#largely because when im sober i dont exactly have it so its like. why would i on purpose make it worse . for a good time?

[july-19th-club]

the thing about drugs is that while i have a genetic history of fairly addictive tendencies and therefore it probably wouldnt be a good idea to get into anything too dangerous anyway, i know i myself am not likely to ever really have to worry about the temptation simply bc im too embarrassed to get high. like i dont want to meet that person and almost certainly nobody else does either. so i just dont do drugs not because they're drugs, i dont think drugs, conceptually, practically, are embarrassing or, like, ontologically morally wrong or whatever. i think they're fine and more power to those who can enjoy them, hopefully safely. but i personally cannot get high just bc i couldn't stand for anybody to see me acting silly

[puckinghell]

Liquid Courage | Tyler Seguin

Requested: Ask and you shall receive :-) Words: 2570 Note: This is kinda a part two to A Drunk Tongue, but could be read as a stand alone. 

You stand in the middle of Tyler’s living room, which is filled to the brim with people. The music is loud, as is the sound of people chattering, and alcohol is flowing. It’s a pretty regular occurrence, that Tyler’s house looks like this.

And yet, something is wrong.

It’s not that you’re seemingly the only person who’s drinking water. That is a regular occurrence at Tyler’s parties, too. He always insists on you coming, and you do, because that’s what best friends are for, but you’re not a big party person and this time around, you can still remember the taste of tequila in your mouth from last week. Your roommate’s birthday celebration got a bit out of hand, and you ended up on Tyler’s couch, although you had no memory of how exactly you got there.

No, your feeling of doom has more to do with the host. Your eyes find Tyler, standing at his kitchen island, a glass of whiskey in hand. Someone whose name you don’t know is talking to him, but he’s barely responding, and you’re pretty sure he’s not hearing a word of what his conversation partner is saying.

Sometimes you worry about him. You know he throws parties often because the house is awfully big for one person; it’s the same reason that he invites you over for dinner multiple times a week - although your cooking ability, and his lack thereof, might have something to do with that as well - but he’s never looked so alone during one.

It’s something about the hard set of his jaw, the dark circles around his eyes, the way his fingers are clenching the glass of liquor a bit too tight. You’re not able to put your finger on it exactly, not able to pinpoint it to a specific feature, but you feel it with every fiber of your being.

Something is bothering your best friend, and he’s dealing with it on his own.

You put your glass of water on the side table next to you and start making your way over to him. You almost trip over Cash, who looks at you with tired eyes. The house might be too big for just Tyler and his dogs, but his dogs certainly think it’s too small for parties of this size.

“Hey,” you mutter, resting your hand on his back as you maneuver your way to his side. He looks at you, recognizes you, and his face lights up.

“Y/N!” he says, and the slur in his voice tells you he’s more drunk than you thought he was. Tyler handles his liquor a lot better than you, and you usually don’t really notice when he’s been drinking. Sometimes he gets a bit more giggly or a bit louder, but he never slurs his words and he’s always steady on his feet.

Not this time.

“You alright?” you hum. His change in demeanor is surprising you, the crinkles of laughter around his eyes amusing.

“Now I am,” he slurs, and he wraps his arm around your shoulders. “I lost you.” He’s pouting, and it’s cute, but you refuse to think about that right now. You have to remember that you’re a woman on a mission, and your irrationally large crush on your best friend has to wait until you’ve solved the mystery.

“You looked a bit lonely there,” you needle, and he frowns.

“Well, I couldn’t find you.” He says it as if it explains everything, and you curse your fluttering heart.

“I can’t hang around you all night,” you tease. “None of the pretty girls that are here would dare to approach you if I just clung to your side.”

His face falls and you don’t know why, don’t realize what you said wrong. Surely he was aware of all the pretty girls that are currently walking around his house.

“You’d tell me, if there was something going on with you, right?” you push, and his face softens. Then, he leans forward and presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Sure, baby.” It’s not a pet name he uses for you often, and you feel your cheeks flush red. His arm falls away from your shoulder as one of his teammates approaches him and you take the opportunity to slip away from him, and make your way to the bathroom.

You know he’s not telling you the truth and it bothers you more than you’d like to admit. You’re at least 90% sure he’s lonely. He has his dogs, and his teammates, and you, but his family lives far away and he’s not been in a serious relationship in years. He’s getting older too, and although he hasn’t mentioned a family of his own, you see the way he looks at his teammates’ kids, at kids in the stands even, and you know he’s ready for something more serious.

As a best friend, maybe you should be a better wing woman. Maybe you should be setting him up on blind dates with your hot and available friends. It’s just that the thought of him with someone, anyone who’s not you, makes you feel dizzy with nausea.

You use the bathroom and wash your hands. When you throw open the door of the bathroom and walk back out into the hallway, you’re met with something solid and warm, and two strong hands grab onto you and pull. Tyler stumbles back, his back hitting the wall, as he pulls you with him.

“Wow,” he breathes. “I’m a bit wobbly.”

You giggle. “You mean drunk?”

He doesn’t answer, and that’s when you notice that he’s close enough for you to feel his warm breath against your skin. You step back, his hands drop, his smile disappears.

“Ty, do you think I should be setting you up on blind dates?” You blurt it out before thinking it through, and you can tell it was too sudden an outburst from the confusion that washes over his face at your words.

“You, I, what?” he stammers. “Blind dates? God no.”

You cross your arms, your stubbornness shining through. “Why not? Don’t you want a girlfriend?”

He seems to think about this, as he leans back against the wall more comfortably. The silence is getting tense, and then he finally speaks. “I want a girlfriend. But I want something very specific.”

You hadn’t expected that. Your heart sinks; whatever he wants, you’re pretty sure you could never keep up to his standards. On one hand, you don’t want to hear him say it, but on the other hand, maybe hearing it from his mouth will finally give you an opportunity to move on.

“What is it that you’re looking for, Ty?”

He stares at you, his golden brown eyes searching your face, and then he pulls his bottom lips between his teeth and you feel like you’re going to faint. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, the noise of people in the background, the sound of music behind thick walls, maybe it’s how close he’s standing or the fact that the suit he’s wearing is tight in all the right places, but maybe it’s just that it’s Tyler and you’re pretty sure there’s never been anyone who means as much to you as he has.

“Y/N,” he says then, softly, “you know when I picked you up last week, and you were drunk out of your mind?”

It’s not a memory you’re proud of, and you feel your cheeks heat up as you nod.

“You told me that a drunk tongue never lies.”

“Okay?” You don’t get where he’s going with this, but as he reaches out to place his hand on your hip, fingertips featherlight against the fabric of your jeans, you decide not to question his drunken train of thought.

“I need you to remember that I’m drunk right now,” he mumbles, and then suddenly he’s leaning in and your heart is beating out of your chest. He stops right before his nose touches yours, and his breath is hot against your lips, and your eyes nearly flutter shut without your permission, but then you look up in his warm brown eyes and all you see in them is truth.

“Why?” you ask, whisper against his mouth, and he smiles.

“I’m looking for you.” He closes the gap, his lips soft against yours at first, hesitating, but when he realizes you’re not pulling away, his grip on your hips tightens and his tongue sweeps across your bottom lip. You let him deepen the kiss, allow your hands to travel up to his neck, your fingers curling in his hair.

He pulls away slightly, only just enough to disconnect you lips, as you struggle for air.

“Ty…”

He doesn’t let you finish your sentence, instead kisses you again, passionate from the start this time. You barely notice that he’s moving you towards his bedroom, surprisingly steady on his feet as he kicks the door shut behind him and pushes you towards his bed without breaking the kiss.

You fall back onto the covers and he follows right away, his body pressing yours into the mattress, and when he starts pressing kisses against your jaw, you come back down to earth just long enough to realize what’s happening.

Tyler’s drunk, and probably lonely, but you have no excuse. Well, none other than the fact that you’ve been in love with him for like a year, but no excuse you’d actually be willing to tell him when morning comes and he realizes he made a mistake.

“Ty…” you bring out. “Tyler, stop.”

He freezes instantly, clambers away from you so fast it’s like he’s been bitten by something. His hair is starting to curl at the back of his neck and the top buttons of his dress shirt are unbuttoned - you can’t remember you doing that, but you must’ve - and he looks so handsome that every fiber of your being is screaming at you to just do it, just go for it, deal with the consequences later.

But this is your best friend and you can’t lose him over one night. Even if that one night would most likely be the closest to heaven you’ll ever get.

“You don’t want this?” he asks, his voice tight, and you notice the hurt in his eyes. It nearly brings tears to yours.

You reach out and take his hands in yours, and you see the tension leave his shoulders. “I do,” you whisper, “but you’re drunk, and when you’re sober, you might regret this. I don’t think I can deal with that, Ty.”

He shakes his head feverishly, crawls back towards you and moves either leg on one side of you as he cups your face in his hands.

“Look at me,” he says sternly, and you do. “I want this, I want you. I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

“But…”

“Y/N,” he interrupts, and you let him, because you’re not even really sure what you were going to say. “I love you. I was sober yesterday and I loved you. I’m drunk now, and I love you, and I’ll be sober tomorrow, and I’ll still love you.”

His words are so honest, so forceful with truth, that you can literally feel your defenses crumbling.

“Let me show you,” he mumbles, and he kisses you again. You don’t stop him this time. Instead, you let him show you.

You wake to the sun on your face and for a few seconds, you’re confused about your surroundings. That’s when you notice a hump of brown dog against your legs and you realize you’re in Tyler’s room.

And that’s when the rest of the night comes back to you. You blush at the memories, remember Tyler’s skin against yours, his voice in your ear, his lips against your neck; it’s almost like he’s right there again.

Except, he’s not.

“Where is he, Marsh?” you whisper to the dog, who doesn’t even move an eyelid to acknowledge your question. You can feel dread starting to take over your stomach.

You were right. He did regret it. And he ran.

You step out of the bed then, ready to get dressed and run away from confrontation, ready to take your broken heart and lick your wounds in the peace of your own home. You find your jeans, but are somehow unable to find your shirt, so you take one of Tyler’s.

If he can stand the thought of ever facing you again, you’ll bring it back sometime.

Marshall jumps off the bed now, scratching at the bedroom door. When you open it, the Labrador darts down the stairs, where two more Labradors stand, excitedly wagging their tails. You tiptoe down the stairs and quickly pet the dogs.

It’s a mess downstairs, empty glasses scattered around the room, even one lonely shoe in front of the couch. The owner of the shoe, at least, has found his way home.

That’s when you smell burning.

Curiously, you make your way to the kitchen.

“Hey baby.” The voice is surprisingly light and Tyler looks chipper and not hungover at all - which is just unfair, considering your state last week - as he stands at the stove, wearing sweatpants that hang dangerously low on his hips and a white shirt, his curly hair a mess. He’s holding a pan, waving at the dark grey smoke that’s hovering above it with his hand.

“What did you do?” you ask warily, and he chuckles.

“Tried to cook you breakfast. Forgot I can’t cook to save my life.”

Cook you breakfast?

Your mind is working in overdrive, and that’s when he frowns.

“You look like you just saw a ghost. You okay?”

He’s acting so normal, like last night never even happened. You knew he was drunk, but surely, he wasn’t that drunk? Surely, he didn’t…forget?

“Do you remember?” It comes out as a high squeak, your voice shaky, and his eyes widen. He throws the pan in the sink as if it’s not smoking like a chimney, and stands before you within two big steps.

His eyes are blazing as he looks at you, his voice forceful as he speaks. “Of course.”

Your cheeks must be the color of actual tomatoes by now, but you can’t back down, you need to know, need to know if yesterday was the best or the worst decision of your life.

“Do you regret it?” You hold your breath as you finish your sentence.

He doesn’t respond right away. “Do you?” he asks then, tentatively.

You shake your head. You don’t. You can’t. Not even if it ruined the best friendship you ever had. Last night was everything.

 And that’s when a smile breaks out onto his face, a smile so bright it could light up even the darkest of nights.

“Me neither,” he hums, and then his arms are circled around your waist. “I was right,” he states, and it’s your turn to frown.

“Right about what?”

He grins. “I told you that I’d be sober, but I’d still love you.” His forehead comes to rest against yours. “I was right. Still love you.”

You let your eyes fall shut. “You said, yesterday, that you wanted this for a long time…”

“Been waiting on you.” One of his hands travels to the hem of your shirt - his shirt, really -, slips under there, rough fingers against warm skin. “I guess I just needed a little bit of courage to tell you.”

“A bit of liquid courage?”

He laughs. “Exactly.” Then he kisses you again. When you pull away, you smile at him.

“Hey, Ty?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

[robinskalechip]

home - chapter ten

robin buckley x reader

a/n: thank you for all of the positive feedback :) it means a lot

warnings: language, light smut

masterlist

not my gif!

chapter ten - at your own will

sofia and robin had spent the last two weeks getting to know each other more and more. sofia took robin to school and picked her up and hung out with her at the store on the days she wasn’t with the kids. once they found out about her going to see the byers they all immediately begged to go with, turning it into a full fledged family trip as long as they didn’t ruin the surprise that they were going which only joyce knew about. they had to push it back a week from its original date though because they had an av event that weekend and sofia would never pull her children from their passion.

it was the friday evening before they all went on the trip and sofia had gone to drop off food for steve and robin. steve’s only concern was the tacos he had in front of him while robin had other things on her mind. as much as she saw sofia, she remembered how much she missed her.

she missed her touch

robin watched as steve was munching on his four large tacos until she redirected her attention to sofia, motioning her to follow her

robin led sofia into the storage room which housed supplies of all varieties

sofia walked in to have robin close the door immediately after her entering

“what are we doing here-“

she was cut off by robin slamming her lips into hers, pushing her again the now closed door

robin reached her hand behind the other girl’s body and found the doorknob, locking it

the kiss was heated and passionate and only intensified as robin pushed harder and moved towards sofia’s neck

the two had only ever made out a lot and i mean a lot like every single time robin goes to sofia’s apartment they make out like its nobody’s business sofia was more experienced than robin and was making it her mission to take things slow with her, she didn’t want this one to be like any of the other relationships she had been in. and she told robin this, their entire relationship past their first sober kiss was handled with perfect communication on each party. robin was just a horny teenager and was constantly wanted to touch the girl she had been spending so much time with

robin kissed the other girl’s neck and they both tried to keep quiet. sofia smiled as robin “worked her magic” so to speak, causing a small moan to escape from sofia’s lips, “come over tonight”

robin stopped, looking at the other girl, “for-?”

sofia nodded

robin smiled and kissed her once more before pulling back, “can’t wait”

the two kissed a few more times before they opened the door to see steve standing there with a mouth full of tacos haha “mike is here”

he was still only focused on the taco cutie

robin and sofia were slightly blushing as they walked past steve and saw mike standing behind the counter

“just wanted to stop by and call shot gun for tomorrow”

robin quickly stepped towards him in a defensive way “uh no, front seat is mine”

mike protested “sofia? tell her its mine”

sofia enjoyed seeing robin interact with the kids “rob gets the front seat kid”

mike started to storm out of the store as sofia yelled “7 O CLOCK DONT BE LATE IF YOU WANT TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND AS POSSIBLE”

the three older ones laughed as he stormed off, robin said she’d meet sofia at her apartment after work so they parted ways for those next few hours

once the end of steve and robin’s shift ended, robin started to get her bike before steve offered to take her home. she warned him that she was going to sofia’s and that she just needed to drop by her house for clothes and he still insisted.

on the ride robin began talking to steve about sofia, “you know i really cannot for the life of me understand how and why sofia was friends with you and all of them”

steve began to talk in a playfully defensive tone, “listen her and i, were practically married in kindergarten”

robin laughed, “you’re kidding”

“nope nope not at all, our parents were convinced we would date later on but just never happened. we saw each other almost every day our entire childhood’s and never once even kissed or anything, guess i wasn’t her type”

robin laughed to herself, seeinf the irony

steve laughed, “she wasn’t even friends with them, she was just friends with me. she HATED tommy more than anything and she said she wanted to knock carol out every time she opened her mouth but it was ok because she was cool with me”

robin smiled thinking back to a rant sofia had about how much tommy h annoyed her

“she made me a better person rob..it was different when she left”

robin furred her brows, “why did you stop being that person?”

“i was angry and confused and cared more about my reputation than actually talking about how i felt so i went on to being a douchebag”

“did you love her steve?”

“yes. she was like a sister to me. she still is but i got over her leaving and i still don’t know why exactly she left but i trust her. she knows better than any of us do”

once they arrived at robin’s house, she ran up to her room and grabbed the bag she had packed the night before and placed some extra clothes in for the night

steve and robin continued to talk about some of his happiest memories with sofia

once they got to sofia’s apartment, robin thanked steve for the ride and off he went to hang out with the boys aka mike lucas and dustin

robin knocked on the door and on the other side she heard yelling “ITS OPEN”

she opened the door to find sofia in the kitchen

she had on small shorts and a pullover sweatshirt with the name “illuminous” sewed onto the pocket area in a small font

the beautiful girl was also occupied by her thin framed glasses and her hair up slightly, as much as her hair could go up because of how short it was

she was stirring a pot as she told robin “you can put a movie in if you want”

robin nodded before approaching the girl to kiss her neck and then whisper “that smells good” in the pot was a small portion of pasta, just enough for two

sofia turned her face to meet robin’s and kiss her gently, “stop distracting me freckles”

after eyeing the cuisine a little longer, robin went a found one of her favorite film, a streetcar named desire which she knew was also one of sofia’s favorites so she started to set it up as sofia called her into the kitchen and asked her to get plates and what not set

domestic

robin set the table and poured two cups of italian cream soda

once the pasta was finished, sofia placed the pot onto the table and admired her work to then turn to robin “if it blows i’m blaming linda”

the two ate and talked, tonight’s topics were whether or not truman capote was in love with perry smith, how long lucas and max would last until their next fight, and what movie genre was the best

after they ate, robin layed on the couch taking up almost every inch before sofia made her way to the area, giving robin a displeased look “you left me zero room rob”

robin looked at her and scooted slightly into the couch’s back cushion

sofia walked towards the television and took out the movie, “fine, we can watch it in the bedroom”

robin got up and followed sofia into the singular bedroom of the apartment and jumped onto the bed as sofia put in the movie and quickly followed robin into the bed

they cuddled right away bc softies

about an hour into the movie robin looked at sofia as she was watching to movie closely, even though she could feel robin’s eyes on her and began to laugh “what?”

robin smiled at her, “nothing, you’re just..”

sofia looked at her, “im just what?”

robin didn’t even finish her sentence before going to kiss the other girl who had previously claimed her shoulder as hers before pulling away to finish the mystery “you’re beautiful sof”

sofia smiled into the next kiss “you’re not so bad yourself buckley”

robin’s hands found their way to sofia’s neck as she deepened the kiss and positioned herself onto sofia’s lap

robin took off her shirt to reveal the black bra she had worn to which brought out a “holy shit” from sofia as she continued to kiss robin and quickly began to move to her neck. although it was intense as things began to escalate more and more, robin felt safe and was aware if she felt uneasy at any time sofia would respect her take notes

sofia pulled away from her neck to then place one more gentle kiss to robin’s lips before whispering,

“anche tu sei bella you’re beautiful too”

next chapter

[conspiraships]

🌹 SRY I CANT THINK OF A F/O

🌹 - Beauty and the Beast AU

was originally gonna write Gale/Andy but then i remembered stupit bitch Krycek exists and that’s what’s gonna happen. ill write Gale/Andy l8r … but for now… Mercy/Krycek … this is rlly long … oopsie (4,962 words)

“there’s a monster in the woods, Alex” his mother used to say. “it lurks, waiting for disobedient little boys who won’t go to bed on time”

“like, it’s just sitting in the woods, waiting?”

“oh for fucks sake, Alex. just go to bed please. im begging you.”

“i want milk”

“fine”

of course no one believes the stories about the monster in the woods. it’s just because their town is surrounded by thick, tight woods with very few paths in and out of it. but there’s nothing but wolves, moose, wild animals living there. it’s dark, deep, unwelcoming, but there’s no monsters.

and even when his mother went missing when he was 13, Alexei Krycek refused to believe it was anything like a monster. her horse went missing too, and he knew for a fact that it meant the wolves got them. (that didn’t ease the hurt. his mother was gone, and he was only 13. he didn’t know how to live without her at 13. but it wasnt a monster in the woods who took her from him.)

he still doesnt believe in monsters even when the Man Who Smokes Too Much takes him in, and the Man Who Smokes Too Much’s eldest son is absolutely CONVINCED that there ARE monsters in the woods who WILL come for everyone in the town unless they’re all very kind to nature.

Alex finds a reprieve in Jeffrey, the youngest Spender son. they grow close, and when the Man Who Smokes Too Much dies, Jeffrey and Alex are the ones who start to find work while Fox spends his time buried in books, studying, and reading about the mind and mythical

“Jeffrey you can’t go now,” Fox says one day. they’re all well into their twenties and Fox can’t hold a job he likes because everyone knows him as the boy with his nose in his books, the boy who used to leave out picnic baskets for the Monsters even though there was a food shortage.

“Fox.” Jeffrey and Alex say it in the same tone and Fox grins at them both but he sobers up when Jeffrey keeps packing. “i have to go,” Jeffrey says. “if i dont, we could lose the house. and out of all of us, Fox, you need this house the most”

“Jeffrey … there have been several cases of missing persons between us and-”

“if they arent traveling right, they are going to attract wolves,” Alex says. “we learned that from your father.”

“i’m still pretty sure the monster in the woods took him,” Fox says disdainfully

“grow up,” says Jeffrey. “you want me to bring back anything specific from the city?”

“actually,” Fox says before Alex can say anything, “remember those roses he brought us…”

“the day your mother died?” Jeffrey and Fox exchange a sad smile and Alex is reminded that he doesnt fit in with them. hes not part of them. he’s not a Spender or a Mulder. he’s a Krycek. his father never smoked more than enough for three people and his mother used to tell him fairy tales that would make Fox explode with happiness.

Jeffrey leaves, and Fox goes back to psychoanalyzing everyone in the town and keeping up with as many detective cases as he can. Alex works.

Alex works, and works, and works until Jeffrey doesn’t come home. it’s not the monster, he tells himself as he packs up supplies to go search for Jeffrey (or, more realistically, his body and his horse probably half eaten by wolves). the monster was a bedtime story for everyone in the town. (Fox disagreed, and gave him a spray bottle of something that smelled of lemon and onions to ‘keep the monster away’)

Alex takes his horse to go look for Jeffrey. halfway between Foxhunt and the city, he finds Jeffrey’s horse with her reins snagged on a tree. she makes a break for it as soon as Alex sets her free, but he has hope. maybe Jeffrey is alive after all. he follows a small broken path next to the tree he found Jeffrey’s horse trapped on, but the deeper into the woods he goes, the darker and colder it gets.

wolves howl. but he knows its wolves, and not monsters.

“God dammit Fox,” Alex snarls, directing his horse down the path, toward the wolf howls.

when he breaks into a clearing, his lips are blue. but in the clearing is… not a house, but a mansion. it’s not even close to being a castle, but it’s too large to be a simple house. no lights are on but the door is open. if anything, it’s a place to warm up if it’s abandoned

(it’s not. and Alex hates himself for a while after he walks in there. he finds Jeffrey, gets him out, but gets knocked out before he can join Jeffrey. he hates himself when he wakes up in a room lushly decorated. silk curtains, a thick plush carpet, soft cotton sheets and an ornate comforter. he hates himself for enjoying the rest for once, not having to share a room with Jeffrey, sleeping on a twin bed that’s too old and uncomfortable. he hates himself)

Mercy is irritated.

not one, but two people have invaded their home in the last 48 hours. they let the first one, Jeffrey, go. but Alex? he actually came into their house. he didn’t rob their garden, that they can forgive. they’re roses. their mother loved roses, and their mother probably would have forgiven someone for taking her roses after a few days. but Alex… Alexei… he walked into their home without permission. they don’t like that very much at all.

“you should really let him go…”

“Monica,” Mercy warns.

“it’s going a bit far,” says Monica. “maybe just… i dont know, make him pay you or something? but locking him up?”

“i gave him Mom’s room. the door doesn’t lock, so he’s not exactly a prisoner.”

“if he feels like one, it’s the same thing,” John points out.

“I hate both of you please get the fuck out of my living room.”

they don’t raise their voice, but the cutting glare they send them and the way they bare their teeth, fangs glinting in the firelight, send John and Monica from the room. Mercy pretends they can’t hear their whispering and heads upstairs to deal with their… Guest

he screams when they walk in, and Mercy can’t help but look over themself. they hven’t looked in a mirror in years (Monica covered them up long ago) but Monica brushes their hair. and their fur. and makes them take baths regularly. but they are wearing some of John’s clothing. maybe that’s what’s alarming.

“what the FUCK are you?!” Alex shouts, putting the bed between the two of them.

wow. wow. just wow. so Mercy grins, baring their teeth. their fangs, prominent and long, make Alex recoil. “I’m the Monster in the Woods,” they say with a dangerous growl. “and you have trespassed onto my property.”

(they hate themself for taking pride in the fear and disbelief that seem to cross his face. he recoils further, and he can’t look at them for days. he doesn’t leave their mother’s room, and John tells them that he eats only the bread and drinks only the water they give him. they hate themself for loving the power they have over people. and they hate the disappointed look Monica gives them whenever they revel in frightening him)

“Monster.”

“I have a name, darling.”

“I’m leaving, Monster. and if I never come back, it would be too soon.”

“cute that you think you can escape me.”

(he doesn’t leave. they’re human enough that sometimes he’s not scared of them, but there are times where their fur stands on end and their hair swirls in the air around them and their eyes take on a terrifying yellow color and their fangs seem to grow, and Alex Krycek cannot move past them when that happens. and they always seem to stake out the door whenever he wants to leave)

(”Mercy,” Monica says in disappointment.

“he’s not free yet. he doesn’t know how violated he made me feel.”

“maybe you like having him around,” Monica offers, flinching when Mercy’s hair starts to swirl around them and their eyes turn yellow.

“why would i enjoy the presence of a human, Monica? why would i keep him around? let him stay? he is being punished.”

“your mother was a human.”

“and humans killed her. and now i am this.”

Monica can’t argue that.)

“Doggett,” begins Alex as John sets down a tray of food. “why do you stay here?”

John looks surprised, and sits on the bed beside Alex. “Eat,” he orders. “Mercy is…”

“Mercy?” Alex asks sharply.

“the Monster. Their name is Mercy. they are… lonely. we stay because we love them. and Monica and i know deep loneliness. when we found Mercy, they were halfway between human and beast, curled up in the rose garden. we were drawn off the trails by their sobs. they lost their mother when they were very young to hunters who mistook their foraging mother for some kind of animal.” Alex looks stricken, but John continues speaking. “Mercy … attacked him, as best we can figure. they didn’t kill them, but the hunters went back to their town with injuries.”

Alex dips his bread in his soup and asks, “why are they a monster now?”

“if you didn’t believe in monsters, Alex, i don’t know if you will believe they were cursed.” Alex snorts. “exactly. but one of the hunters had married a witch who cursed them. she cursed them to become the beast the hunters thought their mother was, and to be the beast they seemed to attack like.”

“a curse,” Alex repeats in disbelief.

John shrugs and stands from the bed. “believe it or not, but you cannot deny the face of the beast that keeps you from leaving, Krycek.”

“you have a rose garden.” it’s a statement, not a question, and Mercy laughs aloud, their eyes bright with amusement.

“do i?” they tease.

“i want to see it.”

“and i want my home to return to a private dwelling with no trespassers.” they return their gaze to her book. “we can’t have what we want, Krycek.” they’re not going to show the man who only calls them ‘monster’ and not their name their most sacred spot. he doesnt deserve it if he cant acknowledge them.

“show me the rose garden, Mercy.”

they stand behind him stiffly, and he notes that they don’t look at the roses. their gaze is firmly toward the sky. Alex could make a break for it, but the roses…

for a … monster who won’t look at the roses, they are tended to quite well.

“why is this bush missing roses?” he asks. a shudder runs through him at their disgusted scoff.

“perhaps you should have asked why i was being so cruel to Jeffrey.”

“actually,” Fox says before Alex can say anything, “remember those roses he brought us…”

“the day your mother died?” Jeffrey and Fox exchange a sad smile

“ah.”

Alex ran his fingers over the stems that were missing roses. was Fox’s mother worth this? his mother … Mercy’s mother… perhaps they both were, in their ways. if Alex’s mother had loved roses, he would understand the sacrifice Jeffrey was making for his brother.

“they’ll grow back.” Alex flinches at the sudden proximity of Mercy’s voice. to his credit, he doesnt hiss when one of the rose thorns snags his palm but he does grimace at the blood. “let me see.” his body tenses when Mercy’s … hand… definitely a hand, even though they are covered in fur like a wolf with claws to boot, comes up behind his to hold his fingers open.

“it’s a cut,” he says flatly.

“come inside. we’ll get it cleaned up and wrapped.”

“you will do that for me?”

“please. I’m not a monster.”

he may keep the cut open longer than strictly healthy. but Mercy’s hands that look so monstrous bandage him so gentle and their eyes glow yellow in concentration, their tongue sticking out of their not-quite-mouth-not-quite-muzzle in a way that Alex wouldn’t call… cute, but it’s cute.

they tell him stories of their childhood after re-wrapping his hand. they speak with a fond sadness that Alex knows all too well. he lost his mother when he was young as well, and he has something of a found family too.

Mercy tells him how their mother taught them about plants, for survival, for food, and just for knowing.they tell him how their mother took them into the forest to help her forage and how once they encountered an elk so tall they thought he was a monster at first, and how he stared at them with eyes too wise, knowing they wouldn’t hurt him.

he learns about the constellations from them. they tell him how their mother showed them the stars, and that night Mercy takes him to the roof of the mansion and shows him the stars the way their mother did.

they show him some of the techniques their mother had for woodworking and they build a small bird house together.

when Alex’s hand is healed and no longer needs bandaged, Alex tells them about his own mother. they snort derisively over his mother’s stories of the monster in the woods (but for different reasons), but Mercy is enthralled with his mother’s other stories. Alex tells them which herbs his mother favored in her cooking, and how much he misses that. he tells them how he used to brush her hair and how she would run her fingers through his and sing him to sleep.

they both remember their mothers with a fond sadness.

and Alex no longer fears them, because he knows she isn’t the monster in the woods.

“come with me.”

“excuse me?”

“did i stutter, Krycek?” Mercy demands. he tenses, ready for their fur to stand on end or their hair to swirl around them but it doesn’t. they just look… impatient. not mad, just impatient. Alex heaves a great sigh and climbs out of his bed. he wasn’t doing anything, but having them treat him like a dog can become grating.

“where are we going?” he asks when they lead him from the room. they don’t answer, but lead him through the mansion to a room he’d never been to before. (in all fairness he’d never been to many rooms in the mansion.)

“here” Mercy says with a smirk. they push open both of the double doors dramatically and Alex rolls his eyes, stepping into the room after them. “it’s … it was mine and my mother’s. she was an avid book collector. so… was i.”

Alex stills as he looks around the room. it’s not as massive as a public library or a rich prince’s personal library might be, but there are several floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with books. crammed is a more accurate descriptor. its… amazing. Fox would be jealous, and thats all the motivation Alex needs to approach the nearest bookshelf.

“you can come here whenever you want. i…” Mercy hesitates when Alex looks away from the shelves and to them. “i understand that it’s quite boring here. i… would let you go but because it’s winter… i don’t want you getting hurt on the road.”

a sneer crosses Alex’s face. “its not like i have anything to get back on.”

Mercy’s fingers twitch and whatever openness they’d shown him vanished, a darkness settling in their eyes and a scowl spreading over their not-quite-muzzle. “John has been taking care of your horse in the stables. when the snow melts, i’ll have John and Monica pack you supplies and send you off.”

“…wait. what?” Alex tracks them as they walk over to a bookshelf and piles a few books in their arms.

“you can leave when the weather is better. John and Monica will take care of you.” they give Alex a cruel look. “you don’t have to deal with a monster anymore.”

they leave while Alex is still processing what they said

(when he asks after them, John and Monica can only shrug. not even they’ve seen the monster… Mercy. they’re eating. John tells Alex that they take the meals they leave for them, but they don’t leave their room as far as they can tell.)

Alex spends most of his time in the library. Mercy’s collection isn’t as big as the town’s library, but it’s incredibly diverse, and he’s only found about ten books that overlap with what he’s already read.

he’s so involved in studying psychology books that Fox would salivate over that he doesn’t realize the time or that he’s exhausted. but he wakes up with a pillow instead of a book under his head an a thick blanket wrapped around him, his books off to the side with clear bookmarks.

John and Monica swear up and down that they didn’t go into the library after Monica took his dishes from dinner away.

(Alex thinks the blanket might smell like Mercy, but he doesn’t know what smells like them and what just smells like the house.)

he sees them once before the snow melts, and it’s from the library window that looks out over part of the rose garden. some of the roses started dying, but Alex was no botanist, so he wouldn’t be able to offer to help Mercy even if they were speaking to him.

Mercy stood in knee high snow, no coat but seemingly unfazed by the cold. their head was bowed as they held a rose in their hands. the bush was completely empty except for the one Mercy stood over so reverently. Alex watched them until they moved away from the rose, leaving it swaying in the wind.

the day the snow melts, Alex pretends to be asleep all day. he listens as John and Monica discuss what else he’d need as they packed up his few belongings (mainly borrowed clothes from John he insisted he didn’t need anyway).

Mercy didn’t come through at all. the next day, it rained and Alex used it as an excuse not to go. he went out and brushed his horse but didn’t leave.

the third day after the snow melted, Jeffrey shows up with Fox in tow.

they pound on Mercy’s front door, but they don’t show their face. Jeffrey yells at Monica and John, and Fox asks an absurd amount of questions that his host’s family can’t keep up with.

“Jeffrey said there is a monster,” Fox says when he sees Alex. Alex clutches his pack tightly, the psychology book he’d stowed away pressing into his stomach.

“it was enormous,” Jeffrey agrees. “with fangs like a wolf’s… claws! not quite a muzzle but not a human nose either! covered head to toe in fur!”

Alex snorts. “it’s not like you, Jeffrey,” he says. “to buy into Fox’s shit.”

“it’s not shit,” Fox snaps.

“and you know i’m right,” Jeffrey spits. “i saw it when i left this place. you’ve been here all winter, and you’re telling me you haven’t seen it?”

John shifts, a scowl on his face. Monica’s expression is carefully blank but three months in their company taught Alex how to spot how Monica felt. and she is angry. (had she been so angry when Alex first met them? he didn’t know.)

“ive only seen these two.” Alex gestures to the humans next to him and raises a brow when Jeffrey opens his mouth to argue. “why would i lie about something like this? if there was a monster, i would have seen it by now. but i’ve only seen people.”

he misses the dubious looks John and Monica exchange, but doesn’t miss the looks Fox and Jeffrey exchange. any further pushing gets the same results from Alex. a willing silence, secretive and cold.

“he protected you”

“he still left.”

“but he didn’t let those men try to hurt you.”

“he still left.”

“Mercy.”

“he left! he’s gone and he’s not coming back. get out! get out get out get out get out get out!”

“Alex, come inside. you’ll catch cold.”

“that’s fine.”

“you’ve been out here since dinner. Fox and i are worried about you. you come out here every goddamn night, ever since we came back. Alex, what the hell is going on?”

Alex points at the sky and traces his finger along a particular path. “Corona Borealis,” he says.

“what the ever loving hell are you talking about, Krycek?”

“it’s a constellation, Spender. created when, after Dionysus fell in love with Ariadne, Ariadne threw her wedding crown into the sky. the jewels of the crown are said to be the stars of Corona Borealis.”

Jeffrey scowled at him. “you sound like Fox.”

“leave me alone, Jeffrey.”

mid spring, about a month after the snow melted, a caravan comes through, absolutely demolished. they claim to have been assaulted by a monster in the woods.

with an ‘I-Told-You-So’ expression on his face, Jeffrey uses this as an opportunity to prove that he was right and arranges a hunting party to find and kill this monster in the woods.

Alex can’t deny it when he sees the wagon destroyed and several people injured, one person even missing an arm. there is a monster in the woods, and he thinks he knows who it is.

(he’s unaware of Fox following him when he sneaks out that night, somehow oblivious to the second set of horse hoof beats an horse snuffling)

“Alex Krycek,” greets John when he opens the door to cease Alex’s pounding.

“where are they?” Alex demands. John sighs, but doesn’t try to play dumb.

“in the rose garden.”

Alex storms out of the mansion, still oblivious to Fox entering the clearing. he doesn’t see Fox and John speaking, too focused on finding Mercy. the monster.

he believes the caravan and her people when he sees Mercy watering their roses. the not-muzzle has elongated into a full and proper muzzle and their lower half has become wolf-like. an impossibly terrifying bipedal wolf-human beast, watering roses.

“why?” he spits at them.

they still, ears that have grown to a furry point twitching at his voice. 

“the roses need watered,” they say, not looking at him.

“that’s not what i’m talking about and you know it!”

this time they do look at him. their eyes are still human. still brown. Alex can remember the kind concentration when they bandaged his hand. remembers the sadness when they spoke of their mother. the excitement sharing the stars and the earth with him.

“my darling,” they say, voice thick with some unidentifiable emotion but dripping sarcastic sweetness, “i have no idea what you’re talking about.”

suddenly, words threaten to spill out that Alex bites back like bile. ‘why can’t i forget what you smell like? why can’t i forget how your hands felt around mine? why can’t i forget how warm it was to sit next to you? or how your eyes lit up when you looked at the stars? why can’t i forget the sweet sound of your voice? or how you sound when you sing? why can’t i forget how i hurt you that day in the library? why can’t i forget you?’

Mercy stops watering and cocks a hand on their hip.

“Krycek,” they snap.

“Why did you attack all of those people?” he shouts suddenly, unbidden. a bird shrieks and takes flight from one of the bushes. Mercy’s eyes widen and he watches them flicker as they take in his question.

then they laugh. throws their head back and laughs until it becomes a series of barks and they’re hunched in half to catch their breath.

“i’ve attacked people before,” they say when they can breathe again. “but that was years ago. when i found the men who killed my mother. i haven’t harmed anyone since.”

not physically, Alex wants to yell, his heart aching an racing in his chest. “a caravan came through this forest. they were utterly demolished. explain that, monster.”

their eyes harden and turn yellow as they stare at him. their hair begins to swirl around them. their lips curl and their fangs are bared.

“i have never harmed an innocent person,” Mercy, the Monster in the Woods, snarls at him. their watering can falls from their grip and they advance on Alexei Krycek who seems frozen in place. “i have harmed, my dearest Krycek, but only once, and for revenge. for my mother.” they stop mere inches from him and lean in, arms holding him still. “how dare you accuse me of this heinous act, when you know what i’ve been through. who do you think you are? get the fuck off of my property and never come back.”

he’s released with a shove, only saved from falling when Fox catches him. Fox…

“they’re beautiful,” Fox whispers to him as he helps Alex stand. Mercy’s ears twitch but they don’t look back at them, instead picking up their watering can and resuming the watering process. “is she telling the truth?”

Alex Krycek swallows. “yes,” he says, barely audible.

Fox releases him and steps forward. “what’s your name?” he asks Mercy. they snort.

“they call me the Monster.” their voice drips with bitter hatred, and Alex flinches.

“but you must have a name?” Fox presses. they don’t answer. “Alex believes you. but that means someone or something else in this forest attacked that caravan. and until we can figure out who it was… everyone will think it was you.”

“only three people outside of my home know i exist,” Mercy snips.

“And Jeffrey Spender is leading a hunting party to put you down.”

both Fox and Alex flinch when the watering can handle shatters in Mercy’s grip.

“when?”

“before sunset,” Alex supplies.

Mercy flies into a frenzy. they rush to the mansion and starts packing up everything. Alex, Fox, John, an Monica trail behind them as they tear through the mansion. the last thing they do before they speak to them is seal the library.

“take John and Monica far from here,” Mercy says to Fox, handing John and Monica the two bags they’d been packing.

“what?!” exclaims Monica, dropping the bag to grasp Mercy’s arm. they don’t look away from Fox, and Alex has to clamp down on the envy he feels.

“do you understand me?” they snarl. “get them to safety.” only when Fox nods do they look away. with gentle hands, Mercy puts the bag back in Monica’s hand. “go with them.”

“no!” protests Monica.

“please,” Mercy whispers. “please go with them. you can’t be caught in this. i can’t let you die. Monica… please go.”

“and leave you to die on your own?” demands John.

Mercy bares their teeth in what Alex thinks is supposed to be a grin. “A fitting death for a violent monster.”

they’re alone. the sun is low in the sky, nearly set, and Mercy is alone. if Jeffrey is going to kill them, this is how it should be. they find themself in the rose garden, standing before the bush with only one rose.

“i’ll see you soon, Mother,” they say to the rose, dropping to their knees before the bush. they bow their head.

John and Monica have each other. they’ll be alright without them. they might be in pain, but they’ll make it through.

Mercy once thought that when they died, no one would be left alive to mourn them. and only six months ago they were sure that John and Monica would be the only ones to mourn them. and a day ago they thought Alex hated them. four hours ago they thought he hated them. and now they know they’re leaving behind three people to mourn them.

“i’m so sorry,” they say, digging their claws into the dirt. they squeeze their eyes shut and tears leak out into their fur. they don’t move when they hear hoof beats. they won’t give the hunting party the satisfaction of killing a beast. they’ll have to kill Mercy as Mercy pays respects to their mother and mourns for those in their life.

he can’t be too late. please don’t be too late. please please please please please.

his heartbeat pounds in his ears an his legs are trembling with how tightly he’s squeezing his horse. his knuckles are bleached white and his fingers are cold as he grips the reins.

he can’t be too late. he can’t be too late.

he’ll never forgive himself if he’s too late to keep Jeffrey away from them. he’ll never forgive himself if he’s too late to tell them. to save them. to be near them one more time, even if they can’t forgive him for the things he’s said.

his horse bursts into the clearing of Mercy’s home but Alex doesn’t slow to a walk. they sprint across the yard, alert for any other sounds. he hears nothing and his horse whips around the side of the house. Alex pulls the reins and jumps down before he even comes to a full stop.

“mercy?” he gasps out, stumbling into the garden.

“why are you here?”

he faces them sharply.

“well?” Mercy bites, glaring up at him from their place on the ground.

Alex stares at them for a few long, silent moments.

“i will not leave you alone. i will not let you die for a crime you did not commit.” he drops to his knees beside them and presses his forehead against their shoulder. “i won’t let you be alone.”

Mercy’s tense, he can feel it. their words come out even more tense than he’d imagined. “monsters deserve to be alone.”

“then,” Alex Krycek says to Mercy, the monster in the woods, the creature, the person he loves, “it’s a good thing you’re not a monster.”