#i was trying to figure out tomorrows themed scout

[mihai-florescu]

Thought so much about enstars i gave myself a headache

[hyyyperfixated]

my place instead

My piece for @wait-whos-batman‘s DCU Valentine’s Day 2024 event!

timkon Valentine’s Day one-shot

Ao3 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/53783389

Tim sighed. “Kon, it’s not that I don’t want to go out with you, I just can’t. If I were seen out on the town with some guy on Valentine’s Day, reporters would have a field day. I really don’t want either of us to have to deal with the ‘Heir to Wayne Enterprises spotted out on the town with mysterious lover boy! More at 9:00’ bullshit.”     

“It’d be worth it to go out with you,” Kon said with a smile.     

The pair sat together in the Batcave while Tim went through files from a recently closed case. Valentine’s Day was a week away and Kon had been trying to convince Tim to go out on a date with him for it all day.     

“We’ve been dating for two years. I think if they were going to figure out we were together it would have happened a while ago,” Kon said.     

“We’re lucky they haven’t,” Tim said. “And we shouldn’t push it. And also, I don’t know if you remember this, but I’m a vigilante working in Gotham. The place that’s kind of known for having themed villains. It’s a holiday. Things are going to be nuts here. I need to be ready to go out as Red Robin if someone attacks, and that won’t be very easy to do if Tim Drake is out on a date.”     

“It’s not like we haven’t had to run off to beat some bad guys ass during a date before,” Kon told him.     

“Yeah, but that was just different. Maybe we could do something here?” Tim said. “This Monday. We can order takeout and eat here, so I’ll be here just in case I need to go.”     

“Okay, sure. That works. I can’t wait,” Kon said with a smile.     

“Then it’s a plan,” Tim said, smiling back at him.     

---

A week later Kon laid on his bed staring at the the text he had received from Tim 25 minutes prior. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are attacking Gotham. Something about how this holiday kills countless flowers and it’s horrible or whatever. This is going to take a while. Can’t do tonight. Stay home. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.      

Kon understood. He really did. There was always a high chance that this would happen. It had happened before, on other dates. He was still disappointed though.     

He heard a knock at his door. “C’mon in.”     

He looked up as Ma walked in with a mug in hand. “Hello, dear. I brought you some hot cocoa.”     

Kon sat up and took it from her. “Thanks, Ma.”     

She sat down on the edge of his bed as he took a sip.

“I’m sorry your date was canceled. I know you were looking forward to it.”     Kon shrugged. “Yeah, well, that kinda stuff just happens when you’re dating a superhero.”     

“You’re a superhero too, dear,” she said with one of her gentle smiles. “You know things like this can’t be helped. I know it’s hard. Jonathan and I are far too familiar with Clark having to cancel dinners and run off on short notice.”     

“It’s different with Clark though,” Kon sighed.     

“How so?”     

“‘Cause like, he’s your kid. This is my boyfriend who I just want to go on a Valentine’s Day date with. It’s not like we could go out anyways, like, in public, since both in and out of costume he’s hella famous, so we compromised with this, but then it couldn’t happen either.”

Kon looked back up at her. “It’s just disappointing, y’know?”     

“Well,” Ma said, thinking for a moment. “What if you invited him out here? Pa and I will be out late next Thursday helping with the silent auction the Boy Scouts are holding. You could invite him out here, give him a nice dinner and a simple night of relaxation together, after a hard week of heroics.” 

“Oh my gosh, you’re a genius,” Kon said, sitting up. “He would love that. And it would be perfect for both of us.” 

“If you let me know what groceries you’ll want to make the food I’ll buy them when I go into town tomorrow afternoon. You could borrow one of my cookbooks to find a good recipe,” Ma offered.     

Kon wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “Thank you, I never would have thought of this. You’re the best.”     

She smiled and returned the hug. “You’re welcome, dear.”     

---

Later, Tim flopped down on his bed with a sigh well past 5 AM. He hadn’t gotten home until  2, but then there were hours of filing reports and making sure everything was back in order. He had peeled off his Red Robin suit and taken a 5-minute shower before practically crawling to his bed.     

He was about to pass out, but then he remembered Kon. Oh shit, I should probably check on him, he thought, standing up to grab his phone off his desk where he had thrown it earlier. There were two texts from Kon, one telling him not to worry about canceling and that they’d hang out soon. The other one was from a few hours later, and from the looks of the preview that popped up, much longer. Tim went back to his bed to sit down, clicking on the notification.      

“heyy tim, hope you’re not busy this thursday night because i’m inviting you on another date except this one is at my place so you don’t have to worry about people seeing us or whatever. plus, ma and pa are gonna be gone for a few hours so it’ll be just us. ok that’s all stay safe kick bad guy ass love you gn :)”      

Tim couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long day that dragged on almost endlessly. But Kon always knew what to do to brighten things.      

that sounds great, he typed. i can’t wait. call me tomorrow, i love you.     

He knew Kon wouldn’t respond at this hour, so he tossed his phone onto his nightstand and layed back down, already in a better mood.     

---

“Okay, Conner. Just make sure you don’t overboil the pasta. And don’t let the saucepan bubble up too much,” Ma instructed Kon that Thursday evening. 

“Thanks for your help,” he said, opening the oven anxiously to make sure the garlic toast wasn’t burning.     

“Remember, a watched pot never boils,” Pa said with a chuckle, walking over as he slipped his jacket on and placed a hand on Kon’s shoulder.     

“I’ll remember that. Have fun tonight,” Kon said, giving both a hug.     

“Have a good date,” Ma said, squeezing his hand and smiling warmly.     

“Try not to burn down the house,” Pa joked good-naturedly as he walked with Ma towards the front of the house.     

“We’ll be back around 10! Love you, dear,” Ma called, walking out the door.   

“Love you too,” he responded, and as soon as they were out the door, he pulled out his phone and called Bart.      “Hello, hello, hello,” Bart said, picking up on the first ring.     

“Ready to go?” Kon asked.     

“I’ll be there in a second-” Bart responded, and hung up.     

Kon took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s do this,” he told himself.

He walked back into the kitchen to check on all the food, then opened the cabinets to pull out plates and silverware. Before he could get all the way to the dining room, there was a knock at the door. Kon walked over and opened it, and there stood Bart.     

“So when do I need to have Tim here?” Bart asked, skipping into the house and to the kitchen.     

“30 minutes? That would be ideal,” Kon replied as Bart grabbedMa’s cookie jar and took two chocolate chip cookies.   

“Yes sir,” Bart said, saluting jokingly, and shoving the first cookie into his mouth.     

“I really appreciate you helping us out,” Kon told him.     

“I know, I’m the best,” Bart said with a grin. “Well, I’ve gotta go get your boyfriend. Adios.” He put the other cookie into his mouth and sped off, not even closing the door on his way out. 

---

Back in Gotham, Tim was in his room getting ready to go. He had a dark purple button up on- a gift from Steph, paired with nice pants and shoes. He debated whether or not he should even bother with his hair, and decided not to since he was about to be sprinted from Gotham to Smallville “Sonic the Hedgehog style” (Bart’s words.)     

When he was ready to go, he exited out through the back of the manor. Despite being 19 he knew he would still be interrogated mercilessly about where he was going all dressed up, and he had no interest in Bruce awkwardly patting him on the shoulder and telling him to make sure to have a good evening and “stay safe.” Bruce would still know he left- Tim didn’t feel like avoiding the cameras and sensors as he walked down the driveway of the manor, but if Bruce checked the cameras and saw Bart there in his Impulse costume picking him up, he knew Bruce would have no interest in questioning Tim’s whereabouts.     

A moment later Tim saw Bart tearing down the road, running at about half his top speed. Tim stepped back slightly as Bart barrelled towards him and stopped just short of slamming into him.

“Hey Bart,” Tim said.     

“Hi. Bridal or piggyback?” Bart asked, stepping towards Tim.     

“Your choice,” Tim replied.     

Bart didn’t wait for another response and scooped Tim into his arms in a bridal carry. “Ready?”     

“As I can be,” Tim said, and Bart took off.     

---

“Oh, wow,” Tim said, walking into the dining room at the Kents’ house. The table was set with plates of spaghetti and semi-burnt toast. There were enough candles that Tim’s Batman-instilled instincts kicked in and he instantly scanned the room for the nearest thing that could be used to extinguish the fire if an accident happened. Flowers that Tim recognized from Ma’s garden sat in a tall glass vase in the center of the table. Everything about the presentation was messy and imperfect- but just right.     

“W’dya think?” Kon asked, walking in behind Tim.     

Tim turned to face him with a smile. “It’s perfect,” he said, leaning up to kiss Kon’s cheek.     

“Great,” Kon said with a grin. “Let’s eat.”     

---

“Tonight was really great,” Tim said, walking hand in hand with Kon outside under the dim light of the stars and moon later that night. “It’s what I needed after this week.”     

“Even though I forgot to get drinks so we drank questionable instant lemonade from the back of the cabinet, the pasta was undercooked, and the sauce was overcooked?” Kon asked with a laugh.     

“It was good! I mean, next time we’re ordering takeout, but this was still good,” Tim joked. They both laughed.   

“Fair enough. I’m just glad we got to have our date,” Kon said as he and Tim approached the barn. Kon picked Tim up and flew him up, setting him down on the roof.     

“Me too,” Tim said, looking up. “The stars are so pretty out here.”     

“They aren’t the prettiest thing out here,” Kon said, smiling at Tim.     

Tim rolled his eyes but smiled. “We’ve been together for two years, and yet the cheesy pickup lines never stop.”     

“That’s just one of my many charms that keep you around,” Kon said, turning back to Tim with a grin.     

“Yeah, yeah,” Tim said, leaning closer to him. “We only have an hour and a half until Ma and Pa get back and I have to head home for patrol. What’re we gonna do?”     

“I can think of a few things,” Kon said, leaning towards Tim until their faces were only inches apart.     

“Then let’s get to it,” Tim said with a grin, leaning in to kiss Kon.

[sangvislunae]

agent SEO SUNHWA has volunteered as a SCOUT in division four. they are 31 years old and resemble LEE JOOBIN of the good ol’ days. think they used to be a DISASTER RECOVERY SPECIALST FOR KOREAN RED CROSS back then, too. pity those days are over now. they’re a little NEUROTIC, but with their COMPASSION, they’re sure to make a fine addition to the unit. good luck and godspeed, soldier.

well hello hello everyone ! you can call me raroo and I'm so excited to join this rp and write with you (been waiting for a zombie themed rp again for a hot minute!!) !! I bring you my muse, sunhwa, a former korea red cross worker and kdr agent who has become jaded and pessimistic due to seeing how the kdr treated its fellow people during and after the outbreak. I don't have pages up yet but I hope to work on those today and tomorrow and get them up asap. in the mean time, under the read more I'll do a quick bio and some wanted plots! just click that little heart in the bottom corner and I'll come to bother you with plots. discord is available upon request!?

sis grew up the only daughter of a wealthy family and all their regrets and expectations were piled on her so she was in a thousand activities and doing the most constantly.

it worked out for the best as she got into yonsei university and graduated in 2015.

her first job had her dealing with the sewol ferry tragedy and needless to say it shook her and cemented in her that corruption couldn't be tolerated, especially if it was to benefit the haves at the risk of the have nots.

her job for the korean red cross saw her getting folded into the kdr leading up to the outbreak to try and mitigate disaster. needless to say it didn't go as planned and now everything is shit.

she hoped the kdr would be everything they said they'd be but seeing the reality has disillusioned her and once she was able to ditch them and join the fireflies she immediately took the opportunity.

she doesn't believe in the fireflies either tbh (not that she'll ever say that out loud) because she doesn't trust any group to be transparent and altruistic. she figures once the fireflies don't have a force to fight and unite against, they'll likely fall to corruption too but until that day comes she'll gladly use them to destroy the kdr.

she will push and start trouble if she thinks she knows something that can help others or make things easier. she's very outspoken but she's not a troublemaker or someone who starts issues for no reason.

she tries her best to be very kind and compassionate but something is just below the surface, her paranoia and neurosis.

if you knew her before the outbreak you'd think she was a pushover and maybe a bit naive and sheltered.

now she's closed off and detached but still wants to put humanity first.

she trusts very few people and may seem fake or disingenuous to some as she tries so hard to put on a good face??

plots that'd be fun??:

a love interest she ultimately betrays for the sake of her personal mission. m/f available.

obvi gotta be cliche and have someone who hates her/doubts her because of her former kdr affiliation.

someone who knew her before the fall. preferably friendly so we can have a cute found family plot?

someone who finds out her real motives? maybe they found a journal or saw her acting oddly and confronts her? the more dramatic the better!

I love angst and drama and slow burn so yeah!

someone she can vent to and wax poetically to about corruption and her wants for humanity and the future.

someone she can't stand. you rub her the wrong way and she gives you wide berth but something forces the two of you together.

?? literally anything and everything because I'm down. I have zero triggers and love dark and gritty and angsty so throw it at me!! (hope to add more and make a wanted plots page)

[spinaroos-47]

Can we have some Salem facts? I Adore them

- He's a manlet! (at least compared to Belos) Like, pretty much around Hunter's height, just a few centimeters taller or so, like this drawing shows. So like, about 1,65/5'4"

(still taller than me, though fjsjdnfnd)

- They're also pretty religious, which is a reason why they like going to the Knee, since its a very important place for witches to connect with the Titan. Which is another point of identity crisis and etc when he discovers that Belos might be lying about a lot

- I based his scars on Dell's, or at least the lineless ones. Those are all Belos related. I do actually have a post queued for either today or tomorrow that explains most of the ones he has on his arms.

He also doesnt really dwell or feel bad about his scars, at most theres just some annoyance about their hand tremors but even then they are managing it okay-ish

- I have songs and colors that I associate with my GGs and on Salem's case it's Honey I'm Home by Ghost and their theme color is white/very light grey

- They're very blunt and go on a bunch of thought tangents, which makes it fun to write from their pov. But theyre not very introspective and doesnt question much if they dont have a reason to.

- The way I see his not that great behaviour is cruelty and indifference for the ones he's harming most of the time, and distancing himself from the actual harm he's doing. i didn't want to make them very over the top cartoonish evil or anything very quick to spot.

He's cruel in the way people who seem nice are, hidden and excused by well meaning pretendes, which is quite hard to illustrate, i don't actually draw much exploration of them in their own little story besides near their death because of it and also because contrary to Cain, Salem doesnt really have anyone for me to work him with besides Belos and like, random scouts. And i also haven't drawn much of that because Im still figuring out what exactly he has done.

This is all very rough still. A lot can change

(they do believe they are doing the right thing but that also coexists with them not feeling much remorse when they are intentionally and knowingly cruel)

- Ironically they are very squeamish about death and etc. Kind of a Robespierre kind of deal, if I am getting things right about that. Executing this from a distance for most of the time. I have been wondering if they would have a nickname like The Golden Fist or something like that.

-Maybe if he lived longer he would have had a big change of heart and stop being so blindly obedient and would try to help people instead of hurting them. That would have him killed too though. Just later than when it actually happened.

- He was one of Belos' favorite grimwalkers, so much so that he is actually on the GG mind graveyard, which was where i took inspiration for their hair when it isnt in a bun

- As far as how close they look to Caleb, theyre actually like, third in closest resemblance. In second place theres Orien and then in first its Hunter.

- His whole story and not so great personality were not actually with him from the start. When i made them, they were basically just a design and name, and slowly i added them discovering about grimwalkers being what ends up making them "betray" Belos, and they were actually nice, but i had been looking at some posts about how not all grimwalkers must have been nice people and I wanted to make at least one of mine like that and they were the most interesting one for me to do that.

Him not being nice was decided after i made that whole sheet/reference post about the basics about him.

I didn't think id have much to say about them but apparently i do gjdjfjf. I know that i draw him a lot but its usually just mindless sitties or outfit drawings, not really exploring his character like I do with Cain. Hope you liked these Salem facts!

[hellfirehaley]

Strange Love Chapter 16

Songs referenced: Careless Whisper by Wham (shoutout to @sunflowerhargroves @sunflowerharrington for this song rec)

Parts 10-15

November 15, 1985

It was three weeks until the winter formal and you sat in the library during 3rd period looking for French novels to do a book report on. Robin chose Candide by Voltaire, Ali chose Dangerous Liaisons by Choderos de Laclos and you chose The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. You three sat at a table with your books open as you talked quietly. 

“So I was gonna ask Vickie during band class if she’s going to the dance but I’m so nervous to ask her,” Robin whispers.

“Try bringing it up casually,” you say as you turn the page.

“Define ‘casually’” Robin asks.

“‘Hey Vickie, what are your plans for Winter Formal? It’s coming up soon and I’m debating whether I want to go or not’” you offer.

“At least Ali has it easy and just has to ask her boyfriend to go to a dance with her,” Robin notes.

“Hey!” Ali says, looking up from her novel.

“When are you gonna ask Eddie to the dance?” Robin asked.

“Probably today. I just need to figure out what I’m gonna say,” you reply.

“Oh shit, for real?” Ali says.

“Yeah. I was gonna do it earlier but he’s been wrapped up in setting up his campaign. I think he said he’s preparing for some grand finale before the Winter break starts. But we are supposed to hang out tonight.” Both girls squeal under their breath.

“He’s gonna say yes,” Ali reassures.

“Yeah cause when has he ever said no to you?” Robin asked.

“Okay you hold a good point,” you say with a smile.

“Any luck recovering that letter?” Ali asks.

“No, I’m starting to think it fell out and someone got a hold of it,” you admit.

“That’s the worst case scenario,” Ali says.

“But it could happen,” you say.

“And if it does, then we’ll be ready.” Robin says.

“What if Rob or his friends found it?” you whisper panicked.

“Now THAT is the worst case scenario,” Robin says.

“Then you can drop out of school and piss your life away and I won’t say a damn word dude because your life here would be over,” Ali says as you smack her arm lightly.

“Not funny,” you say.

“But seriously, if that happens then we will kick his ass..again.” Ali says as the bell rings. You smile at her as you pack up your books.

“Still on for hanging out tomorrow?” Ali asks.

“Absolutely.” you say with a smile as you walked out of the library and went separate ways. 

Eddie’s pov

8:55PM

Hellfire was fucking awesome tonight. Everyone actually knew their new stats and didn’t ask any stupid questions. Everyone survived the encounter and actually talked with each other before making any stupid moves. It was an all around win tonight and it felt like I was on a high as I drove to see my favorite person: Y/N. We had plans to hang out tonight and it was one of the only things that kept me going today. We both have been busy lately between my band rehearsals, preparing for D&D, her study schedule and family obligations. But tonight her brother was off at some party and she was probably in bed either reading one of her fantasy novels or buried in her books, trying to focus on her studying. 

I pulled up in her driveway, seeing her mom’s station wagon already parked. I shut off my van and got out, walking up the porch path and knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened revealing Meg with a smile on her face.

“Hi Eddie,” she greeted.

“Hi Meg. Is Y/N here?” I ask as she opens the door to let me in.

“Yep. She’s been in her room ever since dinner probably studying,” she said with a proud smile.

“Would it be alright if I took her on a break to get some fresh air? I promise to have her back by midnight or you can ground me too,” I say, holding up three fingers like I’m a Boy Scout.

“That seems reasonable Eddie. Just have her home by midnight,” her mom says with a nod as she returns to the couch as the theme for Dallas plays in the background. I headed up the stairs to her room and noticed the door was open and I could hear soft music playing coming from it. I walked into the doorway and stood there for a moment. Y/N was in her bed sitting with her legs crossed, pen in hand with a textbook in front of her and pieces of paper splayed out everywhere in an order that only made sense to her. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing an old athletic sweatshirt with holes in the sleeves and a pair of gray sweatpants. I knock at the doorway lightly as I walk in, grabbing her attention and making her smile when she saw me.

“Hi Eds. How was Hellfire tonight?” she asks excitedly.

“It was great. Everyone was on top of their game tonight and they survived to go on and fight another day,” I say as I take a seat at her desk.

“I’m glad you had a great session,” she says.

“Me too. How’s studying going?” I ask as I look at her nest of stuff on her bed.

“It's uh…it’s going. I did two full worksheets of mathematical equations so far and I have one more left.” she says.

“Wanna get some fresh air and get a break?” I offer.

“I can’t Eds. I have one worksheet left,” she says.

“So? When has homework ever stopped you from doing something?” I counter.

“I want to, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think the warden will let me. Plus Leo has my car,” she says.

“Well I’m driving so don’t worry about it. Also I already asked your mom and she’s cool with it so get ready! We’ve only got til midnight Cinderella” I joke as she starts shuffling her papers into more organized piles. She sticks her tongue out at me as she gets up from her bed and goes to her closet, grabbing a purple hoodie and pulling it over her head. She grabbed a pair of Converse and put them on before standing again. I stand up and lead the way downstairs. We passed the living room and I stopped to pet my buddy Norm while Y/N told her mom we were leaving.

“Back by midnight!” her mom yelled out as we walked out the door. I got in front of Y/N and opened her car door for her before going to my side and getting in, starting up the van. I backed out and started to drive while Y/N started to fidget with the radio. She settled on a pop station as one of the songs ended its last chorus. 

“Thanks for getting me out of the house,” she said with a smile.

“Anytime Y/N” I say back, returning her smile. The DJ announced the next song and Y/N’s eyes lit up, turning up the music as a synthesized introduction started.

“I loooove this song” she exclaimed with a laugh.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Careless Whisper by Wham! I live for power ballads that build and build up to the song” she says as the guitar starts among the soft vocals. She sang the opening verse and I was hooked. Then came that fucking sax solo and she started to dance to it in her seat. My god she was so fucking beautiful. It felt like every single time a song came on, she knew it and maybe it was partly due to her job but I really liked how eclectic her music tastes were. This song specifically made me wanna dance with her in the moonlight and maybe that’s the point.

I eventually pull up to the woods and park, grabbing my cigarette pack from my cupholder and the lighter. We get out of the van and I lead us into the woods with Y/N holding onto my arm to avoid getting lost. Fifteen minutes later we arrived at our destination: Skull Rock. Everyone always uses it as a makeout spot but it’s actually a great smoking spot. No one ever comes out here past Halloween thanks to the cold weather so I knew we would be able to be left in peace. We sit in the clearing under Skull Rock and I pull out my cigarettes, grabbing one of the pre rolled joints I rolled this morning. I hand it over to Y/N along with my lighter. She put the joint in her mouth and lit up, inhaling as she took the joint from her lips and exhaled, the smoke going out towards the forest.

“Did I ever tell you this used to be my hiding spot?” she asked as I looked at her.

“No I don’t think you have.” I say.

“I used to drive her almost everyday when my dad started his affair and I never knew why but I think its because no one ever comes out here and it’s a peaceful place to gather your thoughts,” she mused as she hit the joint again before passing it to me.

“When was that?” I ask, hitting the joint.

“The affair? Started in 83 and it was right under our noses. He would take on extra hours at the office, go in early and stay late. But then he started to miss major events like our games or social events,” she says.

“Your games?” I say, surprised as I hit the joint again.

“My volleyball games. I was pretty damn good but once the affair got out, I had to quit because I couldn’t be That Girl: the one whose dad cheated on her mom. Instead, I became the girl whose boyfriend cheated on her at a Halloween party. Sick irony, I tell you,” she says with a twisted laugh.

“I’m sorry Y/N, I had no idea,” I say.

“It’s okay. It’s in the past,” she says. It truly amazed me how much I knew about Y/N but at the same time,  I still had so much to learn about her. I hadn her back the joint and we smoked in silence for a while until we finished the joint. Y/N was deep in thought about something so I let her be for a while while I looked up at the almost invisible moon tonight. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Y/N wrap herself up in her arms, shivering. Without a word, I took off my jacket and put it over her shoulders, the leather engulfing her like it did the first time. I pull out a cigarette from the pack and put it between my lips before lighting it up. I take a few puffs before Y/N turns to me.

“So what are your plans for formal? I know you’re not too excited to go but what would you do instead?” Y/N asked as she grabbed the cigarette from my hand.

“Probably me with a six pack, my guitar and a few of these bad boys,” I say, holding up the last of our joints with a smile, “Why? You asking me to the dance Princess?” I tease as she hits the cigarette. I see her face turn serious for a moment before she smiles.

“Yes Eddie I am asking you to the dance,” she says and I almost choke on my spit.

“Wait you’re serious?” I ask.

“As a heart attack. Hear me out: it’s senior year. Your last senior year if I have anything to do or say about it. So why not go Eddie? I promise to protect you from any Carrie related incidents,” she says taking a Scout’s honor. “Plus I think we’d be cute together,” she finishes as I take the cigarette from her.

I ponder her proposition and wonder what to do. On the one hand, I didn’t wanna go to the dance because it’s not my scene. I’ve never been to a single high school dance so why start now? I don’t even own a suit. But if I DID say no, Y/N would be crushed; absolutely heartbroken. I couldn’t help but wonder about her crush. Did something happen? Either way she deserved an answer.

I sighed before taking the last hit of the cigarette. “I’m breaking my own rules for you here Princess. I don’t do school dances but because it’s you asking so nicely, my answer is yes. Just try not to fall in love with me,” I say with a laugh.

“You’ve got my word Eds” she says with a sweet smile.

Taglist: @realeddiemunsonstandup @eddies-blunt @sharkbaitouhaha @spookyscoopstroop @bobbiewritesstuff @eveieforeve02 @apublicnotebook @madaboutmunson2 @grungegrrrl @stardustworlds @imagine-all-the-imagines @brittanyyydamnit @emotionaldreamer

[romijuli]

HELLO I am tossing you a card to talk about an OC (or multiple OCs) of your choice >:D

oh oops i forgot to reply to this. too busy figuring out what oc to do.

ACTUALLY since i've been thinking about them nonstop, i'm gonna talk about my tmm ocs that have existed for like six wholeass years. back when the reboot was just a dream...anyway i love these kids i'm gonna shove razz in a locker.

also tsu i have NO clue if you've watched/read tokyo mew mew so if you haven't this is gonna make like no sense. whoops. (go watch it it's good) (or at least read that one post where i ranted about how funny the love interest is i love him)

OKAY so. fuck what were my notes. basic premise is that this takes place in an au where the original series' villains were like a scouting party that everyone rEFUSED to listen to back home ("uh hey yeah this is a bad idea they kicked our asses and kinda stockholm-syndromed our boss? also they're kinda cool ngl" "fuck you we're invading anyway") and now there are like. a LOT of aliens. and thus a lot of mew teams. it's an ongoing problem with the expected outcomes (which is to say sometimes people die). this is an abbreviated version it's fine who cares.

SO THE CHILDREN. if you're curious they don't have to be all girls it's just kinda how they spawned. presented in approximate join order also not including the characters who aren't on the team when the story is going. extra reblog either later tonight or tomorrow because this is a bit of an unreliable narrator situation?

Melanie Rasley (Mew Raspberry, or Razz for short; grabbed her codename from her surname hehehe) is the team's de facto leader, in that she's been here the longest and the last leader trusted her to be responsible. (Horrible decision, Cocoa.) Pink! Got DNA from the Danube Crested Newt apparently! Fights with a mace! Kinda what you'd expect from a team leader in a magical girl series; bubbly, maybe a bit clumsy, but determined to do what's right and keep her city safe from both the invading aliens and whoever on their team is working against them! ...or so she presents herself, anyway.

Sarah Brighton (Mew Blueberry, or Blue for short! her hair was dyed blue when she joined) is the team's second-in-command, not because she's dating Razz (though she is) but because she's one of the more responsible team members. Got DNA from the Halmahera Blossom Bat, which means she gets sweet bat wings! I gave her a sword for reasons that even past!Chel doesn't remember! But honestly I trust her with that. Usually found keeping the rest of the team in line.

Evelyn Britt (Eve for short, or you can call her Mew Plum. She just liked that idea.) god her notes are so small. Actually the oldest of the group, though her temper would have you believe otherwise. Got DNA from the Wattled Guan, which past!Chel informs me is a bird of some sort. Fights entirely fisticuffs which is honestly the outcome I was hoping for when I went back to read these notes. As stated, she's pretty hot-headed and very stubborn, which are actually pretty solid qualities for a magical girl in these situations to have.

Cecilia Emerson (Mew Cotton Candy, though you should call her CC!) has my FAVORITE design because I picked her designated food on the idea that i could give her afro puffs. Also she has two theme colors because she deserves it. Got DNA from the Black-Footed Cat, which means she gets kitty ears and a tail, but doesn't explain how she fights with a fluffy fan. (Wind magic?) She's the youngest on the team; actually, she's technically younger than any respectable Mew team would normally allow (she's 13 and they prefer Mews to be 16+), but they made an exception for her. Sometimes Razz complains that she's not taking it seriously, since she's usually the one trying to drag the rest of them into Fun Bonding Time, but CC's plenty mature.

Kaylee Merill (Mew Kale! Wonder where she got her name) is the newest member, recruited to fill the gap left by their former leader (a Career Mew who got sent to help rebuild a team elsewhere). Got DNA from the African Wild Dog, so she got dog ears and a tail! (Chel Fact: tiny!Chel's tmm-sona got this one too <3) Kinda nervous due to being the newbie and also just general anxiety, but definitely eager to help out, especially since she's a bio nerd and generally fascinated by the science going on with the Mews. Unfortunately, this does kinda make her suspicious while everyone tries to figure out who's causing problems behind the scenes...

[mypoisonedvine]

𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 (𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘐𝘐) || sub!bucky barnes x dominatrix!reader

(𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘐)

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 || your newest client asks you to give him a real challenge, and you’re happy to oblige.  

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 || 6.3k

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 || smut but no actual sex (lots of handjob stuff though and some brief oral m receiving), overstimulation, multiple orgasms, more cnc (because of the overstimulation), bondage, edging, impact play (riding crop), brief cock torture (she just hits him with the crop a couple times), implied “kink as trauma response” (this is gonna be a theme throughout the whole fic), forced to break a rule/doomed to fail/impossible challenge (idk how to warn for this but yeah), forced voyeurism?, thigh riding (reader rides bucky’s thigh), some degradation/dumbification, brief/implied dacryphilia, a bit of angst/feelings

new parts posted on thursdays!  join the taglist here

“Can’t,” he sighed, “can’t come again.”

He looked so painfully adorable when he begged like that, his brow glistening with sweat as he jerked under your touch.  “Aw, poor baby,” you pouted, twisting your hand when it stroked over the head of his cock, “yes you can.  I know you can.  Just gimme one more.”

“F-fuck,” he whimpered, “Mistress, please— just stop, please, I can’t… can’t take any more…”

“I know you can, sweetheart— I know you can be my good boy and keep coming for me.  Tell me your color.”

“Yellow,” he whispered.

“Think you’re almost done?” you pressed, smiling when he nodded breathlessly.  “Yeah, there’s my good boy— gonna come again for your Mistress?”

“Yes,” he breathed, baring his teeth as his hips bucked wildly to try to avoid further sensation, “y-yes, one more, just one more, I’m gonna— fuck, gonna come, just don’t stop… fuck, it hurts.”

“I know, but you’re being so good for me,” you purred.  “You like it when I milk your pretty cock, don’t you?  Even though it hurts?”

He winced but nodded.  “C-coming, Mistress, fuck, I’m coming…!”

Since it was his fifth of the evening, he could only give you one thick drop of come that gathered at his slit before running down over your hand which finally slowed to a stop.

You both sighed with relief as you pulled your hand away and leaned back, admiring how beautiful he looked as he caught his breath, covered in come and sweat.

"Good job," you praised with a chuckle, "I hope I didn't go too hard on you."

"N-no, that was… that was really good," he sighed, slumping back onto the bed.  "Can I use your shower before I go?"

"Yeah, totally," you nodded.

After a long pause, you gave him a confused look.  

"I thought you were gonna shower?" you reminded him.

"Oh… I guess I have to get up for that," he sighed, making you laugh.

"Rest a bit longer.  You've had a… challenging afternoon."

He nodded a little and you got up from the bed to go wash your hands and freshen up a little, smiling at your own appearance in the mirror— sometimes you forgot how you looked when you did this, but there was an undeniable aura of power around you… especially after a session like that.

This was only your third week with James, and already the dynamic felt so natural between you— and yet, so fresh compared to your other clients.  Normally it took longer for a newbie to get comfortable with you, yet most of them had had multiple doms before and here was James, totally inexperienced and taking it all like a champ.  There was an air of innocence about him, you figured, in contrast to this undeniable strength and intensity that you caught glimpses of from time to time.

Sometimes, it felt like he was chasing an innocence he lost a long time ago.  Whatever it was that drew him to this, you were happy to help him along the way.

It was probably a little dangerous to enjoy sessions with a client so much; even though you often pretended that everything was about your pleasure and not theirs, obviously since they were the paying customer it was the complete opposite in reality.  But there was an equity to the dynamic with you and Bucky, he served you with a real dedication rather than for his own gain.  And you, meanwhile, had rediscovered the fun in this career that had originally drawn you to it in the first place.  It was less like a science now, more like an art— you let yourself go with your instincts and do whatever felt right in the moment, and both of you benefitted for it.  

“Come on, get up and clean yourself off,” you encouraged— gently, of course— as you left the bathroom and returned to find James laying sprawled out on the bed.

“I know you said falling asleep here was a one-time courtesy,” he remembered with a smile, “but I could use it now a lot more than I needed it then.”

Honestly, you didn’t see him smile that often.  It was pleasant; you hoped to see it again.  He did get up, though, and take the washcloth you handed him to wipe off the come that had gotten all over him.  “What are you thinking for next week?” you asked as you leaned against the wall.  “Any special requests?”

“We can discuss all that over the phone,” he decided.  You still didn’t understand fully why he didn’t like to discuss future scenes in person; it was like he wanted the in-person interactions to be as ‘in character’ (if you will) as possible.

“Alright, just keep me updated,” you requested with a shrug.

You got changed while he took his shower, and when he emerged to the living room he seemed surprised to see you sitting on your own couch.  After a moment, you realized it was the fact that you were in normal clothes that threw him off.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before… or pants of any kind.”

You looked down at your outfit with a smile, glad it was at least still professional and not sweats and a t-shirt or something.  “Yeah, I guess you haven’t.  First time for everything, right?”

“Yeah, had a lot of first times with you,” he chuckled.  “Most significantly less mundane than this.”

A brief silence filled the room but it wasn’t exactly awkward, at least not for you.

“Well, I’ll see you next week,” he decided as he grabbed his jacket from your chair and slipped it on.  You’d been spending most of this session trying to forget how good he looked in the leather motorcycle cut, so that was out the window now as you tried to keep from visibly biting your lip while he walked towards the door.

Damn, he was fine.  But there were more pressing matters at hand.  Like preparing yourself and your apartment for your next appointment.  This guy wanted to get slapped around until he cried… shouldn't be too difficult, but your arms would probably be sore tomorrow.

Opposite of last week, I really want you to edge me tonight, as long as possible.

Don't go easy on me, make me hold it in.  I need a challenge this week.

-J

It was odd how emails from James made your week.

He seemed to prefer to communicate his desire with you this way; maybe it was easier for him, and you couldn’t really blame him for that.  The nice part was that you didn’t have to temper your reactions, if you had any, since you were always alone when you got his messages.  You might be old hat at it now, but you could remember a time that you had to hide a grimace when a client told you to your face what he wanted.  Not that you would shame them for it or anything (unless, you know, they paid you to), but you didn’t enjoy everything you did with these men.

Did you enjoy everything you did with James?  Yes, but you were pretending not to— for your own sake.

You dressed a bit differently for today’s session, more conservatively… not that it was especially conservative by any other person’s standards.  But it left your legs and chest covered, somewhat in the spirit of ‘mean corporate businesswoman’ aesthetically.  For some reason you felt like using a riding crop required wearing pants.

James certainly didn’t seem to mind, with the way he nervously cleared his throat after you opened the door.

“Good to see you again,” you greeted formally, “please, come in.”

He stepped past you, still looking at you and not at what was in front of him, meaning he ended up slamming himself gut-first into your kitchen island.

“Oh!  Are you alright?” you smiled when you noticed. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” he nodded, rubbing his stomach for a second but recovering quickly.  “I told you I can take a lot of pain,” he joked.

“Well, we’re going to put that to the test today,” you promised cryptically.  “You must’ve seen the crop on the table.”

He nodded again.  “Yeah....”

“Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yes,” he answered, a bit too quickly.

“Then let’s get you tied up, James.”

Straddling his lap, you realized the rope was a bit too tight when you saw it digging into his skin; maybe he wouldn’t mind that, but you did, so you pushed the rope back through itself to loosen it slightly.

“How long did it take you to learn all these knots?” he asked casually, watching your fingers nimbly work the ropes around his wrists.

“Not too long,” you shrugged, “I’ve only been doing this a few years… but I knew them before that.”

“Boating school?  Boy Scouts?” he suggested jokingly.

“Just a hobby,” you decided, dodging the covert question about your past.  “Were you a Boy Scout?”

“Do I look like a Boy Scout?” he countered with a scoff.

“Not anymore,” you shrugged, “but I bet you did once.  You’re sorta innocent, you know.”

He swallowed dryly, and you raised an eyebrow as you glanced from the knot you were tightening to his face, which looked a bit flustered.  “R-really?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, leaning back on your heels to look at him straight-on.  “Are you surprised to hear that?”

He nodded quickly, and you laughed.

“Aw, you thought you were so kinky, huh?  So dirty,” you purred, running your hand up his leg until he tugged slightly on the newly-tied ropes— a subtle way to get him to test them for you.  “But you’re really not.  You’re just my sweet, innocent boy.”

He whined— really, properly whined— and you dug your nails into his skin until he hissed instead.

“I don’t think you believe me,” you noticed, leaning back to reach for the crop behind you.  “You think you’re so filthy and perverted, right?  Are you a pervert, James?”

“Yes,” he breathed, shivering as you let the crop slide gently over his skin— his abs, his hips, his legs which were already quivering so adorably.  “Yes, Mistress.”

“And how’s that?”

“I think about… getting hurt,” he admitted weakly, “when I touch myself.  And I touch myself all the fucking time.”

“Yeah?  How many times a day do you stroke that pretty cock, James?”

“Twice every morning,” he blurted out, “after that it depends.”

You didn’t let yourself show your surprise at that number.  “Depends on what?”

When he hesitated, you hit him sharply on the thigh and he winced.  “Depends on what I… what I end up thinking about.  Sometimes… sometimes something reminds me, and I have to get off.”

Something told you not to press on what it was that he needed to be reminded of, and why it made him want to jerk off so bad.  Something told you he wasn’t ready to tell that story yet.  “Did you touch yourself today already?” you asked instead.

“No, no ma’am,” he shook his head, voice wavering as you brushed the crop over his chest, “it’s… it’s different with you.”

“Yeah, I bet it is,” you smirked, hitting him on the stomach quickly.  “I bet you’re finally satisfied, right?  Nothing’s ever worked for you before.”

“Yes,” he moaned, crying out slightly when you hit him on the arm (flesh— you were too afraid what sound the metal one would make) much harder than before.  “The nights I see you, I… I can sleep.”

“You sleep better?”

“No, I just… sleep.”

You tried not to react to that, moving to a new question instead.  “Do you want me to hit you again?  Or do you want me to stroke your cock for you?”

An obvious choice to some, surely, but he seemed to really struggle with it.

“Which one do you think you deserve?” you asked instead.

“Hit me more,” he decided.

Instantly, you struck him once on the face and again on the shoulder, then moved down to his legs for three in a row in spite of the way his body jerked away instinctively.  

“Fuck,” he sobbed, “don’t stop— I need more…”

You focused on his legs, on the inside of his thigh where he seemed the most sensitive.  His twisted joy turned to true fear, though, when you brushed the end of the crop over his balls.  “Do you want me to hit you here?” you challenged.

“I… I don’t know,” he stammered.

“Let’s make a deal, James,” you offered, “wherever I hit you, I’m gonna kiss it to make it better.”

“Then hit me wherever you want,” he nodded, almost smiling at you.  He cried through his teeth when you whipped his shaft with the crop— not especially hard, in fact quite delicately, though the second was harder.  And the third, though not much more aggressive, was right on the sensitive tip; his eyes shot open and his hips jerked away.

“So good, such a good boy,” you whispered proudly, putting the crop aside to lean in and kiss his cheek where you’d hit him before, his shoulder, his arm.

You worked your way down carefully as he breathed heavily beneath you, whimpering slightly when you kissed his thighs and notably ignored his flexing, leaking cock.  “Please,” he whimpered.

“Shh, be patient,” you soothed, “be my good boy.”

“Your good boy,” he repeated, trying to restrain himself but already bucking up into the air again, “fuck, wanna be your good boy, Mistress.”

“Are you already close, pet, just from getting hurt?” you asked in a faux pout.  “You’re not gonna come if I give your pretty cock some kisses, right?”

“I— I won’t come,” he promised.  “Not until I get permission.”

“Baby, it’s gonna be a long fuckin’ time before you get permission,” you promised with a toothy grin.  “Look down at me, honey, I want you to see this.”

He hesitated for a second but obeyed, looking down at you with an expression that was full of awe as you gripped his cock and gave gentle, teasing kisses up his shaft.  It bobbed in your hands with each one, and he let out the most beautiful sigh when you kissed the tip carefully.

A wide lick made him jerk beneath you.  “F-Fuck,” he stammered.

“You said you wouldn’t come,” you reminded him.  “Can I keep going?  Are you gonna be a good boy?”

“Don’t stop, please,” he breathed, “I’ll be good.”

Taking the head between your lips, you suckled gently as he shivered and moaned.  You weren’t sure you’d ever been with anybody— on or off the clock— who was so sensitive.  And you loved it, honestly; who could resist those precious noises he made?

As much as part of you wanted to go nuts and really push him to the edge, you tried to be gentle and careful so as not to make it impossible for him to hold back.  But even then, when you gently grasped his balls in one of your hands and squeezed them, he apparently couldn’t take anymore.

"S-stop," he hissed, and you pulled back, sitting up.

"You were close?" you asked, and he nodded a little.  "Oh, what a good boy."

He whimpered briefly.  "Yes, your good boy, Mistress…"

Your fingers trailed delicately up the underside of his cock, making him shiver violently.  "I know you want to come, but you want to be good even more.  You're such a sweet little pet."

It seemed like the praises did more to keep him on the edge than the touches, so you kept both going; wrapping your fingers around the ridge of his head, you gave the most gentle and subtle strokes, and leaned in to whisper against his ear.

“Is this why you wanted me to edge you today, James?  So you could show me how good you can be?” 

“I-I don’t know,” he blurted out, rocking his hips as best he could while restrained, “I just wanted to… I just wanted you to make me wait.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that,” you laughed slightly, “I can make you wait all day.  Is that what you want?”

“No, that’s— not that long, I can’t wait that long,” he shuddered.

“Mm, that sounds like your problem, not mine,” you smirked.  “Not sure why I asked what you want, honestly… cause I don’t fucking care.”

His choked-out whine was too perfect to ignore.

“Oh, what a pathetic little moan that was, poor baby,” you cooed mockingly, “are you regretting it now?  You’re probably wondering what you got yourself into, ‘cause you’re worried Mistress is never gonna let you come.”

“No, I don’t regret it,” he denied weakly, “whatever you want— do whatever you want to me, just… give me what I deserve, please.”

You stopped touching him completely and he straight-up sobbed.  “You don’t deserve anything from me, James.  You don’t deserve me at all.”

He told you before that he liked when you rapidly cycled between soft and mean.  Kept him on his toes, apparently.  Honestly, you felt a little guilty talking to him that way sometimes, but his cock leaking enough pre-cum to soak the bedsheets beneath him was a sign you were doing something right.  “I know!” he cried.  “I know, fuck, I’m sorry, but I need you.  I fucking need you, Mistress, please— you know I’ll do anything.”

“I’m feeling generous today,” you shrugged, “so I won’t ask you for much.  Just beg me a little more.”

“Please, pleasepleaseplease,” he rushed, “touch me.  Anywhere, whatever you want, I just need to feel you.  I know I… fuck, I know I don’t deserve it, but let me try to— to earn it.  Please.”

You knew if he had it his way, he wouldn’t do much talking at all.  But you couldn’t just let him have it his way, now could you?  It was better to make him just the right amount of nervous, just the slightest hair uncomfortable, by making him talk to you.  And, of course, you liked the way his deep and rough voice got all whiny and needy like this.

One finger under his chin guided him to look up at you, those pretty blue eyes watery and sparkling and wide with misplaced innocence.

“Tell me who you belong to, James,” you instructed darkly.

“You, Mistress,” he whispered, “I’m yours, I— oh fuck…”

Unshockingly, he was reduced to only moans again when you started stroking his cock, the slick precum making every movement smoother.  “All mine, huh?  My little toy?” you confirmed, but he could only nod and swallow thickly.

You sped up quickly, getting faster and faster until you were really, properly jerking him off and he was biting hard on his lip.  Just when he seemed to really fall into it, get almost comfortable, you had to stop.

"Oh, fuck—" he gasped, bucking his hips up to try to chase your hand when you pulled away, but it was no use with him tied up.  You watched his cock bob in the air and smiled.

“Did you think it was going to be that easy?” you smirked.

Shaking his head, you tilted yours to look at him, reaching up to trace your fingers over his chest.  

“Don’t lie, baby, you thought I was gonna let you come, didn’t you?  You’re so sweet, James, and so, so stupid.”

He gasped, and for a second you thought you might’ve gone too far, but it shifted to a moan quickly and you realized he was having the time of his life.

“Just my dumb, brainless little toy,” you continued with a snarl, watching him tug at the ropes as his eyes fluttered shut.  “It’s okay, James, it’s okay… you don’t need to think, I don’t want your mind.  It’s useless.  I want this pretty cock, that’s all I want from you.”

“It’s all yours, Mistress,” he promised, cheeks burning bright red and eyes forced shut.  “All of it, I swear.”

“I know,” you cooed, holding his face gently to soothe him a bit.  But then your other hand wrapped around his cock and he was anything but soothed.  “Shh, shh, don’t make any sounds, you’re just a toy and toys need to stay quiet.”

You missed his noises, actually, but he looked so cute biting his lip and struggling to suppress them.  His cock was so swollen in your hand that you honestly wondered if it was somehow getting bigger.  Was that even possible?  Your mouth was watering regardless.

“I’m gonna give you a little break,” you promised gently, “but I’ll be honest, pretty boy… I don’t think you’re gonna like it one bit.”

The look he gave you beautifully balanced fear with anticipation, and you stopped stroking him to reach over towards the bedside drawer and pull out a vibrator.

“Your Mistress is feeling a little.... self-indulgent today,” you winked.  “And since I, unlike you, don’t need to hold myself back from coming, I think I might as well get myself off if I want to.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed dryly, watching you closely as you stood up off the bed and started to carefully undress yourself.  It was a lot more fun to get naked when you were wearing something that didn’t actually show much skin— the button-up seemed to really get him going, his tongue mindlessly darting out to lick his lips as you opened one button at a time.

Once it was off your shoulders and on the floor, and he could see the almost-transparent bra you had on, you moved to opening your trousers as well.  Just to be mean, you faced the other way as you pushed them down over your ass; you heard his breath catch and you smirked to yourself, spinning to face him again in just the matching, dark red bra and panty set.

“What do you think, do you like this better than the black ones?” you asked coyly.

“I like you naked better than both,” he answered, and you grinned.

“I’m gonna let that backtalk slide just once because it’s not worth my time to go over there and slap you for it,” you decided.  “But don’t test me, James.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he answered dutifully, sounding a bit out of breath as he watched you climb back onto the bed, positioning yourself carefully.

You faced him straight-on and laid your legs over his, meaning your lace-covered pussy was in full view and only inches from his leaking cock— the damn thing looked sore by now, purple at the tip and just as desperate for attention as the rest of him.

When you pulled the fabric aside to show him your cunt, he hissed and looked away.

“Look at me, James, keep your eyes open,” you demanded, seeing how totally wrecked he looked when he turned his head back to you and stared down at your body with half-lidded eyes.  “Look at how fucking soaked my pussy is.  You remember how it feels to be inside it, don’t you?”

He swallowed, sighed, and finally (just barely) nodded.

“You remember how hot and wet and tight it is, don’t you?”

“Y-yes,” he choked.

“Well, that memory’s all you’ve got to work with, sweet boy, because I don’t think I’m ever gonna let you fuck this pussy again.”

He really, properly sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks, and those arms flexed against the ropes defiantly.  “N-no, please—” 

“I’m gonna make myself come with this,” you promised, interrupting him as you grabbed the vibe, “and I want you to remember how it feels when I come around you, okay?  

Turning it on, you wasted no time pressing it to your clit, moving the end of the toy in slow circles and keeping a close eye on him as he watched you.  Your intention had always been to give him a show, but the embarrassing thing was how little of it was an act.  Ironically, even though you’d been edging him this whole time, having to touch him that way without any pleasure for yourself was almost as torturous.  You’d soaked through your panties by the time you had him tied up, to be totally honest.  So, giving into it and letting yourself feel good was a breeze.

“Think about when I was riding you, James,” you instructed, your own voice clearly affected by your pleasure now.  “Think about how good it would feel if I let you come inside me.”

“Oh, god,” he cried, leaning his head back.

“Think about my pussy milking every fucking drop of come out of you.  You know I wouldn’t let you stop until I was completely full of your come, I bet you’d like that.  I bet you’d like to eat your come out of me, you sick little pervert.”

“Fuck!” he yelped, tugging at the ropes harder now— for a second you thought he might really break them and jump you.  And for a second, you knew you’d let him.  It made your walls clench as you imagined facing the consequences of driving a man to the brink of insanity until he couldn’t help but fuck you like an animal.  It was a good thing he didn’t see you bite your lip as you imagined that.

“You know what I’m thinking about?” you taunted.  

“God, don’t tell me,” he sighed through his teeth, but obviously you ignored him.

“I’m thinking about what a good boy you are for me,” you cooed, your hips starting to rock up against where you held the end of the vibrator; you pressed it down harder onto your clit and moaned instantly.  “Yeah, I’m thinking about how pretty you look when you’re all desperate and needy and fucking pathetic—”

“Oh—” he choked.

“My dumb litlte whore, that’s all you are, James,” you groaned.  “I know you wish you could touch me, it’s all you can think about, right?  That pretty head of yours would be completely empty if it weren’t for thoughts of me and how badly you want me.  Right?”

“Yes,” he whispered huskily.

A shiver ran up your spine when the vibrator bumped into a more sensitive part of you, and you did it again and again until you thought you might lose it a bit faster than you meant to.  “This toy feels really good,” you informed him in a purr, gasping when you slipped the vibrating body of it into your pussy, “but it doesn’t feel as good inside me as you do.”

His eyes fell shut but he still winced a bit every time you made a sound; he couldn’t run from this, no matter how hard he tried.

“Oh James,” you moaned loudly, fucking yourself with the vibe for a moment before you pulled it back out to focus even harder on your clit, “I’m gonna come.  I’m so, so close… I can feel it getting stronger, I think I might make a mess on these sheets.  And the only way I’m ever gonna let you come is if you watch me do it.  So open your fucking eyes.”

He blinked quickly as he opened them, gaze scanning your whole body before settling on your cunt; you were sure he could see it pulsing as you got closer and closer, you knew he was imagining how it would feel.  You only spared a brief glimpse at his cock, bobbing between his legs, and wished you could just slip it in you now and come while it stretched you out. 

But that wasn’t what he was here for, sadly, and you were sure you were the only being truly denied of your desires, despite how it probably seemed from the outside.

“Oh my god,” you breathed, numbness starting to tingle in your legs as your orgasm built up quicker than even you expected.  “I’m coming— James, I’m coming, oh, fuck… right there— yes!”

A gush of heat warmed your cunt at the same time that shocks ran up your spine and down your limbs; you could feel your legs shaking, and you knew he could, too.  

It got so intense for a second that you had to pull the vibrator away, though you didn’t stop coming until a few moments later, eyes falling shut without you meaning for them to.

You actually laughed a bit, breathlessly, as you turned the vibe off and set it aside, although you weren’t sure exactly what was supposed to be funny about this per se.  When you opened your eyes, you saw James looking down and looking positively defeated.  But he looked tense, too, and you sat up on your wobbly legs to get closer to his face.  

“Relax, James,” you told him firmly as you examined him.

“I— I can’t,” he whispered. 

“Why not?”

“I’ll come.”

Nothing could fight your wide grin anymore, not when you heard that.  “Oh, baby… are you about to come without even being touched?  Is that how much you liked watching Mistress come?”

He nodded, ever so slightly, and you laughed.  Not quite a mocking laugh, moreso impressed.  Prideful, even.  You leaned in to give a wet kiss to his neck, licking over his pulse as he shivered violently.

“That’s my good boy,” you whispered against his skin.  He whined and you cooed soothingly right away, “oh I know, I know.  It’s so unfair, isn’t it?  Mistress gets to come and you don’t…”

“Please,” he stammered, “I’m so close, let me come, please.”

“But I don’t wanna see you come, baby— I wanna see you cry.”

You started to slide your hand down his chest and he jumped up to attention as he tried to squirm away.  “No, please, don’t— don’t touch my cock, not if I can’t come.”

“You can hold it in, can’t you?” you pouted.

“No, I can’t, I can’t,” he sobbed, watching fearfully as your hand moved down to his stomach and over his hips.  

“But I thought you were my good boy,” you frowned, suddenly wrapping your hand tight around his cock as he choked on a gasp.

“Mistress!” he sobbed.  “Please, don’t—  don’t move your hand, I’ll come.”

"Never fucking tell me what to do," you instructed firmly, just barely stroking as he cried weakly.  "I'm gonna touch you however I want and you're not gonna come because you're my good boy, right?"

"No, Mistress, I can't stop it, I'm gonna come— stop, please…"

"You'd better not fucking come," you hissed through your teeth, speeding up your movements and watching his eyes shoot wide open, "you'd better hold it in until I'm done with you."

"I'm trying— please slow down, can't take it—"

You shook your head, tutting disapprovingly.  "No, baby, I tell you what you can take."

"Oh— oh god, Mistress, please, please stop, please, I c-can't— fuck!"

You pulled your hand away the second his cock started to flex but it was too late: come was shooting from his swollen tip and painting his chest and stomach.  You didn't even wait until he was done to backhand him across the face.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled.  "I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it…"

You softened slightly when you heard his broken voice, saw the desperation and fear on his face— it was real, more real than the fake ‘no’s and the encouraging pleas for mercy.  "Baby, it's okay, you tried so hard," you soothed instantly.

Hope filled his eyes just as much as tears as he looked up at you.  "Am I still your good boy?"

"Always," you smiled, caressing his face where it was already turning red from your slap.  

You reached down and caressed his cock with the back of your fingers, watching it flex weakly.  

“Let’s get you cleaned up, alright?”

His lip twitched, almost like a wince.  “Do we… do we have to stop?”

You quickly glanced at the clock.  “Um, no,” you mumbled, “we still have time.  Just tell me what you want.”

“I wanna watch you come again…” he admitted softly.  “Is… is that okay?”

Although you weren’t sure what you’d been expecting, you were still surprised.  “Yeah, sure.”

“But… but closer this time,” he added, “not so far away.”

You were literally laying on top of him, how did that count as far away? 

“I wanna see your face,” he clarified.

“Okay,” you nodded, deciding to indulge him.  It was sort of like aftercare, except that this wasn’t exactly the ‘after’ part yet.

On your knees beside where he was leaning back against the headboard, you slipped your hand down into the lace panties again, finding your clit still swollen but not too sensitive.  A little gasp fell from your lips when you touched it, rubbing it carefully with two fingers while he looked up at your face.  

You felt slightly exposed when he watched you this close, and you didn’t know where to look to avoid direct eye contact.  Looking at his lips was just a little too tempting, so that wouldn’t work.

“My hands are a little tired,” you explained, “they might cramp up.  Maybe I could use your thigh…”

“O-okay,” he nodded, and you removed your fingers from your panties to sit down on the thick muscle of his leg.  You felt him tense up under you slightly, and you carefully began to rock your hips until your clit rubbed just right against the inside of your underwear.  Surely he could feel how wet you were— actually, you both could hear it, almost a wet clicking-like noise as the soaked lace slid against your skin.

The dynamic shifted slightly, not that you minded it, as he watched you ride him carefully.  Just as he couldn’t hide much from you when he was naked and tied up and baring his soul to you in the kinkiest way possible, you couldn’t hide your pleasure from him when he was looking at your face so up-close.  You let your hands carefully roam his body, narrowly avoiding the trails of cooling come he’d left on his stomach and chest, until you found his strong shoulders and held onto them for balance.

“Fuck,” you mumbled to yourself, biting your lip as your sore clit throbbed against his hard, muscular thigh.  

“Will you… could you kiss me?” he requested quietly, and your heart broke a little bit.  You shook your head, and he nodded in understanding.

“I’ll kiss you here,” you offered instead, whispering against his skin before you pressed your lips to his forehead, then his cheek, then his jaw.  “Is that better, James?”

“It helps,” he agreed in a sigh.  

“I’m close,” you warned quietly, pressing your cheek to his and weaving one hand into his hair.  “I’m gonna come again, on your thigh.”

“Let me touch you,” he begged, “just a little, please…”

You nodded, about to reach forward to untie one of his hands, but he snapped the ropes and you had totally forgotten he could do that.  He quickly ran his touch all over your body, calloused hands and bound wrists in stark contrast to your soft skin.  The metal one was a little cold but it didn’t bother you; the other was almost too hot, and it was like being warmed and cooled all at once.

He ran his fingers down your spine, he gripped one of your shoulders, he rubbed your legs: he did everything he must have been wishing he could do this whole time, even gasping as he ran one hand up your chest and over a cup of your bra.  Just as you sensed that he was about to ask if he could touch you there, you nodded and felt his metal hand tug down the red lace and grab your breast— thankfully not very hard, though he did give your nipple a quick pinch which made you gasp.

Burying his face in the crook of your neck, he finally settled his hands on holding your hips, just tight enough to slightly guide your movements as you rocked faster and more desperately.  “Please come,” he begged weakly, “Mistress, please… use me.”

It sort of hit you all at once then, like a punch to the gut.  Except, you know, a lot more fun than getting punched in the gut.

“James,” you gasped, legs quivering where they straddled his as a new patch of slick soaked the lace (and presumably his thigh as well).  He held you tight, kept you moving through it while your fingers tangled in his hair and your mouth fell slack for another, louder moan.

The way his lips moved over your skin, laving your collarbones and pulse point and the innermost corner of your jaw, was positively worshipful; reverent.  “Mistress,” he whispered, almost sounding like praise but tinted with awe.  Your movements slowed down to a stop and the two of you breathed a sigh together, unintentionally.  “Thank you,” he mumbled.

“What for?” you asked, blinking quickly and looking down at him, coming back to reality (though you weren’t quite sure where else it was that you had just been).

“I dunno, everything,” he decided.

“Don’t thank me,” you smiled.  “Keep paying me, though.”

He laughed a little, glancing away.  “Yeah, and I’ll pay you back for these ropes… sorry."

"No, hey, don't be sorry," you dismissed, getting up off of his leg and standing up to go grab a towel for him.  "I'm just sorry we still haven't found anything strong enough to hold you."

"It's fine, they're strong enough to make me stop myself when I want to do something I shouldn't, that's all that really matters."

You nodded to yourself as you dampened the towel and came back to wipe him off.

"I can do that for myself," he reminded you, sounding a bit embarrassed, but you thought it was sweet. 

“You just focus on getting those ropes off of yourself,” you decided with a little smile.

[sasa-gay-yo]

Just Us (Chapter Fifteen: Dedicate Your Heart)

← Chapter Fourteen

I thought I was going to die. Sitting there hearing his pompous ass ramble on about how better his life than ours in the Capital was going to make me go crazy if he didn’t stop. He seemed to enjoy it too. The way his lips curled into a smirk when he heard Jonas groan next to me as he went on and on about the luxuries of the capital and what the Military Police get for their monthly bonus. I was just trying to keep my best behavior up because Ben had threatened Jonas and me before this meet-up. It was even worse than I thought it was going to be too because Catrin wasn’t there to talk over him. I’d rather hear her babble on about her baby and hair salon than whatever shit is coming out of his mouth now. Duran was point-blank lying about all of this and you knew it. MPs just sit around and do nothing in the capital, and now he was accepted to join a special team that was so top secret, he could only tell us every detail? I didn’t buy it. Also, how was he considered an elite soldier? These were all the thoughts running through your mind while he talked. 

“That sounds like an amazing opportunity for you Duran. Maybe we can visit you as a family in the capital after your training.” I also laughed at Ben’s proposal, knowing good and well I was never going to willingly venture onto Duran’s turf where he can bullshit to us even more. If anything, we should show up at a random time so he’s taken by surprise and can’t cover up his lies with a few changes of cash. 

“But enough about me,” he feigned, “What’s been going on with you all here back home?” Ben looked at Jonas and me, then to his wife, and realized that he was the only one willing to talk, so he started off about his job and the cafe. I knew I’d be next, so I was trying to build some narrative in my head that Duran couldn’t pick apart. In the middle of the part where I’m trying to figure out how to not tell him about closing the shop for a period of time, Jonas kicked me under the table. As annoyed as I was, when I saw him move his head towards the back door I was the first one out of my chair. 

“Fresh air,” I mumbled, before walking out, not hearing Duran’s comment when Jonas got up to join me. 

“Those two finally together?” I slammed the door, forgetting that Jonas was right behind, and he walked out holding his head. I mumbled sorry before starting up the ladder to the roof. The spot that Jonas and I always went to do nothing. Once on the roof, it gave a nice view across Trost and I could see the top of the walls where the guns and Garrison sat in wait. A few days ago, the whole of Trost was awoken by cannon fire, and it took all but two hours for the café to be bustling with the rumors that the first titan had reached the outside of Trost. To say it was scary was an understatement, but it was overly annoying that now the people were rejoicing how close the Scouts were to save Trost if anything happened. I don't remember those praises when the mission to reclaim the wall had happened. How easily they could switch up because they needed personal protection astounded me. After that incident, the Scouts had allocated a few people to stand watch every day at the wall to kill any abnormal or call for help if the titans that destroyed Shiganshia were back again. It was morbid, but I was waiting for the day that the Colossal Titan, as people were calling it, reached a hand over Trost’s walls. Staring at them now, I could just picture it. 

“Penny for your thought, Ev?” Jonas took out a pack of cigarettes, a habit he acquired in the past few months, and got something out of his pocket to light it. The roof and outside of my apartment was the only place he could do it without getting yelled at by Ben or his roommates. I had done my best to warm him the first few weeks, but he seemed not to care. Still, I had no idea why he started now when he had years previous to do it.

“Thinking about when the Colossal Titan reaches Trost.” He took a drag and just nodded, counting on comments of morbidity to come from my mouth. It was a common theme now. 

“Anything else less… intense? I’m trying to have a relaxing time up here before I have to go down and listen to Duran’s mouth.” I smiled lightly, dangling my legs off the edge of the building. I had to think of something else to say because that’s truly all I was thinking about. These days, I don’t try and let my mind run.

“I was thinking about paying a few petty gang members to jump Duran on his way back to Mitras. You want to donate a few notes?” He sighed, this time shaking his head, but I could see the smile on his face. It was a tempting offer for the day we’ve had to endure. 

“Unfortunately, my crime funds have run low. If Catrin was here, she’d donate though.”

“She would.” The wind whipped through once, and I put my arms around myself, regretting not storming out with at least a jacket. It was almost winter. One month till the end of the year. Six months. 

“How long did Ben say Duran was staying? Am I going to have to entertain him tomorrow in the café?” Jonas snuffed out his cigarette on the brick before leaning back a bit to feel the wind enter his ashed lungs. 

“The week I think. At least he’s not staying in your old bedroom. Now I can’t stay at home when I want to for the next week. I have a double shift in two days and it was so much easier to come back here and sleep.” I groaned. God, I was going to have to entertain him and his new happy-go-lucky attitude. That was the worst part. While he was still annoying, braggy, and covertly malicious, the only thing that changed is that he seemed less interested in fighting outright. Actually, it was even more annoying because there wasn’t anything to call him out for upfront. He hid his ass well and Ben seemed to be eating up this fake persona.

“At least Ben isn’t forcing you to make food for this fucking family picnic inside the walls. It’s your fault for telling him about the meadow. I have no idea why now Ben feels like we need to be a family again, I’m almost thirty.” Jonas huffed one in laughter.

“I could think of a few reasons why, but I’d like to keep the peace we’ve made tonight.” I nodded, knowing what some of those reasons were.

“I’m glad you’ve made that decision.” He threw the cigarette off the building and I watched it fall and hit the ground. The last spark flew out of it when it hit the mud, and quickly burnt out. I just stared at it for what seemed like forever. 

“If you went back to your old self, you know, became happy again, I’m sure Dad wouldn’t force you on family picnics.” Ah, there it was. The daily comment about my state of emotion. It was different than last time. I wasn’t crying anymore and I didn’t show up to the café with bloodshot eyes from no sleep. No, I was calm. I was living on spite. There would be no tears for someone who would never drop them for me. There was anger. Definitely anger. Sometimes it came out too. The latest victim was Elias who had spilled over a whole pail of water and I yelled at him loud enough for Jonas, who was outside throwing away garbage, to hear. I bought him any sweet he wanted from the corner shop to apologize. He wasn’t the only one I’d let my anger out on. 

Hange visits me now. I don’t know why she does it, and every time she sits in his seat. At first, it was annoying to be reminded of him, but I grew to like her conversation. Once, however, she talked about him, and I yelled at her to stop. She seemed used to it for some reason, not even flinching with my harsh words. Even after, she continued as nothing happened and let me feel guilty. The last time she came, about the same time the first titan reached Trost, I treated her to an extra tart because of it. 

“This is me now, Jonas. Pretty much.” I pushed back the skin on my nails knowing he would protest that. 

“No, it’s not. I’ve never seen you act like this. This isn’t you.” I just hummed, agreeing so he would stop pressing it. I’d try my hardest every day to not think about it. One-track mind. 

“You two! Come back down! It’s time for dessert!” The door slammed behind Ben, signaling he’d gone back inside after yelling at us. Jonas stood up before I could say something back, motioning that the conversation was done. This is how it usually went. He was too overwhelmed with the fact that I had no emotion anymore and then just left the conversation. 

“Well come on then.” 

For the rest of the week, my detest towards Duran was building. He came every day to the café, dressed up in his MP uniform, and talked to everyone like he owned the place. Some of the older women also flaunted over him, remembering the days he was here and making some form of fake past where he actually stayed in the café. I couldn’t even remember a clear time when he was in the café while I was working, and I worked there every day. They must have remembered something very, very different than I did. I just stood there and watched with distaste and told all my grievances to Jonas.  On the day of the picnic, I was about to completely snap. 

The family picnic had included Elias and June and Jonas’s sister. Elias and June had come to the café that morning, asking if they could stay with me since their family was starting another cult meeting and I agreed, knowing it would be a welcoming distraction to Duran. We were now waiting outside Jonas’s house. Waiting for Duran to put his stupid MP gear on. He thought the citizens of Trost would marvel at his status, not having any MPs here, but I told him that they’d rather spit on him. That set him off once, but he easily controlled it. I guess this new squad needed him to control that nasty ass personality to be in it. Good.

“And the person who bought the book said that it was like brand new! Mr. Philpa even commended me on my work! I really think I’m starting to get the hang of it.” I mustered to give June a smile, trying to keep her happy atmosphere up. I would need it today if I was going to be forced to listen to Duran for hours now. Since I insulted him this morning, I was going to have a target on my back the rest of the day. That was very clear when he complimented how well my makeup covered up the huge black circles on my face. Passive aggressive ass. 

“Alright, everyone! Time to head out!” Ben was over the moon that his family had gathered to do something. He was the family man, always. It was probably instilled in him by Mrs. Flynn, at least that’s what Catrin had said, and it was getting to be annoying. I could come to their house to eat, but to forcibly make me make food for Duran who was just going to complain about the flavor? I couldn’t handle that. I swore up and down the kitchen when I was making this last night. As we walked to the Trost entrance, Duran just kept talking, and even at the front of the pack with Jonas and Elias, I could still hear him rambling. It was giving me a headache, which was a telltale sign I was going to burst any minute. This is always what happens when I yell at someone. The anger builds up into physical pain, and I can’t get rid of it any other way. In the dead of the night, I’ll wake up from a dream and find no better remedy than yelling Fuck really loud. It’s embarrassing when I forget Jonas is usually on my couch.

“You good?” Jonas leaned in to whisper in my ear and I just looked at him out of the side of my eyes. He got the memo and continued talking to Elias about his school work. It was too loud in this part of Trost, and Duran’s stupid voice was even louder. This coupled with the fact that people would stop to talk to Ben or even me was getting to be way too much. This is why I stayed in the café most of the time. 

“Eva, haven’t seen you come this way for a while,” the Garrison captain called out from where he and the morning watch were playing cards on a barrel. At that moment, I vividly remembered punching him in the face, and I was tempted to do it again as he stopped the whole party to talk to me. The way he said it was definitely hinting at the fact that I was no longer in his secretly assessed relationship. 

“I’ve just come when you’re not around, Captain. Probably drunk in a pub somewhere.” Duran was the first to hop into the conversation, ready to begin a military circle jerk. 

“Evylnn, that’s not how you talk to a military member! Good morning, Captain.” Duran held his hand out to the Captain who gave one weary look at it and shook it. He remembered Duran correctly and he knew how much trouble he’d gotten into as a kid. He was also probably surprised that he had an MP uniform on when he would throw rocks at the Garrison.

“I don’t know what it’s like in Mitras, but that’s how we talk to them here in Trost, Duran. Then again, what would a military mouse like you know?” He turned and glared, making me reminisce about the real Duran. The signature glare was still there. You just had to wait for it.

“We’re just leaving, Captain. Sorry to bother you!” Ben grasped my shoulder, hard, making me pay for what I’d said to both the Captain and Duran. He pulled me too, right to the front where Jonas and the kids were standing. While he pushed me, he whispered a threat in my ear. 

“If this picnic is ruined by you, you’re paying.” I didn’t react, even though I wanted to roll my eyes at him. It wouldn’t be my fault if I said something to make everyone uncomfortable. It would be Duran’s fault because he provoked me. I just tsk-ed as he let me go and started walking back to join Analee. 

“You don’t know how bad I want to ruin this picnic now, Jonas.” He sighed, but I could definitely tell it was to hide a laugh in front of Elias and June. When we got to the open gate, the Garrison soldiers saw my glare and just let us through without any protest. Usually, this large of a group would be questioned thoroughly, but since I was in it, they knew not to ask me anything. Duran seemed surprised by this and stopped to yell at them for not doing their job, holding us up again. I just stood there, halfway through the tunnel as he blabbed on and on able the Garrison's responsibility like he was their boss. An MP wasn't going to boss Garrison members around, but here he was in his arrogance, trying to do that.

“You don’t know how to do your jobs! If there’s a group this large the-” 

“Scouts are coming!” Someone yelled from above the wall, and when I looked out the entrance, I could see the horses nearing the walls. They were leaving late today, but how could I forget it was the first of the month. 

“Please, Miss. Flynn, we're going to ask you to move and stay here till the Scouts progress through. It won’t be that long there isn’t a lot of them.” I was touched by one of the Garrison soldiers, and I quickly shrugged their hand off of me, not wanting to move. I could see Erwin now in front of everyone, and subconsciously I was looking for the black hair. Jonas was the one to come over and drag me to the side of the tunnel so I wouldn’t get trampled on impact. 

“How could I forget?” I whispered, and I knew he had heard it. Technically, there were supposed to leave by the time I woke up today, making sure I never was tempted to look out my window when they left. Whenever they came back, I would sit in the back room too. I was making such an effort to never see him, but now I was forced to stand here as the Garrison blocked the two sides of the tunnel. Duran and the rest were held back and only Jonas, Elias, June, and I stood in the tunnel. I couldn't even hide. I was there in plain sight and I knew I would be face to face with him. I hardened my face quickly as they approached. He wasn’t going to get to see any emotion from me. Just like he did to me. He stood on his horse right next to Erwin and right in front of me. I didn’t even look at him like I said I was going to do. I stared right at Erwin who was stopped by the Garrison squad leader to do a head and supply count. 

“Commander Erwin!” Elias called out, making everyone who didn’t care about our presence now look right at us. I felt the eyes. I heard some of the whispers. Some of them didn’t die between then and now, and they remembered my face. It was telling too that I couldn’t stare at Levi, but I didn’t feel his eyes on me. He didn’t care about me. I had to remind myself about that. He didn’t care. That’s why he left me. He used me. I just had to tell myself this over and over again to try and forget. I was doing so good recently too. I’d only think about him once a day now, but this instance was going to ruin it. If I even glanced and met his eye, it would all be gone. 

“Hello, Elias. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You’ve grown,” he looked over to me, noticing that the two of us were just glaring at him instead of looking at each other, “Eva. It has been too long.” I fought back the urge to scoff, but I knew I had to respond. I had to let him know I wasn’t hurt. 

“It has, hasn’t it Commander. If you come to the café with Squad Leader Hange, I’ll treat you.” I smiled. The best smile I had mustered in months. He needed to know I was done. I was past him. I didn’t need him. I didn’t think of him every night. I didn’t regret not sleeping in my bed once with him. He needed to know that I didn’t. 

“Of course I’ll take you up on that offer, Eva. Well, we’ll be off.” He nodded down to the Garrison soldier and they moved the blocks out of the way so the horses and carts could continue. When his horse started walking, I thought it safe to look at him. His eyes were filled with that one emotion. The one that was there when he had nightmares. When he confessed his feelings to me. When he told me about his life in the Underground. The emotion, still unnamed to him, I had labeled pain. He was in pain. I hoped my eyes didn’t display the emotion that I was feeling either. With one look up, and one sheer shot of pain through my heart, I looked back down on the ground. He knew. He knew exactly what I’d been through. What I was thinking. And it was sadistic of me to think that for one second that that look of pain was because he missed me. No, it must have pained him to see how hopeless I was. It must have further proved that I couldn’t live without him. Pain. I was feeling pain. I was feeling it this whole time. These whole six months. 

“You may carry on, Mr. Flynn.” 

“I didn’t know that you knew the Commander of the Scouts, Eva. Fitting.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. He was talking about Kristian. I handed the picnic basket of food to Jonas and took one look at Duran and smiled wickedly. 

“I’m sorry you’re jealous that I’m closer to high ups than you’ll ever be, Duran. Maybe if you got on your knees for them like you probably did to get on this special squad of yours, then you’d be in my position. Sorry brother, but I’m not hungry anymore. I’ll be cleaning the café.” Ben didn’t stop me, but I knew he was mad. I’d ruined his figurative perfect family picnic and now he was going to have to deal with a pissed-off Duran and talk about me the whole time. I did feel a bit guilty, but I just couldn’t stand being there. Not now. I took the long way home, making sure not to cross the main road, and walked up to my apartment from the back. I shut all my windows too. Loud. Hoping that maybe if he was situated outside my window in formation, he would hear it. 

I left those upstairs windows closed for what felt like forever. Jonas would always complain how stuffy it felt with no light besides oil lamps in the living room, but I always yelled at him if he went to touch them. I need to stop myself from being tempted. Every first of the month, I would hear it. I heard the horses and the carts match forward. I listened to Erwin’s speech each time. Every speech had a similar form and ended with the famous line shinzo wo sasageyo. There would be some lowered shouts and then they would all ride off to the other gate into the land of the titans. Give your hearts. How to give your heart when it’s in pieces? That’s what I thought every time and if the windows weren’t closed, I would have looked out to see Levi. Was he looking up at the windows like he used to? Giving me a firm nod before they left, only to do the same when I saw them come back. I wanted to know so bad, so that’s why I kept them shut. If I looked and he didn’t do it, it would ruin the illusion in my mind that somehow he still had feelings for me.

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa came back too. One last time before they were off to training camp. I was touched that they would remember my single act of kindness, and I treated them to their last sweet meal for three years. 

“If we can write letters, Miss. Eva, I’ll write one to you.” Armin told me in confidence, and I nodded, telling him that I would like that. Even if I’d known them for so little, it was hard to see them off to training camp. They were cadets now and Eren was still going on about killing all the titans. I guess it was a bit refreshing to see such passion in his eyes, but it still scared me a little. I told him to calm himself down before they stepped off back to their last night in the Garrison storeroom. They waved, even Mikasa, and I made them take a little food-to-go. Once they were done with training, they would be stationed in Trost as cadets before going to be Scouts. They would visit me then, they promised. I would be able to see them all grown up. I also told them that I would probably be able to see them when they graduate regardless, but it gave something for the others to look after. Armin and Mikasa seemed much less enthusiastic to go out in the field and kill titans.

“Their names are Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. At least, Eren said he wanted to join the Scouts.” I passed the cup of coffee over to Hange who seemed to be scribbling furiously in her notebook. I had to even light a candle since she had stayed so late, stuck by some inspiration. After their last exhibition, she’d gotten to study a titan’s gut up close and she said she needed an extra dose of coffee to be able to draw everything. 

“If they want to be in the Scouts that bad they will. Only the top 10 people get to be an MP and then the rest usually go to the Garrison. Scouts are a special breed. We usually only get twenty in good years.” I took a sip of my coffee, not caring about how long I’d stay up tonight. I’d probably be here talking to Hange either way. She seems to have made it her mission to not let me feel lonely. Every time she comes she has little tasks for me or something that she needs to consult people for. I never get sleep on the days that Hange comes, but I feel a bit warmer slipping into bed. 

“I have a brother who went to the MPs, that means he was in the top ten of his class?” I gave her a look of disbelief. There was no way Duran was actually good at what he did. Top ten my ass. He would be bragging about it if he was.

“The only way they would allow that if most of the top 10 pick Scout or Garrison. The MPs need to hit a certain quota every year, so that could be why. What do you think of this? Is it proportional to the titan's body?” She showed me her notebook and pointed to something that looked like a small intestine. I shrugged.

“Hange, I don’t know what titans look like.” She sighed, nodding. 

“You’re right, I forget that you aren’t a Scout. You know, you’re the only person who isn’t a Scout that I know.” I didn’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not. 

“Don’t you have a family, Hange?” She pulled back the notebook and erased the part she pointed out at me, redrawing it. 

“Well, yeah, but they don’t count. It’s just my parents and they don’t really care about titans either. I think they’re just fascinating.” I gave her a light smile before turning to look out the window at the setting sun. The snow was starting to melt now, but relatively early. I wondered what Eren and the others were doing. If it wasn’t dinner, then probably more training. Their first day was only a few days ago and Hange had told me again about the man who trains them. Hard as a rock and yells really loud. She didn’t have him personally, but he spent his last year in the Scouts when she had just joined.

“I wish I knew more about titans and the military. A lot of people I know are in the military, so it would make sense, you know?” She put her pencil down and crossed her hands. 

“If you want to know more about titans I can tell you about all my experiments. If you want to know more about the military, you can ask me. I’ve been there a while.” She pushed her glasses up again and I turned to look at her. Hange really was an almanac in front of me. 

“Do titans really look like they draw them in the newspaper? They look like big humans?” A finger went up as she started her lecture. 

“Titans have faces like humans sometimes, and other times their features are often... oversaturated. We have no idea why this variation happens occurs. Some look like big versions of you and me, and others look like they have giant eyes, a small forehead, and huge lips. Like three feet long lips. They’re naked too, but without human genitalia. It’s just bare down there. Most of the time, they just look like pink humans. Then there are abnormals.” 

“I’ve heard those words before,” I pointed out and she nodded quickly. I wasn’t going to tell her who I heard it from, but I’ve heard it. 

“Abnormals are those who don’t act like regular titans. They might have more intelligence or partially weird bodily traits. Some can jump, others can crawl. You probably heard it when people talked about Shiganshina. The two titans that broke through the walls were abnormal. One was taller than the walls and the other was really muscular and had armored plates on its body. And it was yellowy-orange, which is not a titan color. But you want to know why those titans are even more abnormal than abnormals?” Her eyes lit up in the candlelight, and it was almost scary how she was getting when talking about this. I wondered how the Scouts got so lucky to find someone like Hange to discover these things for them. 

“Why?” 

“They disappeared. Poof!” She yelled using her hands, “Into thin air! No matter which titan they are, the body is always there to cut into. Once we got there, both the Colossal and the Armored Titan were gone in thin air. There was no way that would happen with any normal titan. I just want to know why! This is like one of the biggest titan secrets ever!” They disappeared into thin air?

“That doesn’t make sense.” 

“I know!” She seemed delighted with this information, “You can see why people left this out of the newspapers. The citizens would go crazy if they knew a titan that was like 80 meters tall just walked off!” She went off in her usual manic laughter after that, just overly joyed that a titan like this could have an ability like that and she was one of the only people who could figure out the mystery. 

“Hange, are you supposed to tell me all of this?” She stopped laughing and blinked once or twice before breaking out into a smile again. 

“No.” This made me laugh too. That was Hange’s ability. I don’t laugh unless it’s about her. Really laugh. She says jokes or acts in a way that lightens the mood in the empty café. I thank her for that regularly.

“Hange, it’s getting late, you should probably head out. You have an expedition tomorrow… Unless you want to stay here. I have space upstairs.” This was the first time Hange had come over when an expedition was the next day. She apparently snuck out to come here and it would probably be hard to sneak back in. I knew by the way her eyes lit up too that she was going to agree. 

This is how I found that, besides the length of the pants, Hange and I were the same size. She sat on the couch, a blanket around her shoulders, staring down at the notebook with the same intensity as earlier. This would be the first time Hange had stayed over. Hange was also very comfortable with this idea. I offered her space in my bed and she took it right away. However, this began to be a mistake on my part because she couldn’t stop talking next to me. 

“This bed is really comfortable, what is it made out of?” 

“Feathers.” 

“If you had to choose between eating a whole onion or eating a cockroach, what would you pick?” 

“Can I choose neither, what kind of question is that?” 

“Okay, eaten or stepped on by a titan.” 

“... stepped on.”

“I agree!” At first, it was a welcomed distraction. When I was alone in my bed, these were the times I thought of him. Especially since I would wake up to the sounds of the horses at my front door. I wouldn’t cry anymore. It had been too long. Pretty soon, it would be over a year of loneliness and discontent. I hadn’t seen his face since the picnic disaster, and all I had of him were the letters. The letters that I now kept shoved under my mattress so that I could read them. Over and over. The letters that hid his lies. I fed into the lies too. When I read the letters, I didn’t feel alone. I would revert back to the times when I met him. The times when he wrote me these letters. When I was in love. Who am I kidding, I’m still in love. I never forgot. That’s why the letters are sitting under my mattress, right below my arm. It hurt. It always did. Loving someone who didn’t love you back. I never experienced it till now. This was how Jonas felt. 

“Eva?” Hange asked, seeing that I was staring up at the ceiling, getting lost in my thoughts. I’d have to remember that she was there. I couldn’t wake up screaming into the night like I had before. She wouldn’t ignore it like Jonas did. 

“Yes, Hange?” She shifted so that she was facing me. 

“He still asks about you.” My heart clenched and I closed my eyes. No. Not now. It was fueling me. The thought all the way back in my mind. He was lying. He did love me. 

“Does he?” It was hard to spit out and it sounded like a whisper when it didn’t mean to be. 

“I’m not allowed to tell you everything, but he does. He misses you.” 

“Why are you telling me this, Hange?” I could feel her smile next to me, and I turned my head to see it. It was a smile that was hiding secrets from me. 

“Because I want to make you two happy again. You two aren’t happy like you were before.” I sighed, turning away from her as I felt tears well in my eyes. There goes my three-month-long record of no crying. 

“He doesn’t love me, Hange. You of all people know that.” She tsk-ed, just like him. 

“You’ll know soon. Both of you will. I know it.” I sniffled once, and she already had her hand on my back. Great. She heard me. Was she going to tell Levi about this? 

“It’ll be okay, Eva. Trust me.” 

The next morning, she woke me up. She was already dressed and hopping around the apartment and I just took my first few steps out. The front windows were open too, for the first time in months. The light was radiating down onto the kitchen counter and living room table she was currently sitting at, gathering her things.

“Good morning, sunshine! Isn’t it such a nice day to go see some titans?” I huffed once, rubbing my eyes to get them more awake. This was the earliest I’d been up at in a while. Only Hange would say something like that this early in the morning. 

“Don’t you need your gear?” I walked to the kitchen, looking out at her in the living room. 

“Moblit will bring it. He knows I’m here. He’s a member of my squad.” I nodded, turning on a kettle to make hot water for coffee. I’d offer it to her as retribution for comforting me last night. Maybe I’d ask her to not tell him what happened either. I didn’t want him to know I was still weak after all this time. She just looked down at her notebook, writing more and more things in it, a book to her left. I never knew how she could read so much. 

“Coffee?” I offered to after I poured some, but she shook her head, saying it would make her even more jittery during the expedition. I could already see that when the time entered for the horses to be filling up in Trost’s main drag that she was shaking, not with fear, but excitement. What a weird girl, I thought, shaking my head at her. We talked a bit here and there about the expedition's plans, but at this point, we were both waiting for the Scouts to come and pick her up. I was planning too. Planning whether I would close up those windows as she exited.

When they finally came, she did something unexpected. She grabbed my wrist, letting me put on some proper shoes, and then pulled me down my front stairs to hundreds of eyes preparing for take-off. It was a bit embarrassing that I was just in a single nightgown in front of all of them, and Hange seemed to forget I was only wearing sandals as she pulled me.

“Moblit!” She yelled and pulled me into the middle of the Scouts. Now, I was feeling really watched. Those who survived had now seen my face for the third time. When Hange yelled, a long-faced blonde turned around, ODM gear in his hand. He looked shaken too like he was about to get yelled at. 

“Moblit, this is my friend, Eva! I was having a sleepover at her house last night. My gear, thank you!” The blonde man, Moblit, dropped her gear and bowed to me. I bowed a little bit back, putting my hands on my arms. The morning was still not yet a summer one, so wearing nothing over my slip was making me start to freeze. Everyone here had on a coat and the signature green cape while I was bare. 

“Hello, Moblit,” I managed out and he turned to Hange to talk about something. I just stood there, not knowing if I was able to just leave, or if Hange had wanted to talk more. With every passing moment, I was getting more and more anxious about seeing one face in the field. That’s why I was staring right at Hange, eyes not moving anywhere no matter how tempted I was. 

“Oh my goodness!” Hange announced loudly, making others turn to look again, “You’re freezing! How could I drag you out here like this!?” She turned around to look through the bags on the cart behind her. She was probably looking for something to give me so I wasn’t freezing and shivering. This probably meant that she was going to make me stand and talk to her before Erwin dismissed the families. That’s what usually happened. Some wives, husbands, and families who relocated to Trost would come in the morning to say goodbye for, possibly, the last time, and Erwin would politely dismiss them before giving his big shinzo wo speech. 

“Moblit, do we have any extra capes, I can’t find on-” The green dropped over my shoulders rather sloppily, but I could feel the warmth left behind by the previous wearer. I didn’t want to turn behind me to see who it was though. I knew who it was. So did Moblit. So did Hange. So did the others who were still looking at me. They knew who had given me the cape, and they were surprised at the generosity. I was scared. Scared of the generosity. What did it mean? How did it align with what Hange said last night? 

Mint, lemon, and cedar. 

“Please, don’t expose yourself in front of my cadets.” The horse trotted off to the front, but his foot lightly brushed my back. Just that one touch. That one single second. It sent a chill down my spine. It had been so long since I’d touched him. The last time was our last goodbye. Just like the families here in Trost. I’d held him on my doorstep, right before the expedition, not knowing that it would be our last goodbye.

Hange stood up, giving me the same smile she did last time. It said those two words. Trust me. What was Hange doing? Had she changed his demeanor? Why could I still feel that chill down my spine? Why was I holding his cape so close to me when I should’ve been throwing it on the ground? 

I took the cape off my shoulders, taking one look at it before giving it back to Hange. I wouldn’t let him do this. I wouldn’t let him care about me. The chill, however, was unbearable after I handed it back. It wasn’t just the chill of the morning wind anymore. It was the chill of his eyes still on me as I handed it back to Hange. 

“I-I need to get the… the café, yeah, I need to get it ready.” She nodded, the smile still on her face, and I turned around to go back up to my apartment. 

“That’s cute! Haha, look at this, Moblit. Levi marks his cape with a little L so he knows it’s his!” I stopped walking. I was at the edge of the Scouts, all of them behind me, yet if I looked to my side I would get a view of him. He was always on the right of Erwin. So, that’s what I did. After Hange said that, I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and locked eyes. There it was again. Pain. His eyes were full of pain. Vivid pain that made me feel it too. My heart twisted inside, and I was so close to getting caught if I didn’t stalk up the stairs to my apartment and close the door. I crouched down, my back against the door, the tears coming again. Pain. That’s all I felt. Pain. Why had he done that? Why was I suffering this whole time? Why had he put an L on his cape? What was it supposed to show me? Why were we suffering? Why couldn’t he just tell me plainly? Why couldn’t I understand what he was doing? Why? Why? Why? 

I cried through Erwin’s speech, his words a lot louder this time. They were echoing in my head. About sacrifice. About saving the world. Everything that would make an apprehensive cadet ready to go outside the walls and die. And then he ended it. That one phrase. 

“Cadets! Scouts! The people of Trost! Shinzo wo sasageyo!” The cries lifted in the air. They made my head hurt. I wondered if Levi heard my cries from inside my apartment. I held my head in my hands. 

“I can’t. I can’t dedicate my heart. Not again. Not again.”

Jonas found me like that when I didn’t show up for his morning delivery. The café remained closed that day. And the next. I closed the windows back up too. Jonas didn’t question what happened either. He just stacked up the delivery boxes in the stock room and then left, promising he’d come back later when he was off. When he came back, I was still in the same spot he put me on the couch. He echoed his words from the first time. 

“What did he do?” and I just shook my head. 

xx just a cute little double update for yall

Chapter Sixteen →

Chapter Masterlist

[demonwifey]

Mommy’s Kissing Who?🎄🎅🏻

Hey guys! Hope you all had a safe and amazing holiday! So this idea literally came to me right after listening to “I Saw Mommy Kissing Beetlejuice” and knew I had to post it for you guys to see. While you’re reading this just keep in mind I didn’t make the reader’s daughter Skye even though she was the one signing it. I’m bad at names so you’ll see the daughter go by she and her for the entire thing. Think about if you had a daughter and what you would name her. Hope you guys enjoy!💚💜🖤  

Beetlejuice x black+fem!reader

Warnings: cursing, hints of sexual themes

Word count: 3,688

“I can’t believe I’m gonna ask this but, Beej, just please try to be on your best behavior.” You practically begged, clasping your hands together near your chest for added effect. 

The demon man let out a hearty laugh before snapping his suspenders against his chest. His costume was like a mix between his normal suit and an actual Santa costume: red and white striped, his regular boots, and a Santa hat to top it off. You thought his overgrown green beard would’ve been a giveaway to your child at least. 

“Come on, babes. Give me a little credit! I’m gonna be the best damn Santa these twerps have ever seen.” He reassured you. His confidence should’ve made you feel at ease but it didn’t. No that it mattered, it was too late to turn back now. You both looked up as the Scout Leader announced his arrival from outside the small room you two were in, basically queuing him to come out. 

“It’s Showtime, babes.” He said to you and gave a flirtatious wink before walking out to the young girls yelling in excitement. 

You watched as they all scurried to huddle around him. You watched your daughter closely, thankfully she didn’t recognize Beej and the other girls didn’t notice anything off. Maybe he was right, you should’ve given him more credit. You straightened your dress and fixed your hair out before making your way over the other parents as they all watched with joy. 

“HO HO HO! Merry Christmas, you little shits!” You heard him yell loudly across the room. 

You stopped in your tracks and your eyes widened almost comically at the sentence you just heard. You prayed to any other worldly being out there that it was only your imagination. When you looked up at the other parents, you could see it wasn’t. Their faces matched yours and they quickly turned their eyes towards you. Yeah, this was going to be one long night. 

****

You didn’t know how you could’ve ended up in a worse position. You were in charge of one thing for the Girl Scout’s Christmas party: get someone to play Santa Claus and have him hand out the girls merit badges. All the other parent’s handled things like food, decorations, etc. It’s not like it was a hard task for you to do. Hell, you found and booked a guy at the beginning of the month. Everything was fine on your end, until two days ago. Your Santa Claus called saying he was sick with the flu. You’d already had a few mishaps with Girl Scout events in the past, so this was your chance to show the other parents that you weren’t a total screw up. Yet here you were on your laptop, scrambling through different websites to try and find a new person to play Santa. 

“Hey Mommy, which shoes should I wear for the party tomorrow?” You heard your daughter’s perky voice ask from behind you. As a reflex, you quickly slammed your laptop screen down and looked at her with wide eyes. She stood behind the couch with each hand holding one shoe from a different pair. 

“Hmm, I think I like the black ones better. They’ll match your badge belt.” You faked a casual tone. 

She looked at the shoe you chose, like she was thinking for a moment, before nodding in excited agreement and running back to her room. You strained a smile as you watched her go before letting out a frustrated sigh and once you heard her door close. You were doing this, not just for the other girls, but for her as well. Your daughter always got so excited when someone mentioned Santa. How shitty would you feel if you had to watch her face turn to disappointment when they were all told Santa wasn’t coming? The mental image alone made your heart sink to the floor. You leaned forward to drop your head into your hands and let out another sigh; this one being much louder. 

“Hey, keep making noises like that and I’m gonna get turned on, babes.” You heard a familiar voice coming from the side of you. 

You didn’t even need to move your head to know it was Beetlejuice. You loved the demon to death but right now, you were in no mood to joke around. You could tell he sensed that when you didn’t respond. You didn’t see, but he awkwardly scratched the back of his head before sitting next to you. He placed an equally awkward hand on your back and started rubbing circles on it. 

“Uh, you’re not gonna start crying are you? I’ve always been bad with that sort of thing. I mean, I had to watch The Notebook with Adam and Barbara one time and I had no idea what to do. They just started sobbing and saying “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird” to each other and it was the stupidest thing I’d seen-” And you stopped him before he could finish. 

“No, Beej, I’m not gonna start crying. But, God, do I want to.” You said while sitting up, his hand still rubbing circles on your back. “It’s like I had one job and it went straight to shit in one day. I’ve looked everywhere for someone to play Santa last minute but they’re all booked! And I don’t have any family members or friends that are free either. Ugh, as if they’d actually do it.” 

The room fell silent for a moment. There was no point in even opening up your laptop again. Not to say you gave up...but you basically gave up. 

“What about the kid’s sperm donor? Maybe the Christmas spirit has him feeling less like a piece of shit.” Beetlejuice spoke; half joking, half serious. You scoffed but then let out an actual laugh. He moved his hand to around your shoulder before and you laid his chest. Your fingers started absentmindedly playing with his tie.  

“If you’re referring to her father, he hasn’t been around since she was one. I doubt anything would make him less of a piece of shit.” You responded. You hated the guy for running out on you and your daughter but you’d never have him around Beetlejuice. You already knew Beej would have murder in his eyes as soon as he’d walk through the door. You moved your neck upward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, showing that you appreciated his attempt to make you feel better.

“Well, at least this'll be an excuse to ruin Santa for her. Just walk in and say “SANTA ISN’T COMING BECAUSE SANTA ISN’T REAL!”. Rip the band aid off. It’ll be great.” He joked, looking down at you with a sinister grin on his face. There was no doubt in your mind that he wasn’t joking. 

You let out a defeated giggle before flipping his tie up to hit him in the face. You were about to give him another kiss before you heard your daughter’s voice again. 

“Beetlejuice!” She screamed before running around the couch to jump between you two. You both laughed at her sudden presence before Beetlejuice placed a hand on her head. 

“What’s up, anklebiter? Have too many sugar packets before bed?” He joked and her own laughter wasn’t far behind. She quickly climbed on top of his lap and pulled out two of her favorite scrunchies from her pocket. 

“No, silly! I need your opinion. Which scrunchie would look better for my hair tomorrow?” She asked, much like asked you about the shoes before. 

Beetlejuice was always so good around your daughter. Most guys you knew ran for the hills when they found out you had a kid, but somehow, this rude and crude demon didn’t. Maybe it was all the time he’d spent with Lydia but he fell into the ‘cool dad/uncle’ role very quickly. Not that you were begging to have that figure in her life, it was still nice to watch them interact so naturally. You laughed as Beetlejuice plucked the different color scrunchies out of her hand and examined them closely. 

“Nope, neither one will do.” He twisted his face at them before tossing them both to the side. Your daughter only blinked in confusion as she watched Beetlejuice reach into one of his jacket pockets. 

“This one is way more suitable!” Suddenly he pulled out a black and white striped scrunchie with a glitter covered green and black tulle bow at the center. You’d been with Beetlejuice for a while so thankfully the both of you were used to his magic. Your daughter squealed in excitement and grabbed the scrunchie out of his hand.  

“Beej, you can’t keep giving her presents before Christmas.” You laughed, still watching her as she gawked at her new accessory. The demon man ignored you, knowing he was only winning her heart more and more each day. “Alright, now what do we say?” You asked, giving her a knowing look.

“Thank you, so much BJ! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” The child didn’t hold back her enthusiasm as she jumped to give him a tight hug. Beetlejuice let out his usual scratchy laugh while giving her a few pats on the back. 

You watched their interaction before squinting, an idea popping into your head. 

“There’s no way...” You thought to yourself, but the image stuck in your head. Once you saw it, you couldn’t unsee it. From his perfect chubby body to his earthy laugh, you could tell he was the perfect fit for your idea.

“Alright, mini me, time for bed.” You shook yourself away from your thoughts and placed a hand on her head. She turned to face you with a large pout on her face. You stopped her before she could even protest. “Teeth and pajamas, now. I’ll be in to help with your hair in a minute.” You said softly but sternly. 

The girl turned to Beej for help but he only shrugged, already knowing not to protest against you. She dropped her shoulders in defeat before saying thank you one last time and giving him her own cheek kiss. She soon shuffled away to get ready for bed, still giggling about the scrunchie.

“Ya’know, doll. I like it when you get tough. It really does something to me.” The demon man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. You rolled your eyes before making your way over to him. You swung one leg over his lap and straddled him, using your hands to hold and squish his cheeks together. Beetlejuice didn’t waste time using one hand to hold your thigh and the other to grab your ass. 

“Beej....” You started, staring into his golden eyes with a look that was nothing less than seductive. It didn’t take long for Beetlejuice to be wrapped around your finger. His hands started rubbing slowly in their respective spots as you moved down to pace soft kisses on his neck. “....how would you like to do me a BIG favor?” You asked.

****

Being the amazing boyfriend that he was, Beetlejuice said yes to your favor of him being the replacement Santa, at the cost of you being a wreck the entire event. Did you ever stop sweating? No. You were so used to Beej’s crass behavior at home that you didn’t think about how bad it would be to have him around other people. He started telling you all the ‘fun’ party tricks he had planned for the night. As soon as he mentioned giving the girls candy bags full of dead bugs, you realized the mistake you might’ve made. 

There were more lows than highs throughout the night. Beetlejuice would make crude jokes every chance he got. Most of these jokes went over the girls heads, but their parents didn't find them very amusing. Even in your panicked state, you would have to divert Beetlejuice back to his original task. God, don’t even mention when you got close to him. It’s like he’d lose track of what was even happening to openly flirt and make lewd comments about you, in front of everyone. You lost count of how many times you had to say “haha Santa I don’t think Mrs. Claus would like that” before pinching him and making him get back on track. When it was time for food, he ate the scouts’ precious trope hamster. He played it up as a gimmick but you knew the gruesome reality of it all. The glares and stares from the adults in the room burned deep holes into your back. If you had the option to let the ground swallow you whole, you would’ve taken it.

When it finally came time to pass out the Scouts’ merit badges, that surprisingly went with minimal ease. Again, he was making odd jokes but it wasn’t the worst thing to happen all night. When he got down to your daughter, he was a lot more kind with his words than he was with the other girls. You thought he would’ve blown his cover to her as he went on a 10 minute long speech about how great and deserving she was. He was eventually stopped by the scout leader who cleared her throat to get her attention. You weren’t sure if it was the anxiety you’d been feeling all night, the sweet gesture from Beej, or the look of joy on your daughter’s face, but you were just about on the verge of tears. Despite the craziness of the night and the emotions that were flooding your brain, seeing the two of them laugh together made it all worth it.

****

After a long night out, you were finally back to your apartment. You shuffled through the door with her fast asleep on your shoulder. As soon as you got her in the car, she was out like a light. Now all you had to do was get her into pajamas and put her to bed. As you tucked her in, you could already hear Beej calling in his invisible state. 

“Babydoll~ Told ya’ I was gonna be the best Santa ever. Come on, say my name. Say it so you can sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what you want for Christmas~” His scratchy voice echoed from behind you. 

It took everything in you not to roll your eyes. Thankfully your daughter was fast asleep so she wouldn’t hear anymore of Beej’s lewd humor for the night. You stroked her hair for a second before getting up to walk out of her room, making sure to leave a slight crack in the door. You weren’t free from Beej’s voice as you put some things away and tidied up your living room. He was practically begging for you to say his name. Sure, you were being petty but he put you through hell tonight. A little payback never hurt anyone. Especially when you knew it helped fuel a little feral anger him. Angry Beej was your favorite Beej. 

After about 30 minutes, you could feel the air in the room growing a little warm. You smiled to yourself, finally feeling as though you’d tortured him enough. You whispered his name slowly and sensual as you possibly could. As soon as you finished with the last syllable, you didn’t have time to swat away the thick green smoke surrounding your face before you felt his arms wrap around your waist. His nose was practically touching yours and you noticed the mischievous grin on his face.  It didn’t surprise you that he still had on the Santa costume and soon you felt him pepper quick kisses on your neck. 

“So tell me little girl, have you been naughty or nice this year?” He asked in between kisses. You let out a light giggle as the hairs on his beard tickles your neck. 

“Aren’t you supposed to know that already, Santa?” You asked with added sarcasm on the name. He ignored you as he started nipping at your neck. “Anyway,” You stopped him by grabbing his cheeks with your hands. The way his face looked squished between your hands was too adorable for you to handle. 

“Even though you were giving me anxiety all night, I still wanna say thank you for doing me this favor. It really means a lot.” With your words, you used one thumb to gently rub against his cheek. He didn’t even try to hide the goofy smile that filled his face. The only thing missing from his costume was the Santa hat so you could see the baby pink color that started to creep up strands of his hair.  

“Aw, don’t sweat it, doll. You know I’d do anything for you and the kid.” He said so nonchalantly. It wasn’t until you gave him a fond smile that he realized what he said. It was rare for Beetlejuice to be anything less than crass. Whenever he showed moments of sincerity, it made your heart feel warm. His hair only got pinker as you looked at him with hearts in your eyes. 

“I still want to show my appreciation. Seriously, what can I do to say thanks?” You asked, already knowing the type of answer he’d give. You watched as he acted like he was thinking for a moment. Just as his lip twisted back until an evil smirk, you felt one of his cold hands make his way down to your ass and give a gentle squeeze. 

“Wellllll, how about a kiss under the mistletoe, babes?” He leaned in closer to your face. 

You assumed he would’ve made one appear over you because you didn’t have one hanging anywhere in your apartment. A small puff of green smoke appeared in front of you but when you looked above, there wasn’t mistletoe to be found. Beej still had the arrogant smirk on his face as he watched you look around in confusion. After a second, it finally hit you. You made the mistake of looking down to see said mistletoe resting on the belt above his crotch. When you looked back at him, he wiggled his eyebrows. The annoyed sigh you let out could’ve been heard throughout the whole building. God, this guy was such a dumbass. 

“Well? You gonna thank me or what?” The demon man asked, giving your ass a harder squeeze. You ignored his question and reached down. He seemed to get excited, but you disregarded his expectations that when you plucked the mistletoe off of his belt and held it above your heads. 

“Don’t get too cocky, dweeb.” You saw that he was about to protest but you pushed your lips against his before he could. 

Kissing Beetlejuice was nothing new but somehow this was a little different. You just remembered how sweet he was to your daughter and the interactions they’ve had. You thought about how you loved seeing them together. You thought about how much you loved the three of you being together like a family, like the family you’ve secretly wanted for so long. You put all of those thoughts into the kiss. All the love you had for Beetlejuice, you put into your kiss. 

He was a little flustered at first, but eventually got in sync with you. He could tell you were putting your all into the kiss and was determined to do the same. You dropped the mistletoe to the floor and wrapped your arms around the man’s neck, pulling your bodies closer together. Beej let out a small grunt as you let your tongue slip it’s way into his mouth. You knew exactly what you were getting yourself into with that. Not long after did Beetlejuice shove his own freakishly large tongue until your mouth, and later down your throat. You tried your hardest not to let out a loud moan once you felt the wetness fill up your mouth, but you knew that’s exactly what Beej wanted to hear. 

Even though you wanted to go longer, it would’ve been easier to finish what you started in the bedroom. Your daughter never caught you and Beej in the act, thank God, but there have been times where it was a close call. You hesitantly pulled away from the demon man, and it took a second for his tongue to leave from your throat. You gasped for air as your hands rested on his chest. You could see the ready-to-go feral look on his face as he rested his forehead on yours. 

“Was that a good enough thank you?” You asked, letting out a slight laugh. Beetlejuice let out a heartier laugh as his golden eyes glowed bright like stars. 

“I think I could use a little more convincing.” His scratchy voice echoed through your ears as he leaned down to wrap his arms around your thighs. You didn’t have a second to think as he lifted your body off of the ground and threw you over his shoulder with ease; one hand rested on your thigh and the other held a tight grip on your ass. You tried not to laugh too loudly as he carried your to your bedroom, ending the night in hours and hours of lovemaking. 

With being so wrapped up in each other, you didn’t see your daughter peeking from around the hallway corner. Even though you thought she was fast asleep, Beetlejuice’s presence had woken her up while she tucked you in. She snuck out to watch in both joy and disgust as you two basically made out in the living room. She was glad to see you happy but it was still gross to see her parental figures kissing at all. With Beetlejuice still being in his Santa costume, she was able to put two and two together. She didn’t necessarily stop believing in Santa but she was glad Beetlejuice played the part for her. 

The young girl scurried her way back into her room and gently closed the door so you two wouldn’t hear. Boy, was she gonna have a story to tell her fellow Girl Scouts.

Thank you guys so much for reading! See you guys in the New Year!💚💜🖤 🎉

[cats-art-and-dinosaurs]

Hello @annwritesallday I was your secret cupid for @rdr-secret-cupid :)

I apologise for the delay, my health kinda let me down and thus, I lost a lot of time.

I'm also more used to drawing, but your requests leaned more towards writing soooo... a chance to try something new, I guess? :)

English also isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there are mistakes!

Characters: Charles Smith, Arthur Morgan

Themes: Friendship, Emotional Comfort I guess?

Warnings: Hints at animal cruelty, emotional abuse and not so healthy drinking behavior

Summary: Arthur drinks a bit too much and tells Charles about his feelings (friendship)

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The sun had set hours ago at Clemens Point and by now, the lake was full of stars. It was a warm night, and in Charles opinion much more pleasent than the suffocating humid heat that lay over them during the days in this area.

He let out a sigh of relief as he sat down near the shore of the lake at the edge of camp. Drunken laughter and cheerful voices swept over to him, but they were dulled by the calm water in front of him.

Hosea had pulled of some kind of small scam today and had returned to camp with a crate of beer and a big smile on his face. One thing led to another and soon the overall interest in work and chores around camp had significantly lessened and rather turned towards storytelling, joking and singing.

And so, not much work got done that day, and though Charles did take over some of the other's chores, there was still plenty to do. But that had to wait until tomorrow. It had been a long day and he was glad to finally have a quiet moment for himself.

He had considered joining Kieran at the scout fire, but the latter had also been doing more work around camp today than usual and not being the most outgoing person, he was probably grateful to have some time alone.

And so Charles had found himself this little spot at the shore, but after a few minutes, he heard footsteps approaching him.

The person stumbled a few times, clearly having had a bit too much whiskey, but Charles still recognized the man without having to turn around.

"Arthur."

"Hello Charles", Arthur greeted him and giggled as he struggled to keep his balance while trying to sit down next to him.

Arthur hadn't been around camp for the past few days and had just come back this afternoon, a frown on his face and a distant look in his eyes. Something had definetly been on his mind and Charles wondered if Arthur had tried to wash it away with the alcohol. He hoped he was wrong.

His thoughts were interupted by Arthur's slighty slurred voice.

"Really nice. The lake, it's... is really nice. It's... so much calm water. I like it. I feel..."

There was a shift in his voice and he paused.

Charles turned his head to look at Arthur, trying to figure out what was bothering him. But Arthur didn't even seem to know himself as he gestured with his hands, triyng to find the right words, which appearently was made more difficult by the alcohol in his veins.

"I... I just... feel awful."

It was a miserabel sight, really. Usually Arthur was well aware of the intimidating effect his size and appearance could have on others. He didn't even have to do much, just stand tall, maybe cross his arms and put on a mean face.

But the man who now sat next to Charles on the dirty ground was nothing like that. He was slumped over, suddenly appearing much smaller than he actually was, not even trying to hide the emotions displayed on his face.

"Why? Arthur, did something happen?"

"Well, yeah... I think, I... There was this man and his - his horse... he said it died and he asked me to give him a ride."

Arthur paused for a moment, letting out a defeated sigh, "I wanted to help him but it was a stupid... stupid trap an' he'd killed the horse himself to make it look real and... and I jus' wanted to help."

He stopped once again, but this time, a small sob escaped Arthur. And Charles was glad the other man had to pause, as he himself also needed a moment to let it sink in.

It seemed so small and insignificant compared to other acts of violence he had witnessed over the years, and maybe that was why it wasn't easy to understand. Killing a horse so you had the element of surprise while attempting to rob someone, not even knowing if they had any money at all? It didn't make sense.

Next to him, Arthur was failing to keep his tears in check, so Charles carefully put his hand on his shoulder.

Arthur's body tensed up for a moment and Charles felt a wave of disappointment rush through him, afraid that now Arthur would turn away and never open up to him ever again.

But after a few seconds, Arthur relaxed and continued to talk, "I thought I knew what I was doing. Jus' wanted to do something right, as in... do the right thing. And I don't know why it's so... so hard for me."

No matter how tough and dense Arthur sometimes acted, Charles knew there was more to him. He wasn't quite sure yet what exactly, but people were complicated after all. However, some seemed to be more complicated than others. And seeing Arthur so hurt and confused? Somehow, it confused Charles too.

Arthur sniffed and finally turned his gaze to the younger outlaw, "It's so easy for you and I just... don't even understand what's right and what's wrong. Always have to think about it. I think I'm jealous... because you just... you just do what's right without wondering what the right thing is. And I don't even know what's right. I don't even know why I don't know. No idea what I'm doing. I just - "

"Arthur, stop that."

"What?"

"Talking like that. It's nonsense."

While Arthur had been rambling on, Charles had recognized one of the emotions that was growing stronger within him right now. With every single word Arthur got out with shaky breaths, his anger grew. It wasn't directed at Arthur, but rather at the situation. And he had to do something about it.

Arthur didn't try to back away, his eyes were fixed on his face, probably stunned by his sudden change of tone.

With his hand still firmly on Arthur's shoulder, Charles continued, "I don't know where you're getting these ideas from, but it's not true."

"I..."

"Arthur, I know you've probably had one or two beer too many. But don't think I didn't notice that you're always putting yourself down, wether you're sober or not."

Arthur blinked a few times, looking almost offended, "I'm not drunk, just..."

"Just a little bit drunk, I know", a small smile escaped him at Arthur's blatant lie and his tone softened, "Can you just... listen to me for a moment?"

Arthur still looked somewhat unsure, but still gave him an hesitant nod.

"I don't always know what's right. And if there's someone who claims they always do, they're lying. And whoever put those ideas in your head is also a liar."

There was a flash of realization in the teary eyes of the older outlaw and he slowly turned his head away. Someone had obviously come to Arthur's mind.

Charles had a feeling who it was and maybe Arthur was even thinking of more than one person.

But whatever the case was, given Arthur's reaction, Charles had definetly hit a nerve.

Now that he had, Charles almost felt a bit guilty. Almost.

He pushed those feelings away and instead focused on Arthur again, gesturing towards the camp behind them with his free hand, "Look, all those people... The girls all had their share of... bad experiences, and they trust you. They're not naïve."

"I would never-"

"No, of course not, because you know it's wrong and given your reaction, you never even thought of it in the first place."

Arthur shook his head, a grossed out expression all over his face.

"I've seen the way you laugh together. They care about you", Charles paused at the disbelieving look Arthur gave him and rolled his eyes in response, "Don't look at me like that, they DO. You're like... this grumpy, big brother. If you don't belive me, I'll go and get them to come over so they can tell you yourself. You want me to do that?"

It was an attempt at humor, but it completly went over Arthur's head, "No, I don't want them to see me like... well..."

He tried to wipe the tears from his face, but his red eyes and nose were not easy to miss, even though the only source of light were the fires and lanterns from the nearby camp and the moon in the night sky above them.

Charles moved his hand from Arthur's shoulder to his back, carefully patting him as the other man continued to rub at his face, "It's okay Arthur. It's alright. Nothing wrong with having emotions."

He could have sworn to have heard a soft laugh from Arthur at that, and as he looked a bit closer, there actually seemed to be a genuine smile on his face.

"I mean it. There are people who go through life and don't seem to think about how what they're doing affects others at all. Like that guy who killed his horse. And even if they do, I doubt they care to much. But you obviously do care. That's a good thing."

"But?"

"But please... stop comparing yourself to me as if I'd know everything and never make mistakes. You have to think and decide for yourself."

"Hosea told me the same", there was a smile in Arthu's voice now and this time, it was mirrored by his face. Charles returned the smile, but raised his eyebrows in a manner of faked disbelief.

Arthur laughed at that and raised his finger in a scolding gesture, "Oh don't you look at me that. I'm afraid I'm not drunk enough to forget about this conversation once I'm sober again... I'm sorry, I... I guess the drink loosened the tongue... damn..."

"Well, I sure am glad it did. Someone had to... well, at least try to talk some sense into you."

But Arthur didn't respond to the teasing this time, and instead seemed to struggle to find the right words once again.

"I'm...", Arthur paused, then laid his hand on Charle's shoulder the same way the younger outlaw had done before, "Thank you. For... this, for beeing honest and... listening and... For beeing my friend."

Charles nodded, glad that he appearently had gotten through some of the self-doubt that occupied Arthur's mind.

"Charles, if... if there's ever something you'd like to talk about... I care about you, too. And if you need to talk, I'll be there too, okay?"

"I know."

[hetacon]

Midnight Stellar in the Making

Word Count: 2,400

Pairing: Logicality

Warning: Food mention (Let me know if I missed anything!)

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Summary: Patton knew that his boyfriend had always liked to work at the coffee shop down the street from their dorm but with all day essays, Logan ended up having to leave, only to spend the rest of the night writing at their little desk in the corner of their room, Patton tucked into bed. He had to spend some time away from his papers to make himself coffee at around 4 in the morning and it was a pain. With this in mind, Patton had a thought. What if Logan could’ve had somewhere to spend all-nighters where he didn’t have to spend time making coffee?

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Note: This is my Sanders Sides exchange gift for @oh-theatre based off of the concept I made in “Peanut Butter Cookies and Meaningful Conversations!” (Which you can find here though it’s not essential for this one!) It was a lot of fun to make so I hope you enjoy it too!

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“What I will definitely not miss is making coffee for all-nighters.”

That one comment set off an entire chain reaction for Patton and Logan’s lives and it was honestly astonishing how Patton had managed to create a successful local business with his college boyfriend.

Logan had made that comment in regards to them graduating from college. Patton had managed to make his schedule work out just fine but Logan’s was a little heavier than he expected, thus the relief from not having to pull more all-nighters.

Patton knew that his boyfriend had always liked to work at the coffee shop down the street from their dorm but with all day essays, Logan ended up having to leave, only to spend the rest of the night writing at their little desk in the corner of their room, Patton tucked into bed. He had to spend some time away from his papers to make himself coffee at around 4 in the morning and it was a pain. With this in mind, Patton had a thought. What if Logan could’ve had somewhere to spend all-nighters where he didn’t have to spend time making coffee?

The plan for a late night café was a plan a couple years in the making. Logan had gone on to focus on an ordinary desk job that got the bills paid, Patton was doing botanical research, and their lives went on as normal. While Patton wouldn’t have been able to afford much more than an apartment on his own, Logan’s parents had given them enough money to buy a decent house and the two got married sometime within that span. Any time that Patton wasn’t working though, he was researching, drawing up plans, making mock menus, trying out new recipes for pastries he’d enjoyed as a kid, and any work in between before he even considered bringing it up to Logan.

He knew his husband wouldn’t judge the idea or laugh but he might be a bit skeptical and wave it off, calling it nothing more than an unstable or impossible passion project that Patton had gotten attached to.

“So what you are telling me is that you want to put time and money into a late night café based off of a comment I made two and a half years ago at our college graduation?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow at Patton.

“Yeah, I just... I don’t know, it got into my head and I just.. I couldn’t stop thinking about it!” Patton tried to explain, grinning nervously. “It’s stupid, I know, I just thought it could be worth a shot to bring it up...? Gosh, I don’t know, maybe this wasn’t worth it.”

“No no, hold on a minute.” Logan raised a hand, looking through the color code divided binder in front of him, reading through the laminated pages briefly. He took out a few sketches and designs Patton had spent an entire week making, running a finger over the lines slowly as his lips moved silently, mouthing words as he thought. “You’ve put a lot of effort into this, haven’t you love?” Logan finally asked, looking back up to Patton.

“Yeah, I suppose you could say that,” Patton laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“This is a wonderful idea. From what I’m briefly looking at, you’ve gotten a lot of major factors taken into account and they’ve been well-researched from what I’m gathering. Do you mind if I take a week or so to look over it and maybe work on some notes and thoughts about this?” Logan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in the slightest of ways that made Patton want to kiss the living daylights out of him.

“No, not at all, I don’t mind!!” Patton shouted, bouncing up and down with a broad grin overtaking his face. “You’re the best Logie, I couldn’t have picked a better husband!!” With that, Patton was tackling Logan to the couch, kissing him.

Logan spent a week reading through it as he had asked for and came back with some further research of his own, thankfully aided by his degree in business. It was therefore, an actual idea on the table rather than a starry-eyed vision in Patton’s head. They spent the next year looking further into it before Patton quit his job to devote himself to the café work full-time.

“I’m home,” Logan called from the front door as he took off his coat, taking a deep breath in.

“Hi sweetheart, how was work?” Patton asked as he came into Logan’s field of view, working on folding macaron batter, coconut if Logan remember correctly from their discussion last night.

“Fine, though it went slower than I wanted it to,” Logan sighed, rolling his head back to release the tension there. “Is there anything I can do to help you out right now?” He went over to where Patton was standing and kissed him gently, Patton happily returning the kiss.

“Yes actually! If you wouldn’t mind, could you make the filling I’m testing out for this batch? I have the rough instructions on the counter near the fridge,” Patton told him to which he nodded.

“Of course. How have the other recipes been going today?” Logan asked as he put on an apron, washing his hands before getting to work on gathering the ingredients his husband had listed on the post-it note.

“Well, the vanilla ones turned out well though a couple were a little messy looking. They taste good though! The mint chocolate ones tasted awful, I think I forgot to add something to the filling because I tasted pure Dutch cocoa powder. The worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. The others were decent but I made a few notes on fixing them so I want to try it out tomorrow. I’m just thankful I can make these in small batches, we’d be flooded in macarons otherwise!” Patton laughed as they worked.

“Are there any left that I can try?”

“Yeah, just be careful of the mint ones!”

They worked like that for a while, chatting as they went along with their day.

For Patton’s 25th birthday, Logan had gotten him an espresso machine to try out and while he had originally fretted over the price, Patton was soon working out new drinks that were ready for Logan to taste when he woke up in the morning for work. It was a little harder to gauge than pastries, since Logan was very grumpy and his comments weren’t exactly put together well due to it being his first coffee fix, but later in the day, Logan was able to give him more thorough notes on how his productivity was affected by it compared to his average cup of coffee. Patton of course made it a point to perfect his hot chocolate recipes as well.

Trying all sorts of recipes had been fun and with a box of handwritten recipes (mainly for the aesthetic) done and tucked away into one of the kitchen cabinets, design and theme planning came next. Logan had dabbled in a bit of graphic design while he was getting his degree so he was put up to that task when he had time after work. Patton had more of an eye for colors than he did though (which made sense considering his blue-yellow color blindness) so with a bit of input from Patton, they had a working idea of how they wanted to have everything looking.

A lot of the budgeting and finance aspects were taken care of throughout the whole process and after a year and a half, with a solid plan in place for nearly every aspect, they were finally ready for a really big step that would make this official. Location scouting and a name for the café were the only things left. They’d been having trouble with the name but figured that they’d come up with something when the time was right. In the meantime though, location scouting occupied their time.

Many of the buildings were gorgeous, Patton could picture each making a beautiful site for a café. He was a bit hesitant about prices, as he had always been prone to as a broke college student, but Logan assured him that they had enough money to work with. All they had to do was find the one they liked.

“We have one more place in mind in the morning, right Logie?” Patton asked with a yawn, pulling the blankets closer in his half-awake state.

“Mhm, none of them quite feel like the one,” Logan said softly, taking off his and Patton’s glasses and placing them on the nightstand before pulling Patton close.

“I’m sure we’ll make whichever one we choose absolutely perfect, just like we always do,” Patton mumbled out before he’d fallen asleep.

Patton saw Logan’s jaw drop as soon as they stepped inside, his eyes fixed on the rainbow of colors being scattered across the room from the huge glass dome directly over their heads, giving a perfect view of the sky above them.

This was the one, Patton knew this was the one as soon as Logan muttered out “We’ll see the stars.”

“Well what an absolutely stellar idea!” Patton joked with a light laugh to his voice.

Logan turned to him, snapping his fingers. “Midnight Stellar.”

“What?”

“The Midnight Stellar Café,” Logan explained, his pupils blown out wider than Patton had ever seen them, pure and unadulterated joy overtaking Logan’s irises as he grabbed Patton’s hands, pulling him in for a passionate kiss before twirling him around.

“Oh goodness!” Patton giggled, letting Logan lead them in an imaginary dance. He had never seen this before, Logan hadn’t ever looked so excited except for when Patton had proposed to him. He looked just as in love with the place as the subtle glint Patton saw in his eyes every day. It took his breath away. This was happening. He may have started this project out of his own wants but with the way Logan was looking and feeling right now, Patton could tell that Logan wanted it even more. Patton couldn’t possibly deny the man twirling him around in silly little circles, the rainbows of the glass ceiling catching in Logan’s hair and making him look luminous.

Logan was right about the stars, there was a perfect view, a wonderful stretch of the Milky Way striking right through the center of the skylight. It became their constant companion as they worked on getting everything ready. Lots of construction took place before they had sold their apartment and moved into an upstairs portion of the building. Luckily this building had a place for them to live in, a staircase connected to the back of the future café leading up to their new home. After the move and Logan quitting his job now, they devoted themselves full time to setting up everything. Painting, furniture, and the kitchen setup took a couple weeks but eventually it was all done and with Patton picking out some plants to add as well as various other decorations, it was ready. This was a reality.

Patton looked over the café from the front door, smiling to himself. A cluster of large black tables took up the middle of the room with various smaller ones lining the floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls were painted cobalt blue blending into indigo towards the ceiling, hand-painted constellation patterns covering the walls. Each table had a couple outlets imbedded into the sides of them, soft white lighting illuminated the café. The counter looked pristine and the pastry case would soon be showcasing months of recipe experimentation in the works. Of course, a glance up gave Patton another look at the now familiar Milky Way over their heads. By far though, Patton’s favorite part was the secluded little corner with beanbag chairs, a couple bookshelves full of some classic books he and Logan had enjoyed reading throughout their lives, and fairylights and plants lining the walls of the corner. As he finished his look over the café, Logan wrapped his arm around Patton’s shoulder and pulled him in close, kissing his temple.

The café opening honestly wasn’t too promising. No one showed up that first night. Patton watched the door insistently for hours. Logan at some point had to remind Patton that they were working on strange hours, since most people aren’t up and outside as late as 3 in the morning. The first 8 hours, from 10 PM to 6 AM, were the most boring and agonizing Patton had ever spent. Luckily though, business picked up. Within a few weeks, they had a few regulars, people who would pop in every few days or so. Some people would get something to eat before their graveyard shifts, some weren’t able to sleep because of insomnia, and some people just liked the night better. Patton enjoyed getting to talk with anyone that was willing to have a conversation with him while Logan managed the counter more often than not.

Getting off of their previous sleep schedules had been strange and working in the early hours of the morning had its drawbacks but overall, this was definitely not going to be something Patton would come to regret. Waking up in the afternoon with his husband, running errands while stores were still open, baking in the late evening after dinner, and watching as the stars started to peek out at them as they got the café ready for the night became such a simple joy for Patton. Watching Logan’s satisfaction every time he interacted with the customers or the two figured out a new recipe or when he helped someone with calculus homework while Patton took over the counter proved that this was the right fit.

Sure, it was unconventional. It might not have been anywhere near where either of them thought their lives would take them in their mid to late twenties. And maybe it had just started from a simple offhand comment by an entirely too tired college student.

For Patton, everything figured itself out just how it ought to be, and he was content.

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Taglist: @artissijules, @its-the-cat-queen, @myyoutubecorner, @virgils-paranoia, @anotheregofanficblog, @marshmallow-the-panda, @oh-theatre, @sanderssidesgiftxchange

[supeson]

should i pick you up?

You haven’t heard from her in weeks. It wouldn’t have surprised you if she was behind bars again. If anything, it would make it easier to get into contact with her. Arkham lets you write her letters. But of course, she never stays put, so you really shouldn’t be surprised this is how she finds you. 

“Hey!” Harley keeps calling your name, despite the fact that you’re pointedly ignoring her. People honk and scream at her as they zip by her car, which is slowly cruising alongside the sidewalk you’re on. “I know you can hear me! I know where ya live! I’ll let your cats out!”

You whip your head around and squint. “You fucking won’t.”

She dons a shit-eating grin and has the audacity to wink. “You’re right, I won’t! But it got ya to look at me! Gotcha!”

“What do you want, Harley?” You ask, pinching the bridge of your nose.

She curses as she nearly hits a fire hydrant, but realigns just in time. “I wanna go out tonight, baby! With you! I even got you an outfit!” She holds up a clothes hanger with a cropped jacket and some shorts. “Now, I know what you’re gonna say, ‘Harles, there ain’t no shirt!’ but consider this: I have some pasties in the glove box, and you would look so hot in this! C’mon, hop in!”

You roll your eyes and start to walk faster. “No. I have to work tomorrow. Some of us aren’t criminals, we can’t just go out and get rich by doing crime. And before you ask, no amount of puppy dog eyes or whining is going to get me to say yes.”

“I see...I see...” She trails off, then faces forward, focusing on the road. “What if I-”

“No blowing up or vandalizing my job.”

“Shit.”

You both continue down the street as Harley figures out how to get you in the car. She sees a sign for BatBurger up ahead and lights up. “Babe. Baby. If ya go out with me tonight we’ll do that thing you’ve been wantin’ to try.”

You stop in your tracks, turning to face her. “You’re lying.”

“Nope!” She holds up two fingers. “Scouts honor! I’ll take you to Central City so we can try tha new Flash-themed restaurant.”

You look at her skeptically, and she in turn tries to lure you in with her smile. You finally relent, tossing your phone and keys into the backseat. She squeals in excitement, immediately stopping the car. You come around with a stupid smile on your face, and slide into the passenger seat. She goes to rummage around in the back seat, for the outfit, but you gently lay a hand on hers. “Harley, as much as I love you, I’m not wearing that outfit in public.” 

“Well then how about you wear it at home fa me?” She asks, a faux-lusty look taking over her features. You laugh, but nod.

“Yea, sure. I’ll even wear it after we go to Speed Force Sandwiches.”

Harley cackles as she merges back into traffic, then hits the gas, speeding away to her favorite club. 

[fallen-gravity]

Fightin’ Back Chapter 3

Chapter Notes:  Final stretch, boys! This is the last chapter that takes place in season one before we get into the heavier themes of season two. Boyz Crazy this time, and probably the only emotional hurt/comfort chapter of the entire fic.

So, uh, this has actually been up on AO3 for a few days already, but it completely slipped my mind to post the tumblr link until now. My bad 😂

AO3

The car is uncomfortably quiet as Stan pulls away from Lookout Point. Dipper’s leaning against the passenger side door, staring into the mirror like if he stares at Wendy long enough she’ll notice and chase after them to apologize to him for snapping at him. Stan taps at the steering wheel rhythmically, just to get some sort of noise to break the tension in the air, and Dipper sighs. 

It’s sad, really. The kid had been so excited to split Wendy and Robbie up before they left that he tried to insist on driving the golf cart up there himself. But he had no idea where Lookout Point even was, and Stan was sure someone was finally going to notice that the golf karts were stolen from the Northwest Golf Course, so he offered to drive him there in the car instead. And even then, the kid had been so excited he was bouncing in his seat the entire drive over. Stan’s sure he would’ve neglected the seatbelt altogether if he hadn’t reached over and clicked it into place for him. He was going on and on and on about code deceptions and the supernatural and how Robbie must’ve gotten the CD at some evil black market, or maybe he really did burn the CD himself and he’s secretly a vampire demon or something, and how that reminds him that he should “try mixing some salt into his spray bottle of holy water the next time he’s out demon hunting”, but now that everything’s over and done with and Wendy bitterly insisted she’d rather walk home than be with any of them right now, Dipper’s looking more like a sick puppy limping home with his tail tucked between his legs.

“Ah, don’t think too much into it, kid” Stan says, and Dipper finally breaks free from his mirror trance to spare him a defeated look in his eyes. “The breakup’s still fresh. I bet by this time tomorrow she’ll be all over you, swooning over how you saved her from that horrible monster”. 

Dipper doesn’t respond, just raises an eyebrow at him and goes right back into staring out the window. Least they’re too far away for him to still be staring at Wendy out the rear view mirror. 

“I mean it!” Stan barks a laugh. “Never got to finish that story I was telling you earlier. So after Carla ran off with that hippie, I stuck around to see how things were going with her. I was sure there was something about him that he wasn’t telling her.” He pounds at his chest with one of his fists. “And I was right! Turns out the dude’s guitar was, uh, cursed. So one day while he was sleeping I broke into his apartment and smashed the thing to pieces. After he had nothing left to show for himself, Carla came running back to me. Even drove the guy’s van into the ravine just so he couldn’t bother us again”

There’s a hint of a smile on Dipper’s face. “I don’t think I’d sink low enough to break the law, Grunkle Stan.”  He pulls himself away from the window. “Plus I thought you said she hated you for doing that"

Stan taps at his head. “You gotta work on your listening skills, Dips. I said he hated me for doing that” 

Dipper rolls his eyes at him, the most Dipper thing he’s done since getting back in the car to head home.

“Look, my point is, you gotta learn to look at things more positively. Maybe she wants nothing to do with you now, but tomorrow? You never know”.

Dipper flinches at the idea, but this time when he sighs it sounds more like he’s trying to calm his own nerves than like he’s trying not to cry. 

Stan pulls the car up to the back of the shack and unlocks the door. He steps out, and just as he’s about to head into the house he turns heel to talk to Dipper before the kid has time to run past him up to his bedroom to mope. “How’s about we sit in the living room with a couple a’ Pitt Colas and watch a movie to forget about the whole ordeal? Your choice”

Dipper mumbles something about movie night to himself, but only responds to Stan’s offer with a shrug. “I’m not in the mood. You can go in without me. I’ll come in when I’m ready”

Yeah, okay, Stan’s not buying that for a minute. He knows by now that when Dipper starts moping, the kid isn’t gonna move for hours. It’ll be two in the morning before he decides to come in, and even later if he accidentally falls asleep.

No mention that there’s child protection laws against leaving kids in locked cars.

…and that car-eating tree monster Stan’s sure he’s read about in that first Journal. 

Screw it. 

Stan gets back in the car, but Dipper doesn’t so much as blink when Stan closes the door behind him. Stan’s willing to believe that it’s because Dipper assumed he went inside, and whoa, okay, whoever put the idea in the kid’s head that he’s not worth the time of day is gonna need to start answering questions fast.

He turns the keys to start the ignition, and Dipper nearly jumps out of his skin when his door clicks locked on him. “Grunkle Stan?” he asks, once he realizes the car is pulling away again. “Where are you taking me?”

“Y’got cotton in your ears? I told you before, kid, I’m taking you bowling”

“Right now? I thought you were just saying that to make me feel better”.

“I was!” Stan flashes a grin. “But I never specified that you had a choice in the matter, now did I?”

Dipper opens his mouth to argue, but before he can get so much as a word out, Stan speeds out of the driveway so quickly that Dipper’s head whacks against the headrest of his seat.

~~~~~~~

Friday nights are usually the busiest day of the week for the bowling alley, but when you know exactly the right kind of people and have just the right amount of bribe money in your pocket, you can waltz in and get any lane you want as fast as you want.

Dipper, despite all of this, doesn’t seem as thrilled about the idea of bowling as Stan is. 

“Aw, c’mon, kid” Stan gently nudges him with his elbow. “I’m letting you go first! Everyone knows the person who gets to bowl first is the person you need to beat. It’s a privilege, if you ask me” 

“I dunno, Grunkle Stan” he fiddles with the laces of his sneakers. “I appreciate the gesture, and all, but...I’m just not feeling up for it tonight”

Stan raises an eyebrow. “Not up for beating me at something you know you can hold over me the rest of the summer?”  He scooches closer to Dipper on the bench. “Now I know something’s really wrong. This still about Wendy?”

He winces at the mention of her name like he’d just been slapped in the face, and Stan sighs.

“Look, Dips…” he pauses, trying to figure out to work around making this sound like the most awkward conversation he’s ever had with...anyone, let alone his own nephew. “Who needs women, am I right?”  He raises the can of soda he’d bought from the snack bar in a toast, but Dipper only rubs at his arm awkwardly. 

There’s gotta be something that’ll get Dipper to understand how many times Stan’s found himself in the exact same situation. 

Well, okay, Stan knows exactly what’ll get him to understand, but if he goes around telling so much as Mabel, the kid’s dead to him.

He sighs. “Kiddo, if you repeat what I’m about to tell you, you’re dead. Not just to me, I’m talkin’ dead dead. Got it?”

That seems to be enough to catch his attention. “O-of course” he repeats, like Stan’s about to tell him the secrets to unlocking the universe. It almost makes Stan wish that his story were more interesting. 

“Truth is, that story I told you about Carla ain’t exactly how it actually went”

Dipper blinks. “I…know. You told me that earlier” 

“No, I mean…” Stan pinches the bridge of his nose. “I mean, none of it was true. Obviously nobody rocketed off into the sky on a rainbow, or anything, but...Carla and I hadn’t even been dating anymore”

“What?” Dipper’s voice squeaks, and Stan chuckles.

“Well, we had been dating, y’see? But she’d just broken up with me a few days ago when I decided to stop over to the Juke Joint to see if she’d wanted to talk about changing her mind” he raises his hands in defense. “I only went in to talk. Scout’s honor, or...whatever it is your sister says.” He shakes his head. “Anyway, I get in there, and that hippy really is playing his transcendental music up on this tiny stage they had there”.

He takes a hard swig of his soda like it was a shot glass. “But Carla was up there with him, y’see? She was singing to some...weird folksy song that I’d never heard of before. Didn’t even sound like she was singing in English.” He leans back on the bench, resting his hands at the back of his head as he turns his gaze to Dipper. “That’s how I knew I lost her for good. So instead of causing a scene like some kinda....jerk”, he catches himself, “I ran out into the parking lot and hotwired her new boyfriend’s van and hightailed it outta there”.

The gaze that Dipper gives him is sympathetic, but he’s also covering his hand over his mouth like he’s trying not to giggle. 

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Stan flashes a grin. “You don’t need girls to show you a good time” he raises his drink towards the television screen above their bowling lane, still flashing with Dipper’s name. “You can always have a great time with your Grunkle Stan! No chance of eventual heartbreak with me”

“I know, I know…” Dipper stands to play his turn, and pretends the weight of the bowling ball doesn’t tip him over as he chucks it down the lane. The ball careens off to the side at the last second, barely even scraping the surface of the pins. “But I don’t think that’s entirely what’s bothering me” His second throw knocks down all but two pins, leaving him with a seven-ten split.  The screen switches to flashing Stan’s name, and Dipper turns to him as he returns to his seat.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Stan stands, pretending to appear dismissive in case it’s something Dipper doesn’t want to admit with all eyes on him. “You tellin’ me I just told you my biggest secret for nothing?”

Dipper blushes. “N-no! That’s not what I meant”. He sighs, looking down at his hands. “I mean, Wendy’s really one of the first people to really...accept me into her friend group.” This time he’s the one waving a defensive hand in the air. “Not that I’m saying I’ve never had friends before,” he squeaks, “...but they’ve felt…forced? Since Mabel and I were in a lot of the same friend circles, it just...always felt like they liked her better than me and only let me tag along because they knew I was related to her, or something”

Wow, okay, that hits way closer to home than Stan was expecting it to. He opens his mouth to comment, but it turns out that he’s not talking.

“But in comes Wendy, and y-yeah! Maybe some of it has to do with...other things” his face is turning pink, and he’s trying to hide in his vest. “But she’s so cool to me, and it doesn’t feel at all like she’s just using me to get to Mabel. Her friends like to make babysitting jokes whenever we tag along with them, but with Wendy  it feels like she really wants us to be there” He sighs, and slumps against his seat. “What if she hates me? Or never talks to me again? Or she quits working at the Mystery Shack because she doesn’t want to be around me, or-or she does keep hanging around, but it’s just like everyone at school, and she’s only there for Mabel, but she’s too cool to cause a scene and tell me to leave, and-”

“Breathe, kid” Stan’s at his side in an instant, gripping firmly onto Dipper’s arm to help him back onto his chair before he falls to the floor. “You’re gonna give yourself a panic attack.” He loosens his grip on Dipper’s arm once the color starts returning to his face. “Tell me, you really think Wendy’s the kinda person to kick you to the curb like that?”

Dipper doesn’t respond right away, but he’s taking deep breaths, which is a good sign. “No, I guess not…” he physically turns his body towards Stan to look at him, probably to prevent another dizzying spell. “But she looked so angry at me, and she grouped me together with Robbie, and she’s probably never talking to him again, I’m just….so worried I’m gonna lose the coolest friend I’ll probably ever have”.

Stan shrugs. “Trust me, bud, you do not have to worry about that. Teenagers are just like that. Y’get angry, you need to blow off steam for a few hours, but come tomorrow you’re over it like it never happened”. Stan finally goes to take his turn, lobbing the ball down the lane like it weighs little more than a penny. It slips into the gutter, but at the last second it careens back up and knocks all the pins over. He grins, pumping his arms in the air, and turns his gaze back towards Dipper. “You should’ve seen me when I was her age! I’d break a window, I’d punch a jerk in the face, and then I’d be over it”

“Grunkle Stan, you’re still like that”

“Exactly!” he boasts. “And you don’t see me holding grudges against people who don’t deserve it, do ya? You know you meant well, Dipper, and I’m sure it won’t take long for her to realize that too.”

Dipper’s playing with the edge of his vest. “I guess so”.

“There, see?” Stan gently nudges him as he sits down beside him again. “Problem solved”. He says, but backtracks a little when he remembers what Dipper had said about his anxieties around making friends. “And if you ever need any of my advice on how to talk to girls without using any creepy mind-altering CDs, I’m your guy” he flashes Dipper a thumbs up, and it makes him smile.

“Thanks, Grunkle Stan. I’ll keep that in mind”.

[antiquechampagne]

Antique Champagne - Ch42 - Pack Your Bags

Hancock was as good as on his word. He tried drinking again the next night, but this time with a half a Mentat. To his delight, he kept it down the whole night. By the end of the week, he had worked up to a whole tablet, well on his way to working his tolerance back up to pre-assassination attempt levels.

Everyone settled back into their daily routines, even with the mystery still hanging in the air. One afternoon while eating her breakfast at the bar, a familiar face sat down on the bar stool next to her. Kent smiled at her as he ordered a sandwich for himself.

“Glad you could make it!” Payne really meant it. With all that had happened lately, they hadn’t had much time to meet up. After chatting for a while, Payne started to notice something odd about Kent. The edges of his mouth kept curling when she started to talk, especially if the subject turned to her employer.

“Okay, Kent, what is it?”

“Huh?”

She playfully pointed a finger at him. “Come on. Are you trying to hide something?”

Kent shrugged shyly. “I’m just happy to see you.” Payne gave him a side-eyed glance as she bit into her lunch. “Really…”

“I don’t believe you. You’re a terrible liar.”

Charley had been slowly getting closer to the pair while cleaning a chipped glass with two of his three mechanical arms. Out of the corner of her eye, Payne noticed the bartender try to hush Kent with his free claw.

She turned; her finger now aimed at the robot. “Now you, too? You’re in on this?! Spill it!”

“I don’t know what you’re on about, love. Nothing to see here.” Charley whirred back around, floating back down to the other end of the bar.

Kent looked even more guilty, his hand sheepishly covering his mouth. “Really, it’s nothing. Nothing bad, anyway… but I can’t say anything more about it. “

Try as she could, Payne couldn’t get any more out of Kent on the subject. She had to give him credit, he was a lot tougher a target than she had given him credit for. Defeated, and done with her meal, she wandered up into the State House. With every step, the mystery ate at her.

Entering Hancock’s office, she barely noticed Fahrenheit as she left, grumbling under her breath.

“And there she is! How is my little dream girl doing today?” He seemed awfully chipper, given how Fahr stormed out.

“Don’t you look like the cat that ate the canary.” She crossed her arms and smiled. “What did you get up to while I was sleeping?”

He gave a very unimpressive “Nothing. Scouts honor.” Hancock stifled a chuckle when Payne’s eyebrow popped up, unconvinced. “Seriously!”

“First Kent, then Chuck… and now you! What is with everyone today?” Payne was trying not to let her frustration show, but this whole morning was starting to get on her nerves.

Hancock shrugged and started half-heartedly flipping through a paper. He tried to hide it, but his half-cocked smile refused to leave his face. Payne ignore it for as long as she could, but eventually gave in to her baser urges.

“Spill it! You are driving me insane! Just tell me what the fuck is going on!”

“Oh, but it’ll ruin the surprise!” Payne launched stained pillow at his head. “FINE!” he put his hands up in surrender. “Honestly, I’m surprised Kent didn’t let the cat out of the bag already. I was sure he would run off and blab to you as soon as he figured out why I was needling him with questions.”

Payne waited, but Hancock seemed pleased to leave it at that.

“AND?” she prompted.

“Go pack a bag! I’m taking you on a bit of a vacation. Think of it like a little payback for keeping this walking corpse out of the grave.” Payne’s jaw dropped a bit, but before she could recover, he added, “And that’s all I’m going to say until we’re on the road.”

An hour later, the pair finally stepped into the deserted street, bags and weapons in hand.

“Okay, now where are we going?” Payne demanded.

Hancock waved a finger. “Not yet. We have to meet up with a few people first.”

They walked on. Try as she might, she couldn’t wheedle any more information out of him. Eventually she fell in step with him, stewing in the silence.

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Hancock stopped. “You’ll like it, I promise. Just lighten up a bit. This is supposed to be fun!”

Seeing his earnest face, most of the sourness Payne felt melted away.

“Okay… but remember the last ‘trip’ you took me on. It ended with a pile of spoiled mirelurk meat, Brotherhood goons and Fahrenheit hating my guts.”

“Fair enough. This time, I’m bringing along someone a bit more amicable.”

They continued to hike until they got to what looked like a small single-story warehouse. Rows of orderly mutfruit trees sat to one side, tended by a handful of Mr. Handy robots. As they got closer, Payne realized that the warehouse was actually a greenhouse, the inside bursting with greenery. A ramshackle home stood to one side of the building. Payne guessed it was a recent addition.

A smarmy voiced Handy with a green painted chassis greeted them. “Well, this is just super! We love to have visitors! Are you ready to bargain in the garden?”

“Hey there, brother. Is the General around?” Hancock asked casually.

“Come right this way!” The robot floated off in the direction of the shack. “Take a peek behind door number one!”

“Thanks.”

Hancock walked up to the door and gave it a knock. Nate opened the door, dressed only in a pair of jeans and a sweat stained undershirt.

“Hancock? Welcome to Graygarden! The best robot run farm in the Commonwealth.” Something caught his eye. Nate leaned out of the door and yelled around the building. “Hey, Strong! Could you put that over there with the others? Thanks, pal!”

From behind the greenhouse, the muscular super mutant nodded an acknowledgement as he lugged a rusty truck frame to a pile of scrap nearby.

“Why don’t you come in.” He quickly wiped his hands off on his pants before welcoming the pair into the small home’s only room. The room housed a small loveseat, a slapdash kitchenette and a single bed tucked in a corner. “I wasn’t expecting you to get here until tomorrow morning.”

“Well, someone tipped off the guest of honor, but why wait? Besides, don’t you agree that it would be much more impressive to see the place all lit up?”

Nate smirked. “Who let the cat out of the bag?” He added sarcastically, “Let me guess. Fahrenheit?”

Hancock snorted. “Almost let the cat out of the bag… so don’t say anything. And it was Kent, apparently.”

“I’m right here guys!” Payne gave Hancock a playful shove.

“Well, if you really want to leave tonight, I have some stuff around here I need to take care of. Feel free to relax in here, if you want. I’ve got some goodies in the cooler over there.”

With that, Nate ducked out of the shack, leaving the pair alone.

“Good to know that you don’t consider a robot farm a hot vacation spot.” Payne plunked down on the worn couch.

“What? Don’t you find the place charming?” Hancock stretched an arm over her shoulders after lighting a cigarette. “And what’s that old saying? Don’t look a limp horse in the mouth?”

“Charming, yeah, I suppose… the gameshow host bot was a nice touch. And it’s gift horse, not limp horse.”

“You excited yet?”

Payne thought about it for a moment. “Given I haven’t the slightest clue where the fuck you’re dragging me off to in the middle of the night… yeah, I suppose I am.”

“Perfect.” He leaned over and gave her a little peck on her cheek. “I can’t wait to see your face when you figure it out.”

After an hour of vegging on the couch, Nate returned with Strong in tow. Soon they were on the road, picking their way across the back roads of the Commonwealth wasteland. They kept away from any trouble, avoiding any of the sparse habitations they came across, both friendly and hostile. The terrain grew rocky as they followed an old highway. Out of the predawn mist, strange red spires dotted the horizon before them, some lit by hidden spotlights at their base. It took a moment for the familiar shape to register in Payne’s head. Why were there 15-foot-tall Nuka-Cola bottles out here in the middle of nowhere? Then it dawned on her. She stopped in her tracks.

The rest of the group turned to look at her.

“Are you kidding me?” Payne asked, gob smacked. She looked down from the monuments at Hancock’s grinning face. “We’re going to NUKA-WORLD?!”

“Happy now?”

“OH, FUCK YEAH!” Payne could barely keep her delight from forcing her to running ahead. She was beaming when they walked under the giant Nuka-World sign that spanned the wide road between two crumbling parking structures. This was going to be amazing!

At the end of the road stood an old transit center, complete with a fleet of derelict buses.

Nate chatted with Hancock as they walked. “This whole place was filled with Gunners the first time I came here. They were dug in pretty good, but between me, Codsworth and a handful of frag grenades… we made short work of them.”

Payne looked around, picking out the small prewar details left behind by long dead… what were they called… beverageers? Plenty of tourism industry trade magazines had followed the beverage tycoon John-Caleb Bradberton’s attempt to open his Nuka-Cola themed amusement part. The big wigs in Las Vegas drooled over each leaked photo and anonymous interview, while the rank and file worker worried about how much business would be sucked away from the East Coast. Bottle shaped trash cans, crown wearing mascots pointing the way on signs… even just the kitschy red and white theming. All of it was over the top and campy, and it thrilled her each time she saw some new and gaudy detail.

Into the bowels of the station they went. At the base of the stairs sat a bright red monorail train. A cheerful recording touted a percentage of each admission fee being donated to the long forgotten armed forces. It was a bit of a trial fitting Strong into the cabin, but soon they were flying through the air, suspended above the glowing bones of the once magnificent park. Looking out over vast lands, Payne’s giddy smile faded. She felt something well up inside, something that was a stinging, painful kind of sweet. The announcers voice faded away from her ears.

Feeling a warm arm around her waist, she let Hancock pull her aside.

“You okay there?” he whispered.

“Yeah… it’s just…” she floundered before found the words. “This place… it feels so much like home.”

[hobishopee]

“You heard what I fucking said.”

Requested?: No.

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Obsessive themes, yandere themes

A/N: Sorry Namjoon 😞😞

-

Yoongi paces across the kitchen, chewing his fingernail nervously. He never really allowed this side of him to get so out of control. He always kept his emotions indifferent when it came to other people, but when you stumbled into his crazy life, it was... well, different.

Yes, he’s had past relationships, but it didn’t deter him when they broke it off with him because of his crazy lifestyle of being an idol. He always saw it coming before they even said a word. He didn’t mind that they were too overwhelmed about his late night schedules and holing himself up in the studio for an unhealthy amount of hours. He couldn’t blame them. It just meant they weren’t committed enough, and Yoongi didn’t need someone with such disaffection.

But here he was, trying his hardest to not burst into tears as he waited for your return. If you were going to return. He lost his temper too quickly when you had gotten home a bit too late. Yoongi didn’t mind your outings with your coworkers or friends, but as time went on, he needed you to only care for him and him only.

You’d knock on his studio door at the asscrack of dawn to drag him back home, bring food to him and his members, and even massage his sore muscles every time he’d come home from practice. You never complained about his hectic schedule, only admiring his determination for himself and the boys. 

He sighs heavily in the empty room, his hand shaking as he runs his fingers through his hair. Where are you? The argument couldn’t have been that traumatic for you to walk out forever, would it? Yoongi’s past self would laugh in denial at the situation that was occurring at the moment: his tear stained cheeks and sweaty palms as he awaits for his lover to come back. 

He balls up his fists, annoyed and frustrated that you’d go to great lengths to hurt him like this. How could you leave him so distraught and alone after a fight? Lord knows what he could do in that state of mind. 

You sat mindlessly in the coffee shop, fingers lightly tapping the plastic cup to distract yourself from Yoongi’s heinous words from hours before. You plan to return, but not just yet. You wanted space; you needed time. 

Yoongi left numerous phone calls and texts, but with your silent response, he only freaked out more. He was going crazy that he couldn’t pinpoint your location and you weren’t telling him where you were. He wanted to punch the wall, hurt something to relieve his growing anger building inside him. Why the fuck weren’t you answering your phone?

You know you should’ve at least answered one of his phone calls, but you flip your phone over, feeling a sense of satisfaction that you had him worried.

He was more than worried. He was fucking losing it inside your shared home. He’s thrown his phone onto the floor in rage, shattering the screen in the process. In hindsight he should’ve broken something else because now he had no way to contact you. 

Fuck.

He eyes the shattered device on the ground, his knees hitting the floor in defeat. You were never coming back. He needed to apologize to you, but you won’t appear and it made him sick to his stomach. He felt so cold and alone in the once lively home, but without you here he just wanted to leave; escape the damn house and never return. 

Yoongi’s head shoots up in a panic as he hears the wobbling of the doorknob. It was you, it had to be you. You had finally came back.

“Yoongi?” The voice rang out. He slumps back onto ground, realizing it was his friend, Namjoon.

“Get out.” Yoongi’s voice quivered, hoping that Namjoon wouldn’t walk into the kitchen.

“Where are you? You sound-” Namjoon halts at the archway of the kitchen, eyeing Yoongi’s distraught form on the ground. To say Yoongi was embarrassed was an understatement. His facade for not caring for anything now has been shattered in Namjoon’s eyes. 

“What happened?” Namjoon questions, slowly walking towards the older boy. He didn’t know the situation, and never saw Yoongi in such a state. Namjoon notices the shattered phone, and your missing presence. He connects the dots.

“I told you to get out. Do you not know how to listen to your elder, idiot?” Yoongi spits out, lamely wiping the tears off his cheeks. 

“You can talk to me, you know.” Namjoon carefully responds, knowing Yoongi was never the one to share his feeling so freely. 

“Did you hear me or are you fucking deaf all of a sudden?” Yoongi stands up, dusting off his pants. He tries to look like nothing had happened, but his red face and disheveled hair said otherwise.

“Hyung-”

“I said to get the fuck out!” Yoongi’s cord snaps. He spoke with rage as he walks up to the leader, pushing him hard enough that he falls onto his side. Yoongi couldn’t stop, kicking the poor boy in his ribs. He didn’t care that this might’ve done collateral damage to his career, he just wanted him dead. 

“Get-” Yoongi breathes heavily as he collects his thoughts. “-the fuck out.” He licks his lips. “Unless you want to be found dead in the fucking street.” 

His sentence was enough for the leader to scramble to his feet. Namjoon’s hand pressed into his abdomen, hunched over as he ran out of the front door.

He just beat up his leader. He just beat up his fucking leader. His career is over, and you still weren’t home. Now he sobs into his hands, his elbows perched on the kitchen counter. 

Everything was slowly falling apart. 

“Yoongi?” Your confused voice made Yoongi whip his head towards you. He blinked away the tears wondering if you were really there, or his brain was fucking with him.

Once he realized you were actually standing in front of him, his frustration returns, his face heating up in anger.

“Where the hell were you! Did you want me to have a fucking heart attack?” He screams out loud. He kicks away the broken phone on the floor, making his way to you.

“I thought you were on a fucking plane on your way back to your hometown! Do you even know what my thoughts were telling me?! One phone call. You just had to answer one fucking phone call to let me know you were okay.” He’s so tired. He spent hours freaking out over your disappearance. All he wanted to do was lay in bed and never wake up.

“I didn’t think... you’d be this worried.” You respond, afraid of the crazed look in his eyes.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Yoongi says in an exasperated voice. He sighs in irritation, leaning against the counter, thinking.

You remain silent, head hung low as if you were a dog being scolded for staining the couch with mud.  You stand there, waiting for Yoongi to speak.

Silence envelops the space as Yoongi bites his lip. He shakes his head and wipes his face in frustration. He tries his best to figure out his next sentence. 

Yoongi breathes in, finally finding the words he was looking for. 

“You’re not leaving this house. Unless I say so, you’re sitting your pretty ass here. I don’t need you to pull another stunt like that again.” Yoongi announces, trying his best to not scream in anger.

“What? Yoongi you’re just pissed. You can’t keep me prisoner, that’s like abuse.” You stumble through your words, shocked that Yoongi would say such a thing.

“You heard what I fucking said. I’m getting some of the company’s bodyguards to scout the house. You’re not fucking leaving my sight ever again.” Yoongi finally declares, walking past you and making his way to your shared bedroom.

“Hurry up and get ready for bed, I don’t need to be waiting on you again.” He calls out from upstairs, leaving you in a bewildered state in the kitchen.

Like hell you were going to stay with some fucking maniac. You fished for your keys, trying to slide in your shoes as fast as you can. 

“Y/N I swear if you try to leave again, so help me god.” You stop your movements as you hear your boyfriend’s voice. You close your eyes, wishing you had never come back in the first place. 

He was just pissed and speaking nonsense to lower his adrenaline. He’ll get over it tomorrow and forgive you for scaring him like that. There was no doubt Yoongi would go out of his way to fish for his company’s bodyguards. 

But here they were the next morning. Standing tall and motionless outside of all exits throughout the spacious home. Yoongi wasn’t kidding, and you were stupid for believing yourself that he’d forget all about this.

Fear struck you as Yoongi kissed your forehead and dismissed himself for work. 

Fear struck Yoongi when he entered BigHit’s building knowing he’d have to face Namjoon after last night. 

Nonetheless, you kept your spot in the house, and Yoongi kept his career... and you.

[sparksbynightfall]

Prologue 2 : A New Acquaintance

The cafeteria here is different , most cafeterias in Kalos would have more than one when there's too many students. Here in Jubilife though, it's a large room about the size of two and half classrooms. 

Pokemon were bustling about minding their own business, a very usual thing. It's not too noisy either, it's just my ideal type of atmosphere. 

I seemed to notice Lexida shying away while Cipher was scouting to find the rest of the group. I decided to give her some small talk. 

"So, Lex … how was Sinnoh High so far?" I asked, turning towards her.

Lexida managed a small smile as she took a deep icy breath. "It's been … pretty okay. People sure are nice here … both of you included." 

 "That's so sweet of you, Lex. Wait 'til you get to meet our other friends! I'm sure they'll be pretty happy to meet you." Cipher chimed in and squinted. "If only we can find them …"

Just as I was about to comment, I heard a bubbly voice call out to us from behind. "Ellie! Over here!" Spica exclaimed as I turned around, waving at us to get our attention. 

"Looks like I found her first, Cipher …" I giggled as I led the way. Lexida seemed to be a bit nervous as we walked towards them. 

In the table I can see Spica and the twins. Pollux gave me a friendly nod as he saw us approaching. Castor, on the other hand, gave his usual toothy grin as he leaped from his seat towards us. 

"Hey you two! Been a while~" Castor greeted us in his usual charismatic energy. The Dusk Lycanroc was wearing his ochre colored Solrock shirt and yellow pants. He had his sunrise colored jacket hanging from his shoulder. 

"Hey there dude! Long time no see." Cipher exclaimed as he and Castor bumped their fists together. 

"Hello, Castor … yeah it has been a while. How was summer?" I gave him a wave. "I'm guessing you had fun." 

"Ohh it was! Both a tragedy and a comedy for good ol' me." Castor nodded to himself in agreement. "Theme parks and such are fun and all … but it could've been more if I had a sweetheart right now." He faked a broken hearted gesture as he said that.

"Seems like you and our dear fox have yet to have one, right Ellie?" Spica chimed in. I hate to admit it but it did make me slightly flustered now that I think about it. 

"Now putting that aside." He pointed towards Lexida who was just quietly staring, dumbfounded about all of this. "Who's the new kid?" 

I noticed Lexida shyly look away. She doesn't seem to like being the center of interest but I'll just try to keep her moxie up. 

"Ohh right … guys meet Lexida. A freshman who just moved here from Snowpoint City. Please go easy on her, she's a bit of a shy type." 

Lexida nodded in agreement. "Yes, Elaina is right but … it's really nice getting to meet all of you. I hope we can … get along quite well." 

"Well it sure is quite nice meeting you too, Lex!" Castor offered a hand towards her to which Lexida reluctantly shook. "Name's Castor and this over here is my twin bro." He nodded and pulled Pollux towards him, who gave her a nervous wave. They both felt awkward at Castor's split second introduction but they didn't seem to mind it much.

"Hello there, Lex. Seems Elaina just made another friend … pretty new for her." Spica smiled at her and giggled. "Anyways name's Spica, Ellie's best buddy!  actually no … Cipher and Castor too of course. But you are always welcome to be one too." 

"Now what are we waiting for? Lunch ain't going to fix itself. Let's get going!" Castor immediately jumped up from his seat. "Yes … I think we should have some lunch." Pollux followed soon after him. 

"Yes I think we should all grab some lunch. Again, you are welcome to join us Lex. I can show you around the cafeteria if you want." Cipher looked towards Lexida and managed a small smile. "Sure … please lead the way." 

As she faced me she mouthed the words Thank You to me. Not going to lie, it warmed my heart a bit seeing her happy. 

~~~

Classes abruptly ended as the bell rang. I eventually met up with the rest of my friends as I walked outside of my classroom. After about a few minutes of talking, we decided to call it a day. 

We went our separate ways for today as Cipher walked with me. He lived in the same apartment as me but in a different building. 

"So … your newfound friend earlier, I'd say she's good company. It would be fun to hang around with her more often, she seems cool." Cipher said as we walked. 

"Honestly, I'd think the same. It's a good thing I sort of got lost otherwise that didn't happen." I responded. "Now that you think about it, if it weren't for that, heck … I wouldn't have talked to her and introduced myself." 

"Yeah, life's funny like that sometimes." Immediately as he said that, I heard a ring coming from his jacket pocket. Cipher quickly answered it and I decided to turn somewhere else, in the distance I can see someone running towards me.

"Elaina! Thank Articuno I managed to catch up …" It was Lex, she seemed to be a little out of breath probably from all of that running. Cipher, having noticed her while on the phone waved at her to acknowledge her presence. 

"Woah, Lex … take it easy. Why were you looking for us?" I say as I lowered my head towards her. 

"I wanted to give both of you these …" She fumbled for her knapsack and fished out two snow globes. Inside was an Articuno roosting as silver snowflakes were falling on them. 

"Aww, you shouldn't have … thanks, Lex." I say as I received the two items from her. Cipher, conveniently having finished his conversation with someone has his ears perked up as he saw the snow globe. "Cool! This is a great addition to my room! Thanks a lot, Lex." 

"You're welcome … it's a souvenir from Snowpoint of our deity, Vroska." She then looked towards the distance at something. "I should be going … my ride's almost here. Again, I am so glad to meet you and your friends. It means a lot." She waved goodbye to us as she hurried towards the direction where she was looking. 

I nodded to myself as I saw her walk away. It's been awhile since I've made another friend so naturally, it was overwhelming to me. I turned towards Cipher , who was fidgeting with his new souvenir with awe. 

"Say, who called you if you don't mind me asking?" I asked with a smirk. 

"Ohh it's just Suthen. He's asking for help with some homework and I may or may not be heading to his dorm room." Cipher answered in a tone that seemed like he was hiding something. 

I nudged an elbow into his arm. "Come on now, no need to be so nervous, I already know. No use hiding it from me." 

"Anyways, I should be going … wouldn't want to keep him waiting." He carefully slid the snow globe into his bag. "Guess I'll see you around! or tomorrow." 

"Goodbye and hope you enjoy your time with Suthen." I say teasingly. 

Cipher had a slight hint of red in his cheeks as I mentioned that. He waved at me and quickly turned around. 

~~~ 

After a few minutes of walking and climbing, I finally arrived at my apartment. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat on the couch. 

"This has been quite a day … Hmm, I should paint something … But before that, a  warm bath."

With that, I proceeded towards my evening routine.

The alleyways from between the various apartments in Jubilife are the first to go dark as the sun slowly sets on the horizon. Most of the time, it's empty save for a few runaways who take refuge from any street conflict. 

A Lucario is seen walking through one of them, she seemed to be deep in thought. Hovering beside her is an Azelf, with a look of concern. The Lucario was wearing a sleeveless midnight blue dress under a lavender shawl, it's colors blending with the alleyway's dark corners. 

"Will we ever find other Protectors, Lucia? I can already feel despair gradually taking me … " The Azelf whimpered as she focused her gaze towards the Lucario, her blue eyes forming a somber expression. 

"Please hang in there, Mai … the Emphyrean hasn't given up on us yet. We'll find them soon, don't worry. Your sisters did put their faith in you didn't they?" The Lucario responded. She looked at her silvery metal armband, revealing a Lucarionite stone, it's crystalline luster gleaming despite the dimness of where they were standing. 

"My beloved sisters … Who knows where they might be? I hope they're safe  … I fear the lurking darkness will catch them at their weakest …" The Azelf whimpered, curling up as she sat on Lucia's shoulders, her eyes on the verge of tears.

Lucia stopped for a moment to pat her on the back for comfort. She too was concerned for her, as she was concerned herself with how to find other Protectors. She looked up to the starry night sky and whispered to herself. 

"Please … if you're still out there … shine your light on us … We are the last hope of this world … Guide us … as you did to the ones before us …" 

Lucia didn't notice as tears started to flow from both of her blue eyes, as she held both of her hands toward her heart. Mai, having noticed her, wiped a tear from one side of her face.

"L-Lucia … ?" She looked towards her, one hand holding her chin. Her expression was a somber gaze toward Lucia's misty eyes. 

"I-I'm alright just … missing someone …" She forced a small smile as she wiped the remaining tear from her face and locked eyes with Mai. "We should keep going … time is almost waning for us …" The Azelf nodded as she too made a slight smile. 

Not a moment later, a scream was heard nearby alerting the two as they turned towards what they assumed was the source of the sound. Lucia immediately ran with Mai in tow as she exited the alleyway. 

~~~

"Get away! I'm warning you…" A Cubone is seen cornered into a wall holding out his bone club as protection. Three shadowy figures are in pursuit, clawing the bystander as the Cubone barely manages to parry their relentless attacks. 

Lucario had just exited the alleyway as she sensed an unnaturally disturbing presence from nearby. She scanned the area as she narrowed her eyes, trying to find where the screams came from. She finally noticed the three figures and the cowering bystander and without hesitation, rushed toward them in hot pursuit. 

"Shadows! Fragments of darkness…" Mai called out to the figures, alerting them to the pair's presence. Immediately, they rushed toward Lucia without a second thought as if not acknowledging the Cubone was even there. 

"..." Lucia's eyes glared towards the approaching danger, clutching the stone she was wearing. The gleam of the stone was brighter, almost being a miniature beacon whilst in the middle of the illuminated part of the city. 

"Spirit of Willpower … AWAKEN!" 

Mai knew exactly what to do as Lucia closed her eyes and called out, the figures now upon them as the Cubone watched in shock and awe. As for Lucia, she can feel something coursing through her from the inside as her form glowed as bright as the crystalline stone. 

Lucia felt her reflexes strengthen and strength increase, as her form gradually underwent Mega Evolution. What felt like a slow metamorphosis to her seemed like a split transformation from an outside observer. 

The dress and shawl she was wearing underwent a drastic change as with Lucia mega evolving. The shawl was still lavender, but it was now outlined with a silvery metal with an insignia in the middle. The insignia of the Emphyrean, a silhouette of the head of an Arceus positioned as if they were looking towards the sky they created. 

Lucia's midnight blue dress now turned into a shade of indigo as silver gloves materialized into her paws. On her head, a headdress almost materialized with the same insignia as her shawl. 

As the ghosts approached her, she readied an attack. "Stellar Vacuum Wave …" She shouted as the ghosts instantly disintegrated into bits of black stardust that was swiftly swept away by a night breeze. 

"There's always these monstrosities laying around …" Lucia muttered dusting herself off as she slowly transformed back to her previous self. The Cubone, who was watching the whole ordeal, immediately approached her in awe. 

"What did y-you … H-how did y-you … do that … ? I must know." He murmured, clearly awestruck at her. 

"That was nothing, just the power of starlight …" Lucia responded, smiling. "... and willpower~!" Mai, who was still sitting on Lucia's shoulder, added. 

"W-well whatever that was … thank you! A-are you a magician of some sort?" He tilted his head in confusion, scanning her. 

"Just someone doing their job … Speaking of which, I should be going elsewhere. You stay safe and be careful this time around." She shrugs, immediately turning to the opposite direction.

"Thanks, miss." He waved at her and walked off elsewhere. 

~~~

After sometime, Lucia finally arrived at her apartment and Mai immediately opened the door. The Lucario collapsed on her couch and sighed.

"Today was such a rough day … I'm so tired … " She reclined at her seat with her hands behind her head. "Feeling okay over there, Mai?" She asked without looking at her. 

"I'm a bit tired too … from that battle mostly … You did wonderful though, just like you always do." Mai jumped to the top of the couch's headrest and leaned over to Lucia, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Come on now … it took me quite a while to get used to the fighting. That was all with you guiding me along the way." She let out a yawn and stood up. "I should probably rest, I still have school tomorrow." 

"H-hey Lucia … will we ever find other Protectors? and my sisters … ?" Mai asked, the solemn expression formed on her face again as before. 

"In time, hopefully we'll have answers to both of them. For now, let's not let ourselves be worried … You still got me to help after all." Lucia gave her a wink and an okay sign. 

"I guess so … Goodnight, Lucia." 

"Goodnight, Mai." 

<featuring Suthen from @something-like-an-askblog>