.”

Mai folded her arms. “Also true to form, he doesn’t talk to you about important decisions face to face,” she retorted irritably.

“Dartz was under the impression you’d castrate him with a rusted fork if he came by,” said Noa, sounding skeptical and amused at the same time.

Mai raised an eyebrow, then reached into her purse and in one smooth motion pulled out a rusted fork. “Like this one?”

There was a long pause. “Mai, holy hell, you actually have one,” Joey said at last, unable to take his eyes off of the utensil.

“I do not break my promises,” she said airily, only the smallest bit of malice in her voice. “I’m only sorry Dartz didn’t test me.”

Noa cleared his throat. “Okay, Mai, you can sheath your sword. He’s not here,” he said. As Mai put away the fork, Joey tried not to grin at the relief across Noa’s features when it was out of sight.

“Joey, Mai, do you have your duel decks with you?” Isabel asked suddenly. Noticing Joey pulling out his deck from the belt holster he carried, she added, “Do me a favor and go through your cards real quick.”

Joey complied, shuffling through his cards as Mai leaned over. He was near the end of the deck when he came across the Red Eyes Black Dragon and—

“What the hell?” he blurted out, staring at his trademark card with horror.

Green lettering was glowing across the face of the card, from top to bottom and almost hiding the dragon from view. Joey looked up from the card to Noa and Isabel. “Did you two do this?”

“We didn’t,” said Isabel reassuringly. “Mikomi caught it this morning—something similar was on one of her cards as well. Read the message.”

Joey looked back to the card. “’You’re being watched. Do nothing suspicious. You are not safe at this time.’”

The moment Joey had finished reading he gasped as the message disappeared off the card. “Is Dartz behind this?”

“Yes,” said Mai and Noa almost in unison. They shot each other startled looks, but it was Mai who kept talking. “It was how Dartz reached out to us in areas where we didn’t have cell reception. The message fades the moment you finish reading it.”

“I’m taking it to mean that this will be how Dartz keeps in touch with us, then,” Joey said, eyeing his Red Eyes worriedly. “As long as it isn’t permanent, I’ll go with it.”

“That message was verbatim what we got this morning off of Mikomi’s card,” said Isabel quietly. “You know as much as we do about who this person watching us is—which is why we’re in here and not out in Kaiba’s office.”

Noa gestured around the room. “This room is pretty much tamper-proof and you can’t get access to anything in here to place bugs. I turned off the Wi-Fi hubs and disconnected the computers in here as a precaution, and Seto doesn’t keep any separate webcams in here.”

“We bring this up because yesterday there were two break-ins during broad daylight, while Michael was almost kidnapped in the middle of a crowd in front of security guards. Yet somehow, there’s no footage or audio recordings of any of these events anywhere. We got lucky with some footage of Rowen on a bus, and even a glimpse of one of the men at the mall chasing Michael, but that’s all we have,” Isabel said grimly.

Mai rummaged in her purse again and pulled out the twin’s phone. “It’s out of battery now, but I found it on the roof of the building across from their workshop,” she said. “I thought maybe they had been caught, now that you said we’re being watched I have to wonder if they didn’t leave it because of that reason.”

“And that’s probably why Dartz left Michael’s phone behind when he took Michael from the mall,” Noa said grimly. He held out his hand for the phone. “I’ve got Michael’s already, and I’ll take that one too. Maybe there’s a tracking app somewhere on their phone that I can use to backtrack to the one who sent it.”

“Rowen’s is back at our apartment,” Joey added. “You want that one?”

“When you get a chance, yeah.” Noa took the phone carefully, inspecting it briefly before setting it down.

Noa’s features promptly darkened. “Right, here’s the other thing I’ve found out,” he said as he passed over a stapled together print out. On the front was the picture of a cruise liner, but Joey’s eyes had caught the headline:

           Duel Monsters Tournament To Take Place On Private Cruise

“I heard about this tournament!” Joey said sharply, looking up at the others. “I got an invitation for it a while back, but I turned it down after reading the rules for it. It sounded shady as hell. Yugi got one too and he turned it down, but that was because it’s supposed to be almost two weeks long and he didn’t want to be away that long.”

“Enlighten us on the rules you received with that invitation, Joey,” Isabel said. “I couldn’t find anything aside from what that article was saying.”

“No outside electronics, no outside phones, nothing that could access the internet allowed. If anyone leaves the boat while it’s in port for any reason, it’s instant disqualification and barring from the next three tournaments. It’s ultimately why I said ‘nah’—I make my living from tournament earnings, and being banned would take a hit on us I can’t afford,” Joey said flatly.

“I heard about this tournament’s rules in the news. It sounds downright ridiculous,” Mai remarked with a frown. “What if it was an emergency that you had to get off?”

Joey pointed to Mai. “That was why Yugi wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t leave his family cut off from him for the duration of the tournament, since you were only allowed to take one person with you onto this boat.”

Noa’s face looked troubled. “Seto said something similar when he got an invitation. I talked to Mokuba last night about it—Seto said he wouldn’t do it because it would be almost two weeks without contact with his company, but read between the lines and it’s the same reason as Yugi.”

Joey looked back to the article and started reading aloud. “Exclusive and private Duel Monsters tournament welcomes veteran duelists Yugi Mutou and Seto Kai—what?!”

His head snapped back up to look at Noa. “Yugi wouldn’t change his mind on something like this! If he did he never said anything to me.”

“And Seto was supposed to be at a business conference yesterday, but instead Mokuba got a call from Roland saying Seto never made it there. Mokuba’s acting as representative for Seto at the conference now and doing what he can on his end, but Seto would never put off work for Duel Monsters. He wouldn’t,” added Noa when Mai shot him a look. “Not when it comes to something like this.”

Isabel nodded, her mouth a thin line. “Plus Seto’s kids and wife have completely disappeared. No one can reach them or find them.”

Ice traveled down Joey’s spine. “No one’s heard from Yugi’s family or from Yugi and Téa, and Yumi was supposed to meet Risa yesterday—she never showed up.”

Mai swore sharply. “I think I know why they’ve signed up for this tournament now,” she snarled. “This Mystery Bastard got to their families.”

Noa nodded, tight-lipped and eyes flashing. “That’s the best assumption to make at this point. Seto’s kids have tracking beacons literally sewn into their clothes—those beacons have been offline for almost twelve hours,” he said, his voice low and furious. “Whoever this is not only bold enough to go after Kaibas, they managed to make even Seto comply with them.”

“So what do we do about this?” Joey asked. “I’m not just gonna sit around waiting for something to happen, especially—“

“We may have to, hon,” Mai said quietly. She did not seem to enjoy saying it, and she looked over at her affronted husband. “If we’re being watched, it means they’re wanting to see what we do. If we get too busy or get too close, this guy could go after us next. I don’t care about me—I don’t want these bastards going for Risa,” she finished, and Joey blanched.

“For now, as much as it pains me to say it, we’ll have to stay largely out of suspicion’s way,” said Isabel. She hesitated, and then added. “Dartz feels like there’s a chance the Orichalcos is involved.”

Noa stiffened in place, sucking in a sharp breath. “I’m fine,” he muttered, though his eyes were filled with quiet horror. “Keep talking, Isabel. You’re fine.”

Isabel reached over for Noa, her hand resting gently on his shoulder and squeezing it. Her husband reached up to take her hand, and Joey saw the distinct tremble in his shoulders. Isabel looked back over to them. “Without confirming it’s back, without knowing how many active stones are in play or who’s using them, we can’t do anything without endangering ourselves and our families.”

“The Orichalcos should be useless,” Mai said, looking distinctly pale. She leaned subconsciously against Joey and his arm moved around her shoulders. “It shouldn’t have power.”

“Dartz seems to think it does in spite of everything that happened,” Isabel said quietly. “I’d be inclined to listen to him—if he of all people is worried about it, I would be too.”

“So someone got a hold of the Orichalcos again?” Joey asked. “How? I figured Dartz guarded those things pretty religiously. Unless an auction was held after Dartz was defeated and someone was like ‘hey, yo, can I bid on the suspicious glowing candy’ I don’t see how—“

“Joey you genius!” Noa’s eyes lit up as he snapped to his feet, startling Joey and Isabel. “Can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner!”

“Liquidation sales,” Mai murmured, understanding why Noa was excited. She was grinning herself. “Whoever bought Paradius property or items in bulk has to be a suspect.”

“Isabel, tell Travis to ask Pegasus about any businessmen who’ve been interested in magic. He’s the one most likely to keep track of that number,” Noa said, turning to his wife. He blinked, already noticing Isabel smirking and holding up the burner phone.

“Got that, Travis?” she asked aloud.

“Copy that, Isabel,” Travis’s voice came over the speaker. “Just need a number, that’s all.”

“We’ll get it to you later. Keep that phone with you.”

As Isabel pocketed the phone Mai leaned forward in her seat. “I’m still thinking about that tournament. Who’s sponsoring it? We find that guy, we find the ones responsible for all this.”

“We have a name, but I’m certain it’s not the right one we’re looking for,” Isabel said slowly, and she shot a wary look at Noa. “Yuri Lee Dum. That’s the so-called head of the tournament.”

“Yuri Lee—oh that complete—I can’t—!” Joey knew the look of dark murder on his own face matched the one on Noa’s. Under different circumstances, he would have found it funny. “He’s playing with us!”

“The only names we’ve been able to find that aren’t aliases are on the duelist’s roster—including the one representing Dum,” Noa said acidly, practically spitting out the last name. “Either of you ever hear of Miracle?”

“No, but if that’s a stage name that’s in really poor taste if the Orichalcos is present and working in this tournament,” Mai said darkly. “And let me guess: no connecting companies, no word on who’s sponsoring it other than this clown?”

“Not a thing. I have no idea how they’re hiding everything they’re doing,” Noa said angrily. The amount of venom in Noa’s voice was palpable. “This whole thing is really…really…stupid.”

Although no one spoke after that statement, everyone in the room could not help but silently agree.

“If we can’t do anything outright without proper information, then we need to focus on what we can do,” Mai said at length. “I for one don’t think we’re fully safe from this guy. Protection for the remaining kids needs to be our priority. No going anywhere without one of us, among other things.”

“And the kids are crafty buggers too,” added Joey. “Risa for one probably isn’t gonna sit this out if Yumi and her cousins are in trouble.”

“Let them try to come after our kids,” Noa said, his voice deceptively smooth. The look in his eyes, however, spoke volumes. “Just let them try.”

“Travis did not just come here to visit Michael, either. He’s got a show here in town for the next week, and we’ve figured he’s our loophole. We’re taking a gamble on him,” said Isabel firmly. “I already gave him a burner phone and he’s going to be doing some digging for us, since we’ve got unfriendly eyes on us.”

“In the meantime, I’m going to keep digging and keep trying to figure out who this guy really is. You all are welcome to do your own work, but try not to get caught doing it.”

“Keep our ears to the pavement and our eyes open. Gotcha.” Joey saluted, a shark’s grin stretching across his features. “They’re forgetting I grew up on these streets. I can do plenty of detective work without getting caught. You just gotta know what to ask and where.”

                                             +++++++++++++++++++

“Okay, anyone have a Sharpie pen?”

“I do. I carry, like, three of them on me at all times.”

“…Why?”

“Hey, someone falls asleep in class, you gotta draw on people with bold and fine detail.”

“…Right.” Kazuo handed the Sharpie pen to Mikomi, eyeing Risa warily. “Remind me not to nap around you.”

Although it had been Mikomi who had found the message on her Hitotsu-Me Giant card, Kazuo had the idea to try reverse-messaging to the one who had sent the warning; with Mikomi’s ability to contact Duel spirits, it was a chance to find their cousins that was near impossible not to take. Risa, meanwhile was watching the computers run a custom search for Yumi’s Duel Disk—an idea she’d had the moment they had stepped into the lab.

“What should we say?” Mikomi asked, holding the pen hesitantly above the card.

“Maybe start with ‘knock knock’. No, I’m kidding,” Risa added when Kazuo shot her a look. She sobered, taking another sip of coffee, and then said, “What about ‘are you there? Please answer’ to start with? I get the feeling this Dartz guy may not answer right away, and you don’t want to write a novel if he isn’t going to respond to begin with.”

Mikomi nodded, carefully writing in neat, legible writing on the card. She touched the card after she had finished and added a silent, Please take the message to Dartz.

She felt a gentle brush on her shoulder, and though the card did not change she felt the presence of Hitotsu-Me Giant fade away.

“Now what?”

“We’ll have to wait and see if Dartz answers us,” Kazuo said, sounding anything but happy. “Meanwhile, let’s see what we can do to help find out what’s going on…”

                                        +++++++++++++++++++

The next three days seemed to pass without incident, though they did pass ever so slowly. Either Isabel or Mai kept watch over the kids if they went anywhere, escorting them to and from their destinations; Risa, Kazuo, and Mikomi were not pleased by this development, but none of them protested terribly.

Initially there had been talk of mounting a rescue, or at least having someone try to find Seto or Yugi, but that option was shot down by Noa: “They’re using cloaking technology to hide their global position, and it would take at least weeks to find them. Apparently they got special permission on that one—go figure—but flying blindly out there is potentially endangering them and their families.”

It was an uneasy stalemate that they had fallen into over the three days. No leads, no answers, and mounting frustration on all sides.

Mikomi, Kazuo, and Risa, when together, spent a good deal of time huddled and speaking in whispers. What they were discussing or talking about was anyone’s guess, but as long as they did not try to set off on their own the adults let them be. A small part of Isabel was even hoping perhaps the kids could see something that the adults didn’t.

Noa was glued to a computer screen, rarely taking his eyes away as he moved throughout multiple screens of coding. Per Isabel, her husband had been doing digging in just about every website in the city that he could reach. Noa still could not find names, or specific evidence of anything shady going on.

Joey also rarely came home at night, tracking down virtually every lead he could find. He deliberately did not take a phone with him when he went out, making Mai wait up for him. Mai often found Joey trekking back in the early hours of the morning, covered in bruises and dirt. He too was striking out in terms of information.

Not one of them heard from Dartz in all that time and the silence was deafening.

                                           +++++++++++++++++++

On the fourth night, just before she went to bed, Mikomi checked her cards. When she got to Hitotsu-Me’s card, however, she gasped. “Kazuo!”

Her brother, who had been passing in the hallway, stopped in mid-motion and ducked into his younger sister’s room. “What is it?”

Mikomi was staring at the card, one hand covering her mouth.

“Mikomi?” Kazuo felt a spike of concern. “Komi, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Wordlessly she held out the card to Kazuo. The Sharpie was gone, replaced by glowing letters. Impossibly, the message seemed to radiate with an intense fury, nearly blinding Kazuo before his eyes could focus on the five-word message:

Do nothing. Stop everything.

NOW.

Previous | Master Post | Next

[woozletania]

Sanctuary, part 11 (final chapter)

It all ends in a dance number.  How else could it, really?

*****

It was no real surprise that Sharptooth ate his meals raw, and bloody. It was also no surprise that the feral Uplift had a noticeable space around him at the table. People gave him elbow room. But they didn't shy away from him.  Rocket nodded his approval as the sable looked up, red-muzzled, and reached out to take a cup from Blackjack.

"You knew this was happening to me, Pete," Rocket grumbled.  Lylla was off talking to Doc Foster about some trivial matter.  "Why didn't you warn me?  I didn't know what the hell was goin' on."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rock," Peter said with an admirably straight face.

"'That's how it starts'," Rocket quoted. "You knew.  You been through all this, why didn't you help?"

"The battle for a man's first love is a battle he must fight himself," Drax rumbled.

"You too, Drax?"

"I am Groot."

"I know you were pushin' our beds closer together. You think I couldn't smell where you touched 'em? How did you know, though? No offense buddy, but you're a tree."

"I am Groot," said the tree, who stood perhaps a foot taller than Rocket now but was still a shadow of his former self.

"Oh," said Rocket, and he looked down at the table.  "'Course you do."

"What'd he say, what'd he say," Star-Lord said, poking Rocket with his elbow.

"He said," Lylla said as she returned, "'As soon as you had me bring her your bed, and then limped over and climbed in with her when she was afraid, I knew.  I'm not like you, but I know what love is'."

"Woulda done that for anybody," Rocket grumbled.

"No you wouldn't," Peter said with a grin.  "And I've never seen so you so desperate to apologize to someone.  It was obvious, man."

"I'd just never met anyone who, who," Rocket fished for an explanation.

"Smelled so nice?" Lylla said, and nuzzled his neck.

"Was like me," Rocket finished.  "Knows what it's like to be like me. And smells nice," he smiled.

"Shrimp?" said the white-furred Uplift with a darker mask around her eyes.  She had Lylla's long body but fluffier fur and resembled a less massive version of Sharptooth. 'Ferret', Peter had called her.

"Thank you Alyssum," Rocket said, and took a pot of cooked shrimp for himself and one for Lylla. "Doctor Zek's afraid of you, by the way."

"He should be," said the ferret with a fanged smile.  "I make most of the food around here.  It'd be easy to 'accidentally' put something bad in his dinner.  But look at him," she said with a nod in the Kree's direction.

Rocket didn't need to.  He'd already seen the badly concealed fear on the doctor's face as he tried to keep track of every Uplift in the room.  Blackjack and Sharptooth were helping his blood pressure rise by fading partially out of sight every time he started to look away from them. He'd snap back around, trying not to look panicked, and they would be fully visible again, innocently eating their dinners.

"He wasn't so bad," Lylla chirped.  "I kind of feel sorry for him."

"Just as Ego's crimes finally destroyed him," Mantis said, "the doctor's will haunt him to the grave."

"That's why he provoked you, Rocket.  He wanted you to kill him," said Lylla.

"He wanted to kill someone," Rocket said with no pity in his voice.  "Me or him. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

Rocket's wrist computer pinged, and he stood, the tail of a half eaten shrimp hanging from his mouth.  "Back in a bit.  Lylla?" She didn't need his help to rise, but he held her hand as she did anyway.

"It's weird seeing him so..." Peter said.

"Happy?" Added Gamora.

"Whole.  I think he's finally whole. It's like she is everything he was missing in life. When we met him he desperately wanted respect, and he finally got it. But whether he knew it or not, he was still missing something."

"Love," Mantis said.

Peter nodded.. "I wonder how she got him to say he loved her."

"She put him a situation where he either had to admit it or lose her," Gamora said, and bit the head off a shrimp.

"Yeah, I know that one," Peter said, and smiled as he took her hand. "Dance later?"

"Definitely."

Rocket and Lylla made their way past the newest Uplifts, the ones recovered by Nova Corps from yet another illicit animal research project. This research team had experimented on larger Terran species.  Among the half dozen odd creatures was a large hard-shelled reptilian thing and a massive, tusked aquatic creature so nonanthropomorphic that it used extendable waldoes in a chest pack to manipulate its environment.  Rocket had spoken to 'Wal' for a few minutes earlier, and respected the mind housed in that whiskery thick-skinned head.

They reached the Uplift-sized podium and Rocket cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone. "Hello, everyone.  You know who I am.  The first thing I'd like to say is that everything you've been through, the pain, the horror. Some of it is my fault."

He took Lylla's hand before going on. "Because I joined the Guardians, and with them saved lives, abandoned Uplift projects were revived. People will always try to copy success.  Bad people will do it no matter how much they must hurt others to do it."

It was Lylla's turn to speak. "Earlier today, I was offered a job as the liaison from we Uplifts to Xandar.  My communication skills were considered useful. I refused this offer."

That provoked quiet conversation in the small groups of Uplifts.  "We had another idea.  Right now, out there among the stars, other research teams are torturing creatures like us to create more tools, more weapons."

Rocket again.  "And we are going to find them, stop them, and free the new Uplifts. Nova Corps has agreed to fund the Guardians in their effort to do this and house any we free. We're going to be very busy.  At some point we'll need help. I already know where I'll find some of it." Across the room he looked at the small table that held Sharptooth, Blackjack and gray-furred Foxtrot, then his gaze picked out a few other Uplifts in the room. Blackjack, speaking for his table, looked back and nodded emphatically.

When he went on, his voice was so low they had to strain to hear.  "I envy you.  When I escaped, I was the only Uplift I knew of.  You, even in this small room full of you," he gestured, and his voice returned to full volume, "Are not alone! And soon there will be more. One day we'll have a whole community. One day I hope to help build us a home.

"For now," and he looked across the room at Doctor Zek, seated next to Paul Foster, "Don't hate these men.  Some we will have to kill, but most are merely misguided. The truly bad ones we'll make pay. The others we'll let the law punish.  Sometimes, letting them live is more cruel than the alternative," he said with a grin, and his eyes never left the researcher who'd led the team that made Lylla. The man who lived now surrounded by people who loathed him, never knowing when one might strike. It would be a lonely existence.  Rocket knew what that was like.

One day he might forgive Zek.  He'd forgiven the men who created him, eventually.  But he wasn't there yet.

Lylla leaned forward to speak. "Dessert will be served in a little while.  For now, I'd like to see how many of you know how to dance!" With that Peter plugged a line into his Zune and music came from the room PA system. He and Rocket had argued over the playlist, but both agreed that a song from that thing called "Grease" was the way to start.

It was a strange way to end the evening, to Rocket's thinking, but it had its moments.  Watching two-meter-tall Drax dancing with a ferret less than half his height, watching Groot grin and flail his tendrils like jump ropes at a lightning-quick sable who slipped past to run up and over him before springing off to dodge again. Watching three bunnies dance, one flicking in and out of visibility and the others trying very hard to find him before his sneaking hands found their way into untoward places.  Watching Peter and Gamora dance, not for the first time. Watching a one-ton walrus undulate along the floor, laughing all the while as smaller Uplifts used his huge body as a slide.

And dancing with Lylla, of course. Rocket was strong, a good fighter (though not as good as her, he'd admit), an expert marksman and pilot, and the best intuitive technician anyone hereabouts had ever met.

But a terrible dancer.  Rocket cursed as he trod on her foot again, and Lylla giggled.  "It's OK, dear.  Give it time, you'll learn." Dancing apparently fell under the increasingly nebulous umbrella of 'diplomatic skills' that she was good at.

"Just so long as you're my teacher," Rocket said with a grin, and pulled her close.  At least he was figuring out this 'kissing' business.

A week ago he'd been alone in a galaxy full of people, the only one of his kind. There was still only one Rocket, one Uplifted raccoon.  There was also only one otter. Most of the other Uplifts were singletons too.

That was all right.  The others would learn what he'd finally learned, if they didn't know it already. You didn't need someone exactly like you to fall in love.

"You're the one that I want, indeed," Rocket said with a grin.

"You're the one that I need," Lylla said back.  And the dancing, the kissing, and what came later, that turned out to be a fine way to end an evening after all.