#mad hitting it outta the park yet again

[miyuhpapayuh]

22. Vie

"Why do I have to drop you off? I really can't see?" Stevie pouts, pulling into the parking lot of the tattoo shop, simply named Tattz.

"Vie, I already told you that it's a surprise." Rod deadpans, "I'll only be a couple hours."

"Okay, fine." He unbuckles the seatbelt and leans over the middle console to give her a kiss, the frown still on her lips as he pulls away.

He chuckles. "C'mon, baby. Fix your face."

"Are you still getting it in the same place?" Her fingertips stroke his forearm.

"Nah, I want it on my neck." Her eyes widen.

"That's gonna hurt!"

"Eh, the pain is worth it, and you'll see why. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you more." He pecks his lips again, before hopping out of the passenger seat and into the black and brick building.

Fixing her thigh-length dress in the mirror, she grabs her ringing cell off the counter.

"I'm on my way down, now..... yes, I'm wearing the dress, girl!....okay, coming!" Grabbing the pink, heart shaped purse that Rod bought her and slinging it over her shoulder, she drops her phone inside and grabs her sweater off the back of her chair.

Locking Rod's door with her key, she slides into the passenger seat of the black '89 Jeep Wrangler, squeals filling the car.

"I know I just saw you, but I missed you so much!" Tyler pulls Stevie into a hug.

"I missed you too, sis! Where we headed?"

"Let's see... we're gonna hit the mall, grab some food and go back to this poetry club, so you can check out that girl, again. She's super good and I heard she's doing a new piece, today!"

"How you know that?" Stevie asks as Tyler starts driving.

"You're not the only one who likes spoken word, my dear. There's this guy that performs every Wednesday. On top of him being foine, his pieces are really nice."

Stevie shakes her head. "You done made your move, yet?"

"Actually, no. Believe it or not, I'm nervous. But, anyway—"

"Huh? You're nervous?"

"Yes, Stevie. I'm capable of these feelings, apparently."

"Duh!, I just never thought I'd see the day. You like him."

"If you saw him, you'd see why!"

"Woah, he's that cute?"

"I believe the word I used was foine.," Stevie rolls her eyes as her best friend practically drools. "He's about six foot three... high yellow complexion... honey brown eyes.. always keeps a low-cut. Ugh! Those lips, Jesus."

"This is a sight.," Stevie laughs.

"So is he." Tyler dreamily sighs.

Hands full with shopping bags, Tyler and Stevie load up the trunk and sit in the backseat, chomping on the oversized slices of pepperoni pizza.

"Tito's is never gonna go outta business if we got anything to do with it!," Tyler exclaims, a mouth full of cheese.

"If you don't chew that cheese, before you choke.," Stevie laughs.

"Mm-mm!," she swallows her food., "so, what do you think Rod's getting?"

"I don't know and I'm mad that he practically sent me away!" She huffs. "It better be fucking fantastic."

"You're such a drama queen, bro." Tyler shakes her head.

"No. I just wanna see, that's all."

"And, you're going to! Just have patience."

༺═───────────────────────────────────────═༻

Heading into the cozy lounge, high off their asses, the pair sit close to the stage.

Casually taking in her surroundings, her eyes set on him. The smirk graces her lips, before she can help it.

Tyler would never immediately admit it to Stevie, but she found herself falling for this guy.

"Ima start calling you googly eyes.," Stevie mumbles, chin in hand to keep her face from hitting the marble surface of the table.

"Shut up!"

"Where is he?"

"Right over there," Tyler reaches across to turn her head in his direction, watching her brows raise. "See! I told you!"

"Oh my goodness. He's cuter than any boy you've ever liked or... ya know."

"I know! you think I should say something to him?"

"Well, you said you were nervous. I don't want you to get in front of him and start babbling like an idiot or anything— unless, he likes that sort of thing." Stevie cheeses.

"I'm not gonna babble. I'm quiet, when I'm high."

"Still, maybe let him approach you—"

"He probably doesn't even know I exist!"

"I bet you, he does."

"What's goin' on, everybody! How y'all doin' today?" The lovely presenter, whose name is Chad, according to Tyler, comes to the stage with his own microphone.

"Dude's a damn trip, ain't he?" Tyler laughs.

"Indeed. He told me and Rod that we were the best lookin' couple in here. Oh no, he spotted me!" She covers her face.

"Hey, ladies! I'm tellin' ya man, you up in here bein' shy!" Stevie laughs, waving him off.

"Aight, aight. Enough of that., y'all know I'm bringing your favorite to the stage! She's got a new piece and it's fiya! Give it up for Suga!" The crowd claps.

He steps off stage and the auburn curtains slowly draw back. The lights dim like usual, casting an already dewy Suga in a natural light, making her look otherworldly.

From the gold in her ears and around her neck, to her hourglass silhouette in the olive sweater dress, Stevie was glued to her seat, ready to hear every word.

"How y'all doin'?," the enchanted crowd whistles in response, making her laugh. "Now, I'm gonna let y'all in a little secret. I was a little nervous about this one, but since y'all are my favorites... I'll go ahead and give it to you. So, here's my newest piece, sweet tooth."

"Honey on my lips,

I can still taste you.

Your scent fresh in the air,

Covering me even when you leave.

I've got a craving for you,

Even at the worst times...

I can't help it,

You've got me hooked.

The feel,

The thrill.

Touch me...

Kiss me..

Taste me...

Feel me...

Whenever you want me,

Come get it. Take it.

You've got me spoiled."

Snaps of approval fill the air, much to her liking. Stevie claps, due to her overexcitement, making Tyler laugh and reach out for her hands.

"Bro, calm down!"

"What??, she's really good!" Stevie swats Tyler away.

"Thank you.," Stevie turns around to face Suga, herself. "Wow, you're prettier up close."

"Me?! Have you seen you??"

An infectious smile graces her face. "I'm Suga."

"I'm Stevie. Can I just say that I'm such a fan of yours!"

Tyler's engaged in their conversation, when she feels a presence near her. She turns her head, locking eyes with the man of her dreams.

"Hi.," his deep voice thuds through her chest, "can I steal you for a moment?"

"I don't think she'd mind." A chuckle leaves her lips, as he helps her down from her seat to the loveseat in the corner.

"I'm Chris. What's your name, beautiful?"

"Tyler., but, you can call me beautiful, too." A low laugh escapes him, giving her a glimpse of his pearly whites, sending her swooning.

"Has anybody ever told you how fine you are?" she asks as she tugs on her bottom lip, shamelessly ogling at him.

"I've heard it a few times."

"You have, huh?"

"Mhm. I like when you say it, though." Her brow lifts as he scoots closer to her.

"Oh, I gotta watch you.,"

"What I do?" He laughs.

"You're too smooth. I'd get in trouble with you."

"A little trouble ain't never hurt nobody, beautiful."

"...speaking of my friend," Stevie looks around, until she spots Tyler cozied up. "Oh, she's good."

"He'd been eyeing her, since he stepped foot in here. I'm glad he took my advice and made his move." Suga giggles, sipping on her cosmo.

"Really? My girl was so nervous to even speak to that man! And to think, she didn't even think he noticed her."

"We sound like a couple of matchmakers, huh?"

"We do! But, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, doll."

"Okay, so poetry is basically my life and I've always dreamt of going up on stage and sharing it, but my nerves have always gotten the best of me. Then, you get up there and started talkin' about how nervous you were and I just need some advice." Stevie stresses.

"Well, since I was young, I've been performing my pieces in front of small crowds. The butterflies never really go away, but it stops being such a big deal, over time. You just gotta be confident in your work! It helps other people perceive you as a big deal."

"Ugh, I wish that kind of confidence came overnight."

"Don't we all!," Suga laughs., "but, I'd love to see some of your work! Maybe, I could help you out."

"I'd love that!"

༺═───────────────────────────────────────═༻

"Baby!, I'm home!" Stevie announces, slightly stumbling into the house with her shopping bags, feeling around on the wall for the light switch.

"I'm upstairs!," he yells back. Finding the switch, she sits her bags on the counter and carefully heads upstairs, finding him standing in the bathroom.

"Hey," she slides up behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. You high?" He asks, peeking down at her. She nods, the goofy grin plastered on her face.

"Can I see the tattoo, now?"

"I guess, I've made you wait long enough." He turns around and pulls the bandage back, watching her eyes light up at the bright red 'Vie' inked on the left side of his neck, in cursive.

"Oh my... you did not get my name tattooed on you!" She gawks at it, lightly tracing her fingers over his skin.

"Of course, I did!" He chuckles.

"What about the flames and all that other stuff?"

"Well, I was gonna do that.. but, it didn't feel right. You felt right. Babygirl, you're my everything. It's only right that I get to carry you everywhere I go."

"Wow," the dreamy look in her eyes makes him smile.

"Do you like it, vie?"

"I love it." She covers the tattoo back up, pulling him in for a kiss. His hands sneak towards the bottom of her dress, gripping her ass.

She laughs into the kiss, reaching back to swat his hands away, "stop!"

"Mm., you look pretty, and that ass is beggin' me to touch it." He pecks her lips, reaching for it again.

"Is it, really?" He nods, kissing her exposed shoulder. His kisses trail up her neck, sending tiny shocks through her body.

Sitting her on the high counter, he wraps his hand in her ponytail, slightly yanking it back, earning a sweet moan. Their lips find each others' in a heated panic.

The minute his hand inches up her thigh, she grips his wrist. He grunts. "what you doin'?"

"Slowing you down."

"Why?"

"Cause, I wanna take care of you." His hand slides between her legs, anyway, cupping her drenched heat. Her jaw goes slack.

"You can do that... I just wanna touch it." Pulling her wet panties to the side, his thumb rubs circles over her slick bud. Her breath gets caught in her chest.

Closing the space between them, Rod shoves his tongue into her mouth. Her wandering hands move to his sweats, palming his growing erection.

"Mmm.," she comes up for air, leaning into him, "let me taste you, baby."

Sinking onto the fluffy rug in his bathroom, she grips the hem of his sweats, slowly pulling them down, revealing his thick and heavy piece.

Her eyes trail up to his, giving a wink as her soft lips press against his veiny girth.

"Soft ass lips..," he mumbles before taking his own bottom one between his teeth, watching her mouth stretch around his length.

"Oh shit.." she starts off quick, bobbing her head up and down. One hand in between her legs and the other jerking him.

"Mm!, that fuckin' mouth." He grips the base of her ponytail, slowing her down. Removing her lips from him with a pop, her hand continues to work against him.

"Can't handle it, baby?" A giggle intertwined in her question.

"Put yo lips back on that dick, babygirl." Doing as she's told, her movements slower and more passion-filled.

"Just like that...," the gravel in his voice sending a chill through her, while she attacks her clit with the slippery pads of her fingers.

"Shit... Ima cum..." she moans against him, suctioning her cheeks. His grip on her hair tightens as he gyrates against her mouth.

"Oh fuckkkkk," he erupts, his eyes shut and mouth wide open. She sucks him up, not wasting a drop. Lazily sliding him out of her mouth, she repeatedly kisses the tip.

"Stop.. shit.," he hisses, pulling her up from the floor and bends her over the counter, facing the mirror.

"You finna get it."

༺═───────────────────────────────────────═༻

"Fuck, just like that!" Stevie moans.

Her arousal leaking down her long legs as Rod pounds into her from behind, ponytail in a tight grip.

"Shit.," he grunts, watching her ample ass clap against his thighs, the tip of his dick hitting the spot that makes her clamp down on him.

Her hands claw at the counter as her eyes stay glued to the mirror in front of them, transfixed by the dazed look on her face.

"Feels so good.... feels so!— ohhh shit!" She reaches a hand back to pull him closer, eyes rolling back as her weak spot is located.

"Right there!, ohhh fuuuuuck, right there!" Pressing her chest up against the cold counter, he thrusts into her with brute force, her jaw dropping.

Her nails dig into his skin as her thighs begin to tremble., "I'm gonna cum!" The sweet lilt in her voice making him twitch inside of her.

"Cum on this dick," his breath hitting the back of her neck, making her jump slightly.

"Keep fucking me!, don't stop fucking me!" She cries out, the knot in her belly growing by the second.

"I ain't stoppin', baby... cum on this dick.," he repeats, his tone turning her to mush. Her back caves in as her orgasm rips through her tiny frame.

"Ooh shit!, you fuck me so good." Her words slur as she forces herself back upright. He lowers his lips to her ear and stares at her through the mirror.

"This my pussy.,"

"Yessss, it's your pussy, babyyy!" She moans through gritted teeth.

"Mmnh," Rod grunts, "takin' this dick like a champ today, huh?" She nods.

"I feel it in my chest, daddy." Her eyes shut tightly as a wave of pleasure jolts through her. The angle he's fucking her at, becoming too much for her.

"You got it, baby. Gimme one more."

"Uh! Fuck me!" Her brows knit together. The faces she makes send a chill up his spine.

"Shit... yo high, pretty ass... takin' this dick like daddy taught you.." he teases, gripping her ass.

"I'm gonna cum!"

"I'm right here... let it go.," their peaks hit, simultaneously.

༺═───────────────────────────────────────═༻

Reconstructing her ponytail the best she can, Stevie heads downstairs and joins a high Rod in the kitchen.

"There she is!," his goofy grin makes her laugh.

"I've got some exciting news."

"Oh yeah? Lay it on me." She sits on the stool and twists back and forth.

"I met that girl, Suga today!," his brows raise in excitement for her, waiting for her to continue. "I know! She's super sweet and she offered to help me overcome my stage fright!"

"So, you might be gettin' on that stage, sooner than you think! That's amazing, baby."

"I'm really excited!" She cheeses.

"I know, you are. Whenever that day comes, I'll be right there."

"I appreciate you, babe. How's work?" He sighs.

"Lee's about to break my back with these responsibilities, but if I wanna be manager, I gotta be ready for 'em."

"What's he got you doing?"

"I gotta close up shop, every day, now. There's a specific way that he organizes everything and I've gotta follow suit— that one works in my favor, because I'm OCD about stuff like that, too."

"Don't I know it. You had a fit, when I moved your towels around!," he waves her off, laughing.

"Hush, girl."

"Okay, okay." She holds her hands up.

"I'm just gonna have a lot on my plate, soon."

"Well, I'll be here to brighten up your day in any way I can."

"I appreciate it, babygirl. How's it been, back at the house?"

Stevie decided to go back home for a couple days, after Rod installed a new security system for her, calming her nerves a bit.

"Well, the first night was fine, cause Tyler was home. The next couple were rough, though. I felt like a baby, cause I kept my lamp and tv on all night.," she frowns.

"Aw," he rounds the counter and wraps his arms around her. "You're my baby."

She sucks her teeth., "shut up!,"

"I'm joking, babygirl. You want me to go back to the house with you?"

"I'd rather just stay here. I like your bed, more than my own." She laughs.

"It's that therapedic mattress, ain't it?"

"That, and the cutie that it belongs to." She kisses the arm that's draped over her chest. He chuckles, spinning her around to face him.

"Guess who's gotta meet with Mr. Big stuff, tomorrow?"

"You're so corny," she laughs, "are you gonna be nice?"

"I'm always nice, Alaina. As long as he doesn't start anything, we'll be cool."

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, we'll see."

༺═───────────────────────────────────────═༻

Knocking on the green screened door, the pair hold their sweets, securely; Stevie with a pound cake and Rod with a cherry pie.

Viv opens the door with a bright smile on her face. "Oh, my babies! You made it!" She kisses their cheeks and pulls them inside and into the kitchen.

"You can sit those down, right there.," she points to a clearer spot on her counter. "How have you two been?"

"We've been great, ma. How you been?" Rod asks, his eyes wandering.

"I've been lovely. David's looking for you, as a matter of fact."

"Word?, where he at?"

"Out in the backyard, talking to your aunts."

"Cool, cool. Stevie, come on. Let me introduce you to my people." She gladly takes his hand as he leads her outside.

"Hey, baby!"

"Aw, you're so handsome!"

"Spitting image of his mama, ain't he?!" His aunts greet him in the same that Stevie's family did her, making her laugh to herself.

Briefly releasing her hand to hug and kiss them, he grabs it again to introduce her.

"Aight, aight," he laughs, "this is my girlfriend, Stevie."

"You're so beautiful, darling," aunt Monica pulls her into a hug, which she accepts.

"Thank you!, it's nice to meet you."

"You too, sweetheart."

"I'm Angie, it's nice to meet you." Another hug as the scent of vanilla hits her nose.

"You too, you smell good!"

"Thanks! I make my own perfume."

"She'd brag about it to everybody if she could., I'm Jessie. It's a pleasure to meet you." One more hug.

"You, as well. Wow, the genes in this family are strong."

"We get that a lot!" They all laugh.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Monica asks.

"Seven months." Stevie says.

"Going on eight, pretty soon." Rod adds, pulling her into his side.

"Oh, wow! A year, soon! You two are just the cutest! Aren't they??" Jessie rambles.

"They really are." David comes through the back door. "Hello, ladies."

"Hi, David," they reply in unison, making Rod suck his teeth.

"How you doin', man?" He addresses Rod.

"I'm straight. I need to talk to you."

"Aight. Let's go talk, then." David leads the way. Rod almost gets away, until Stevie pulls him back.

"Be nice," she pleads, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Cut that out. I'm the definition of nice." He repeats her gesture, adding a kiss on her nose, before disappearing.

"That boy's a card, yeah?" Viv joins them outside.

"If that ain't the word for him, I don't know what is. I just hope he don't go out there, actin' a fool."

"Big man like David'll knock him down to size," they both laugh.

"Does he not like him?" Angie asks.

"No." Stevie and Viv quickly answer.

"Why?? David's a good guy." Monica says, waving her cigarette clad hand in the air.

"Rod isn't used to me being with anybody, so the adjustment is just taking longer. I hope he'll grow out of that, soon." Viv frowns.

"Well, that's what this talk is supposed to do." Stevie explains. "Hopefully the tension gets resolved and Rod can see that David isn't a bad guy."

"So, what did you wanna talk about, son?" David asks, sitting on one side of the picnic table.

"Ima just cut right to it. You being with my mom don't sit right with me. I'm sure you're good to her, and I hope you are for your sake... but, I don't wanna see her get hurt." He cracks his knuckles underneath the table.

"Sounded like a threat," David laughs.

"Promise." Rod corrects.

"Okay, okay. There's no need for that. I'm not here to hurt ya mom. We've been friends for a very long time. You're not the only one that hated seeing her go through the shit your father put her through." David explains. "She deserved and still deserves better than that., you and I both know that." Rod lifts his eyebrows in agreement.

"True."

"I'm not gonna hurt her. She's far too special to me. I promise." Searching his face for untruths, Rod comes up empty handed.

"I'll lay off you... for now," it takes a minute for him to crack a smile, letting David know that it was okay to laugh.

“I guess you're not a bad dude."

"I'll take it." They stood up from the table, "glad we could solve this like adults." He pats Rod's shoulder.

"Not gonna lie, my initial instinct was to fight. But ma raised me better than that, and Stevie would've literally killed me." Rod chuckles as they head back towards the the small crowd.

"They don't play."

"No, they do not!"

“Now, let's talk about this tattoo I'm seein’, peekin’ from underneath your collar, son.” Viv grills as soon as he's back in her grasp.

“Ah, come on ma. You don't like it?”

“If you like it, that's all that matters chy.”

@thegifstories @blackerthings @ghostfacekill-monger @sheabuttahwrites @honestpreference @starcrossedxwriter @abeautifulmindexposed @essaysbyciara @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @blowmymbackout @awerkofart

[xarrixii]

Chapter_34 : "In the Nowhere" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CW: previous chapter | beginning | masterlist

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Garry Roy clicked the butt-end of a pen against his cheek, staring at the monitor absentmindedly. He chewed on his bottom lip, eyes occasionally darting at the black phone screen on the desk.

With a low sigh, Garry reaches for the phone and unlocks it, sloppily punching in the numbers and putting it up to his ear to ring.

After the fifth try, he almost throws the thing back onto the desk, setting his head in his hand. “Damn it. Old hag.” Then he starts bouncing the clicker on the pen on the metal, staring again into the monitor.

“You okay in there, Roy?” Chief Kepler called from outside the office.

Sometimes he forgot they’d installed glass walls/doors for people to look in. Said police couldn’t have any secrets.

“Fine,” he replied a little too gruffly.

As fine as having your kid go missing could reasonably be. A kid with police training who got caught up in their mother’s mess.

Garry rubbed his eyes, hitting the call button on the phone again and hitting speaker, to no avail. He tried to look at anything but the report on the screen, the one he’d written up himself about his own damn kid.

“Where the hell d’ya go, Al?” he whispers, slumping over further in the chair.

He shouldn’t have waited half a month. He should have just called Urban, should’ve called Amaterasu sooner than he had.

After a long pause, Garry uploaded a file into the empty space where it was meant to be on the report. The clearest photo with just Alph they had—kid always took pictures exclusively with others—their senior photo.

Alph had spent so much time arguing with the school to let them pick one with Urban in it, one that wasn’t a joke. School (and Urban) had insisted on a serious one though. And like hell was Garry about to put… they called it a meme, right? on a missing persons file. Which meant Alph was resting, smiling, against their first motorcycle. Garry still remembered the jokes they’d tried to crack for an honest grin. In the end, it was just letting Urban smile disappointedly, shaking his head, that got them there.

The glass door cracked open, Kepler strolling in with his arms crossed, nodding at the computer. “You’re free to go home. I’ll finish it.”

“I still got a whole day of work ahead of,”

“Non-negotiable. You got a little boy at home yet to take care of. We’ll call you if we need ya. Get outta here.”

Garry’s mouth pulls taut, slowly rising from the chair and pocketing the phone. “You’re sure?”

“If I say it’s an order as your chief rather than a worried friend, does it help?”

He responds with only a grumble.

“We’re all worried about your kid, Roy. Whatever mess they’ve gotten themselves into, whoever pulled them in’s coming out fucked up.”

“Encouraging violence?”

Kepler only shrugs. “Some people deserve it.”

Damn straight, Garry thinks, mind drifting to Amaterasu again.

“Seriously, get outta here. Go home. Take the little guy out for ice cream. Just get your mind off of this. Your job is being a father right now, not a cop.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Garry groans. “I’m leavin’.”

Upon seeing Alph’s truck gone from the lot, Garry had made a mad dash to the elevator, finger jabbing into the call button several times.

“Don’t make it come any faster.” Someone said from behind him.

“‘Kid called it a psychological trick once. Damn me if I don’t wanna believe it right about now.”

The guy snickered lightheartedly. “Guess so.”

When the elevator doors pulled open, Garry had practically pried them the rest of the way just to get back into his apartment on the 34th floor a little bit faster. All the rooms had access to one set of security camera codes: the parking lot. To watch their cars without having to come up and down all the time. Alph had been a big advocator for it when the building had voted on it.

Damn was Garry lucky for it right about now.

“Ty?!”

“You’re home early!” Ty exclaimed, poking his head out from the game on the TV. Garry was just relieved Ty was still here.

“Al come home yet?”

“No. Hold on, Dad, I have a game to finish.”

“It’s okay, kiddo, I gotta check somethin’ really fast here.” He continued into his bedroom, pulling up the laptop with silent come on, come ons. He rummaged through one of the drawers, getting out the sticky note with the security login key.

Garry had to type it three separate times to get it right, clicking the keyboard too fast.

He didn’t know what he’d expected to see. Someone coming back and taking Alph’s truck out of spite or whatever nonsense, Alph coming back themselves for it, Amaterasu, or what. It definitely wasn’t Urban.

Garry licked his lips, taking in a deep breath. Knowing the guy, he’d return it and try to pretend he’d never taken it at all. Had probably been banking on Garry being at work yet. He’d just have to catch him when he came back with it.

“Dad!” Ty hollered from the other room. “You gonna pick up the other controller?”

Your job is being a father right now, not a cop.

He took the laptop back to the living room with him, and before he knew it, it was dark, and he saw Alph’s truck re-entering the lot. With Urban in it.

“I’ll be back,” Garry got up, patting Ty’s shoulder with the kid’s mumbled affirmation. “Don’t let my little character die.”

“Kill Reichler? The badass one that runs on walls and shit? Never.” Ty flashes a toothy grin before his focus returns to the game.

The luckiest part was that Urban focused so much on small details, they were still trying to park the truck the way it had been that morning to notice Garry’s car sitting there. Or Garry walking up, “Hey.”

Urban practically jumped hopping out from the driver’s seat. “Hi.”

“Where’s,” Garry had to think for a second to remember the name. “Where’s Raiden?” Urban’s mouth was agape, swallowing down hard. He said nothing, arms just falling limp to his sides and looking down at the concrete, shaking. A little gentler this time, “Where’s my kid?”

With tears stinging his eyes, “I don’t know.”

next chapter

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[f3itansgirlygirl]

drivers license - suna rintarou

part 2 right here

inspired by the song driver's license

his house is right there, right in front of me. 

sitting in the car biting my lip holding back the sob that threatened to escape, how did it become like this? how did i end up sitting in here alone while you went off with her? that was supposed to be me, you said you would wait? 

suna rintarou

a beautiful boy, his smile never failed to warm your heart. the way he would hold you in his arms, pout when you weren't paying attention, brush your hair behind your ear, the way he would kiss you and buy you your favorite drinks or take you to that little park you loved so much as you guys watched the sunset and fell in love all over again.

then how did it get like this? 

----------------------------------------------------------------

“hi my name is l/n y/n and i'm your new manager!,” you introduced yourself. was a first year at inarizaki and needed to get into a club, atsumu decided to introduce you to the coach and give in a few words.

looking around the team you felt a nice presence, and that's when your eyes landed on his, those green piercing eyes. having his knees to his chest laughing at atsumu for trying to punch him for showing him something on his phone. 

the way his laugh died down but kept a smile as he looked at you. 

you blushed but became distracted as kita called you over.

“thank you guys for accepting me have a good night!,” you said grabbing your bag and leaving. “wait up i’ll walk with you,” you heard a voice behind you say. you turned to hear the voice and it belonged to him.

you guys walked under the stars, you shivered forgetting a jacket and that's when he looked at you and smirked. “the old jacket technique huh let me guess you want me to take mine’s off and give it to you,” 

you gasped and looked right at him, “no i actually forgot you weirdo whatever i guess i'll walk faster,” you said speeding up. “wait i’m just teasing here i have a hoodie it’s my sleeping in class hoodie so better not ruin it.”

you took it hesitantly but put it on either way, it was big and burgundy and my god the scent you can still remember to this day how good he smelled like. “looks good on you maybe i’ll let you keep it,” he said as you guys continued to walk.

that was your first interaction, your first words to each other and one of the many nights you guys have come to spend together

---------------------------------------------------------------

everything else came easily, even though having a age gap it didn’t stop your feelings whatsoever, and also never stopped him from showing affection.

you still remember your first kiss

how he kissed you by surpised on the slide of a old park where you guys sneaked out to get ice cream.

still remember how he started bringing extra hoodies and hair ties since you had a habit of forgetting both.

still remember that night under the stars in the backseat of his car when he looked at you and told you he was in love with you.

you teared up staring at him as he giggled softly caressing your face, holding your waist even more closer to his chest as your bodies connected.

“i love you rintarou,” you smiled crying softly. 

he looked at you rubbing your tears away, “and i love you y/n l/n,”

--------------------------------------------------------------

how it was such a good 6 months. looking back you should have seen the way you guys would only hang out around the night or weekdays. 

how he wouldn't hold your hand in school or only be affection around the team.

and how you guys weren't exactly official, never asked you officially to be his but hey because of the memories spent together you thought of course your his and he’s yours.

you first saw her when she came through the doors, holding his notebook as she apologized but nevertheless gave him a smile and he gave one back. she was pretty- like really pretty. 

pretty blue eyes, blonde long hair, beautiful body.

“so this is what overthinking feels like huh,” you mumbled as you shook your head and went back to setting the net up.

after practice you and suna as always walked home 

you guys decided to take a detour heading to your park where many memories were made. 

“hey rin,” you asked as you looked over the river that was by the bridge. “yes love?,” he replied. “what are we?,” you asked him.

please say im yours...

“well your younger than me, i want you to be mines and you already are, always and forever sooo how about this,” he turned to look at you and bent down so his head was right at yours. “when you become a 2nd year and get your driver's license we can officially be together yeah? i'll get down on one knee and ask you to be mine,” he rolled his eyes as you giggled. 

he stuck out his pinkie and you stuck out yours. “you’ll wait for me?,” you said.

he wrapped his pinkie around yours, “always, make sure you just don't crash don't want you dying before your mine but yes i promise i will wait for you l/n,” suna smiled grabbing you and pulling you in for a kiss. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

finals came up and yes you and suna got distant due to you studying, yet you weren't nervous you were excited to finally walk down the halls holding his hand.

looking back you should have seen the signs of him not texting you often or wanting to help you, you shrugged it off maybe he was struggling in some classes too.

finally the day was here, texting osamu all morning about how you would pick them up for school so you can show off to suna. 

laughing driving up to school with the twins, you got out the car and seeing suna’s back against one of the walls

 you were about to call out for him until you saw her again. this time she was wearing the burgundy hoodie, and he was the one holding her hand. he was smiling? the smile he gave you specifically to you he was giving to her. 

tears filled your eyes. 

“y/n chan.. i’m-” , “its okay atsumu just get to class okay?,” you turned around hand shaking as you hold your keys, tears spilling down your eyes. “i'm going to be okay,” you smiled. “no, you’re crying,” 

“i said i’m okay, i’m just going to leave,” you said running to your car and getting the fuck outta there. 

leaving you saw atsumu go up to suna and scream at him. 

your heart felt like it was being pulled, this can’t be real? 

you headed home, slamming your door and falling to the ground, how could you rin? 

flashes of him and her passed your mind seeing how happy he was. 

you looked underneath and saw a photo on the ground. your grabbed it and sat on your bed, it was you and him in a photobooth smiling and then kissing. underneath in his handwriting he wrote “my love always and forever,”

you felt like throwing up, so this is what heartbreak feels like. 

you were hurt mad even at the fact that before anything was able to happen it was already ruined. you cried yourself to sleep wanting to ignore the pain/

---------------------------------------------------------

you woke up around 9 p.m, you were confused but remembered all that happened today

“so that wasn't a horrible dream?,” you tried to laugh it out but really couldn’t.

you needed fresh air, you changed into sweatpants and a baggy shirt.

going for a drive blasting music, you didn’t know where you were going but you just needed to feel the air flowing past you. you stopped at the red light, everything was getting blurry tears now leaving as you hit the steering wheel. 

you kept driving and ending up parking in this neighborhood, being very familiar but automatically knowing where you ended up. you looked to your right and saw his house.

you were about to get off trying to get closure you said, needing answers still trying to doubt everything and thinking maybe this was a horrible joke from the twins and him but then you got all the closure you needed. seeing as the door opened revealing the girl coming out.

your heart dropped seeing how happy they were and dare you say actually look good together. he smiled down at her and grabbed her for a kiss. 

you gasped as a heart wrenching sob escaped your lips, she walked away as he never took his eyes off her figure.

that was me.

 he then looked turning his head and made eye contact with you, you just silently laughed as you shook your head at him and turned on the car leaving. “y/n wait!,” you heard him say as you left.

you headed to the small park and sat in the slide looking up as you laid down and finally let everything out. “never knew your waiting was just a short trial did i have to pay for millions of hours?,” you cried as you looked up in the sky seeing your memories replay in your head

‘Cause how could I ever love someone else’ And I know we weren't perfect but I've never felt this way for no one

And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay now that I'm gone Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me 'Cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street’

your phone dinged as you look who texted you

suna rin: y/n we need to talk... suna rin: please, i am so so sorry just hear me out. suna rin: i really did wait i just, please let's just meet up.

you texted back 

“im really happy for you suna, goodbye rintarou.”

you then deleted his contact as you took a deep breathe and sat up.

“i still see your face

In the white cars”

you grabbed your head, “was i not good enough?,” 

“We crossed I still hear your voice In the traffic We're laughing”

flash back

“you know i think we're meant to be,” suna said from your bed as you were on your laptop finishing some things. “wow such a hopeless romantic,” you smiled at him as you were putting back your earphones. “just maybe right person wrong time,” he said softly. you looked back at him, “i'm sorry did you say something,” you asked him. he just shook his head, “nothing i was just saying your a nerd,” he said as he threw a pillow at your face. “you know what,” you got up and jumped on top of him both laughing.

flashback over

‘God, I'm so blue Know we're through But I still fucking love you, babe’

you finally realized what he said, right person wrong timing 

you looked up at the cherry blossom tree and softly smiled

“your right suna we really were meant to be just right person, wrong time.”

i guess not every love story is meant to be complete.

the end.

[black-bhabie-2000]

Hii! I would like to request accidental stimulation in public by fem reader (may be she doesn't pay much attention that time about this? Or u choose ) & and then may be the Guys get flustered about this and they try to get close & get some stimulation with their S/O till they get home and then we can go all NSFW 😛 with KENNY, CHIFUYU, BAJI, MITSUYA please ♡♡ thank you for your time. Have a greattt day☆ xo

I hope I had the right idea with this.. thank you for being my first ask and sorry if it isn't right I did the ones I know and I hope you request again..

Mitsuya

You and Mitsuya have been dating for a while and you've gotten to see every side of him. Including what he's like outside of his Toman persona but you guys were about to hit an even bigger milestone. He invited you to his house. You were brimming with excitement. You stopped at his club after school to walk with him. He spotted you " Just a sec babe, alright make sure to not hurt yourselves and anything you mews up let me know so I can help you tomorrow. " with that He grabbed his stuff and grabbed your hand pulling you alongside him. The walk to his house wasn't long. You guys walked in and changed to his slippers and he led you to his room. "Feel free to look around." He said with a smirk. You laughed " How did you know !" He smiled and closed the door. You waited to see if he was going to com back in and he didn't. So you started snooping. The first thing was dirty magazines but sadly he hide them to well but you came across something better. In his closet was a bag with your name on it. What else could you do but open it and inside was the prettiest dress you've ever seen. You immediately stripped not paying attention to the door that was slowly opening and started putting on the dress. Once on you realized it really emphasized you curves and was a little too tight in certain areas. The whole time your tugging and trying to make it fit right. Your boyfriend is on the floor watching the show your putting on. " Wow you look hot babe" you turned around flushed and embarrassed. You forgot he would eventually come in. " You look very sexy in the clothes I made for you but it looks like it needs some adjustments " he smirked and stood up slowly walking to you. Your body moving backwards till your against the wall . Mitsuya leans in his hair tickling the side of your face. He grabs your side his right hand slowly sliding down your back and he whispers in your ear. " We're going to have to rip this off and start from scratch ." Let's just say you reached more than one milestone that day and Mitsuya makes you wear the clothes he designs on dates.

Baji

You and Baji have been in the same class for 2 years and yes yall both dumber than a bag of rocks. Only thing is you were more popular because of how cute your actions were. While baji was just weird. You asked Baji out and much to your surprise he said yes. You didn't know about Toman or that he looked like out of school until he asked you on a date to an amusement park. He told you his gang was going to be there and you excited about going on your first date pulled all the stops. Im talking about cute thigh highs, brand new skirt with a baby doll top that showed off your rack quite nicely 😏. Your makeup was beat in and you snuck into your older sisters makeup for the spray that would make sure your face wouldn't melt. Your accessories showed off you curvy and cute form. You hadn't seen Baji after-school and neither had he seen you. So you arrive at your meeting spot and couldn't see him. So you waited. You hadn't noticed the group of boys next to the fountain you walked past or kept circling. Draken called attention to you first with a nod in your direction "she's cute '

Takemitchy gasped "don't say that what about Emily " Draken laughed "like Mikey would let me date his sister " Mikey silently smiled to himself ready to go into the amusement park cause he was hungry. "Baji how long is your girlfriend gonna take, we've been out here for 20 minutes " Mikey whined. I don't know man she said she was here maybe I should call her ?" Baji responded. "You should've called her in the first place" chifuyu replied. Baji typed in your number and flipped chifuyu off with lead int the guys chuckling. You had hit the roundabout and stopped in your tracks a few feet in front of the boys. You picked up your phone in a hurry and answered it . You were kinda irritated " if you weren't going to be here , you shouldn't have wasted my time dumbass and hung up on him. Baji ofc looking at you and also stunned that you cussed at didn't say a word. Better yet all the boys were looking at you because one there was no way Baji pulled a baddy like you and two did you just cuss him out. You were Bout to storm off . When Baji caught your arm and spun you around, pulling you into him. You were shocked cause one wo to was this hot ass stranger and why was he so close. You went to yell at him and " hey babe if I knew you were going to get all filled up. I wouldn't have invited the gang and 'he leans I a little too close ' we could've went to my place for a study Date. He said gazing deep in your eyes and you knew exactly what he meant and it was for sure not studying. You pulled back half in shock cause you recognized his voice anywhere and damn you got lucky. You slapped Bajis chest ' hmph show me your friends dummy and walked away. Baji chuckling behind you , slyly gripping your hand. " Hey Draken the hot babes mine "

DRAKEN (kenny)

It was a comfy afternoon , the sky was gray and it was raining true peace. Well as peaceful as it gets in the red light district. You followed Draken all the way to his house and then hid when he got out. You walked around till you met the front desk clerksman and he recognized you. Though you didn't know how . He offered you some tea and led you to Drakens room. " I don't know when he'll be back and I'm not calling him so stay comfortable " he shut the door and left . You were in Drakens room your excitement trumping your guilt because you followed your boyfriend outta jealously. " It's so neat in here" you announce to yourself in a slight mischievous tone. Looking around cautiously you start to what any girl in her boyfriend would do . Look for evidence, not bad evidence but evidence. You had been strategically Looking and putting everything back in its place just in case he might get upset with you for Looking through his stuff. You did find a porn Magazine that showed you why he was dating you. You fit the body type of the page with white residue on it to a T . I mean her ass was a bit bigger but hey what's a girl to do. You had now moved on to store i.e. his closet . You opened and marveled at how many of those damn black and white jackets he has like damn Boi buy another color shit. You now completely forgotten you are trespassing cause your boyfriend doesn't know you are there. You start to strip and try on his clothes. Draken was making his way home it was still light outside and plus he needed to Chang into his toman uniform because Mikey wanted to meet up tonight. He was in the building heading up the elevators. Wondering why he hasn't heard from you all day. TF were you doing 😒, were you mad at him. He doesn't really know or care . He's just pissed you hadn't texted him all day. "I'm going to punish that brat next time I see her 😏" the elevator door opened and he stepped off with a pep in his step to change a little faster and head to your house and mess with you before the meeting. He walked up to the desk .

You had lost track of all time and now was getting ballsy. You half naked was about to put on his toman uniform. All your sanity is apparently out the Window cause you are giggle Loud as fuck. Your couldn't fit the pants but his jacket and boots fit nice and the way your ass looked hanging out the bottom of the jacket oof girl, you left it open revealing your bust just enough and you had your hair in a pony tail trying to mimick your boyfriends hair. ' I'm Draken and Mikey is my leader and son and if you wanna hurt him you gotta fight mee grrr"... you had your fist up and a very sad attempt of a bad ass face. You currently fake fighting and giggling like an idiot had no idea Draken had been watching you since you put your hair in the pony tail. (Stealthy bitch) you turn around doing a bad ass kick and scream and dive to his bed and cover yourself up. " WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE. YOU DIDN'T CALL OR TELL ME YOU WERE COMING " Draken laughed " Sweetcheeks this is my room' he approached the bed and ripped the covers off of you. You squirmed away from him till your head hit the wall. Giving Draken enough Time to place himself over you." Well hey there babe , you look pretty sexy in my uniform " his hand trailing up the side of your thigh. " I have 1 and 45 before the Toman meeting that's enough time to show you my bad ass skills huh sweetcheeks" you gasped .......... Draken was very late to the meeting that day and your brother was pissed when you went home the next day but shit that was the best sleep you ever had 😏😏😏😉🤷🏿‍♀️

[slashingdisneypasta]

Ram Sweeney x Reader || Headcanons

Topic: Dating HC's

Notes:

*Sigh*... I write regularly write for creeps like Freddy Krueger and Offenderman... and am one of the few tumblrs that write for Sheriff Hoyt romantically... and yet Kurt and Ram are my real guilty pleasure characters.

Anyway I hope someone other then me wanted this XDD I'm gonna do a Kurt one too.

Warnings: Some NSFW but not explicit.

Your song: The Way I Loved You (Taylor Swift)

He respects my space and never makes me wait

And he calls exactly when he says he will

He's close to my mother, talks business with my father

He's charming and endearing and I'm comfortable

...

But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain

And it's 2:00 a.m. and I'm cursing your name

So in love that you act insane

And that's the way I loved you

Breakin' down and coming undone

It's a roller coaster kinda rush

And I never knew I could feel that much

And that's the way I loved you

You two as a TV/Movie/Book couple: Bianca Piper and Wesley Rush (The DUFF)

Having the kind of relationship that no one else understands at all. Like, you have nothing in commen except commen history and your feelings for each other (Which are, on the other hand, totally clear to everyone) but when you're together you're always laughing and being affectionate.

Being in an on and off relationship throughout middle school and highschool- but never and I repeat; Never, is anyone permitted to mess with you at all. Because Ram always considers you his, even when you arent together.

So yeah, you always have 2 (Ram, and Kurt) large football star bodyguards at your disposal.

Being very playful together.

SOOOOoooooo much PDA. Including: Making out in the hallways and at school events like football games (You dont care who sees), sitting in his lap or at least squished close to his side at lunch, him throwing you over his shoulder to carry you places, him giving you piggy back rides, him picking you up and twirling you around, him just standing behind you with his arms around your waist and his chin rested on your shoulder when he's bored (With everything but you), his arm being over your shoulders as you walk together, you wiping peanut butter on his nose to get a rise out of him and then running away so he'll chase you, you peppering his face with kisses to make him laugh, etc.

Having a turbulent relationship. Because while, when all is well you two are like peanut butter and jelly and seem like the perfect highschool sweethearts, when you arent it's because Ram has gotten really jealous over something and called you a terrible name (Skank, whore, slut, bitch- any of those) or you understandably got irritated by his bullying and/or being a perverted, sexist asshole and you have huge, blow out fights in the middle of school and by the end of the period the whole student body knows about it.

You give him the silent treatment and the cold shoulder after those (If you didnt break up, that is) and he sends Kurt to give you messages.

When you make up its because he sincerely apologises although he doesn't 100% understand what he did wrong which becomes part of the next fight.

As you've been together so very long, he is basically part of your fucking family. He's so familiar and casual with your parent/s and/or sibling/s. They love him so much that, whether you're with him at the time or not, they allow him into the house and your bedroom with a cup of tea and snacks. (Its the 'American dream' popular-boy / football-star thing.)

So yeah, sometimes when you're mad at him or he wants to get back together (Which generally you want to do, to. You honestly have the same biological timer. Its like, 3 weeks pass by of being broken up and then ding ding ding! You both get the feelings its time to get back together and start sharing grins in the hallway and talking to your friends about eachother) you'll just find him waiting for you in your room when you come home.

Hanging out a looooooot with Kurt. Movie nights at your place, hanging out at the mall together on weekends sneaking out to see them at the football field at night time, etc. When you're sad, they'll both turn up wherever you are to cheer you up, too! Goofballs.

This does not mean there arent times where Ram shoo's Kurt off, though, when you two want some alone time together (*Eyebrow wiggles*) because of course. I'm just saying, you're a close-knit group.

When you are alone together, not much changes from when you're around others honestly XD You're still just as playful and affectionate. You just, you know, also have sex.

When he's down, you rusk your graceful image and climb through his bedroom window to be there with him. You dont fuck, you dont even really kiss. You just climb into bed with him and he'll tuck you under his chin and close his eyes. Legit old married couple. And you two sleep- by morning, he usually feels better and refuses to let you get out of bed with him.

"Five more minutessssss, babe!" He whines, holding you against him and pressing kisses to your head. You know he'll just say that again in 5 minutes time- and over, and over, and over again.

"Oh- no. I've been caught in this trap before Ram. We have school, so we have to get up. Come on!" You push firmly at his stomach (or abs) with your fists; not that that does much as he just just groans or gathers your little wrists in one big fist to stop you (Either way he certainly doesn't even flinch). His eyes are still closed. You sigh.

Now you have two choices, you can either give in and snuggle back into him for the rest of the morning, or threaten to send an attack towards his groin and he'll literally fling himself outta bed. Like "OH LOOK AT THE TIME- Kurt's gonna be waiting for us outside. Lets go!"

There are also mornings that you wake up with him (No sad Ram the night before necessary) and are all too happy to stay there with him. You just adorably nod into his chest, eyes still closed and making the cutest half-asleep morning sound when he asks if you wanna stay here a bit longer and he happily pulls the blanket over both your heads; shielding you both from the real world for a while.

OKAY MOVING ON FROM THAT FLUFFINESS.

You are also the only person who has any sort of control over him and Kurt. Like you can take them down a few pegs with just a look.

You two do date other people when you're broken up but its clear to anyone watching that these are just nice place holders for eachother. Neither of you are ever as happy with others as you are with eachother. You're ridiculously in love, actually.

Ypu were the first one to say I Love You, and he immediately called Kurt for guidance XD

Places you've had sex (Because it is always the full monty with Ram): Both your bedrooms so so so many times, the school bathrooms, his car, Kurts car (Kurt was NOT pleased.), the back of the football field, under the bleachers during a game or pep rally (he was benched for being too violent) + under the bleachers during practise + under the bleachers when the football field is deserted, the back of the school, the faculty parking lot at school, Kurts and Heather Chandler's houses (Parties. Basically a Westerburg High party is not complete without Y/N L/N and Ram Sweeney breaking in someones bed), his parent's car, the woods, cow pasture (a picnic blanket was used), and finally some mall changing rooms.

You leave him messages on his answering machine. He listens to every one of them (Which means something because he doesnt listen to anyone elses, unless he's gotta get through them to get to yours).

Him being SUCH a jealous asshole (With everyone except Kurt).

HIM STANDING UP TO THE HEATHERS FOR YOU.

#PromKingAndQueen

Having Kurt "Smartest guy on the football team," Kelly be your (Occasionally, live in- yes, he has slept over with the two of you on the floor so he could break up fights) couples councellor. Often his advice is 'fuck it out' but he also comes up with oddly wise shit sometimes. Mostly he's just very exasperated though. Like, its obvious you two are gonna end up together- stop bothering me with this shit. Let me get some pussy for myself guys please-

You two getting a bit frisky on movie nights with Kurt and he throws stuff at you. He just starts bringing a pool noodle (That he drew an angry face onto) along with him and hitting y'all with it whenever he feels its necessary. Cuz I mean, on one hand, of course he's happy for his bro Ram that he's getting his dick wet, but on the other- ITS FUCKIN MOVIE NIGHT, PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER FOR T W O S E C O N D S (Oh the irony- it does indeed escape him). He'll park his ass right in the middle of you two if you keep it up.

If he had survived, you and Ram would have broken up after graduation and spent college apart, before bumping into each other again back home as new (Improved. Especially him) people that fit together better now and ended up getting back together for good.

[alfredosauce50]

What makes me human [Cyberpunk! America x reader] 11

Wordcount: 5,150 Rating: M for strong language, ideologically sensitive and mature themes, gore “In a society that normalizes cybernetic enhancements, many forget what it is to be human. He never did.” Chapter synopsis: Allen and Arthur race to find you both, but it proves to be harder without knowing your whereabouts. Meanwhile, you've successfully helped Alfred find the chip. Before leaving, you have a long-awaited conversation with your father to realize he's more insane than you thought. The reader is referred to as she/her.

Songs to listen to while you read (in order as found in playlist): Cyberninja,  Trouble finds trouble, Tower Lockdown, Me!Me!Me!, Pt. 2, Him & I (with Halsey), Atlantis. I have indented song titles throughout the chapter so you can change accordingly. Starting now:

Cyberninja

Before Arthur could even buckle himself in, Allen rammed his foot into the gas pedal. He was thrown back in a violent manner, and hit his head against the headrest. But the mechanic never complained. He looked stressed enough as is, continually scanning the road while murmuring to himself as if he’d really gone mad. “Hell, that motherfucker could be anywhere in the whole fucking city right now.” He hissed, pulling out of the driveway and into the main road.

“We can’t call him. Track him. Nothing. Same goes for (F/N). They’re off the map.” Turning to his companion numerous times in distress, he sped through the streets, though he had no particular destination in mind.

The indicator clicked. Allen cursed at the car in front of them, but never made a move to overtake. As Arthur became overwhelmed by these stimulants, he opened his mouth, defeated. “If you’re in such a hurry, why--why bother following traffic rules? You never have before, so why now?” He asked with a shake of the head, earning a loud scoff from the other.

The car windows glowed with a flurry of pinks and purples as they moved closer to the commercial district. They were near their first stop.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t give a damn if I didn’t have to.” The whites of his eyes reflected a mosaic of color as he never looked away from the road. “But that was when I was working for my boss. I had protection. I could do a hit and run if I wanted, and without the running part.” The redhead breathed. Then, he stuck his head out of the window with a huff. Immediately, he was choked by the city smog, and deafened by the blaring of car horns.

“Friggen’ prick...” He flipped off the driver in front of him. Sitting back into his seat, he flashed Arthur a grin, though the man couldn’t return the energy.

“Did you get fired? Or did you quit?” This wasn’t the best time to ask about the past, but he had been dying to know why he wound up half-dead on his doorstep. So what better a time to do it than now?

“I quit.” Allen answered point-blank. “Old man didn’t take it well. Decided to kill me. Didn’t.” Slowing the vehicle, they arrived at a parking-lot surrounded by backdoors of multiple piss-poor establishments. One of which was illuminated by a flickering red neon sign that read ‘no-tell motel’.

“He thinks I’m dead, so the rest of the city has to think that too.”

Arthur gawked at him. “That makes you no better than a fugitive! And it’s not just anybody after you--Allen, he’ll kill you when he finds out you’re still alive!”

“And that’s why he won’t find out.” Tapping the side of his neck for a flap to open, the said man slotted a small disk inside. “Disables cybernetic upgrades in a twenty foot radius. Means I can’t use mine, but it stops other people from figuring out who I am.” He dug through one of the compartments for a muffler, which he wrapped around the bottom half of his face.

What he did next was alarming, however. Sticking his hand further in, he pulled out a gun and cocked it.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are you doing--!?” Arthur exclaimed, fumbling with a face mask Allen tossed his way. He didn’t see a silencer anywhere either. “If I can call the police without any upgrades, so can everyone else!”

His statement couldn’t ring any truer, and yet, it never slowed down the other’s movements as he climbed out of the car. Unsatisfied by his silence, he wound up getting out to follow him. “Oi, say something! At least let me know you’re not gonna shoot up a restaurant!” Whispering that part out, he had to speed up a few steps to catch up with the man, now marching to the backdoor of a motel.

“Put the mask on.” Allen murmured without sparing him a single glance. But he paused briefly to process what he said. “... A motel, you mean. But I’m hoping we won’t have to resort to that.”

Arthur’s eyes went round. “You were considering--”

He could share the desperation to save Alfred’s life, but he had a hard time following how. Shooting up a motel? What was he thinking?

“Yes.” Attaching his hand to the door, it creaked open. Before Allen took another step, he faced him with a serious glower. “Now when we get inside, I want you to walk up to the receptionist. He’s programmed to greet you. Ask him for a room, and while you do, I’ll approach him from behind and deactivate him. Kapeesh?”

But then again, he was in the dark here. Arthur hadn’t the slightest clue on what Alfred’s circumstances were, as mysterious as the man was, so he had no idea how he was on the verge of dying.

So naturally, he wouldn’t know how to save him either.

But he trusted Allen to know what to do.

“... Alright. You better not make me regret this, you tyke.” 

“You can call me anything you want, just not that. I’m not a kid anymore.” Those words would become apparent as they walked inside, where their plan went by without a hitch. They heard the automated voice of superficial kindness, which stopped abruptly to the sound of an android powering off. Its body fell to the ground to reveal Allen standing behind. Without wasting a second, he leaned over and typed furiously on the keyboard of the computer.

Trouble finds trouble

“Lemme see if this has a log of everybody who came by...” A few moments later, he started nodding at what he saw. “Bingo...” On their private encrypted server, stored the history of all the guests who booked a night. “Well, what do you know... Alfred checked out two days ago. But he’s on the move.” Pulling away to stand up straight, he jogged over to the exit.

“Even if someone tried to look for him in one a’ these places, he’d have to get behind the reception and do exactly what I did.” This someone referred to Matsumoto, but death already followed Alfred wherever he went. Not that Alfred knew that. “The perks of a no-tell motel. Even if they reek of piss, so long as there’s crime, they’ll never go out of business.” He beckoned Arthur to follow him with a tilt of the head. 

“One down, twenty-seven more to go. And that’s only in the direction he’s going... And under the assumption he’s only staying at these motels. So, uh, let’s hope he didn’t try to be too unpredictable.” 

The Brit huffed. This wasn’t going to be easy. 

“I think he’d be predictable to do that if you asked me.” He murmured. “But you call the shots. I’ll just be... Moral support.” 

Allen already disappeared out the door, but his head poked into the doorframe at that. “Nah. You have the most important job outta’ the both of us.” 

That was right. He didn’t tell him yet. He really should’ve a while ago, but he got caught up in the chase. 

“Whether you remove a chip from his head or not will determine if he lives or not.” 

Arthur paled. 

“He’s the guy my boss wanted me to kill. Remember the dude I told you about? The one who tried to steal a prototype chip three years ago?” Now that he mentioned it, he recalled the conversation a few weeks ago. But wait a minute. 

The mechanic felt his face scrunch up as he was hit with a major epiphany. That was Alfred? The terrorist Allen had been updating him about? He was the man who tore up three floors of the headquarters of Matsumoto Optics, and simultaneously, the same customer he had been serving for the last few years.

Before he could even process his shock, he was presented with even more appalling information. 

“He stole it this time. That’s what he and (F/N) disappeared to do. But now that it’s in his head, it’ll overwrite his consciousness until he’s a fucking vegetable.” 

Arthur was horrified. “Then why would he even--” 

“Because he doesn’t know.” Allen cut in with a grim expression. “He thought the chip was supposed to give him immortality, so he wanted to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Like my boss. But no. It’s the opposite. It was all a ploy to kill him.” At this point, the blonde was at loss for words. As a doctor and mechanic, he was quite frankly terrified of how devilishly clever Matsumoto was. But he couldn’t expect any less from him, could he?

They made it back to the car, and he could only stare aimlessly out the windshield, paralyzed. 

“That’s why we need you.” He heard him say. Turning to the man, albeit slowly, he felt a hand slap down on his shoulder. Allen gave him a lopsided grin. “You’re the smartest guy I know, second to my boss. You were always great at fixing stuff. Cars, enhancements, people--so what’s a mixture of all three?”

Arthur dug a hand through his hair stressfully. “... You’re kidding.” And yet, he already knew he was on board. “... Are you calling him a car?” 

The other flattened his lips. “... He technically could be.” 

“Just to be clear, I fucking hate you.” 

Allen laughed. “Sure.”

“But otherwise, we’re wasting time.” He couldn’t believe the words falling from his lips. This was really happening, wasn’t it? After taking him in as an apprentice for his auto shop, the roles were finally reversed. He no longer took charge as the teacher. Or rather, he became the student caught up in the most difficult assignment yet. Having a taste of Allen’s work. 

“That’s what I’m talking about!” 

***

Tower Lockdown

You had all the reasons in the world to be anxious coming home. 

On top of worrying over Alfred, who had hundreds of trained assassins coming at him all at once, during every minute of the heist, you had to face an aspect of reality you avoided until now. You were in the building, and he had already stolen the chip. It was slotted comfortably in his head, ready to leave the premises.

 How come your father never appeared? Was he really just going to let you go just like that?

But the real question was this--should you stay or leave? 

Yes, you hardly approved of anything he’d done. Done to the world like Alfred always mentioned, and to Alfred himself. But you weren’t prepared to abandon him yet. He was still your father, and the only family you had. If you had to make a decision, you needed some closure. If not, a discussion. 

And you expected him to give it to you as the least he could do. 

As Alfred stood among a pile of dead bodies bathing in red, his mantis blades trembled against a katana blade. Even with his hands full, he made the time to check on you. “(F/N)! Stay away from walls! Just hang on for a second longer!” He shouted, turning to you briefly before diverting his attention back to his opponent. “We’re nearly home free!” 

Pulling away to give him a swift jab in the chest, blood sprayed onto his face, but he wasn’t fazed.

What did, however, was the sight of you being thrown over the shoulder of one of the bodyguards. Color drained from his face and he burst into a sprint. 

“(F/N)! No!” Watching you disappear into an elevator, he slammed right into the closing metal doors. “Fuck!” He slammed his fist against them to hear a loud bang. Before he could linger too long, he hastily made his way to a door adjacent. The emergency stairs would take a hell lot longer, but as if he’d wait for the elevator to come back down. 

Even if he needed to climb up a hundred flights to get to you, he would--all the way to the penthouse where Matsumoto was. 

When those men approached you, there was no struggle on your end. You knew where they were going to take you. And you wanted them to. It could even be said you were relieved, because that meant your father was thinking of you. After a minute or so, the soft whirring fell silent, followed by a soft ‘ding’. 

They moved outside the elevator, and after a few steps, they set you down on your feet. Right in the middle of your father’s office. At the very end behind a desk sat the man himself, and he was eyeing you with an unreadable expression. Upon returning his stare, came an onslaught of emotions. But the most prominent was incapacitating anxiety.

Even as his daughter, you could never see through him. He was impossible to read. So you had no idea what to expect. 

“Dad... We need to talk.” You began, walking up to him warily. This was what you wished for at the start, cried for, even. To return home. And yet, the nervous pounding in your chest seemed to worsen with every step you took. It was jarring to confront how much had changed since then. So while you barely managed any words, you were already overwhelmed, struggling to choke back tears. 

“For once, I need to know what you’re thinking.” 

He inhaled deeply before responding. “I was under the same impression that we’d have this conversation.” Standing up from his chair, he furrowed his brows at the sight of you clenching the fabric of your pants. “Don’t look so nervous, child. You haven’t done anything to anger or disappoint me.” Reaching out to your head, he settled a hand on it. 

“... Really?” You whispered out. Hearing his assurances calmed you down a touch. But when you saw the forlorn gaze he cast down at you, your heart was crushed. “... Dad?”

Me!Me!Me!, Pt.2

Any existing contempt for him melted away just like that, but you weren’t upset at yourself for it. Your father hardly expressed any emotion besides calm indifference. And when he did, it always felt like the world was ending. 

“I’m the one who deserves your anger.” He clarified, lowering his hands to your shoulders. “I’ve left you by yourself for far too long, (F/N). I hope you don’t hold it against me that you had to come home yourself.” You hung your head, unable to meet his saddened gray eyes. If you were to hold a grudge at him for it, you’d start by avoiding his gaze. “And I understand why you would’ve wanted to help him. He has a way with words, and a naïve sense of justice. But it’s a warped perception of reality.”  

You’d hate to admit it, but no matter how cruel he seemed to be, there was a method to his madness. 

And you were perhaps the only person in the world to know it. 

That was why you were so torn. Torn between hating him and understanding him. After all, you couldn’t have both. “You can’t blame him after what you did to him.” Glancing up at that, you felt bile rise in your throat. Then, your vision blurred. “I don’t know what you’re aiming for--for this company, and this world. But you can’t expect him to accept this world you created when you stole him from his. He had a life!” 

Staring at him through hot tears, he breathed out a soft sigh before rubbing them away with a swipe of the thumb. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness. And I won’t expect you to forgive me even after telling you the reasons for my actions.”  

He pulled away from you to begin walking back to his desk, but not to sit down. Instead, he stood by the window to watch the blinking lights of skyscrapers and small moving dots of cars on the streets. “In a society that normalizes cybernetic enhancements, many forget what it is to be human. He never did. So of course, he would reject the idea of immortality. The destruction of the most human quality there is.” 

He paused briefly to scan the landscape.

“Mortality. One’s inevitable end gives everything they do meaning.” 

Wrinkles creased between your brows. It was confusing to hear him speak so highly of death, frustrating, even. Wasn’t he the one investing billions into correcting it like a flaw? “If that’s what you really think, then why? Why would you make something that would take that all away?” 

He held his hands behind his back. “To serve the greater good. A sacrifice, if you will.” The man turned to you, this time with a serious glower. “Alfred thinks I would commercialize it. Sell it to the public. But he’s wrong. Immortality will only be available to the leaders of the world.”

By leaders, you could only assume he meant people like him. Not politicians, but business men and women. Company owners. The most powerful forces of the present. “The inability to die is a curse. You never move on because you’re still breathing. But that may be just what the world needs. Stagnation. An absence of change.” 

It was daunting to know this man was your father. You couldn’t say you were born with half as many of these attributes he had. Intelligence was easily passed down, but there was something else written in his genes you could never dream of having. “With every passing year, decade, and century, humanity frays like a rope. Society continues to deteriorate... All until self-destruction becomes a matter of time.” Facing the window again, he scanned the impressive architecture he was proud to call his own. And it looked as pristine as it did yesterday. 

“The only way to stop this was to take control of it myself. And that’s how I came to found this company. I’ve found a way to govern the people. To invest in science as the world’s last and only hope. But it’s a job that will last eons, so I was prepared to do it until the end of time.” 

He was right in saying that society was inevitably doomed with the direction it was heading. That technology was the only solution, along with a world government. Matsumoto Optics. A cosmocracy with jurisdiction over the whole planet. There would be no wars. No conflict. And with only one state to call the shots, things could be done so much faster on a global scale. 

It was a radical concept to grasp, but you couldn’t say there was no logic to it. “Alfred was meant to do it with me. To reincarnate again and again as my closest aide on my quest to preserve the world. But he ended up being the opposite. My foil.” Matsumoto shook his head. “Alfred is a nostalgic soul. He’s too attached to the past. But the way of the old can never last with how fast it makes the world burn. Even if he realized that, he would want to exact revenge on me after what I’ve done to him.” 

“So before he destroys everything I’ve created, I have to destroy him first.” 

Him & I (with Halsey)

You tensed up all over, but before you could ask him what he meant by destroy, the doors burst open. The very subject of the conversation had appeared, and just in time for the conclusion of it. His arrival caught you completely off guard, successfully derailing your train of thought, but your father merely acknowledged his arrival. “Ah. Speak of the devil.” 

“Speak for yourself, you fucking demon.” He spat, marching over to your side to pull you into his chest. Immediately putting his hands all over your face, he was riddled with concern as he inspected you. “You okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you in time. What are you still doing here? C’mon, let’s go.” While he reached down to your hand to lead you away, you stayed put. 

As relieved as you were to see him here, you couldn’t follow him out yet. You gave his hand a squeeze, then a soft smile of reassurance. Then, you turned to your father. 

This time, you held him in a firm stare. 

“Even if everyone thinks you’re crazy, I always knew you’d have some kind of justification for everything.” You started. Little did you know, you would take back this statement in the very near future. “But I can’t forgive you for what you did to Alfred. He never ended up doing anything you wanted him to, so giving him all those adjustments was pointless for you. But not for him. If you wanted to get rid of him, it wouldn't be easy.”

Matsumoto closed his eyes as if to agree. That was what you interpreted it as, at least. But unbeknownst to you, he was doing anything but. “I wouldn’t know what’s best for this world.” 

“But what I do know is that I won’t let you hurt him.” 

You spoke those words with a conviction so strong, Alfred’s eyes widened when he heard it. It wasn’t news you cared deeply for him, but to hear you say it to your father like that, and Matsumoto, no less, it made his mechanical heart pound more than he could fathom. You were actively disobeying him, a man you previously revolved your life around, for his sake. To say he was infatuated would be an understatement. 

You felt his grip on you tighten. 

“Say what you will, and I’ll respect your conviction. But I will come for him.” The bearded man murmured in a foreboding tone. A sinister light glinted in his dark gray irises. “And in the most unexpected way he could ever imagine. You will never want to see me again when that happens.” 

“If.” Your voice was a little strained. As much as you wanted to hate him and move on, you couldn’t. Every single fiber of your being was urging you to find a reason, any reason, to not despise the man who raised you. “If, dad. Because if you did, I really will never forgive you. I’ll hate you forever.” 

A grim expression contorted at his face. In his many decades on the planet, he’d never felt more dread. But one had to wonder if that was the right word. The regret had already arrived, because he’d already done something unforgivable. It was only a matter of time before you’d find out. “I’ve already done something to earn your unconditional hatred, child.” 

That was right. He’d killed Allen, your best friend and only other semblance of family in your life. And perhaps, the person you held the closest to your heart. “Soon, you will learn what it is. So I’ll let you leave today because you will never want to come back. I’d imagine that to be more… Convenient for you.” 

It was only your ignorance that blessed him this last moment. The last moment where you’d see him as your father with eyes unclouded by hatred. But it was short-lived. 

It didn’t take long for you to put two and two together, and in your short silence, you came to remember someone that had been gone for a while. Allen. 

Atlantis

You woke up in a cold sweat. For just one measly second as you oriented yourself, you weren’t tortured by a fury. Betrayal. Disgust. But it all came rushing back to you like the memories of that Godforsaken day you met with your father.

Sitting up with a deep frown, you felt heat build up around your face. It would be etched in your mind forever. The memory of Allen laying in the dump. Tossed out like a broken toy. Then, the stench of blood and rust as he was left for dead. 

You always knew your father was mad, but he kept on surprising you with how mad he was. Turning to the figure beside you, tears only overwhelmed your waterline to see his chest rise and fall steadily. 

He was still here. Alive and well. You could only hope the same for Allen.

It had been ten days since the heist. There hadn’t been a single sign of Matsumoto or his men, meaning Alfred really did do his research on the best places to hide. Climbing onto his form, you wound up laying on his chest. Then, you peered down at his sleeping face. 

As you got comfortable, you felt a smile creep onto your lips. If the you from a few months ago saw what you were doing, she’d be flabbergasted. Since when did you like him this much? 

Your cheeks grew a little rosy as you became self-aware of the position you were in. Full-on embarrassment hit you when he began to stir, but before you could get off of him, his eyes fluttered open. Uh oh. Now this warranted an explanation. 

For a second, he was confused, but when he saw that it was just you, he grinned lazily. “Morning, babe. Care to tell me why you’re not sleeping on your side of the bed?” 

He’d totally cornered you. And did he just call you babe? “Um... I, well... I woke up on you, so don’t get the wrong idea. I was just about to get off.” Sliding yourself off of him at that, you tried your damndest to simmer down. But he never gave you the chance. Rolling over to face you, he pulled you in around your waist much to your surprise. “Hey!” 

You never got around to pointing out that pet name, either. 

He caught you in a serious stare. “Don’t be so shy. We’re close, aren’t we?” Alfred was never one to beat around the bush. You knew that better than anyone, but that didn’t mean you were used to it. Lowering your head at that, you fixated on his chest. 

“... I guess so. That doesn’t mean I can sleep on you like that, though. And plus, it must’ve been uncomfortable.” 

“Nah. You’re light as hell.” He hummed. Sitting up with you on his lap, his statement became more apparent in how effortless he made it seem. “You’re like a few grapes, really. So don’t worry about it.” 

Why he chose to focus on that part of your argument was beyond you. Did he really not see anything wrong with what you were doing? Or maybe he did, and didn’t want to mention it. He’d been hugging you a lot lately the past week, but that wasn’t as deserving of your attention as spooning you while he slept. 

Wasn’t he pushing the envelope? It would make sense he was just trying to comfort you after your run-in with your father, and your discovery that he was the one who attempted to off your best friend. But wasn’t this a bit much? 

He wrapped his arms around your neck. There was nothing between you both, and yet, he was holding you like there was. Like you were his. 

"...” It was in his smile. It was different to how he always looked at you, as if there was finally something behind those electric blue irises. Something alive. Something hot. As you played around with the idea, you lit up like a Christmas tree and pushed his mouth away. “Don’t look at me like that.” 

Almost as if he read your mind, he relented. But only reluctantly. Picking you up from under your arms, he set you onto the mattress so he could get out of bed. Looking back at you over his shoulder, he gave your cheek an affectionate pinch. “Whatever you say. I’ll be back after a piss.” 

When he left the room, you were left to your own devices. As you brought your knees to your chest, you came to realize how tight it was. He’d only left for a few seconds, and you were already waiting for him to return. It was ridiculous to think about, but it was almost as if you missed him. Already.

Did spending all this time with him give you some kind of separation anxiety? 

Or was it something more? 

You couldn’t tell. 

The fact that he mentioned ‘I’ll be back’ suggested he was aware of your attachment to him. You buried your face into your knees. 

Turns out, you weren’t the only one having a hard time processing your feelings. 

When he disappeared into the bathroom, he pressed his back against the wall. Reaching up to his chest, he scrunched up a part of his shirt as the pounding in his heart subsided--his metaphorical one. Alfred didn’t think it was weird to find you on top of him like that, let alone dislike it. In fact, he loved it. It gave him a shred of hope that maybe, you did like him the way he liked you. 

But that didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t be with you. 

This was the fifth motel he’d been to after the heist. There was no saying he’d be dead by the end of the day. Not when your father was after his head. So he wasn’t about to start anything. That would be too selfish, even for him--though one had to wonder if ‘selfish’ could even describe him anymore. He was anything but. At least, for you he wasn’t. 

Alfred would only be proven right when he took a step towards the toilet. His vision started to glitch. Then, he lost his balance, falling over the sink and slamming his head against the mirror. “Fuck--!” Stumbling back onto his feet, he was engulfed in black for a few seconds. What the hell was going on? 

His bout of disorientation lasted for far too long to be normal.

Before he would start accepting the prospect of going blind, his vision returned. He thought he would celebrate that moment, but he forgot what he was even fussing about. What happened? Lowering his gaze to his hands, he stared at them for a while before looking back up. What was he doing here? Where was he? 

That was right. He was in a motel. With you. Running away from uncertain death. It took a minute or so to recall all of these things, and that was what alarmed him. It seemed like his body wasn’t accepting the chip very well. 

Temporary memory loss and blindness was just apart of the transition, right? 

Little did he know, it was anything but. 

Outside that very district sat two men in a car. Bags hung under their dull eyes as they scanned the streets as vigilantly as their sleep deprivation let them. It had been two days since they slept, but they wouldn’t rest until they found him. There were only four days until the damage was done.

If they didn’t get to the man before then, he would be as good as dead. 

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Bonus Chapter 3 (Joel Miller x Reader)

When Joel Realized He Was Gonna Marry (y/n)

The Last of Us Masterlist

The Last of Us Part 2 Masterlist

"Finally!" I groaned as I look at the clock and see that it was time for me to clock out. "Lucky!" Kelsey exclaimed at me and I chuckle. "Hey, we still up for girl's night tomorrow, right?" She asked me. "Of course!" I said. "Awesome! By the way, how's it been since you moved in with Joel?" Kelsey asked and I blush

It had been almost two years since Joel and I started dating and just a couple of months ago, he asked me to move in with him. And to say I was happy is an understatement. I feel like I'm on cloud 9!

Joel has been nothing but kind and loving towards me. I mean, sure we do get into some arguments here and there but nothing that was really bad. Usually, we would give each other space and within a few hours we say sorry and start to move on.

Sometimes I wonder what I did in my life to deserve him.

"It's been great!" I said to Kelsey as I go over to the clock and start to clock out. "See? You two have said I love you then you've moved in together and now the next step..." Kelsey said, smiling, then she starts to sing the Here Comes The Bride song and I chuckle.

"Is he coming to pick you up?" She asked me. "Yeah, he said he was getting off early today and Sarah's at a friend's house, so we're going to have the house to ourselves." I said, feeling my face warming up. "Oh I know what that means. Bow chika bow wow." Kelsey said, as she does a little dance, and I face palm at this.

"Dear God, Kelsey!" Our co-worker and friend, Nolan, said, exasperated. "Oh don't be such a prude, Nolan." Kelsey said. Nolan was a guy that was a couple years older than us and he's a pretty chill guy, until Kelsey makes comments like she just did.

"I'm not being a prude, it's just we're at work and people could walk in and hear you." Nolan said. "Hey, nobody's in here. Everyone's already left, it's just the three of us." Kelsey said as I grab my bag and sling it across my shoulder. 

"You sure you don't want to stay alittle longer, (y/n)? I don't want to be left alone with Kel for another couple hours." Nolan said, sarcasm dripping in his voice. Kelsey scoffs at this while I laugh. "Oh don't lie, Nolan! You love me!" She exclaims. "Love is such a strong word. How bout....I tolerate you." He said and he smirks and winks at me while I continue to giggle.

Kelsey places a hand over her out, pretending that broke her heart. "Oh Nolan! How could you? You're breaking my heart!" She said, dramatically, and I shake my head. "Okay you drama queens, before this gets too melodramatic, I'm heading out." I said and Nolan waves, vaguely, at me. "Get outta here you crazy thing!" He said and I nod at him then I look over at Kelsey, only to realize she had a shock look of horror.

"Kel? Everything okay?" I asked her, worriedly. She seemed too shock to say anything so I turn to see where she was looking and I gasped. Walking through the front doors was a familiar face with a mop of curly blonde hair atop of his head. His green eyes shined with happiness once he laid his sights on me.

"(Y/n)!" He said, happily. 

"Markus?" I said, shocked and confused.

"How are you?" He asked me, smiling. "I-I'm fine. Wh-what are y-you doing here?" I asked him, nervously. "I came to see you. I...I need to talk to you." Markus said and I raise an eyebrow at this. "Markus, she doesn't want to talk to you. So can you kindly fuck off!" Kelsey said and I turn to her and shake my head at her. "Kelsey." I said, warningly, and she looks at me with worry before she steps back.

"Yeah, Kelsey, this is nothing that concerns you. This is between me and (y/n)." Markus said and I sighed as I turn to him. "Markus, there's nothing to talk about. We're done." I said, firmly, just as I saw a familiar truck come up to the parking lot. 

"Please, (y/n), hear me out! I just...I just miss you!" Markus said as he walks closer to me. "I've been a mess since you've left me." He said. "Guess who's fault is that?" I said as I kept glancing out the window towards Joel's truck. "I know, I know...but I wanted to come to you and say...I'm sorry and I want for us to go back to the way things were. I want us to work again." He said and I groan at this.

"No, Markus. It's too late. I'm done with you." I said. "Now if you'll excuse me...." I said as I start to walk towards the front door but he steps in front of me. "Markus!" I said, exasperated. "I'm not giving up on you! Please, I missed you so much." He said as he tries to grab my hands but I back away from him. 

"Markus, please, I have to go. My boyfriend is here..." I said and Markus' eyes widen at this. "What? What did you say?" He asked me, shocked. "My boyfriend is here to pick me up and take me home." I said and he still looks at me, shocked. "What? Did you expect me to stay single forever?" I scoffed and I start to walk past him again but then he grabs my arm.

"Hey!" Kelsey exclaimed but Markus glares at her, making her stop, before he looks at me. "Markus, let go of me!" I said as I try to pull my arm out of his grip but he held onto it tighter. "You have a boyfriend?" He asked, still shocked but I could hear the underlying anger in his voice. "Markus, please! You're hurting me!" I said just as I hear the door open.

"Hey!" Joel's voice said as he walks in and shoves Markus away from me, making him let go of my arm, and stands in front of me, protectively. "Get away from her!" Joel said to him, firmly. "Who the hell are you?" Markus asked him, angrily. "Joel." Joel said. "Well, Joel...can you fuck off? I need to talk my girl." Markus said as he tries to walk towards me but Joel stays in front of me.

"She don't want to talk to. So leave her alone." Joel said, firmly. "Why the hell do you care?" Markus asked, angrily. "She's my girlfriend." Joel replied, as he stands like he's getting ready to fight, and Markus' eyes widen a bit as I grab Joel's arm. "Joel, please. He's not worth it." I said then Joel and Markus have a stare down before Markus scoffs. "Whatever."

Joel glares at him as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and begins to lead me out to the door. "That bitch ain’t worth my time anyways." Markus yells and Joel and I stopped in our tracks. Joel then turns as soon as he heard those words from Markus.

"What’d you say?!" Joel asked, angrily, as I pull him back. "Joel!" I said, warningly, but Markus decides to open his mouth. "I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been whoring around town and found someone like you. How much did you pay her? Or better yet, how is she—" Markus started to say and Joel punches him across the face.

"JOEL!" I shouted, fearfully, as I go to stand in front of Joel and place my hands on his chest while Nolan goes over to Markus and holds him back as it seemed he was about to fight back. "Stop, please!" I pleaded to Joel, who was glaring at Markus, before he looks down at me.

His eyes soften a bit but let's me lead him out of the shop and into his truck. Once I get in his truck, I fold my arms across my chest and look away from him as Joel gets into the driver's seat. "Honey, you okay?" He asked me, worriedly. "Fine." I said, flatly, as I look out the window. 

I hear Joel sigh and he drives the truck back to our house.

It was a quiet drive back to our newly shared home but I could feel the tension in the air between us. I was just so mad at Joel for attacking Markus after I told him not to.

Finally, we pulled up to the driveway and I un-buckle my seat belt and walk out of the truck without saying anything. "(Y/n), please don't act like this!" Joel called out to me as he comes up to me. I sighed and turned to him. "You didn't have to punch him, Joel." I said to him and he gives me a confused look.

"He called you a bitch and a whore. I couldn't let him get away with that!" Joel said. "And I told you that he wasn't worth it!" I said, my voice rising a bit. "Well, you're worth it." Joel said and I bite back a smile. "Joel...as grateful as I am for you standing up for me, you still shouldn't have hit Markus. I am definitely not worth all of the trouble." I said. "I mean, what if it got worse? How do you think Sarah would feel hearing that her father was sent to jail because he got into a fight?"

He stops then looks down as I shake my head again and walk towards the inside of the house. I go up into our shared bedroom and slam the door shut behind me, sit down on the edge and placed my hands over my face.

I know Joel was just being protective of me but...I was just angry and afraid that if he got into that fight with Markus, he would've gotten into worse trouble....and it would've been my fault.

So many things ran through my head of what ifs, like what if the cops were called and Joel got arrested. Or what if the fight got so bad one of them were seriously hurt or killed?!

I sat in our room for a few hours, just thinking over what happened until I decided to go down stairs. I walk into the living room to see Joel was nowhere around. Puzzled, I walk towards the kitchen and look over to my left and see Joel sitting in his study room just working on something.

I sighed then walk towards the kitchen and go to my little radio on the counter and flip it on. I look through the fridge to find something to cook for me and Joel. A few catchy songs came on and I ended up humming along as I started to cook.

As I started chopping up the vegetables, I feel a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist. I smirk a bit as I relax, realizing this was Joel. "I'm sorry. I-I should've listened to you when you told me to follow you. I was just...so angry when he called you those words. You deserve every good thing that comes your way, (y/n). And I didn't want him to come in and make you feel like you don't deserve the good things in life." He said as he leans his chin on my shoulder.

I sigh and set the knife down and placed my hands over his. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. I guess my anger towards you was more fearing at what could've happen to you more than anything. I mean...if Markus was okay to slap me across the face when we were dating, I couldn't imagine what he'd try to do to you." I said and Joel holds me tighter against him. "Plus seeing him again just....really freaked me out." I said and Joel hums a bit at this.

"How about both of us say sorry and we move on from this stupid fight." Joel said and I chuckled. "I'd like that." I said and he kisses my neck, slowly, and I lean my head back against his shoulder, relishing in the feeling of his lips on my skin.

Both of us sway from side to side to the music until a different song comes on. Joel removes his arms around me then takes my hand and guides me to turn and face him. I smiled at him as he takes my left hand in his right and wrapped his left arm around me. Then we began to dance slowly as the song plays.

Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin

If I can't help falling in love with you?

I then start to wrap my arms around his neck and he places his hands on my waist, both of us smiling at each other, lovingly.

*3rd Person POV*

As (y/n) smiles at him, Joel couldn't help but feel this wave of emotion towards the woman before him. It's an emotion he thought he'd never experience. Course he did have the same feeling towards his ex-wife way back when, but this....this felt different. This felt deeper and more personal.

Like a river flows

Surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

And there it is.

That was the answer!

He was in love with (y/n) and he couldn't help but fall deeper in love with her as the days go on. He loved her smile, her kindness, her patience, how she was able to turn a bad situation into a good one. He also loved how she would also make him laugh and smile when he felt angry or upset. And one of the biggest thing was how she and Sarah bonded so quickly.

So right here, right now, he knew that she was the one that he was gonna marry. She is the love of his life, and he was grateful to God that he had a special woman like her in his life.

He knew they were going to be a happy family together...and who knows, maybe later in the future, they might add a new addition to the family.

The woman before him, he would love and cherish her until the day he dies. He can see the future with her...nothing can ever change that.

Like a river flows

Surely to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

(Y/n) leaned her head against his chest and unwraps her arms off of his neck and moves them to hug him around his middle. He moves his arms up and wraps around her shoulders and hugs her too, his left hand caresses the back of her head then he ran his fingers through her hair.

He kissed the top of her head before she moves her head up to look at him, smiling that warm smile Joel always loved. He smiles back at her before he leans into her, she moves forward a bit til their lips touched. The two kiss, sweetly, before Joel pulls back and stares at her as she slowly opens her eyes, her (e/c) orbs shining with love.

"I love you." Joel whispers to her. Saying these words were still new to him as they just started saying the I love yous months ago, but he still liked the way his heart fluttered whenever he said them to her or vice versa.

"I love you too." She whispers back as she places a hand on his right cheek, her thumb stroke through his beard. He smiles as he cups her face in his hands and kisses her once again. But this time, the kiss was different. He was conveying all the love he felt towards her into this kiss, showing her that the words he said were true.

(Y/n) kissed him back and moves her hands into his short black hair and runs her fingers through them. He moves his hands off of her face and placed them in her waist as he starts to hold her against him. Then he moves his lips away from hers and starts to kiss her jawline then her neck.

"Joel..." she said, in a shaky whisper, but then she gasps when he found that sweet spot on her neck. She leans her head back, giving him better access, and closes her eyes as she loses herself to the feeling of him kissing and lightly biting her neck.

He kisses up her neck and jaw before he goes back to her lips. The two make-out, furiously, for a few moments before they stop to catch their breathes. Joel and (y/n) look at each other before he takes her hands in his and starts to lead her to their bedroom and she obliges. The two head up to the bedroom, smiling and laughing, acting like two teenagers in love.

They make it into the bedroom and (y/n) pulls Joel towards her and kisses him again as he starts to shut the bedroom door, the chopped up vegetables long forgotten.

@fangirl-inthe-us

@sleepylunarwolf

@randomly-musing

[avocadogirl216]

Sparkling Blue

AN: This was requested by lizzz47 on Wattpad.  I’m so sorry that this took forever to come out and I am sorry if it is crap.

Summary: While your brothers and yourself are looking for Jack, you run into Clark Barker, who you can’t help but feel attracted to.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x sister!reader, Sam Winchester x sister!reader, Jack Kline x reader, Clark Barker x reader

Warnings: Flirting (Is that a warning?), Violence, Fluff, Underage Smoking, Language, Depressed Reader, Kissing

Word Count: 3,263

(I do not own this GIF)

You groan as you wake up on the floor of the nursery.  You sit up and immediately try to find your brothers.  Sam and Dean were a couple of feet away from you, also starting to gain consciousness.  

“What the hell happened?”  Sam asked as he started to stand on his freakishly sized legs.

“The kid.  That’s what.”  Dean said as he followed suit of his younger brother.

“Are you guys okay?”  You asked as you started to look over yourself for any injuries.

“Other than the skull splitting headache, I’m freaking fantastic.”  Dean replied in a sarcastic tone as he made is way over to you and extended his hand.  You put your small hand into his large one and he hoisted you up onto your feet.  “We need to find that kid.”  Dean stated as he found his gun on the floor and holstered it into the back of his jeans.

“Yeah, but how?”  Sam asked.

“He couldn’t have gone far.”  You stated.

“Unless he can teleport.”  Dean replied back while running his hand down his face in a frustrated matter.

“Well let’s think of the smaller picture right now.  Okay?”  

“Fine.”  Dean grumbled.

“Let’s say that Jack can’t teleport, the next best thing for him is to walk.  So we can look around town and ask of they have seen him.” 

“Yeah, lets just go around town asking if anyone has seen a naked newborn nephilim.  Good plan.”  Dean said as he started to make his way out of the house.

You and Sam shared a look.  You just lost Mary and Cas all in the same hour and now Jack, who possibly has the power to end all of humanity with the snap of his fingers, is roaming Chuck’s green earth.  You understand why Dean is pissed, hell you were just as pissed as him, if not more.  Every time you seem to catch a break, something happens, proving to you that you can’t be happy.  As you and Sam made your way out of the house, Dean has already started the car and was waiting on you.

After 20 minutes of driving towards town, you spot a burger place on the side of the road.  As Dean pulls in, you and Sam both volunteer to ask the people inside if they have in fact, seen a naked newborn nephilim. 

When you walk in, Sam immediately goes to the counter, which is occupied by a clearly drunk woman who was moaning for fries.  You start to look around the small burger place with way too much pirate themed decor.  You look at the menu screen to see that all of the menu items were changed to where their names had butt in them.

Immature

“I want fries.”  The woman demanded yet again while setting her high heels on the counter.

“Lady, I’ve already told you, I can’t give you any fries before lunch.  Rules are rules.”  The kid said in a annoyed tone.  He couldn’t have been older than you, 16.

“Screw the rules.  I’m outta here.”  The woman moaned as she stumbled out of the burger joint.

You and Sam approached the counter.  

“Welcome to Pirate Pete’s Jolly Treats!  What would you like today?”  The kid asked, his mood already improving since the drunk woman left.

“Umm we won’t be ordering anything.  We’re actually looking for someone.  A kid, around 17, not exactly clothed.”  You said.

The boys eyes widened.  “Yeah I know who you’re talking about.  He stopped here asking about his father or something and Clark called his mom, who is the sheriff and she came and picked him up.”  He explained.

“Oh okay.  Could you point us in the direction of the police station please?”  You asked kindly.

“Uh yeah, sure.  If you take the main road through town and turn on Greenly Avenue, its just on your right.”  The boy explained.

“Thank you.”  Sam said as you two made your way out the door.

Once you got on the car with Dean, Sam repeated the directions to the police station and you made your way there.  It took about 10 minutes before you pulled into the parking lot of the small station.  As everyone made their way out of the car, you all started to walk towards the front door with caution.  When Dean opened the door for you and Sam you could immediately tell that something was wrong.  The lights were flickering like crazy and the floor was vibrating.  You pulled out your gun along with your brothers and you started to make your way towards the voices in the office portion of the station.  

When you entered the room you could see three people, a woman who was obviously the sheriff, a teen boy with a red jacket and Jack whose eyes were glowing a vibrant gold, clearly angry.  You needed to take Jack down before he hurts anyone, so you made a quick decision.  You ran to the sheriff and stole her taser out of her belt, which got you a confused look, and you shot it at Jack.  

Jack hit the floor with a thud, clearly unconscious.  You handed the sheriff the taser back and holstered your gun in the waistband of your jeans.  The teen boy gave you an impressed and shocked look.

“Dude!”  He exclaimed while raising his eyebrows.

“Who the hell are you?”  The woman asked, confusion written on her face.

“We’re the ones who just saved your ass.”  Dean replied.

The sheriff looked between you, your brothers and Jack on the floor.  “Umm, what just happened?”  She asked.

“Look, we can explain everything but right now we need to get him to a jail cell for your safety and ours.”  Sam explained.

“Fine, but after we are going to have ourselves a nice, long chat about what the hell is going on.”  The sheriff said.

After Sam and Dean both carried Jack into a cell, they were lead into a large office.  “Don’t go anywhere.”  Dean said to you before walking in.

“Yeah, yeah I get it.”  You said as you leaned against a desk.

Once the door to the office was closed, the teen boy looked at you again, awe still in his eyes.  He was attractive.  He had slick, black hair that was almost as long as Sam’s but was curly at the ends, blinding white teeth and sparkling blue eyes.

“Who are you?  Like some superhero or something?”  He asked.

“My name’s Y/N and I am a hunter, which is almost like a superhero if you think about it.”  You said as you crossed your arms across your chest.

“Cool.  I’m Clark.”  Clark said while a smile growing onto his face.

You returned the smile as best as you could, which turned out to be a depressing grin.  Clark noticed this.

“Hey, you okay?”  He asked while tilting his head.

“Yeah, yeah.  It’s just...”  You sighed while looking at the floor.  “Things haven’t exactly gone great for me lately.”  You said sadly.

There was a moment of silence before Clark spoke.  “I know something that might help.”  He said with a mischievous smirk playing onto his lips.

You shot him a questioning look.  Clark grabbed your hand and started to lead you to the back door of the building.  When you made it outside, Clark put a fruit basket in the doorway, preventing you two from getting locked outside.  He then reached into his bright red jacket and brought out a pack of cigarettes.  You raised your eyebrows at him.

“You ever smoked before?”  He asked as he started to pull a cigarette out of the box.

“No, not really.”  You said in a shy tone.

“Wanna try?”  Clark asked as he held one out to you.  “It’ll calm your nerves.”  

You hesitated.

“Hey, I’m not pressuring you or anything.  You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.  I just thought that it would help you calm down a little.”  Clark explained.

You bit your lip before taking it out of his hand.  Clark gave you a wide smile as he pulled one out for him and took out a lighter. 

“Ladies first.”  Clark said while winking at you and lighting your cigarette at the same time.  You blushed a little while feeling fluttery in your stomach.  When he lit his stick, he started to talk again.  “All you do is bring it to your lips and inhale and after a little bit you exhale, like this.”  He said as he took a drag from his cigarette.  After a few seconds he blew the smoke out of his lungs and into the air.  “You think you got it?”  He asked while raising his eyebrows.

“I think so.”  You said.  You copied his movements and followed his instructions carefully and inhaled from a cigarette for the first time.  There was a burning sensation in your throat and in your lungs.  You immediately started to cough and choke on the smoke.  Clark quickly made his way over to you and put a hand on your back, rubbing reassuring circles.

“Yeah, I forgot to warn you, the first drag is a bitch.  But it will get better, trust me.”  Clark said once you started to breath normally, his hand never leaving your back.

“It’s okay.”  You said as you started to wipe your eyes of tears that were starting to form involuntarily.

After a minute you stand up straight again and catch your breath.  You notice that Clark's hand still hasn't left the small of your back and you give him a questioning look.  Once he gets the message, he retracts his hand and puts it to his side as he clears his throat.

"So.... You good?" He asked, clearly trying to clear the awkwardness from the air.

"Yeah, I'm good." You said as you took another drag from your cigarette, noting that it went down easier than the last time.

Clark gave you an impressed look while copying your actions.  After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, he decided to speak.  "So,  your job is to what?  Control people with super powers?" 

"Kinda.  I hunt the things that lurk in the dark."

"Like ghosts and vampires and stuff?" Clark asked with a chuckle.  You have him a serious look, confirming his question. His eyes widened in realization.  "Wait, you're serious? Those things are real?"

"Yep". You said as you looked away from his face and took another lung full of smoke.  

"Damn.  That makes you like ten times more attractive."  Clarke said.  Your eyes widened as blush made its way to your face and neck.  Clark noticed this and smirked, which made your stomach fluttery.  

You cleared your throat, trying to think of something to say.  As you were looking around, you noticed that Clark was wearing a Pirate Pete uniform under his red jacket.  “So, you work at Pirate Pete's?”  You asked.

Clark looked down at himself, seeming to notice the stupid costume that he was still wearing.  “Yeah, my mom made me get a job there since I kept getting into trouble.”  He stated.  “Like that would work, I make my own trouble.”  Clark said as he stomped out his cigarette.

“Were you the one who changed the menu earlier today?”

“Yeah.”  He said.  “Not my finest work, I’m better at other things.” 

“Oh yeah?  Like what?”  You asked as you threw your cigarette down and stomped it out with the heel of your boot.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”  He said while wiggling his eyebrows at you.

A small smile made its way to your face.

Clark’s smile widened while stepping closer to you.  “Maybe I can show you some of my talents later, huh?”  He asked.

“I would but people who get close to me seem to get hurt or worse.  I think that you’re a nice guy and all but I just don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”  You said, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Hey I get it.  I just thought that I would shoot my shot, its not everyday that I meet a superhero.”  Clark said as he leaned against the wall behind him.

Before you could say anything else, you heard a foot steps approaching.  You whipped your head up as you saw three people, the woman from the burger joint who apparently wasn’t drunk anymore, a man and a woman, both of whom you didn’t recognize.

“Well well, if it isn’t the youngest Winchester.”  The not-so-drunk woman said as she started to pull out her angel blade. 

You took out your own blade as you stood in front of Clark, swearing to yourself that you would protect him as much as you could against these dicks that called themselves angels.

“Aww, young love, adorable.”  The woman sneered as she started to step closer to the two of you.

“Clark, run.”  You said as you met his wide, fear filled eyes.

Clark made a break for it to the back door of the station but the angels were faster.  The man grabbed him and held his blade to Clark’s throat, nearly breaking his skin.

“You seriously didn’t think that would work, did you?”

“Doesn’t hurt to try.” You said but before you could make another move, the other female angel came up behind you, knocked the angel blade out of your hand and held her own blade against your throat.  You held up your hands in surrender, seeing that there was no way to get the upper hand without getting your throat slit.

The angels seemed to share a silent conversation with each other and after a couple of seconds, the lead angel opened the back door and lead the way into the building.  You were lead into the office sector of the police station along with Clark.

“Anybody home?”  The lead angel called out.  Shortly after Dean and the sheriff came out of the small office.  You noticed that Sam did not exit the office along with his brother and the cop which meant that he was more than likely in the jail cell.  When Dean took in the scene before him his eyes widened double their size.  Sheriff Barker drew her gun on the angel holding her son hostage, not knowing that it would do nothing to him.

“Hey Deano.  Care for a chat?”  The woman asked.

Dean pulled out an angel blade that he had hidden in his jacket, anger showing in his forest green eyes.  “Let them go.”  He commanded.

“What’s the fun in that?”  The lead woman asked.

“I won’t ask again.”  Dean said in a deadly tone.

“You won’t have to, all that I want is the nephilim.  Give him to us and these two will walk out of here without a scratch.  I promise.” 

“Why should I trust you?”  Dean asked.

“I never asked you to.  Just give us what we want and everyone walks away happily.”

You watched as Dean considered taking the offer.

“Dean I know what you are thinking.  Don’t do it.”  You said.

“Shut up.”  The angel who was holding you captive said as she pressed the blade deeper into your neck, drawing blood.

“Maybe we can work something out.  Just let them go and we can talk.”  Sheriff Barker said, putting her gun back into its holster and putting her hands up in surrender.

The lead angel scoffed.  “You humans don’t get it do you?  If that abomination walks the earth, that can be the end of all life.  We are trying to help.”  

“Then that’s a risk that I am willing to take.”  Dean said, giving you a signal to get ready.  You quickly gave one back saying that you already were.  Before the angels could register what was happening, Dean aimed and threw his blade at the head of the angel who was holding you.  As the blade went through her skull and killed her, you quickly grabbed the blade that was being held at your throat.  You make your way over to Clark and attacked the angel who was holding him.  You stopped the angel just before he could stab Clark in the neck.  You took the blade out of his hand, throw it towards Dean and you stab the angel square in the chest.  Dean gets the upper hand and kills the lead angel in one quick movement, catching her off guard.  

You make your way over to Clark.

“Hey, you okay?”  You asked as you stashed the blade into your jacket.

“Not really.”  Clark responded with fear in his voice.  “I almost died.”

“But you didn’t.”  You assured him while putting a hand on his shoulder.  “That’s what matters.”

“Yeah.”  He said while putting his shaking hands into his jacket pockets.

Sheriff Barker made her way over to the two of you, looking over Clark to make sure that he was okay.  As they started to talk to each other, you walked towards Dean, preparing yourself for the lecture that he was going to give you.

When you eventually got to him, you crossed your arms and looked at the floor, avoiding Dean’s gaze.

“Y/N, look at me.”  Dean commanded.  You sighed, lifting your head to look at your oldest brothers face.  “Are you okay?”  Dean asked, anger melting from his eyes.

You were taken back by his question but you quickly get yourself together.  “Yeah.”  You answered.

“Good.”  Was all that Dean said before he started to walk towards the jail sector of the station.  You quickly followed.  When the two of you got there, you saw that Sam and Jack were in the same cell.  You shot a look to Sam, silently asking if he was okay.  He gave you a single nod before standing up with Jack and walking to the cell door.

“What happened?”  Sam asked Dean.

“I’ll tell you about it later.”  Was all that Dean said before opening the cell door and letting your brother and Jack out.  “We need to get out of here.  The sheriff called for backup and they can be here any minute.”  Dean explained.

Dean started to lead the way out of the station but you were quickly stopped by your name being called.

“Y/N.”  Clark said, beckoning you to come over to him.

“I’ll catch up.”  You told Sam, making your way over to Clark.

“So, this is it huh?”  Clark asked with a sad smile.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”  You said while sharing his expression.

“Well, there is one thing that I want to do before you leave.”  

“And what would that be?”

“This.”  He said before leaning in and pressing his lips to yours.  Butterflies were fluttering in your stomach as you kissed him back with as much passion as you could muster up at that moment.  You two kissed each other for what felt like eternity before you broke the kiss.

Your eyes met his with love and wonder.  “Wow.  You weren’t kidding when you said that you were an expert in other areas.” 

He threw his head back, chuckling.  After a moment, he calmed down and met your eyes again.  “Guess not.”  He said.

There was a moment of comfortable silence before you spoke.  “Goodbye Clark.”

“Bye Y/N.”  He said back with a smile.

You returned the smile before turning around and walking out of the station and towards the impala.  As you climbed into the backseat beside Jack, you couldn’t help but hope that you would run into Clark Barker again.   

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #449-450

(both from yesterday)

What do you dislike about the house you live in? It's in the suburbs. Have you thought more about your funeral, or your wedding? My hypothetical wedding. Dinosaurs or unicorns? DINO BOIZ. What do you think of Maroon 5? I like some of their old stuff, and one or two of their newer songs, like "Payphone." What about Coldplay? I enjoy them. Fall Out Boy? Love 'em. Katy Perry? She's okay, I guess. There are a few songs I enjoy. Have you ever snuck into an R-rated movie when you weren’t old enough to see it without parents? No. What is your favorite Disney show? I don't have the slightest clue what's on Disney nowadays. What do you miss most about elementary school? Digging tunnels in the sandbox during recess with my friends. :'( When was the last time you saw the person you had your first kiss with? The start of February 2017. Hard to believe it's been four whole years... Is there anything hanging from the doorknob in your room? Ha, yes. Mom got me a little sign that says, "If I can't wear my flipflops, I'm not going," lmfao. All I wear are flipflops. What's your opinion on wearing pajamas in public? Do you yourself do that? I LITERALLY couldn't care less. I wear pjs in public sometimes; it really depends on where I'm going. What was the most severe punishment your parents gave you when you were growing up? Taking away technology was the worst. Do you usually fill up at the same gas station? Mom goes to a few different ones, depending on proximity and price. Have you ever owned any pet birds? What kinds/colours? I have not. I used to want a cockatiel for a long time, though. Do you pay much attention to your YouTube recommendations? If so, what was the last video that caught your attention? Kinda, I guess. I'm not sure what was the last recommended video I clicked. What has been the happiest time of your life so far? It's complicated. Most of my best memories are from high school with Jason, yet at the same time I was HORRIBLY depressed. I think my most pure happiness when I was really progressing with recovery. Moving on from him, losing tons of weight, feeling motivated... Have you ever had a crush on a celebrity? Who? My two biggest celebrity crushes ever have been/is Link Neal and Mark Fischbach. Do you have any fears you would rarely admit to anyone? Nah. Admitting fears isn't a big deal to me at all. What website do you spend most of your time on? YouTube. What did you have for dinner last night? A chicken sandwich. What could you talk about for hours? Meerkats, Silent Hill, Mark... Do you have a lamp beside your bed? Yes. What's your favorite ice cream topping? Chocolate syrup. What was the last TV show you binge watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender. Would you rather eat burgers or tacos? Oh, burgers for sure. I don't likes tacos. Did your mother change her maiden name when/if she got marred? Yes. Do you use TikTok? Nope. Are you closer to your mother or father? Mom. Do you own any costumes? No. Would you care if your SO went to a strip club? Hm. So long as they're not laying hands on any of the strippers and they ASKED me first, I don't think I'd care? I'm pretty sure I'd also only be okay with that if we were a long-term couple where very strong trust has been built. How helpful are your parents to you? Would they help you to pay for your first apartment? College? Where does the line end? They are so, so very helpful and I'm pretty sure would go to the ends of the earth to help me in any way they could. I know they WOULD help pay for the things you mentioned, but it's not something I want them to do. I want to be able to financially provide for myself, one day... Have you ever had to evacuate due to natural disaster? No. What video games did you have when you were growing up? LOADS. I looooooooved video games. What was the first election you ever voted in? This last one, actually. Can you hear anything right now? Yeah. I'm watching Gab play the Resident Evil 3 remake on hardcore mode. What's the coolest, most unusual pet you can think of? I've always thought sugar gliders were quite interesting as pets. I wanted one for a looong time, but I am not informed on how well they do in captivity and if it should even be legal for me to truly want one anymore. Have you ever seen a UFO or other weird object in the sky? By definition, it was a UFO. Sometimes I do even wonder if it was an alien spacecraft, given JUST how strange that shit was. I won't explain it again, just 'cuz I've done it in many surveys before. Are there any albums you know every single lyric to? I could probably nail Ozzy's Black Rain. What's your go-to painkiller? Advil. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? No, but there's a celebrity with her exact name. Do you think it’s pretty when 100s of balloons are let loose into the sky? NO NO NO NO NO that shit is SO upsetting. Where do you think they end up??? It's littering. Animals get choked and tangled by them all the time. What do you draw more than anything else? Definitely meerkats. Have you ever visited someone in a psychiatric home or ward? No, but people have visited me in one. Have you ever received a parking fine? No. Are you in any group chats? Who's in them? No. Do you have a lisp? No. Do you have an Instagram account? Do you use it often? I have three, but one's pretty much dead. I don't post stuff regularly on my other two either, really... Can you parallel park? I would absolutely hit another car. Have you ever played paintball? Did you get hit? No, that shit's dumb. You can get really hurt. What was your favorite fairy tale when you were a kid? Maybe Little Red Riding Hood? Are your parents still together? If not, do you know why? No. Mostly financial disagreements, but I know there's stuff I don't know. Have you ever been evicted? Why? Yes, because we couldn't keep up with rent. Have you ever worked as a manager or supervisor? Noooo. What was the last thing you voted for? So Snake Discovery (a reptile channel I love) hosted an enclosure build-off recently, and the winners were selected by fans via voting. The guy I voted for got 3rd. What's the most amazing animal you've ever seen in captivity? I've been very close to an elephant at a zoo once. They're magnificent. Having been to Sea World as a kid (I would NEVER go now), I also saw the killer whale show. As much of a spectacle as it was, it was animal abuse regardless. Do you like white chocolate? It's okay in small doses. Have you ever eaten snow? Yeah. Do you talk to your pets? Um, duh. Have you ever adopted a stray? (Cat or dog?) Cats, yes. Do you read about any mythology? (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc) No, not by my own will. I DO love mythology, I just... don't read it. Do you ever use bath bombs? No. Have you ever gotten angry at an employee and complained to the manager? No. Have you ever sent your food back at a restaurant? Yes, because they got my meal wrong. I was REALLY shy to do it, but I made sure to do it politely and apologetically. Do you sleep in a bra? What mad lad sleeps in a bra???????????? Has your ex ever gone out with someone close to you? No. Can you suggest someone funny on YouTube? I'll go for someone what isn't my obvious vote, ha ha. There are truly so many, but Garrett Watts is high on the list. Elena Bateman, too. Can you do a handstand? No. Has anyone close to you ever been suicidal? Yes. Have you ever broken someone's heart and didn't care? Tyler sure acted like I did, and to be entirely frank, I didn't care very much, but only because it was a HUGE overreaction and I knew he'd be fine quick. What color is your hairbrush? It's just a white comb. Who was your most recent call from? My psychiatrist. Have you ever watched someone die? Only animals... It's the absolute worst. Are you currently "seeing" someone? No. Are you friends with someone who's autistic? I might be, but I know my niece is on the spectrum. Do you like humans? To be entirely transparent... I think I wish humans were never a thing. We've done so, so much harm to the planet, some things irrevocable. Earth would be a much healthier, far more peaceful place if we'd never existed. Do you like pandas? I love pandas. P.S., fuck outta here if you're one of the people who don't support conservation efforts for them. That shit blows my mind. What do you think of Evanescence? They're great. Amy's voice is absolutely incredible. I don't even think that's an opinion, but global fact, ha ha. What do you think of Avenged Sevenfold? I like some of their stuff. I haven't heard a whole lot though, honestly. What do you think of Halestorm? ^ Do you think you are attractive? God no. I don't see me as an attractive person at all. Do you like dinosaurs? I love 'em; I was OBSESSED as a kid, and my first aspired job was a paleontologist. Do you like lasagna? No. Do you share a room? No. When was the last time you climbed a tree? Never, actually. Have you ever been hospitalized for more than 2 weeks? I think my longest was three. What can you do that none of your friends can do? I dunno. Why did you last go to the airport? Mom and I were dropping Sara off so she could go home. Who was the last person to see you in your underwear? My mom. Who’s the most attractive female you’ve ever seen? Maybe Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy? Or my friend Alon. I'm certain there's more, because women are just so fuckin beautiful asdkfajlwejkrjqwe Red, white, yellow, or pink roses? I actually like the original, rich red. Do you think someone would ever want to marry you? Well, two people have, but one absolutely doesn't anymore and the other knows that it's not healthy or emotionally safe for either of us to imagine that at this time. I don't know if anyone ever will again. Do you like Thanksgiving? No. Like I enjoy the focus on thankfulness, but the history isn't right and I don't enjoy the food. Do you ever wear colored eye liner? No. Have you ever used a darkroom? No. Have you ever been "popular"? No. Has someone ever tried to convert you? Yes. Have you ever been told that you dress like a slut? No, not that how someone dresses has any relevance to their sexual activity. What’s your most recent obsession? Final Fantasy X jfccccccc. Video games or board games? The former. Are you scared of tarantulas? As much as I talk about them... you can probably tell I have a massive interest in them, ha ha. However, even though I love them, they're still sorta scary. Like, threat poses are no joke. And it's terrifying on the very rare occasion they hiss. During Covid, do you wear a mask or no mask? I'm fully vaccinated, and yet I still wear a mask because I'm a considerate human fucking being. Do you have a PlayStation 4? No, but I reeeeaaally want one. :/ Have you ever played Fortnite? Nah, not my type of game. Do you like anime? Yeah. Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah. I was always SO excited as a kid when Dad would take the boat out for a fishing trip. Have you ever played Kingdom Hearts? I've played some of it with Jason. I wasn't a fan of it. Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. DC or Marvel? I don't really have a preference.

----------

Do you prefer your nails long or short? Why? Short, because I can't keep my nails long for the life of me. I pick/peel my nails badly. Do you have any vinyl records? No. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? It's extremely fascinating. Would you have a big cat (like a tiger) for a pet if you could? No. I could never provide the environment they need, and it's simply not safe. They are not domestic animals, and even the ones that seem most tame can surprise you. What are your favorite smells? Cinnamon rolls, coffee, lilac, fresh baked bread, barbecue, etc. Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? I'm not sure, actually... What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? Surveys have a lot of questions about those games... I only ever played the ones that focused on animals, and I think I most enjoyed breeding them and naming the bbz. :^) And watching their behavior. Which hair color you've had has been your favorite? Red. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? No. I do not need all that room, nor am I wasting my money on such excessive space. What drinking games have you played? None. Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? No. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? Only black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? One is a snake and the other is a cat, so. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing besides what you mentioned. Are you lonely? I'm way too lonely for it to be healthy. Do you like pineapple? Yep. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yes; they're endemic to here. Have you ever trespassed? As a kid, yes. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did sometimes. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? No. Have you ever written a poem? I've written a lot. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK TO THE HELL NO. What is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate bbq sauce. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. Ever thought about writing a book? Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? Yes. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? Nope. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No, only the first one with Tyler. It was aight. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? I haven't seen a picture of Jason in years, and I don't want to. Not because I care about how he looks now, it'd just be extremely triggering to see his face. I still find Sara gorgeous. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A When was the last time you were scared? Ummmm I really can't say I know. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" is where it's AT. There's this synthwave edit of it that I positively adore. Can you speak binary? No. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? A family pet, yes. Do you like boys with long hair? UGH yes. Do you like root beer? Not really, no. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you ever dream of yourself dying? That's not all that rare in my nightmares. What song always makes you sad? I think two songs are tied for what makes me most sad: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Eternally Yours" by Motionless In White. Were you mean as a little kid? No; I was a sweet kid. Have you ever tried spam? No, it looks SO gross to me. How fast can you run? This is pathetic, but I don't think I CAN run. My knees are too weak. I think my weight coming down on them would just make me crumple over. Have you ever bought something from Spencer's? Yeah. Have you ever been on a diet? I've tried diets many times. Do you prefer light or dark jeans? Dark. When you listen to music, do you generally sing along, or just listen? I almost always just listen. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Who was your first love? Do you ever miss that person? Jason. I miss his memory every day. I say "memory" because it's been years, and I have no way of knowing who he is today. How many cars are parked at your house right now? One. Has anyone ever told you you’re a control freak? No. Do you know anyone who has gone missing? If so, were they ever found? Not personally. What was the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten? Some wings with extremely hot sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. Have you ever deliberately tried to get someone drunk? Um yeah, no. Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream? No. I don't like sprinkles in general. Do you know how to do the moon walk? No. Has anybody ever told you that you have a good singing voice? Yes, somehow. Onion rings or french fries? French fries, for sure. Who is the best cook that you know? Dunno. If you have your ears pierced, when did you get them pierced? When I was a kid. I don't remember the age, but I was old enough to decide myself that I wanted them pierced. If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? They have their own places now. Do you like fried rice? Yessss. Are there any animals you refuse to touch? Some bugs. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? I don't believe so, no. What makes you feel lucky? That I have the family I do. What is something nice going on in your life right now? Just the gym-going, really... Who’s the worst person you’ve encountered on the Internet? An old friend I just knew as Shakes. If death wasn’t a consequence, what would you try? Maybe sky-diving, idk. Has a teacher ever told you off? No. Have you ever told off a teacher? No. Do/did you take school seriously or not? I certainly did. How do you usually cope with breakups? Not well. I obsess over how something's wrong with me and I'm not good enough for anyone. Disney princess or Disney animal movies? Animals, for sure. What's your favorite Katy Perry song? It's evading me right now... Have you ever made/tried friendship bread!? Omg, I forgot that was a thing! I actually have. I've completely forgotten the gist of it or even how it tastes, but I remember I loved it. What do you want to know about the future? If I'll ever be content and happy. What's your biggest insecurity? My weight. Ever found something disgusting in your food while eating out? No, thank god. Does the area where you live have a good or bad reputation? A very bad one. Are there any holidays that you don't celebrate? Yeah, like St. Patrick's Day, among some others. If you could find out who you're gonna marry right now, would you? Yes. Save myself time and heartbreak. How important is it to you that your partner has the same religious views? I wouldn't date someone very religious. If they're more tame about it, that's fine, but I'd prefer to not date a religious individual. Do you own a Wii? Yeah. I've kinda been wanting to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band lately on it... Do you like a lot of cheese on your pizza? "A regular, reasonable amount of cheese." <<<< This. I really don't like when things are so cheesy that it leaves a ridiculous trail when you try to separate pieces. Have you ever been made fun of because of your sexuality? Not directly to my face, but I can guarantee people I know had certain ~opinions~ on it when I came out. I also like just came out as pansexual versus bi, and I'm not even telling a lot of people in my personal life because I know they'll find the concept absolutely ridiculous. What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? "Depends on what type of an animal it was, and whether it was friendly or skittish." <<<< This. I'm obviously not going to try to usher a rabid dog over to me (I'd call a rescue or something if the animal appeared potentially dangerous), but if the animal appeared safe, my heart would absolutely lead me to try and get the animal to come to me so I could take it home and try to find the owner. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? No. What singer/band do you think deserves to be more famous than they are? Jonathan Young from YouTube. He is INCREDIBLE. He deserves to be picked up by a label so badly. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? The original Silent Hill, no competition. Do you think objectum sexuals are real, or attention seekers? I really can't imagine someone pretending to want to fuck their car for attention. I don't get it AT ALL, and it's weird as shit to me, but I mean, I don't think people can control what they're attracted to. How far out of your age bracket would you date? 21-early 30s, probs. Have you ever had an STD? No. Have you ever tried pho? No. Pick one: Crash Bandicoot or Spyro? Spyro!!!! I have the original trilogies of both series, but Spyro is where it's AT. Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? I'm unemployed, but I wouldn't work at a job that didn't, honestly. If you could dye your hair any color right now with absolutely no restrictions, what color would you dye it? Maybe like a galaxy-esque mixture of layered colors. I've wanted that for YEARS. Have you ever known a white supremacist? This region is swimming in them. Have you ever spoken to a detective before? No. Do ladders scare you? Climbing them does, yes. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Yeah. Have you ever thrown up on anybody? Unless I did unknowingly as a baby, no. How many people have you turned down when they asked you out? Uhhh two or three, maybe? What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? I actually haven't tried enough to have an educated favorite, but I can say I love peach. Do you hear any other people talking right now? I'm watching a let's player play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so I hear her, obviously. When was the last time you started a new medication? It's been a while, idk. What is your favourite type of nut? Cashews, I guess. I don't really like nuts, but I definitely like cashew bars. Where did you eat the best pizza you’ve ever eaten in your life? ... Domino's lmaoooo. Did you ever watch The Rugrats when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved that show. I even had two video games. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Yes. Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No. Can you tie balloons? I can't, actually. Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? Yeah. I wanted Sara's advice on something I'm dealing with. On your Facebook friends list, who was the last person to have their b-day? One of my sisters' was yesterday, actually. What did you/are you having for dinner tonight? I had Special K cereal. Name some healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Strawberries, apples, bananas, (sometimes) broccoli, other things that aren't coming to me. Who was the last person you Facebook messaged? My friend Girt. What flavor was the last cupcake you ate? The cupcake itself was chocolate, and the icing was uhhhh... blue? Apart from sleeping, what do you plan to do tonight? I haven't done anything of note. I'm probably going to bed soon. What’s the age difference between your parents? Two years, I think. When was the last time you ate an apple? Today. I have been on a big sliced apples w/ peanut butter kick lately. Have you had any caffeinated beverages today? I have soda every day. :x Have you eaten any chocolate today? What kind? Mom brought me a Reese's home today when she went out with a friend. How many different towns/cities have you lived in? Three. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone special? Poems, yes. Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? Not very much physically. Emotionally... I don't know. Do you have any ice cream in your freezer? What flavor is it? No. Ice cream is my #1 comfort food, so that's a big "keep out of the house."

[oliverstarked]

didn’t mean to let you go

a Buck/Eddie 3.06 coda, that starts with breakfast with Bobby

Summary:  Buck moves up, brushes the back of his fingers over the swelling on Eddie’s jaw. Eddie inhales softly.

“It looks painful,” Buck mutters.

“It’s not so bad,” Eddie says, just as quiet.

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Buck talks and talks and talks during breakfast with Bobby. He tries not to, he knows he can be A Lot, but Bobby sits there with his mouth quirked up in an affectionate smile and he listens and listens and listens, and asks questions, and is more of a father-figure in that moment than Buck has ever had in his life. 

So he tells Bobby about the nightmares, about the loneliness, about not being able to get out of bed some days. He tells Bobby about his childhood — just a little bit, he doesn’t really mean to — and when Bobby says, “You’re more than the sum of your parents’ choices, Buck,” it’s all Buck can do not to launch himself over the table and wrap Bobby up in a hug. 

It’s a good morning, even though it started in the hospital. Buck is starting to feel like himself again, the pieces of him that had been drifting away beginning to slot back into place where they belong. But there’s still something niggling at him that he needs to fix before life can truly go back to normal — whatever normal even means.

Buck gets into his Jeep and swings out of the diner parking lot into the usual snarl of LA traffic. It’s early enough that rush hour isn’t in full swing yet, but it still takes an annoyingly long time to get across the city to Eddie’s place. By the time he arrives, the sun is pounding on his face through the windshield and he’s starting to sweat. Why did he have to pick a gray shirt, goddamnit. 

“Buck!” 

Christopher is standing just outside the house, school bag on his back and massive smile on his face. Something inside Buck nearly crumbles in relief. He’d thought maybe Chris would be mad at him, disappointed that someone he’d trusted had let him down. Yet there he is, grin on his face like there’s no one else he’d rather see at eight in the morning. Buck doesn’t know what he did to deserve that kid’s affection, but he’s never gonna do anything to jeopardize it ever again. 

“Hey, little man!” 

The hug he receives is nothing short of perfect, even if he gets a crutch to the shin for his trouble. God, he’s missed this.

“Buck, what are you doing here?” 

Eddie looks confused, but it’s the fresh bruise along his unshaven jaw and exhaustion ringing his eyes that grabs Buck’s attention. He thinks about the pained way Eddie pulled away from him the night before and swallows the million questions he has. Whatever discussion they need to have will have to wait until Chris isn’t around to hear it.

“It’s our day off, thought I’d come see the Diaz boys,” he grins. 

Eddie steps further out of his house, pulling the door closed behind him. He’s got his keys in one hand, a travel mug in the other, and Chris’ gym kit slung over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, well, one of these Diaz boys has school.”

Chris puts his hand on Buck’s leg and looks up at him with those big puppy eyes. “Will you come with us, Buck?” 

Buck glances at Eddie, who just shrugs, so he says, “Sure. Why don’t I drive? Your dad can drink his coffee and you and me can talk Transformers.”

Eddie remains quiet for the twenty minutes it takes to get to Chris’ school. He’s not hostile or mad, but he looks resigned, like he knows Buck wants a Conversation and knows there’s no more putting it off. Sure, he’s chipper as hell when he says goodbye to Christopher, but the minute he and Buck are alone together in the car he sinks into the seat, eyes closed as he tips his head back. The bruise on his face is a sickly shade of purple.

“So, I had a bit of a night,” Buck says brightly, because he’s not gonna ask Eddie what’s going on while he’s driving. “This lady hit a guy with her car two days ago and had no idea she was driving around with him sticking outta her windshield. The hospital said she had a brain bleed and it confused her? Anyway, he’s still alive. Thanks to me.”

He winks, playing it up, and Eddie smiles. “Yeah?”

“Uh huh. And the driver.” He should shut up, but Eddie’s still looking at him with that soft, quiet look on his face, and it makes Buck keep talking. “Y’know, I always thought it was the uniform that made me the guy who’ll crawl over broken glass, literally, to help people. To make a difference. But, I dunno man, I think I’m starting to realize that it’s just who I am, uniform or no. When Bobby came to get me from the hospital, he said—” 

“Wait, you were at the hospital? Last night?” Eddie looks stricken and it makes Buck’s breath catch in his throat. 

“Uh, yeah. Kinda.” He shows Eddie the bandage on his arm. “I got scratched on the broken windshield. It’s nothing, I swear. The paramedics wanted me to get checked because of, y’know, my history. Honestly, Ed, I’m fine.”

Eddie scrapes a hand over his face. “You should’ve called me.” 

“Would you have answered?”

“Of course.” But even as he says it, Eddie doesn’t sound like he believes the words. 

This time Buck doesn’t say anything. He just drives, glancing over at Eddie every so often. Each time he does, Eddie looks back. Like they’re attuned to each other. They definitely used to be, before Buck went and messed it up. Now it’s time to sort it out. 

But when they get back to Eddie’s, Buck decides he’s gotta pick the right moment. He really doesn’t want to fight again, and Eddie’s looking pretty pathetic anyway, slumped at his kitchen table with his head in his hands. 

“Have you eaten breakfast?” Buck asks, already pulling open the cupboards. 

“Cereal,” Eddie replies, gesturing blindly to the empty bowls left in the sink and the box of Cap’n Crunch on the counter. 

Buck snorts. “Yeah, okay. I’m gonna make you a proper breakfast. Go shower, I’ll have it ready by the time you’re done.”

Eddie huffs, looking up and raising his eyebrows. “Is that a not-so-subtle hint?”

“No, man, you just look like you could do with taking a load off for a few. A shower will make you feel better.”

It’s the closest they’ve come to actually discussing the fact that there’s something wrong with Eddie, but he doesn’t rise to it. Just takes Buck’s advice and trudges down the hall, disappearing into his bedroom. 

Buck heaves out a breath and sets about making one of Bobby’s specialities: the perfect French omelet. He’s gonna have to improvise a little with the filling based on the sparse contents of Eddie’s refrigerator but he finds spinach, mushrooms and cheese, so it could be worse.

When Eddie comes back, dressed in dark jeans and a henley, Buck is just setting two plates piled high with omelet on the table. So what that a couple of hours ago he ate his weight in pancakes with Bobby? He’s always got room for more.

“You cleaned up in here,” Eddie comments, “and dios, it smells amazing.”

“You’re welcome,” Buck smiles, and refrains from pulling Eddie’s chair out for him like he would a date at a restaurant. Instead he sits across from Eddie and raises his glass of OJ. “Here’s to you forgiving me, and to us being friends again.”

Eddie clinks his glass against Buck’s, but does so with a roll of his eyes. “We were never not friends, Buck. It was killing me that I couldn’t talk to you.”

A memory floats to the surface of Buck’s brain, something Eddie said that time in the grocery store, that makes him say, “Yeah, talk to me and to, what was it? Oh yeah, ask me to bail you out of jail. Hypothetically, right?” 

Oh yeah, that hit a nerve. Eddie slowly chews and swallows his mouthful of egg, but his eyes go shuttered and Buck knows that this is it, no more lies. 

“Not so much, actually,” Eddie admits, and when he looks back up Buck is shocked to see that his eyes are wet. “Buck, I think I’m in trouble.”

It’s not a surprise. Neither is the way every fiber of Buck’s being wants to get out of his chair and gather Eddie into his arms, hold him close and promise him that everything is gonna be okay. Except he won’t, though. He doesn’t know if it will be okay, and it sounds like he’s gonna have to be the grown up one in this situation. 

“Okay,” he says, nodding his head. “Tell me.”

To his credit, Eddie looks Buck right in the eye when he says, “I’ve been street fighting. For money.”

Nausea fills the pit of Buck’s stomach. Images fill his head unbidden of Eddie getting pummelled by some great ugly brute with no teeth. With no one there to support him, patch him up afterwards and make sure he’s okay. 

“Jesus, Eddie. And I thought I was supposed to be the stupid one.”

Eddie hangs his head. “Yeah, well.”

“I mean, what were you thinking?” Buck bursts out. “You could have been seriously hurt, man, or worse. You’ve got people here who need you, Eddie. Chris needs you.” He pauses, swallows. “I need you.”

The chair skids back with a screech as Eddie jumps to his feet. “Don’t you think I know that? I can’t help it, Buck! I’m just so — so angry, all the fucking time. At everyone! Shannon — she died. She told me she wanted a divorce, and then she fucking died. That’s my fault, if I hadn’t brought her back into our lives only to turn around and change my mind, she wouldn’t have even been on that road to get hit by that car! Chris has lost his mom for good, because I was so goddamn selfish. And then you — and your leg — and I know how hard your recovery was so I wasn’t gonna make it about me and my issues. And the tsunami just — dios, I still have nightmares about losing Christopher. About losing you. Except then I did lose you to that stupid stupid lawsuit, and I just needed to punch something so badly.”

He stops, shakes his head, sucks in a shuddering breath. Buck can’t even move, doesn’t even know what to say. 

“It wasn’t supposed to go this far, Buck,” Eddie finishes, voice nearly a whisper. “It’s the only thing that made me feel in control. Please help me make it stop.”

Buck looks at Eddie, really looks at him. His brown eyes are sad and awful. So Buck gets up out of his chair and in three strides he’s right there in front of him, his hands on Eddie’s biceps, reaching out to pull him in and curling his own arms firm around Eddie’s broad shoulders, like a protective band around him.

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” he says softly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. You were right, last night. I was too focused on myself to see that you were hurting.”

“No,” Eddie says. He makes to pull back, but Buck refuses to let go so Eddie just talks into his shoulder instead. “You went through a lot—”

“We all went through a lot,” Buck corrects him gently. “And none of it, none of it, was your fault, Eddie Diaz.”

Eddie’s arms come up around Buck’s waist, slowly squeezing back. Buck scrunches his eyes shut so he doesn’t do something stupid like cry. He doesn’t know how long they stand there like that, Eddie’s hot breath fanning against the side of his neck, wrapped around each other so tightly, breakfast long forgotten on the table, but when they finally disentangle Eddie’s face is dry although his eyes look red and sore. 

“No more fighting,” Buck tells him, no room for argument. “We’ll go in the boxing ring, I’ll hold a punching bag for you, I’ll take you to the rage room, whatever. If you need help with money, I got you covered. If you wake up in the middle of the night and wanna talk, you call me. You want me to come to therapy with you, I’m there. But fight club is done.”

For a second, Buck thinks Eddie is gonna argue. But then he sags, his shoulders falling, and nods. 

“I’m not gonna feel better until I’ve checked you over,” Buck adds then, concerned about injuries he can’t see. 

Eddie rolls his eyes to the heavens, so much like his usual self Buck nearly laughs in relief. “Buck, I’m fine. I’m a medic. I know this to be true.”

“Please,” Buck begs, because he needs to see for himself, needs proof. 

Sighing, and looking extremely reluctant about it, Eddie plucks at the bottom of his henley and peels it off over his head. 

Ugly smudges of blue, purple and yellow marr the landscape of Eddie’s torso like stormclouds. His ribs look awful, half-healed and scabbed over where the skin has been split from the sheer force of the beating. Buck places his hand gently over the worst of it, feels Eddie’s ribcage expand under his palm. 

“Not broken,” Eddie whispers. “Just bruised.”

Buck moves up, brushes the back of his fingers over the swelling on Eddie’s jaw. Eddie inhales softly. 

“It looks painful,” Buck mutters. 

“It’s not so bad,” Eddie says, just as quiet. 

Despite popular belief, Buck’s not actually an idiot. He knows what’s happening here. His feelings for Eddie are an ever-present feature of Buck’s everyday, always just under the surface, bubbling up every time they share a look or a touch, however innocent. Right now Buck feels like they’re boiling over, faced with miles and miles of Eddie’s soap-clean skin and those eyes staring right at him and the emotional vulnerability that has left them both a bit raw. 

When Eddie’s tongue darts out to lick his lips, Buck thinks he might actually combust. 

“Te he extrañado,” Eddie breathes, “I missed you.”

And that’s it, he can’t take it anymore. Buck swoops forward and presses his mouth to Eddie’s in a kiss that’s not gentle at all, but demanding and desperate and so, so good. 

It gets even better when Eddie tongue traces the seam of Buck’s lips — it gets hot and fierce then, wet and open-mouthed. Buck’s hands are on Eddie’s face, cradling his jaw, but Eddie’s hands can’t seem to decide what to touch first: first Buck’s waist, then up his chest, over his shoulders, smoothing down his back until they settle on his waistband. 

“I always thought —” Buck murmurs, lush against Eddie’s mouth, “that it was — it was just me who — God, Eddie.”

Eddie slides his fingers around Buck’s belt to the front, easily slipping the leather through the buckle.

“There was never a good time,” Eddie says, kissing him again and sucking lightly on Buck’s bottom lip, like his fingers aren’t unbuttoning Buck’s fly and driving him absolutely fucking crazy. It’s not fair that he can string sentences together when Buck’s feeling so deliriously drunk on this already.

Then he remembers that hey, he’s good at this. Eddie is far from the first guy he’s been with, although he is the first in a while, and he knows sex. Knows all the best knee-trembling, breath-taking, shiver-inducing moves. Part of him can’t believe that he gets to do them all with Eddie, but he sure as hell isn’t going to stop now.

Buck presses kisses down Eddie’s neck, stubble burning his lips in the best way. He can’t resist leaving a hickey on his collarbone, more on his chest, scattered among the bruises there.

“Buck…” Eddie groans, his hands fisting in Buck’s hair now, not-so-subtly trying to guide him lower. 

Smirking against his skin, Buck heads back up instead, nipping Eddie’s ear as he whispers, “If you weren’t injured, we’d be on this kitchen floor and I’d be sucking your brain out through your dick.”

Eddie’s hips jerk into Buck’s and Buck can feel quite clearly just how much that idea appeals. 

“But you are injured, so we’re gonna take this somewhere a bit softer,” he adds, grabbing Eddie’s hand and dragging him into his own bedroom. Eddie’s grip is tight but sweaty, and Buck’s glad that he’s not the only one feeling slightly overwhelmed here. For all his blustering and confidence, the fact that this is Eddie means it’s important. Possibly the most important thing Buck has ever done. He really, really hopes this isn’t going to be a one-time thing. 

As soon as they’re in the bedroom, Eddie pulls Buck’s t-shirt up and over his head before pushing him down on the bed. Grinning when he bounces, Buck sits on the edge and yanks Eddie in by the hips, making quick work of his fly and yanking his jeans and boxers down his thighs. 

Eddie is so hard already, so wet that Buck can’t help but take him into his mouth. He sucks, kisses and licks until Eddie is gasping for breath and pushing him away. 

“Too much?” Buck pants, laying on his back and bringing Eddie down with him. 

“Not enough,” Eddie says, kissing him again like he can’t get enough of Buck’s mouth. The weight of his body pressing Buck down into the mattress feels so good that Buck can’t help bumping his hips up, only to be impeded by his own goddamn pants. Desperate, he tries to wriggle his way out of them until Eddie takes pity and tugs them over his ankles. 

“You’re kind of a dork,” Eddie laughs, kissing the smooth skin of Buck’s inner thighs, the vibrations doing things to him.

“Fuck you,” Buck retorts, breathless. “I’m a goddamn sex machine.”

“Okay,” Eddie agrees, too easy, and Buck yanks him back up to crush their mouths together again. Now that he’s started kissing Eddie, he doesn’t know if he’s ever going to be able to stop. He prays to a God that he doesn’t really believe in that he won’t ever have to.

Buck’s had a couple of near-death experiences, but right here with Eddie on top of him, rolling their hips together, his legs wrapped tight around Eddie’s waist? Definitely the closest to heaven he’s ever been. 

He pushes up every time Eddie pushes down, fingers roaming over Eddie’s back, feeling the muscles ripple each time he shoves against Buck. Eddie moves one of his arms from where it’s braced beside Buck’s head and uses his hand to grip both their dicks together, and that’s when it gets hot and fast and intense, and kissing becomes nothing more than panting against each other’s mouths, and Buck tenses and finally comes undone, unspooling like a livewire, sparks firing under his skin, leaving him unable to do much more than keep his grip on Eddie’s shoulderblades and hang on while he rides it out.

Eddie is swearing fiercely in Spanish, losing his rhythm, but he drags his hand through the mess on Buck’s stomach and wraps that hand around his own dick, the image of which is so unreasonably hot that Buck groans and shudders. 

“Yeah, c’mon, baby,” he blurts out, “come on me, mark me up, make me yours.”

“Dios, Buck, fuck,” Eddie grits out, hips stuttering, and then he comes with a drawn-out moan, only making Buck dirtier, and God does Buck love it. Love him. 

They kiss again as they come back down to earth, softer now, slower. Buck’s mouth keeps doing this thing where he can’t stop smiling, until Eddie catches it too, and then they’re laughing. Eddie collapses into the space next to Buck, and he feels cold now where their skin isn’t touching. He reaches over the edge of the bed and comes back with his shirt which he uses to wipe his stomach before throwing blindly back to the floor. 

“So…” Eddie starts, tipping his head to look at Buck. 

Buck just grins at him. “Told you I was a sex machine.”

Eddie glares at him without any heat in it, then rolls onto his side and rests his palm over Buck’s chest. His face gets serious and for a heartbeat Buck thinks he’s about to be kicked out of bed. 

But, “I want you to know this wasn’t some sort of… gratitude thing,” Eddie says, “Or — or another outlet for my anger. That meant — you mean — a whole lot to me, Evan Buckley. And if this is going to jeopardize our friendship then—”

“Hey,” Buck interrupts, grabbing onto Eddie’s hand and clutching at it. “In case you couldn’t tell from everything I’ve said today: I love you, you idiot.”

A huge smile breaks out on Eddie’s face and Buck can’t help but mirror it, reeling Eddie back in. They make out like teenagers until their lips go numb and kiss-swollen. 

They only stop when Eddie’s stomach grumbles, reminding them both that he never did finish his breakfast. 

“C’mon, shower and then brunch,” Buck decides, running his hand over Eddie’s side and down to his ass, where he squeezes. “What d’ya reckon old man, ready for round two? Shower sex, easy clean up?”

“Not if you’re gonna call me old,” retorts Eddie, and he jumps out of bed like he doesn’t have several bruised ribs, as if to prove a point. “You coming, or shall I start without you?”

Buck might give his right arm to see that, but right now he just wants to be pressed as close to Eddie as possible, to make sure nothing hurts him ever again. 

There’ll be time for everything else later.

[set-phasers-to-whump]

if you thought the head trauma was bad...

Prompt: concussion

Whumpee: Eddie Diaz

Fandom: 911

hello this is sadly not so good and i am sorry :( maybe you will like it?

He doesn’t even see the blow coming. One second, he’s punching the other man in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards, a rush of adrenaline overtaking him as he thinks, I’m going to win; and the next, a fist collides with his head so hard that he actually sees stars, and tastes blood, and collapses to the ground.

He lies on the concrete, dazed, ears ringing. His head feels all kinds of strange, hurting on the back as well as the front where he’d been punched, thanks to his collapse. He hears shouting from around him and a cry of victory from his opponent, and then someone is hauling him to his feet and telling him to get outta here, you’re done for the night.

Eddie is well aware that he’s done, but can’t bring himself to pull away from the support of whoever is currently holding him up. They do it for him, though, giving him a gentle push away.

He stumbles and falls to his knees, his head spinning. He gives himself a second to get reoriented as best as he can, then very slowly pushes himself up and stands, then walks shakily to his truck. 

He sinks down into the driver’s seat and gives his head a shake, intending to clear up the ringing in his ears. All that this accomplishes, though, is making his head throb and his vision swim, so he stops, and rests his head against the steering wheel for a moment, trying to think and not having much luck.

Buck, he finally decides. He should go see Buck. 

Fifteen minutes later, he’s in the parking lot at Buck’s place, and he can’t really remember how he got there. His truck is fine, though, and no police sirens break through the constant noise in his ears, so he figures he’d driven responsibly enough on the way here.

Why is he here, again? Did Buck ask him to come? He can’t remember. But he’s here, and Buck will be, too, so he goes inside.

--

Buck jumps a little as someone knocks on his door. He pauses the movie he’s watching and gets up, checking the time. Who the hell is at my door at midnight? he wonders, hoping it’s nothing bad but figuring it’s nothing good.

He’s right. As soon as he opens the door, Eddie is falling inside, a nasty bruise forming on the left side of his face and blood drying on the back of his head. Buck catches him immediately, slipping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him inside.

“Jesus, Eddie, what happened?” he asks, leading him to the couch and lowering him down. 

Eddie looks up at him in confusion, and Buck notes with worry that his pupils are slightly different sizes. Concussion, he thinks. 

“Your head, Eddie,” he reminds the other man. “What happened?”

Eddie scrunches up his face in concentration, and finally says, “I got hit.”

“Hit?” Buck asks, not liking the direction this conversation is going.

Eddie sighs, trying his best to focus on Buck’s face as he works out what to say. “Some guy punched me,” he explains.

“Eddie,” Buck says, half-stern, half-concerned. “What guy?”

“I dunno,” Eddie tells him, honestly. “Just some guy.”

I’m going to have to drag this out of him, Buck thinks. He’s not sure how angry he should be at Eddie, given the current circumstances, but he is angry, because he’s sure he knows what happened - Eddie was street fighting again, and got knocked around a little more than he’d been bargaining for.

Even if he is mad, though, he doesn’t want to let Eddie know. Not right now, when he’s gazing around Buck’s apartment like he can’t remember how he got there. “I’m not mad,” he says, and he gives Eddie a gentle smile. “You were street fighting, right?”

Eddie looks down. “Yeah,” he admits, softly.

“Okay,” Buck says, and decides that’s good enough for now. They’ll talk about this later. “Thank you for telling me.”

Buck gets up from his position on the couch and heads into the bathroom to grab his first-aid kit and some washcloths. He’s going to patch Eddie up a little, then take him to Urgent Care. Ordinarily, he’d either have called 911 already or he’d take Eddie to a regular doctor, but it’s the middle of the night and he doesn’t think waiting till morning is the best idea, but nor does he think Eddie’s concussion is especially bad. Upon noting this, he comes to the startling realization that Eddie had to have gotten here somehow, and he’s betting he didn’t walk.

He emerges back into the living room, supplies in hand, fully intending on telling Eddie off for driving while concussed, but as soon as he comes into Eddie’s field of vision, Eddie’s asking him where he went and looking at him with such obvious concern on his face that Buck can’t stand the thought of yelling at him. When he’s feeling better, he decides, and returns to his place next to Eddie on the couch.

“What’re you doing?” Eddie asks, tripping slightly over the words. Buck has a first-aid kit and a washcloth and Eddie doesn’t think either of those items is going to help him very much. His head just hurts, that’s all. 

“‘M fine,” he insists, reaching up a hand to bat away the cloth that Buck is trying to clean his face with.

“You’re not fine, Eddie, you’re concussed,” Buck explains, pushing his hand away and lightly wiping some of the dirt off of Eddie’s face. 

“I am?” Eddie asks, after taking a minute to process the words.

“Yeah,” Buck affirms, gently turning Eddie’s head to the side to inspect the back of his head. 

As he’d thought, it’s only a small scrape, but, as is often the case with head wounds, it had bled quite a lot. He begins the careful process of scrubbing the blood out of Eddie’s hair, as best as he can with only a damp washcloth. 

“Doesn’t feel nice,” Eddie mumbles, and Buck stops what he’s doing a moment to rub a hand on his back. 

“I know,” he says, resuming his cleaning and apologizing when Eddie winces as he hits a sore spot.

A couple of minutes pass in relative silence, with Buck finishing up with Eddie’s hair and moving on to inspecting his hands, which are scraped up and bruising across the knuckles. 

He’s about to start bandaging an especially large scrape when Eddie makes a strange sort of choked noise, and he only has time to say, “I don’t feel so-” before he’s leaning forward and throwing up, stars flashing across his field of vision for the second time that day as the pain in his head spikes.

Buck’s hand comes up on Eddie’s back as he coughs and sniffs. “It’s okay, Eddie,” he says, rubbing a hand between his shoulder blades. “You’re okay.”

Eddie sure doesn’t feel okay. His head feels like it might explode and his ears have started ringing again and now his throat is burning too, and so is his face, because he’s just been sick on Buck’s floor, and Buck is already probably mad at him for street fighting again, and he hadn’t wanted to, really, but everything had just felt like so much and he hadn’t known what else to do, and-

“Breathe, Eddie,” says Buck’s voice, cutting through his rising panic. “I’m here, it’s okay.” 

Slowly, Eddie’s breathing evens back out, and he leans back into the couch with his eyes closed, like that will stop Buck from seeing the tears on his cheeks.

“It’s okay, Eddie,” he says, yet again, gently reaching up a hand to brush away his tears.

“It’s not,” Eddie says, very quietly. 

“Okay, maybe not,” Buck admits, carefully pulling Eddie closer to him with an arm around his shoulders. “But we’re going to take you to Urgent Care, and make sure you’re alright, and then we’ll bring you back here and you can rest, and we’ll work on being okay in the morning.”

That sounds nice, Eddie decides, leaning his head into Buck’s shoulder. “We’ll be okay in the morning,” he echoes.

thanks very much for reading this!!! i hope that you have a very nice whatever time of day you are having :)

[kalypsichor]

and they were quARANTINED [a beatles fic] - ch 1

summary: George takes a shit. Ringo braves a trip to the tescos and loses a bit of his soul. John harrasses the general public and Paul’s just trying to get them home before they kill each other. All while a virus tears the world apart.

warnings: CRACK (not cocaine), geo’s bad potty habits, ringo’s copious use of emojis

so, this is different... but i’ve always been a crack fic writer at heart. this is the result of being quarantined myself due to COVID-19. i’ve been seeing so much fear and frustration and hatred that i just wanted to write about it kinda cathartically. enjoy!

Unfortunately, George doesn’t realize that they’re out of toilet paper until after he’s taken a shit.

“Fuck,” he mutters. “Ringo?”

No answer.

“Ringooooooooo. RINGO!!!”

George’s legs are starting to lose feeling. He bounces them up and down a bit and the motion almost makes him drop his phone in the toilet.

“RICHARD FUCKING STARKEY!”

There’s the sound of footsteps and then a pause before Ringo answers.

“What’s up?”

“What took you so long?”

“Had my headphones in. Sorry I couldn’t be at your beck and call, O Lord of the Loo.”

“SHUT up. Look, do we have any more loo roll?”

A pause. “Why, are we out?”

George rolls his eyes so hard he sees stars. “No, I’m askin’ for the banter.”

“I’ll go check. Don’t move!”

George can almost see the shit-eating (heh) grin on his mate’s face as he walks away. With a sigh and some choice curse words that would make Louise cry, George pulls out his phone again. Opens Twitter. Sees yet another tweet from that spraytanned clown across the pond. Closes Twitter and contemplates deleting it. After about three rounds of this, Ringo comes back and knocks on the door.

“We’re all out. Got you some tissues, though.”

Krishna help me. George tips his head back against the wall and thumps it a few times for good measure.

“Thanks,” he says flatly. “Could you- ?”

The door opens just a smidge before he can finish talking there’s a flying blur of Kleenex box, a blinding pain in the side of his head, and a sickening crACK—

***

“I’m really sorry,” Ringo says for the millionth time, hovering over George as he examines the spiderweb of cracks on his phone screen. George huffs. He wants to be mad, he really does, but Ringo’s face is doing that stupid thing where his eyes are very, very blue and droopy and his teeth are worrying his bottom lip and it’s obvious that he’s genuinely remorseful and—fuck, he’s got it bad.

“It’s fine,” George insists, even though he can hear his bank account having a fit. “Piece of shit phone, anyway. And look, it still works!” Very shittily, his brain adds, but that’s what you get with a five year old phone.

The older boy’s eyes still have an unconvinced, sad look about them and George wishes he could kiss it away. No homo, though.

“How can I make it up to you?” George’s brain does a slutdrop into the gutter. “I’ll… I’ll get the groceries! How ‘bout that?”

“NO!” Scrambling off the couch, George just barely misses smacking noses with Ringo. “What about the… the virus?”

“I’ll wear a mask and all. Wash hands for twenty seconds, stay six feet away from people… am I missing anything?”

“Yeah, the quarantine bit.”

Ringo snorts and puts a hand on George’s arm. “Quit your worrying, Geo. I’ll be fine. Haven’t John and Paul been out all day?”

***

John and Paul want to go the fuck home. They’d walked all the way to a new art gallery opening only to find out it was cancelled (“Why didn’t you check Google?” “Why didn’t you?”). And now, both being tired as hell from their long trek, they couldn’t even flag down a single cab to take them home.

“This is the worst thing ever,” John cries, flopping his entire body down on a park bench. Paul rolls his eyes and lifts up John’s stupidly long legs so he can sit down as well.

“People are dying, John.”

“I feel like I’m dying.”

“John.”

“Okay, fine, maybe I’m being dramatic. But this stupid… thing… is fucking up all our plans!”

“It’s not fucking Voldemort, you can say the name.”

“Alright, fine. Coronavirus. CORONAVIRUS. You happy, Paul?”

A woman hurrying by shoots them a wide-eyed, nervous look and crosses the street, tugging a little boy by the hand.

“... bitch.”

“Jesus, John.” Paul pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’d do that too if some rando was shouting in the streets.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t hafta shoot that nasty look at us… did you see that? Paul?”

“Hold on, hold on.” His phone is vibrating in his pocket and he fumbles to pull it out. “Your stupid legs are in the way.”

John huffs and makes a show of wiggling said legs, almost kicking Paul in the face. Still, he tucks them to his chest (flexible, Paul thinks and then instantly regrets) so that Paul can take out the buzzing rectangle.

--

bongo: do u or john want anything? 🤔🤔

bongo: like groceries

bongo: going to tescos

Shouldnt you be quarantining?

bongo: ur literally at an art museum 😂

It’s a gallery

And it got cancelled :/

bongo: oop sorry m8 thats tough

bongo: srsly tho whaddaya want

We need more vegetables. Carrots, etc

--

“Tell him to get cornflakes,” John says, peering over Paul’s shoulder. He’s sat up and practically draped over Paul’s lap. Paul sighs and shoves his legs off, ignoring the indignant squawk the other boy makes when he almost falls off the bench.

--

Also that cornflake cereal stuff

bongo: k

bongo: tell john i said hi

Heyyyyyy rich wots up

Paulie’s being a bitch he pushed me :((((

Why is his auto caps on lsdnfol

--

“Give it back!”

“Ow! Ow stop hitting me Jesus fuckin-”

--

Sorry that was john

bongo: yeah i could tell lmao

bongo: where are u guys??

Stuck at some park. Can’t get any cabs home

bongo: well duh coronavirus 😷😷😷

bongo: bad time to be a cabbie man 😔

Yeah yikes

Pick up some rice for george too

And hand sanitizer

bongo: ill try but twitter says handsan itizer is going fast

bongo: what the fuc why did it space like that

Lol

bongo: oh also

bongo: geos being a mother hen and making me wear a face mask

bongo: u know where they are?

Second drawer down in the bathroom, behind the rubber gloves

bongo: … how did u reply SO fast

Uh i know where things are in our flat? Like a normal person?

bongo: thats sus but ok

bongo: wow theyre actually here

bongo: okay imma head out before it gets dark

What’s after dark? Zombies?

bongo: u never no

bongo: *no

bongo: FUCKING *KNOW

Nice

Okay stay safe ritch

bongo: 😘🙃👍🏼✌🏼✌🏼🌈🌟🥦🥦🥦☮️

***

Ringo has never seen this many people at Tesco in his entire life. Two grown men are having a full on argument in the pastries. A harried-looking dad almost knocks Ringo into a rack of Twinkies, pulling along two screaming kids with one slung on his hip. And… is that person actually wearing a Hazmat suit??

“This is insane,” Ringo mutters to himself, slightly muffled due to the face mask. He just needs to find the loo roll and then he’s going to yeet outta here ASAP.

Okay, hygiene aisle… here we g—what the—

The entire aisle is empty.

It’s like a goddamn Old Western. Just add a cow skull… cue the tumbleweed… and it would be perfect.

Not for the first time that day, Ringo sends a prayer to whoever is listening above. There’s got to be something left. He walks down to the end of the aisle. Walks back. Jumps a couple times to check if there’s anything on the top shelf. Sincerely hopes no one just saw him do that. Finally, shoved at the very back behind a couple of Always boxes, Ringo digs out a dusty as shit six-pack of toilet paper.

Well. It’ll have to do.

As he’s walking to the check out lines, a woman drops her bottle of hand sanitizer. It rolls across the floor in a perfect arc and Ringo scoops it up before it can get too far.

“Oops, you dropped this!” He says cheerily, handing it to her. Well, trying to. The woman makes a strangled noise in the back of her throat, physically flinches away from his outstretched hand, and almost drops the rest of her groceries. Before Ringo can react, she’s disappeared behind the produce aisle.

Ringo’s arm falls to his side. He stares at the space where she was just a second ago and holds in a scream.

“More for us, I guess.”

***

By the time Ringo reaches the flat, he’s ready to never see another person again. He trudges right past George in the kitchen, dropping the groceries on the table with a thwack. John hums a greeting to him in the living room and offers him a biscuit.

“No thanks,” Ringo says. He faceplants into the couch.

Something clinks onto the coffee table. Well, coffee table is one way to put it; it’s more of a hunk of stone from back when Paul thought he was going to be the next Michelangelo and get really into classical sculpture. It now sits in the living room and primarily holds George’s textbooks, plus takeout for whenever they don’t feel like cooking (which is all the time), so you can see how that panned out for Paul.

“Tea for you,” George says. He plops onto the floor between the couch and the table and runs a friendly, comforting hand through Ringo’s hair. Ringo practically purrs, leaning into the touch, and George feels his heart melt and trickle through his ribs. “You okay?”

“I’ve lost all faith in humanity,” Ringo mumbles into the cushion. John reaches over and pats him on the back.

“Don’t worry, Ringo. There won’t be any humans to have faith in soon.”

George throws a packet of sugar at John who dodges it, snickering. Ringo groans and tries to sink even deeper into the couch.

And that’s when they hear Paul scream.

[ambivalent-anarchy]

Grey

Gender: Female

Pairing: Peter Parker x morally grey! reader

Warning: None

Saw something on Pinterest and had an idea.

This will be a new storyline. Not a fic, just the one-shots will be connected, though you'll be able to read all of them separate and it still makes sense. You can send requests for this storyline just put 'Peter Parker x grey!reader'

Morally grey- a character who does too much good to fully be bad, but too much bad to fully be good and their motives are unclear.

Hope you like it!

---------------------------------------

Peter had been warned against people like her.

She kept him on his toes, always switching sides. She wasn't like the other villains he'd known.

Mysterio, Scorpion, Otto Octavius. They were bad. There was no doubt about it. They'd each brought some turmoil on the world in one form or another.

They needed to be stopped. So Spiderman stopped them. Simple as that.

But [Y/N]. She was different.

"Watch out for the morally grey ones," Mr. Stark had told him early in his superhero career. "They're the confusing ones. The ones ya just can't fully be mad at."

Natasha was much more clear with her approach. "Take my advice, kid," she said. "Don't make it personal. I've seen how you act with your villains.. one like that, where they're so close to being good, yet so far. One like that would kill your spirit."

And it certainly seemed Peter had finally found his match.

"Give it up, [Y/N]! I always catch you!"

He'd been tracking her for weeks now. At first it seemed she was just a common thief. But she was smart. She had skills. She had plans. And well, if you wear a costume, you can't just be some common thief.

"You forget, Spiderman!," she chirped as she ran, a large, bulging bag on her back. "We're twelve to seven! I've been coming up lately!"

Peter rolled his eyes as he hopped into action. "Is this just a game to you?"

"I'm just saying," she laughed. "Gotta give credit where credit is due!"

Peter scoffed as he swung to catch up. "You say that as you hold a bag of hundreds of people's stolen money!"

This was her fifth time this week. Going to rich people's banks and sneaking past the security systems and stealing their money.

For a few weeks, Peter hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept. He was practically going crazy searching for her. Trying to pin an M.O. to make it a bit easier for himself. But she was untraceable. The only thing he'd found out about her was her name. Which basically led to nothing being that she was practically a nobody. The only time he could see her was when she made herself visible.

Today, she'd hit the bank Norman Osborn had been storing sums of his money into. But hardly anyone knew that. She'd done her research and some heavy snooping.

"It's mostly just Osborn today, he'll find a way to bounce back! He always does!," she yelled, jumping to the last building on the block.

She looked around desperately as she felt her chaser getting closer. She was trapped. "Crap," she muttered.

"Gotcha," Peter whispered to himself as he swung to the building she stood on. Once there, he quickly webbed the bag from her back.

Quickly noticing what he was doing, [Y/N] caught it just as he began to snatch it. She kept a tight hold on it and they began to fight for dominance, stuck in their own little game of tug-of-war.

"Let...go!," Peter grunted.

"Not on your life," she shot back, feeling her feet slide on the concrete. She was about to lose.

They both realized it as her feet began to give way and her body became airborne, almost crashing into Peter before he quickly moved out of the way.

"Ugh!"

[Y/N] screamed as her entire back crashed into wall of the building. Looking up, she watched as Spiderman grabbed the bag.

"Oh, hell no," she spat.

Peter smirked as he picked up the bag. "Sorry [Y/N]. But I guess it's thirteen to seven now- AGH!"

He collapsed in an instant, feeling something hard sling across his face. It was too hard to be a fist. And God it hurt like hell.

[Y/N] scowled. "You threw me into a wall!," she screamed as hit her nemesis again and again with the butt of her gun. "You asshole!"

Peter grimaced, attempting to grab hold to her wrists and push her off of him. "Well, I didn't BREAK YOUR NOSE!," he hissed through gritted teeth. Luckily, that was the only thing that felt broken of his.

She continued her brutal attack on his upper body, almost as if she's was trying to put the gun through him before he finally got the upper hand and threw her off.

He moved to try to stand, but he fell back down, an entirely new, different pain aside from his face starting.

[Y/N] propped her head up. "Was that your stomach?," she asked.

Aunt May was out of town, so there was no one to make sure Peter had been taking care of himself, which he hadn't. The last thing he'd prepared was a pop-tart, that was still burning in the toaster in his home as he sat on that building.

[Y/N] stood, rubbing her back to relieve some of the pain she felt that was keen on staying. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was your stomach."

Peter scrunched his eyebrows together, confused. Still, he put his fist up to fight, ignoring the heavy and loud rumbling of his stomach.

Rolling her eyes, she threw the gun down. "Well, I'm not gonna fight you now." She moved toward him to pick up the bag he barely had a hold on. Unzipping it and reaching in, she pulled out a few bills and put it in the hand that wasn't pressing his cheek. "Here. Take it."

Peter backed into the wall some more, if that was even possible. "I don't want your dirty money," he protested.

"Well, it's from a rich people bank. It's actually pretty clean," [Y/N] joked before kicking his uninjured leg lightly. "C'mon man, don't be weird just take it, okay?"

"Put the money back in the bag," Peter ordered, making a second attempt to stand. He didn't make it this time either, cursing quietly as he fell back to the ground. Was he hurt or was he just really tired he asked himself.

"You need to eat something."

Peter frowned, wrapping both arms around his grumbling stomach. "You need to mind your own business."

[Y/N] stepped forward slowly, arms held out in front of her, palms up. "You fainted on me last week, remember idiot? And I can hear how hungry you are now." She walked a bit closer, picking up the bills her enemy had thrown on the ground, then looked back up to him. "If you won't take the money, at least let me buy you some food," she bargained.

Peter watched the mixed expressions flicker on her face. Annoyance. Concerned? She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Look Spiderman, you help everyone. Let someone help you for once. Don't let your pride stop you from taking the help you need to continue saving lives, okay?" She smiled crookedly. "To continue stopping people like me."

Peter stared, mouth agape. "[Y/N], what is this?," he questioned. "You're not nice.. you're rude, a-and you only care about yourself." He winced, shuffling to lay his back on the wall of the building you'd thrown him into moments before.

"Well, I've always preferred 'rough around the edges', but okay," she snickered, rolling her eyes and then looking down at the ground right in front of his feet. This was completely out of her element, but she couldn't help but feel like she was obligated to do it.

"Alright, but.. you hate me," Peter said, looking up to see her completely unreadable face.

She finished stuffing the rest of the money in her bag. "I think you've got me messed up with Doc Oc," she said, wiping off her pants, getting ready to help Spider-man up. "I'm not like most of them, y'know. Us villains aren't all the same. Some of us actually do have some morals."

He watched as she looked around, muttering to herself. If it were anybody else, they wouldn't have heard her. But with his senses, Peter heard her loud and clear.

'God, give me strength.'

She held her hand out to him. "Come on, let me get you outta here, Spider."

Underneath his mask, Peter's frown deepened. "No, I got it... just go, okay?" He still had a hold on the bag with his webs. He was offering her a chance to escape.

"Don't be an idiot, dude," she scolded. "I just pistol-whipped you. Even if you swing, I'm sure all that wind blowing on your cuts and bruises wouldn't be comfortable..."

Peter blew out a breath. He knew she didn't really want this. So why was she so insistent? She was a criminal and he was the hero. Simple as that. Or at least, it's supposed to be.

But now she was helping him? Offering him a meal? He hated to admit it, but at this moment, he preferred criminals like Doc Oc or Green Goblin. At least they didn't confuse him like this.

But she's didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. And he did still need to take the cash she'd stolen. So swallowing his pride, he chuckled. "Um, [Y/N]... look.."

-

And now they were in the Olive Garden parking lot.

She'd helped clean most of his cuts in her car (his mask only going up to his nose of course).

After he'd had a bit of time to calm down, he turned his face toward her. "So, um, there's no drive-thru?"

The villain scoffed lightly. "Hell no," she responded. "I'm not throwing my whole day off on you. We're movin' on my schedule bucko. And anytime I lose against you, and not get thrown in lockup, I go drink, okay? That cool with you?," you teased. "Or are you gonna tell me how unhealthy that is Mr. Superhero Guy?"

Peter huffed. "Well, you can go eat. But I'm not taking off my mask. I'll stay here."

"And let you steal back my cash? I don't think so," she retorted.

"So what?," he asked, frankly annoyed at this point. "Spider-Man just walks into an Olive Garden with a random girl?"

"Wouldn't be that way if you'd just take off your mask," [Y/N] defended. "Then it'd just be two random people walking into an Olive Garden."

"That's not an option."

Tapping on the dashboard, she groaned. "C'mon, I take my mask off in front of you all the time! You know who I am. Why can't I know who you are?"

"You don't care about keeping your identity a secret because you have nothing to lose. I'm not the same. I want my loved ones to be safe."

"That's implying that I'd hurt someone you love, Spider-Man. I'm not sadistic," [Y/N] corrected.

Peter frowned. "You literally pistol-whipped me about an hour ago."

"And I just spent that last hour nursing your wounds," she shot back.

"Sometimes you go out of your way to beat me up though."

"That's because sometimes you aggravate me," she laughed. "Occasionally, you deserve to get punched in the face."

"Whatever."

It was quiet again.

Until two minutes later Spiderman's stomach growled once again.

"Look dude, we could always pass you off as a overenthusiastic cosplayer?," she offered. "You wouldn't have to take off your mask that way, but you would get weird looks."

For probably the hundredth time since starting his hunt on her, Peter rolled his eyes. "Why do you want me to eat so much anyway?"

"I don't care about you if that's what you're suggesting," she said. "I just don't like people going hungry. And it's obvious you're not taking care of yourself." Her eyes shifted a bit. "And what's the fun in beating you if I'm not beating you at your highest, right?"

Peter chuckled at [Y/N]'s excuse. "Right.."

-

And now they were sat at a table. [Y/N] in a cute shirt she had in her car and some jeans. Peter still in his Spiderman suit.

Awkward, to say the least.

But the stares from waiters were the least of Peter's worries.

'What am I doing???'

He should've left hours ago. He should've grabbed the money and returned it and taken this girl to jail.

But the more he talked to her, and the way she nursed his wounds without question and gave him some food. It made him think of all the other things he hadn't noticed before.

How she only stole from the rich (which was very bad of course but way better than just taking from everybody). How she never went for kill shots, or even for spots that'd cause heavy injury.

She was a bad guy, yes. But maybe she wasn't a bad guy.

"I'm sorry for that time I shot you, by the way," she spoke in the middle of their meal. "It was meant to just be a warning shot. But you moved and it got your leg. It's been bugging me for a long time. That didn't take too long to heal, did it?"

Peter shook his head as he chewed his food.

"Good," she said. "Also for pistol-whipping you earlier today. I kinda got carried away."

"Yeah, I could tell. It hurts to chew right now," he said.

"Well my back still hurts from being thrown into a wa-"

"Why do you steal?," Peter cut in to ask.

Without any hesitation, [Y/N] responded. "It's just my way."

He frowned. "Just your way?," he repeated. "Haven't you-"

"Don't want a job. Tried them and didn't like them. And there's nothing more schools can teach me. Stealing has the thrill I love and it helps me to get around and, if the opportunity presents itself, to help somebody out."

Peter stared, dumbfounded. So [Y/N] was a good person...who just happened to like stealing? But then that else make her a bad person.

How could one person be so contradictory?

"You are an enigma," Peter marveled.

"Thank you," she replied, taking a sip of her wine.

When it came time to leave, [Y/N] paid and they made their way out of the building, actually laughing together and enjoying themselves.

They made their way back to her car. [Y/N] smiled. "Well, thanks for that, even though I never saw your face the whole time," she giggled. "Wait, does this count as a date? I'm sorta dressed up and you're probably in the best suit you've ever worn." She pinched at a spot of his suit on his shoulder. "Had a semi-fancy dinner-"

Peter held his head back and laughed. "I mean, I guess if you want it to, then it does. But I'm still gonna arrest you if I catch you again."

[Y/N] smirked. "And I'm still gonna steal, so.."

"Right..," Peter sighed. It wasn't like he thought he could actually change her in one night. But someone so insistent on doing a bad thing.

So close, yet so far...

Which made him remember..

"Oh yeah!," he exclaimed as he bursts off running towards the car, leaving a confused [Y/N] behind him.

She didn't get a chance to ask what he was doing before he kicked and busted the tires of her car and broke one of the windows to reach in and steal the bag of money inside.

Jumping onto her car, he pulled his mask up to right above his mouth. "Thanks for the meal! Gotta blast! Remember to stay off the streets!," Peter yelled before he jumped into the air.

Shocked, [Y/N] stood there frozen. "I-i, I-i.... I'M GONNA KILL YOU, SPIDERMAN!!!"

"You say that a lot!," he joked. "I'm beginning to doubt your commitment!"

"Ugh!"

-

"How'd it go, underoos?," Tony asked early the next morning.

Peter looked up from his computer with a unreadable expression on his face. "Hey Mr. Stark," he started. He furrowed his eyebrows. "I think I met one of those villains you used to talk about. The good but bad ones?"

Tony crossed his arms. "And?"

"I think we're kinda friends..."

[theartisticintrovert]

Case #0130403

Statement of Jason Gale, regarding the strange occurrences surrounding Daniel Fenton. Original statement given 3rd April, 2013. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London. Statement begins.

--

I wanna start this by saying that I barely knew Danny. I don’t know how he became what he is, but what I did see, well...I still have nightmares. I guess I should start at the beginning, though I’m not really sure how much of a beginning there is.

I never had the greatest home life. Pretty textbook, really. Shitty dad, dead mom, bad friends, the works. I ran away when I was fourteen, fell in with a real bad crowd. I’d been in and out of juvie every few months, but I didn’t meet Danny until I was sixteen. I’d been picked up at the scene of a robbery, don’t even remember where, and sent off to Amity Youth Detention Center. I’d been there for about three months when my old cellmate got released, so I was on my own for a bit. I didn’t mind, D Block wasn’t exactly the worst it could get.

Danny transferred in a few weeks later. At first, I didn’t think much of him. He was tiny, barely 5’4 I think, and he looked like a twig. His eyes, though.....his eyes were what scared me the most. They looked dead, like someone sucked all the life outta him, just leaving his corpse walkin’ around like some kinda zombie. They sent him in and he just.....stared, watching Officer McCarthy leave like he was already planning the poor bastard’s funeral. I freaked out a little. I’m not ashamed, kid was fuckin’ scary.

That’s when it happened. It’s like something snapped in him. The room got all cold, and the lights started flickering. He shoved me up against the wall and I dunno how but it felt like this.....predator staring at me. I don’t even remember what he said, but I just agreed to whatever it was so he’d stop staring at me. I swear his eyes were green, but it had to just be a trick of the light. It had to be, because I remember they were blue. I remember, because I remember thinking how weird it was for an Asian kid to have blue eyes.

Still, when he got mad......I swear to you, they were green.

Sorry, I got a little.....off track there. There were a few more weird things about him, but just little things. He never ate, and I know it wasn’t that he was eating when I couldn’t see him. AYDC has scheduled meal times for every block, and every single time it was D’s turn he just....stayed in bed. There’s no getting in or out once the door’s locked, so he wasn’t sneaking around. And yet, even after about a week and a half of this, he was fine. No complaining, no hunger pains, not even a little bit of nausea. Like.....like he didn’t need food. I asked him about it, but the answer, well.....I think he was a bit nutty. Everyone was in there. 

I managed to get him into the cafeteria one time, though not for very long. I think Emily, that is, Emily Grey, scared him off, but I can’t be sure. I do remember though, that the others felt it too. Danny was.....he had this like, aura of despair. Like you get near him, and nothing you do will make you feel again. Owen Coulter said he “felt like depression, if depression was a person”. I only remember that because it was so strange to hear a twelve year old say that with the knowledge that only an old man has, but there it was anyway.

He got transferred a few days later, or....I assume he was transferred, anyway. I heard he’d finally gotten his trial, but he didn’t come back after. I can only assume they sent him to F, because I didn’t see him for several months after that. I’d honestly just been starting to feel okay again when he came back to D. I only really noticed him because we were in the yard at the same time, and something in me wanted to turn around and bolt the second I spotted him. Still, he seemed.....different. Less angry, less......snappish. I noticed a few new scars on him too, which was strange just because the inmates at AYDC aren’t allowed any electronics, so how the hell did he get electrocution scars?

The next big one happened after he was released. He’d been out for about a week when I got a visitor. This was news to me, since my old man doesn’t give a rat’s ass about me and my friends wouldn’t be caught dead in a juvie visitation room. Only visitors I really got were my lawyer and sometimes my stepmom, but she didn’t come often. She doesn’t like me much, but that’s beside the point. When I saw Danny on the other side of that glass window, I about turned around right there. Unfortunately for me, the door was already shut and I couldn’t get anyone to open it, not from my side. Fuckin’ bastards probably stepped out for a donut break, who knows. The point is, Danny was....different. 

His scars curled up both of his cheeks now, pale and prominent against his sickly brown skin. His eyes seemed a little sharper now, a little more aware. I wasn’t entirely sure this was a good thing. We argued a bit, but....I think he was genuinely trying to help. I didn’t trust him a damn bit, but at least he was trying.

I’ve been dancing around the point long enough, I think. Sure, the kid’s weird, you’re thinking. He’s got scars, so what? He makes you miserable just being around him? Probably some emo bastard. The whole predator gaze? Well, he was in for assault. No, the thing I’ve been avoiding, the thing that I’ll never forget....it was his ghost.

Way back when we were still bunkmates, he’d told me about how he died. How his parents were some kind of Ghostbuster freaks, and they built a portal to Hell in his basement. Okay, well, he called it the “Ghost Zone”, but who gives a fuck, honestly. Then he told me he was stupid enough to go in the damn thing, and got zapped six ways to Sunday. He said he’d died in that portal, and I didn’t want to believe him. I couldn’t. When you die, you die. That’s it. Game over. Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars. The idea that he could be some sort of.....half-alive, half-dead.....thing, well....I didn’t want to think about it. I’d already come to terms with my own mortality, and I did not need it shoved back in my face by some freaky-ass kid.

But then he showed me. God, it was horrible. I was expecting him to fail, just the delusions of his poor fucked up scrambled brains, some side effect of getting zapped to hell and back. Maybe, if it were true, to just go a bit translucent. I didn’t expect the monster.

It came in a flash of light. Two sparking rings of bright white electricity, so bright they burned to look at. When I managed to blink the spots outta my eyes, I almost thought I’d hit my head. Where Danny had been standing, a floating, glowing thing stood in his place. It was pale, washed out, with only its acid green eyes and tongue giving it any color at all. It wore a jumpsuit of some sort, with thick gloves and attached boots, like the biohazard guys on TV. It still had the scars though, even if they were glowing an ominous neon green. It hissed at me, like it was trying to speak, but I didn’t understand a word it said. When it turned that empty, hungry gaze on me, I panicked. I shoved it back against the wall, where it connected with a sickening splat. Blood oozed on the concrete, or at least, I assume it was blood. It was red and green and sizzled, like it was eating away at the stone. I think there’s still marks there, where the acid ate away at the concrete.

The thing wanted to eat me, I’m sure of it, but it seemed too dizzy. I think shoving it only made it more angry, but at that point the light came back. I looked away just in time, and when the light died down Danny was back. Still scrawny, still fleshy, still alive. Only now, I wasn’t so sure.

I haven’t seen another ghost since, and I think it’s for the best. I’ve done my research, I’ve heard about these....mediums. I know I can’t see them, not on this plane. Honestly, I’m better off for it I think. I don’t want to see them, or hear them, or even think about them again. 

I didn’t give you this statement to have you do something about it. I don’t even know if you have the ability to do anything, since all this happened in Illinois. I didn’t come all the way to some dingy spooky library in fucking London for a solution. I’ve made my peace. I just.....I needed to tell somebody. Not the cops, I don’t trust them as far as I could throw them. And not anyone else either, they’d think I’m a schizo freak, like that Weston kid. No, I’m perfectly happy laying low, and never thinking about Daniel Fenton again. And now that I have this off my chest and stored away in your freaky little library, I finally can.

--

Statement ends. Although he said he didn’t want us to do anything about his experience, we did reach out to Mr. Gale. He replied in no uncertain terms for us to leave him alone, and that he absolutely would not be giving a follow-up statement. I....can’t say I blame him, but really, half-dead? A teenager that could turn into some paranormal entity? It all seems rather....far fetched. 

Still, we did do some basic follow-up research on what we could. The Fentons do exist, as well as the town of Amity Park. I’d like to take everything about said town with a hefty dose of salt however, as it claims to be “The Most Haunted Place in America”. Tourist trap nonsense, if you ask me. Daniel Fenton was arrested in late summer of 2010, though those records are obviously sealed. Emily Grey declined to give a follow-up statement as well, and Owen Coulter seems to have unfortunately passed away in the intervening years. 

Still, I can’t help but think that Mr. Gale’s statement is....unusually detailed, especially as it concerns a boy he himself claims to have no close connection to.

End recording.

[doctorporkchop02]

Underswap Ruins Map Layout (Rough Sketch) and the Events of the new Incinerate Ruins.

So I made a little Doodle of the Map layout for the new version of Incinerate Ruins... Well I can't really call it Incinerate Ruins any more. So after months of struggling to find a theme for a Summer Version of the Ruins, I decided to get rid of the Volcano and Desert theme and instead go for a... Drum roll please...

AN AMUSEMENT PARK THEME!!!

Yep, I decided to make Incinerate Ruins a mix of the Ruins from Undertale and an Amusement Park with Rollar Coasters, Bouncy Floors, other stands for little games the monsters could play for prizes, Balloons and other decorations everywhere, and at the very end of it, a giant Circus Tent runned by the one and only Hapstablook!!!

Actually, the Rollar Coasters and other stuff was all Hapstablook idea so not only could the Catacombs be more Lively and Exciting, but it also gives him an excuse to appease his own ego, by putting posters and statues everywhere, and making the prizes in the games themed after Hapstablook... because of course of course Hapstablook would do something like that.

But yeah, I don't have a name for this new version of the Ruins yet, but I'm happy with this and I hope you like the change too. But I guess I should go through this doodle and explains what's going to happen...

Okay, so when you first start off, Chara is laying down on their stomach on a bed of Golden Flowers, reminiscent of Undertale's Intro.

But Chara gets up, shakes their head, looks up where they fell down, and starts walking through a long hallway and goes through a giant door. Then Chara encounters the Temmie Dolls where She introduces herself, offers to give you a Tutorial like Flowey's Tutorial in Undertale, and then they {DOG!} and {DOG!} and barely leaves Chara at 1 out of 20 HP, but where Asgore comes in a shooes Temmie away with a Fireball, Introduces himself, realizes Chara is hurt, and offers to guide you through the Ruins.

Chara follows King Fluffybuns and finds themself in an area similar to Undertale's Weird Stair Room, and is also where Chara finds their first Save Point, after that Chara and Asgore go through the door at the end of the room and... Asgore realizes the Puzzles have been reactivated mysteriously and then says...

Asgore: Oh my, those pesky kids must have reactivated the puzzles again. I'm afraid I am going to have to have another chat with Mrs. Eyewalker again.

(Asgore then turns around and faces Chara)

Asgore: I apologize child, but it seems like we are going to have to do some puzzles into order to proceed. Thankfully, the puzzles here are not going to be too hard, I have a feeling that you are a very smart child and can solve this puzzle easily. I have faith in you, now go child, go and push those... boxes...

Asgore: Ho ho ho. Maybe I should ask that young fellow if he could help me make this puzzles more exciting.

So now Chara has to do a Box puzzle similar to the ones from Deltarune. It's not complicated at all and when Chara pushes both of the boxes to the two "X" Spots, the Spikes blocking the way deactivate and Chara and Asgore can proceed.

Then Asgore stops and says...

Asgore: Now Child, I'm sure that you are aware that I am not the only monster down here, and like how that doll did before, monsters may try to attack you... but I assure you that it is nothing personal.

Asgore: It's just that monsters have not seen a human in years, centuries even, and your soul is... well very valuable, monsters may try to take your soul, and I am not sure if I will be able to protect you from them. But that is why I am going to teach you how to defend yourself if a monster were to attack you. While I am far too old to teach you myself, I have someone else who can assist me with that.

(Asgore gestures Chara towards Mad Dummy)

Asgore: Now I suggest that you try to only talk and spare the monsters that attack you, so you can end the fight peacefully, you might even make a few friends afterwards. I also suggest that you only resort to Violence if it is absolutely necessary. But the monsters down here are very kind, so you will more than likely never need to resort to violence.

Asgore: Here, let's practice here on Mr. Dummy, now remember child, try to talk with him and then spare him. I wish you the best of luck child, although I do not think you need it, I bet you are a very kind child and I bet this will be as easy as pie for you. Hohoho.

Then the battle is initiated where "Fighting" Mad Dummy is really similar to "Fighting" the Ruins Dummy in Undertale. So let's just assume Chara tries to talk to Mad Dummy first.

-ACT > TALK

(Flavor Text: You say "Greetings" to the dummy... he doesn't seem up for a conversation.)

Mad Dummy: . . .

-ACT > TALK

(Flavor Text: You try talking to the Dummy again, he still doesn't seem up for a conversation, you and the Dummy just end up awkwardly staring at eachother for a while.)

Mad Dummy: . . .

Mad Dummy: . . . . . .

Mad Dummy: . . . . . . . . What?

Mad Dummy: What are YOU looking at?!

Mad Dummy: Yes!! I'm a Dummy!! I know!! I KNOW!!

Mad Dummy: How Rude of you to just walk up to me, say "GrEeTiNgS", not even asking me how my day has been by the way!!! Then!! THEN!!!!!! You just stare at me with that Creepy Face!!! How Awful!! How Despicable!!!!! How Disrespectful!!!!!!!!

Mad Dummy: Haven't your parents ever told you it's rude to stare at strangers?!?!?!?!? Do you not listen to your parents or something?!?!?! Awful!! Awful!!! AWFUL!!!! You should have more respect for your parents!!!!! They know much more and have lived much longer than YOU!!! You should listen to them more!!!!! You are such a bad seed!!! A Rotten Egg!!! A Despicable Whatever you are!!!!!!

Mad Dummy: Somebody around here should teach brats like you a lesson!!!!!! IN FACT, I'LL GIVE YOU A LESSON YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!!!!

(Mad Dummy Pulls out a Knife)

Mad Dummy: LESSON START!!!!!

(Mad Dummy throws the Knife at Chara, but Chara dodges the attack)

Mad Dummy: . . . . . I'm . . . . . Outta lessons . . .

(Asgore launches a Fireball towards Mad Dummy and yells "That's enough!"... but the Fireball actually hits Mad Dummy... The dummy is now on fire...)

(Mad Dummy Creepily Turns his head 180° And Slowly Floats towards Asgore...)

Mad Dummy/Burnt Dummy: . . . . .

Burnt Dummy: Did you. Just hit me. WITH A FIREBALL?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Burnt Dummy: WASTHATREALLYNECESSARYTODOOHMYGODOHMYGODYOUARESUCHAHYPOCRITESAYINGYOUSHOULDNEVERUSEVIOLENCEANDTHENYOUGOANDUSEVIOLENCEYOUAREJUSTASBADASTHISLITTLEBRATSERIOUSLYWHATISTHEMATTERWITHYOUDOYOUTHROWFIREBALLSATANYONEWHOISANGRYWHODOESTHATOBVIOUSLYLUNATICSLIKEYOUYOUHAVESERIOUSLYISSUESANDTHISMESSAGEISKINDAGETTINGABITTOLONGANDSOIAMJUSTGOINGTOENDTHISMESSAGEHEREANDIFYOUAREREADINGTHISTHENYOURANERDBUTSERIOUSLYFLUFFYGUYWHATISYOURPROBLEM-

(Burnt Dummy gets hit by an oncoming Rollar Coaster Car and gets carried away.)

(Both Asgore and Chara are wide eyed... o_o)

. . . Moving on . . . The next room is just a random room with a long hallway next to it, but there are three lone Cardboard Boards in the corner and a Cardboard Stand that says "TeM!!1!1!" On it with Marker. But when Chara and Asgore walk down the long hallway, Chara gets a Forced Encounter with a Whimsun and instead of Asgore glaring at the Whimsun like how Toriel does with Froggit in Undertale, Asgore politely asks Whimsun to not attack Chara, which Whimsun does and Flutters away awkwardly, after that is the Invisible Spike Path Puzzle thing, where Asgore gives Chara Piggyback ride while walking through the Spike Path.

After that is sadly the end of what I have right now for the new Incinerate Ruins, the next room is just a big Room filled with Tables, Balloons, and other stands with games for the Monsters to play and to the very left of the room is the legendary "Candy Bowl of Amazingness" where it acts basically the same as the Candy Bowl from Undertale...

... Yeah that's all I have for right now, if you have any ideas on things to be added or changed in the first part of Incinerate Ruins, lemme know.

I really hope you guys like what I have so far, because I know that I do.

But as always, I hope you guys have an awesome rest of your day/night.

[c0ffee-gh0ul]

The Dumpster Fire of Hurt: 01 - Brother

TRIGGER WARNINGS: swearing, mentions of stabbing

I felt something hit the back of my head. I turned around to find a tin foil ball on the floor, and Frank and his friends laughing at me.

I gave them a scowl and threw the tin foil ball back at them. Bullseye! It hit Frank right in the forehead. I chuckled to myself, turning back towards the lunch table.

“Nice one, Gee.” My brother, Mikey, says to me.

“Thanks.” I chuckled.

“Don’t you wish Frank would get off your back sometimes?” Lindsey asked.

“I mean, yeah, but, at the same time, no. It’s fun to mess with that little shit.” I laughed.

“I have to agree with Gerard on this one, Linds.” Bert said.

“But, he could be a nice person, you know? I just don’t understand why you guys mess with him all the time.” Lindsey sighed.

Bert and I started cracking up. We laughed so hard, we could barely breathe.

“I’m serious!” She said.

“Yeah, I kind of agree with Lindsey.” Mikey mumbled.

“We have a complicated past, okay? I have methods to my madness.” I explained. Mikey’s expression became more calm and Lindsey shrugged.

I knew Mikey trusted me, but Lindsey seemed more hesitant. I didn’t care anyways, it was my life.

The bell rang and we all rushed from lunch to our classes. Mikey and I headed to science, while Lindsey and Bert went to geometry.

Mikey and I sat at our usual spot, in the back of the first column of desks, which happened to be next to Frank and his friend James’ desks. 

Just our luck, the teacher assigned partners for a project. Thankfully, I wasn’t stuck with Frank. But, poor Mikey was. And I was stuck with James.

“Good luck, Mikey.” I said as we were going with our groups.

“You too.” He mumbled, going over to Frank’s desk.

I glanced over at Frank and Mikey starting their work as James sat down next to me. “Give me a second…” I said to James, getting up and walking over to Frank and Mikey.

I tapped Frank’s shoulder and he turned around.

“‘Sup, asshat?” Frank chuckled, looking up at me. I raised one eyebrow at him, then looked around me, to make sure no one was paying attention to me. I slowly leaned down to Frank’s face.

“Don’t you dare fucking hurt my little brother. Got it?” I said in a low hiss, pointing in his face.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t hurt the quiet one. At least he wouldn’t get in my face.” He scoffed.

“I would if I had to…” Mikey said under his breath. I don’t think Frank heard him.

“I’m serious, you fucking dickwad. Don’t lay a single finger on him.” I growled.

“Yeah, got it.” Frank rolled his eyes, scoffing.

I went back to my seat with James and we began discussing the project. It was uncomfortable the entire time. He was definitely a weird kid, but in sort of a cool way.

Once the day finally ended, Mikey and I met up in front of the school to walk home.

“Hey, uh, I’m actually gonna go to Frank’s house to work on the project.” Mikey told me, looking at me as if asking for approval.

“Uh… Okay.” I was hesitant, but I can’t really stop him. I already warned Frank.

I walked home by myself, but Frank lived in the same neighborhood so Mikey wasn’t too far anyways. 

I got home and immediately went to my room and listened to music. Usually Mikey would try to convince me to do my homework, or at least get me to help him with his. I just wasn’t in the mood.

I ended up falling asleep while listening to music. When I woke up, it was nearly 8pm. I went into the living room where my mom was watching tv.

“Hey, uh, mom?” I said, peering through the doorway.

“Yeah?” She replied, looking in my direction.

“Did Mikey get home yet?” I asked.

“No, I don’t think so. Where did he go?” She asked, muting the tv.

“Down a few blocks to work on a school thing with someone… It’s getting kinda late, though. I’m gonna call him.” I said, walking out of the doorway and into the kitchen to grab my phone.

The dial kept ringing. And ringing. And then voicemail. That wasn’t like Mikey. He usually always picked up the phone before the third or fourth ring. I tried calling a second time, and it went to voicemail again.

I got tremendously worried. It was late at night, and our neighborhood wasn’t the safest at this point. 

“Mom, I need to borrow your car.” I said, standing in the doorway of the living room again.

“Okay. Keys are on the hook next to the door. Drive safe!” She responded.

Drive safe, my ass. I was looking for my baby brother. I drove as fast as I could to Frank’s house. I almost hit a few trash cans on the way, but Mikey was more important.

I practically pounded Frank’s front door down until he came to the door.

“What the fuck do you want?” Frank looked me up and down with a scowl on his face.

“What did you do to Mikey?” I said sharply.

“The hell you talking about?” He raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“You fucking heard me, you little shit,” My voice grew louder as I got closer to his face. “Where the fuck is Mikey? What did you do to him?” I yelled. The whole neighborhood could probably hear me. I didn’t give a single shit.

“I didn’t do shit!” Frank yelled back. “Get the fuck outta my face before I punch you.” He threatened. “Mikey left here almost an hour ago.”

Panic settled in. Mikey could be anywhere. He could be dead for all I knew.

“Come on,” I grabbed Frank by his wrist and dragged him to my car.

“What’re you doing? This is kidnapping!” He said.

“Too bad. You’re helping me find Mikey.” I said, opening the passenger door and letting go of his wrist.

“Why do I have to help?” Frank complained, getting in the car anyways.

I came around to the driver’s seat and got in. “Because, you dipshit, you were the last one who had any contact with him and he won’t answer his cell.”

“Fine.” Frank sighed, putting his seatbelt on.

I started driving in the general area looking for anyone who looked like Mikey. 

“Are you even looking? Or are you just daydreaming like the little shit that you are?” I scoffed at Frank.

“I’m looking! I’m not that much of a dick.” He replied.

Yeah, okay.

After almost an hour of searching, I pulled off to the side of the road and rested my head on the steering wheel. I didn’t want Frank to see me cry, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

I was sobbing. My face became hot and tears practically poured out of my eyes. I kept my head on the steering wheel so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. I flinched.

“It’s gonna be okay. We’ll find him.” Frank muttered.

I didn’t think his voice could reach such a gentle place. It was almost comforting. It was nearly as if he wasn’t even himself.

I kept crying. I could barely catch my breath. He gently rubbed my shoulder with his hand. I never thought I’d be so vulnerable around him, someone who I had despised for years.

“He could be dead…” I cried.

“No, we don’t know that for sure…” Frank said sweetly. “Come on, we gotta keep looking.” He tried to encourage me.

I picked my head up and wiped my tears away. I started to drive back toward the house and I saw Mikey walking, only a block away from our house. I immediately pulled the car over and ran out. 

“Mikey!” I yelled, grabbing him in a hug. “You’re okay.” I whispered, holding him tight.

When I let go of him, he looked at me with pain in his eyes. 

“What happened to you?” I asked.

He was hesitant. “Some guys jumped me on the way home… Just a block away from Frank’s. I tried to take the shortcut.”

“Who were they?” I asked worriedly.

“I-I don’t know… But they took my wallet and my phone. They threatened to stab me if I didn’t,” He sighed, looking down at the ground. “So I gave them my stuff… And I ran as fast as I could until I could barely breathe.”

“Come on, let’s get you home.” I said, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and walking to the car. “Frank’s here too.” I said before we got in.

“‘Sup, Mikey,” Frank said. 

“Hi.” Mikey croaked out, climbing into the backseat.

“I’m gonna bring Mikey home first, since it’s only about a block away.” I told Frank, putting the car in drive. He nodded.

After dropping off Mikey, the entire ride to Frank’s was silent until I parked in his driveway.

“Well, uh,” I cleared my throat. “Thanks for helping me.”

“Yeah, um, no problem.” Frank nodded and just barely smiled.

We sat there for a moment, neither of us talking. All that could be heard was the chirp of crickets outside. 

He got out of the car and walked up to his front door, slowly, almost regretful. But he went inside anyway, carefully. I waited until the door closed, and then drove away.