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#i'm not looking forward to the first one.
corrodedbisexual · 1 day
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Steve's sprawled across the couch watching a movie and doesn't react at first to the movement on the opposite side of it; he's so used to Eddie fidgeting all the time, even in his sleep, that he barely notices anymore. But then, there's the unmistakable weight and warmth of his boyfriend crawling across his body, and Eddie's face in his peripheral vision finally makes Steve turn and look.
Okay, well, that's a new one. But it's Eddie Munson, so pretty much every day there's something new.
Steve raises an eyebrow at the boy's face looming above him, grinning around a gummy worm dangling from his teeth.
"What?"
Eddie mumbles something unintelligible around the candy; the only part Steve can make out is the final 'oh fuck' as sugary spit starts running down Eddie's chin, and he has to rip the gummy out of his teeth and wipe his mouth with a sleeve.
Steve chuckles and shakes his head fondly. He's way too far gone, because it's just endearing when it should, probably, be off-putting.
"I brought you a worm," Eddie finally says clearly, his mouth free. "Get it?"
Steve just continues to stare at him, both eyebrows raised now. Eddie rolls his eyes.
"I'm courting you? Like, bird-style? You're supposed to accept my worm if you like me."
Steve bursts out laughing; he can't help it.
"Courting me? Eds, we've been dating for six months."
Eddie sighs, his smile turning sheepish as he starts moving away.
"Uh... You know what, never mind, t'was stupid—"
"Nonono, babe, get back here," Steve interrupts him, still chuckling, and grabs the front of Eddie's shirt to tug him back in. "Come on, I'll gladly accept your worm."
With a nearly blinding grin, Eddie shoves the gummy back between his teeth and leans in. Steve leans forward a bit and gingerly takes it with his teeth, their lips brushing briefly. As Steve chews through the sour-sweet gummy, his boyfriend giggles above him, eyes sparkling.
"You liiike me, then."
"I love you, you dork," Steve points out to him, unable to stop grinning now.
"Well, yeah, but now I also know you'd like me if we were birds."
"Oh yeah. I bet your mating dance would win me over right away, too."
Steve was absolutely prepared for Eddie to take the bait, and yet he's still in stitches from laughing as his boyfriend pushes himself to his feet and starts dancing around the couch, flapping his arms and making loud chirping noises.
Bird Steve would certainly be swooning. Human Steve just keeps falling harder every day.
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woso-dreamzzz · 2 days
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Captain II
Hardersson x Daughter!Reader
Fridolina Rolfö x Hardersson!Reader
Part of The Big Adventures Universe
Summary: You come home after being announced as captain
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In true Magda fashion, everyone in her contact list gets a call. A quick 'did you hear my kid's Sweden Captain?' call where she ends it before the other person can reply.
You get a text and several missed calls that you just ignore until you're free to go to your mothers' house. It was a slip that had you forgetting to tell them that you were Sweden's new captain.
There wasn't much time between your discussion with Emma and walking out to the press conference.
The best you could have given them was a text in warning but, judging by the messages your Morsa sent and all the uncharacteristic emojis she sent with it, you assumed she was happy.
You also assumed that you wouldn't be yelled at for not giving them a heads up.
You pull up at their house and sigh.
Frido's car is also in the driveway and you roll your eyes.
You don't want to think about how many traffic laws she broke to get here before you.
You unlock the front door, unbothered with using the bell, and slip inside.
The low hum of the tv is apparent as you slide off your shoes and hang up your coat. Frido's definitely in the house because you have to put your shoes next to hers and her bag is sitting on the stairs.
You're not entirely sure why she keeps bringing a bag when all her clothes are in the spare room but you don't dwell on it long before making your way into the living room.
Momma is sitting on the sofa, watching the last five minutes of a random show before what she actually wants to watch comes on.
"Your Morsa and moster are in the garden," She tells you," Calling everyone they know to brag."
"Are you angry I didn't tell you? Are they?"
"I'm not angry and those two are much too smug to be angry as well."
You smile and sit next to Pernille, one of her arms being thrown over your shoulder comfortably.
"At least tell me you told Natalia at least. She's not got access to you while on camp like we do."
"I told Talia," You reply.
In fact, Talia was the first and only person you told before the press conference. She'd congratulated you with a laugh before teasing and saying to take it in while you could because she would be gunning for the Spanish captaincy next.
She'd get it eventually, you knew that. It was only a matter of time but, still, you were the only national captain in the relationship at the moment and you just knew she'd have something to say about it when you finally reunited.
"Good girl," Pernille says," I'd hate for her to suddenly appear at the house unexpectedly. You know what your Morsa gets like."
In sync, you both lean forward to peer out of the windows leading to the garden.
Magda's still on the phone, waving her hand around excitedly as her mouth moves quickly before she drops the call only to immediately make a new one.
Frido's also pacing around the garden doing the exact same thing and you can't help but roll your eyes at both of them.
Magda catches your eyes and instantly makes her way back inside.
"Look at you!" She cries, bursting into the room," My little captain! Look at you!"
You're pulled away from Pernille and crushed into a hug as Magda all but sobs into your hair.
"I remember the first time you wore the armband! So small! You couldn't even walk yet! It kept slipping off! Now look at you!"
"Morsa," You groan, trying to escape from her suffocating hug," Let go!"
"My baby!" She's definitely crying now. "Carrying Sweden to greatness!"
(One day, you do lead Sweden to greatness. One day, you make your mark as one of Sweden's captains. One day, you pass off the armband to a young player you saw greatness in like your captain did for you.)
"Come on," You complain," Let go!"
You're released, only to be forced right back into another hug, from your moster Frido now.
Her hugs is just as suffocating as Magda's. She rocks side to side with you as you struggle to get away.
She speaks to Magda over your head. "Do you think I can borrow your old armband? I can't just wear her shirt to matches anymore. Got to complete the look."
"Please don't," You beg but she ignores you.
"Er..." Magda says," I'm not sure actually. I'll have a look-"
"It's on the bedside table," Pernille cuts in," Magda insisted on wearing it last night when we-"
"Gross!" You complain," Please don't talk about your sex life. You know I wear the armband now. Please don't make me think about you guys having sex every time I wear it."
You peak your head over Frido's shoulder to look at your mothers.
Magda shrugs. "A healthy sex life-"
"Stop!" You clamp your hands over your ears. "Stop talking or I'll go straight back to camp. Stop talking!"
Magda waves a hand dismissively. "You'll find out what I mean as soon as you see Natalia again."
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golden1u5t · 3 days
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a reason to survive | s.r x fem!reader
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ꨄ requested: anonymous
ꨄ genre: fluff
ꨄ summary: telling spencer you’re pregnant when you go to visit him in prison
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You sat down at the table in the interrogation room Emily had arranged for you, waiting for them to bring Spencer in. When the door opened you quickly wiped the stray tears from your face and turned to look at him, the officers took the cuffs off his wrist.
Spencer sat down across from you and frowned, he could tell that you'd been crying, that something was bothering you. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing- nothing's wrong. I'm happy to see you." You reached forward and grabbed his hands, you looked down at them and smiled softly. "Spence, I have something to tell you."
God, his heart dropped and shattered to a million pieces, he was prepared to hear the worse from you. You moved your hands away from his and put them in your lap, looking up at him. Spencer could hear your foot tapping against the floor, something you only did when you were nervous.
"I took a pregnancy test last week, i haven't been feeling too good." Your foot stopped for a brief moment, when he didn't say anything it started back up. "Say something, please."
Spencer's lips parted and then closed again, he looked around the room before finally speaking. "Is it- l've been here, for the past two months."
Now, he was never the one to accuse you of anything because he knew how much you loved him but it was the first thing that came to mind. He didn't like the thought of you being with someone else while he was incarcerated but it was the only explanation, well, to him.
“i'm not- I haven't cheated on you, if that's what you're saying. I went to the doctors and they confirmed that i was 3 months. I-| don't know how i didn't know until now." You reached for his hands again. Spencer looked at you, eyes wide and lips parted, he couldn't believe what you were telling him.
Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over him, he pulled his hands back from yours and ran his hands through his hair. You stared at him, thinking that what you told him wasn't something he wanted to hear.
"I can't believe you're pregnant. I hate that you'll be going through it alone because i'm in here and there's no way i'll be getting out before you have the baby, i'll miss it." Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about you going through your first pregnancy alone.
"Don't say that. Your team is the best team out there, they'll get you out." You tried you best to be optimistic. The door opened and your time was up, you reached for him one last time.
"I just need you to stay alive in here, okay?"
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zyafics · 18 hours
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play fake | part ten
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masterlist
pairing rafe cameron x female reader
summary when rafe cameron needs to secure a girlfriend in order for his father to see him as a stable man, he enlists the help of a bartender who wants nothing to do with him.
content series, 18+, eventual smut, angst, jealousy, fake dating trope, ward cameron being a bad father, rafe and sarah rivalry — reader type hyper-independent, people pleaser, smart mouth, stands on business, mysterious past — rafe's characterization insecure, possessive + jealous person, asshole, mood swings
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"You're starting to piss me off, Top."
Rafe's agitated. For the past couple hours, he's been in a back-and-forth with his father, talking about the prospects and future of Cameron Development. He hasn't heard anything bad about him, which is an improvement from their last meeting, but he hasn't heard anything good either. It's as if the moment Sarah came back to the picture, Ward Cameron forfeits all care regarding his eldest son.
He needs a break. But he hasn't been able to contact you. After Topper sent him a vaguely-urgent text to come over, Rafe arrives at the Thornton estate with better expectations.
"Me?" Topper gestures to himself, appalled by the declaration. "I'm trying to be a good friend here and help you out."
"By what? Lying?" Rafe snaps, getting a minor migraine due to the music blasting from the inside of the house. This, in combination to the smell of weed and alcohol wafting through the air, isn't helping his journey towards sobriety. "Was this some pathetic attempt to get me to your party?"
"I wasn't lying, I swear to you, man, I saw—"
His words were cut short by a powerful thump. It causes everyone in the room to turn and when Rafe follows, instead of discovering the source, he finds you.
His brows immediately draw together as he takes you in. Disbelief crowning his features. The look on your face is pure panic, as if you didn't expect to see him here. He wants to ask for the reason, the words on the tip of his tongue, but when his eyes finally drop to find a man's hand wrapped around your wrist—it finally registers that you are with someone.
What the fuck are you doing?
Rafe doesn't say anything at first. With a clear mind, he's taking everything in and processing. For once in his life, he doesn't jump to wild assumptions and stew in his own jealousy. He has you to thank for that.
Because Rafe trusts you. He doesn't believe this could be some romantic fluke you're trying to get with. It can't be. With a tilt of his head, almost indiscernible to the rest of the public, he seeks inquiry from you. Your lips part but no words came through.
The Kook beside you—who he recognizes as Garrison from the Island Club—pulls you towards the sitting lounge on the back porch, furnished with wicker sofas and chairs, and settles down at one of the unoccupied seats. You land on the soft cushion with a thud, facing forward, intentionally avoiding his gaze.
Rafe scoffs.
He steps away from his conversation with Topper, not needing to acknowledge the smug look on his best friend's face, before rounding the furniture to stand in front of your date.
"Move." Rafe commands, his voice low and rough, but held enough authority to make the Kook lift his head.
"There's a spot right there," Garrison points to the opposite chair, but Rafe doesn't entertain the suggestion.
"I didn't ask. I said move."
"No." Garrison grumbles stubbornly, leaning back against the backrest and placing a hand over your exposed thigh, a product of your short work attire. Rafe notices your muscles stiffening under the Kook's touch but you don't push him away as he expected you to.
His expression sharp, his anger rising. "If you don't fucking move—"
"Rafe." You murmur, grabbing his hand. He peels his eyes off of Garrison and settles on you, taking in your pleading features, your gentle expression. You're silently asking him to not make a scene, to not do something stupid, and normally, he wouldn't obey. But something about your acknowledgement calms him. "Just take the seat."
With his lips pressed together in a thin line, Rafe reluctantly listens and takes the chair adjacent to yours.
You relax, slightly, but Rafe can tell you're still on the edge. Your leg bounces incessantly against the hardwood floor of the patio deck and you refuse to look at him. Rafe, for the life of him, can't understand why.
But he settles that it's something else. You being here, without notifying him, is something else. It has to be. That's the only thing that makes sense and is keeping him rooted in his seat right now.
"Rafe," Kelce calls out, causing his head to reluctantly turn to his other friend. He holds a beer bottle in his hand and uses it to point at you. "Isn't that your girl?"
Rafe turns back, watching the way your breath hitches in your throat, eyes squeeze shut as if you were just caught. You swallow hard, but you don't answer.
So, he'll do it for you.
"Yeah—"
"It's complicated." You interrupt, meeting Kelce's gaze, but your words firmer than they've been the entire night. This causes Rafe's chest to constrict, him watching your profile and seeing the absolute look on your face. "We're just... trying not to put a label on it."
His jaw tightens, hands drawn into white-knuckled fists. The rest of the Kooks around the patio catch wind of this tension and Kelce lets out a low, depreciating whistle. "Yikes, man."
Now, Rafe doesn't know what to think anymore.
You turn back to Garrison, keeping your voice quiet, but there's an urgency behind your words. "What are we doing here again?"
Garrison abandons his hand on your thigh to throw a lazy arm around the backrest of your seat. "Heard they were gonna smoke," he explains with a flash of a smirk, aimed and targeted at Rafe. "I figure we could take a hit."
You instantly still. "Oh, I don't—"
"You haven't drank anything all night and you don't smoke either? Tell me you know how to have some fun, sweetheart." He teases, the volume of his voice louder than the intended audience. This catches a couple of nosy Kooks to spare a glance in your direction, judgment passing through their expressions, and you go rigid.
Rafe's three seconds away from grabbing your hand and pulling you away from Garrison, but something in him says to remain seated.
"I just haven't had it in a while." You assure with a nervous laugh, leaning forward to put some distance between you and the Kook.
But he doesn't catch the signal. Garrison grins and leans over—too fucking close—to whisper in your ear. Loud enough for Rafe to hear. "Don't worry, I'll help you."
Rafe figures this is some dick-measuring contest between him and Garrison; that, after his order to the Kook, it bruised his ego and he's now getting back at Rafe by talking to his girl. By reminding him that you are with him, and not Rafe.
Normally, there's no woman that made him care enough about that type of bullshit, but with you, he fucking does.
Topper and the others settle down around the lounge and start passing around the blunt. They each take a hit and spread it around counterclockwise.
Despite the reluctance, you square your shoulders in preparation to participate. Your eyes follow the lit joint with precision, waiting, anxiously trying to pull your nerves together. When Rafe's nearby neighbor hands him the blunt, he puts it to his lips and inhales a sharp breath. Holding in.
Since you're next, you meet his gaze and extend out your hand.
But it didn't go as planned.
Rafe takes the opportunity to catch your wrist and pulls you close, sliding his hand up your cheek before capturing your lips on his. He expects to be met with resistance—especially with your little date sitting next to you—but you simply melt into his touch. He takes it as a cue to exhale, and the smoke enters into your system.
Taking a step further, Rafe grab your hips, hauling you onto his lap, away from the handsy Kook that has no fucking business touching what his. All of this done in one swift motion, without breaking the kiss.
Complicated.
He fucking hates that word.
When you finally pull away, you choke up with a cough, gasping for fresh air. Rafe doesn't bother to offer you the blunt, handing it off to the next person, while you try to recover against the sleeve of his shirt.
"Really?" You say quietly, feeling his hand rested firmly against your waist. He tips his head back, meeting your gaze, and a satisfied expression settles over his face.
"You shouldn't have been with him in the first place."
"All of this for a pretend act?"
He hates that you're referring to the relationship as fake. That it still means so little to you. He doesn't let it show that it ticks him off.
"At least someone will get the message."
You don't respond, especially when he's pointedly accusing you of something you can't deny. Rafe's expression is inquisitive, waiting for you to fill in the missing gaps, on why the fuck you're with Garrison at all, but you say nothing. Own up to nothing. You simply turn away, unable to meet his confrontation.
Rafe squeezes your hips. "Sweetheart," he says with a firm warning, and despite the word coming off as a caution, you soften at the nickname. The usage spoken by its rightful owner.
You can't believe you're swooning over his possession, but you blame it on the haziness from the kiss, or the marijuana entering your body after years of discontinued use. However, deep down, you know it's something else.
That maybe it's his word and he owns you completely.
"Can we talk later?" You mumble into his shoulders, eyes fluttering closed for a brief second. "I'm getting dizzy."
Rafe scoffs, seeing this as a blatant attempt at avoiding the question, but you bury your face into the crook of his neck, almost as if you're seeking refuge in him. He couldn't force you to speak after that.
For the next hour, you remained seated on his lap. You once tried to move off but his grip around your waist was too firm to displace and you didn't bother to attempt again. It made Rafe proud. Like whatever drew you to Garrison in the first place has ceased to exist and you returned rightfully back in his arms.
This beam of pride wasn't helped by the fact that Garrison's been glaring at Rafe. But he had no strength nor power to do anything about it. Rafe scoffs. Fucking pussy.
In the middle of the smoke session, Rafe receives a call. He pulls out his phone from his pocket to see it's from his father. With a short glance in your direction, Rafe pulls you off his lap and you claim his seat while he steps out for a moment to take it.
When he returns, you’re gone.
"Where is she?" Rafe snaps at Topper, expecting one person to have seen you leave, but his best friend was preoccupied with a girl on his arm. When Rafe calls out to him again, with a sharper tone, the blond's gaze shifts to your empty seat, and shock overrides his features.
"Fuck, man, I–I don't know," Topper stammers apologetically, but it doesn't subdue the anger rising within Rafe. His fists bundled at his side, his teeth grinding against each other. It can't be a coincidence that Garrison also happens to be missing as well.
Rafe's pissed at his best friend for not being aware, especially when Topper brought him here in the first place. But he couldn't think about that right now. He had to find you.
"You're fucking useless," Rafe growls, before descending into the crowded house. The music is louder, pinching at his nerves, and the thongs of people aren't helping him narrow down his search. But he's a head taller than most and, with a quick scan of the crowd, he knew you wouldn't be here.
Where the fuck could you be?
He looks through the rooms instead, starting at the first floor. Each time he came across a vacant space, he grew more frustrated and upset. His knuckles ache from how hard he's been clenching down, and his adrenaline is spiking. He was going to lose it if he doesn't find you soon.
Because he has ideas, and he doesn't want to think of any of them.
When Rafe ascends to the second floor, it's much quieter. Emptier. Like you couldn't possibly be here. But when he kick-opens the third door, that's where he discovers you in a bedroom with the Kook, his back sprawled out over the mattress.
You're a few feet away from Garrison, ready to abandon him, when you flinch at the sudden sound of a door slamming into the wall. You freeze. Turning, with all the colors drained from your face, you expect to be caught—perhaps by a friend of the Kook or even the cops—only to find Rafe.
You don't know if that's any better.
Before you could even blink, Rafe grabs your wrist and pulls you behind him, forcing a larger distance between you and the drunken Kook knocked out on the king-sized bed.
"Leave," Rafe demands, his tone eerily calm, like the sound of a volcano bubbling before it erupts.
Garrison winces, pressing the heel of his hand into the side of his temple as he drags himself into a sitting position. "God, could you just give me a minute—"
"Leave before I fucking kill you."
The Kook, even with the copious amount of alcohol and weed in his system, wasn't stupid enough to ignore the threat. He knew Rafe’s reputation. Scrambling to his feet, he rushes out of the door.
The air in the room stills, as if all the oxygen was sucked out and all that's left is you and Rafe. His grip around your wrist hasn't loosen, firm and tight—afraid you'll leave again—and when his gaze pulls away from the door and settles onto your face, you hold your breath.
"What are you doing?"
Panic rises as a bile in your throat, constricting your airflow. You can't explain to him what you just did; how shameful you feel because of it. Instead, you deflect.
"What are you doing?" You say, trying to project a stronger voice, to make it sound normal. To pretend everything's fine when it's falling apart. "You said you were done with parties."
He can't believe you're doing this right now.
"I am," he snaps, his breathing ragged as he takes you in. See if you did anything, if there's any signs, but he finds nothing. "Top called me because he saw you at his party and you never show up to these types of things. So, let me ask you again. What are you doing?"
You don't answer.
Rafe exhales sharply, exasperation floods his features while his paranoid runs free. He knew he was going to crush your hand if he held on, so he released you, taking a step back to control himself.
"You wanna hear what I think?" Rafe prompts, his voice low and drawn-out as he begins pacing back and forth, "I think you thought I wasn't gonna be here so it would be the perfect opportunity for you to fuck some other Kook."
That's exactly what you're afraid of.
You wrap your arms around yourself, hiding. "No."
"And you thought I wouldn't find out but you forgot this is my best friend's house."
Your heart pounds in your chest, your breathing rapid, as your voice grows smaller. "That's not true."
He doesn't listen, his volume escalating in anger.
"And you're talking about all this breakup shit because you're ready to jump on the next fucking dick that can get you what you want."
You shake your head frantically, wanting desperately for him to believe you, but you had nothing to give. Nothing to shelter him and soothe his insecurities.
All you had was your heart.
But you tried. "No, that's not it—"
"Then where the fuck is your necklace?"
You stumble back, the last delivery was so sharp and vicious, it's as if he struck you.
Rafe's heaving, chest caving into itself. His eyes never strays from your face as he continues to pace across the room, waiting, expecting, wanting anything you can say to calm his spiraling state of mind.
You can't.
You know what this looks like. You know exactly what this looks like. This is why you didn't want Rafe to be here. Because, on top of what seems to be Rafe Cameron's Pogue girlfriend cheating on him with another Kook—you knew it would hurt him if he saw it himself.
But you had to.
You peer up at him with a heavy gaze, and Rafe interprets it as guilt. "I know what it looks like—"
He can't fucking believe this.
He can't stand here and listen to your excuses.
Rafe crosses the room to grab your face, with such abruptness, you flinch and drop the watch. It lands on the ground with a muffled thump and all of Rafe's concerns lowers when he follows the inconspicuous sound, finding the expensive timepiece on the ground beside your feet.
His conclusion draws slowly. "Are you... stealing?"
You don't answer, with widened eyes, you pull back from Rafe's grip and take a step back with a heavy breath. You glance down at the abandoned watch and you're about to recover it—but Rafe is too fast.
He picks it up with litheness and extends it far above your head. Impossible for you to reach.
His eyes on you but they soften considerably once he realizes you weren't cheating. You were being a thief.
His command is simple and resolute. "Talk to me."
Your breath is shaky. "It's fine."
"It's fine?" He repeats, disbelief dripping from his tone. "You just stole a eight-thousand dollars watch and you're telling me it's fine?"
He can't know. He simply can't.
Rafe sees the hesitation in your expression, your lack of response, and he can't believe it. After all the things the two of you have been through, he thought he had earned enough of your trust for you to explain why. Why you're stealing. Why you didn't tell him you needed money. Why it always has to come to this fucking point where he has to confront you and pry the measliest piece of information out of you.
You don't trust him.
And it rips at his chest.
Rafe scoffs, shaking his head. Disappointment and regret all colliding at once. "You know what, sweetheart? For someone who demands me to talk to them all the fucking time, you sure are a hypocrite for not doing the same."
Your eyes soften. You don't attempt to contest his statement because he's right. He's absolutely right and it stings because you do trust him and you do need him—you just don't let him in.
It's worse.
"You're right." You start deliberately, feeling tears well up in your eyes but refusing to let them fall. You inhale a sharp breath, steadying your voice. "I am a hypocrite."
Rafe didn't expect you to agree so easily. It almost sounds like defeat. He doesn't know which direction this conversation is heading, but he knows he doesn't like it. He recognizes that immediately.
With his guards up, he watches you.
"I..." You stammer to find the words, your emotions overwhelming you. But you don't cry. You can't. "It's not fair to you."
Everything in his head is raising alarm bells. Something about your words makes him panic. The way your voice quavers at the delivery, the fact you're looking to the floor. You don't even seem to care about the watch anymore.
Rafe says your name.
"I think we—"
"Don't fucking say it."
"—I think we might need a break."
"No." Rafe refuses, shaking his head as his arm lowers to his side.
"Rafe, listen, I—"
"I heard what you said," he snaps, his voice raw, and you hear his own emotions lodged thickly in his throat. "I don't accept it. I don't agree. I don't..." He's stumbling to find his own words. To find his own meaning.
I don't want to lose you.
You sigh, dejected. "Rafe."
"No." He turns back to you. His blue eyes are sharp but glossy, as if he's on his own verge of tears. "All you have to do is tell me why and we can move past this. I can understand. I swear."
He's desperate. He's begging you; because if you're leaving him just for this, just because he discovers this, he'd rather you have fucked the Kook than put him in this misery. At least with that he can be angry.
But all he feels is pain.
"Just talk to me."
You exhale deeply, simply shaking your head. "I can't. It's my problem."
"Make it my problem, then."
For some reason, there's a bloom of hope. That maybe he wants you more than what he's told you. So, you try. You try this one time.
"Why, Rafe?" You ask softly. "Why do you care so much?"
Rafe looks at you, searching your face, and while he wants nothing more than to hold you in his arms, he can't seem to put down his pride. The idea of being vulnerable. You've done nothing but demonstrate to him that he means very little to you, that you barely let him in, and if he says it first, it means he'll get rejected first.
He can't handle that.
So he takes the easy route.
"Because we're fucking."
Your heart breaks even more.
You swallow hard. You promise yourself you wouldn't be the one seeking it out first, especially in this relationship, but you try again. You try one last time. "Is that all?"
He can't look at you when he answers. "Yeah."
You press your lips together, nodding to his confirmation. You got what you asked for: the same fear you're afraid to discover. You're going to take his words at face value because what else is there to do?
"That's what I thought."
It's too painful. To continue to stay in this room with him, after he made his feelings known. After you recognize how absolutely fucked you are regarding your own. You need to leave.
You don't say anything else as you move past him, taking the watch from his loosened grip on the way out. You stop at the doorway, staring at his broad back, hoping, silently pleading, he would turn around and change his mind and confess his feelings right there, but he doesn't.
Because he's Rafe Cameron.
And he simply doesn't have any for you.
You exit out of the door and close it behind you, needing that extra barrier of space. When you descend down the grand staircase, you hear a muffled fuck! so loud, it shakes the entire mansion. 
But you don't look back.
You just leave.
Once you park in the driveway, you stay in the car for the next few minutes. You just needed some time to yourself. To readjust. To figure things out.
You honestly don't know how you made it home. Your mind was on full auto-pilot the moment you stepped out of the Thornton estate, and you can't remember driving down the narrowed roads, stopping at the traffic lights. You're just here.
You know your next step should be to go inside and get some rest. You need it to wake up early tomorrow and go to a local pawn shop to trade the timepiece for cash. Even as you're dealing with the emotional fallout of you and Rafe's argument, you didn't have the time to delve into the specifics of your heart.
You need to remain focused. To stay on track. Remind yourself that you've successfully stolen a watch from a Kook—whom you don't even know the name of—and prayed all the shots you fed him would be enough for him to forget. To wake up tomorrow with black-outed memories.
This is supposed to be a victory.
Why does it feel like a hollow one?
Your fingers clutch the stolen watch in your hands. Your nails scraping across the gold-plated case, the recognition of the brand behind the thick glass. Rafe's right. This alone could afford to pay off a payment to Aaron and he would leave you alone.
You exit from your beatdown car and make the short walk to the porch. The lights inside the house were off, probably because it's so late and your sisters are off to bed.
When you stop in front of your front door, all the hair on your neck stands. Something feels off. You take a step back, hearing the familiar creak in the floorboard of your wooden porch you always avoid. That calms you down for a second. That perhaps you're overthinking it because of the fight.
You pull the keys out of your bag, and you're about to slip it through the lock, when you realize something.
The door is cracked open.
It's a small gap, almost undetectable by a passing glance, but it was enough to disengage the locks and grant full access to your house.
Your heart starts to race once you realize something is wrong and your intuition was correct. You replace the keys inside your bag, your shoulders squared and your stance on defense, before you shove the door open.
And what it reveals is a complete mess.
Furniture is flipped all over the place, broken glass scattered across the carpeted floor. The bookshelves attached to the walls have been ripped off, their decors and old books thrown all around. The screen on the TV has been kicked in, cushions have been ripped apart with fluff all over the ground, and the kitchen cabinet doors have been torn off their hinges with shattered plates.
All you hear is the sound of your rapid breathing while you take in your surroundings, blood coursing through your eardrums. It's all on you.
Before you hear a muffled wailing.
Realization dawns on you.
Your sisters.
You drop everything and run to the source, approaching their bedroom and nearly tripping over your discarded belongings in the middle of the narrowed hallway. Once you reach the room, you kick-open the door.
There you find Amara, standing in the middle of her equally-destroyed room, in absolute tears.
But Leilani is nowhere in sight.
Your panic skyrockets.
"Where's Leila?" You ask your weeping sister, her fragile voice hitched with heavy hiccups and incoherent mumbles. "Where's your sister?"
You sink to your knees in front of her, cradling her soft cheeks, shaking as you brush away her tears. "Please, Mara. Talk to me. Where's Leila? What happened?"
She offers nothing more than the frantic shake of her head. Words unable to spill from her mouth. She can't talk. She can't even stop crying. She just experienced something traumatic and you're over here drilling her for answers.
No, this is your responsibility to bear.
Knowing you won't learn anything, you rise to your feet and rush out the bedroom door, screaming out your sister's name. "Leila! Leilani! Where are you?!"
No answer. The only sound is the low hums of the broken air conditioner, and you go into your room to search. You find a similar mess: drawers pulled out, clothes all over the floor, the mattress on your bed flipped over, but nothing of the twelve-year-old girl.
Your heart is pounding viciously against your heart, so hard, you think it's going to burst. Your hands are growing clammy. Your breathing unstable.
But you can't think about that.
You check in the bathroom, the closet, any places she could be hiding and coming out completely empty. It's almost as if she disappeared.
What the fuck do you do?
It doesn't take a genius to know this is Aaron's doing. His warning. That it's nearing the end of the third day and you still haven't gotten him his money. This is him trying to scare you.
And it's working.
You can't help but think of the worst possible scenarios. Leilani is the most like you. She's growing into her own person but she mimics most of your behavior. She's cautious, and full of wonder, but she talks back without turns and she has this bleeding sense of justice you never want her to lose.
But you're afraid that same attitude you love about her is what got her into trouble. That Aaron might've caught her smart mouth and taken her as retribution.
You can't help but descend down this spiraling theory. Your breathing grows ragged and shallow, like the air is sucked from your lungs, and you swallow hard—but something hard is lodged at your throat.
You can't breathe.
You can't breathe.
You can't fucking breathe.
You run out to the living room, holding onto the walls as crutches and you fall to your knees in front of your bag, searching for your phone. Tears pricking your eyes, blurring your vision, and your fingers tremble as they attempt to type the passcode. You got it wrong twice before being granted access.
What do you do now?
Your first instinct is to call your parents, to dial up the memorized digits of your mother's and seek their help. But you can't.
Because they're dead.
You're heaving with this daunting reality that you have no one. That you can't help no one. And it's absolutely shattering.
Your heart is hurting; throbbing against the side of your skull. You hear Amara's constant sobs between the walls, echoing through the empty house, and your heart is clutched with this indescribable pain from missing Leilani—like you had a limb ripped off your body.
You can't help her. You can't even help Amara.
You can't help anyone.
"Fuck," you swear under your breath, brushing away the blurring tears in your eyes. Exhaustion bleeds through you but you’re still trying to figure this out. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
You think you're going to lose it. You're going to breakdown right then and there, in the middle of your disgusting living room, cradling your phone, wishing you still had your parents. It's a rock bottom you didn't expect to have.
But then, you hear the familiar sound of a creaky floorboard.
And you raise your head.
Just to see Leilani with Rafe.
"Leila?" You breathe out, immediately standing on your wobbly knees as you rush to your little sister and cradle her face in your hands, trying to find something tangible to hold onto, before letting out the largest sigh of relief.
She's okay.
Other than a small cut on her forehead, she looks to be in perfect health. She's here, in your hands, alive, and not taken hostage. That's honestly all you could have asked for.
But something in her expression boosts an edge of concern. Not for herself, but for you. You hate the look in her eyes, as if the roles were reversed and she had to be taking care of you.
You refuse to crack. You have to remain strong. For them.
Pulling back, you finally turn to acknowledge Rafe. He stands beside your sister, silently observing this entire interaction, saying nothing, offering nothing.
You don't know how they ended up together, or why, but you were glad she was safe. That she was with him.
And honestly, you're glad he's here.
You don't say anything, staring up to him with this timid, hopeless look, and his heart fucking shatters. He's never seen you like this before, so vulnerable, so scared, so afraid of yourself. It's like he's meeting a version of you he didn't know existed.
And it absolutely kills him.
"Baby..." Rafe says with such tenderness, with such care, as if you didn't have the worst fight of your life an hour prior. As if you didn't have your own heart broken by the same man. For some reason, this offer of gentleness is the very proof that you've been broken.
So you break.
And fall right into his arms.
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vivwritesfics · 3 days
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Hungry Like The Wolf
Chapter Eight
She hadn't seen her best friend, Lando, in years. She didn't run into him the last time she was visiting her father and she doubted she'd see him this time. Things were different now. She wasn't aware of his furry little problem. Just like she wasn't aware of the vampires plaguing the town.
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Vampire!Oscar x Reader x Werewolf!Lando
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She laid back on the bed, far too calm for what Lando had just blurted out. "Run that one buy me again?" She said with her eyebrows raised.
It was a joke, it had to be a joke. She knew the rumours that surrounded this place, the stupid stories about the werewolves and the vampires roaming the town.
And Oscar and Lando were playing into it. They had to be.
Lando's head dropped and he let out a sigh. "I'm being serious," he said. It was far too late to backpedal now. "Oscar and I, we aren't human," he repeated. This time his voice was sure.
And, this time, she was less sure he was joking. "Oh, fuck," she said, sitting up straighter. But still, it couldn't be real, could it? They were human. Because, well, what else could they be?
Lando looked towards Oscar. "Show her," he said and nudged him.
In truth, Oscar didn't know how she hadn't noticed by now. He hadn't been trying to hide his fangs and, with how often he had his lips on her, he didn't know how she couldn't have known.
But he hooked his finger around his top lip and pulled it up, exposing his fangs. "I'm a vampire," he said, still lifting his lip. "And this dickhead is a werewolf."
"Fuck," she said through a hiss, shuffling back on her bed, away from them.
Shit, this was exactly what Oscar was afraid of. "Wait!" He strode forward, but she only backed up further. "Fuck, Lando, this was why I didn't want to tell her!" He snapped at the werewolf.
Lando's eyes flashed as he looked at Oscar. "You shouting isn't going to help, is it, Osc?" His words came out slow, almost dangerous.
Neither of them were looking at her as she got as far away as she could from them. Her heart was beating erratically and she held her chest. No matter how deeply she breathed, not enough air was getting into her lungs.
Shit, she was going to pass out.
Lando noticed first. "Oh, fuck," he mumbled and climbed over the bed to get to her. "Baby, baby, calm down," he said and held her upright. His hands were on her neck, touch gentle as he felt her elevated pulse. "We're not gonna hurt you, I swear."
Still, her breaths were coming out too quickly. But she wasn't pushing him away. Looking past him, over his shoulder, she locked eyes with Oscar.
Oscar, the vampire. Oscar, who hadn't hurt her. Yet.
She breathed deep and looked at Lando. "Why did you tell me this?" She asked quietly.
Lando's hands fell from her neck, into her lap. "I... thought it was better that you know," Lando answered just as quietly as she had asked the question. "I..." He looked back towards Oscar. "We, Oscar and I, we both like you." He said it so quietly, curls falling over his face as he looked down at her hands.
There was a moment where she said nothing, brows furrowed as she stared at them. "Wait, let me get this straight," she said and shook her head, almost like she was clearing her thoughts. "So, you and Oscar both like me. And to go about that, you guys decided to tell me that you're vampires."
"Werewolf," Lando quietly interrupted.
She glared.
But her attention quickly moved behind him, to Oscar. He hadn't moved away from the desk, hadn't met her eyes again. He stared down at his shoes, gripping the desk chair almost hard enough to break it.
"Osc?" She called and Lando moved to one side. "Why haven't you eaten me yet?"
His chest shook slightly as he laughed. The laugh only last a second, but his lips were turning up. "I don't eat people," he said and looked over to her. "But I don't drink from people that don't want it," he answered honestly.
Her expression softened. "How... what do you eat?"
Oscar breathed in as he thought about it. "Animals, mostly. But there is a select, small group of people that want us to drink from them."
And, again, she was frowning at him. "Really? People want you to drink from them?"
He nodded his head. "Apparently it feels good," he said rather nonchalantly.
With wide eyes and raised eyebrows, she turned towards Lando. "Huh," she said, but her tone wasn't questioning. "That's interesting."
Interesting. That wasn't the word either boy had expected her to use. Lando looked back at Oscar as Oscar looked between the two of them. And then, he turned back to her. "So, are you gonna kick us out?"
She shrugged her shoulders, which wasn't the most comforting thing in the world. Both boys were still as they waited for something, anything from her. Some indication that she was going to get her dad's gun.
She sucked in a breath. "I wanna know more," she said. "I get that you both like me, and I can't say if I like the both of you too, I'll be completely honest. But I'm not saying no, not yet."
Oscar let his head fall back. "Holy shit," he said quietly, his accent coming through particularly strong. "Those were the most anxiety inducing moment's of my life."
Laughing, Lando sat back, his back against the bed as he sat opposite her, legs stretched as far as they could go. "I genuinely can't believe you're giving us a chance," he said and breathed out a laugh. And then he was looking up at Oscar and beckoning him closer.
Oscar pushed himself away from the desk. He strode around the bed and sat beside Lando, leaning against the bed with his legs between them. "I genuinely can't believe you're not kicking us out," he said, trying to mimic Lando's voice.
She knocked the both of them with her feet. But then she was looking up at them with a seriously expression. "What happens on a full moon?" She asked Lando.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Heightened emotions, less control over when I change and... horniness."
The last part was said so quietly, she and Oscar almost missed it. But their giggles signified that they had.
"Can I see you change?" She asked through her giggles.
Lando was suddenly standing. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, over his head, dropping it on the bed. The two of them were unashamed in their staring, enough to have a blush rising to Lando's cheeks.
"Look away, both of you," he insisted as he unbuttoned his jeans.
"But we were just getting to the best part," said Oscar with a grin as she pouted.
But Lando stopped and held his hands on his hips, not going any further until the both of them looked away. Oscar stared at her and she had her hand covering her eyes.
Sucking in a breath, Lando pushed down his shorts and transformed. He'd long since passed the stage when his bones hurt as he transformed. No, the sensation was somewhat nice as everything snapped into place and his body grew fur.
When he was fully transformed he jumped on the bed. She lowered her hand from in front of her eyes and Oscar turned around.
Now, Oscar didn't gasp like she did. No, he'd seen Lando transformed before, had been attacked by him, too. But she was in awe as she stared at him. Pushing up from the floor, she slowly walked towards him and stretched out her hand. "Can I?" She asked.
Lando pushed his head into her hand.
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mariasont · 12 hours
Note
you should do more aaron hotchner x reader but they get drunk together and they just have a make out session or something 🤫🤫
Strawberry Wine - A.H
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a/n: i took this the bimbo reader route because i'm slightly obsessed with them lately so i hope you don't mind <3
thank you so much for requesting xoxo
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pairings: aaron hotchner x bimbo!assistant!reader
summary: hotch is a lot more flirty when he's got some alcohol in him
warnings: kind of suggestive?, flirty hotch, making out, mutual pining
wc: 0.9k
You were vaguely aware of the dizzy sensation taking hold, your steps a little unsteady, cheeks a little more flushed. Penelope's voice, usually so clear, now sound like she was yelling from afar, her excitement over a new cooking show barely registering with you. It all faded into the background as your focus narrowed on one person alone--your boss.
Concentrating on something else was the logical choice, but logic seemed to falter in the face of such distraction. I mean, you had eyes after all.
He looked exceptionally good tonight. Jeans. He was wearing jeans and a zip up. His casual look held an irresistibility about it that you rarely got to appreciate, and now it's all you can dwell on. You could easily blame your preoccupation on a few drinks, but in all honesty, you'd be just as enthralled sober.
Your name was floating through the air, and as you turned, you saw Morgan. His grin was wide, the kind that told you he'd been trying to catch your attention for longer than you'd realized.
His eyebrows lifted, bumping against you with a shoulder as he waggled those same eyebrows. So childish. You knew what he was referring to. He was the first one to catch on to your little crush, but despite his behavior you knew he'd never divulge your secret. 
You nudged him back, not realizing your own strength until you were almost toppling over. You only found your footing when you felt hands on your waist. You leaned back, assuming it was Morgan. You were wrong. 
"You okay?" His voice was soft and low, a soothing sound that tempted you to both lean into him and step back in a fluster.
You glanced around, only to realize that Morgan had disappeared, leaving you with Hotch. You clamped your lips together, fighting the urge to let a stupid smile spread across your face, but the wine's influence made it challenging.
"Yes."
The room spun just a tad more as you tried to focus on Hotch, his usually sharp gaze softened just a bit more tonight. 
He chuckled--a rare, perfect sound that made you tingly all over--and leaned closer. "The wine seems to be doing its job. How many glasses in are we?"
You giggled, but the sound was more like a hiccup. "I should be asking you that," you said with a lopsided smile. "But then again, I guess I mean glasses of scotch, right? You seem like a scotch over wine kind of guy."
"Do I?" His voice was rich and warm. He stepped forward, his eyes briefly flickering to where the rest of the team congregated in Rossi's kitchen. However, they seemed miles away. "You smell good."
His compliment threw you off guard, you blinked, cheeks heating up as you swayed slightly towards him, voice a bubbly stream of words you couldn't control. "You think so? It's actually this new perfume--I got it on sale, can you believe it? And the bottle is just the cutest thing, all pink and pretty."
"I bet." He was smirking. Smirking. You were pretty sure you had stumbled into an alternate reality where Hotch was not just your boss, but someone who was relaxed, almost flirtatious? 
"Here," you said, pointing to the middle of your chest. You were a little breathless, "this is where I spray it."
He gave a low hum, almost inaudible, stepping in until you were toe to toe. You caught the hint of scotch on his breath--just as you had suspected--and it made the room spin a little more. 
His face moved down toward your chest, and you couldn't hardly believe that he couldn't hear your heart pounding against your ribs. 
You inhaled sharply, the valley of your breasts rising to graze against his nose, so lightly that it might have gone unnoticed if not for your intense focus on him. 
"What do you think--?" you started to ask, but as he raised his head, your noses were nearly touching, and the rest of your sentence dissolved.
The realization of how easy it would be to kiss him struck you, tempting and terrifying all at one, and you hesitated, knowing that was one line you shouldn't cross.
But you didn't need to cross it because he obliterated the line with a kiss that thundered against your lips before you could even blink. A smile bloomed against his mouth, and you returned it full force.
It was as if you were tingly from head to toe, like fireworks were exploding all around you, like you were floating on a cloud.
You looped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, as if the space between you could vanish entirely. You felt his broad hands sweep and down your spine, your tongues vying for dominance, the rich, smoky taste of that scotch lingering in your mouth, as if you were absorbing its essence through every five senses.
It was as if you were back in high school, making out under the bleachers, hiding from the rest of your classmates. You didn't want it to end, but reality intruded like a dream dispelled.
The click of a camera snapped you back to the present, his arms still wrapped around you protectively, hands on the damning evidence.
Gathered at the window there the team was, Garcia's fingers curled around her phone, its lens aimed squarely at you. Your surprised came out as a high-pitched squeal mingled with their distance laughter and cheers. You pressed your face into the fabric of Hotch's zip up, silently pleading for the earth to open up and swallow you whole.
"Next time, we'll opt for the bathroom. Less room for an audience."
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𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 | 𝘫𝘩86 ♔
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➯ summary: jack just gets a little protective of his girl, and shows a little bit of it on the ice when he plays her ex for the first time since they started dating.
➯ warnings: fights, protective jack, reader is called a slut
➯ published: may 27, 2024
➯ notes: one of a couple fic ideas i've gatekept from you all by one of my incredible nonnies. this was inspired the picture i posted the other day so hehe. the ending is a little wonky but i think that's just something you should always expect with my fics. anyway, feel free to continue to send in fic recs, summer break is in full swing and i have found my writing passion/groove again so i'm more than happy to fulfill them! i hope you enjoy some protective jack for your late night scrolling. i love you all and I'll see you later <3 | add yourself to the taglist ➺ taglist!
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Hockey games had always been entertaining to her, or rather for her. It seemed that every time y/n showed up at any arena, any league, any game, something would happen. Whether it was a fight, going into several rounds of a shootout, or having to use an emergency goalie, something happened at them. And this time was no different.
Sure she had been to multiple games of Jack’s before, but usually he wasn’t the cause of the chaos. She had noticed he had been a little on edge the whole night, period after period. While she couldn’t necessarily see his face from where she was sitting (unless they zoomed in on it of course), she could tell by the way he played and the way he stood during breaks that something was off. 
Jack had begged her to come to a came, she hadn’t been to one in a couple of months due to their schedule and her work. She was a bit reluctant at first, this would be her first game while dating Jack and they would be playing the Avalanche. The first time she would have to see her ex and her boyfriend play each other in person. 
He too was hesitant, but her being there definitely outweighed the risks of her and Cale running into each other. She gave in as soon as he turned his puppy dog eyes on her, they both knew once she saw them it was hard to resist them. She threw on her jersey and met up with a few of her friends to go to the game. She opted not to sit with the other wives and girlfriends today, wanting to blend into the crowd a little. 
Her friends made conversation throughout the game with her, also noticing Jack’s weird behavior. Her closest friend, one of the ones that was there through the breakup with Cale, nudged her about halfway through the third period, “Look.”
Y/n moved her eyes to where Charlotte was pointing, they narrowed as they zoned in on Cale and Jack standing close to each other by the Devils net. She went to shrug it off but could see how Jack’s head cocked to the side and tensed his shoulders. Then they skated away from each other as the puck escaped Nathan’s grasp. 
“It was probably nothing.”
She wished that statement was true. In reality, Cale had been chirping at the younger boy the whole game. It started as nothing, plain banter that he would hear at any game he went to. Then it turned into the common, “Pretty boy hockey player” chirps. While he wasn’t affected by it, he could tell that he wouldn’t stop and that’s what bothered him. 
Cale’s last defense to get the boy railed up came during the third, 10 minutes before the game ended. The first one wasn’t enough to get Jack wound up, maybe a little ticked off, sure. The allusion to his girlfriend made his anger rise. The second time, however, was a much different story. 
It was three minutes until the game ended, three minutes that y/n clutched tightly to one of her friends’ hands, praying that they would not only win but Jack would get out of there unharmed and the fight that she had thought was going to happen wouldn’t. Yet, as soon as Jack heard her name leave his mouth and he was pushed forward, his stick dropped and he turned around, anger blinding his mind. 
She wasn’t exactly sure what either of them said, more unsure of what Cale had said to cause the action. Jack’s words sounded something along the lines of, “What the fuck did you say about her?” And she knew, she hated that she knew, but she did. Jack was never able to keep control when someone said anything even remotely hurtful to or about her. 
The gloves dropped next and she gasped in surprise when she saw Jack’s fist meet Cale’s jaw. She had never seen Jack fight, at least not this much. There was the little incident in which he lost his tooth but she was never allowed to call it a fight, Jack forbade her to (though, she and Luke still did to everyone but him). 
She couldn’t decide if she should watch in awe, surprise, fear, or anger. And she wasn’t sure if she should be allowed to find it mildly attractive at the way Jack’s hair fell out of his helmet and his lip was bleeding slightly. The refs finally pulled them apart, the Devils bench going wild at him fighting for once in his life. 
After the game, she stood with some of the wives and girlfriends, her friends long gone by then. It took Jack a little longer to come out, and when he did she stopped her conversation with Nicole and turned to look at him. He only held out his hand as he kept his gaze down. She slipped her hand into his and smiled politely at the remaining group of women before letting herself be pulled away to Jack’s car. 
The car ride was silent the whole way back to their apartment. There were plenty of times that she wanted to reach out, ask him what happened, simply hold his hand, or run a hand through his hair, but she held it back in fear of causing a fight between them. Halfway into the drive, his right hand slid from the steering wheel and made its way over to her thigh, resting comfortably. 
She looked down and saw the small cuts and a few bruises that littered his knuckles. She used her hands to trace them, Jack’s hand tightening at the feeling. That’s how they spent the rest of the ride, Jack’s hand on her thigh occasionally squeezing it out of whatever emotion he had been feeling, her hand tracing shapes along his arm and on his hand, and in silence. 
When they arrived home, she was starting to get fed up, the silence was too much for her. She closed the door behind the two of them and stood with her arms crossed as she watched Jack maneuver around the apartment. Jack was hoping he would be able to escape the night without any word of the game at all, but just like her prayers weren’t heard before, his weren’t either. 
“Stop.”
Jack halted in the hallway between the living room and their bedroom. He turned to face her, slightly nervous, “What happened?”
He shook his head but stopped once he saw the look plastered on her face. He was in deep and utter shit. 
“Jack Rowden Hughes, you better tell me what happened. Why did the two of you fight?”
“He said shit about you.”
She quirked an eyebrow, unable to make out his words due to his mumbling. He sighed and spoke up, “He said something about you.”
She stepped closer to him, within arms reach. She tilted her head in confusion, “What did he say?”
Once again his words came out mumbled and she rolled her eyes in annoyance, huffing, “Speak up Jack.”
“He called you a slut, okay!” Her eyes widened in surprise, though neither of them was sure if it was because of what Cale had said or because of Jack’s yelling. 
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I thought he said something worse.” She shrugged and moved to walk to their bedroom, seemingly done with this conversation. 
“Hold on, wait a minute.” Jack’s hand grabbed her arm and spun her around, “What do you mean you thought he said something worse?”
“What? I meant what it sounded like. With the way you reacted, I thought he would've said something way worse than calling me a slut, Jack.” She smiled, trying to alleviate his anger.
“He hasn’t called you that before has he?”
Her smile turned down and so did her gaze, now focused on his hands. Jack lifted her chin, his right index finger resting underneath it, “Has he?”
She nodded, eyes trained to the wall behind him, “Jesus, y/n/n.”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think it was important.”
“Didn’t think it was- he called you a slut, y/n.”
“So? I know I’m not and you know I’m not and everyone else knows I’m not. Why does it matter what he thinks?”
“Because he shouldn’t be calling you that.” He wrapped his arms around her tightly. 
She sighed and reciprocated the hug, “It doesn’t bother me, Jack, so it shouldn’t bother you.”
“But it does, baby.” He pulled away from her to cup her face with his hands, “If someone talks shit about you it’s going to bother me. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’m fine, Jacky. I promise you. You just get a little protective don’t you?” Her hand wrapped around one of his wrists and she smiled at him. 
Jack’s smile that he gave her was smaller than hers but she loved it all the same. Her gaze dropped a little to his split lip, “I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been turned on or not when you were fighting. I think my worry clouded my judgment.”
He smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Oh really?”
“Mhm.”
She traced his lip with her thumb before kissing him. He groaned in return at the sudden action but kissed her back immediately. They pulled away a minute later, both slightly breathless, “Should I fight more often?”
His one hand moved to push a strand of hair out of her face, “If it’s hot like that, yeah.”
“Oh so you find fighting hot, do you?” His hands wrapped around her waist, moving her closer. 
She giggled slightly before raising an eyebrow, “Why did you think I dated a defenseman?”
“Too soon, baby. Too soon.” He dipped his head to kiss her again, but this time it ended with them in the bedroom. 
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⇘ 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙅𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙮 𝙏𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 ⇙
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too-much-tma-stuff · 3 days
Text
An Unwelcome Guest (part 5)
First | Previous | Masterpost
Thank you to mossycobblestonewrites for betaing for me!
----------
Something was off with Danny, he had been twitchy since earlier that day. Jason wondered if it had something to do with the meeting with Batman he’d agreed to tonight, but he didn’t think that was it. Batman didn’t scare Danny, Jason getting hurt might, but Jason was ready for this and with Danny there he wasn’t going to get hurt. 
As much as Jason wanted to let Danny talk about this when he was ready, they needed to be at their best, and on the same page. “Fox, in my office,” he demanded, using the false name Danny still went by in public after Danny had twitched one too many times. The goons around them cackled and nudged Danny with their elbow or slapped him in the shoulder, probably expecting them to go fuck which… it was a fair assumption, they did that a lot, but not today. 
Still, Danny smiled at them in a way that gave nothing away before sliding into the office after him. “So, are we here for you or me?” Danny asked, slipping past Jason to lean against the edge of the desk, smiling at him a little. 
“You,” Jason stated. It could have been him. He was pretty stressed about the meeting and he wouldn’t have minded taking it out on someone. Not today though, not when Danny was already upset. “What’s got you so twitching, Moonlight?” Jason questioned gently, stepping forward to rest his hands on Danny’s waist, forcing himself to be a calming and caring presence right now. 
“It’s nothing, Jason, really,” Danny reassured, giving Jason a small smile. 
“It’s not,” Jason argued, brushing Danny’s bangs out of his face. “I’ve never seen you this twitchy. What’s got you spooked?”
Danny looked down, unable to meet Jason’s eyes as he fought with himself, conflicted about what, or how much to say. Jason waited patiently. Danny sighed and looked back up at him. “You know I haven’t told you everything. You’ve been really good about letting me keep my secrets, and I appreciate that. I told you I wasn’t human and you didn’t push to know what I was. I appreciate that, and I’m still not ready to talk about it, But… I felt a new presence in Gotham this morning. I mean, people come and go all the time, I wouldn’t think anything of it really. But they tried to See us. I blocked their vision, but I’m worried about why they tried to look at all.
“I think that Batman might have something to do with it. I got angry when Batman tried to insist on meeting with you alone before and slipped a little. I’m worried they clocked me as not really human and if they did… what if they contact the GIW or something? I’m not ready to face them again,” Danny admitted with a small shudder. It was a very good reason to be jumpy really.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t let them have you. We don’t have to go to the meeting if you don’t want to, or I can go alone,” Jason offered softly, but he knew Danny wouldn’t agree.
“No,” Danny snarled, grabbing onto Jason’s shirt. “No, I'm not letting you go alone! We’ll go, but it’s… Jason, if they try to get me I need you to run okay? Don’t try to save me. I can save myself, but not if I have to worry about you getting hurt. I just need permission to defend myself if it comes down to that. I can’t promise there won’t be collateral damage, it’s been a long time since I did anything full strength. I don’t know how… explosive it’ll be.” 
“You don’t need my permission to defend yourself,” Jason told Danny disbelievingly. “But you have it anyway,” Jason added immediately when he saw the dubious look on Danny’s face, deeply relieved when he felt his boyfriend relax slowly.
“Alright,” Danny said with a little smile, “then we’ll be fine. Let’s go ahead with the meeting,” he encouraged, stretching up to kiss Jason sweetly before they went back to work.
--------
That night Jason and Danny went home a little early. Cooking and eating a quiet dinner together, letting the calm brace them for the meeting that night. Once they were finished and cleaned up they suited up again and headed out to the meeting spot they’d arranged with Batman; a warehouse just inside their territory. They had it staked out all day so there was no chance for a trap and arrived just before the time of the meeting so they would be there first. 
Both Red Hood and Hyena were leaning against one of the pillars together, Hyena tucked under Jason’s arm when Batman and Robin came down from the rafters. Those two could never use a fucking door! Jason rolled his eyes in irritation, irritation that turned to anger when he realized they weren’t alone, shooting to stand up straight and face the newcomer. Someone was with them, a blond man in a brown trenchcoat. Constantine. 
The temperature in the room dropped nearly ten degrees. Jason shivered, looking back at Danny for an explanation. Danny’s eyes were entirely green, no whites or pupils to be seen as he stared at Constantine, who at this point, was visibly cowering. Even Batman looked shocked by the shift in the air. 
“You do Not have permission to enter My Haunt, Hellblazer,” Hyena hissed, his voice echoing oddly as he stepped forward, in front of Jason, his arm half out as if to shield him. 
“I’m so sorry! Batman insisted I come, I promise I wouldn’t have come anywhere near your turf if it was up to me!” Constantine insisted, holding his hands up placatingly. 
“Were you at least polite enough to bring an offering?” Danny questioned, his glowing eyes narrowed. 
Constantine looked panicked as he quickly patted down his pockets. It seemed like the only thing he had was a pack of cigarettes. Danny laughed at him but considered the offering anyway, cocking his head. “They’re the brand Red Hood smoked, I’ll take them,” he decided. He held out his hand and Constantine tossed the pack to him, unwilling to get closer to a potential threat.  Danny caught the pack easily and passed it off to Jason, who pocketed it. 
“You smoke?” Batman asked Jason, sounding betrayed for some reason. 
“Really!? That’s what you’re worried about right now?!” Constantine squeaked at Batman indignantly. 
Danny cackled, shaking his head at them before looking at Batman with a thoughtful expression. “I’m assuming you brought him because you have questions and suspicions,” Danny asked with some disdain. 
“And here I thought this meeting was because you wanted to see me,” Jason put in, holding his hands to his chest as if he was hurt. 
“It is! I do! I’m just worried about you, this isn’t like you and if-” Batman started, sounding more and more like Bruce before Jason interrupted. 
“If what? If he's manipulating me?” Jason scoffed, and shook his head. “He’s not, and you don’t fucking know me!” 
Danny looked back and forth between all parties present before shrugging. “Do you know what I am, Hellblazer?” He asked curiously, looking back at Constantine, who hesitated, and then shook his head. “Do you have any skill with magic?” Danny continued. Constantine hesitated again, and then nodded. “Good. I will let you cast One spell, for honesty. Not to be forced to answer, not to bind me, but One spell circle to ensure I won’t lie. Then you,” he said looking at Batman defiantly, “can ask me your questions.” 
“Sweetheart, are you sure?” Jason asked, reaching out to grab Danny’s arm gently. “You don’t have to, you know it doesn’t matter what he thinks.” Ya, Jason was a little freaked out by the change in Danny here, but it didn’t really matter right now. They could talk about it later. 
“I know it doesn’t, but there are some things I want to tell you too, and this will make it easier,” Danny reassured Jason, clearly smiling behind his mask. 
“Um, if you’re sure?” Constantine hesitated, reluctant to piss Hyena off. 
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll watch you make the circle,” Danny confirmed, stepping forward as Constantine started to draw the circle. “You were the one who tried to spy earlier today, huh?” Danny asked and Constantine flinched.
“Ya, sorry about that,” Constantine apologized, his hands remaining steady as he drew, despite the nervousness in his voice
“Don’t worry about it. I’m relieved to know who it was,” he admitted with a casual shrug. “Just don’t try that again,” Danny added, shooting Constantine a glare. 
The silence was heavy as Constantine finished the circle. Danny gave a satisfied nod as he stepped inside. The signs activated, glowing gold and then green. Danny seemed relaxed and comfortable again. “Right, spells’ active. I won’t answer everything but I can’t lie. Ask away,” Danny said smiling at Jason and spreading his arms a little. 
It was Batman who managed to ask first; “What are your intentions with my Son?”
“To fuck him on every flat surface from here to Star City,” Danny stated, completely seriously, making Jason burst out laughing, Constantine choke, and Batman look like he’d bitten a lemon. “And to love him, truly and unconditionally,” he added, his expression softening as he looked back at Jason. 
“I love you too, Cub,” Jason said fondly. He switched his attention to Batman with a frown, “I am Not your son. Fuck you.” 
The lemon-bitten expression on Batman’s face got worse. 
“What are you?” Constantine asked hesitantly and Danny shrugged. 
“I’m a myth. If I told you what I am you’d probably think the spell failed rather than thinking I was telling the truth. I am an impossibility and a fact. That’s as much as I’m willing to say,” he declared, glancing at Batman. 
Jason bit down another laugh at how dramatic and romantic Danny made it sound. Though it did make him wonder What exactly Danny was. 
“Are you human?” Jason asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted Batman to hear it. 
“I was human, not that long ago, and I’m not Not human now. I am as much human as I am anything else.” Danny mused, giving Jason a look that told him Danny knew he was being a little shit, and he was enjoying it. Honestly, that he had ever been fully human was news to Jason, he thought Danny had always been half. Had it been the tests that made him Something Else? Some new version of those chemically induced Metas?
“How powerful are you?” Batman, again.
“I don’t entirely know, it’s been a few years since I’ve really tested my limit,” Danny admitted with a little frown, “I do know the last time I was measured, I could have theoretically fought Superman and won without much trouble.” Behind him, Jason whistled softly, impressed. “I don’t use them because I’m not great at pulling my punches and I don’t want to damage Red Hood’s city.”
Constantine was glaring at Batman and making a quite clearly telegraphed ‘See?! I told you so!’ motion. Batman did not look pleased. 
Hood stepped a little closer to the edge of the circle, drawing Danny’s full attention, turning more towards him. “That was why you asked me for permission to defend yourself if you needed to before we came here?” Danny nodded, looking a little bashful. “So you’d use them if I asked you too?” Red Hood asked. Danny hesitated, then nodded again. 
“I’d do anything for you,” he confessed. The honesty was ragged, it dropped heavily into Jason’s chest as he realized the true weight and responsibility of that. 
“Do you have a deal with him?” Constantine asked Danny, gesturing at Jason.
“No, no deal, no contract. I can’t be bound by such things,” Danny said, shaking his head. 
Constantine looked a little green at that, though the non-magically inclined people in the room don’t know why. “Then why…”
“Because I love him. Because he gave me purpose and Home when I had none. Humanity ripped my haunt away from me and desecrated my grave. I don’t want to think about what I could have become if he hadn’t found me,” Danny admitted with a little smile, looking down almost bashfully. 
“Your grave? So you are dead?” Constantine asked. Batman had fallen silent, probably pretty lost.
“There are many ways to be dead or undead, and having died is not the same thing as being dead,” Danny said loftily. 
Jason was pretty sure he was enjoying being cryptic and mysterious, it made him snort an inelegant laugh. That made Danny’s mysterious composure break and he cackled as well, grinning back at Jason from behind his muzzle, so familiar and wonderful. Jason loved him, no matter what he was. 
Danny’s eyes were back to normal as he looked back at Constantine and Batman. “What you need to know is that I am not a demon or a monster. I am not controlling or manipulating anyone, though I probably could if I tried. I have Claimed Crime Alley as my haunt on Red Hood’s behalf because I am loyal to him. I have no interest in the rest of Gotham, or in the rest of the world for that matter. Stay out of our way and you have nothing to fear from me.” Danny splayed his hands in a peace gesture. 
After a few moments of silence, with no more questions, Danny steps out of the circle and ducked back behind Jason. He could feel Danny press against his back, leaning against him a bit more heavily then he normally would, betraying how much this had taken out of him. 
“I think that’s enough for today,” Jason said, crossing his arms and glaring at Batman. 
“But-” Batman started, sounding startled. “No! Next time, maybe try meeting in good faith without any uninvited guests. If you pull any shit like this again there won’t be any more chances,” Jason warned before turning away, wrapping an arm around Danny’s shoulders and ushering him out. Making a hand gesture to the waiting goons and gunmen as they left, signaling them to make sure Batman and Constantine left as Jason took Danny home. Not that it was needed, Constantine practically ran as soon as he got the chance.
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dragon-kazansky · 14 hours
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Bridgerton shade of blue
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Benedict Bridgerton x Female Reader
The Viscount is set on finding a wife this season, and you are trying again for your second season. While Anthony is dealing with trials between Edwina and Kate Sharma, you are dealing with trials of your own. Benedict Bridgerton is ever present in your life, but your pursuit to find a husband must come first. Society is ever so exhausting.
{Masterlist}
{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}
Season Two
Chapter Twenty - The sisters
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You step out of the carriage and look around you. The first ball of the season was always a grand affair. This one in particular as the queen had not yet chosen a diamond.
Last season, Lady Whistledown called Daphne Bridgerton a diamond of the first water, which made her stand out in the ton. Now, the queen was expected to choose a diamond every season. One lucky debutant would sparkle among all the others.
You take your mother's arm and head inside. Many were already present. Lots of lovely young ladies looking for partners for the evening. Your mother leaves your aide to go speak to some of the other mama's.
You stand alone near the entrance and look around. You couldn't spot anyone you knew. You decide to take a walk around the room.
Nerves were setting in. It was strange. You felt like you were doing all of this for the first time again. A few gentlemen glance at you as you pass by. You smile. They smile back. You keep walking.
As you make a turn about the room, you spot the Bridgertons arriving. You see Eloise dressed in a beautiful gown, yet looking uncomfortable. Violet looks very proud and excited. Then there's Benedict. Handsome and smiley.
You move quickly out of sight to avoid him. The way he had sketched you yesterday and what he had said had caused butterflies to rise in your stomach. You're not sure what to make of him right now.
While you try hard to avoid the gaze of the Bridgerton family, you do not escape the sight of Lady Danbury. As she sees you loitering around corners, she calls your name. Startled, you turn quickly in her direction. With a beck of her finger, you make your way over to her.
"Lady Danbury."
"Allow me to introduce you to my guests this season. Lady Mary Sharma and her daughters. Miss Kathani Sharma and Miss Edwina Sharma."
"Delighted," you smile at them.
Mary smiles politely at you. Her daughters do, too. Edwina, in particular, shares a striking resemblance to her mother. You take a look at the two sisters. Kathani is taller than Edwina, who is rather petite. Both of them have eye that sparkle in the lights of the ballroom. Their smiles are kind, though you sense a little nervousness from Edwina.
"A pleasure. You must call me Kate," the eldest of the two says, stepping forward ro greet you properly.
"Kate. I am looking for friends this season, I would be delighted to help make you both feel more comfortable this season if Lady Danbury agrees?"
Lady Danbury gives you a nod with an amused glint in her eye.
"I would be delighted. As would my sister, I'm sure." Kate turns to look at Edwina.
"Very much so." Edwina smiles.
Edwina's voice is higher than Kate's. She speaks softer, too. There are clear differences between them, but at the same time they are rather alike.
You smile at them both.
Lady Danbury comes up beside you and leans in rather close. "Avoiding your friends?"
"Not exactly."
"No? It looked to me like you were hiding." She chuckles.
"I was merely taking some time to myself. I need to get back into this. Last year did not quite go to plan." You avoid looking at her.
"Good things come to those who wait. I recommend branching out and growing your social circle. Miss Penelope Featherington could perhaps use another friend."
You look in the direction Lady Danbury is looking. Penelope stands among mamas gossiping, no doubt. You get the hint and make your way over there, hoping to spend time with the Sharma sisters again soon.
Perhaps this year is, in fact, a good time to make mkre friends. It gives you an excuse to avoid Benedict for a while, too.
"Penelope," you greet her softly.
"Oh, hello." She smiles shyly.
"May I keep you company a while?" You ask.
"Would you not prefer being among the others?" She asks in return.
You glance around the room and then back at her. "For tonight, no. I think I would much prefer to be a wallflower."
Penelope smiles slightly.
"How are you?"
"I am well." She nods. "Just... biding my time, I suppose."
The truth was that Penelope was watching and listening. Though she couldn't quite tell you that, or for what purpose. You would never believe her anyway.
"Is that Lady Mary Sheffield Sharma?" Portia asks, watching the Sharma family walk by. Kate smiles at you as she passes. You smile back at her. "I can't believe she would show her face here again," Portia continued.
"A scandal, mama?" Cressida asks her mother.
"Lady Mary was the incomparable of our season, until she fell in love with and married some kind of clerk, I hear. The two of them absconded to India, thereafter."
"A maharajah I would have understood, but the man was no more than a common worker who already had a child." One of the other mamas chimed in.
"That must be her. The older one," Portia points out toward Kate. You look at her from beside Penelope. There was no denying Kate was gorgeous.
"Lady Mary's parents, the Sheffields, never lived down the shame, did they?"
"Too ashamed to show their faces in London."
"If only every family could be as respectable as ours. Yes, Lady Featherington?" Lady Cowper chuckles softly.
You don't see Portia's response, too focused on watching Kate and Edwina.
You turn to Penelope. "No luck for you either?" You ask softly.
"Hm? Oh. No..." Penelope looks down shyly. "Excuse me." She leaves your side and walks away. You sigh softly. You ignore the chuckle of Cressida behind you and walk off in the other direction.
You have so far managed to successfully dodge Benedict, and for that you feel great relief. He must be preoccupied elsewhere. As you walk about the room you spot Edwina being asked to dance by Lord Corning. He's a tall handsome fellow with a good background. Edwina dances elegantly with him.
"Do you know him?"
You turn to find Kate looking at you. You smile and shakes your head. "Not personally. I know of him. He's very kind."
Kate watches her sister quietly.
"Are you not dancing?" You ask.
"I am here for my sister. Hers is the only match I care about. What about you?" She asks in return.
"Oh, no. I don't think I fit into society. It's too busy, too wanting. I don't think there is a perfect match for me. I got close last season, but it did not work out."
"What of him?" Kate nods across the room. You follow her gaze and find Benedict looking at you. He makes his way over once you spot him.
"I must go," you excuse yourself and flee.
Kate watches you go, and then watches Benedict follow the path you have taken. She wasn't sure what that was about, but she felt inclined not to intervene.
You find refuge in a dark corner behind some flowers. You sigh as you lean against the wall. Dodging Benedict all night was going to be harder than you thought.
"Are you hiding from me?"
You jump and turn to see Benedict looking at you. "No."
"It seemed like you were."
"I just need some space. All that dancing..."
"I didn't see you dancing." Benedict reaches for your dance card. "Your card is empty."
You take your hand back and sigh. "I'm sorry. I was just... confused."
"About that?" He asks.
"Forget about it. Why aren't you dancing?" You ask.
"I'm avoiding the mamas."
You chuckle softly.
"Dance with me?" He asks.
Your heart skips a beat. He offers you his hand and you know you can't really say no without making him worry. You take his hand and let him guide you to the floor. You join in with the dance.
Benedict looks at you as you both dance. "So tell me, why have you been avoiding me?"
You know he's not going to let this go. "I was embarrassed, I suppose."
"Embarrassed? Why?"
"Can I ask you something?" You ask softly.
"Of course."
"What do you see when you look at me?"
Benedict is struck into silence. He wasn't expecting that question from you. He has to remind himself that you're both dancing and take care not to step on your toes.
"You're beautiful, kind, honest, smart. You brighten up a room just by being in it. Your smile is genuine. You worry a lot, but I like that about you. It shows just how much you care about things and people. If I like you, other shall surely adore you."
You feel breathless. Benedict always knows just what to say to send you into a tizzy, but his last few words stung. He likes you, but not like that.
You put on a brave smile.
"Thank you, Benedict."
You both finish the dance, and he escorts you over to the refreshment table. He grabs you a glass and takes one for himself. You both sip your drinks. Before either of you can pick up the conversation, Violet comes over and leans into Benedict's other side.
"Have you seen your sister or your brother?" She asks, looking rather flustered.
"They managed to escape you? Good for them." Benedict smiles.
You nudge him harshly with your elbow. Benedict lets out a quiet ow and walks away, leaving you with Violet. You turn to her with a soft smile. "I'm sure they're not far."
Violet smiles softly and nods. "Have you two made up then?" She asks, referring to you and Benedict.
"Made up?"
"I was under the impression something happened." She looks a little confused.
"All is well. Your son has helped me see something in me I hadn't noticed before. That's all."
Violet smiles and then shifts her gaze as Lady Danbury approaches. You greet the other woman and she nods at you with a pleasing smile.
"Lady Danbury. Splendid evening," Violet comments.
"For the most part. There are a few guests whose absence I might not have regretted."
Lady Bridgerton laughs. "I do hope I'm not one of them."
"You and I have common interest this season, it seems." Lady Danbury tells her.
"I heard. Your wards, I look forward to meeting them."
"I met them earlier," you chime in. "Two very beautiful ladies."
Violet seems pleased by your words.
The two ladies talk away, and you find this a good opportunity to sneak away. You miss Kate and Edwina leaving rather quickly from the ball, unaware what had occurred between Kate and Anthony in the garden.
Benedict finds you again rather quickly. He comes up beside you and looks around. "Has my mama ended her pursuit?"
"I don't know why you're worried. She has her hands full with Eloise and Anthony. I don't envy her position with those two."
Benedict chuckles. "Is my mama not helping you, also?"
"She has offered her assistance, yes. Yet, I do not expect to come first. Her own children are her priority, and for that, I understand. I think I shall push the subject to the back of my mind for now."
Benedict regards you quietly and then nods.
The rest of the evening passes in quiet company with the second eldest brother. He sees no reason to leave your side when he's finding himself enjoying his time so much.
He even escorts you outside at the end. Everyone is too occupied with themselves to pay any attention to you two.
Benedict sees that you get in your carriage safely and bids you farewell. You wave as the carriage leaves. He watches you go before joining his family again.
Another season, another opportunity for chaos to arise.
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liveontelevision · 3 days
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Suffer Pt. 6 | Lucifer x Reader
The first parts! ;) Pt. 1 / Pt. 2 / Pt. 3 / Pt. 4 / Pt. 5
A single anon request and a 56-page Google doc later, this is the last part, my friends. Thanks to everyone who's been so invested in this, this turned into a bigger project than I thought it would lol But! I'm so glad everyone's been enjoying it, and I hope y'all like the ending! I'm sorry for all the cliffhangers along the way haha (not really)
An extra thank you to the anon who requested a simple babysitter fic and ended up inspiring this whole deal!
♡♡♡
It’s almost been a year since you arrived to the hotel. You arrived when the building was in less than pristine condition, and just a few new guests had arrived. It was a few days after you saw Charlie’s interview on the news, that being what brought you in, despite it’s failure. You were just happy to see her face after all that time. Yet, above the cluttered space and the holes in the walls, there was a more malevolent scheme being hatched.
Any soul who might pass the princess’s room would be bombarded by curses, screams, and growls that sounded less than human. So, most the hotel residents decide it best to avoid that corridor. But not our trusty hotelier. His hand reached for the handle, after deciding that making a bold entrance might not be the best idea. His motion was put to a quick halt by a flurry of curses coming from the other side of the door. Alastor didn’t realize Charlie held such a..colorful vocabulary. Despite that, he went on.
He was greeted with a sight that, unfortunately, wasn’t new to him. An intricate web of red thread connected to pins, all scattered across a once pristine wall. It all connects a collage of images, some that he recognized, some that looked like nonsensical scribbles. The view is obstructed by a furiously pacing princess of Hell. Mumbling completely incoherent complaints, she doesn't notice the opening and closing of her bedroom door.
Alastor, being the sadist he is, props his stance with his microphone, his forced smile unmoving. He enjoys the view for a moment before finally clearing his throat to bring her attention to him. She nearly stumbles over her own feet, ready to scold him for materializing into her room, despite the fact that she was just too out of it to see him walk straight in.
“Al! Good! I need another pair of eyes, come here, come here, look!” She approaches him faster than he expects, and he’s ready to reel away, but is unfortunately hooked around the neck with Charlie’s disturbing strength. With an arm around his shoulders, she drags him forward to examine the wall, as if it made sense to anyone other than her. She starts talking nonsense, again. Something about friendship and Heaven, things he never really cared about. Things he usually tuned out whenever they came up. He only seems to partake in the conversation once he heard your name.
“Alastor.. She’s one of our first guests. I honestly can’t believe anyone showed up after that terrible interview I had earlier, I’m worried i’ll mess things up, again! I mean, all of Hell already thinks i’m a joke.. I just- really need this to go well.” Her mood seems to calm, but to a state of despair. Alastor let’s out a symphahetic awe, patting the top of her head.
“Aw, our poor princess. I understand your concern, my dear, this hotel must mean quite a lot to you.” He faines a sympathy that only convinces Charlie because of her state of disarray.
“Of course it does! And she’s already so kind, I’m sure she’s close to redemption! Maybe this will be a quick one! A-and we don’t even know it, right? That has to be it!” She seems to be reassuring herself, only to be met with an unresponsive radio demon. She groans. Dragging her feet as she walks to the edge of bed, She sits down and lets her head fall into her hands. 
“I really need this to work. I’ll do anything for this to work..” It was a quiet mumble, muffled into her palms, but Alastor heard exactly what he wanted to hear. His grin twisted, something Charlie didn’t see, as he sits at her side. He gives her a quick pat to her back, in some form of comfort.
“Charlie, dear, I understand how much this little project means to you.. I do. And I want nothing more than to witness you trying as hard as you can to keep it up.” Even if it fails. Charlie looks up to him, the bags under her eyes suddenly very apparent. “How would you feel about a little deal? Just a small one, no souls on the line, I guarantee.” 
She’s been warned by Vaggie in the past. Actually, his entire reputation is enough to make her uneasy by the idea. but… 
“I-I don’t know. What did you have in mind..?” She asks reluctantly. He let’s out a chuckle that almost sounds sinister.
“Believe it or not, our little guest and I have a bit of a history.” You can barely call it a history. You served him and Rosie on occasion when you were working in cannibal town. “I’d be delighted to oversee her safety and process to redemption! It’s just as you said, she’s already a gem, Heaven is waiting for her, I can feel it. This will be a breeze for the both of us.” His offer comes off as sincere and touching to Charlie. It wasn’t like him to openly mention his relationships with other demons yet, the idea of you having a close friend throughout this process might just be what you’re missing.
“That’s so sweet of you, Alastor, but.. What do you want from me?” She has to ponder a moment before even considering letting this go on any further.
“Well, you’ve given me a roof over my head and.. A tower for my broadcasts.. Hmm..” He taps his chin, as if he’s in thought. “I’m not quite sure I’ll need from you at the moment, since you’ve just been so hospitable already.” He places a hand to her shoulder, the kind words causing her eyes to well with tears a bit in her weakened state.
“There has to be something.. Well, maybe we can both think this over, once I have a clear head.” She sighs her words, standing from the bedside. Alastor takes her hand and brings her to a halt.
“Oh, but I’d love to get to work as soon as possible, if I may be so bold.. I’m not quite sure what you could offer me in this moment… How about we work out the details, later?” He speaks as if he’s coming up with these words on the spot. He’s had this planned since day one, though. Any chance to get a favor from the princess, he’ll take. Charlie turns to him and sees the strange green glow surrounding their hands. She attempts to pull away, but his grasp is tight.
“Well.. I mean…” She’s still hesitant. He watches her rub her eyes. The still relevant exhaustion gives him a bit of hope.
“It’s simple. I’ll do everything in my power to keep our little guest comfortable and on the path to redemption, no acception. In return, I’ll ask of you one single favor when the time comes.” The glow only continues to swell with his words, and it's clearly making her reconsider. “It’s not as serious as you may think, Charlie. Just a favor between friends, really.” Friendship seemed to strike the right tone.
“I guess.. If it’s for the hotel… Okay, Alastor. It’s a deal.”
-
Back to the dreaded fight just a few months later. You're seeing red.
“Charlie! You made a deal with Alastor?? What were you thinking?” You’re scolding her at this point. The situation barely had time to cool down before your worries began to kick in. Her horns and ruby eyes are still present, she hasn’t even had time to calm herself from the previous display. Lucifer is essentially holding you back, a hand across your front as you try to approach her. It hurts you a bit. Does he think you’re some kind of danger to her?
..Are you putting her in danger?
Alastor is still propped on the ground. He holds a hand around his neck, in hopes of soothing the aggressive collar that had materialized around it just moments ago. You’re all keeping your distance from eachother.
“I-I wasn’t! I wasn’t thinking! It was after the interview! You saw it, you know didn’t go well! I-I had all of Hell laughing at me, laughing at the hotel- He was offering help, I have no idea why he’s acting this way, I swear..! I.. I-” Charlie’s demonic features start to recede when she feels a hand on her back. With heavy breaths, she looks over to Lucifer, who was standing by her side now, ready to comfort her. With a small hiccup, she falls into his arms, gripping his shirt tightly as she did. Her head fell to his shoulder, thoroughly staining his vest with her tears.
The room is uncomfortably filled with her silent sobs. Your heart aches too much looking at the touching display between father and daughter, and your guilt from snapping at her is making you fidget. That’s when you got to thinking.
The deal was for Alastor watch over you until you got to Heaven. For him to do anything in his power to keep you on the path to redemption. To prevent any behavior that might stunt that process..
“Oh.. oh, my god. You’ve been buttering me up this whole time.” You turn to face a still recovering Alastor. The realization grabs the attention of both Morningstars, they raise their heads to look towards the commotion. “The gifts, all the time we spent together.. Was because of this deal? Did.. did you ever actually care about me?” You grip at your heart, ready to rip it straight from your chest. He stands, brushing debris from his entirety.
“I doubt you’ll believe me after such a display of violence, but.. Yes. I did enjoy our time together, despite the requisite of being under my protection. It was quite entertaining before it was… tainted.” His hisses out his final words, contrasting the sweetness of it all. Tainted?
He was kind to you as soon as you arrived in the hotel. Despite the drama, you’ve been inseparable since. Things only got convoluted after.. 
“Under your protection..? Is that why you’ve been turning me away from Lucifer?! Fuck- it is! You’ve been playing games with me for months! Getting in my head..! H-How could you..” He hasn’t just been physically keeping the two of you apart. From day one, your mind was manipulated into thinking Lucifer never wanted you.
“Well.. not to defend myself, dear, but I was merely considering your redemption. I believe there’s some sort of sin in worshipping the Devil.” Oh, now he’s just trying to make more trouble.
“Oh, fuck you Al, I don’t worship him, I love him!” Your comical response seems to drive a shocked expression or two towards you. But you’re too upset to elaborate. You want to tear him apart. You want to see him experience as much pain as you’re feeling now. Luckily, you weren’t the only one. In a blur of a movement, Alastor was brought back to the ground with a thud.
A foot to his chest, Charlie has him pinned to the ground. Her fists are clenched, the aura surrounding her creates a suffocating heat.
“You took advantage of me, Alastor. You betrayed my friends, my family.. My trust.” Despite the demonic tones underlying her voice, it still sounds pained. You didn’t know she could do this, but her clenched fists become encased in fire. Just like her fathers’.
You’re surprised to see him lurking behind, but not attacking. After all you’ve seen, you were sure he’d have ripped Alastor’s head off at this point. His eyes widen, a display of fear you werent expecting. You follow his gaze to see Charlie holding a familiar angelic spear to his neck.
You hear an unearthly growl come from her chest, and before you can think, your arm is wrapped around hers. You can feel the resistance, realizing you had stopped her right as she was about to put an end to it all. Put an end to him.
“Charlie! Stop!” You yell out. You have to do it once or twice more, your words not quite reaching her yet. Once she turns to you, her eyes are still dripping with tears. “Charlie, don’t. This isn’t you. You’ll regret it, I know you will.. I know you.” You’re begging her to stop. As you feel the muscles in her arm start to relax, you reach for the spear and pull it gently from her hands. She releases her grasp without a fight.
You usher her off, glancing back to Alastor for a moment to see his wound had reopened from that. He had an obvious slash across his neck. You gulped, realizing how close she was to actually killing him. She places her hand over yours, where your arms are still linked.
Charlie let’s out a sigh, looking to her shaking hands, then clenching her fists. She looks to you, then back to Alastor.
“But.. everything he’s done to you… It’s not right, I’m not sure I can forgive him..” She’s speaking quietly to you.
“Well.. You don’t have to forgive him. But he doesn't deserve to die, Charlie.” You state the obvious and it makes her flinch. “And.. you should let him stay.” You hear a collective What? from the room.
“I know I know.. but… this whole place is about second chances. I.. think he can change. And even though, he is being such a dick right now-” Your voice is cracking, as if you can hardly believe your own words. “-I still believe it. You taught me that.” You smile up to Charlie. After a moment you turn your head to Lucifer, meeting his eyes. He looks more in shock than anyone, almost hurt by your act of mercy. You’re surprised by his expression, not realizing Charlie had slipped from your side to approach Alastor.
“She’s right, you know. I can’t forgive you, Alastor. Not yet, at least.. But you’re welcome to stay here, considering all the help you’ve done for the hotel.” She sounds stern, still not entirely convinced this is the right call.
“Yeah, some help you’ve been, you prick..” Those are the first words Lucifer has muttered in awhile. You approach his side to jab him with your elbow and shush him. Despite your scolding action, your presence only reminds him of your previous confession. He crosses his arms and continues to curse quietly, despite his flushed cheeks. Charlie steps closer to Alastor.
“You’re still here, because of her.” Charlie’s voice goes dark as she gestures to you. “That favor I owe you? Is letting you live. This deal is done, Alastor.” She hisses her words out. The intensity and anger radiating from two of the most powerful creatures in Hell is enough to leave even Alastor a bit weary. He nods, still gripping his wound that has been repeatedly opened these past few days. Other than that, he slinks away with barely a scratch. Lucky him. 
Once he’s out of sight, Charlie let’s out a groan and falls to her knees. With a unison call of her name both you and Lucifer rush to her side. You place a hand on her back, attempting to keep any displaced hair from her face. She leans into Lucifer’s chest, a heartaching sight of sniffles and apologies.
Before long, she seemed to exhaust herself. Curled up to his chest, Lucifer smiles, despite the circumstances of their closeness. He lifts his eyes just slightly to see yours. You look embarrassed. Before he has a chance to question you, you rise from the ground.
“You should take her to bed.” You say in a hushed tone, gripping your arms and making some distance. “She needs some rest after.. all that.”
“Sure, but.. are you-” He speaks just as softly, opening a portal behind him silently.
“I’m fine. I’m-” You let out a sigh, beginning to move towards the stairs. “She needs to rest, Lucifer.” You remind him.
“Oh- Oh.. Right, yeah.” He rises to his feet, effortlessly lifting Charlie into his arms and stepping through the portal. You try to keep moving. You try to not meet his eyes as the portal shuts, but you find yourself unable to go on. Once they’re gone, you cover your mouth, only making your labored breaths worse, but you’re desperate to muffle any cries. You feel yourself wobble in place, before seeing a portal open to your side. It leads to your room.
After stepping through, you silently approach your bed. Your legs suddenly turn led, and you're hitting your bed with a gasp. Your exhaustion is enough to keep your sobs to a minimum at least.
-
The feeling you have when you wake up is worse than any hangover you’ve had. With alcohol you can at least forget your troubles. But on this morning, you can vividly remember the previous night. You sit up, your body aching. You only wonder why for a moment, before realizing you had fallen asleep sideways across your bed, your legs still dangling off the side. You still need sleep.
You remove any uncomfortable clothing or accessories that had pressed marks into your body and return to bed. The right way, this time. Your pillows feel like heaven after all that’s happened. Heaven..
You try your best to sleep, you really do. Your body is essentially begging you to empty your thoughts just for a few more minutes. But your mind is sending you tossing and turning, any times you close your eyes, all you can imagine is everything you've done wrong. Your eyes drift open after trying to force them shut, and your eyes spot the radio on your nightstand. You sit silently for a moment, maybe try to close your eyes again..
Nope.
Before you have a chance to process every movement, you’re opening your door and thoughtlessly throwing the radio outside. You don’t care where it ends up, clearly. You were waiting to hear it break, into multiple pieces hopefully, before shutting your door. You’re met with a startled groan instead. Taking a moment to process that you had thrown an old-timey radio at someone, you stand at your door with a yawn.
The panic hits you. It could’ve been Alastor, assuming he stayed. It could’ve been Charlie, who doesn’t need any more conflict. You could’ve taken out Niffty as far as you know. Swinging the door open, your eyes see the radio first. They’re wrapped in your victim’s arms.
“Good catch.” You let out hoarsly, rubbing the sleep from your eyes to clearly see Lucifer.. It could've been worse. He let’s out a breathless thanks, clearly having the air knocked out of him. You definitely didn’t hold back with that throw. And it wasn’t exactly a lightweight radio.
“Er.. Sorry. I meant to say sorry.” You try to recover, your words are followed by another yawn. You watch him drop the radio into a small portal he conjured below his grip.
“Good morning to you, too. I was, uh.. about to check on charlie, but-” He’s ready for a conversation that you aren’t. You quickly shake your head, pulling your door in.
“Nono, I need some time.. To wake up. I’ll see you around, though.” You didn’t expect him to perk up from his words, but he does. His smile is infectious. You watch him give you a little wave before shutting your door. You lean against it, your smile that you had been presenting to him, leaves you almost immediately.
There’s so much on your mind. You scan your room, memories of Alastor popping up no matter where you looked. Every chat you’ve had in here, every moment you’d call him in for advice for clothes or accessories, all the nights you’d fall asleep listening to his voice. Your eyes stopped at your vanity seat. Draped across the back is a bittersweet sight, your gifted red sweater. You finally rise to your feet, quickly reaching for it and holding it tightly in your hands. You hesitate before bringing it to your nose. You’re not sure why. Why would you want to remind yourself of anything involving him? Did you think that same scent that’s brought you comfort so many times would have the same affect? You give it a shot.
Hesitantly breathing in, you’re immediately reeling back, throwing the sweater down to your ground. Your hand covers your nose, that sickenlingly sweet honey scent now smells like rotten flesh. Like road kill. You need some air. Digging out a different sweater, one you haven’t had to use in months, you decide you just need to walk around for a bit. The hotel was big enough that you could safely avoid any unwanted attention. Plus, you were sure Alastor’s pride was too wounded to freely roam the hotel. And his other wound.. You hope he’s okay.
You groan out loud, mentally cursing yourself for your sympathetic thoughts. You make your way down to the lobby, and are met with a surprisingly clean lounge. You scan the walls that were previously cracked, the carpets that should be stained with blood, then wonder where Vaggie’s suddenly conjured spear might have gone. What would have possessed Charlie to choose such a weapon.. an angelic spear? She didnt really want him dead, did she? She's emotional. And extreme. Like her father. You decide not to question it any further. It’s not like you were upset by the erasure of the previous night's events.
-
A day or two passed. Your mind seemed unwilling to accept the reality you're currently in. You're anxious, and paranoid to any sentence thrown your way. You're constantly looking around corners, checking all parts if your room before locking it for the night. Yet, if someone were to ask what was making you so nervous, you wouldn’t have an answer.
You found yourself taking those little strolls often, though. Keeping your body in motion, with only the sounds of your breathing keeping you company, seemed to clear your mind. It never helped come to terms with any seething pain you felt, but it cleared your mind at the least.
You'd pieced together a few things in the meantime. After passing the bar, where Angel and Husk were chatting, they would smile and wave, ask you join them form a drink, but you’d decline. Neither of them seemed to know about anything. Maybe Niffty cleaned the mess. Maybe Alastor asked her to. Before anyone could see the outcome of his mistakes.
You passed Vaggie in a hall, and she immediately looked concerned. She opened her mouth, an Are you okay? sits on the tip of her tongue. But then she looked at you. Your body only mirrored the fog of your mind, baggy eyed and wrapped in some blanket as you roamed the halls like a damned ghost.
“Hey, um- it's.. it's gonna be-" you held your hand up to her.
“I know. Thank you.” You smile, the action stiff, considering you hadn't used those muscles in awhile. Vaggie knew. That was fair, though. You were glad Charlie had someone to confide with. You walked on after she gave a hesitant goodbye wave.
One night, when your body had taken over and you were wandering aimlessly, you realized where you ended up. Not only were you standing in front of Lucifer's workshop, he had already spotted you through the window on the door. He opened it before you could fully take in your surroundings.
“Hey..” You let out softly. What else are you supposed to say? You didn’t come prepared. You feel embarrassed standing in front of him, realizing how much of a mess you must look. You're not even sure what part of your mind made you end up here.
He doesn't respond at first, another speechless moment letting your mind wander. He opens the door more, offering his space to you. You look at him and he smiles before you shuffle inside. You take in the sight. You haven't actually seen it, considering your circumstances after the hotel was renovated.
“It looks nice in here.” You say quietly, your voice cracking just a bit. You walk through, tracing your fingers along desks and tables, stopping and looking at family photos on occasion. You looked to Lucifer’s smiling face in a picture where he was lovingly holding his wife and daughter. How did you end up like this?
“Oh- um.. thank you, it's more than enough space for me, but, uh.. it's nice.” His voice sounds unfamiliar as it snaps you from your mindset. He moves to his main bench, which is slightly elevated by a platform that connects to the windowed wall. You eventually make your way around, standing near him.
“Are.. you… How are you..?” You listen to him struggle to form such a simple question, and yet you have an equally hard time trying to respond. Obviously, you were crushed. devastated by the betrayal and overwhelmed by everything else.
“I'm okay.” You reply thoughtlessly. It was your go-to answer. You hear a muffled chuckle and look over to him. He's blocking the laughter with his fist in front of his lips. Is he laughing at you?
“Sorry sorry, I just.. know that you're lying. You've done this before, don't forget how much time I've actually spent with you.” You want to scold him for acting so bold, for saying he knows you better than yourself, but..
You're leaning against the table in one moment, and before you know it, you're hoisted to sit on its top. You felt like a relief you didn't realize. Your feet were aching. How long were you walking the in the halls today? The sensation of his hands planted on your waist. to steadily bring you to the counter, lingered after he had removed them.
“I used to see you wandering around back home- at the mansion, I mean. usually after a tough day. But it's been a few days, so I just thought you might be-”
“Why are you so calm?” Your sudden question made him visibly finch. "You were tricked, too, you know. He tore us apart. How can you be handling this so well?” Your voice starts to turn agitated. You weren't sure why you were taking it out on himm, but you both knew in the moment that this was the first time you’ve let any emotion out since the fight.
“It's like some.. malevolent force is constantly tearing us apart. One moment I'm happy, I'm in love, I'm smiling- then the next, you're just gone. and everything else that keeps me sane goes with it.” You feel a flood of tears beginning to well. Tears that you should've been letting out days ago. “Is this some kind of fucking curse? Why can’t things just be easy..? A-Are we just doomed?” You're wiping your face clear, your words becoming sloppy and hoarse.
“Maybe.” Your head lifts to see him, still calm as before, but with a solemn look on his face. “But, we keep finding eachother, right? And all the good times.. they'll stay good, won’t they?” You nod your head reluctantly.
He approaches you, with a hand on your shoulder, he's wiping away tears with the other.
“Honestly? I'm not handling this well at all. You're right, the universe has done nothing but tear us apart and hurt both of us. And I’m just about ready to tear Alastor limb by limb. I want Charlie to be okay.. I want to keep you by my side and never let you out of my sight this time.” You see his emotions range throughout his words, his eyes flashing red for a moment. He calms himself down, running his hand down your arm to hold your hand. You don't resist.
“But, you made some good points back there. And I just thought.. if you're strong enough to let that prick live, after everything, then.. Maybe I-I.. I'm trying to be strong.” He sounds almost embarrassed to admit it, and the comment on your strength leaves you a bit red in the cheeks. “You've always been so strong, darling. I just wish you'd tell me how you're really feeling.. I miss talking to you. Not this.. empty shell.” His words stung and he knew it as soon as they slipped from his lips.
“W-wait, no, I mean..”
“It’s fine, you're not wrong.. Jerk.” You share a little laugh with him, the mood lightening for just a moment. “Lucifer, I'm.. I'm so tired.” You let out weakly. That barely scratches the surface of everything. It's as if your mind was boiling over, with all the thoughts of Alastor turning sour, and the thoughts of redemption suddenly in question, not to mention all those feelings of Lucifer that were repressed until just recently. You want Charlie to be okay. You want things to be normal, but.. you're not quite sure what normal looks like. You wish you could say all this to him.. it’s hard to put it to words. But you're trying. He makes you want to try harder.
You feel a gentle hand holding your cheek, bringing your blurred thoughts to clarity and meeting eyes that left you breathless. When was the last time you've looked in his eyes? A blush forms across his cheeks, your gaze seems to fluster him. He clears his throat, getting his mind back.
“You're not okay. But.. You will be. I promise.” With a wry smile, you let the weight of your head fall into his palm.
Your eyes meet. He leans in and you feel his arms snake around yout waist. Looking back, you're almost embarrassed by the way you leaned towards him, eyes shut, head tilted, your lips just slightly parted. You were startled by the feeling of his head resting on your shoulder. He only pulls you closer after he feels your breath start to deepen, his hands gentle across your back. You finally return his touch, digging your nose into the crook of his neck and gripping tightly at his shirt.
It used to feel like, if you let go, you'll never hold him again. God, how the possibility scares you. But.. it feels a little different this time. You weren’t worried about him disappearing, this time.
You’re so comforted by his presence, you let yourself fully relax to him. You open your eyes just slightly, blinking out some tears that still remained, thoroughly ruining his top. You pull away, meeting his eyes again.
You feel as if you were close to forgetting this side of him, but you recognize this face. You saw it the night you first kissed him. You saw it after seeing him at the hotel for the first time, then when he decided to sweep you off your feet for a little date. You saw it after every little date that followed. You realize he's never stopped looking at you this way.
“I love you, too.”
-
I had to put that worship the devil in there it just made me laugh so sorry if that seemed out of place lol
And not to fear my friends,
I plan on making a little epilogue about how everyone's recovering, and some sweet, yummy, fluffy goodness to top it off.
Again, Thank you all so much for your support! :)
I'll be working on some requests next, and some more vamp Luci! Kind of in love with that guy ngl
Taglist! (good lord I hope I got everybody )
( @vififofum / @thornwolfy235 / @tinywolfiegirl / @chipper-chip / @bat-boness
@misfitgirlwrites / @nayomi247 / @lonelynmisunderstood / @escapistoftherealworld / @b4ts1e / @hamthepan / @kyo-kyo1 / @looking1016 / @polytheatrix / @littledolly2345 / @lillianastuff / @yourlocalcryptidbee /@0strawberrysorbet0 / @themageofblood / @jayyyayaysblog / @floralsightings / @azmosposts / @8har0ley8 / @actuallyspiderwoman / @sirenetheblogger / @christineblood / @kaytemchugh / @cimadreamer / @simpdevil66 / @azmosposts / @m3ow1 / @acrazyartist / @redfoxwritesstuff / @4k1to / @meesachan / @corvusskid / @alientee /@xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx / @alon3lylov3r /@sapphireravensworld / @mjmdragons / @catticora / @the-maladaptivedaydreamer / @carrie0-1 / @shamblezzz / @cassandras-nest / @wendigonamecaller / @chirimeimei / @sapphireravensworld / @sillywormtrixareforkids
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cephalofrog · 2 days
Text
been playing rain world and thinking about saint again recently
full rain world spoilers below
I hate the "saint is the triple affirmative" interpretation. hate even more how it appears to have become the accepted truth in the fandom
first off, my dislike for this interpretation is not logical. it isn't something I can be convinced out of using canon evidence, because my reason for not interpreting the story this way is not evidence-based, it's because I don't find it to be a satisfying conclusion to the entire story of rain world.
but here's some rambling about logical reasons why it doesn't make sense anyway
if saint was created as the triple affirmative by sliver, that makes them extremely old - they came into existence LONG before spearmaster's campaign even started. if they came into existence with the purpose of ascending iterators, they sure took a long time to ascend any iterators - like okay, travel time and whatever, but you'd think they'd get at least one or two more before all the iterator comms break down entirely post-spearmaster. SM and hunter managed to get from SRS and NSH to the pebbs/moon area pretty quickly.
they also have fur, which seems to be an adaptation for the cold judging by the lizards in the campaign, despite the world not being cold at the point at which they were created. this could be easily explained by sliver just being very forward-thinking, but...
if sliver created saint, their entire triple affirmative thing comes across as incredibly thoughtless, which imo contrasts with sliver being forward-thinking enough to make saint immune to cold. like they finally created the magical rat that will ascend them all but didn't even think to send out a message beforehand like "hey guys I'm trying something new if I send out the triple affirmative and die right after this it worked and you should be visited by a flying green dude with an ascension beam at some point in the future"
there's also the thing of... wait so how does this whole iterator ascension work again? cause saint's timeline loops. after they ascend, they end up back in sky islands, with the iterators back where they were. this could be explained by "later playthrough loops aren't canon and pebbs and moon are ascended if you got em" but there's literally a specific gameplay mechanic - carrying stuff in your stomach between campaigns - meant to make it clear that the campaign is a loop.
anyway. the real reason I hate the theory isn't related to any of this - it's that it absolutely destroys pebbles and moon's story, thematically speaking.
sliver of straw's triple affirmative/death is a random event that could mean basically anything. the futility pebbles felt around trying to solve the great problem caused him to assign meaning to sliver's death that wasn't necessarily there - they found the solution, and it was self-destruction. that's what they were trying to tell everyone. it wasn't a random event, the triple affirmative was real. one of the bugs in the maze found the way out, and he's going to prove it to everyone by following them and escaping.
and that's what leads to the events of the main story. this random event - this horrible tragedy, the death of someone who seemed to mean so much to so many people - was assigned meaning by someone desperate to prove that his entire existence, and the existences of everyone around him, are not futile. the ancients created the iterators without knowing whether the answer to the great problem could ever be found, and this is the result of that.
a nihilistic, hopeless person, abandoned by his creators to work forever on an unsolvable problem, assigns meaning to a random tragedy, and tunnel visions on what he has to believe is what he's been looking for - because it is an unimaginable understatement to say that the alternative would be worse than death. and then, in his self-destructive desperation, he kills his sibling* and dooms himself to the slowest, most painful death imaginable. this is the legacy of the ancients' dead society, the result of all of their stupid ideals and obsession with karmic perfection. (*as far as he knows)
but saint being the triple affirmative undermines all of that. not only does it make sliver's death less of a tragedy and more of a noble sacrifice - like yeah, sure, they were loved, but solving the great problem was far more important - but it also makes pebbles look less desperate and more just kinda stupid. like you thought that the solution was self-destruction? nah, it's a magical flying rat. in this version of the story, pebbles wasn't striving for something that didn't exist, he was just not smart enough to figure out the real solution.
even outside of canon evidence, that sucks. it causes pebbles' story to go from being about how you should value the people around you over the impossible striving that life always seems to expect from you or you're gonna end up hurting them and yourself to how you should just be smarter to find the right solution to all of your problems.
anyway as for my own interpretation of saint, I think that the campaign is just a representation of what it's like to be an echo. reliving the moments that led up to your failed ascension over and over, reaching maximum karma and gaining superpowers because you're just that karmically pure - you are a saint, after all - and then letting your ego consume you at the crucial moment of ascension, over and over again, cycling into infinity. (I don't think they actually had superpowers prior to ascending, I just think that they kinda thought of themselves so highly that they thought they should have those powers.) then contrast this with the world as the age of the iterators and the rain finally ends, and you have an unchanging echo reliving the same few cycles over and over contrasted with a world that is, at last, changing and moving on.
yeah it doesn't make sense with the joint iterator dialogue in rubicon (at least, the final line doesn't make sense). I don't care. it's what makes me happy as an interpretation. you can pry my morally dubious hypocritical ego-driven saint from my cold dead hands
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j4eyunz · 3 days
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guys hear me out.
i'm not a writer and i feel like this idea is kinda dumb bc idk shit abt singing but imagine vocal stability training with heeseung but with a twist. i had fatal trouble in mind for this after hearing him talk about how difficult the high notes would be to sing live while dancing so..
warning : implications of head & sub hee in mind cuz yea. idol heeseung still & you're his gf
this was also a bit longer than i intended Sorry.
english also isn't my first language so sorry (x2) if the grammar is shit and theres lots of repitition i cant be bothered to actually edit this
----
imagine they have a cb nearing and heeseung has a high note he's really trying to hit for a song while dancing. heeseung struggled already having to sing it in the recording booth, now it's even more difficult after they learned the choreography.
it's hard for him to keep the pitch right as they sing and dance and no other form of vocal stability training has worked for him. heeseung tried running on treadmills while singing, staying extra hours in the practice room to dance and sing, but still struggles. it frustrates him way more than anyone else because he knows he's supposed to be enhypen's main vocalist with perfect pitch. there's so much pressure on him, he hasn't even focused on you, so you think of one last method that could hit two birds with one stone. vocal stability, and finally getting the attention you had been missing.
he's been missing your calls & texts all day, being too preoccupied with the recording sessions. you text the other members and finally get a response from jake around midnight saying that heeseung is probably still at the building practicing alone.
fast forward, you drove yourself to the building and find the practice room you expect heeseung to be in, as it's the only room with a light still on. as you approach the room, you hear heeseung's pretty voice singing but cracking from time to time and frustrated groans that follow.
you quietly let yourself into the practice room, closing the door and locking it behind you. heeseung doesn't notice you come in, dancing with strong movements and singing. even with all the mirrors in front of him, your boyfriend didn't notice you. you take it upon yourself to call out his name.
he looks confused until his eyes meet yours in the mirror and his gaze visibly softens.
"hey, pretty. what're you doing here? it's dangerous for you to be out so late." heeseung spoke in a gentle tone as he tried his best to hide his frustrations instead of projecting onto you. you, on the other hand, couldn't help but salivate a bit at the fact how he was drenched in sweat.
"you didn't answer my calls. i was worried, you know? i know you're stressed but that's what i'm here for. that's what a girlfriend is for, 'seung." you replied and began walking up to him. he was sweaty, but you didn't care. you wrapped your arms around heeseung anyway.
he practically melted in your embrace and planted a soft kiss to the underside of your jaw. he pulled away from the hug & planted a gentle kiss on your cheek.
"i'm sorry sweetheart. i know i've been a terrible boyfriend lately. i just.. got preoccupied. i can't hold my notes while i dance. i'm stressed out, the comeback is so soon and i'm not confident in my part yet." heeseung's eyes met yours as he spoke and one of his hands snuck to your waist, resting on your lower back.
"i know that hee. but.. i think i can help you out."
to heeseung, your words were cryptic. your expression was unreadable to him, and he looked at you with widened eyes as you forced him to sit down, his back up against the mirrors.
"i'm gonna help you heeseung. you're going to sing for me, and i'll suck you off. if you get through your parts perfectly, i'll reward you real good when we get home. if you can't.. then.." you paused your words as you began to untie the strings of his sweatpants. heeseung immediately realized what you meant and dropped his head against the mirrors behind him and let out a quiet whine. his length was already hardening under your gaze. "if you can't make it through your parts, then i guess you just won't cum. got it?"
you smiled at heeseung and the way he nodded frantically.
his length was fully hardened now, and your soft hand removed it from the confines of his sweatpants and boxers.
"well? what are you waiting for, seungie? start singing." you smirked at heeseung as you blew hot air onto his tip. his thighs twitched a bit and he closed his eyes. heeseung took a few seconds to regain his composure before opening his eyes and starting from the very beginning of the song.
your mouth sunk down on his length almost immediately when he properly started singing, and heeseung realized just how difficult this method of vocal stability training that you came up with would be, compared to the other ones.
still, as he managed to hit the first difficult note perfectly and had your mouth sink even lower on his length.
your boyfriend considered in his head that this method just might be the best one.
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dronebiscuitbat · 3 days
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Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 8)
Both drones landed in the spire at once, just beating out the morning sun as it rose on the horizon. They both looked back at it, before Uzi laughed and lurched forward, nearly landing in the sun.
“Uzi!” N felt himself move instinctually to her side, only for Uzi to hoist herself up, although still hunched over, halfway holding herself up with the hand on her wing.
“B-brown out. I'm A-okay-y-y.” Her voice glitched although she sounded more bubbly then he'd ever heard her, giggling like mad. And her eyelights exceptionally dim.
“Let's get some some rest then, come on.” N smiled, keeping a lid on the situation that just unfolded and focusing on her well-being.
“Sure” She spread her wings out to fly up to his nest only for them to suddenly retract into her with a snap. Almost sending her careening into the floor, if N hadn't caught her with his arm.
“Heehee… whoops.” She hummed, still giggling slightly, it seemed that on low charge, certain functions got turned off to conserve power. Like her wings, or her sense of balance, or… her sense at all.
Uzi gripped lightly onto his shoulder to keep herself upright, her other hand holding onto his arm that he'd caught her with. She blinked slowly, like she was fighting off sleep.
“Uh, m-i-i-ight need a hand.” She said, looking over at him with a wary smile. Ah, so she was at least partially aware.
‘Right, hold tight.” He picked her up bridal style and flew up to his nest, ignoring both his growing fluster and her “weeee!” as they went up. He released her, and she fell face first into it, before rolling to the side to give him some room.
He sat on the edge, putting his wings away, watching as the low battery indicator on her visor blinked even more frantically. It didn't make sense on why she'd been so low in only a day, unless she hadn't slept at all in awhile.
“Sorry, it's not as soft as yours.” He apologized, although she didn't seem to notice, squishing the nearest pillow in her fingers and letting out another sleepy giggle.
“I like it, you're like a bird…” She cooed before another brown out hit her system, causing her to breifly enter sleep-mode before coming right back out with a stream of happy giggles.
“You need sleep.” He said, taking the pillow gently from her and smiling, taking great care to remain perched on the side of the nest, any contact would likely send him into a flustered mess right now.
“So do you! Come here!” She grinned, patting the empty spot next to her, another blush crept up to his visor, but reluctantly he laid next to her, tossing the pillow aside.
“Is this be-” As soon as he'd gotten comfortable, Uzi shuffled right up next to him, curled under his arm, and her tail wrapped around his leg, much like his had always done.
“You're more comfortable then my bed anyway…” She purred, before her systems all but forced her to enter sleep mode, her grip going slack and all the eyes on her tail closing.
Leaving N to stare up at the ceiling, feeling his best freinds core humming into his side, her vents taking in air, and her soft silicone cheek burying into him.
His core was like a drum, whirring and taking in oil to try and cool himself off, his eyes wide, a more and more noticeable blush stained his face. The more he thought about the day.
He had a crush on Uzi.
And he'd probably had one for awhile, considering the strength it all hit him at once, he felt like screaming, either from his stupidity, or just because of how overwhelming it felt; he wasn't sure.
She mumbled in her sleep, her tail tightened around him. And his core tightened even more, her brought her closer, even if it made his temperature rise a few ticks.
He'd kept that song playing on repeat, letting the image of her wash over him again and again, each time he had something new to admire, her hair turning pinkish blue, her wings shining light between them, the embers dancing next to her face…
Holy hell had he fallen hard.
He moved a strand of hair out of her face before realizing she still had her beanie on, so he gently removed it, letting free her purple and black hair, he felt her tense, before relaxing.
He wanted to card his fingers through her hair, or pull her close so he could feel her core beat next to his, or even just… hold her hand as she slept.
He let out a shaky breath, and his hand tangled in her hair without his conscious input, detangling each strand with his fingers.
This proximity was both fueling his nerves and the tugging on his core. This… did not feel the same as it did with V. Maybe it was because Uzi was already his best freind, that it felt so much heavier in his chest.
“Nnnh… N…?” He froze solid, glancing over at her visor, it still said [Sleep Mode] but she was still reacting slightly to his touch in her hair.
“Shhhh…” It came involuntary out of his mouth, and his hand resumed it's journey through her hair, a small smile made it's way to her face, and it spread to his, his core swarmed with butterflies as her arm wrapped around him, gripping the fur of his jacket and pulling herself ever closer.
She was so cuddly when she slept…
What was he going to do…? She had so much stress on her shoulders right now, she didn't need… this! His weird, awkward feelings that he just now realized he had for his very pretty best freind.
He frowned, he couldn't just tell her… the chances were she didn't feel the same way, she didnt… like stutter, or seem to act any differently then she always did around him. She was… less prickly sure, but that didn't mean much. They were freinds.
So another crush he had to keep to himself, he could do that right? He could just act normal. Be there for her in all the ways he always was and just… not mention it. At least until they figured out everything that was going on. Then… then he'd tell her, and maybe she'd feel the same way? Or… reject him. Like V had.
But Uzi wasn't V. She wouldn't break his heart like that. If anything she'd just laugh! And tell him something like “ew you're so sappy N.” And then it would be over, and she'd know and they would move on.
For now though, his mind was made up, he could keep it to himself, just for a little bit right? Until they found Doll and figured out what was happening. Yeah, yeah he definitely could.
Uzi made a squeak before she began twitching, her tail beginning to constrict tightly around his leg, her body shook, and small beeps came from her system.
“No… no…no…” N was knocked out of this thoughts, replaced with concern, he turned his body to face her, ignoring his strumming core and cupped her cheek.
“Uzi?” He whispered, and although she was still solidly in sleep mode, he heard her whimper, her visor glitching with the solver symbol, he felt her curl in on herself, as if she was terrified.
“N…V…” She murmured, shuddering, fingers balling it fists, breathing getting erratic and uneven.
“I'm right here Zi…” He ran a thumb over her cheek, his other hand pulling her close into his chest, he felt her core whirring as hard as it would go, and another whimper escaped her mouth.
“It's okay.” He wasn't sure why he was talking, he wasn't even sure she could hear him. But it did seem to be working, the slower symbol slowly fizzling out.
“I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…” Her voice was small, weak, and distant. It sounded so scared.
“I'm here, it's okay…” He didn't know what else to say, his tail found her own and wrapped around it in an attempt to comfort her in her sleep.
“H-help…”
He gulped, he wished he could do more, but her systems had forced her to sleep and now it was impossible to wake her up, he had no idea what horror she was experiencing, but his hand found her back, pushing her head into her chest, right above his core.
He felt her tense before one of her hands found the one retreating from her cheek, grabbing it and holding it so tight it almost hurt.
“Leave me?”
Oh
“Never.” He squeezed back, and finally she seemed to settle, the grip on his hand loosened, but now he was tangled up in her legs, unable to move. His face lighting up in a golden blush.
Yeah… he could definitely keep this to himself, no problem…
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unicornofthesun13 · 3 days
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More nuanced spoiler thoughts on Darius and Brooklynn:
As someone who was/is a major Dinostar shipper, I was obviously in shock after the show, especially after episode eight. However, I'm not sure I actually want them to get together romantically
Neither of them are in the best place for that type of relationship. Brooklynn clearly has a one-track mind and whether she's with Kenji or Darius isn't going to change that. She's so focused on whatever mission she's dealing with that she's willing to fake her own death. And Darius is only just getting over his grief, only just truly accepting she's 'dead'
When she comes back, and it's revealed that she's been alive this whole time, it isn't going to be pretty. There are going to be hurt feelings on all sides and I think it's best to explore that first. Brooklynn is going to be dealing with a lot of trauma, and her choosing to stay dead, whatever her reasoning, gave Darius (and the rest of the campers) a lot of trauma themselves. That can't just be brushed past. There need to be consequences.
So if Dinostar does happen it needs to be after a lot of talking and reconciliation.
But I love how they weren't afraid to make it messy and have these complicated feelings. I love how technically it's a love triangle but with none of the usual bs. I am happy that Brooklynn didn't feel the same. Based on what we know about her mental state at the time, that would have been way out of character. She's so far down the rabbit hole, that it's going to take a lot to snap her out of it, and get her to care about anything else.
Whether they make Dinostar platonic or romantic, I'm glad their dynamic and relationship are being focused on. I'm looking forward to season two and their messy messy messy reunion. I want them to fight and I want them to love each other at the end of it anyway.
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pennylanefics · 3 days
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Animal Shelter - Seth Jarvis
a/n: ahhh i think this turned out so cute! 🥰 i'm more of a cat person but there are a couple breeds of dogs that i have a love for, and greyhounds are one so i put my own personal touch to it :)
summary: you and seth plan to adopt a dog, but things take an unexpected turn while at the shelter
word count: ~2k
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“You wanna get a dog?” Seth asks you late one night, as you lay in each other’s arms in the soft candlelight. The power had been out for a couple hours due to a bad storm, with no idea of when it would come back on. But thanks to a few flameless candles, you were safely able to light the room.
“What?” You wonder, looking down at him in confusion, the question seemingly out of nowhere.
“I feel like it’s a pretty straight forward question. Do you want to adopt a dog?” He repeats, his hands playing with the ends of your hair. You stare at him in disbelief.
“What kind of dog?” You ask, sitting up to stare down at him, your hand running along the chain of his necklace that laid on his bare chest. He shrugs against the pillow and moves his hand to rest on your back, caressing it up and down your shirt covering your skin.
“Dunno. I figured we could go to the shelter and find a good fit,” he nonchalantly says. “I think it would be a great addition, you know. We’ve been together for a while, we finally have this house with a backyard so they can run around and play. Just a thought.”
After talking about it for the rest of the night, since there was nothing to do with the power out, you make plans to head to the animal shelter close by in the morning to go and ask about adopting and meet a few dogs.
In the morning, you and Seth head to the local animal shelter and are immediately approached by a volunteer when stepping inside.
“Hi! I’m Rhonda, how can we help you today?” She welcomes you in, standing up from her spot near the entrance to the area where the cages are.
“We’re looking into adopting a dog, just not sure which one,” Seth chuckles, looking over her shoulder at the noisy room.
“Wonderful! If you want to come with me, I can show you around or you can roam yourself, whatever you would prefer. Are you looking for an older dog or more of a puppy age?”
You and Seth share a look and shrug.
“Not too old of a dog, but older puppy a puppy,” he answers. She nods and walks through the automatic doors, pausing after she steps in and making sure you two are with her.
“So a lot of the middle aged dogs are on the outer aisles, but there are some spread about.”
“I think we’ll just take a quick walk through and see,” you say.
“Okay! Everyone adopting gets to meet with two dogs per day, so if you don’t find that special pet today, you are more than welcome to come back another day.”
“Alright, thanks so much.” 
Seth takes your hand in his and begins walking around, pausing every few steps to take a look at the dog in the pen.
“Oh look at this lovely lady,” Seth coos, leaning down to let a pitbull sniff his hand. Her tail wags like crazy, but she was a little older than you two had the ability to care for.
So, you keep on looking, and after a bit, you have a couple dogs in mind that you’d like to see their personalities outside of their pens.
Meeting with the first dog, a Norwich terrier named Birdie, she was far more shy than either of you noticed. She cowered away when Seth tried to pet her, and he sighs, looking up at you.
“She came from a house with five other dogs small dogs that were not properly trained. She doesn’t do well sometimes, but she just needs some time and patience,” Rhonda explains.
You and Seth share another look as she describes the dog’s situation, and your heart aches for her; she looks so friendly, but extremely timid.
“We have found that she finds comfort in larger dogs, so if you have another pet at home, she’ll be just right.”
“Oh no, this is going to be our first pet,” you say, looking at the sweet brown terrier, who finally warmed up to Seth a little bit.
After spending a few more minutes with her, Rhonda leaves and brings in the next dog, a chocolate brown greyhound, just under two years old.
“Maple is a rescue from greyhound racing, she came off the track a little over a year ago. She’s been here for a little while. Her foster home didn’t work out and she was surrendered to us.”
“How long has she been here?” Seth asks.
“Almost eight months.” You groan as you hear this, Maple coming right up to you and licking your hand that you stick out to pet her with. You laugh softly, her tail beating from side to side excitedly as Seth calls her over, showing her a rope to play with.
The two of them immediately start playing, and you could tell this was the right decision. However, after Rhonda takes her back and gets the paperwork ready to fill out, Seth looks at you.
“We should adopt both,” he says, a serious yet sad look on his face. “Birdie would do so well with Maple, I think. And that way, she won’t be in here alone anymore and we can give her a chance at having a happy life.”
“Two dogs? Will they even allow us to adopt two at the same time?” You wonder in disbelief that Seth was bringing this up. You rub your face, but think back to the little dog that was first in here.
You could tell she was happy that someone was around, but her nerves were too much and it was overwhelming for her for a moment; she just needed patience and love, something you saw once the energy in the room settled a bit and you sat on the ground with her.
“We should do it,” you say, nodding a little. Seth smiles widely and wraps you in a tight hug. 
“She did say Birdie would be good with bigger dogs. And with Maple being so much larger and full of energy but still calm and sweet, I think they’d fit well together.”
“We can ask her when she comes back.”
So, when Rhonda comes back with a set of adoption papers and everything, you ask her for her honest opinion on things. After some deliberation and conversation between the three of you, a second set of adoption papers is ready to be signed, for Birdie.
Rhonda leaves you alone with Maple while she brings back the smaller dog, Seth looking at you with a huge smile on your face.
“You think this is a good idea?” He teases, scooting over closer to you as he sets the paperwork aside, petting Maple as she comes up to you.
“Maybe not financially responsible, but we’re giving two wonderful pets a happy home, so it’s definitely a positive choice,” you chuckle, resting your head against his shoulder. 
Maple rests her head on your lap, staring up at you, her tail still wagging a little. You rub her head and your heart soars. This was a new chapter in yours and Seth’s life, and it felt so right and perfect.
Not long after, Rhonda returns with Birdie, Maple turns around and sniffs the smaller dog. To your surprise, Birdie stays put, allowing Maple to examine her and check her out. Birdie’s little tail starts to wag a bit, causing you and Seth to look at each other, ecstatic and eager.
When all the right forms were filled out, Rhonda gave you a few personal tips that she thought would be important, just a couple things she’s learned from personal experience. Both of you listened and kept those tips in mind, and finally, you were ready to be on your way.
Seth helps both Maple and Birdie into the back seat, carefully putting a harness around them and buckling them in, a product that you just bought at the shelter, and it was definitely going to come in handy.
“So, you want to head to the store with them, or do you want me to drop them off at home with you and I’ll go buy food and beds and toys and everything?” Seth wonders as he hops in the driver’s seat. 
“I think it would be fun for them to pick some toys out themselves,” you say, turning around to look at them. Both were panting lightly, due to heightened anxiety from being in a car for the first time.
After half an hour at the pet store, you are headed back home and ready to finally settle in with your two new pets. Seth unbuckles them the second he parks in the driveway, not wanting them to be in distress any longer.
He helps Maple up the porch steps while you carry Birdie in your arms, leaving Seth grab all the items from the store that were left in the car.
“Come here, let’s see the backyard,” you coo to the two dogs, leading them over to the patio and opening the door up. They rush outside, Birdie far more timid than Maple, who runs out and circles the large backyard like she does it all the time. You laugh as she sprints freely, and Seth comes up behind you, his arms going around your waist.
“They seem to be enjoying it here so far,” he whispers in your ear.
“I think so,” you smile, turning around in his arms. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
You watch them continue to explore the backyard before Birdie decides she’s had enough and heads back inside. You give her time to scope out the new space on her own, while Maple, enjoying the nice weather, lays down in the grass, panting like crazy as she tries to catch her breath, a joyful gleam in her eyes.
“Should we change their names?” You wonder, looking up at your boyfriend.
“I like Birdie, so we should keep that one. For Maple…” he pauses to think for a moment, staring over at her in thought. “Maybe we can think on it for a few days.”
Later that night, during dinner, Seth had fed both Maple and Birdie, and you were in the kitchen making your dinner, which consisted of breakfast foods, when Maple comes strolling in to get a drink of water from the metal bowl near your feet. 
The toaster pops up the bread and Maple’s head pops up in curiosity, and suddenly, she starts to howl. The sound startles you a little, but it’s not a noise of fear, her tail is wagging back and forth, her head tilted as she gazes up at you. So, you test it again. You click the trigger down, then pop it back up, and she does it again.
Seth walks in with a confused expression, thinking something was wrong.
“What was that?” He asks, stepping over to where you are, looking down at the greyhound. You giggle and reach to pet her brown fur.
“I think I just found her new name,” you say, the idea clicking instantly in your head. Seth’s eyebrows raise in wonder. You show him the discovery you made and he laughs with you, crouching down to give her a hug.
“Toast,” he says. “My toasty girl. It’s perfect because she also looks like slightly burnt toast,” he comments, running his hands along her fur, kissing her head playfully. You continue making your food as Seth and, now Toast, head to the couch to curl up for the night. 
Birdie was at your feet as you cook and eat your dinner, already attached to you, and that’s when you feel like everything worked out. Seth and Toast bonded almost immediately, and Birdie was drawn to you; neither you or Seth were left out, and the dogs didn’t have to feel “in the middle.”
Everything was falling into place, and after dinner, you joined the two of them, Birdie curling up at your feet on the blanket, as you all relaxed together, Step Brothers playing on the tv, and Seth’s arms around you, holding you close.
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taglist: @petite-potato4
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solarmorrigan · 2 days
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39 + 95, ship of your choice
Fanfiction Trope Mashup: 39. Survival/Wilderness Fic + 95. Sleep Intimacy
Hello! So I'm going to be honest with you and say that survival/wilderness stories have always given me anxiety and I've never enjoyed reading them, so the closest I got in writing one was a camping fic. I know it's not the same, but hopefully this is alright <3 (ship of choice was Steddie)
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You might not know it to look at him, but Eddie had been an outdoorsy kind of kid.
He’d loved playing outside (he’s still the king of finding cool sticks to use as wizard staffs) and he’d always looked forward to his and Wayne’s annual camping trips. Wayne had taught him a lot about surviving in the wilderness on those long weekends, and Eddie had looked at them as grand adventures.
Eventually, of course, Eddie had gained other interests, and Wayne’s hours at the plant had changed, and the camping trips had petered to a stop. Eddie looks on the memories fondly, but doesn’t necessarily feel the need to go back and relive them (particularly not after the days he spent roughing it during the spring break from Hell). He’s happy to leave the outdoorsy activities to Steve these days. Steve loves going hiking, loves swimming, doesn’t even mind doing yardwork; he’s the one people would look at and assume he’d spent his childhood outdoors, except–
“You’ve never been camping?” Eddie asks, sitting up to look down at Steve where he’s squished in beside Eddie on a pool lounger that is absolutely not meant to fit two people.
Steve shrugs. “I always wanted to go, used to ask my dad a lot, and he used to promise he’d take me when he could get the time off of work,” he says. “I think he got pretty fed up with my asking, though, so I just kinda… stopped.”
Well, damn, if that doesn’t poke at a soft spot in Eddie’s hardened little heart.
“We could go,” Eddie blurts.
Steve blinks up at him. “What?”
“Me and Wayne used to go camping every year. I remember a lot of how it’s done, so… you and I could go,” Eddie offers. “If you want.”
“Yeah?” Steve asks, a smile blooming across his face.
Eddie can’t help his answering smile. “Shit, yeah. Let’s go.”
If it makes Steve this happy, Eddie thinks in between Steve’s excited little kisses of thanks, then even if it goes terribly, Eddie won’t regret offering.
It takes a little bit to finagle their schedules and get time off together, but they manage it on the first nice weekend in spring. They pack Steve’s car up with a tent and sleeping bags and provisions and everything else Eddie can remember them needing (and a few things Wayne helpfully reminds him of), and they set off on their adventure.
The weekend starts off well. They set up the tent with minimal swearing, and manage to get a fire going, and explore the trails surrounding their camp, and spend the first night looking at the stars that shine brighter here than they do over Hawkins, and it’s nice.
It’s nice right up until Midwestern weather rears its unpredictable head while Eddie and Steve are out hiking on Saturday afternoon. The clouds roll in fast, rain-scented wind kicking up and shaking the limbs of the trees above them; they turn around to head back to camp, but they aren’t quick enough to beat the incoming rainstorm.
They’re soaked by the time they reach the tent, running and spluttering and laughing breathlessly, zipping the flap shut behind them and shucking their wet clothes before they can drip all over everything. They leave them in a heap off to the side, hopefully to be line-dried later, and do their best to dry off in the confined space.
“Gonna be hard to warm up without the fire,” Steve comments as he tries to scrub the rainwater out of his hair.
The weather has been nice, but not so nice that standing around damp and in their underwear is particularly comfortable. Even in the close space of the tent, the air isn’t warm, and Eddie eyes the goosebumps texturing the bare expanse of Steve’s tanned skin.
“I have an idea,” Eddie says, and Steve looks up at him expectantly. “C’mere.”
Eddie nods to the little nest they’d made the previous night by zipping two sleeping bags together and covering it with a couple of extra blankets. They don’t bother with dry clothes – isn’t skin-to-skin contact better for warming up, after all? Eddie slides in first and Steve joins him, immediately pressing the line of his body up against Eddie’s, curling an arm around his waist, tangling their legs, and resting his cheek against Eddie’s chest. Eddie tucks the blankets up a little closer around the both of them and settles down, wrapping both arms around Steve’s back.
“How’s this?” he asks.
He can feel Steve’s contented sigh as much as he can hear it, and Steve wiggles a little against Eddie’s front, as if there’s any space left between them to eliminate.
“This is good,” Steve says softly.
And it is, Eddie decides. He presses a kiss to the top of Steve’s head, where the earthy smell of the rain lingers, underscored by the faint, familiar scent of Steve’s shampoo. Rain continues to patter against the roof of their tent, and the soft, dim afternoon light does nothing to discourage either of them from beginning to drift.
If it can always be like this, Eddie doesn’t think he’d mind making camping an annual thing again. He wouldn’t mind at all.
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