#n the last three of them were grouped up in the corner of the map so she said

[eclecticqueennerd]

Bad Idea Right?

*inspired by the song ‘Bad Idea Right?’ by Olivia Rodrigo.

*Language, smut, violence, breakup, alcohol consumption* Billy Butcher x reader

It’s been a few months since you left the boys. The direction Butcher was leading the group was a surefire plan to get you all killed and you wanted nothing to do with it. Convincing Butcher to take a moment to mull plans over instead of going in guns blazing was a tall order, one that ultimately made you decide that a relationship with him was not worth your life. You tried to convince the rest of the gang to leave but all that got you was a bunch of noes and a broken heart. Butcher, even with all his asshole ways, held your heart in his hand and it hurt to walk away from him. At least you have Annie keeping you company.

-Wyd 2nite?

Tearing your eyes away from the TV as you lounged on the dingy bed of your motel room Grace Mallory stashed you in, you typed out your response to Annie.

-nm, u?

-wanna meet up w Kimiko n go out?

-yass!

You and Annie meet up with Kimiko just outside of a nightclub. After you gather and exchange hugs, you go in and begin drinking and dancing to the heavy bass playing on the stereo. Multicolored lights flash all around you as you allow yourself to succumb to the party atmosphere. After the song ends, the three of you spot a booth off in the corner of the club and make your way there, stopping at the bar to refill your drinks. The three of you catch up. Annie was still in Vought Tower, Kimiko still working with Frenchie and The Boys. Kimiko gives a recount of how everyone else was doing in the group, including Butcher.

‘He really misses you.’ Kimiko signs. ‘We all really miss you. You should come back.’ You shake your head.

“No, I think it’s better for me to stay away. Butchers gonna get someone killed.” You could feel vibration coming from your phone in the pocket of your dress. Lifting it in front of your blurry eyes you blink a few times to clear them. You try to make out the name but it’s an unknown number, you declined the call.

“Besides, he probably hates me now.” Vibration came from your phone again. *Decline* Another call from the unknown number.

“He doesn’t hate you, y/n. I don’t think-” Annie begins to say but then you interject,

“I’m sorry, I gotta take this. This asshole keeps calling me.” Walking out of the club, you answer the call and before you can talk, you hear a gruff voice on the other line,

“Y/n?” You’d recognize that voice from anywhere. The last time you heard him speak was four months ago when you told him you were breaking up with him.

“Y/n, you there?”

“Butcher?”

“I need your help.”

“What happened?”

“I’m hurting real bad. I need you to come help me.”

“If you’re really that hurt-”

“Y/n, please.” You hear the desperation in his voice. He never begs for anything; he must be down bad. You let out an exasperated sigh and then *click*.

“Butcher? Billy?” You look at the phone screen and see that the call has ended. *ping* An address pops up on your phone. You sigh again. Tapping the edge of your phone on your forehead in frustration, you make your decision. You meet up with Annie and Kimiko and tell them that you’ll catch up with them later, you’ve got something you have to deal with. Rather, someone. But you didn’t dare tell them that.

Hailing a cab and telling the driver the address, you kept thinking this was not a good idea. From what you heard from the gang; Butcher did not take the breakup well. He broke things, drank more, and pushed everyone to their breaking point. MM had to leave the group to regain his sanity, only to return shortly after leaving. Kimiko recounted that Butcher was better when you were around. So why the hell was he calling you if you caused him so much pain? Watching the progression of your map marker reach its destination on Google Maps, your heart began to beat harder in your chest. The car stopped outside of a tall brick building. Tipping the cab driver you made your way in, texting Butcher and asking which level and unit he was in.

Trekking up the steps, heart pounding in your chest, the blurriness in your eyes from the booze now cleared, you made your way to his door. *knock, knock, knock* The door swung open, and across the threshold was Billy Butcher. Still the same handsome man you turned to putty for not too long ago. He stood before you shirtless, clad in green sweatpants. Your mouth went dry, and the screaming thoughts in your brain telling you to march right back down those steps ceased. The two of you just stood there, staring at each other.

“You uhh… gonna let me in or what?” Butcher blinks and then makes an opening for you to slip through. Hearing the soft click of the door shut behind you, you take in the emptiness of his studio apartment. The only furniture in the room was a pull-out bed with tangled sheets, coffee table covered in empty alcohol bottles and a box TV on a beat-up nightstand. You feel guilty for a moment as when the two of you were together, the apartment you lived in never got to this state.

“You said you were hurt?” You said as you turned around to face Butcher. He just stands there, holding a sweating beer bottle in his hand, eyes scanning you up and down. His eyes settle on your cleavage. You snap your fingers to get his attention. It works.

“What did you need help with?” Butcher explains that he needed to be patched up on his back. Turning him around you see that it’s scratches with some gravel lodged in the deeper lacerations. Most of the wounds were superficial, and none of them needed sutures.

“Jesus what did you do tonight, Butcher?”

“Got in a tussle. You gon help me or not?”

“Yeah, turn around.” As you begin cleaning the wounds on Butcher's back, your thoughts then return telling you that you should not be here and you should have gotten MM to clean his back up. After using a tweezer to pull out the small bits of gravel from his back, you grabbed a paper towel and doused it with hydrogen peroxide.

“This is gonna sting.” Before you got a reply out of him, Butcher hissed at the light dabbing you placed on his wounds with the paper towel. As he hissed, you saw the muscles in Butcher's back tense, reminding you of the times he had you on your back and was fucking up into you, head cradled in the crook of your neck, giving you a perfect view of his shoulders and back. You shake your head.

“Okay all done. Be more careful next time.” Throwing the used items in the trash bag and make your way to the bathroom to wash your hands in the bathroom sink. Splashing cold water on your face, makeup be damned, attempting to slow down the growing desire in your core. Walking out of the bathroom, you spot a Hawaiian shirt on the floor, torn and bloody. You look down to inspect it.

“Aw man, this was the shirt I gave you for your birthday. It’s fucked.” You see Butcher pouring two glasses of amber-colored liquor, and he offers you a glass.

“My favorite shirt.” He replies. You shake your head to decline the drink, but Butcher, being who he is, insists. Yanking the glass out of his hand and downing the amber liquid in one gulp, you set the glass down on the counter. You give him a brief goodbye and walk toward the door. Butcher grabs your wrist; you turn and see a silent plea in his eyes. Your brain screaming at you to fly down those steps and out of the building, your heart telling you to be in his arms again. He’s not good for you, he’ll get you killed.

Fuck it, it's fine. You pull Butcher down into a feverish kiss. His mouth met yours with as much passion. You both shuffle to the edge of the pull-out bed, and you push Butcher backward. He falls back easily, letting you take the lead. You go to remove your dress when Butcher places his hands on yours and assists you in pulling it over your head. Once the garment was removed, you straddle Butcher and continue kissing him with the same fiery passion as before, his hands roaming all over your exposed form. You sit up and rock your hips against his, generating some friction for your needy core. Locking eyes with him, you see that Butcher's hazel iris is now covered by his pupils, eyes entirely covered in black. After a few more hip gyrations, Butcher pulls you back down to kiss you. He poured everything into the kiss, tongues, and teeth clashing. You pull away from Butcher and help him lower his sweatpants. Once free, you grab ahold of his throbbing cock and pump it a few times then line it up to your core, rubbing the tip along your slit. Butcher moans. As you sank down on him, you feel your cunt stretch to take all of him in. Once at full hilt, you take a moment to pause to get used to feeling him inside you again. Butcher sat up and rubbed your cheek with his thumb, wiping a few tears you didn’t realize were falling.

“I’ve missed you luv.” Butcher said as he stared into your eyes. It was as if he was looking into your soul, searching for something. You leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on his lips as you began moving yourself on his cock. Butcher groaned, wrapping one hand around the back of your head and wrapped the other around your waist. The two of you moved in sync, you grind your hips to meet his light thrusts, gasps and moans filling the apartment. You feel the coil in your belly begin to tighten, Butcher felt it too. He then flips the two of you over to where you’re lying on your back and he’s positioned above you, grabbing your legs to wrap around his waist. He buried his head in the crook of your neck as he began to quicken his pace.

“Billy, don’t’ stop… I’m close.” You pant. Butcher takes his right hand and begins to rub circles around your clit, which pushed you over the edge. Butcher follows shortly after, spilling his cum into you with a roar. The two of you lay on the bed, fighting to catch your breath. After a few moments, you get up from the bed to get dressed. Looking for your dress under the bed, Butcher reaches his hand out and gently places it on top of yours. You look up at him and he says,

“Stay with me.” The internal struggle was real at this moment. Your brain tells you to leave, that this man was no good, but you loved Butcher. In the end, your heart won the battle, and you climbed in next to Butcher, snuggling up next to his side. Butcher whispered sweet nothings into your ear, promising you all the things that he said he would do from now on, and that he loved you. Silence fell between you. Just before Butcher fell asleep, you said,

“You know, Annie was proud of me for getting out. She’s gonna be pissed to hear that we’re back together.” Butcher turns his head to look at you.

“What’re you gonna tell her?”

“Oh, I dunno… maybe that I tripped and fell into your bed.” the two of you chuckle before falling into a restful sleep.

[guccybangtan]

The Haunts of the Corn Maze

pairing; jimin x reader; hints of mafia bts!!

genre; fluff

rating; e for everyone :)

summary; jimin drags you to a haunted corn maze

word count: 871

a/n; I know this is late but here's my little fic for flufftober day one :) let me know what you think! @flufftober

Trudging along behind Jimin Y/N grumbled as she plucked another corn from one of the many stalks surrounding her. Peeling the husk, she flung the undergrown cob  at the back of her lover's head.

“Hey, knock that off or I’ll feed you to the next monster we see!” Jimin exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head where the small cob hit. 

Hoseok’s laugh could be heard from a few feet ahead.

“I would take his word for it, Y/N. You should see some of the things he’s done.”

Turning the next corner of the maze, the corn stalks grew taller and closer together. The sun had begun its descent long ago and was mere minutes away from setting completely and leaving the group in the soft glow of dusk. 

Y/N had hoped they would be out of this haunted corn maze before the sun set, but it was almost as if the boys had set it up so they were just barely entering the maze shortly before sundown. Her and a few of the other members' girlfriends were along for the journey, but not everyone was able to make it.

Their group currently consisted of herself, Jimin, Hoseok and his girlfriend, Jin, Jungkook, and Taehyung.

Namjoon had no place in his schedule for something as trivial as this, and Yoongi was “too busy maintaining the security of their compound” as he would say.

Taking a few swift steps forward, Y/N wrapped her hand in Jimins. 

“I was just kidding y’know? Please don’t feed me to the monsters…” her voice trailed off. 

Voices could be heard screaming in the distance.

“Don’t worry baby, I’ve got you. You’re always safe with me. Hoseok’s just teasin’, right man?”

“ Oh yeah for sure,” He nodded enthusiastically as his girlfriend thumped him on his head.

The younger boys were trailing behind rough housing, while Jin led the group, trying to decipher the map they were given by the employee.

Even when the sun had officially set, and moonlight was cascading over them, they still hadn’t found their way out of the maze.

“I give up!” Jin crumpled up the map and threw it on the ground. “We’re never gonna get out of here.”

As Hoseok bent down to pick up the crumbled paper, the corn stalks rustled behind him. 

“What the hell was that?” Jungkook asked.

A bloody ballerina with ratty hair and a fake knife leapt out of the corn, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Jungkook and Taehyung turned and scrambled back down the path they had just come from. 

In his haste to stand up and move away, Hoseok knocked over Jin and his girlfriend, leaving Jimin and Y/N the last two standing. 

Before either of them could move, another person with a purge mask jumped out of the corn near where Jungkook and Taehyung had been, and the pair fell on top of their already downed friends. 

Y/N shrieked, reaching for Jimin, but grabbing the first hand she could find. She was pulled to her feet and didn’t even look as she was pulled along away from the horrors taking place behind her.

She continued running after her savior, taking three turns before even considering stopping to  see if they were safe.

“That was terrifying,” Y/N panted, looking around the surrounding stalks to see if anyone else was lurking around.

“I was expecting it to be scary, but not like that.” 

Brows furrowing, Y/N turned back around. Hoseok stood there, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“Not who you were expecting huh?” He chuckled, “ to be fair, I could say the same about you.”

“What do you think happened to the others?” Y/N thought about trying to make her way back to where she accidentally abandoned Jimin, but the idea of seeing that ballerina again stopped her in her tracks.

“We probably won’t find them, we should just keep trying to find the way out. Jimin’s a big boy, he’ll be fine.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about.” Y/N laughed nervously, picking a direction and moving on.

Conversation was light between the two as they twisted through the thick of the corn, but as they continued on, it seemed like the stalks were thinning.

The moon continued to shine bright upon them, and screams could still be heard throughout the maze.

Hoseok rounded them around the last corner, and they popped out into the open area where they had entered the maze previously.

It seemed that they were the first pair out, and they seated themselves on a nearby bench waiting for the rest of their friends to pop out.

Before long everyone else trickled out, and Jimin led a crying Jin out with Hoseok’s girlfriend in tow. 

“It was the killer clown.” Hoseok’s girlfriend said, patting Jin’s shoulder as he sniffled.

“Are you alright?” Jimin asked, pulling Y/N into his arms.

Jin took her space on the bench and Hoseok reunited with his girlfriend. Jungkook and Taehyung had calmed down some, also on edge from the scares in the maze.

“I think I’ll live,” Y/N smiled softly, nuzzling herself against her lover.

“Same time next week?”

“Absolutely not!”

[leelee10898]

Hurricane chapter 13: Skinny Love

Jenna Mahoney came to Cordonia for love. A cruel and unforgiving court cast her aside after the scandal, sending her on a downwards spirl fueld by alcohol. She comes back to clear her name, but life at court can be a dangerous place. catch up here. If you'd like to be tagged, drop a line. 🤗

Pairing: Liam × Jenna

Word count: 1,845

Warnings: violence, language, alcoholism and mentions of alcoholism, car accident.

A/N: This chapter will double as my submission for @choicesflashfics using the prompt: "Not everything can be butterflies and rainbows. Things get hard sometimes. that's just how it is."  which will be highlighted in red.

Liam paced the floor of his quarters,  a group of guards stood around the dining table looking over maps of the area Drake and Jenn were in. The confirmation that something was wrong setting in after they failed to arrive in Lythikos.  It had been nearly three hours since Jenna's last text, Liam's stomach knotted more with each passing minute. 

"I need an update," Liam spoke up, turning his attention towards the activity to the side of him. 

"We have guards combing the areas around where they were said to be. Duchess Olivia has a team out as well, we will find them, sir." 

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, he should have been with her, he should have gone to Ramsford and talked to her. Now the two people who mean the most to him in this world are unaccounted for and Liam being the most powerful man in the country,  felt completely powerless. The nagging feeling that Hana had something to do with them being followed gnawed at him like a dog would a bone. He crossed the room, staring out his window playing everything over again in his mind…

A few hours ago…..

Liam marched down the long corridor of the bottom floor of the palace that housed the royal guard's security room and housing. It also housed the dungeon or as they called it these days, the palace jail. Hana was still on his tail, he wanted nothing more than to tell her to get lost, but his focus was on finding the head of the royal guard and getting someone to Drake and Jenna immediately. 

He reached the security room and tossed the door open. Three guards stood immediately upon seeing him,  it wasn't a normal occurrence for the King to be on this level of the palace and the look on his face told them something was wrong. 

" Your majesty," one of the guards spoke as they bowed before him. "We weren't expecting you." 

"Where's Bastien? Get me Bastien Now!" He shouted, making Hana jump next to him. 

One of the guards known as James immediately radioed over calling Bastien down to the security room.

A few minutes later Bastien entered the door Laim who had been pacing stopped, turning to Bastien.  "Drake and Jenna are in danger. They were being followed by an SUV in the Flintlock area, I can not get in contact with either now " 

 "On it sir." Bastien nodded, springing into action. He called a group of guards down, briefing them on the situation, grouping them into teams, and assigning them each area to search. 

"Is there anything I can do?" Hana spoke up, Liam forgetting she had followed him into the guard's wing. He spun on his heels as soon as he heard her voice, "Did you have something to do with this?" He seethed crossing the room in a flash. 

"What? No, Liam I-" 

"Did you have them followed? I swear on everything holy,  Hana I will have your head on a pike." Liam backed her into a corner, hanas face paled, the fear visible in her eyes as the fire raged within his. 

"N, no Liam, I didn't do anything. I have been here at the palace with you. I swear." 

"Sir. Sir," Liam felt Bastien's hand on his shoulder, " You need to remain calm, we will find Drake and Jenna." 

Liam inched back, and Hana stood against the wall, frozen. "Get her out of here," Liam ordered,  as one of the guards escorted her out of the room. "She doesn't leave the palace, keep an eye on her Bastien,  I don't trust her," Liam ordered. 

"Understood, " Bastien nodded, before exiting the room. 

Liam picked up his phone, dialing her number again, but still it kept going to voicemail. He had to find her, he had to find Drake, He was going to find them both and they were going to be ok, they had to be. 

The phone ringing in his hand pulled him from his thoughts. "Hello." He lifted the phone to his ear. 

"Sir, we have an update." 

Drake awoke with a groan, his body throbbing in pain, where the hell was he? He blinked his eyes trying to shake the fog from his brain and it started to come back to him in pieces. He was driving,  there was an SUV behind him, and then another came out of nowhere in front of them. He swerved to avoid it and ended up going down an embankment and that was all he remembered.  The smell of smoke, coolant and blood filled his senses,  he hit a tree. "Jenna." He spoke aloud,  remembering he wasn't alone. Drake lifted his left arm easily enough, nothing broke there,  his right arm was not as fortunate. A sharp pain hit him like a million knives jabbing into his flesh and he hissed out in pain. He looked over into the passenger seat, Jenna's crumpled body lay slumped to the side. "Mahoney," he mumbled.  "Mahoney talk to me, Mahoney, Jenna, are you ok? Please tell me you're ok. Please talk to me." He pleaded but she didn't utter a word.  

********

Drake managed to un-do his seatbelt and wiggle his way to her. Careful not to move her much he reached out with his good arm and felt for a pulse, it was weak but she had one. "Mahoney, please, please hang on," Drake groaned, the pain he was in began to overtake him. "Liam's gonna find us, he, he has to." He whispered before losing consciousness again. 

A little while later Drake stirred awake at the sound of rustling nearby. "I think I found something," he heard the voice say close by. He tried to shout but the only thing that came out was a strained, quiet help. He reached over putting his hand on the steering wheel, trying to give it a push but no sound came out, must have been damaged on impact. The rustling sounds grew closer, "I found the truck. Requesting backup," 

"We're in here." He managed to get out in a strained, hoarse voice. Jenna was still unconscious next to him. A few minutes later a group of guards and EMTs surrounded the truck, making strides in freeing the two. 

They pulled Drake out first as he was slightly mobile and placed him on the stretcher.  An emt attempted to assess him and he shook his head, "No. I'm fine," he lied. "Take care of Jenna, she's in bad shape." 

"You are most certainly not fine, Mr Walker. Miss Mahoney is in good hands and will be handled by the best hands Cordonia has to offer." The EMT was stern but held back a smirk, as Drake huffed and rolled his eyes. 

"Your reputation precedes you, Drake. The rumor is that the king's best friend is a stubborn,  cranky ass, but loyal." The EMT known as Lucy smirked, trying to distract Drake from what was going on in the truck, they had finally extracted Jenna and rushed her to the awaiting ambulance. 

"Yeah well, I will be less of a cranky ass when I know Mahoney is ok. I should go with her." He tried to climb down from the gurney. 

"Whoa, there Walker. You are in no shape to walk. Duchess Olivia would have my head on a pike if anything more happened to you." Lucy snapped. 

"You're from Lythikos, I take it." Drake groaned as his sudden movements sent waves of pain throughout his body. 

The smirk Lucy wore told him she indeed was from Lythikos, he threw his good arm up in surrender. Drake was thick headed but he wasn't an idiot. People from Lythikos were scary. 

After a short ride to the hospital and a few hours at the hospital, and much arguing on his part, Drake was treated for his injuries and released. He had a broken arm, a hairline ankle fracture,  two broken fingers,  a black eye, and lacerations to the face, arms, and hands. A guard rolled his wheelchair into the private waiting area of the hospital and closed the door behind him. Liam paced the floors, in anticipation. 

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor." Drake chuckled

"I don't know if I can sit still,  all this wondering." Liam sighed, flopping into the chair next to where Drake's wheelchair was parked. " But I'll try." He gave a half smile before letting out a frustrated breath. "How has it been three hours and no updates?" 

"She's gonna be ok, Li. Mahoney is a fighter. She's gotta be." Drake tried to reassure Liam, but even he wasn't sure what the outcome would be. 

"I hope so. I don't," He paused. " I don't know what I will do if I lose her, Drake. I don't know what I would do if I lost either of you." Liam reached out, patting Drake's good hand. 

"I'm alright, Li. A little banged up but, I'm ok. And Jenna, she's gonna be ok too." 

"I'm serious Drake, you are my best friend,  you're my brother. I'm really glad you're ok. Did you speak to Bastien yet? Do you have any description of the driver of the other SUV?" 

"I spoke to Bas and told him everything that happened.  It happened so fast that all I know is it was a silver SUV and the driver was wearing a mask. No plate information,  nothing distinctive." 

Liam stood pacing again. "I think Hana had something to do with this." 

"You sure Li? Did you find anything on her?"  Drake perked up. He had a short list of suspects in the setup case, and ever since the garden party when he placed that envelope in that waiters hand, Hana was at the top of the list. 

"No, nothing. I can't explain it but, It's a nagging feeling. She was a great friend when Jenna left. I leaned on her for comfort and guidance, I thought she thought of that pact to protect me but, I don't know.  Seeing that footage from Jenna's apple pin has me questioning everything." 

"We will get to the bottom of this Li. I promise you." Drake balled his fist, slamming the one he could down on the wheelchair. 

"Heads will roll!" A voice came from outside the door and both men snapped their heads towards that direction just as Olivia barged inside. 

"What?" She shrugged her shoulders as the two men stared at her. "Not everything can be butterflies and rainbows. Things get hard sometimes. that's just how it is." 

Liam gave her a pointed look, with a hint of amusement. 

"I just needed to give the fine staff of Cordonia General Hospital and your royal guard a little reminder that nobody messes with Lythikos or their friends," Olivia smirked, dropping in the seat next to Drake. "Glad to see you made it out ok, Walker." 

"Well, I'd hate for you to have to break in a new bickering partner." He smiled,  taking her hand. 

Liam arched his brow and Olivia rolled her eyes. "Don't read into it too much Liam."

Before Liam could say a word a knock came at the door and Doctor Farley walked in. "I'm here with an update on Miss Mahoney." 

@kingliam2019 @ao719 @emichelle @annabellewynter @twinkleallnight @riseandshinelittleblossom @blackcatkita @katedrakeohd @tinkie1973 @ownworldresident @cordoniaqueensworld @lovingchoices14 @indiana-jr @txemrn @bascmve01 @queenwalton @sfb123 @umccall71 @choicesficwriterscreations @emersyn-in-cordonia @belencha77

[autumnleaves1991-blog]

The Colonel’s Woman (Part 2 of 3)

A/N: Guess who’s baaaccccckkkk :D I’m sorry for the utter chaos that is the blog. I swear to god I posted part 2 but I honestly can’t find it anywhere on my blog. So here it is, part 2 to my feral Carillo story. 

*This is a work of fiction*

Pairing: Horacio Carrillo x F! Reader

Warnings: 18 + Only (language, reader is a sex worker, canon-typical violence, kidnapping, blood, loss of a finger, abuse, attempted sexual assault, torture, angst, ya’ll heed the warnings

Word Count: 2.5K

Masterlist

Part One 

Imagine a thread, a thick string of red, tied between two poles. Each pole represents something on one side; you have the Search Bloc, a group of men loyal to their commander and country, their mission to hunt down and execute the Narcos that haunt Colombia. On the other is the government they seek to uphold, filled with corruption, greed, and blood. The thread that holds them up begins to splinter and twist as the knife presses deeper and deeper, each thread fracturing till the whole thing collapses into the dust. 

And today, the thread snaps. 

“They changed the status of the search,” Trujillo whispers rapidly into the receiver of the phone, looking over his shoulder like a thief in the night, “they aren’t looking for a survivor. They are hunting for remains.” 

“Fuck,” Javier slams down his hand on the desk, Steve jolting at the sudden noise. 

“What the hell is going on?” 

“Where is the Colonel?” Javier ignores him; his worst fear replies quickly in his ear. 

“He’s gone.” 

Two months, three days, twelve hours, and eleven minutes. His hands shook around the steering wheel as he slammed on the gas through the neighborhoods. Recovery. The words still shook him to the core; they were giving up. You were nothing more than a body for them to hunt, for now, remains. But he knew the truth; Horacio Carrillo knows you’re not dead. He crashes through the fence at his home and leaves the door to the car open, going into the house, the smell not bothering him any longer. 

Dishes overflow over the counter, and just as many are smashed into thousands of pieces on the ground. He doesn’t feel them when they slice through his shoe and embed themself in his foot, the blood leaving a trail to his office. The flies circle overhead, and if anyone walked inside, they would probably begin searching for a body only to find the occupant alive despite his best efforts. 

The phone ringing is shrill, and he snaps it off the phone, his voice unrecognizable. There is no charm or professionalism in him anymore. Nothing but raw unimaginable pain and loss. 

Remains. 

The words make him wretch into the trashcan on the ground, and Javier’s alarmed tone brings him back to the present. “What the hell are you going to do? Think here; you need a plan. Don’t shut us out!” Horacio slams down the phone and reaches for the bottle of whiskey on his desk, unscrewing the cap and taking a large gulp. He looks in the mirror on the wall, a large crack down the middle from where he shattered it with his fist three weeks ago. 

His eyes are sunken, dark-rimmed; he can’t remember the last time he slept or ate something beyond whiskey and cigarettes. He knows he stinks, the men in the office holding their breath when he passes, a living corpse. If he finds you, he’s going to be a dead one. 

The map on the table is out of focus, and he slams the bottle down onto the desk and looks at the clock on the wall. His plan was madness; no one would ever have the guts to do what he was going to do. But he was out of options. 

Remains. 

He turns toward the gun case in the corner and unlocks it, taking out several guns of various shapes and sizes, and strapping them on his person. The extra ammo tinkles like a bell in his pocket, and he reaches a hand out for the small round explosives, and smoke bombs. He leaves the door open; there is no way he can come back to this place when he’s finished; this is the first place they’ll look, probably torch the fucking place. 

He walks back through the house, only stopping in his bedroom to take the frame off the nightstand, a photo of the two of you at a carnival a few months back. He won’t ever forget, a night he could just relax and be alone with you. The frame shatters on the floor, and he crunches it under his boot, folding the picture and putting it in the pocket of his bulletproof vest, a trail of blood in his wake. 

The sirens echo off the basement wall, and he sits in the metal chair, sharpening his knife, the slow, methodical humming of metal on the whetstone is soothing. His eyes shoot up when she whimpers, blood trailing down her forehead and getting in her bloodshot eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “W-w-why are you d-d-doing this?” she cries. 

He smiles and stands, bringing the sharpened edge of his knife and pressing it against her cheek, trailing it down. The threat of a cut is is so real she freezes, unable to breathe. “He took the love of my life; now I took his.” 

She shivers when he brings the knife up against her throat, “it would be so easy to kill you. Like breaking a toothpick, and I’d leave you naked and cut up tiny pieces in the street for him to find your remains.” He chuckles, “because that’s all she is now, remains.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she whispers, struggling to breathe, “Pablo doesn’t hurt women or children.” 

“LYING BITCH,” she screams when he slaps her hard across the face, a bruise already forming on her cheek. “He doesn’t hurt women or children; he fucking cut off her finger! Sent it to me in the mail!” 

“Finger…” she mumbles, her brow furrowing, “you said he cut off her finger?” 

He stalks over to the bag in the corner and returns with a bag, holding it up to her face. She struggles not to vomit at the discoloration of the human finger, a stark red polish on the nail, “this is what your precious husband does to women.” 

“I-I know where she is! Do you have a picture?” Tata looks at the feral man before her, his eyes widening as he snaps the velcro on the vest, unfolding a picture. She feels sick when she looks at the two lovers in the photo; it’s you. Your thinner now, eyes dull, going through the motions of life, but she’d know you anywhere. “That’s her; she’s a maid at my house.” 

He pulls back the photo and shoves it in his pocket, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling back her head, the gun pressed against her neck. “She’s alive? You fucking lie to me, and I pull the trigger right now!” 

“YES, YES, SHE’S ALIVE!” Tata screams and prays to God when he drops her head and lowers the gun. She’s crying harder now, her makeup smeared beyond repair, bruise purpling on her cheek. The sound of the chains holding her hands above her head rattle as he lowers them, a scowl on his face. 

He shoves the phone in her face and growls, “call him.” 

You kneel on the little girl’s room floor, brushing up the broken glass from her tea set. The front door slams open, and you hear muffled voices shouting before there is a single gunshot. You scramble to your feet and look out into the hallway; a raging Pablo Escobar comes barreling down the hall, reaching a hand out for you. You back away quickly but trip over the glass, cutting open your leg as he grabs a fistful of your hair and drags you down the hallway screaming. You ran out of tears two months ago. 

“Do you hear that?!” he screams into a phone, and you hook your hands around his beefy wrist, trying to call free. “Tell him!” he shoves the phone against your ear and holds your head up by your hair. 

You scream and thrash, trying to break away, but your body goes still, silent, when you hear the voice on the other end, a voice you’d only heard in your dreams. Your name whispered broken on the other end. “Horacio,” you whisper, your voice hoarse from screaming and disuse. 

All too soon, the phone is ripped from your ear, the hand in your hair tightening, “you hear that she’s alive! The little bitch is living under my roof, eating my scraps, and serving my family.” He releases your hair, and you scramble to get away, whimpering when he steps down hard on your back. “But she won’t be; I will slit her throat right now if you dare touch a finger on Tata’s head.” 

“Tata?” you toss your head back, and he steps firmer, your ribs protesting under the weight. 

“Shut the fuck up, whore,” he spits at you, and you turn away, listening. “When?” he barks into the phone, the front door opening and several pairs of feet charging inside. “I will agree to your little meeting, and I’ll bring the slut,” he pauses before stepping off your back and screaming into the phone, “DON’T FUCKING HURT HER!” 

You recoil at the rage in his voice and try to crawl away, but from one monster to another, you look at the boot before your eyes and slowly raise them to see Quica smiling down at you. The phone explodes when it hits the wall, and several gunshots go off; you cover your head and shake at the noise before they finally stop. “Grab her; I want her bound and gagged in the trunk of my car in ten minutes; no one follows me. I’m going to get Tata back.” 

You don’t hear any raised protests because you’re lifted off the ground and thrown like a sack of flour over Quica’s shoulder. You try to move out of his arms, screaming and kicking as he leads you to the garage. You’d been lucky that, living under Tata’s roof, none of the men raped you; it had indeed been a concern, the way they leered at you, look but do not touch. But one man never listened, constantly touching your ass or groping your breasts when no one was looking, and he was about to tie you up in the garage for ten minutes. 

A lot could happen in ten minutes. 

He tosses you to the ground, your head smacking on the cement and bouncing like an egg about to crack. He stalks over to the ropes and comes back to you, still disoriented from the sharp smack to your skull. When the rope comes around your wrists, you see your moment, headbutting him hard and almost guaranteeing yourself a concussion. He groans and steps back, but it doesn’t deter him, making him more pissed off. “You little bitch!” he struggles to bring you to the ground, sitting on top of you, and you fight, you fight hard. 

When he brings a hand down to your panties, you know you only have one choice; you take a deep breath a scream, “PABLO!” Quica curses as you keep screaming at the top of your lungs, his fingers covering your mouth,, doing little to muffle the noise. The garage is empty save for one car and two motorbikes, and your voice echoes. “PABLO, PABLO, PABLO!!” 

The door to the garage slams open, and you collapse to the ground, struggling for air around his hand, which quickly retreats. “What the fuck are you doing?!” he rounds on Quica, “you’re going to fucking rape her before I exchange her for my wife!? ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!” Quica has the good enough sense to step quickly up the stairs, and you breathe for a moment before you are grabbed by the shoulder and shoved toward the open trunk, “fucking bitch was probably begging for it.” He grabs a rag and shoves it in your mouth, tying it tight around your mouth before shoving you in the trunk and leering down at you. “I’m going to get Tata back, and then I will put a bullet in your lover’s head. I gave him a chance, leave Search Bloc, and he chose his job over you, and now you’re both going to die.” 

He slams the trunk closed, and you try your best to get out of the rope, but it’s no use. The engine roars to life, and you close your eyes. If this is the end, at least you go down together. 

Part 3 

@jedi-mando​ @idreamofboobear​ @aerolanya​ @rebelliouscat​ @darklingveracruz​  @marvelprincess1994​ @thirstworldproblemss​ @spacelatinoss​  @martellthemandalor​ @kesskirata​ @waatermelon-sugaar​ @jitterbugs927​ @helga1031​  @greeneyedblondie44​ @oldstuffnewstuff​ @yespolkadotkitty​ @heythere-mel​ @justanotherblonde23​ @artsymaddie​ @aellynera​ @lucifer-​ @phoenixhalliwell​  @sixshooter665​ @chicken-ona-stick​ @theshireisburning-so-mordoritis​  @paintballkid711​  @fantasticcopeaglepasta​ @sarahjkl82-blog​ @boxdyeblonde​ @rosiefridayrogersunday​ @yeah-seems-legit​  @mimimi-stuff​  @ladyblogger-margie​ @memyselfandellasworld​ @peterhollandkait​ @itspdameronthings​ @emmy626​ @randomness501​  @littlebopper96​ @alexmarie29​ @hell-is-my-second-home666​ @thisshipwillsail316​ @madslorian​ @no-droids-on-sunday​ @glixxr​ @pedro-pastel​ @we-can-be-himbos​  @sleep-tight1​ @sarhabee​ @its--fandom--darling​ @im-an-adult-ish​ @princess76179​ @demoncrypt1066​ @the-dendrophile-bookworm​ @amneris21​ @deliciouslydisturbed365​ @princessxkenobi​  @ew-erin​  @maievdenoir​ @withakindheartx​ @goblinqueen95​  @jaime1110​ @niki-xie​ @gooddaykate​ @simsiddy​ @its--fandom--darling​ @gorgeousgrogu​   @hopplessdreamer​​ @missminkylove​ @blufanfictionthings​ @arellanofelixboys​ @h-hxgirl​ @dreamer-101​ @fangirl-316​ @beesting77​ @phandoz​ @wild-at-heart-kept-in-cage​ @practicalghost​ @xoxabs88xox​ @solemnlyswearss​ @rosie-posie08​   @savagemickey03​ @hotchlover​ @ruhro7​ @rominaszh @paintlavillered​

[matchadobo]

TBoTE - #2 Skypeia

wc: 3186

intro w/ chapter list

With a batch of idiots who knew nothing about navigating as each of them was too occupied to establish himself as the “leader”, progress was a running joke Kidd and his group made for the span of six months.

“Where the fuck are we? I thought New World was the destination?!” Kidd grumbled, shuffling through the tall green leaves that spanned across the lush terrain. They’ve been aimlessly wandering land after land, this is their fifth town this time.

“Skypeia. This’d be the last town and New World is just around the corner:” The only brain cell of the group, Law, was leading the way and he’s just using his rough estimation of the landscape. Getting around on residual maps is their only hope right now.

“Eeeh? Torao, that’s what you said in the past towns!” Luffy whined, panting as he desperately lied himself flat on the pavement in a starfish position. “Just wanna sleep on a bed for once.”

“Maybe if you two idiots did things other than goddamn complain, we would’ve been there by now.” Law inhaled a deep sigh of frustration, taking in the petrichor of their new environment. “Let’s set camp, this town is pretty big. Traveling tomorrow would be the best.”

The three of them got the fire started, Law stayed behind while Luffy gathered firewood and Kidd hunted for dinner. With Kidd’s bloodlust and weapon, he’s already hauling a wild boar in no time.

“We’re gonna have a feast!” Kidd rejoiced, dropping the boar he had been carrying above his shoulder. Its impact on the floor had blown some ash on the dirty pavement.

“Ooh! Meat!” Luffy was delighted as he pumped his fist in the sky in excitement at the sight of raw meat.

“No biggie, took it down and brought the damn thing with ease. Thanks to me, we’d all be full for the night, aye?” Kidd puffed up his chest with both hands on his hips, standing with much ardor.

“You also brought that one?” Law stood up and sighed, gesturing with a nod to the figure afar Kidd’s direction. Luffy and Kidd looked at each other puzzled, glancing behind at the same time. Only to see an infecte- no, a human, running with full fucking speed towards their direction.

“What the fuck?!” Kidd squinted his eyes and his hands immediately grasped his axe from behind, ready to take combat. “I-is that… that ain’t an infected is it?!”

Law walked passed him, greeting the stranger with his long blade who stopped right in her tracks with her hands raised in full surrender. Her soles grazed the soil before she reached solid footing, her arrival threw dirt at the nearby bonfire causing it to die down. She was panting and her throat approached the tip of the blade precariously with each exhale. “You are?” Law raised a brow candidly, the other two completely on guard on either side of him.

“N-No time! A swarm of Aberrants is after me, we need to run!” She said in utter panic, her eyes and the sweat trailing down the sides of her face proved much evidence that there is indeed Aberrants chasing here and she just escaped near death.

“A swarm? What?!” Law’s heart dropped when he saw a loud buzzing from a mile away, the fear he saw in the girl’s eyes now crawling on his skin in an unholy pace. A swarm of unidentified little creatures were evidently unfriendly as they beelined to their direction.

“Shit!”

“Torao! This is bad!”

“T-the boar! Throw that it’ll slow them down! They’ll feast on it before us so we can run.” The scarved lady ordered, eyeing the huge boar by the floor. They all looked at her for a while at her crazy suggestion. So she took matters to her own hands and escaped Law’s grip. Surprisingly, they all just watched her; maybe fear took over, or the display of rationality was enough to keep them stunned.

She positioned herself a bit far behind the boar before running at full speed to kick the dead animal while aiming at the swarm a couple of feet away. And it worked! Whatever swarm that was, it devoured the huge thing in just an entire minute from every fiber of the flesh until it was only bones that were left.

While each of them was processing the freak show before them, Kidd was mesmerized by the lady in the mauve scarf that had just saved their lives. She made one hell of an entrance all right, and Kidd liked it. Kidd likes them flamboyant, has a certain air around them, and most of all; she’s got the damn face for it. But it doesn’t eliminate the fact that she brought that devil spawn in here, so Kidd dealt with that before his infatuation.

“H-hey our dinner…” Luffy pouted, shoulders dropping.

“You fucking idiots, what are you waiting for?! let’s go!” Law picked up his stuff and ran deeper into the woods. The others soon ran after him.

“First of all, why the fuck did you lead it to us, woman?!” Kidd grumbled, starting a fight with the lady amidst the life-threatening chase of the swarm on their tail. Each shuffle and crush of the leaves beneath their feet acted as a deterrent as it loosened their footing and sharpened the swarm’s perception of their location. “Second, what is that?!”

“Hey, you were in the way and I had no way of knowing that your little gang was there.” She answered with much grit and a sharp glare in her eye while dodging the curbs on her trail. “And those are Pixie Aberrants. Careful with the fairy dust they leave in their trail, it can turn you if you ingest it.”

“Pixie? I heard they’re the lowest form of Aberrants, is that monster a mutation or something?!” Law started, ducking down the large branches that obstructed his path.

“Not quite, they’re just deadly when in swarms. They pose minimal threat individually but when they increase in numbers, it’s fatal. You’ve seen it first hand.” Yvi explained while jumping over some logs and rocks that barricaded a path to a distant ruin.

“Who are you? Some kind of aberrant groupie?” Kidd snickered, bitterly laughing through his nose but followed her lead.

“Doctor Yviskos Vesalius, Chief of R&D Department of the New World.” She asserted, looking at every one in the eye. But a stone cold glance lingered on Kidd. “What about you guys?”

Yviskos is someone very friendly and gregarious, she rarely had conflicts with all types of persons but resolved them by adapting to their personality. But this particular asshole with voluminous vermillion locks sitting on his pale fucking head was getting on her nerves and she ran out of rationality to play into his goddamn game. Something about his face with that scar spanning from his temple to his neck and arms, minacious golden eyes that observed her way too much, build that overwhelmed her exponentially, and foul tongue that said more harm than good icked a particular fiber of her being in a manner she’s too embarrassed to admit.

“Luffy. Law’s the sword guy and Kidd’s the axe guy.” The youngest greeted with a bright smile, by far the most welcoming to Yvi ever since she saved their lives.

“We ain’t here to make friends nor do introductions, Luffy. Especially to little miss doctor over here who nearly got us killed.” Kidd scoffed, rolling his eyes as their trail came to a stop when no signs of the swarm were showing. Their tiny screeches were now far away and they were nowhere in sight.

“Wait, New World? As in THE community refuge?” Law cleared up, a wee bit of his interest showing with his tone.

“Yes! You seem interested?” Yvi retorted with a smile. “And for the record, I saved your ass there, Kidd.” She replied with a bitter smile, Kidd’s intimidation was invalidated as he stared her down with a glare and gritted teeth but she returned the same demeanor in a much calmer way, moreso a sweet grin.

“And if you hadn’t gone to us, no saving nor running will be happenin’ to us, aye? Thought doctors were supposed to be smart?” Kidd bent down, tilting his head in a mocking manner. His smile forming when he saw how irritated she finally was with how her irises rampantly looked at him in disbelief as she sucked in an offended breath.

“Ah, so you wanna talk smart, big guy?” Yvi measured up to his audacious behavior with an irritated simper as she cracked her knuckles and gritted her teeth.

“Okay, this is not gonna work.” Law came between the two of them, placing his sword in the middle to push Kidd away and Yvi after. “If you’ve got somewhere to be, you should go now, Yviskos. Our group plans to stay.”

Yvi composed herself with a deep sigh and said, “Unfortunately, I can’t go wherever I have to now because it’s too dark.” Yvi looked around for a possible place to stay, because she’s aware that those three will be taking dibs on the ruins.

“That’s fine, Yvi. Just come with us!” Luffy suggested like it was the most obvious and logical thing to do. The remaining three looked at him in utter disbelief.

Yvi and Kidd had one response in unison. “Hell no.”

“Luffy, that’s really sweet of you but… I’d have the worst time if I agreed to that.” Yvi laughed nervously with droopy brows. “I’d rather revisit that swarm to study it than choose that option.”

“Great. Was thinkin’ you’d have this huge ass sleeping area just outside the ruins. You’ll have the entire forest to yourself, doctor.” Kidd opened his arms with a demeaning smile, brow raised as his cockiness took over. Completely amplified by the fact that he is attracted to this beauty before him.

“Man, where have your gentleman etiquettes gone?” Yvi was displaying a spurious glee as she clapped her hands together, leaning on one foot as her hips shifted in her position. “What a sorry excuse for a man you are.” She said in a clear, aggrieved tone that caused a vein in Kidd’s temple to throb in wrenching ire.

Kidd was about to fight this woman if it weren’t for Law walking past them, “Whatever, kill each other I guess. I’m too damn sleepy.” He sighed, heading straight for the ruins as Luffy followed after him with a shrug.

Yvi and Kidd were left outside, an atmosphere of hostility and displeasure blanketed their distance.

“Whatever, by all means, I don’t give two shits wherever you go.” Kidd grumbled, heading inside as well. “I ain’t responsible if you got a cold or some damn thing.” He tsked, his expression masked by his actions of walking away. That last bit wasn’t necessary but it showed a hint of curiosity and care on the redhead’s end.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to stay a mile away from you, mister jackass.” Yvi soon followed after him, heading the different direction as the trio, on the other end of the room.

They both went on their separate businesses; lighting fire, eating, cozying up, then sleeping. It was quiet and no more skirmish was prompted by either parties, a sign of fatigue and respect maybe. And in the dead of the night, all of them dozed off in the warmth of their blankets.

Only that in the middle of the night, Kidd was awoken by a lone thunderclap. He soon felt like taking a piss outside and go back to sleep. To his surprise, when he returned to the entrance, he heard a buzzing.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Kidd looked around if it was the Pixies but no signs of them were there, it was only cicadas and that buzzing. Besides, it sounds mechanical; Kidd knew that all to well. Kidd followed the sound and it led to Yvi. He scrutinized her, damn she’s beautiful, Kidd thought to himself getting too deep into watching this complete stranger sleep. He shook his head to return to his focus and now noticed the mini walkie clinging on the end of her shirt neckline, half of it was being obstructed by her scarf. He leaned forward in an attempt to have a look at it.

“Yv-bzzt-Yvi? Do you bzzt read me?”

Kidd almost fell towards Yvi with utter surprise from the voice if it weren't for his sturdy reflex to place his hand on the wall above Yvi’s head. And now, he was leaning very close to the sleeping Yviskos. Pretty fucking questionable if someone saw this.

But Kidd was not interested in any of that, maybe a little bit for now, because he shivered at the voice on the other end of the walkie. Is it really his best friend? Is he alive? With Heat and Wire? How does Yviskos have access to them?

Kidd wanted to wake her up because he wanted all of these questions answered immediately, it’s the hope that pushed him to keep fighting. But he couldn’t, for the life of him, because he was too drawn by her tranquil face and the darling little snores she let out. As much as he wants disruption and absolute chaos, he wants the calm of this one. God, it’s been so long since Kidd had a crush. Or is it just fostered by curiosity? Because Kidd normally doesn’t give a fuck even if you’re a fucking temptation. But Yviskos wasn’t a temptation, she’s a deviation; with her patience and how she irritates him. Kidd was fascinated.

That explains a lot on why he even pursued pissing her off. Yet Yviskos played her cards in a manner that irked Kidd off more with her cute little smile. So he just went outside, kicked some rocks, and went back to sleep to relieve himself. But he made it his primary objective to ask Yviskos about it in the morning and he won’t take no for an answer, he never does.

“I was under the impression that I just stayed in the same place with you guys because it was night and I had nowhere to go. Aaah really, shall you guys know private details about me?” Yvi sighed, fanning herself in exaggeration of her response. The sunlight peeked through the huge holes of the ruins, almost as if Yvi was in the spotlight with these strangers interrogating her.

“Okay woman, you’re making this hard for the both of us. Just answer the damn question, hah? Who was that talking in your walkie?” Kidd ran his fingers through his hair, growing frustrated by the minute.

“Why do you wanna know so much? And why didn’t you wake me?! That may be the only time I caught a signal.” She huffed a pouty sigh, avoiding the question once more.

“You know what, I’ll get straight to it. Was that Killer? A blonde dude with a helmet?” Kidd had a somber tone, he wasn’t acting irritated but he was earnest. Although he felt like exploding, he is acting genuine in hopes of affirming his gut feeling. And Yvi saw it, she ought to stop playing around now that the reason Kidd really wanted to know it so bad was because he knows Killer.

And it clicked! How could she forget? The three of them had always talked about him back then but randomly stopped since they rarely see each other.

She snapped her fingers. “Ah! Eustass Kidd, huh?” A smile of clarity was evident on her face and Kidd was puzzled.

“Y-yeah, how did you-”

“Yes, that’s Killer! He, Wire, and Heat are back in the New World. They were supposed to back me up but they had another mission.” Yvi explained and immediately, Kidd had his head hung low as his eyes stung. His hand covered his eyes as he couldn’t force his tears back. “How long was it? Half a year, huh? Oh- hey,”

Yvi reached over to place a hand on Kidd’s shoulder, but he recoiled and raised his hand. “I’m gonna need a minute.” He said without looking at anyone, standing up and leaving not far from the woods.

“Hey, Kidd!” Yvi called out and Kidd stopped on his tracks. “Wanna hold onto the walkie in case a signal comes on?” She waved the walkie, the other nodded and raised his hand to catch it when Yvi threw it his way.

“So he could cry.” Luffy nodded, rubbing his chin. “I wonder if my gang’s there.“ He traced the soil beneath his feet with a lone stick.

“There’s a high chance there is. Mind giving me a name? Maybe I know them.” Yviskos’ tone was sincere, she really wanted to help.

“Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Usopp.”

“Their names are really familiar, though. But it’s not ringing any bell.” Yvi rubbed her temples to remember. She had no luck, she’s always cooped up in the lab and would only see the streets when coming and leaving work.

“Maybe you know mine? Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi.” Law started, his tone a bit aloof but you can hear the hope it carries.

“Hm, I don’t wanna get your hopes up but, they might be in the maintenance department that I work at.” Law’s demeanor changed, lowering his hat when his breath hitched.

“What do you guys say we head over there? Or maybe you guys have some other route-”

“I’m in.” Law and Luffy said in unison, their tone desperate. “Don’t know about grumpy over there, but it’s likely he feels the same.” Law added, standing up to find where the redhead was.

Kidd was sitting at the back part of the ruins, he sat on the cold tiles littered with dead leaves. He clutched the walkie firmly, near his chest. He had hoped, though almost impossible, that Killer would speak again. It’s been six months since he had heard from them. He grew up with them, lived all his life with them, gone through the apocalypse with them, and now that their absence has taken a huge chunk out of him, hearing Killer’s voice was a major tug at his heart.

“Hey” Yvi started, standing at the far side of the ruins by the entrance. One foot was shifted to prop her up while the wall supported her weight as she crossed her arms. “We’ve decided to head onto New World. You coming?”

Kidd stood up to fix up the axe strap on his chest as he readied himself to face her, his other hand clutching the walkie. “Damn right I will.” He said with curled lips, his tears long gone. He tossed the walkie back to her, catching her off guard. Yvi fumbled over it before having a stable hold, glaring at the taller. “You can have it back. I don’t need it.”

Kidd walked past her and that’s when Yvi saw the tender little smile on his lips. It was like time slowed down when Yvi looked up to see his expression, it was soft and Yviskos wanted to see more of it.

intro w/ chapter list | prev chapter -> #1.2 Loguetown | next chapter -> TBA

TBoTE is now posted on ao3! click here

[candyredterezii]

I understand ZERO about how to play this game or play Killer so I just hook people and kill them and apparently that's wrong somehow? Like I'm supposed to let them go or smth? Like are we playing DEAD by Daylight or SENT HOME WITH A SMACK ON THE BUM by Daylight. Confusing shit.

survivors can be entitled tbfh.

you bought the game play however the fuck u want honestly. AOSDKFJ

[whiteqnn]

PURE [5] - Corpse Husband x Fem!Reader

A/N: It’s been a while.  

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

PURE [5]

“Did you guys find anybody?” Felix’s voice sounded out when the man repeated the same question for what seemed like the third time since he joined the call. The number of players showed 7 of them, which meant that they were still missing three people. Sure, they could start the game now, but it would be way more enjoyable and funny with a full lobby. 

“Yeah, Toast will be here any moment. “Sykkuno replied right away. “He just texted me; he should join us in a few.”

“Cool. Anyone else?” 

“I think Corpse was also supposed to join us, right? Not sure though why he isn’t here yet.” 

“Oh, yeah, Corpse will be here soon too!” Jack suddenly chimed in with an explanation. “He said he needed to take care of something first, but he’ll be here before we start.” 

“Great. But that means we’re still one person short.” Felix hummed when Toast’s little astronaut appeared in the lobby “Hey Toast."

“Hey man.”

“Do you have anyone coming?”

“I’m afraid not. I asked MrBeast, but he’s busy, so...”

“Well then, we can just start when Corpse is here, and maybe we’ll find someone in the meantime?” Dave suggested, earning a few hums of approval from the other players. 

“Yeah, I think that’s the best option...” Jack agreed. But then his voice blared out in everyone’s headphones with excitement. “Ha! Corpse is bringing someone!” 

“Who?” 

“I dunno, he just texted me he has one coming and that’s all.” 

“Hm, all right. Let’s wait then.”

***

Corpse fidgeted with his phone, glancing between its screen and the chat in his stream. People were already asking countless questions, but rather than answering them, he was waiting for Y/N to call him. He was nervous - the girl still hadn’t commented on his request. 

The idea to invite her to the lobby wasn’t spontaneous. In fact, he’d been thinking about it for quite some time now, but never found the courage to actually ask if she would like to join them for the game.

It’s been almost a month now since that memorable phone call. A month since Y/N last played with her friends; a month since she considerably reduced her social media usage. 

Sure, she was still active on her youtube channel, but not as much as before the whole haters situation. No matter how hard she tried to just ignore them and simply continue her career, she just couldn’t. There were still these nagging thoughts at the back of her mind, reminding her of all those people and their comments, their messages. It seemed like a good idea to take a short break and sort everything out.

Her fans understood it. They were obviously sad that her videos weren’t as frequent as before, but everyone knew what the situation looked like and that Y/N needed some time for herself. 

Her audience knew it, and so did her friends. Especially Corpse. 

The man kept his word and talked to the girl whenever she wanted to. Which, in the end, was almost everyday. Although at the beginning their conversations mostly focused on her current problem and dealing with it, their topics broadened over the time. 

At one point though, Y/N started worrying that maybe she’s annoying him with her so frequent calls. She thought that she shouldn’t bother him that much - even if talking to him was what really helped her cope with her problems. He already had enough on his plate, and sharing her own concerns with him suddenly seemed like a very selfish thing to do.

But she quickly realized how wrong she was for thinking like that. When one day she didn’t call, figuring out that she should stop troubling him with her own issues, she was very surprised when Corpse reached out to her himself. He expressed how worried he got when she didn’t call, and when she explained what was the reason, he spent the next fifteen minutes lecturing her that she should never think she’s bothering him. 

From that day on, they talked every single day. And they talked about almost everything.

Corpse enjoyed their late night-talks more than anything. He liked to listen to Y/N talk about the things she finds exciting, her hobbies, and her dreams. Hell, she could talk about what she ate for breakfast, and he would still listen with interest. 

And even though they haven’t seen each other in person, even though she still hasn’t seen his face, they managed to get really close during those past weeks. For an outside observer (who also didn’t have access to Twitter) they would seem like a couple of very good friends.

But not for Corpse.

He couldn’t pinpoint when exactly did it happen. They were talking one evening and Y/N was telling him about the TV series she had finished watching recently. He listened intently and watched as her facial expressions changed from excited to frustrated, as she was enumerating everything she liked and disliked about the series finale.

And then he suddenly got this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, and simply couldn’t take his eyes off her. 

He tried to play it off and act as if nothing changed, but he couldn’t stop his heart from doing backflips whenever she laughed at one of his dumb jokes or called him partner. It was still a running joke between them and among the group of their friends, but there was something in the way she said it that made him instantly smile like an idiot. 

He also started paying more attention to the hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. #PartnersInCrime was still rather popular, even though it was a month since anyone last used this phrase on stream. Corpse also found out that #Y/Nforthebride was trending for some time; he even managed to stumble across a few fanarts. 

There was this urge to send them to Y/N, but he was too nervous that it would make things awkward between them... After all, he didn’t know how she felt about that whole shipping thing. 

That’s why he decided to just leave things between them as they are, and be happy that he’s at least her friend.  

Corpse nearly jumped out of his skin, when he was brought back to reality by the sound of an upcoming FaceTime call. Y/N’s photo appeared on his screen, her smiley face which he had assigned as her contact photo. His lips corners curled up in a smile almost unwittingly. 

“Hey Y/N/N” he said after answering the call. 

“Hi Corpse” she smiled softly upon hearing his voice. Although the screen on her side was dark, she didn’t mind not seeing Corpse’s face. She respected his wish to remain faceless and enjoyed their conversations anyway. 

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Just editing the new video. I guess I’ll upload it in the morning... but I’m not sure yet.”

“Well let me know then, I wanna be the first one to see it.” 

“Sure thing, Corpse” she chuckled, lowering her gaze bashfully. Corpse just looked at her face for a moment, unable to stop smiling to himself. Then he remembered why they were talking in the first place.

“So... have you seen my text?” Y/N sighed at his question but nodded her head slowly. “And what do you think?”

“I don’t know, Corpse...” she ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. “...if that’s a good idea, I mean.”

“Well, it’s been a while. No pressure though, if you don’t wanna play then it’s totally fine.” he quickly clarified. “I just thought it would be fun if you joined us, even if just for a moment. I’m sure everyone would go crazy.” 

Her smile widened slightly at his words, but she still didn’t look convinced. Sure, it was tempting to join them. She wanted to do it each time Sean or Felix bombarded her with messages and codes to the lobby, both inviting her to join the group in the game. But then she remembered how people reacted to her appearance in their streams... and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.

“We’re gonna play on Polus...” he added after a moment when she still didn’t say anything. “That one map with the planetary base... there’s a lava pit, y’know. Just saying...”

She laughed wholeheartedly at his words, remembering their last game when Corpse jumped into the lava for her. 

“Sykkuno’s gonna be there as well” Corpse continued. “And I promise I won’t kill you this time.”

“Even if I’m the last player alive?” she joked.

“Even then, Y/N.”

Corpse stifled a laugh, as she cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly as if trying to spot him in the darkness. 

“Are you streaming, Corpse?” she then asked.

“Not yet. I’m gonna start the stream as soon as you say yes, though.”

“Oh c’mon” she laughed at his words “That’s emotional blackmail!” 

“Maybe. Is it working?” he asked.

Y/N let out a heavy breath and ran a hand down her face. Corpse watched in anticipation as she seemed to have some internal battle with herself. He hoped that she’s gonna agree, he really missed playing with her. 

“All right, then.” she suddenly said, and his breath hitched in his throat. “I’m gonna stay for a few rounds I guess...”

“Wait, really?” he asked, a smile on his face only widening. 

“Well, yeah, partner.” she replied, which made his cheeks go warm “Your imposter techniques haven’t been very effective lately... Someone needs to help you out, or you’re gonna lose your title of the king of the Imposters.” 

“Oh, is that’s how it is now?” he laughed in fake shock. “I wouldn’t have to worry about losing the title if my accomplice hadn’t left me all alone!” 

“All right, all right.” she giggled at his accusations. “Your accomplice is on her way to support you.” 

Corpse smiled even wider at the sound of her laughter. Her eyes shined with happiness when she was giggling, which only brought out their E/C color. The fact that his stupid babbling was the reason for her smile was making him feel extremely proud of himself.  

“But just so you know... I still have no idea how this map works, so I’m afraid I’m gonna need you to guide me around it...”

“Y’know you could as well just say you want to hang out with me...”

“Corpse!” she laughed, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment. 

“Just kidding Y/N” he chuckled at her reaction. “Of course I’m gonna guide you, don’t worry.”

“Okay then...” she said after a moment, looking at the screen again. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. Will you send me the code, please?”

“Sure I will, Y/N” 

“Okay. See you later, partner” she smiled brightly. 

“See you, partner.” 

When Y/N ended the call, Corpse let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair, before moving to sit behind his desk.

It was only after he started the stream that he realized he was blushing. Not only because Y/N would join them, but because there was also another thing he wanted to ask her about, but didn’t find the courage to yet... 

***

By the time Y/N turned on her computer and started the game, Corpse has already sent her the code, and there was a Discord invite waiting for her as well. She bit her lip nervously as her heartbeat quickened. 

Was she nervous? As hell. 

She did everything she could to avoid being in unnecessary spotlight since she started receiving those hate messages. Perhaps escaping the problem wasn’t the best solution, but it definitely was a comfortable one. People wouldn’t have a reason to hate on her if she disappeared. 

But then she couldn’t say no to Corpse. And truth to be said - she really missed playing with her friends. From what she’d seen on Twitter, the lobby would be filled with those she’d already played with, so she wasn’t that nervous before the game. What she was nervous about though, was how people would react.

Accepting Corpse’s request was something she did due to the sudden rush of courage. And now there was no coming back.

She knew Corpse would understand if she changed her mind... but she heard how excited he was when she had agreed. She couldn’t do it to him. 

So, once she’d taken a deep breath and put her headphones on, Y/N accepted the invite and braced herself for the inevitable chaos that was bound to take place in the call. She decided to wait with joining the lobby though - at least until they realize she’s with them. 

“..the fuck you’re talking about?!” Felix’s voice was the first thing she heard, which made her roll her eyes with a smile. “It’s not my fault I sound like that! At least I don’t have a liar voice like Rae!” 

“HEY!” the girl yelled “I don’t have a liar voice!”

“You do, you’re using it even now!” Jack argued, much to Rae’s dismay. 

“What is going on here” Corpse’s deep voice sounded out suddenly. 

“Oh, you’re here! Finally” Sykkuno immediately welcomed him with his always happy voice. 

“Yeah, sorry that I’m late guys.”

“No worries, man” Pewdiepie spoke up again. “We were just talking about playing the voice card and that you’re basically the only one who can do it.” 

“Not fair at all!” Rae chimed in, making Corpse chuckle. 

“The voice card...” he hummed after a moment, before adding. “I wouldn’t really say I’m the only one though...”

“Well who else then? Everyone else either starts laughing or have a liar voice” Dave asked, and Rae scoffed at the last words.

“Well what about my guest?”

Y/N inhaled sharply, realizing that now she should probably reveal herself. 

“Oh, right! Who you’re bringing man?” Sean asked with curiosity.

That’s when Y/N typed in the game code, and her white astronaut appeared in the lobby. 

“Wait, who’s- HOLY SHIT” Sean all but yelled, when realization hit him. Y/N laughed loudly at his reaction, and her voice only seemed to prove to everyone that she really was there. 

“KIDDO WHAT THE FUCK” Felix reflected Jack’s response, yelling over his friend.

“Oh my god, hi!”

“What a surprise!” Y/N managed to catch Sykkuno’s words. “It’s so amazing to have you here, Y/N/N!” 

“As I live and breathe.” another voice spoke up, and Toast’s little astronaut came face to face with her white bean. “My lifelong nemesis. Back here snap my neck again, huh?”

“Yeah, happy to hear you too, Toast” Y/N giggled at his words, then she adressed the whole group. “Hi guys.”

“Okay I did not expect that in the slightest” Sean laughed happily “You’re here kiddo!” 

“I am” she smiled from ear to ear, even though they couldn’t see her. 

“Wait- Corpse, is that the thing you had to take care of?” her best friend asked Corpse with suspicious voice. 

“Well...” he trailed off and cleared his throat, making everyone laugh.

“That’s so great Y/N! We missed you so much!” Rae thundered over the bickering of the boys. “The game hasn’t been the same without you...”

“Agreed. I suddenly stopped dying.” Toast commented, making her roll her eyes with a laugh. 

“I don’t know if I should be happy or fucking scared right now.” Felix laughed nervously. “With Corpse and Y/N? We’re fucked now, guys.”

“I promise I’ll go easy on you, I haven’t played in so long I think I forgot all my strategies...” 

“Yeah, sure.” Toast’s forever suspicious voice made her smile wider. “Just don’t kill me in the first roung, okay? I won’t vote you off just stay the fuck away from me you little murderer.” 

“Okay, I promise I won’t kill you...” 

She couldn’t stop herself from laughing, and the smile remained on her face even when they started the game. It only seemed to widen, when she saw the sign Imposter on her screen. 

Only to giggle hysterically when she realized that Toast was the other imposter...

And so the game went on with Y/N and Toast cooperating like perfect serial killers. Corpse did as he promised and guided her through the map, both of them being closely followed by Sykkuno. Because of that she’d just sabotage the map most of the time to give Toast opportunities to kill their friends, but eventually managed to sneak out when her two fellow crewmates were doing their tasks. It just so happen that Pewds was walking past her, and she might’ve accidentally snapped his neck... 

“Goddamnit! I knew it! I fucking knew it was you!” Sean yelled once the game was over and Y/N saw the sign VICTORY on her screen, her small character standing next to Toast’s one. He was ejected at some point because Poki managed to walk in on him killing Rae, but Y/N remained undetected until the very end. Perhaps the fact that Corpse was one of the two crewmates who were left alive had something to do wtih it...

“That was rude” Pewds said in a whiny voice, clearly referring to their encounter which led to his death. “I was just happily walking around, doing my tasks like a good crewmate, and then boom! Y/N happened” 

“I would say I’m sorry... but I’m really not” she laughed, making Felix gasp in shock.

“That’s what happens when you work with Toast!” 

“Good game, Y/N. That was amazing” the man in question said appreciatively. 

“Will you finally forgive me for killing you that one time if I say that being imposters with you was cool?” she laughed nervously. 

“Actually... Yeah, I guess we can bury the hatchet now. AND we should team up more in the future.”

“Great!” 

“Excuse me, what?” Corpse’s voice made the whole lobby laugh. “I don’t remember us cancelling our partnership, Y/N.”

“Corpse...” 

“Are you trying to steal my accomplice from me Toast?” 

“Well she’s a great partner in crime after all...” Toast deliberately used the phrase, making Corpse gasp.

“Hey! She’s my partner! Find yourself your own, Toast” Corpse joked, making Y/N laugh bashfully, her cheeks warming up at his words. 

“Yeah yeah, I remember, don’t worry man. No one’s gonna take your partner in crime away from you...” Toast’s teasing voice made them all laugh, Corpse and Y/N included. 

For the next few rounds Y/N played as a crewmate, running around the map with either Corpse or Sykkuno and doing her tasks. During meetings they joked and laughed, and for a moment, she stopped thinking about what people watching her friend’s streams might think about her presence. After all, there was at least a small chance that they didn’t think about it at all, and simply enjoyed watching their favoirte youtubers. Just as she enjoyed playing with her friends. 

Oh, and by the way, Corpse kept his promise and didn’t kill her even when she was the last player alive...

It was soon time when everyone started slowly leaving the lobby, having played for over three hours. Y/N also said her goodbyes to the others and promised that she’d join them to play a game called Raft next week. 

When she turned her computer off and threw herself on her bed, Y/N immediately grabbed her phone to call Corpse. He answered right away. 

“Well hello, partner...” she rolled her eyes with a smile when he accented the last word. “Or should I say, traitor, instead?” 

“Corpse... you know I would never betray you...” 

“Well how can I be so sure, now that I know how cool it is to be imposters with Toast?” she knew he was joking, she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Not nearly as cool as it is with you, Corpse” Y/N grinned from ear to ear when Corpse scoffed. 

“I spare your life so many times and that’s what I get in return? You cheat on me with Toast?” he said in disbelief “I’m disappointed, Y/N, I really am.”

“I would never!” she laughed through her words, even though her cheeks were now red because of Corpse’s words. “You’re the best partner in crime, Corpse, I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else!” 

Not only in the game, she thought.

“Hmm, alright. Let’s say I believe you.” he said after a moment of thinking. 

“I mean it, Corpse...” Y/N said after calming down from her laughter. “I... I really wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?” he asked, genuinely surprised. 

“Well, first of all for inviting me to today’s game... I really had lots of fun, it was great to play and talk with the others. And I wouldn’t be in the lobby if not for you...” Y/N mumbled, before verbalizing her previous thoughts. “And I also wanted to thank you for just... you know... being my friend. My real life partner in crime. I just wanted you to know I’m really glad I met you...” 

Corpse was silent for a good few moments, and Y/N started panicking that maybe she said something wrong, or maybe he found her spontaneous confession funny, or worse, dumb. She was almost ready to somehow laugh it all off, when his voice cut her off.

“Thank you, Y/N. It really means a lot to me too.” he sounded like he had some troubles with speaking, which made Y/N furrow her brows in worry.

“Is everything okay, Corpse?” 

“Yeah, I...” he stuttered, then laughed nervously. “I just didn’t expect that and... yeah. It’s not something I hear on a daily basis, especially from someone like you.”

Someone like me? 

 “But what you said... it’s mutual.” he said after a moment, and Y/N couldn’t stop herself from grinning like an idiot. “You’re the best partner in crime I could ask for. And not only in the game.” 

She could as well just pass out there and there...

“So uhm... there was one thing I wanted to ask you...”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if maybe... you know, if you’d have some time... and if you’d want to of course... would you maybe like to visit me here in San Diego?”

Yeah, passing out seems like a good idea. 

***

This is not the last part. 

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[potter-imagines]

Left Waiting at The Three Broomsticks (Fred Weasley x Read)

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Request: Hi! I was wondering if I could have a Fred Weasley imagine where he pisses off his gf somehow and so she gives him the silent treatment and only talks to literally everyone (including George) but him so he gets all jealous and pouty lol. Eventually he gets her to start talking to him again and then it’s all fluff etc. Hopefully this wasn’t a confusing request! Thank you!! :)

Warning: Tiny bit of sexual content towards the end, little bit of swearing, kinda angst at the beginning ?? and a lil towards the end ?? I think that's all, a lot of fluff scattered about

Word Count: 9.5k (I am so sorry I got carried away)

Two hours. Y/n had spent two hours waiting for him. Two stupid hours on a Saturday night that she could have spent elsewhere making something productive of her day but no. The last two hours Y/n had been seated in a small booth in the corner of The Three Broomsticks waiting patiently for her boyfriend, Fred Weasley.

The thing that infuriated her the most was that it was his idea in the first place! Originally, the couple had planned a stay-in date in her dorm room for the night before, Friday, but other plans came up. Fred got tangled up in a prank with George that had landed him in detention with Snape for the night. Yes, it annoyed her but what could she do? It wasn’t like Snape would excuse Fred because she tells him they have a date. If anything, Snape would hold him back longer.

When Fred and George were finally dismissed, it was nearly eleven at night and Fred was sprinting down through the dungeons to the common room. Their arrangement was for eight and he was praying to anyone listening above that she was still awake, but not furious at him.

Skipping up the transporting stairs, Fred basically shouted the secret password at the Fat Lady making her narrow her eyes at him. She swung open, not without muttering about how rude he was, and Fred jumped inside. Ten or so students were scattered around the common room, chatting amongst themselves. Hermione, Ron and Harry sat around the couch near the grand fireplace. They sent Fred a wave, which he frantically returned. The golden trio watched in curiosity as Fred darted up the stairs of the girl’s dormitory.

Hermione looked back to the group and asked,

“Wonder what that’s about- he seemed in a hurry.”

“Heard him and George got detention. They put stink-bombs in the Slytherin common room! Heard it stained some of the furniture maroon!” Ron chuckled at his brother’s antics then resumed his debate with Harry over their thoughts on the Quidditch World Cup happening every four years. Harry tried to explain the concept of the Olympics to Ron, but Ron was too focused on how amazing it would be for the World Cup to happen each year. Hermione went back to her studies, blocking out the mindless bickering of the boys.

Above the common room, Fred Weasley was scurrying to his girlfriend’s dorm room. He hoped Angelina and Alicia were out so he could be alone with her. Their time spent together had been oddly less than usual the last few weeks. Fred had no change of heart- actually, he found himself falling more in love with her every day, but their final year at Hogwarts was creeping up from the woods and he was working on a dream career behind the scenes with George that was eating up his time with her. He had shared this idea with her before- but it was just an idea then. Fred and George planned on putting their dreams to action once they finished up the next year. He wanted her to come- George did as well, but he didn’t want to mention it until it was a reality.

Reaching his destination Fred took a second to compose himself. A thin line of sweat was forming near his forehead. This was the first chance he had to take a breather since detention ended. Fixing his dark robes Fred knocked against the door, quiet enough not to startle her but loud enough to hear.

“Y/n… Y/n… love, are you awake? It’s Fred-“

Abruptly, the heavy wooden door cracked open and a weary looking girl poked her head out into the quietness.

“Darling, did I wake you up? I’m so sorry.” Fred stepped forward and wrapped the girl in a tight embrace. Y/n’s head fell against his chest out of instincts. His arms fastened around her waist as he invited himself in the room, slowly walking her back.

“Here, go back to bed, love. You look exhausted.” Fred led the sluggish girl to her familiar bed. Throwing back the covers, he readjusted her pillows so there would be room for him to fit as well. Fred then walked back to Y/n and took her hand softly. Kissing the back of her hand, Fred helped Y/n get into bed then slipped in beside her. His arms snaked around her body without thought. The naturalness of holding her in his arms made Fred feel confident in his dreams of starting a future with her. All the tension in his body collapsed when she leaned into his frame. Fred held her close and kissed the side of her cheek lovingly.

“I’m sorry about detention tonight but I promise I’ll take you out Saturday, alright? We can have a date at Hogsmeade and spend the night together, does that sound nice?”

The sleepy witch gave a tired mumble and nodded her head. She was cuddled under a stack of blankets, wearing Fred’s sweatshirt which made him smile. He’d usually crack a joke at this and tease her but, she was already asleep when he looked back to her. Fred couldn’t help but stare at her for a while. There was never a moment that went by where Fred didn’t think of Y/n as anything other than beautiful but in these moments, she looked ethereal.

Moonlight poured in from the open window and splashed across her s/c cheeks. Her hair was sprawled against the white pillowcase. Fred smiled at the sound of her light snores. Fred wouldn’t leave until he was sure she was deep asleep. It was their thing. She hated going to bed without him there.

“Okay, I love you, Y/n. Get some sleep, angel.” Fred whispered.

He pecked her forehead, then kissed her lips gently. Removing the covers, Fred tucked them back into Y/n so she could keep warm. He closed the open window then tip toed out of the room. Instead of rejoining his friends, Fred decided to head to his room. He felt too guilty for missing out on their plans to go have his own fun. Anyways he did have a Potions paper coming up and if he was going to spend the day with you Saturday, he surely wouldn’t be doing any homework.

So, the plan was confirmed the next morning, Friday. Y/n ran into Fred on her way to breakfast and they discussed where they’d meet and a time. They ate breakfast together, walked to class, then headed in different directions when six rolled around. Fred had a Quidditch match and she had a group project, so they didn’t cross paths for the rest of the night. Even though he refused to admit it, Fred absolutely hated when Y/n missed one of his games. His favorite thing to do was search for her in the stands during each game and it made him sad not to see her smiling face standing out in the crowd. Y/n entered the common room around midnight and went straight for her bed. Gryffindor had lost so there wasn’t a single housemate sitting in the common room. She could only imagine how upset Fred must be, she’d be hearing about it tomorrow. Y/n giggled to herself at the recollection of Fred’s angry rants about his teammates to you in private. She basically crawled to her bed, dreaming about the handsome, goofy, witty twin that had captured her heart.

Which would bring us to Saturday night. Fred and Y/n had made specific plans; they were to meet at The Three Broomsticks at seven then hangout for a while and spend the rest of their night sneaking around the castle with the help of The Marauder’s Map. Fred had practice at six so he was planning on meeting up with the girl at the pub. Y/n expected him to be running late- it wouldn’t be Fred if he didn’t show up a good twenty minutes late.

Only Fred never showed up at seven thirty, not at eight, and by the time nine neared, he was still nowhere in sight. The Three Broomsticks would stay open for a few more hours but the thought of sitting there alone for any longer, jumping at the sound of the door every time it opened, it made Y/n feel less than sane.

Throwing a handful of coins on the table, Y/n thanked her server then exited through the front doors. The walk back to the castle wasn’t long but being with Fred made it a lot more amusing. He’d pick her flowers, give her piggy back rides, play games, race, and hold her hand the whole walk back.

This time, Y/n walked alone hugging the material of her raincoat to her chest. A light drizzle had been pouring on and off for most of the day. Earlier, it was perfectly bearable- hardly noticeable. Although the weather had only worsened as the night grew darker. Hard rain drops crashed against Y/n coat, cascading down her covered arms and bouncing to the wet ground. Her black boots were soaked. She could feel the water rising to her socks, one of her biggest hatreds. Wet socks.

The hood of her jacket only helped so much before the pelting raindrops started to seep to her hair. Typically, Y/n loved the rain. If Fred was here, they’d be dancing right now. But he wasn’t, she had no clue where he was and that was exactly what Y/n was headed to find out.

By the time Y/n made it back to the castle and up to the Gryffindor common room, it was past ten.

Much as Y/n had expected, the common room was lively with energy and conversations. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina were all sitting in a circle with Fred, George, Lee Jordan, Seamus, and Dean. A dark bottle of Dragon Barrel brandy and Daisyroot Draught were being passed amongst them. Y/n watched as Fred leaned into his brother’s side, obviously tipsy and slurring his words while he practically shouted to their friends who were only sitting feet away.

His frame twitched with every small hiccup he let out. The whole group was smiling, they were happy. Y/n wondered to herself if Fred even noticed that she wasn’t there. She wondered if he liked it more when she wasn’t there, they were having fun and although the group was also her friends, no one was interested enough to invite her. Biting on the tender skin of her bottom lip, Y/n bundled her fist to her sides. The anger refused to simmer, only continued to boil. Her dripping clothes weren’t helpful to her sour mood.

It wasn’t the fault of her friends, no, but they were bound to get caught in the crossfires. Fred was the one who left her waiting for hours on end. Her chest was tight- livid yet sad all at once. It was an aggravating feel, unfamiliar. Y/n hated the suffocation entering her drying throat. More than anything she longed to handle situations like these in an aloof fashion. The last thing wanted was to wear her emotions on her sleeve, but she couldn’t help it. Her head screamed ‘just go to bed, ignore him’ but her heart wanted to scream at him and let him know just how bad he had hurt her. Her breathing quickened, each inhale received a choppy exhale.

For the first time, Y/n decided not to join her friends or to even say a word to Fred about how he stood her up. She was sick of it- completely exhausted and drained from his lack of care and presences in their relationship the last few weeks. If he wanted her as bad as he claimed, he’d find a way to show it. And leaving her sitting alone in a noisy pub while he partied and drank with their friends, showed her the exact opposite of his words.

Diverting her leer from the inebriated group and studied the rest of the room, hearing voices near the sitting area. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were all staring at Y/n in mixed judgement. Harry, Ron and Neville looked concerned by the appearance of Y/n. Hermione on the other hand, she was absolutely flabbergasted, Y/n could see the pity written on her face. You had mentioned having a date night with Fred in Hogsmeade to the four the night before. Harry had invited Y/n to hangout with them and visit Hagrid, but she politely declined and informed them about the special night Fred had planned for them.

Harry and Hermione stood up at the same time ready to comfort the teary-eyed girl. They motioned her over but just as she started towards them, Angelina Johnson noticed her friend who had been absent for most of the night. Setting the bottle of brandy down, Angelina wobbled up to her feet and smiled giddily,

“Y/n! Come- come drink with us! I was wondering where you- why… why’re you all wet?”

As the words fell from her mouth, a crowd of eyes planted on Y/n. Her fists clenched, bone white knuckles visible, at her sides. Angelina scurried over to her friend and wrapped her in a tender hug. If the scenario had been different, she’d gladly join in the fun but there wasn’t an ounce in her body that desired a drink.

Y/n’s eyes found their way to the boy she had been longing for all night. Her lips quivered, the anger and sadness reaching it’s overpour. He looked so handsome, so happy, but it meant nothing to her.

Pulling back, Angelina squinted in confusion at Y/n. The lack of embrace given back had thrown her off. The group had been awaiting her arrival, no one was quite sure where she’d gone off to. Angelina scanned Y/n’s reddening face, noticing the emotions bubbling under the surface.

Moving away, the dark-skinned girl turned to her friends. No one else seemed to notice the offset of Y/n’s attitude.

“Angel, where have you been? I missed you!” Fred’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Quickly standing up, he held his hand out to his girlfriend. Y/n shot a dangerous look to his outreach, then up to his face. Usually she’d find his toothy grin and childlike state loveable but for obvious reasons, it made her irate.

Stepping back, Y/n sternly scowled at Fred,

“Missed me? You’re the one who left me waiting all goddamn night, Fred Weasley.”

A part of Y/n felt guilty for forcing her friends to witness their unpleasant exchange. George was now to his feet standing behind Fred, just as lost as the group he had been sitting with. Despite the alcohol running in his veins, George could sense an argument budding by the second.

“Not like any of you really seemed to care where I was.” Y/n kicked herself for this cold statement.

Her friends weren’t at fault- not in the slightest. But everyone was at risk of becoming a victim to her fiery wrath. In actuality, it did hurt her a little that no one had gone searching for her. It had been hours! Tears welled in her eyes as she took in the reactions of the group. George took his arm off Alicia and nudged his twin.

“What- I don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout, love. I think you should have a drink and loosen up-“

Y/n couldn’t take it. She just couldn’t take it anymore. Scrunching her face, she used every bit of strength to force her salty tears to hide at bay. Although her emotions screamed to be heard and saw right through her façade. Sweeping her hand across her cheek, Y/n caught the stray tears that rolled down her rosy cheeks. Huffing all her emotions out at once, Y/n shook Fred away from her and hurried towards her room.

Fred stood appearing dumbfounded. He could only gawk in perplexity. Blame it on the alcohol, but Fred’s mind was drawing a blank when surveying her words. For most of the night, he was the one thinking she was leaving him waiting. No one else had a clue as to where she’d gone off to, so he assumed she was in the library or wanted some space.

“You’re an idiot, Fred.” Hermione’s sharp voice cut through the thick air. The happiness and drunken laughter was extinct. The girl’s shared an exchange, all confused as to what just happened. The glass bottles didn’t help clear their judgement. Dean and Seamus took small sips from the Daisyroot Draught. The tension was unbearable, it felt wrong for their friends to be a part of it.

George set a hand on Fred’s shoulder, pulling him back slightly. Leaning forward, George whispered to his twin,

“I reckon it’s best if we turn it in for the night.” Fred gave a tug of protest. His intoxicated fought against him though he knew he did something wrong and needed to find Y/n. In spite of his desire to chase after the girl, George couldn’t let him do that. It was obvious Fred had forgotten something and Y/n was more than upset. Sending his brother up to drunkenly apologize to his hurting girlfriend for a reason he can’t even recall, that was a recipe for disaster and would only cause a bigger mess.

“Fred, you’re going to bed. You’re too drunk to talk to Y/n right now, okay? We’re going up the boy’s stairs, not the girls, okay? You two can talk in the morning, maybe you’ll remember where you fucked up tonight by then.”

Suddenly, Fred stop moving and let out a low groan,

“Oh shit… merlin’s sake, I fucked up, George. Oh my god- Hogsmeade… shit! I told her we’d meet at Hogsmeade and I forgot-“Fred whipped around in his discombobulated state. Everything clicked at once. Fred had been so concentrated on Quidditch that once practice had wrapped up, his exhausted body dragged him back to the common room out of muscle memory. It was his typical routine; Quidditch practice, head back to his dorm, shower, change, eat, work on some possible products with George, then hangout with his friends. How could he be so neglectful?

George sent his brother a comforting look then grabbed him by the shoulders, helping aid him up the winding staircase. It came as a shock to him that Fred had forgotten about their date. All he spoke about was Y/n, it was a rare occurrence for the couple to

“So that’s where she’s been all night?” George pushed open the door to their room, looking to his twin sternly. Fred had most of his weight piled on George, trying his hardest to remain upright. Lee had decided to stay back, allowing the brothers a chance to talk.

George helped his frantic twin in the dark room, then gave him a light push towards his bed. Fred plopped down, burying his face in the fluffy pillow. Pulling off his jumper, George threw the large maroon comforter over Fred’s tall frame while he wailed,

“I’m a terrible boyfriend. I planned the bloody date too! I left her-“

“How ‘bout you get some rest? You can find her in the morning and apologize to her and… hope for the best. It’ll give you more time to think of a way to make it up to her. You’re just a rambling mess right now.” The alcohol was not wearing George down. He had been on an adrenaline high since his second shot. This was the first moment of the night where he had stepped back. His tiresome hands rubbed against his face as he made his way to his bed and collapsed on it.

Fred was still moaning on, the sound of his drunken voice making it harder for George to fight back the urge to sleep,

“She’s gonna dump my sorry ass-“

“Go to bed, Fred. It’ll be okay.”

George let out a sigh of exhaustion. The twins had been best friends with Y/n since they were just children, new to Hogwarts and unfamiliar with the power of magic. It pained him to see his brother hurt, but it also hurt to see Y/n upset. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Turning his head, George let out a breathy chuckle at the sight of his twin passed out cold. The worry that dripped from his voice was now gone as he eased into his dreamland.

George wanted to scold him, knock him upside the head for skipping out on Y/n again. He cared a lot about her, she was basically a sister, a triplet to him. If Fred was gonna win her back, it wasn’t going to be easy, George knew this. Y/n was stubborn, and the twins had witnessed this first hand for years, it was a trait they loved, when not directed towards either of them.

As George’s head hit the pillow, all he could do was pray to Godrick that the morning would bring good news.

Sunday morning arrived much faster than Y/n had hoped. A bright, loud, light interrupted her sleep as the gears in her head started to turn. Her mind was groggy, the events of last night were foggy. Warm sunlight broke through the glass stained windows. Y/n wiped her eyes and slowly sat up. Her mouth was dry, screaming for a drink of water.

For a minute, she felt calm- happy almost. The room was half empty; Angelina’s bed was bare and Alicia laid in a star-fish position, a snore sounding from her mouth. The image made Y/n laugh.

Standing up, Y/n’s hands flew above her head as she stretched. She cracked her back, a morning ritual for the girl. Just as she reached for the knob of her dresser, a wave of recollection nearly knocked her off her feet.

Fred had stood her up, of course, how could she forget? The irritated skin under her eyes and nose suddenly made sense. Leaning against the wooden cabinet, Y/n huffed. It was times like these she wished she could crawl into bed and stay there for eternity. Nothing would get better though if she didn’t at least try to fix it.

As quick as the thought came, it had evaporated once more. Why did she have to be the one to put forth the effort to fix things? There was no use in fixing their relationship if Fred wasn’t willing to try too. More than try, Y/n thought. It took a piece of her when she came back to the castle just to see him drinking with their friends, not thinking a thought of her. She needed to see that he cared. His words held no value to her anymore, not until he could prove he meant what he said.

Y/n went through her morning routine like a snail, wanting to drag out her time. Eventually, she was fully dressed and ready for the day. She liked to take advantage of the days her school robes weren’t required. The cooling weather led her to a fuzzy black sweater, and light washed jeans. Sliding her delicate wand into her back pocket, Y/n exited the room and took the stairs down to the common room.

Approaching the bottom of the steps, Y/n could hear familiar voices exchanging hush words. She stepped into the room and was surprised to see the lack of students. The only ones present were sat one the long leather couch on the left half of the massive room. All of their gazes fell on Y/n.

Fred, George, Ron, Angelina, Harry and Hermione were all relaxing- well all of them except Fred. He on the other hand was frantic- disheveled. His knee bounced in anticipation. The clock was sneaking

“Oh, uh, hey Y/n!” Ron Weasley moved his hand side to side, waving to Y/n. The temptation to admire the handsome boy at his side leaped into her heart. Using every ounce of strength, Y/n trained her eyes on Ron, not allowing a single peek at Fred.

“Hey, Y/n/n!” The voice of Angelina brought a perk to Y/n’s head.

“Hi.” She greeted the younger Weasley and her close friend back, then headed for the portrait. Before she could make it half the distance, the tall figure of her boyfriend appeared.

“Angel, how did you sleep?” Fred was by her side in an instant. He was desperately trying to read her expression, testing the waters to see her mood. He had hardly slept, he spent most of the night thinking about this exact moment, when he’d have the chance to apologize and make it up to the girl he loved. “Can we please talk? I’m really sorry for last night, honestly, I am so so sorry, darling.”

Y/n stared at him, or rather, through him. It was like she didn’t see the tall wizard in front of her.

“I’m gonna go study, I’ll meet you with you guys later.”

“Y/n, love-“ His warm hand took hold of her of her own, an action she’d typically love. The familiar grasp sent a burst of comfort in her stomach, but she ignored it.

Wiggling out of his grip, the girl shot him a look of displeasure then rushed off. Hermione chased after her, no one else brave enough to step in. Besides, Hermione was one of her closest friends. Watching the younger girl follow after her roommate, Angelina walked after them. Fred stomped like a toddler having a tantrum as the portrait swung open then closed. He knew he had to do something- anything to get her to talk to him again, and that was his plan.

For a Sunday evening, the school library was relatively empty. A majority of the students occupying the tables were studying away for their O.W.L.S. The exams weren’t for another two months but hardly anyone dared to procrastinate until the last week before opening their books. The stress of the exams was enormous, but the students still had other classes to keep in mind.

Y/n Y/n/l and George Weasley were sitting across from on another at a study table. Three hefty textbooks were open as the two discussed their Potions paper. Y/n had been stuck on hers and George had yet to start so they decided to head to the library together and get it done.

Fred was usually right by their side, his hand wrapped around Y/n’s shoulders, but she neglected an invite for him. About an hour after their exchange in the common room, Y/n had apologized to each friend she had snapped on the night prior. They were understanding, clearly seeing where her frustrations had come for. They also felt bad as she was right, no one had even checked to see where she’d gone, and George especially felt terrible for not searching for his friend.

At least three hours had passed since the two Gryffindors started their study session. Y/n was sneaking up on her last two pages while George still had three left. They collaborated every few minutes, then returned to tranquil silence, scribbling away.

Y/n was in the middle of sharing her idea for the last section of her paper when George’s eyes brighten and he interrupted her,

“Fred, how nice of you to join us.”

Turning in her chair, Y/n found her boyfriend standing behind her with a nervous smile. She hated how perfect he looked, even in the poor lighting of the library. He still managed to make her breath hitch in the back of her throat.

“Hi, Y/n. You look beautiful as always.” Fred announced himself softly. George scoffed teasingly, muttering a ‘hello’ to himself to make up for his brother ignoring him. Freds words were genuine though didn’t make much of a difference. Y/n was still hurt and a compliment wasn’t going to mend that. She needed to feel it, to see him truly show that he cared- that she meant something to him. That she was deserving of his time. Sweet comments didn’t not add up to that feeling.

George closed his textbook, then glanced up at his twin,

“Should I leave?”

Before Fred could answer, Y/n slammed her hand on top of George’s Potions book. Wide eyed and frightened, the boy gaped in shock. Even Fred was taken aback by her unexpecting movement. Leering at her friend Y/n replied,

“No. I want you to stay, we were in the middle of a conversation.”

Fred’s heart dropped at her words. It was heartbreaking to have the girl of his dreams now shunning him- brushing him off with ease. It was driving him mad. All he wanted was for her to acknowledge him, give him a little hope that he can earn his way back in her heart. He loved her, every bit of him loved her.

All he wanted was to make it up to her for his mistakes the night before. He couldn’t stop thinking about the look on her face when she saw him sitting with their friends. She was miles exceeded hurt- more devastated at his negligence than hurt alone.

Maybe it was the fear of meeting the reality that losing Y/n was a possibility, but Fred experienced a new sort of emotion when his girlfriend asked for his brother to stay. Yes, they’re friends, all three of them are. Fred had to remind himself of this like a record on repeat. He couldn’t fight the envy off though.

It made his heart twist as she stared at George. Never did he think he’d be jealous of his own twin, but Fred was livid. The seething stream of covetousness overtook his veins. Fred wanted to be the one you ran to for comfort, not his brother. His entire life he had shared everything with George, Y/n was far too meaningful to Fred for her to be shared.

Now it does take two for a turn of events like that to happen. Fred knew, clear as day, that George had no romantic feelings for Y/n and she had none for George. This was true, but for some reason, it didn’t help tame Fred’s envy.

He knew causing a jealous scene would do no good for anyone, so Fred realigned his train of thought and asked,

“Could I steal you from that conversation, please love? I really need to apologize to you.”

Fred allowed his hands to reveal themselves from their previous position hiding behind his back. When he moved them, a full bouquet of colorful flowers and small green plants of different shapes and sizes. The flowers were a display of fuchsia, pink, orange, red, and yellow. They were beautiful, so beautiful, Y/n thought to herself. She couldn’t help the gasp that slipped past her lips.

Fred had gotten her flowers their first-year dating but since the last month or so, she hadn’t received many of his heartwarming gifts. It wasn’t the monocle value of a present but the thought and attention to care that captured Y/n’s heart. Fred had always been the best at creating meaningful gifts on a tight budget. Whether it was flowers he stole from school grounds, or necklaces he made out of stones she found around the Great Lake. He’d make her perfume- proving rather excellent in the Potions department. He also asked Molly to teach him how to knit in order to make Y/n a sweater. This of course delighted Molly over the moon.

George bit on the skin of his knuckles to keep for laughing at his brother. He recognized the flowers, as did Y/n. Fred had picked them from the garden outside the castle- something that had earned him a detention before. George decided not to comment on his observation, Fred was sure to murder him in his sleep if he put his apology in any jeopardy.

Fred extended the bouquet to his flustered girlfriend. He felt a sense of accomplishment while watching her reaction. It was small to most, but for as stubborn as she was, it was big in his eyes. The girl reached forward, accepting the gift with a tiny smile rising to her lips, one she didn’t force down.

For the first time since the night before, Y/n fully saw Fred. She peered directly at him silently. George glanced between the two, stuck between a dual. Without speaking, Fred took some steps forward and pulled the chair next to Y/n out. He slipped into the seat, the couple still staring at each other. Y/n studied his demeanor, he didn’t push her anymore, but he wouldn’t leave her side. Not that she would tell him but, she was happy he joined in. She didn’t want him to leave, she had missed being around him. Tearing herself away, Y/n focused herself back on the other twin.

“As I was saying, George…”

Fred drowned out the words but accepted the fact that Y/n didn’t reject him from sitting down. She also didn’t set the flowers down for the rest of their study session. The remained clutched in her hands, resting in her lap the whole time.

Monday night came in the blink of an eye. Classes had resumed and the castle was bustling in stress. When the end of the year neared, the time spent sitting through lectures was an eternity, while the weekends flew by. Fred had always hated summer break, actually, that’s not entirely true. His dismissive of break budded around the same time his relationship with Y/n became official.

Their first two years, she would spend the holiday back home in London with her family. She loved her family but once she experienced her first holiday at the Burrow, she never wanted to miss another. Her family was a bit distant, not the warm and welcoming pure-bloods like the Weasley’s, but not as cold as the Malfoy’s. Y/n’s family had no issues with her spending breaks at the Burrow, as long as she had Molly and Arthur Weasley’s approval. Molly insisted each time that there was no need for her to even ask to stay. They accepted her with open arms, ecstatic to see Fred had found such a lovely girl.

The end of the school term was coming up and Fred needed to fix things with Y/n before that happened. She planned to spend the break at his family’s home and he feared she’d take her agreement back if things weren’t improved between them. Spending almost two days stuck in the anger of his love was two days too many. Fred was going to fix this and he planned the best idea he could think of, good thing he had their friends happily available to help.

Unbeknownst to Y/n, while she was resting up from her illness Harry, Ron, Lee and George were helping Fred create his masterplan. Hermione helped in her own way by remaining near Y/n’s dorm, sitting in as the lookout. It gave her an excuse to get her school work done so she didn’t protest.

Alicia and Angelina stayed in the room. Once Y/n started to feel better, thanks to Madam Pomfrey, the girl’s altered Hermione who passed the news along to Harry as the chain continued until it reached Fred. At the confirmation, his plan was set into action. Ron was sent to retrieve the girl after Alicia and Angelina convinced her to get some food from the dining hall.

She walked through the common room then down the moving staircase, when her redheaded friend popped up. Ron scared the girl, making her stumble back, her hand placed over her chest.

“Y/n! I’m so glad I ran into you! No one has seen you all day- Angelina said you were feeling ill this morning.” Ron rambled at a fast pace. Y/n, still surprised by his sudden arrival, took a deep inhale, nodding to the boy,

“Yeah, I saw Madam Pomfrey this morning when classes started. I just had a stomach bug and she said I’d have to wait it out but the medicine she gave me seems to be doing the trick.” Y/n gave Ron a kind smile. Ron was two years younger than her but they had always been great friends. Y/n would travel to the Burrow as a guest of the twins during the holiday breaks, so Ron and her had spent a lot of time hanging out together. It was sweet of him to ask how she was doing, but he didn’t seem that her health was the reason for their conversation.

“That’s good to hear. You wouldn’t happen to be heading anywhere, are you?”

“Just to get some food. I’m starving-“ Ron nodded eagerly, cutting his friend off in the process.

“That’s great! I mean, not great, just… well… uh, follow me please!” Scrambling like a mess, Ron clasped his hand over Y/n’s wrist and abruptly dragged her down the stone corridor. She couldn’t find the words to question him and allowed Ron to lead the way. Her curiosity was far too big to ignore his odd request.

Ron carried on for another five minutes then took a sharp turn, heading for the courtyard. Two figures ran off around the side of the castle in the darkness. Y/n swore she recognized the pair as George and Lee. What were they up to? Snapping her head to the younger boy, Y/n waited for him to fill her in on why he had dragged her halfway across the castle to the freezing courtyard.

“Okay! We’re here- I’m just gonna… head out. See ya, Y/n!” Ron rushed his farewell then ran off towards the direction George and Lee had escaped to. What in the world is going on? Left by herself without any explanation, Y/n threw her hand up in annoyance.

“What?”

Alone in the cold, Y/n wrapped the opening of her fuzzy cardigan against her body, attempting to keep warm. Although warmth entered her vein as a pair of arms snaked around her waist, snatching her backwards into a firm surface. She gasped, thrown off by her attacker and tried to turn in retaliation, but their grasp was far too firm. The familiarity of the hold made her body ease up. As much time as the spent together, she could recognize his touch anywhere. Fred.

His touch released a swarm of butterflies through the girl. She could feel the anger washing away as she leaned her body into his chest, having pined for his arms for two too many days than she was accustomed to.

The tall Gryffindor held her tightly. Moving forward, Fred pressed his lips against the shell of Y/n’s ear. The heat of his breath causing her to shudder as he whispered,

“I’m so happy you came, darling.”

Y/n smirked, looking up at him. The concurrent willfulness of her nature could only carry on for so long until her headstrong demeanor crumbled. A pang of chagrin still grumbled in her stomach but the sight in front of her certainly was a runner in her change of heart.

Soaking in her surroundings, Y/n realized they were just a few hundred feet outside Hargid’s hut. This explained the garden full of massive orange pumpkins. In the middle of the path was a small gazebo decorated in fairy lights and sunflowers. A small table set for two was tucked inside. Small teacup white candles line the path, creating a runway of sorts. Another candle, larger and purple, sat flickering in the breeze in the center of the neat table.

Y/n stood motionless absorbing the creation her boyfriend made- all for her. Speechlessness was not common for Y/n so Fred undoubtably began to second guess if his efforts were good enough. His fears were stomped in a matter of moments when Y/n harshly yanked at the material of his collar and placed a brisk, short kiss to his lips. Fred was startled, losing the opportunity to kiss her back but Y/n didn’t want him to. It gave her a sense of control- they still had issues they needed to work out, but she loved him nonetheless. Besides, avoiding and staying mad at Fred forever? Impossible. In two days, Y/n had to stop herself a million different times from approaching Fred and sharing a laugh with him, or kissing him, or holding his hand and giving him a hug. She didn’t want to fight off the urge anymore- and Fred couldn’t handle the distance spaced between them. Thus, being the motivation for his grand, heartfelt, date.

“I’ll assume that means you like it. I won’t take all the credit- it was my idea, but our friends are the main reason I was able to pull this off. I feel really bad and… I need to do something special for you- I don’t do that enough lately. I forget sometimes to remind you how important you are in my life and how much I love you.” Fred sheepishly smiled, nervously awaiting her reaction.

The small table was set, a new bundle of crimson red roses placed on her seat. To the side of her plate was a small box with a beautifully wrapped ribbon tied to the top. Fred had a special way of showing his love and adoration for his girlfriend, but even this was new to her. Never before had he gone so over the top to prove his feelings to her.

Y/n lifted her hand and intertwined it with Fred’s, smiling up at him,

“It’s gorgeous, Freddie.” The bashful smile made Fred’s heart melt on sight. He had prepared himself for the repetitive rejection she had been sending, so when she whispered those sweet words, his chest tightened, and his pace stopped.

Fred almost fainted in shock at the sound of her voice. He squeezed her light hand and drew it back, forcing her body into his own. Y/n couldn’t help the laugh that fell from her lips. She missed his playful ways. With the foreheads pressed against each other, Fred grinned,

“I’ve missed your voice, love.”

Although his words made her heart take flight, the reality of her hurt was still roaming. Y/n detached herself from his grasp and rested her hand on the black metal table. Her fingertips fumbled with the white cloth, it served as a distraction only for a short period of time. Fred sent her a sorrowful look. Her shift in moods was confusing to him, he only wanted to make things better.

Y/n sighed and ran her hand through her h/c locks. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply then asked,

“Why don’t you have time for me anymore, Fred?” The question of the night- or rather month. His date was beautiful, absolutely stunning. As riveting as it was, it couldn’t erase the hurt she had been experiencing.

Fred shook his head frantically, dismissing the accusation. He knew why she would think that way, he understood. It wasn’t true, though. Actions speak louder than words and Fred despised the fact that recently, his feelings for Y/n weren’t lining up with his actions. His words could only do so much. But he also knew soon, things would be different. Missing the Hogsmeade date was his fault, and he paid for it. Two days might seem minute to most, but when you spend essentially everyday attached to someone’s hip, two days of them purposely ignoring you and speaking to every soul expect you, it can feel like a lifetime. He realized a few things in this time.

Fred remembered how fun it was to act as if he was still trying to win her over. Gifts, no matter their cost, always brought a gleam to her face which never failed to make Fred grin. However, it was much more entertaining when she wasn’t upset with him and would throw the flirtatious comments right back at him. He was also reminded of how lucky he was to be with Y/n. While she ignored him, Fred found himself envious of every living being Y/n spoke to, as they were not him. When he started engulfing himself in his plans for the joke shop, his effort in his relationship had decreased and this was something he vowed to never let happen again.

“I’ll always have time for you, darling. And if I don’t, I’ll make some. I truly am sorry about this weekend- you don’t deserve that.”

“It just seems like you’re distracted, like you don’t care anymore.” Y/n batted her reddening eyes, finally throwing her worries to the air.

“No, no, Y/n, not at all. I’m so sorry I made you feel that way, love. I’m a terrible excuse of a boyfriend, I never meant to create this mess. I love you so much.” Fred’s head bowed down. It tore him up to know the way his actions made her feel, the only girl he loved.

“I love you too, Freddie. I really do but I can’t feel alone in this relationship. I let our date Friday slide, even though I was annoyed, but Saturday night? I feel like it broke me. Just knowing you forgot about me-“ Y/n fought back the burning sensation in her eyes as the tears began to brim.

The anxiety blooming inside her was clear to Fred. Suppose that was the downside to dating your best friend, they can always tell when somethings wrong. Before a tear could hit the floor, he whisked her to the iron garden chair, then kneels before her, his hands holding her face as if it was a priceless, dainty piece of china.

“I didn’t forget about you, darling, that’s impossible to do. I’ve been… well I’ve been working on something with George for when we leave school next year. It’s real important to me and I wanted to share it with you but I was scared that it might not happen but… if I have your support and you with us, I know it’ll happen.”

“What’re you rambling on about, Fred?”

“Remember how I told you that George and I wanted to open a joke shop? Well, it’s happening… I think. We’re really close, we just gotta make it through next year then we’re free! We’ll have our own joke shop and get to sell our own products and start our future.”

A silence overtook the atmosphere. Y/n’s lips were stuck open in a small ‘o’ shape, eyes glued to the floor. Was he really going to leave her all alone next year? Would they have to break up? Surely, he wouldn’t want to be in a long-distance relationship.

She was snapped from her own mind when her skin registered the touch of Fred’s lips as they traced her knuckles, kissing each finger as he did. His eyes then peered up to meet her own. She could tell he was serious by the feeling of his stare. Then he continued, making Y/n perk up,

“But none of that can happen without you… Y/n I want you to come with me. Move in with George and I, start a future with me. We want you to be a part of the shop. I want you there. You’re the only girl I want, for the rest of my life.”

Her once open mouth clamped shut in a swift motion. Ever since she met the twins, Y/n wanted a future with Fred. Everyone saw it as a childhood crush, but she always knew it was more. She never stopped loving him- never could. Even when his pranks took a step too far over the line. They always found their way back to each other and would work through it. Fights such as the most recent were rare- but Fred’s admission filled in a lot of empty spaces that had left Y/n sleepless for days. Finally, the crushing weight was lifted from her chest as she choked out a shaky breath.

Leaping forward from the chair, Y/n threw her body into her boyfriend’s body and clamped him in a koloa like hold. Fred chuckled in amusement, falling onto the near ground at her jump.

“Why do you have to be so lovable? I hate it. I should be angry with you, but I just love you too much. Besides, I think you did enough suffering.” She giggled as she pinched his round cheeks in her hands. Fred poked his tongue out at her and grabbed at her sides. Y/n swatted his hands away, giving him a stern glare saying, ‘don’t push it’.

Slowly, she leaned down and brushed her lips against Fred’s, smirking down at him. It was a change in roles. In their more adult situations, Fred was typically the one on top with Y/n pinned below him, but that’s a story for another time.

A small, almost whimper, sound came from Fred. He hated being teased- that was his job. Dragging out the moment, Y/n tugged on the skin of his bottom lip with her teeth, earning a groan of approval from Fred. She grazed over his mouth one last time before dipping her head down to meet his and interlocking their lips, still straddling his waist. Fred’s hips pushed towards her core out of instinct. Not ready to give in quite yet, Y/n lifted her body and shifted forward, entrapping Fred even more so in the heated kiss.

They parted for seconds to sneak a bit of air, then continued their needed make out. It had been a while since they proved their love to each other in this way. For the last month, it had been small kisses here and there when the couple had a chance to see each other. Y/n needed his touch- she needed him. Fred longed to have under him, pleasuring her. He desperately wanted to sink his head between her legs and really show her just how much he loved her.

The coldness of his fingertips hit Y/n’s skin as his fingers dug into the sides of her waist. As much as she longed to keep the exchange going, the last thing either of them needed was a detention.

Y/n plucked herself away, a small pout lining Fred’s lips. His hands remained tied up in her own, lying them on his stomach. The weight of his question seeped in like molasses. Opportunities like this presented themselves once in a lifetime, there was no way Y/n was going to let it slip by.

Rolling off his lap, Y/n plopped down on the ground to the side of Fred. Their heads turned simultaneously towards each other, Fred winking to Y/n.

This is what she wanted. To see him care for her, show his love. His attention. It was the one thing she had been striving for but now that the cat, or rather joke shop, was out of the bag, Fred didn’t feel the need to hide anything from her anymore and keep his work to himself. He was over the moon with excitement to have her join George and himself. It was everything he could hope for.

Coyly averting her peer, Y/n asked,

“Do you really mean it, Fred? You really want me to come with you and George?”

Kindly, Fred swiped his thumb under her chin and raised her head up so their eyes were level.

“I wouldn’t want you anywhere else in the world then with me.” The serenity in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. Y/n propped herself up to her elbows and brought Fred in a bone crushing hug. Heavy chuckles croaked from Fred as she smothered him lovingly. He managed to sneak in a tiny peck to her check and she hugged him. Placing her head on his shoulder, Y/n poked the side of Fred’s cheek, commenting,

“You’re gonna be stuck with me forever, Fred, I love it!”

Throwing his arm around the elated girl, Fred just smirked.

“Duh, that’s kind the whole point of you moving in with me.” He replied in a matter-of-fact tone. The night was growing darker and the steady wind was escalating. In an hour, two if they were lucky, Filch would be surveying the grounds in search of students, mainly Fred and George, out past curfew. It was a sport to him, catching students breaking rules and getting to turn them in. It was part of his job, yes, but Y/n hated that he never took it easy on anything for the Gryffindors like he did the Slytherins. Fred looked at the scenery around them and remarked,

“Y’know, angel, as much as I’d love to spend the rest of the night laying with you in my arms, we can do that in my dorm room tonight… in an actual bed instead of dirt. I mean, we didn’t set up this whole thing for nothing! If I knew laying in the dirt would win you back, you should’ve told me!” His sarcastic words were received with a light slap.

“Smart ass.” Y/n rolled her eyes teasingly and started to sit up. Before she could get to her feet, a pair of hands planted themselves at her waist and lifted her. Fred had his moments, but he was always a gentleman to her. His teasing ways were comforting to Y/n, reminding her that they were good now, in comparison to the recent downfalls.

Fred helped Y/n to her seat, then jogged over to his own. He presented the girl with a cake he made for her. Hermione brought him to the kitchens and taught him how to make one. It took about three hours, he burnt the first, put too many eggs in the second, then forgot to add eggs to the third. Finally, on the fourth attempt, Fred created a passable cake. Hermione had no desire to spend any more time in the kitchen, so she quickly frosted it for him, not wanting him to ruin it this far in, then covered it and locked it in the fridge. Much to Y/n’s surprise, it was one of the best homemade cakes she’d ever had. Her teeth were practically chattering from the intense amount of sugar, but she had to keep in mind it was Fred who baked it.

After eating, Fred and Y/n took their sweet time strolling around the castle. Fred swung his hand back and forth, causing the same effect to Y/n’s. They laughed feverishly as Fred chased Y/n up the moving stairs as they raced to the common room. When they entered the room, they sprinted straight for Fred’s, still in a chase. Hermione, Ron, Harry, George, Angelina, and Lee all watched in amusement as the couple seemed to be reunited.

“Wonder if they’re back together. You guys think the date worked?”

Everyone shared glances at the obliviousness of Ron. There were times when social cues and context clues just didn’t exist to Ron. George scoffed at his little brother and shook his head. The rest of the group roared with laughter as Ron’s face scrunched in irritation.

“Not sure, Ron. Why don’t you go out to our room and ask them?” George smirked mischievously causing Ron to turn white as a ghost in realization. A faint ‘oh’, tumbled out of his lips and his eyes went wide.

Despite their assumption, up in the top room in the Gryffindor boy’s dormitory, Fred Weasley laid snoring in his large mattress, still in his school robes. Squished against his chest by his arms, Y/n was sound asleep, similarly dressed. The two didn’t care what they looked like or who came in, as long as they were together, that’s all that mattered.

[thelastcitysposts]

I Need You To Be Safe

Character: Newt

Fandom: The Maze Runner, Death Cure Setting

Categories: Reader Insert, GenderNeutral!Reader, Angst, A sprinkle of fluff

Word Count: 5037

Warnings: Violence, blood, violence against the reader.

Requested?: NO

Summary: Thomas, Newt and Y/N just recovered Minho from WCKD’s last city. Working their way out of the chaos, Newt’s condition worsens. Can Y/N and the rest save him in time?

~

It felt like they all had been running for years. And it felt like there was no sign of stopping soon. No where they went felt safe, trustworthy. As long as WCKD wanted to find them there was nowhere safe for them to go.

That’s why the second Newt had woken you from your sleep that night many weeks ago, explaining that Thomas was going to sneak out and go get Minho back. You knew you would happily go too. Because no matter where you all were, you had to run.

You had made it through the tunnels filled with cranks, (thanks to Brenda and Jorge), made it through to the gates of the city, seeking refuge with a surprise entrance from Gally, and now you were waiting back with Frypan in Lawrence’s camp for the boys to come back and speak about a plan to get into the WCKD building. Usually having this many things happen to a person within the span of a couple days would traumatize someone, but after everything they had been through. Nothing was new at this point.

You sat on a stool, knees jumping up and down as you waited anxiously. ‘They are going to be fine, Y/N’ Frypan whispered to you, placing a hand on your shoulder in the hopes to calm you down. You just nodded, it felt weird to be away from Newt and Thomas amongst everything. You hadn’t been away from their presence in the longest time.

Suddenly, the grate that laid on the ground in which the boys had left through earlier popped right back open and revealed the three, causing a small smile to grow on your face before it settled back down due to the anxious looks on the others. Newt made his way over to you, giving you shoulder a little pat before taking a stance around a table.

Newt and yourself had a very unspoken connection, always leaning on each other in times of grief and being particularly cuddly with each other. It was something no one talked about, minds filled with more dangerous thoughts. But, you both knew how you felt for each other, it just wasn’t worth saying anything right now.

You followed the boys around the table, trying to understand what was going through their minds right now. The three were silent, not saying a word about what they saw. You just began presuming that something awful had just happened. ‘Well, did you find a way in?’ you asked Thomas, taking a glance at Gally along the way and standing next to Newt.

Newt seemed ridgid, a temperamental nature surrounding him. It made you look over at him, scanning over him for wounds or something that could make him seem so cold, which just wasn’t a characteristic that the boy held. ‘It’s Teresa’ Gally awared the group.

You took a step back, this was the same girl that was your friend back in the glade. You trusted her just like you did with the rest of the boys. But just like everything else in the world, it changed. She was the reason they weren’t in a safe haven now, the reason Minho was taken alongside all of the innocent young people that were safe for once.

‘No, there’s got to be another way’ Thomas spoke, while pacing back and forth around the table. ‘Like what? You’ve seen the building, she is our only way in,’ Gally pointed out, while looking down at the blueprints and map he held under his fingers. You looked towards the man before seeing out of the corner of your eye Newt starting to pick at his fingers and chew his nails off. He was angry, it made you go cold inside. Tearing your eyes away slowly from Newt’s movements you slowly spoke, ‘Do you really think that she would just help us?’. Gally looked towards you, starting to get agitated himself. ‘I don’t plan on asking her for permission’ he chuckled lightly.

‘Am I missing something here? This is the same girl who betrayed us, correct? Same dick?’ Brenda asked, making you hold back a slight bit of laughter on how Brenda described the girl. She wasn’t wrong, one bit. And with all the pent up emotion that you felt after everything it might just be time to use Teresa just like how she used you, and the people closest to you. ‘I like her’ Gally added to Brenda, making you all smile just slightly before Newt spoke, startling you all by his tone and appearance.

‘What? Are you afraid your little girlfriend is going to get hurt? Hmm? This has obviously never just been about rescuing Minho’ he started to ramble. Your eyes went wide with his demeanor as you instinctively reached a hand out from under the table to hold his own, which he quickly slapped away, eyeing you dangerously. ‘What are you talking about, Newt?’ you asked the boy, who never brought his eye contact away from Thomas who looked just as shocked as the rest of the group.

‘Teresa!’ Newt yelled, while climbing off his seat and stalking towards Thomas. ‘I mean, she’s the only reason why Minho went missing in the first place. Now we finally have the opportunity to get him back and, what?’ the blonde haired boy yelled and started to press Thomas against the wall while saliva and negativity was thrown out of his mouth. ‘You don’t want to because of her? Because deep down inside you still care about her, don’t you?’ Newt exclaimed. You look over to Frypan standing up now and eye him, trying to see if he had any idea of what was going on. He shrugged, never taking his eye’s of the boys.

‘Just admit it’ Newt asked of Thomas, venom laced in his voice. ‘Newt’ Thomas whispered, looking over to you for some sort of help knowing that Newt and yourself had a connection. You rose up from your position, stalking over behind Newt. ‘Don’t lie to me!’ he screamed, shoving Thomas roughly against the wall. This causes you to jump back slightly.

‘Dont. Lie. To Me’ Newt repeated himself, looking deep into Thomas’ eyes. You walked further behind Newt, gently caressing his arm in the hopes it might just calm him down in the slightest.  Suddenly, Newt's posture changed, looking back towards you, the group and then Thomas. ‘I’m sorry’ he whispered to his friends, ‘I’m sorry’ he whispered again to you before trailing himself out slowly to the door.

You looked at Thomas, still not knowing what had happened. ‘I’ll go talk to him’ you mumbled. Feeling the tension hot and heavy in the air. You followed your feet towards the door. Thomas following your steps closely behind you. What could've caused Newt to react like this? You thought, he just wasn’t this person. No matter what happened to him or the trauma that he had gone through, he never, ever, acted like this. You both walked in silence up to the roof. Seeing Newt with his feet dangling off the roof.

Making your way over to where he was sitting, you placed yourself right next to him with Thomas lingering behind you both. Obviously slightly scared to have another reaction like that from Newt.

Newt took in a deep breath, turning his head to look over the sunrise that started to cascade into the beaten down housing surrounding you all. No one dared to speak first. ‘I’m sorry about that. Back there’ he finally broke the silence. Looking towards Thomas first, with sincere eyes before turning to you and nodding. He looked back towards the sunrise and played with his fingers once more. ‘What’s up, Newt?’ you asked him sweetly, trying to calm him as he was obviously very anxious.

He smiled lightly before looking down towards his forearm. ‘I guess I can’t hide this anymore’ he spoke softly before pulling up the sleeves of his jacket. Your eyes went wide. Newt wasn’t immune. Your jaw hung, almost hitting the roof underneath you it felt. You felt a tear try to make its way to your eye but you tried your best to look strong, for him.

Thomas bent down to your levels, taking a closer look at Newt’s arm in sorrow. ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ you asked, a crack evident in your voice. Newt’s other hand reaches down to touch your thigh to give you some form of comfort. ‘Didn’t think it would make any difference. All I know is that WCKD must’ve put me in that maze for a reason. Maybe it was literally just so that they could tell the difference between immune’s like you and people like me,’ he admitted. It made your heart hurt, they could’ve helped him. Back when they first found the Right Arm, Mary would have helped. You took your eyes away from Newt’s arm, looking at the sunrise and trying to calm yourself down.

‘You know, we can still fix this Newt’ Thomas finally spoke, looking at his friend with hope still evident in his eyes, even though these days it looked like that fire was slowly burning away. ‘Don’t worry about me. This is about Minho. Now, he needs us. All of us’ he stated, looking towards you with a stern face. ‘So if there is even the slightest chance, that we can save him. That we can get him out of there then we have to take that. No matter what the cost’ Newt explained, looking back at Thomas again.

You were too confused, too angry to really speak now. He had been hiding this awful thing from you all for so long, his dignity and humble nature trying to protect you all from the truth but it could’ve been rectified. ‘Okay, I hear you’ Thomas spoke. Looking towards you. He knew how you felt about the boy. He knew what you were hiding behind your tongue. The feelings that you felt towards Newt and he knew that this would be affecting you in a much different way than he could imagine. ‘I’m going to give you guys a minute. I’ll be downstairs with the others’ Thomas mumbled, nodding towards you as you continued to look towards the sun. Newt nodded a thank you, watching Thomas’ retreating figure before turning to you again and hoping you would look at him.

‘Y/N?’ he asked sweetly, rubbing his thumb across your thigh and his other arm draped alongside himself, obviously becoming painful. ‘You know Newt, we could’ve done something. If you had just spoken about it sooner we could've done something to help you’ you stated, ripping your eyes away from the sunrise to look at him. Newt was taken aback slightly by your words but kept his composure. ‘It doesn’t matter now, Y/N, we have bigger and much greater issues to face’ he mumbled taking his hand away from you. ‘Our friend needs us-’ he added before you interrupted. ‘You need us! Newt, you need us. We need you! I need you’ you replied, letting your much awaited tears fall down your cheek.

‘Okay Y/N, I know but -’ You shook your head. ‘No Newt, you don’t understand. I need you more than you realize. More than you will ever know, especially now’ you huffed. Standing up to walk back down to the others to try and distract yourself from the fact that the love of your life was most likely going to die. ‘Y/N! Stop’ he announced behind you. You stopped in your tracks, turning around to face him with a scowl on your face. ‘You don’t know how much I need you! You don’t get it. I kept this from you all because I knew what would happen! You would help me instead of fighting for our freedom. I want us all to be safe, I need you to be safe’ he exclaimed, walking up closer to you.

‘I’m never going to be safe or feel safe if you won’t even be there with us’ you yelled back to him. He stopped himself, eyeing you up and down. Not knowing what to do in order to show you what he truly meant in this moment. He needs you to be safe so that he could be at peace, needs to know you are happy so that he can be happy. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. He looked back into your eyes before storming up to you and entrapping you in a mighty kiss. One that knocked the air straight out of your lungs. You were shocked, eyes still open with so much emotion running through your veins that you didn’t even know what you were supposed to do or say. So instead, you melted into him and poured out your soul.

After a few seconds, holding each other, he backed away, leaning his head against your own and panting slightly. ‘I need you to be safe. That’s my priority,’ he whispered. You nodded, taken aback by the moment. Looking into his eyes, you could see how scared he was. How in pain he was. You placed your hand around the back side of his neck. ‘I need you next to me. Forever. So don’t get mad at me if I try to help you’ you whisper back. He smiled lightly, nodding before grabbing you close, holding you as the sun began to rise further up above the buildings.

~

You had made it into the WCKD headquarters, after a rather rough interrogation of Teresa you all had come up with a plan of escaping. Newt, Thomas and Gally had luckily been able to disguise themselves as guards while you dressed yourself in a doctor's uniform. Luckily enough your face would definitely not be recognized easily now that Teresa had taken out your microchip. Your white lab coat bounced the bright white lights hanging from the ceilings. Newt stayed by your side, or right behind you the whole time. Sometimes squeezing your hand to make sure we're okay until you all had to fight your way out of there.

Luckily, you had found Minho. But now you were all trapped inside of a room with no foreseeable way out. ‘Newt, come on!’ Minho yelled, trying to get the boy to help him push down some drawers to block the door more. You paced around looking left, right and center for some way to get out of here. You all stood next to Thomas, wrapping your arm around Newt’s bicep as you began to feel cornered. Like a lab rat. ‘Oh shit’ Thomas mumbled, looking towards the door. Sparks started to come out from the other side as they attempted to pry the door open.

‘Any ideas?’ Minho asked, as we all slowly started to back away from our impending doom that awaited us on the other side of the doors. You unlocked yourself from Newt, causing him to flurry his arm back in an attempt to keep him near you, but you were too focussed on what Thomas was looking at. The windows. ‘Maybe’ Thomas mumbled before you ran across the room and grabbed a tank of nitrogen that laid on the ground. Newt followed after you, getting Thomas and Minho to replace you as the boys chucked it out of the window.

You started to freak out, dying from falling out of a building wasn’t exactly how you pictured your death but at least you wouldn’t die being a WCKD lab rat.

Watching the tank fall into the water bed on the ground you looked back at Newt, reaching to him. ‘Okay, it’s doable,’ you mumbled, mostly to yourself for reassurance. The three boys looked at you like it was crazy. ‘We just need a little running start’ Thomas agreed while backing up further from the window frame. Newt grabbed your hand and held you close to him. He was getting weaker and weaker every second that passed, you hoped that deep down Brenda had gotten those remedies and that everything would be okay soon. Back to the way life should be. Peaceful, safe.

‘Are you sure about this?’ Minho asked Thomas. ‘Not really’ he admitted. That’s the first time you had seen him doubt himself, which made you shudder with anxieties but Newt gripped onto your waist as tight as he could muster, trying to calm you. ‘Nice pep talk’ Minho added. ‘Yeah, we are all bloody inspired’ Newt laughed. Giving you a light kiss on the head before turning back to the window. While you all stood around, procrastinating to avoid jumping out, you all heard a loud bang and scrape, seeing that Janson and the guards had made their way through the door. ‘Shit’ Thomas yelled before starting to run to the window. Minho, Newt and yourself following behind.

Newt grabbed onto you as you flew through the air, down what seemed like a hundred story building. Gripping onto his collar you didn’t dare look down until you all landed in the water, frantically trying to reach the surface to get another puff of oxygen. You were the first one to reach the surface, so you scanned for the others as they all started to appear on the surface. Looking back up at Janson briefly you started to make your way over to the edges of the pool, yanking yourself up and then helping Newt up, who seemed to be losing all his strength at this point which made you even scareder than you could be.

Before you could even ask him how he was feeling you heard the clocking of guns behind you, resulting in Newt clicking back on and dragging you behind him, to see four heavily armed guardsmen surrounding you all. Physically shaking you lent your head on Newt’s back. ‘You four! Don’t move’ one the guards announced through his mask. Letting your mind float elsewhere as you tried to take in your surroundings to see if there was any way to get out of this situation AGAIN.

‘Take it easy. Hey! Don’t even think about it’ the guard yelled at Thomas as the boy started to reach for the gun in his holster. ‘Get on your knees with your hands in the air’ he added, but before you could even start moving down to the ground, one of the other guards started to shoot down the others, falling to the ground. Ripping off his mask he showed that it was Gally. Letting out a sigh of relief as he did so.

‘Gally?’ Minho looked shocked to see his former friend again. ‘Minho’ he nodded before looking back up to the window we jumped down from. ‘You guys are nuts’

~

Looking around, the last city was being blown into pieces. Everything around you is either falling down, or being shot at. It was a new level of terrifying that you hadn’t been aware of yet. Sure, it was a great distraction for you all to sneak out of the city without being noticed but Newt was falling to pieces too. Each second that passed it was harder and harder. You held him close to you, as you all cowered away in a pile of rubble to avoid the war that was going on around you all.

Thomas was speaking on the walkie talkie, speaking to Brenda about our chances of getting out. But you couldn’t listen, all of your energy being poured into Newt. ‘Listen to me, we are going to get you out of here’ you whispered to him as he panted and his face turned discolored. Thomas suddenly shot up. ‘We gotta move. Our ride is here’ he exclaimed while grabbing onto Newt, pulling him from the ground with the blonde leaning on his shoulder, Minho rushing to the other side as they dragged him along the uneven ground. You ran ahead with Gally, grasping Newt’s gun in your hand as you battled the streets. ‘Alright Newt, we are almost there,’ Gally claimed as we turned a corner. You nodded to your boy, held flimsily in the other's arms. You rushed forward only to be thrown back as a flying car was hurdled in front of you, landing on your back side. Slowly getting up with a ringing in your ears you hear Gally shouting to get back.

Lawrence’s army flooded through the new opening and began to take on WCKD and the city. You looked over to Newt, crawling over and placing your hands on his thighs, hoping he would look you in the eye. ‘We gotta go, we gotta go’ Thomas mumbled trying to pry Newt off the ground. ‘No we don’t’ Newt replied weakly as you looked at him, trying to bring the sick boy you loved from the ground. ‘Come on Newt, please’ you begged him. He started coughing up black slime, panting heavily. It made your heartbreak as you kept a worried eye on him. ‘Y/N, Minho and Gally. Run ahead, grab the serum. Get back to us as soon as you can’ Thomas mumbled to you all. ‘No’ you easily let out. ‘I’m not leaving him’ you said sternly. Thomas looked at you with pleading eyes, not wanting to give up on his friend but not wanting anyone to stay around here any longer. Newt too out of it to say anything back to you.

‘I won’t do it. I can’t do it. Gally, Minho, you two go. Now’ you begged them. ‘They're right. I can cover’ Gally told his friends. Eyeing you down and holding a hand to your shoulder for support. You gratefully nodded back, a weird feeling of Gally giving you hope but taking it in and processing it.

Newt grabbed Minho’s hand, thanking him kindly and looking back to you, black slime reaching down his neck and his eyes so bloodshot you couldn’t even see his normal brown ones anymore. You pressed your head against his hand as he fidgeted and coughed. The old Newt slowly flushing away from his aura and being drowned by the disease. You just hoped they would get back in time to save him.

He started to grunt as you laid your head on his hand. Looking back up at him you could see him starting to turn. ‘Newt! Newt please hang on. Please. Hang in there, for me’ you begged him as he continued on his path to insanity. ‘Hey!’ Thomas yelled, grabbing the boy's collar bringing him back into the real world. ‘We are going to try this. Okay? We got to move. Now’ Thomas instructed the boy, looking back at you as you nodded. Ready to carry Newt anywhere you had to. ‘Let’s get you up. Come on’ you asked of Newt as you tried lifting his arm up. ‘No, Y/N. No. Take this’ he begged as you shook him, ripping a necklace off his chest and trying to hand it to you. ‘Take it!’ he yelled. You knew it wasn’t him yelling, but you still stared at him in shock. You grabbed it immediately from his hand, looking at the small metal vile on the piece of fabric. ‘Please, Y/N/N. Please’ you nodded at his begging. A small tear coming from your eyes as you put it in your pocket of the lab coat you were still unfortunately wearing.

‘Now we have to go. Okay?’ Thomas begged the boy as he grabbed one shoulder and you leant down immediately grabbing the other to support him. You all grunted in pain, trying to drag the poor boy's legs across the ground.

You all searched the scenery in front of you, trying to find a place where you could go and hide, or even better yet closer to wherever Minho and Gally could be. Hurriedly dodging the bullets and people storming around you. Eventually, you ended up in what was the metro station. ‘Stay with me Newt. Please’ you begged as you grunting carrying the weight of the skinny boy across the ground.

Suddenly, he started to convulse and move unwillingly against Thomas’ and your own grip, slowly making his way back down to the ground. ‘No no no’ you mumbled, reaching back down to the ground to grab him. He was making animalistic noises and gasping for air. More tears came through the flood gates as you looked at Thomas. ‘We have to keep moving. We have to get him that serum. Now’ you begged him but all he could hear was his best friend in pain. Thomas hurriedly grabbed his shoulders, dragging him along the ground as you stood up. Hand clasped around your mouth so you didn’t sob.

Shortly after, Thomas collapsed onto the ground with Newt in his lap. You ran back over to them as Thomas stood from his friend. You pressed your fingers against your loved one's pulse, feeling how fast his heart rate was made you worry even more.

Thomas moved even more when he began hearing Teresa’s voice emitting around the city. Explaining to Thomas that there was still time. That he was the cure, his blood was the antidote to the virus. He could help save Newt, and he was the reason Brenda was still alive. This caused you to stand, if that would help you to hear her better. Thomas can save Newt, Thomas can end his suffering. Even just the thought made a small smile appear on your face as you turned back around to see your weak, paralysed boy start to climb up from the ground. ‘Newt’ you mumbled. Looking at him as he turned around, head slung to the side, black goo running from his mouth like a waterfall and eyes of a predator.

Suddenly the most animalistic screech came from his mouth, Thomas immediately throwing you away from his point of impact and being tackled by Newt himself. ‘Newt!’ you screamed, rushing off to the two as they fought on the ground. Thomas begged Newt to come to his senses and realize what he was doing. ‘Newt! It’s me!’ he yelled as the boy rushed over back towards him.

Thomas threw Newt to the ground, Newt spitting up blood and coming alive again. ‘I’m sorry Tommy, kill me!’ he yelled, making you let out an audible sob as you approached him. ‘We’re not doing that Newt, there’s a way!’ you yelled to him as you were within inches of him. Suddenly, he threw himself off the ground and tackled you to the ground. ‘Newt! Please! It’s me’ you yelled, holding his strong arms back as he tried to scratch and bite on you. After a few seconds of this behavior. The old Newt came back.

You continued holding his arms back but released some tension from them, watching as Thomas was backing up and trying to see if Minho and Gally were close by. The boy above you huffed and puffed, holding back onto your arms to give you some sort of comfort. ‘I’m sorry Y/N. I’m so sorry’ he pleaded with you. You nodded back to him, crying as you held him away from you when all you wanted to do was bring him closer. ‘It’s okay’ you let out breathlessly. Letting your head lean back to touch the ground.

Newt then reached into your pocket, grabbing the grab he had given you earlier and placing it on his head. ‘No!’ you screamed, kicking it out of his hand with the leg you had free from his straddle and watching it fly across the ground. Newt screeched again, going back to being a crank and trying to grab onto you.

Fighting against him was hard enough for you mentally, but then having to chuck him off you was even harder. He curled onto the ground, spitting out black goods before grabbing a knife that was in his pants. You stalked over behind him on your knees, trying to creep up on him and smack the knife out of his hand again. Afraid he was going to hurt himself. Before he turned around and swiped the knife on you, causing you to fall back onto the ground. You let out a yell to Thomas before Newt climbed back on top of you, grasping the knife with strength you didn’t know he had and trying to feed it into your heart. ‘Newt, please. I love you, please’ you screamed out. Trying to make reason with him as you watched the disease fight with his brain in his head.

He released his grip, making you relax for a moment before he reached around and stabbed you in the side. You let out a loud scream before you watched Brenda run up behind Minho and stab him in his side with the cure. You let out a long held breath as you began to pant yourself, Thomas immediately running over to you as you started to get tunnel vision.

‘Y/N! Stay with me okay. You’ll be okay, we’re all going to be okay’ she exclaimed, holding pressure around the knife on your side as you nodded slowly, turning your head over to look at the unconscious Newt. ‘Did you do it? Did you save him?’ you asked her softly. She nodded immediately, letting yourself relax as your vision caved in. ‘No Y/N. No!’ Brenda shook you, trying to get you to open your eyes as you tried your hardest. Seeing Newt start to stirr and awake as Thomas ran off, probably to talk to Teresa.

Newt woke and looked to his side, seeing your blood pool around your sides he raced over to you even though he was completely weak himself. ‘Y/N! No no no. Please stay with me okay? Please oh my god. I did this. Stay with me love we are going to safety. I’m okay. Everything is okay’ he mumbled trying to grab onto your bloody hand and hold it in his own.

You smiled nodding. ‘I’ll be okay’ you mumbled as Gally slowly began trying to pick you up to bring you to the ship, with Minho helping Newt off the ground. As your eyes began fading into the darkness….

REQUESTS ARE OPEN <3, LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO A TAG LIST

Please let me know what you think! I’ll be writing a part two for this one for a better happy ending. Got to love Newt <3

[thesunicarusfellfor]

Hey!! I love your writing. Can you do a Yandere! Ranboo, Tommy , and tubbo. where they are all in love with the reader and they kidnapped her to ‘keep her safe’ and the reader doesn’t know at first, then she slow realized they are obsessed with her. she like them back but she also want to live her life, so she tries to make agreement? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.

The Ranboo gif is just beautiful and I love it. Lemme see what I can do for ya! I wrote a bullet point Platonic fic if that's fine? I'm still worried about writing the minors in romantic relationships, even if it's the characters.

Sorry, it took so long... My burnout got really bad and I refused to even write basic stuff. But I'm back now! Well. Mostly.

Safe Behind Glass (Yandere!Plat!C!Bench Trio x GN!Reader)

You were a little groggier than normal when you awoke, but it was nothing to alarm you immediately.

Just simply brushing it off as you weren't feeling the best that day, you rolled over to fall back to sleep, but quickly noticed something wrong.

It didn't feel... Right?

The blankets... The mattress... The pillow... They weren't yours...

You peeled your eyes open and your expression went blank with fear.

The room was beautiful mind you.

But it wasn't yours either.

You were laying on a fluffy (f/c) canopy bed, surrounded by quartz walls that were dimly lit soul lanterns that prevented you from being completely swallowed by darkness.

Slowly dragging yourself off the bed, you heard a metal 'clunk' that hit the cold quartz flooring below you.

Turning your head to face downwards, you saw that a decently thick metal chain was cuffed to your ankle.

Somehow, your panic became worse as you immediately grabbed onto it and started to yank on the solid metal, but it refused to budge.

You had no idea how many minutes or hours you spent in that room. Reaching at the iron door desperately, yanking at the chain around your ankle that kept you from reaching the exit, searching the blue lanterns for anything...

But then, the white metallic door slowly swung open, revealing Ranboo, Tubbo and Tommy.

You weren't that close to them, save for a couple interactions here and there, but hey, they came to save you! That didn't matter in the slightest!

You almost cried upon seeing them and moved to walk over, but the chain stopped you from reaching them, and you noticed that they weren't moving to help you.

"You're awake!" Tubbo chirped softly, his tan goat ears wiggling with joy, "I'm glad the potion didn't stick for too long... You could've wound up starving if you stayed asleep."

Horror slowly began to set into your heart as Ranboo nodded and walked over to the dark oak table in the corner of the room and set down a basket of food.

"Ran...Boo...?" You whispered, watching as the monochrome male turned and curiously tilted his head in your direction, "Why... Am I here?"

Instead, Tommy stepped in front of you with a bright cheesy smile, the same one that resembled when he would find a new disc or start a new adventure, "For your safety, (N/n)!"

"Safety?" You choked out softly, Ranboo quickly guiding you to sit in the oak chair, "But... I'm one of the richest people on the server... I have god armour... Nothing could kill m-"

"Techno and Dream can." Tubbo interrupted sharply, halting you mid-sentence.

Right... That masked man... Or whatever he was... He was extremely dangerous, as well as Techno. They could likely pierce your netherite chest plate without even flinching at the number of thorns you had enchanted.

"We don't want anyone to bring you any harm... There's no problem with that, right, (Y/n)?" Ranboo smiled, flashing his sharpened teeth unthreateningly.

No... You wanted to say, but you wanted freedom! You wanted to expand your house to the size of a mansion! You wanted to bicker with Quackity about the stupidest of things! You wanted to get building advice from Phil!

Not be locked away because your safety was a tiny bit compromised!

"Tommy... Tubbo... Ranboo... Please, I'm not going to just stay locked away because I-"

"You'll see things our way soon... Eat up, get your rest." Tubbo smiled and gave you a hug, ignoring how you froze suddenly, before turning and skipping out of the room with the taller two following behind him.

Despite... How screwed up the three were with their methods of making you be their friend, it was working...

They were actually incredibly friendly and funny. It made life in capture bearable! Even though you were incredibly snappy and cruel to them in the beginning, they never held it against you.

Although... Despite their kindness and your quickly blooming friendship, you still had a craving to go outside. Even if what the three told you about everyone forgetting you existed was true.

"You look sad, (N/n)..." Tubbo murmured softly, watching you stare off into the blank quartz wall, "Are you okay?"

Tommy straightened up from his handmade scribble of a map, turning his head towards you in confusion. Ranboo stopped writing mid-word likely and looked in your direction as well.

They never liked it when you were upset.

You pursed your lips silently for a moment, clearly unsettling the males around you, "I just... Haven't been feeling too great... Both mentally and physically I mean... I need sunlight..."

"Yeah... I was reading about that earlier..." Ranboo hummed softly, adjusting his crown as he looked up at the ceiling, "But the issue is..."

"My safety... Yes, I know. What if, I wear my full netherite armour and keep a totem AND a Rapple on me? And also not leave your sides?" You bargained nervously.

That hadn't worked before. But then again, You weren't as close to them before...

The silence that fell upon the room was unsettling and caused your heart to race quickly. If they didn't like what you said, you would be alone for a few straight days... You didn't like it...

"Okay."

What.

That worked?

You just had to ask?!

You watched as Tubbo stood up and pulled the small ender chest from his pocket and set it on the ground, causing it to grow to normal size.

Standing aside, he made a gesture for you to open it and get your stuff.

Hesitantly, You walked over and kneeled down in front of the ender chest. Looking to Tubbo and the others for confirmation, you slowly opened it once they nodded.

Carefully, you began pulling out your armour but paused seeing the lack of golden apples and totems.

Right... Before you had gotten kidnapped by the group, you had used a totem when you fell into the L'Manhole where L'Manberg once was.

That what caused them to kidnap you...

"I-I used... My totem... And Fundy stole my Rapple..." You murmured hesitantly, feeling ready to cry.

Your only chance to escape and you couldn't grab it...

"Hey! Hey! Don't cry! Here!" Ranboo eagerly held the two golden items out towards you at the first sight of tears gathering under your eyes.

"What...?"

"(Y/n)! We want you to be happy! If being outside, even with god armour, rapples and totems, makes you happy, then damn well we're bringing you outside!" Tommy grinned.

After a few tears and lots of hugs, Tubbo helped you hop into your armour while Ranboo unlocked the chain cuff from around your ankle. Tommy had left, leaving the door open for once, going to scout the area for any dangerous mobs.

"Ready?" Ranboo smiled, linking one of his arms with yours, the one that you held the totem in to be more specific. Tubbo happily linked his arm with the other one.

You could only nod, your voice caught in your throat as they began to walk you out the door, Ranboo had to duck down a lot, before leading you to the quartz stairway.

Once up the stairs, Tubbo pressed in a code to the iron door and it slid open quickly, causing you to flinch and pinch your eyes shut at the bright painful light of the sun.

It took about twenty minutes of trying to adjust to the sunlight with the two males encouraging you before you were able to look around.

It was everything you had missed...

The sunlight...

The trees...

God, it was perfect...

Tommy eventually came out of the tree line and sat down beside you as you took it all in...

Months, you were down there. And sure, they gave you plenty of decorations to prevent you from experiencing sensory deprivation, nothing could ever compare to the beauty of the outside world.

A voice cut through the air -calling for someone or something named Fran?- and you almost didn't recognize it. But then the owner came out of the trees, almost a similar direction that Tommy came from earlier.

Sam? He looked so... Different now...

The creeper hybrid slowly lowered his gas mask to show his mouth dropped in shock, "(Y/n)...? You're alive...?"

Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo were freaking out, trying to bring you back into the bunker, as they called it, but you weren't budging. You hadn't seen another being in ages... And while you did platonically love the three boys, you enjoyed hearing a new voice.

"You... Remember me? But... Tubbo you said-" You frowned at the goat hybrid as they stopped suddenly, realizing that you weren't moving.

"You three... Kept them locked away... For almost an entire year?" Sam's voice was getting a little bit scary now, but it wasn't directed at you, instead, at your best friends...

"Sam! It was to protect them! Please!" Ranboo tried, but he wasn't making it better.

"You made Quackity believe they ran away... Made Philza wake up every morning and walk through the SMP for any signs of them... Gave Puffy false information on where you have last seen them... lied to everyone... Only to be the reason that they were gone." Sam growled out, gripping his trident, "Then you proceeded to make them think we all forgot about them..."

"S-Sam... You've got this all wrong big man..." Tubbo tried next...

The warden wasn't listening as he pointed his trident at them, his communicator in his other hand next to his mouth, then he started speaking, causing his voice to come out of Ranboo's, Tubbo's and Tommy's pockets. He was speaking on the public channel.

"Tommy Innit, Tubbo Underscore, Ranboo Beloved... You are being placed in the prison, Pandora's Vault, for keeping (Y/n) (L/n) imprisoned in a bunker and lying about their whereabouts."

It felt like someone splashed you with cold water...

[chasingpj]

HONEYYYYY I JUST READ THE MOST DISGUSTING (IN AN ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE WAY) PERCABETH COLLEGE AU ONE-SHOT and now I'm JEALOUS and in desperate need for just some short headcanons of going to new rome with Percy 😭 pretty pls?

LMFAO OH NO SJFJDJD BYE CAUSE THIS IS SO ME. but don't worry, I got you, babe, <333

𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

paring: percy jackson x gn reader

warning: drinking, partying

category: headcanons, college au

a/n: i was gonna answer this when i got it last night but i went a little overboard 😭 i hope you like it!

first off, the road trip you guys took to get there was so chaotic

a part of you isn't sure how you, Percy, and Grover made it to California alive

the number of times where you've swerved off a lane while singing your favorite songs with Percy was too many

this usually made him paranoid, and it's the reason why he insisted on driving most of the way (you definitely didn't mind that)

you guys stopped at every state sign you came across and took a cute group picture

you and Percy had mapped out all the tourist stuff and the good places to eat in each state, so you guys stopped a lot

there were lots of sleepy nights at hotel rooms where you guys crashed the moment you guys got comfortable in each other's arms

the road trip was so memorable, and it set the tone for the next four years of your lives 🥺

those polaroids you took with Percy and Grover would be on the walls of your apartment for so long

for the first few months in new rome, you and Percy were just in a honeymoon bubble

you guys went out every weekend to restaurants and spent mornings studying in the cafes and libraries

living with Percy was just how you imagined it, and even better, you didn't even mind that he is a little messy 😭

you guys found out in your first year that morning classes were not the best choice because Percy was way too good at convincing you to skip your lectures to cuddle with him

it's the reason why most of your classes are in the afternoon because the two of you love to sleep in and get breakfast together before starting your days

but yeah, the first few months was a lot of exploring places and the things to do and establishing newfound independence and routine together <3

Percy, I know, is an introvert, but he's popular regardless because, you know, being a hero and all

I'd like to think that Percy is elected, to his dismay, as the official greek representative now that there will be more greeks attending New Rome and stuff

you find it hilarious cause 1) he wears a toga and 2) he knows all the tea of the council and will spill everything to you like teenage girls in a locker room 3) he complains about it all the time 😭

because he has a title and is popular, he gets invited to parties a lot, and every other weekend, you guys will stop by

one of your favorite memories is Percy accidentally drinking the jungle juice, thinking it's regular juice, and getting plastered 😭

I'd like to think Percy is indifferent about drinking like personally, he's not interested, but he wouldn't judge you for it

but yeah, Percy gets plastered, and you had to get him back home

his arm was wrapped around your shoulders, and the entire time he's just slurring things like, "you're so beautiful. why are you so beautiful?" "I love you. do you love me?" "you're like the best thing that's ever happened to me."

there's no way Percy isn't an affectionate drunk! he'd ask for a lot of kisses, will get offended if you deny one kiss

even if you've given him 10 kisses right before your rejection

the entire time you couldn't stop laughing cause you'd never seen him like this

it was a sticky summer night, and he's heavy, so your face was a little shiny from sweat

he proceeded to call you "his little glazed donut" 😭😭and tell you how cute you looked

you were laughing too hard to even be offended

the following day you had to nurse him through his hangover, but the best part was showing him the videos of him and hearing his groans of embarrassment

he got his chance to make fun of you though

you have a very faint memory of Pollux teaching you how to shotgun a beer

and then you swore you blacked out

Percy literally had to carry you on his back to get home

you were like a big giggly baby; he had to change your clothes and wipe off your makeup for you

Percy was so amused as your hands were a little too grabby that night

it took a while for you to settle down, but when you did, you cuddled into his side and told him "i love you" for the 100th time before you were out like a light

Annabeth and Grover are literally at your place all the time

you and Percy have woken up to them making breakfast in the kitchen or sitting on your couch and eating all the snacks in the house

they barge into your apartment so often that Percy lowkey regrets giving them the spare keys LMFAO

it's not just Annabeth and Grover either

Percy's place is where all your friends and his friends go to hang out, so you and Percy have had a lot of practice being the hosts of small get-togethers

you, Annabeth, and Piper would have sleepovers sometimes and kick Percy out, LMFAO

he had to sleep in Grover's dorm on those nights because you three demanded that there were no s/o's allowed 😤

every December, you guys throw a secret Santa party for you and your friends

you have the cutest picture of you, Percy, and your friends all squished up on your couch on new years eve, and all of you guys wore silly hats and glasses

Leo was laid across everyone's lap with big glasses, pointing a finger gun at the camera. The Stoll brothers were standing behind the couch. Connor puts two fingers behind Annabeth's head, giving her bunny ears, while Travis does the same to Piper, who's still on her right. On Annabeth's left are Rachel and Nico. Nico's face is all scrunched as Rachel pinches his cheeks; the boy has a look on his face as if he's trying to hide his smile. Hazel and Frank are sitting on the floor side by side, smiling into the camera. you and Percy are huddled in the corner, you on his lap as you guys squish your cheeks together with happy smiles while Grover is standing behind you guys, halfway biting into a can of soda

it's your favorite picture of all time, and it's always in a frame on display

sometimes Percy gets homesick, so, often for the holidays and the summers, you two head out to new york to see his family for a little

sometimes Estelle heads back with you guys to Cali to spend a couple weeks with her big brother

that's always fun because everyone adores Estelle, and you guys are always going out and making sure she has fun

it's always so cute when they part, Percy promising and comforting a whining Estelle that she can come back next summer or in the spring

for graduation, you guys make matching caps 🥺

graduation was really sentimental for you guys because it was another chapter in your lives that was coming to end

you and Percy have been through so much together, and everything from stressing about finals together to the crazy nights of adventure was so much fun

it felt like for the first time, it sunk in how long you've been together and how sure it was that you'd be in each other's futures :(((

and the two of you were so looking forward to the rest of your lives together, especially since Percy proposed to you at your graduation party <333

[helpistolethesecharacters]

I'll Be Your Romeo If You'll Be My Juliet

Lucius Malfoy x Male Reader

Word Count: 1911

This was a request from an anon for a Lucius x male reader.

I hope this is everything you wanted from your request anon, if it isn't, feel free to send me another request!

---------

It was time for the annual Yule gathering. The Black family had the honor of hosting it this year, and they had taken every opportunity to remind everyone of that fact.

The heirs, the ones that mattered anyway, had been almost insufferable on the lead up to the yule break.

Lucius had mixed feelings on the whole subject, not that he could let that show to anyone.

Luckily, it looked like his betrothed was of a similar mind. The lovely Andromeda Black had been as quiet as he had been lately. If they had had even the smallest bit of interest in each other, they might have brought their concerns up.

Lucius thought fleetingly of a world where they could be in love. They would spirit themselves away to an abandoned classroom where they could talk uninterrupted about all of the things that were bothering them. They would take comfort in not being alone. It would bring them closer together and they could fall in love all over again.

But reality was a cruel mistress, and rarely allowed for such flights of fancy.

As it was, Lucius and Andromeda were just two teens who had been promised to each other from before they had even been born. There was nothing more between them.

Lucius sighed silently as he exited the floo into the receiving room at the Black Manor.

He barely registered an elf banishing the soot from his dress robes as he moved out of the room.

"Heir Malfoy, a pleasure to have you in our humble home this evening. And of course you as well Lord and Lady Malfoy!"

Lucius nodded at the welcome and stood obediently by his parents' side as he waited for the greetings to end. Sometimes he tired of all the stiff pureblood airs and graces.

After the obligatory back handed compliments they moved off into the party proper. With a last terse command to not embarrass the family name, courtesy of his father, Lucius moved away to see if he could find someone a little closer to his age.

He absently took a glass of sparkling cider from one of the floating trays that dotted the ballroom. The Blacks really had outdone themselves this year. The room was done in shades of white, sliver and blue. It really was stunning, but nothing seemed to be able to knock Lucius out of the numbness he had slipped into.

It had started at the start of that school year with the arrival of a transfer student. The other boy was their age, and the most enchanting creature that Lucius had ever laid eyes on. He had watched his sorting with longing, but the dratted hat had put Y/n into Ravenclaw. It wasn't really the end of the world, Lucius shuddered to think if he had been put into Gryffindor, or worse, Hufflepuff. Unfortunately, Lucius was already betrothed, but even if he wasn't, Abraxas Malfoy would never allow him to sully the Malfoy name with a male partner.

So Lucius had had to swallow his feelings as best he could. It hadn't worked very well, so he had allowed himself to pine from afar just a little.

He was jolted out of his daydream by the object of his thoughts. Lucius inhaled his mouthful of cider at the sight of Y/n.

He looked amazing in his dress robes, dressed up all fancy for the ball. Lucius thought to himself that if this was the cause of his death it would be worth it.

He was aware, once he managed to stop choking, of three things. One, everyone was looking at him, two, his face was probably red enough to shame a Weasley's hair, and lastly, that Y/n had the brightest e/c eyes possible.

He was struck with the awful thought that this was probably the first time that Y/n had known that Lucius existed.

'Well, that was a fantastic first impression,' Lucius thought to himself. He pointedly looked everyone who would meet his gaze straight in the eyes. As he had thought, it was enough to discomfort them into looking away.

Lucius raised his chin and moved off into a different area of the ballroom.

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

Ever since Y/n had realised that Lucius Malfoy was at the party as well, he had been jittery. The other boy was always looking at him. He had been the cause of enough distraction before this, when he was just someone who lurked at the fringes of his awareness while he studied in the school library. Now, Y/n was sure that he would never be getting rid of the image of Lucius in dress robes. How was he ever going to be able to concentrate again?

He shook himself slightly and tried to focus back in on whatever it was that the Greengrass heiress was talking about. He was supposed to be making connections here, maybe paving the way for a betrothal contract. As the first Pendragon to be seen in this and the previous generation, there was a lot of pressure to make the right political connections. A marriage to someone who was already politically powerful in this community would go a long way toward putting them back on the map in this magical community.

It was the Gods eternal joke that he was the only one that could do this. He only had one other relative, and his uncle wasn't exactly all there anymore. His parents had made it clear that this was their only chance to become the powerful family that they had once been.

Sure, potions had made it possible to have a male pregnancy, but it was still looked down on pretty harshly by most purebloods. Y/n had no idea how he was supposed to get his family back to its former glory, when to do it he would have to marry a girl. Why did he have to be gay?

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

Lucius was slowly going out of his mind. He had moved around the party doing his best to ignore Y/n, but he couldn't get him out of his head. The other boy was still standing where he had first spotted him, entirely surrounded by everyone their age.

What was worse was that these were people Lucius had grown up with. He had known these people for his whole life, and it was this that allowed him to see what was happening.

They were all flirting with Y/n.

Lucius was almost certain that some of them, most notably his friends, were only doing it to irritate him and not because they were genuinely interested in Y/n.

He had been shooting furtive looks over at the group for the last half an hour, and still they kept it up. Lucius just didn't know what to do. Oh sure, he knew what he wanted to do, but he also knew that there was no way he could actually pull it off.

For one thing, if he showed his hand by going over there and making a fool of himself he would face serious consequences when he got home. He was sure he would already be in trouble for his incident earlier that night, but if his father heard even a hint of a whisper that his only heir was gay, well, Lucius wasn't sure he would survive that particular punishment.

He was pulled up short at the realisation of where he was. He was in a room with some of the biggest gossips in the magical world, all of which could just about smell weakness. He shot his eyes around the room and realised with a start that it was already too late.

He recognised the look in his fathers eyes when he met them. Someone must have said something about his preoccupation with his classmate to Abraxas. Lucius swallowed, noting his suddenly dry throat.

He looked away from his father, toward Y/n and his friends. There might be a way to salvage this, pretend to have been watching another of his friends. He would still be in trouble for lusting after someone who was not his betrothed, but much less than if it had been the very male Y/n.

There was a commotion over by one of the doors, but Lucius was too busy thinking. He was realising that he was done. He couldn't live like this anymore, and he was done pretending that he could.

He squared his shoulders and moved over to his friends.

"Excuse me, may I borrow Y/n for a moment. We won't be long."

He didn't even bother waiting for a response, just grabbed a hold of him and started off in a random direction. The only thing in his mind was getting as far away from other people so he could have this discussion in peace.

He pulled Y/n out of the ballroom and down hallway after hallway until he decided they were lost enough that only a house elf would be able to find them.

He turned back to the other boy after making sure that the area was empty. They were both panting a little after their impromptu jog.

Y/n was looking at Lucius cautiously.

Lucius surged forward and connected their lips.

They were gasping for breath again when he pulled back.

"You know we can't do this."

Lucius cut him off before he could continue.

"I'm done. I'm done being the perfect heir for parents that don't care to know the real me. I'm done pretending that I'm not head over heels for you. Most of all, I'm done holding back from the things I want just because society wants so badly to tell me no."

He pulled in a deep breath, still standing in Y/n personal space. Neither boy had moved back.

"I want you, Y/n, and I think you've known that for as long as I have. If I haven't missed my guess, you want me too. I'm certainly not alone in all the looks I've sent your way, and I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't at least find out if you could feel the same way as I do for you."

Y/n sighed and shifted back a step.

"Those are pretty words Lucius, easy to say them here, alone in a secluded corner of someone else's manor, but how will you feel walking into Hogwarts next week, and letting everyone see. How will you feel when your parents cut you off?"

"I'm not totally helpless Y/n, I'll find a way to survive. I know for sure that if I have you by my side there isn't anything that we can't face."

He softly took Y/n's hand and stroked the back with his thumb.

"So what do you say? Can you feel the same way I do?"

Y/n shut his eyes in resignation.

"You know I do."

They stood at the end of their silent hallway for some time, just holding each other.

"You know this will be the second scandal of the night?"

Lucius pulled back to look at Y/n.

"What do you mean?"

Y/n looked at Lucius, shocked.

"What do you mean, what do I mean? Didn't you hear, just before you pulled me out of there, one of the older Blacks ran in and caused quite the scene. By the looks of things Andromeda is missing. From what I managed to gather, she's run off with that muggleborn from Ravenclaw, you know, Tonks-something, or something-Tonks."

[hookingminor]

invisible string - cale makar

a/n: another old fic rewritten for our fav defenseman sorry the gif I found is so large I could not find any horizontal ones I liked that fit my aesthetic rip

word count: 3.6k

warnings: alcohol, very brief mentions of blood/injury

summary: based on taylor swift’s invisible string

-

You were going to miss this park.

Every Saturday afternoon you come here. Most of the time, you spent your day underneath the large oak tree planted in the center of the park, nose deep in whatever book you were currently reading. This month’s choice was I’ll Give You The Sun. Occasionally, you would do homework or take a nap, but your favorite thing to do was read. This oak tree was your favorite spot in all of Calgary, and you were really going to miss it.

After five years in Calgary, you were finally moving back home to Denver. Your family moved around a lot as your dad was transferred frequently, but your true home was Denver. You hadn’t been back there since you were six, but it was still home.

Calgary was always temporary. You knew eventually you’d pack up and leave, your parents dragging you along with them because you were only sixteen and had no choice, but it got exhausting after a while. You just wanted to stay somewhere.

Even though you knew your time in Calgary was limited, it didn’t stop you from falling in love with the city.

On the Saturdays that you spent tucked away underneath the tree, you always let your mind wander into daydreams of meeting someone there. You dreamed of being swept away in a whirlwind of a romance, and it all started with meeting someone at the park. All your daydreams could probably be tied back to the numerous romances you continuously read or due to the fact you longed for a teenage love, but what could you say? You were a hopeless romantic. Maybe it would be someone walking their dog or an afternoon jogger running into you or a lost tourist asking for directions. Either way, you thought it would be the most romantic meet-cute, under your special tree.

Five years passed, though, and your dreams of meeting someone dwindled until the only reasons you went to the park were purely for peace and quiet. Now, you were spending your last day in Calgary in your favorite spot, soaking up the sunshine as you finished your latest book.

On the last page, five paragraphs from being done, you heard a loud scream.

Your head snapped up, concentration broken as you searched around for the origin of the noise. Lo and behold, off in the distance, you saw the form of a boy rollerblading down the bike trail. There must have been some sticks or rocks on the path because the boy kept shouting as he wailed his arms around, unable to stop.

You watched as he continued stumbling for a few seconds before he careened off the trail and into the grass, tumbling onto the ground before rolling into a nearby tree.

Initially, your jaw dropped in shock, a soft gasp escaping as you covered your mouth with your hand. You waited a few seconds, watching for movement, and then you heard the pained groans coming from the injured boy.

The boy gradually pushed himself up by his hands, and you could see the bloody scrapes on his forearms even from your distance away. He slowly got back up on his feet, limping across the grass as he made his way back to the trail.

Not being able to help yourself, you began laughing at his misfortune. Now that you knew he was okay, the screaming and fall replayed in your mind, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

You thought you were far enough away that he wouldn’t be able to hear you, but you were sadly mistaken. The boy’s head turned to the sound of your laughter, and he followed it until his eyes met yours. You stopped laughing, but the smile on your face refused to fall as you took in his disheveled state.

He watched you try to hide your amused smile to no avail. It only took a few seconds of chuckling while directly staring at him before he returned your smile with one of his own. You saw a flash of teeth and the corner of his lips pulled into a smirk. He gave you one last glance, shaking his head slightly before turning back towards the direction he’d come from. You watched his figure rollerblade back down the path, avoiding the obstructions this time, and disappear from your vision.

The boy rollerbladed to the park the next Saturday. He skated by the same spot where he fell last week and glanced over to the centered oak tree, hoping to see you again, but you were nowhere to be found.

-

Cale couldn’t sleep. It seemed like no matter what he did, he just couldn’t fall asleep. The team had put him in a hotel for a few weeks while they worked on finding him a more permanent residence, but despite the comfort of the hotel bed, he didn’t find the mattress agreeable.

He’d been in Denver for two weeks now and he’d yet to see anything in the city besides the arena. His days were full of hockey practices and meetings, and his evenings were full of extra training at the gym. The latter was his own personal choice; he didn’t want to squander his chance at playing in the NHL and felt that he needed to train a little harder, being new and all.

He tossed and turned in bed for two hours before finally giving up. Sleep obviously wasn’t going to come to him soon, so he might as well kill some time instead.

Pulling out his phone, Cale searched ‘diners near me’ into Google and scrolled through the list of options. He selected the one nearest to him that was also open twenty-four hours, entered the address into maps, threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and was out of the door within three minutes.

The chilly, brisk walk to the diner took ten minutes from the hotel. Cale hadn’t been in Denver long, but he knew the weather was going to agree with him, if only because he had so much experience with the bitter cold Calgary winters.

A bell dinged above his head as he entered through the front door. Cale glanced around the small diner, noticing a few old truckers at the counter, a young teenage couple near the window, and a girl his age tucked away into a corner booth writing into a notebook.

A middle-aged woman with graying hair approached him at the front, a menu in her hand.

“Just one?” She asked him, noticing his lost puppy look. Cale nodded his head in agreement, following the lady to a secluded booth.

She set down the menu in front of him before pulling out a mug to pour him a cup of coffee.

“New around here?” She asked him as his eyes read the menu slowly.

“Is it that obvious?” He replied with an awkward chuckle.

“We usually have a small group of regulars. Your ‘deer caught in the headlights’ look is a dead giveaway,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide.”

The woman walked back behind the counter, serving more coffee to the truckers. He saw one cook in the back kitchen ,but other than those two, no one else was working. Probably because it was a little past two in the morning on a Wednesday.

He took his time reading over the menu; he couldn’t decide if he wanted a breakfast platter or a nice burger with fries. He’d narrowed it down to two options when he saw you shuffle out of the corner booth, backpack slung over your shoulders.

You walked his way, the only path to the front door was past his table. His eyes connected with yours, and you gave him a warm smile.

Pausing next to his booth, he watched you as you leaned over his shoulder.

“If you���ve never been here before, I highly recommend the caramel and cream cheese French toast. It’s not on the menu, but they’ll make it anyway if you ask. Oh, and get tater tots instead of the hashbrowns, they’re a lot better,” you suggested.

You flashed him a bright smile, and Cale’s eyes lit up. It felt like he’d seen that smile before, an old memory from a dream that he couldn’t quite remember. He wanted to say thank you or maybe ask what your name was, but you continued on your way out the door before he got a chance to reply. His gaze stayed fixed on the swinging bell above the entrance long after he’d watched you turn down the corner and fade into the night.

His trance was broken when he heard the voice of the waitress call out to him.

“So, did you decide on something?” She asked, a knowing grin on her lips.

The two choices Cale was torn between suddenly vanished from his mind; he couldn’t even remember what he wanted to order before you said something. Cale bit his lip and thought about it. French toast really wasn’t on his diet. All he could do was hope that the extra hours he spent in the hotel gym would pay off and negate the sugar-filled and fatty calories he was about to consume.

Closing the menu without a second glance, he turned his attention towards the waitress. “Yeah, I’ll have the caramel and cream cheese french toast with tater tots, please.”

-

Cale was riding high. The team had just made it to the Stanley Cup finals, and no one could contain their excitement.

Going against the advice of their coaches, a few of them had decided to go out to celebrate. It was nothing big, just a small dive bar on the edge of the city. They wanted to celebrate their hard work, not get so trashed they’d be completely useless for practice tomorrow. They still had their toughest games ahead of them.

The bar was quiet, only a few local patrons were there besides the team. If anyone knew who they were, no one approached them about it. The night passed quickly, laughter and cheers filling the small space as pints of beer were drained.

“Makar, grab the next round,” his captain ordered, and he was too happy to do so. Cale was the resident golden retriever on the team. Someone would say ‘jump’ and Cale would ask ‘how high?’ but he didn’t feel used. He loved being a part of a team. So, he made his way across the room to the bar and ordered two more pints.

For you, it had been a hell of a week. And not in a good way. You finished your Bachelor’s degree almost two weeks ago, but the stress didn’t end when you turned in your last finals. Work was awful, but you still had another couple months until you began your life as a real career woman. You were stuck there for the rest of the summer, promising your supervisor that you wouldn’t leave during their busiest season just because you’d graduated even though you really wanted to put in your two weeks. It was a mistake to make that promise.

After spending a day running numbers and creating spreadsheets that a ten year old could’ve done, all you wanted right now was a drink: the strongest drink you could think of. Perhaps an entire bottle of whiskey if they’d allow it. Or if you could afford it.

The minute after your shift was over, you were out the door and removing the suffocating blazer before you’d even hit the sidewalk. You began the familiar route to your favorite bar, being that it was close to work, cheap, and almost always empty.

When you entered the small bar, you noticed it was slightly busier than normal. Still relatively quiet, but busier than you were used to. You didn’t let it deter you as you walked directly to the bar.

However, it seemed the universe wasn’t done punishing you because when you were five steps away from the countertop, someone turned around abruptly. A hard body slammed into yours along with half a pint of beer.

“Oh, fuck me!” You exclaimed in distress, throwing your hands up as the beer splashed all over your blouse.

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” The culprit said, setting the beers back on the bar behind him. He reached over to grab a handful of napkins and then began patting furiously at your top.

“It’s fine,” you sighed, “Today just really isn’t my day.” You took the napkins from one of his hands to dry yourself off.

You looked up to face the man who’d drenched you with cheap beer, and you were met with a dazzling pair of blue eyes. They looked familiar, as if you’d seen him before but couldn’t remember where.

He caught your stare, his lips quirking into a smile at the sight of you. Cale felt a tug inside him, like the feeling of butterflies, when he saw your face. Waves of coolness washed over him, and he was lost in your eyes.

“I’m sorry I ruined your shirt,” he said in a daze, unable to look away from you. He really hoped it didn’t come off as creepy, but little did he know you felt the same way.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t attached to it anyway,” you said, all your previous anger leaving your body. It was actually one of your nicer tops that would cost way too much money to dry clean now, but you weren’t thinking about that.

“Do I know you?” You both asked at the same time. The coincidence caused you two to burst out laughing, and he swore he’d heard that laugh before.

“How about I buy you a drink to make up for this?” He asked, beaming from ear to ear.

Your eyes twinkled as you nodded your head, and Cale felt his heart burst at your smile.

-

A year passed in a blurry haze. The night out at the bar turned into a two hour conversation with the stranger who’d spilled beer all over you. He apologized profusely the entire night and introduced himself to make up for it. He only ordered you two drinks, but you spent hours together laughing.

You told him about your hellish day and complained about work, and he recalled the wins and upcoming games he had in the next couple weeks. Soon, you were exchanging life stories and you found out he was originally from Calgary. You discussed your hobbies and interests outside of work, the best movies you’ve seen recently, and where in Denver you could find the most authentic Mexican food.

Eventually, it neared one in the morning, and Cale had to get home for practice in the morning. As much as he wanted to stay longer to talk to you, he knew he had to get going before his teammates ratted him out tomorrow.

“Do you mind if I walk you home?” He asked, the drinks between you finished long ago. It sounded a little odd asking a stranger he just met if he could essentially follow her home, but he hoped he didn’t give off stalker vibes.

“I’d like that,” you replied with a smile. It sounded a little odd agreeing to let a stranger you just met have your address, but something tugged at your heartstrings and told you to take the leap.

When he dropped you off outside of your apartment, he had asked for your number. That night turned into a first date and that first date turned into many dates. Cale easily swept you off your feet, and it was even easier to fall in love with him.

After years of dating the wrong guys, of being burned and cheated on and lied to, the world had sent you the perfect man. A man with a soul equivalent to a thousand beaming rays of sunshine all wrapped up in perfect blonde hair and blue eyes and rosy cheeks.

He did everything for you. He sent you flowers randomly, surprised you with your favorite takeout, and took you on the most extravagant dates. You went to his games, house sat his plants when he was on roadtrips, and left him little notes in his suitcases to find when he was away. You knew within two months of dating that he was the one you were going to end up with. Cale was your forever.

There were no awkward phases in your dating life, no uncertainties or questions about what you were as a couple. Cale was as taken with you as you were with him, and you both knew what you wanted out of your relationship. It felt like you knew each other for years, like he’d always been there in the back of your mind, just out of reach and waiting for you to find him.

You didn’t know how much you believed in fate, but it felt like the universe made him specifically for you. He understood you like no one did and you could communicate with him without ever saying a word. If soulmates and other halves did exist, there was no doubt in your mind that Cale was your missing piece.

It was a year after you began dating that Cale invited you back home with him. He wanted you to spend a few weeks over the summer with him and his family in Calgary.

Cale was elated to introduce you to his family. He planned on marrying you one day, and he wanted everyone to meet the woman who’d stolen his heart. Everything about you consumed him: your hair, your eyes, your smile. There wasn’t a single part of you he wasn’t madly in love with and there was nothing about you he’d change. It was a long time coming, you going home with him, and you couldn’t be more excited about it.

He spent the first few days showing you around his favorite childhood hangouts, the rinks he used to skate on and the pizza places he used to frequent with his friends. He showed you his high school, secret hidden spot near a small lake, and the best ice cream shop in all of Calgary.

It was one day when you were walking through the old park you used to read where you shared your favorite spot.

“When I lived here, I used to spend every weekend under that oak tree,” you said randomly, pointing out to the large tree across the grass.

“Really? I used to rollerblade through this park sometimes. One day I completely ate shit on this path,” he chuckled, remembering the painful memory. “I sprained my wrist and arm. Couldn’t play hockey for three weeks.”

“How old were you?” You asked curiously, thinking back to the day you saw a boy fall.

“Sixteen, maybe?” He replied, brows furrowing in thought. You and Cale were the same age.

“This might sound crazy, but I think I saw you fall that day,” you said. Cale turned to look into your eyes.

“Were you the girl laughing at me under the tree?” He asked skeptically. The blush forming on your cheeks and the way you broke eye contact answered the question for you.

“It was you! I always thought it was rude how you didn’t offer to help me,” he said with a hearty laugh.

“To be fair, I was worried when you fell down. But then you got up and seemed okay, so I didn’t bother,” you said defensively.

“Still, you sat there and laughed at me while I bled on the grass,” he teased, slugging your arm lightly.

“Well, it seems that everything turned out okay for you,” you said, rolling your eyes dramatically.

“Yeah, it did,” he replied wistfully, reaching down to hold your hand with his.

The two of you walked through the rest of the park, but your gaze kept flickering back to the center field where your tree sat, your brain replaying the daydreams you had about meeting your true love underneath that tree. A nostalgic smile spread across your face, and Cale noticed your suddenly cheery mood.

“What are you smiling about?” He asked, a playful grin of his own appearing. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw you smile.

“Nothing,” you replied, keeping the tender secret to yourself.

+1

Three years later, Cale took you home with him over the short winter break he got while the All-Star Game happened. You walked through the park together, a tradition that you created ever since that first summer back.

The air was cool and crisp, the skies a beautiful shade of purple and pink against the blue background. He led you over to your favorite tree, pulling you from the usual path you took around the park. In all the times you’ve been to the park with him, you’d never actually taken him to sit under your tree.

You felt butterflies erupt in your stomach at the feeling of being in your favorite spot with your favorite person. Your heart rate began to pick up as Cale dropped your hand to stand across from you, giving you a knowing smile.

When he took a step back, you felt the tears begin to well up in your eyes as if your heart knew where this was heading before your brain could process it. Cale lowered himself onto one knee before he pulled out a small velvet box from his coat pocket, opening it to reveal a diamond ring.

The fantasies you created in your mind all those years ago finally came to fruition that snowy day in January. All along you knew that one day you’d meet the love of your life under this tree even if you hadn’t realized it at the time, and you thanked whatever gods existed for the invisible strings that tied you to Cale.

[triptuckers]

The Necklace - Captain Rex

Request: no Pairing: Captain Rex x jedi!reader Summary: Five times you and Rex have given each other your necklace, and the one time you wear it for the last time Warnings: major character death!!, angst, mentions of serious injuries, burning, blood, bruises Word count: 3.2K A/N: I always wonder why do I do this to myself .. anyway, my brain made me write this and put it out there. I deeply apologise for this feel free to send me ur therapy bills TAG LIST (all star wars fics): @parker-natasha​ @romanoffstarkovs​ @just-deka​

One.

It’s quiet in the Temple. You have to admit it’s rarely crowded in the halls. The Temple is quite a large building, and not nearly enough Jedi to fill it. And even if there were, at least half would be off fighting the war.

You’re grateful for the time you get to spend at the Temple. The long hallways always calm you down. No matter how long you had been away, it always felt good to come home to the Temple where you’d grown up.

It’s the place where you learned the ways of the force, where you’d spent hours reading everything you could find on the Jedi and their ways. You’d meditated in the gardens countless of times, and you’d found your family.

But most importantly, you met Rex.

He knew just as well as everyone else attachment was against the Jedi code. Still, you were pulled to one another by some sort of feeling you couldn’t explain. It made you want to spend every moment you got with him.

As your relationship blossomed, you knew you had to talk about the restrictions. You didn’t like it, but there were just some rules you had to follow, for both yours and Rex’ sake.

It didn’t stop you from occasionally sending a flirtatious wink his way, if only to watch his cheeks flush as he tried to remain focused on his tasks.

You were desperate for some kind of affection outside the safe walls of your quarters. When you were on a planet near the Outer Rim, and you waited as they refuelled your ship, you took the opportunity to check out the local market.

You found a beautiful, handcrafted silver necklace, and you just couldn’t leave it behind. When you got back to Coruscant, you showed the necklace to Rex, and you noticed how much he loved it.

When you wanted to give the necklace to him, he declined, saying it looked too good on you, that he couldn’t take it from you. So, you made a promise. The one wearing the necklace would give it to the one who wasn’t wearing it whenever they saw them, with the promise they’d be there to wear it again next time you’d meet.

Your walk around the Temple takes you through the silent halls. You don’t really notice where you’re going, your mind wandering off to other places. You turn a corner and see a door opening in the distance.

A few Jedi, Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Mace and Yoda exit the room, followed by Rex and Cody. You smile at them and they all greet you as they go their separate ways.

Rex is deep in conversation with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Cody, but briefly stops when you pass him. He takes the necklace off and gives it to you with a smile. You return the smile as you put it on, and Rex continues his conversation with the others while you continue your walk, the necklace bouncing against your chest with every step you take.

Two.

You’ve done it a thousand times before, but landing near a battle is still something that could get your anxiety up. That creeping fear that a well aimed blaster shot could take out your engines and send you to the ground a lot faster than you intended, would never ease.

You hold on tight as the ship starts its landing.

The 501st and the 212th were already on the scene, fighting for their lives. Everyone had thought that they would manage, but that was before the Separatists sent in reinforcements. Because you and your men were closest, you received an urgent comm from Anakin and didn’t hesitate before gathering all of your men and heading towards their position.

Once you’ve landed and everyone has left the ship, you start giving out orders. Even though you’re not near the heat of the battle, you have to yell to be heard over the shouts and blaster shots from others.

You send your men to the frontlines while you take your second in command to look for the other generals and commanders.

As you’re running through the chaos, you’re contacting Anakin. Luckily, he responds almost immediately.

‘We saw your ship!’ he says loudly. ‘We’re on the right side, near the trees!’

‘Copy!’ you shout in your comm and you wave your second din command over, making for the tree line in the distance. You glance at the troopers as you’re running, trying to find Rex. He might be next to Anakin and Ahsoka, waiting for you to arrive. But you know Rex, and it’s also very possible he’s in the front lines.

It takes shorter than you expected to cross the battlefield. When you make it to the trees, you quickly spot your fellow Jedi, and Rex and Cody along with them.   Ahsoka is the first to notice you, and she waves at you as you’re running toward them.

You come to a halt in front of them, panting.

‘Thanks for coming so quickly.’ says Obi-Wan.

‘Yeah.’ you manage to say in between breaths. ‘What’s our status?’ you ask as you take off your necklace and blindly hand it to Rex, who is standing next to you.

‘We’re suffering a lot of casualties.’ says Ahsoka, not taking notice in you giving Rex the necklace.

‘You and your men are much needed.’ says Rex, and you turn to look at him. ‘We’re severely outnumbered.’ he says as he puts on the necklace.

‘We have a plan, though.’ says Anakin, and he starts explaining it.

Three.

It takes you a while to figure out what caused you to suddenly wake. You didn’t have any plans or meetings you had to attend to today, and you had planned on a relaxed morning of just staying in bed.

Your legs are tangled with Rex’, and one of his arms is swung across your stomach. Mornings like these are rare, and you wish you could stay like this forever.

No war, no pain or suffering, no Separatist this or Jedi business that. Just you and Rex, holding each other.

Occasionally, you hear soft snores coming from his side of the bed. You raise your hand to softly run it over his back. It’s only then, that you realise it isn’t his snores that woke you.

You comm is beeping furiously on the bedside table.

For one of the first times, you’re seriously considering just ignoring it. You didn’t have any plans today, you even declined Ahsoka’s offer of a training session, stating you needed your rest now that you didn’t have any formalities to attend. And with rest you meant staying in bed with Rex.

But what if it’s important? Says an annoying little voice in the back of your head.

You groan softly, reaching out to try and get a hold of your comm. You can’t reach it, but you also don’t dare to shift, scared of waking Rex. So instead, you use the Force and let your comm device land in the palm of your hand.

‘Yea?’ you say. It’s Anakin who answers.

‘Hey, Y/N, do you think you’ve got time to go over some maps with me? I’m assigned to traveling with Senator Amidala, she needs to go settle another trade incident. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but these maps sure do.’ he says.

‘Can’t Padmé go over those maps with you if she’s the going to the planet in the first place?’ you ask, not wanting to leave your comfortable and warm bed.

‘She’s on Naboo. I’m supposed to pick her up on the way there.’ answers Anakin.

‘Okay, fine. I’ll come see you at your quarters in a few minutes.’ you say.

‘Thanks!’ says Anakin.

You sigh and throw the comm device on the bed. You look to your side and see Rex is still asleep. It makes you chuckle. You could probably drop a bomb on the building, and the sound just wouldn’t wake him up.

You slowly untangle your legs from his and lift his arm so you can get up. You silently get dressed before hovering over his body.

Kisses are pressed to his cheeks, nose and forehead. Rex only shifts a bit, but doesn’t wake up. You take the necklace off and carefully place it around his neck. With one last kiss, you leave your quarters and head for Anakin’s.

Four.

You exhale sharply when you land on your back.

‘And that-’ says Ahsoka’s voice above you. ‘Is how you take someone out when you don’t have your lightsaber on you.’

A small round of applause comes from the younglings you’re teaching. Originally, they were Ahsoka’s class but she asked you to join her in some examples, and you agreed. Though she hadn’t told you just how many times she was going to throw you on the ground.

‘Impressive.’ you say as you take a hold of Ahsoka’s extended hand and allow her to pull you to your feet.

‘All right kids.’ you say to the small group of younglings in front of you. ‘You’ve seen how it works now. Pair up with someone else and go try it out yourselves.’

They all excitedly pair up and get to work. You smile as you watch them struggle, thinking back to your own training sessions as a youngling.

‘I’m pretty sure we weren’t that small when we were younglings.’ you say to Ahsoka. ‘You were.’ she says, making you raise your eyebrows at her. ‘I’m taller than you.’ you protest, making her laugh out loud.

You watch the younglings for a while, correcting them every now and then. They’re very good for kids their age, and you can tell they’re fast learnings. You’re wondering if one of them might become your padawan, and about all the things you could teach them.

Just as Ahsoka tells everyone to take a break while she explains the next useful movement, the door to the training hall opens.

The clones didn’t train much in the Temple’s halls, but they did on the occasion theirs was too crowded. Or if they had been near the Temple and didn’t feel like traveling far.

A couple of the 501st have entered the room, and you scan their faces for Rex. He’s the last one to enter and you smile at him as he makes his way toward you. When he’s almost reached you, he takes off the necklace.

Just as he hands it to you, one of the younglings gasps loudly.

‘You’re Captain Rex of the 501st!’ he says.

Rex looks at him and nods. ‘That’s right kid. Keep up your training and I might see you out on the front some day.’ he says and the younglings look up at him in awe.

You chuckle at their reaction and shoot Rex a wink. He smiles at you, waves at Ahsoka, and then returns to his brothers to start their training session.

Five.

You don’t get a lot of free time nowadays. So when you do, you use it well. You’re currently in the gardens, meditating.

When you were younger, you didn’t like meditating very much. You would much rather be working on your lightsaber skills, than sitting in one spot of hours.

But as you got older, you realised the importance of connecting with the Force, and you started to appreciate alone time more.

Luckily, the gardens weren’t very crowded when you arrived. You took place in your favourite spot, closed your eyes and slowed your breathing.

After a while, you noticed other people’s presences in the force fading away one by one. Until you could feel no one else’s presence, and it was just you.

You’re unaware how much time has passed, when you sense a familiar presence coming closer.

You smile, but keep your legs crossed and your eyes closed. You hear footsteps coming closer, until they come to a stop right next to you.

There must be no one else watching, because you feel how Rex presses a kiss to your cheek. You then feel something cold be placed carefully around your neck. You smile again and after another kiss to your cheek, Rex leaves again, and you continue your meditation.

Six.

This war had taken too much from too many people. Everyone was tired of it, and everyone just wanted it to end. You were tired, too. You’d seen too many of your friends die, and too many innocent people you couldn’t save.

You weren’t a soldier. You’re a peacekeeper. But you can’t remember the last time you actually referred to yourself as one, let alone feel like it.

Still, the war raged on, like a hot fire turning everything in its path into ashes, leaving nothing but grief and sorrow behind. The war was unforgiving, merciless, swallowing everyone and everything in its path.

You couldn't stand by and watch anymore. Especially when all the fighting got too close for your taste.

You'd been sent to a planet you visited a lot when you were a child. It was a peaceful, neutral planet. Until the Separatists came to claim it. The planet's original inhabitants didn't have the proper training or recourses to fight, so the Republic sent you and your men there.

When you got to the planet it was nothing but chaos. The Separatists had wanted to take control of the planet for its strategic location. It seems they would do anything to get their hands on it.

Including wiping out an entire race of people.

You couldn't let that happen. You had been right there to see so many people get injured or killed because of the Separatists. You wouldn't stand by and watch yet another peaceful planet be taken.

The Separatists were using a new kind of droid, one that could follow orders all at once because of one single command center. You'd sent your men to keep fighting on the front lines, and to protect the people.

You would disarm the command center, so their commands couldn't get to the droids on the battlefield.

But you weren't an expert on shutting down such a massive command center on your own. While thinking back to all the happy memories you made in the past when you visited this planet, the only option you could think of was to blow up the entire command center.

You didn't have any explosives on you, so you decided to fling both of your lightsabers into the power generator. At the time, you didn't even know if it would work. Turns out it did. Maybe it worked a little too well.

The blast was enormous. You successfully blew up the entire command center, and your men could pick the droids off like target practice.

But when your second in command didn't hear back from you, he sent a few men to go and look for you.

They found you near the center of the blast, severely injured and barely alive.

They rush you back to the ship and on the way back to Coruscant, while the medical droids aboard the ship do the best they can. But they're losing you, and it's unwise to move you at this point, so they keep you aboard the ship.

Having heard of your state, both Anakin and Ahsoka rushed to the ship you're on in the hangar.

They watch anxiously as the medial droids fuss over you. Ahsoka can see your body is as good as lost, but she can still sense your presence in the Force. It's all she can hold on to.

Meanwhile, Anakin is trying to get a hold of Rex. He'd been suspecting something was going on between you and his captain. He figured if anyone needed to be there, it's Rex.

'Yes?' says Rex when he finally answers his comm.

'Rex, you need to get here.' says Anakin, voice slightly breaking as he talks. He was so terrified to lose you.

'Everything alright, sir?' says Rex.

'It's Y/N.' says Anakin.

Rex is quiet for a while.

'Rex?' says Anakin.

'Where is she?' asks Rex, and they can all hear how he tries to keep his voice steady.

'On the ship in the hangar. They just arrived but they can't move her.' says Anakin.

'I'm on my way.' says Rex.

Anakin knew for a fact Rex was nowhere near the hangar, but he arrives there in mere minutes. He must have ran all the way here.

Ahsoka stops Rex before he can enter the room you're in. Rex is breathing heavily, pressing a hand to his side which is aching from the sprinting.

'Rex.' says Ahsoka softly. 'She's not-'

But Rex doesn't let her finish, he pushes her aside and enters the room.

He nearly breaks at the sight of you. Rex blindly reaches for something to steady him as he stumbles on his feet, and Anakin catches his arm.

Rex' eyes fill with tears as he looks at you.

This is not how he remembers you. This is not how you looked when you cheerfully waved him goodbye as your ship took off.

The robes you always wear are covered in dust and ashes. There's burn marks all over them. On some places, the fabric of the robes was completely gone, showing the burn wounds on your skin.

The side of your head is crusty with a mixture of dried blood and dirt. One side of your body is littered in bruises, from where you must have hit a wall.

'There was a blast.' mumbles Anakin. 'She blew up the generator and disarmed all of the droids. She saved an entire planet from the Separatists.'

Rex presses a hand to his mouth and mumbles something in Mando'a which Anakin doesn't understand.

He slowly approaches the bed, one hand reaching out to hold yours. His other hand is clutched around the necklace he wears.

This wasn't happening. You still had to win the war, get your own apartment for the two of you, tell war stories to new friends. This couldn't be the end of your story. This couldn't be his last memory of you.

Rex lets go of your hand to stroke your cheek.

Anakin and Ahsoka leave the room, giving Rex a moment of privacy.

'Wake up, mesh'la.' says Rex softly, voice breaking at almost every word he says. 'Wake up so I can give you the necklace. You promised you'd always be there to take it from me when we'd see each other.'

And you do wear the necklace one more time. Rex slid it around your neck, and buried it along with your body.

And every battle he fights in the future, he does in the name of his beloved General Y/L/N. There was no reason to keep it a secret any more. He'd dedicate every single fight to you. He owed you that much. He kept your memory alive.

Every night, his heart aches because of the absence of your shared necklace. The absence of your love, and your promise to always be there.

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rules Here’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Marit

[hewhofightsbythesword]

scotch or irish? tommy shelby x reader

warning/s: underage drinking, swearing, violence, and slight smut

 inspired by disco pigs (2001) 

A/N: I was really high when I came up this idea. Even wrote it while I was high, but I couldn’t find it the next mirning. Wasn’t sure if I really wrote it or if it was a dream. Either way, it’s here lol After like two weeks. Sowwyy 

Tommy and y/n. y/n and Tommy. For as long as the pair can remember, that’s the way it has always been. Born only a few months apart, the two created an instant bond so strong that Aunt Polly said it would transcend through many lifetimes. And of course, Aunt Polly was never wrong in the matters of the heart. This was a friendship full of heart, romantic and platonic love for there was not one without the rest. Tommy’s mother would say to Polly, “That boy... it’s his cleverness that’ll kill him.” Martha found herself confiding in her more, so she continued, “As long as Tommy and y/n have each other... I am not worried.” And everyone knew. Everyone except Tommy and y/n.

The two had very similar minds. What one was thinking, the other was already mentally processing and vice versa. It would be almost adorable if it wasn’t so weird, as Arthur Sr. would call it. It was only weird because they were so smart. Against everybody else (even Polly at times, although she would never admit it), they were always two steps ahead.

From a young age the two understood their natural connection. For example, at the age of seven, Tommy and y/n planned to swear a vow of silence together that was planned to last a total of ten days. At first, y/n was met with slight worry from Tommy.

“We need code names! What should I call you if I need you?”

“You won’t have to need me, silly. That’s the whole point! I will already know, and so will you.” The logic was missing. They were both aware of this but none cared.

The goal was set for ten days. Not a single word was uttered between the kids or anyone else for that matter, aggravating the living hell out of those around them, especially Arthur who would’ve done anything to be a part of the joke. However, by day five, y/n broke the vow, rushing her feet as fast as they allowed a few houses down on Watery Lane.

That day she had heard a few of the older Lee boys, around Arthur’s age, speaking down on the Gypsy Shelby’s. y/n just had to tell Tommy or she was sure she would burst. It was also on day five Tommy came to two realizations: (1) He too would break their vow of silence. There was nothing worth doing if it meant he couldn’t do it with the person who understood him the most. (2) Tommy decided that same day that y/n, in her own right, was a Shelby too.

“Shelby,” he whispers to himself, only for him to hear.

At age 15, y/n was able to convince Tommy to steal a bottle of whiskey from the local pub. Her little hands shoved a piece of a paper with instructions in his direction. “Meet me here,” was all she told him with big eyes before he could even get a word in, running back to whatever held her short attention span. Unfolding the paper, Tommy could see a drawn out map of where to find the only girl who could keep young Tommy on his toes.

If anyone asked him, he would tell them all this was something he had to do. Many nights Arthur and Tommy had to go in all hours of the night looking for their father in pubs. One night in a drunken haze, Arthur Sr. takes his second born by the shoulders, causing him to be dragged onto the floor next to his father. He takes his boy by the face, shaking it a few times to show how serious he was trying to be.

“A man is meant to provide, always. Be a man, Thomas.”

y/n asked and Tommy planned to provide.

Seeing the large “X” marking the destination, it matched the location right before Tommy’s eyes. It was a beautiful far away, empty place from Watery Lane with lots of surrounding nature. It had just finished raining. y/n always did like the way the rain made the earth smell.

She notices her friend right away and runs up to him. y/n takes him by the hand. “I found my favorite tree here. Come on,” she says very nonchalantly.

Tommy shakes his head behind her. “Of course you did, Shelby. Of course you did.”

y/n often thought the world moved too slow for her liking. She always liked to be out and about. Always wild, never to be tamed. She figures that’s why she likes the Shelby’s so much. She was blessed to find a family early in her life that matched her soul. Except, she knows why she likes Tommy so much. He liked to be wild too. He moved just as fast as y/n, and he thought just as fast as her. So there was no doubt in her mind once she tasked her best friend with the alcohol that he'd deliver.

“I just took the first one I saw and ran like hell.” He presents y/n the bottle.

“Scotch whiskey,” y/n reads the label out loud before opening it. Tommy at this point began to see the trouble that she carried within her starting to stir. Confirming this intuitive feeling, y/n goes to make a quick toast like the kind she has seen her father make with Tommy’s. “To your Aunt Pol who would kill you if she ever knew, Thomas Shelby,” she groans out as she takes the first large swing with the most confidence. Even from when they were children, Tommy always wondered how so much confidence could fit in such a small body.

He takes the bottle from her to mimic her actions. “To my Aunt Polly who will find out by the week’s end.” They both laugh before Tommy takes his sip, but when he does, he takes it differently than y/n. “What the fuck, y/n. How can you even drink that shit?” He spits and coughs as he attempts to recover.

“What? I like it.” She shrugs while going for another.

At age 18, Tommy realized he loved y/n. By the time Tommy turned eighteen, it came to no surprise to anyone that he was already turning out to be a ladies man. Girls turning into young women were quick to notice his dark hair and hypnotic blue eyes. He was different than any of the factory worker boys that took after their fathers. He was ambitious. He wanted more to life than what dirty old Birmingham could offer, and the young women knew this so in some way, it even made it seem okay that his last name was Shelby. Almost as if Tommy was being pardoned for being a Shelby. And he hated that feeling.

y/n never made Tommy feel that way. She was always the first and the last one to defend her friend since birth. Crowned by Tommy all those years ago, she was Shelby. What else could have made her break her vow with Tommy all those years ago? Tommy didn’t realize exactly what he was realizing at the time. How could he? They were kids being kids. He couldn’t have known it was loyalty. If it wasn’t clear to Tommy then, it was now.

“You need to get out of here. Go get Arthur and John. This is no place for a woman,” Tommy warns y/n one night out, sensing trouble.

The two found themselves cornered by a group of boys around their age. The Peaky Blinders were gaining respect, notoriety, and fear from those around them. Things were changing for the Shelby’s, but not everyone agreed. Most certainly not the three boys looking for a fight. “Run!”

“No!” She hisses back. She tightens her fist and holds them up.

“There is no fucking way I’m letting you do this.”

“Either I leave to get the boys and we come back to your half-dead body, if we’re lucky or I stay and fight and we may actually win this.” Truth be told, y/n wished she could listen to Tommy and go get his brothers. But more than the fear she felt for herself, it was tenfold for Tommy.

“Damn you, Shelby.” he tells her as the fight breaks out.

No words were exchanged on the walk to The Garrison. It seemed like all of the day’s events were forcing Tommy to think about the vow they made when they were seven. Only this time, Tommy could see the logic she proposed. He did know what she was thinking because he was so sure she was thinking the same as him.

“Whiskey, Harry,” was all Tommy said, not bothering to spare the man a glance. y/n goes to sit at a table like they always do but was stopped by Tommy. He latches onto her hand, careful with the cuts and bruises that were beginning to form. “No,” he tells her, “We’ll be in the snug.” And no one protested. They may have wanted to but at the sight of blood on their clothes and on his razor blade, no one dared to speak out against the Blinder.

Not long after Harry delivers two glasses of whiskey through the snug’s window. “Give the toast, Shelby,” he gives the cup to y/n.

Her eyes never leave his. Even with exhaustion hijacking them, y/n could not name a more beautiful sight. “To you, Tommy. To the best and worst pal in the world.”

In his state of shock, Tommy failed to clink their glasses together, so y/n did it. The sound pulls him out of his own swirling thoughts, and they down their drink in an instant. Like the siamese twins they are, a look of disgust and twinge of horror overtake their faces.

“Scotch.”

“Irish.”

They both spit out like venom but were quick to laugh it off. “You gave me the wrong cup, Thomas!”

“Hey, come on now. I’m still Tommy. I’m just a bloody idiot for not knowing the difference.”

Only a few moments later, the laughing winds down a bit. The atmosphere still remains light only to be shattered. “Why don’t you love me?” He blurts out to y/n. “Like the way I love you?”

y/n’s content smile never falters. “I believe you have been too busy to notice me, Tommy. I’ve been right here. Because if you would have just asked, I would’ve said I loved you too. And I do... love you too.”

He smiles at her. “The best and worst pal in the world.”

y/n could feel her heart begin to hammer against her chest. She no longer felt like she was sitting down but floating. With the adrenaline from the fight gone, she should have been able to feel her wounds mark their place on her skin. But that’s not true. All she could feel was a warm, tight feeling in her chest. The boy she loved, loved her back. And no amount of irish whiskey could ever compare.

“Do you trust me?”

“With my whole heart.”

Tommy’s eyes searched y/n’s for any trace of hesitance or fraud but found none. All he could see were the eyes of the girl he loved the most. And most importantly, the girl loved him back.

He stands up to speak to Harry through the snug’s window and comes back shortly after. “Come here, Shelby.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to kiss the only girl in all of Small Heath that I love.” At that, y/n had no protests.

Their kiss was nothing less of what the two expected. It wasn't awkward. Nerve wracking, sure, but not awkward. Many nights y/n dreamt about this very moment. She dreamt how Tommy’s lips would feel against hers. She often wondered what kind of lover he was. And now she knows, leaving her with no more thoughts to wonder about.

She is the first one to pull away. “I have loved you since we were seven and you called me “Shelby” for the first time.” She places desperate kisses onto his lips, cheeks, and neck. Anywhere they would fall, really, leaving traces of pure love behind.

Tommy feels like he is starting to lose control once her pillow soft lips attack his neck. “Tell me again, y/n. Let me hear you.”

“I love you,” She reminds him in between her kisses.

“Shelby... if you keep doing that, I’m not sure how much gentleman will be left in me.”

She looks up from the spot on his neck she was loving on, having found his sweet spot. “This one? Right here?” She asks, feigning innocence as she lightly bites down. When she hears his soft moan, her tongue laps at the spot relieving it only to finish off with a few kisses.

Before the last one can even land, Tommy’s hand finds her neck to take control once more. He doesn’t squeeze nor does he have a rough hold. He merely wraps his fingers around the neck he will one day dress in the biggest jewels. Tommy guides y/n to the edge of the table and pushes her to lay on it.

“Here, Tommy?” She giggles watching her best friends crawl on top of her

He shushes her with more wet kisses. “No one will come in. It’s just me and you.” His hands caress, squeeze, and tease whatever he can.

“It’s yours, Tommy, my heart. It’s all yours.”

He wraps his hand under her hair that was sprawled over the table into a makeshift ponytail. “Mine,” he proves when he finally feels all of her. His eyes never hers, wanting to sear the memory of the exact moment she became his. Pain overtakes her face but her hands on his lower back right above his ass lets him know she was okay. After a while, y/n signals Tommy to start moving once more and pain starts to transform into a pleasure y/n never thought was possible.

All the sounds the two were making were sure to be drowned out by the ruckus made by the drunk men just outside the snug. Tommy was sure to tell Harry that no one else was allowed in under any circumstances. In his moment of euphoria, Tommy was ready to wet his razor blade for the second time that night should anyone dare barge in and take a look at what belonged to him.

This wasn’t Tommy’s first time but it was the first time he realized all what sex could be. All the men in his life were wrong. He was wrong. It didn’t have to be all what they said it should. All he ever needed was y/n. Now that he had her, he had no intention of ever letting go.

Basking in the momentary afterglow of his best orgasm, he says, “You know what, Shelby? I don’t think I mind scotch whiskey all that much anymore,” his thumb traces y/n lower lip, even getting it slightly moist, “Not when the taste comes from your lips. My lips.”

[novaiya]

Diamonds & Rust Part II - Arthur x Reader (NSFW)

Part I

Summary: It’s been three years since that fateful night. Three years during which you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Now, the fate once again brought the two of you together. Was it for the last time, or was something else bound to happen?

Words: 8k

Warnings: Cheating, F!Reader, Smut

A/N: If you prefer to read this on AO3, click here. This took me two months to write LOL But in the end, I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Your hand shook as you held the pen above the crisp, spotless paper. You took a deep breath, writing the date, but couldn’t proceed beyond that. You dropped the pen and planted your elbows on the table, hiding your face in your hands. 

It’s been three years since you last saw each other. Three years since you were held in his hands and caressed by his lips. The time you shared on that cold, foggy night felt both lightyears and a touch away. You thought it to be a perfect, picturesque ending to your imperfect relationship, like a final scene in a play, but it seemed it was merely an intermission.

After a few moments of rest you wrote, “Dear Arthur” and spilled out the reason for your letter. Few nights ago, your ranch was attacked by a group of local cattle rustlers. Seeing how well your ranch was doing, they wanted their cut, and when you stood your ground, they were less than happy. They left you alone for the moment, but promised to be back in numbers, and that they were. Not a couple of days later, you were woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of gunshots and a fire outside your window. Like they promised, they were back and ready to take what they felt they were entitled to. You watched them take away your cattle and set fire to your barn as your husband hastily packed up your valuables, and not shortly after, you were on your wagon, bound for your mother-in-law’s house, barely escaping the flames and the bullets. 

You signed off with your name and an address of where you were staying, and with fleeing hope, posted the letter the next day.

As you patiently awaited Arthur’s reply or an arrival, a curious elephant entered your household that neither you or your husband were ready to address. The woman that your husband knew you as was a kind, gentle woman who’s biggest crime was accidentally buying two gallons of milk and only paying for one. He never saw, or could imagine you carrying a weapon, and for all he knew, you didn’t know how to use one. The woman he saw during the attack, however, he did not know. She skillfully held the shotgun in her hands, dropped the slugs in without even looking and didn’t fall backwards when the recoil hit. She had a fire in her eyes that threatened to overpower the one outside, and for a second, even he, her husband, was afraid of her. Having been born to a simple family in which his mother was gentle and submissive, serving as a pliable partner to his father, he was shocked to see you so strong and hard. He was still deciding what he thought of this discovery of this new you, and during that time, you could feel him drift away.

You didn’t miss the change in him, how he eyed you from the corner of his eyes during dinner time, or the cold space between the two of you when you went to bed. It hurt and it stung and it made you long for Arthur’s arrival so much more. With him, there were no secrets you had to hide. You never went to bed with a fear that one day your facade would fall apart, and he would shriek at seeing the real you. From the beginning, he knew everything there was to know about you, and accepted it. What some would see as character flaws, he simply saw as character traits that made you who you were. With him, you could be you, something that you realized you couldn’t be with your husband. When the two of your married, you hoped that it would put a final nail in the coffin of your past self, but it seemed that your past self refused to die, and your husband shrieked at seeing the dead corpse. 

__________________

“There’s a letter for you, Arthur,” said Miss Grimshaw as she passed Arthur who was hitching his horse to a hitching post.

He thanked her and made his way to his tent where an envelope laid on his cot.

“Let’s see,” he said to himself as he tore the envelope open and pulled out a piece of paper. As he read your name on the bottom of the paper, he felt a familiar pang that the thought of you always brought to him. He skimmed through the rest of the letter, plucking the main points as well as your address before shoving the paper in his satchel and making his way to the back of the wagon that served as a wall to his tent. He looked over a map that was there, calculating how long it would take to get to you. Eight hours, he thought, six if he cut on any unnecessary breaks and sleep. He once again made his way around the wagon and went to a chest at the end of his cot, picking out a pair of fresh clothes and other necessary items for the trip. He was doing everything on autopilot, for his mind was too clouded with the thoughts of you to pay attention to what his hands were doing. He remembered your last meeting, and how it opened so many old wounds and created even more new ones. In that moment, when the two of you held each other, whispered love confessions into the silent night, he felt as if he was on cloud nine, but when he left, the blow was just as strong.   

When he finished packing, he looked around; Pearson and Abigail were busy chopping vegetables, with little Jack sitting at his mother’s feet. Dutch and Molly were in their tent, talking (arguing would be a better word). The girls were doing chores, with Miss Grimshaw watching over them and correcting their techniques. Most of the men were out on jobs, leaving only Javier standing at guard duty. Even though everyone had free rein to come and go whenever they pleased, Arthur especially, he didn’t want to be asked unnecessary questions, so he waited until Javier was on the other side of the perimeter to mount his horse and ride away to you.

__________________

As you sat at the dining room table of Bertha’s, your mother-in-law, house, you kept praying that Arthur got your letter and found it in himself to help you. You found yourself thinking that maybe it might’ve gotten lost, or perhaps the rain soaked the envelope and the letter to the point it had to be thrown away. With nothing to do but wait, you kept fidgeting with your dress as you sat by the table, only to promptly raise up when you heard the sound of the hoofbeats approach. You pushed the front door open with a smile as hopeful as that of a child, for it to only fall apart when you saw that it was your husband, coming back from a run to the town for provision. The change in your expression didn’t go unnoticed by him, but he didn’t say anything, and just kissed your cold cheek as he moved past you into the house. 

“You still think he’ll come?” your husband asked one morning as he sat at the dining room table and you washed the dishes. It’s been about a week since you posted the letter, and Arthur still hasn’t come. You were beginning to lose hope, but didn’t show it.

“I’m sure,” you said, not turning away from the dishes in your hands. You told your husband that you knew someone who could help, and when he inquired who it might be, you told him it was a friend from your past life, someone who helped you get back on your feet after you lost your parents. That didn’t satisfy his curiosity, so he pried on. Answering his questions was like walking through a field full of landmines. Every answer had to be calculated, giving just enough information to satisfy his curiosity and not to lead to more questions. At the end of the conversation, you were hopeful that the newfound information you shared would bring you two back together, but in fact, it did the opposite, and he felt that there was even more he didn’t know about you. 

As you washed the dishes, you looked through the window in front of you and felt thunder run through your entire being. You could never mistaken that mare for anyone else, with her unique coat and her silky locks; it was Boadicea, and with her, someone else you could never mistaken; Arthur. You watched him through the dirty kitchen window as he hitched Boadicea to a tree nearby and made his way to the house in strong, long strides. You dropped the dishes back into the sink with a splash and ran to the door, opening it as Arthur was about to knock.

“Arthur,” you said with a smile that lit up your whole face. 

He could feel his heartbeat all over his body as he was met with your face. Your smile made your entire face glow, and he could see sparkles in your eyes as you looked at him. Knowing that he was the reason for your reaction, he could feel the familiar haze of feelings cloud his entire being. 

He spoke your name in return, his voice enveloping each syllable with affection and tenderness that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else, and which your husband could hear from where he sat at a dining room table. 

The two of you stood at the threshold for a brief moment, caught up in each other’s eyes and closeness. You fought the urge to embrace him, to kiss him and to tell him how much you missed him, and he did the same. Instead, you moved away and motioned for him to get inside. As he did so, he almost instantly met eyes with your husband, who rose up from his seat to greet the man.

“Roy Dorset,” your husband said as he extended his hand.

“Arthur Morgan.”

As you watched, the two men shared an awkward, silent handshake, during which you had a chance to compare and contrast the two of them. You certainly had a type, you though, as you looked at the men before you, both of them tall and handsome. There were, however, noticeable distinctions that differentiated them, and served as a representation of the person you were with each of them. Roy, being a part time rancher and a part time bookkeeper for a general store in your town, was dressed as a man about town with carefully ironed pants, clean shirt and a vest with all the buttons attached. He was a proper god-fearing, law-abiding man who had traditional standards for people, some of which you sometimes felt you couldn’t reach yourself. 

Arthur, in contrast, was dressed haphazardly, wearing old, patched jeans, boots that have seen better days and a shirt that has clearly been washed many times over. By his look, you could tell Arthur didn’t care what others thought of him. He wore - and did - what he wanted, without a care for other people’s opinion. He didn’t hide himself behind anything, and that’s what you wished you could do now.

After a moment of pleasantries, the three of you sat at the dining room table to discuss the matter at hand. You sat at the head of the table, with Roy to your left and Arthur to your right. You and Roy explained what happened at the ranch, adding details that you forgot to write about in the letter. At some point as the three of you talked,

your daughter came up to the table. With her grandmother asleep and all of her toys left at home, she had nothing to do, so she decided to join you.

You hoisted her up to your lap and let her stay with you as you continued talking.

Despite the conversation still going, Arthur lost all attention as soon as he saw your daughter. What shocked him first was that you had a daughter in the first place, but what shocked him even more was how little the girl looked like your husband. While still trying to seem as he was listening, Arthur inconspicuously kept looking between your daughter and your husband. While Roy had dark, brown hair, the little girl in your lap had light, dirty blonde locks. Her eyes, which were traveling all over the room, looking for something to busy herself with, were a whirlpool of green and blue, while Roy’s, which at the moment were looking down on his lap, were a dull, brown shade. Suddenly, realization hit Arthur. He started to think back on your last encounter. Could it be? He tried to figure out how old the child was, and tried to remember the time of the year when the two of you were together. He could feel himself getting lightheaded as all the thoughts filled his mind, making him not hear his own name being called.

“Arthur,” you said once again when he didn’t answer you the first time. As if being pulled out from a dream, he looked around, suddenly forgetting where he was.

“I said, what do you think about the plan?” you said, looking at Arthur at the same time as the girl in your lap.

Arthur could feel all the eyes on him, and a color painted his face. He could faintly remember what you talked about a moment ago. Something about the best path to take back to the ranch, how dangerous the road might be with wolves roaming around. After a moment of pause, he returned with, “Sounds good to me,” and the conversation went on, with Arthur still barely paying attention.

_________________

You carefully slipped out of the covers, trying not to wake your husband up, before walking across the room on your tiptoes, opening the door and leaving the room. You couldn’t sleep. With Arthur’s proximity, you found yourself laying in bed with the thoughts of him. You tried to squash those pesky thoughts, turned from one side to the other in your bed as you kept telling yourself that you couldn’t, shouldn’t do it despite how much you wanted to. As you looked at your husband, his face illuminated by the light from the moon outside, you thought of doing to him what you did to Arthur all those years ago. You left Arthur for a search for a better, calmer and stable life, and now you want to leave that life to go back to Arthur.

You leaned against the kitchen counter as you poured yourself a glass of whiskey, looking out of the window into the world outside. With it being late fall, some trees have already shed their leaves, leaving once bushy woods stripped. You could see birds, once hidden from the prying eyes by the leaves now on full display on the branches. They were close enough that you could hear them sing, but not enough to understand what it is they were saying.

Suddenly, you heard the wood planks squeak behind you and smiled. 

“Can’t sleep either?” you said without turning around.

“No,” Arthur replied as he went to stand next to you.

Without another word you took a shot glass and poured him one.

“Thank you for coming,” you said as you gave him the glass. “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

“‘Course I would,” he said before swinging back the shot. 

At finally having a moment alone with him, you were fighting back the urge to spill everything that’s been on your mind, to ask every question and tell every answer that you’ve been holding for the past three years and for the past few hours that he’s been here. You decided it’s best to start off slowly.

“How have you been? How’s the gang?”

“Fine, I guess,” he said as he turned around to lean against the counter, crossing his hand on his chest. “Picked up a few people along the way. The gang’s twice its size now.”

You nodded at his answer.

“Seems you’ve had an addition too.”

The statement made heat rise to your face, and you swallowed down, nodding again. 

“What’s her name?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

“Lily.”

“Beautiful name,” he said. “How old is she?”

“Three,” you said, knowing very well where this was going. 

“Is she mine?” His voice was calm and reticent despite the fact that his mind was racing so fast he thought he was going to faint no matter what your answer was.

You closed your eyes, letting the weight of his question wash over you. The question that was lingering in the air since the moment your daughter was born, and that only became stronger when Arthur came today, was finally asked. To your own surprise, you felt yourself relax after a few seconds had passed. With the question being finally asked, you could feel the weight of it lifted from your shoulder.

“I don’t know,” you said, turning your head away

“What do you mean you don’t know?” he returned, somewhat exasperated.

“I don’t know, Arthur,” you repeated, your voice more stern, but still hushed as to not wake anyone up. “I don’t know.” You lowered your head before speaking again. “I don’t know. Roy and I were trying during that time.”  

You held yourself in your hands, your head hanging low. About three years ago, Roy and you have been trying for months to get pregnant. Nothing was happening, until suddenly, it did. Roy was overjoyed, feeling that Isis has finally shined her light on the two of you. You, however, knew it took more than an Egyptian goddess of fertility to bring you to the situation at hand. Right away, you did the math, and despite how much you tried to tell yourself that the days could be a little bit off, the numbers didn’t lie. It only became more apartment when your daughter was born; within a few days, you could see traces of him in her; her light hair, her blue eyes. Even her lips and nose looked like his. She was a visual reminder, everyday, of what you and Arthur could have had.

“She looks like me, you know,” Arthur said, walking around to stand in front of you, his proximity making your heartbeat quicken like it always did.

“I know,” you said, your voice barely audible.

“What if she’s mine?”

You didn’t say anything, keeping your head low and your eyes focused on the ground until you felt his hand, soft and warm on your cheek, making you look up. 

You felt enveloped in his love as you looked into his eyes. They were kind and inviting as he looked at you, and without saying anything, they offered shelter from all the worries of life.

His thumb traced your lower lip and you involuntarily opened your mouth, gasping. He stepped a little bit closer, pushing you against the counter with his body, making you feel all of him against you, the thin material of his union suit not leaving an inch of space between the two of you.

“I missed you,” he said. 

He pressed his lips softly against yours, giving you a chance to slip away if you so desired to. You didn’t, waving your hands in his hair and bringing him closer instead, deepening the kiss. You hated yourself for not being stronger, for not resisting your inner desires. You hated how with just a touch, he had you under his control. His hands ran down your sides, following your curves from your chest over your waist and to your hips, stopping there. One of your hands reached out to touch his cheek, feeling a light stubble there (he went to you right away after finishing a mission, not having a chance to even shave) You remembered the night the two of you shared three years ago, how the feeling of his lips lingered on your for months after. 

You wanted to get lost in the kiss, in him, but suddenly, a voice coming from the stairs pulled you out of your reverie, and the two of you broke apart as fast as you came together. You were slightly panting, both from the kiss and from the rush of anxiety at being caught. You looked up at the stairs from where the voice came, and after a few moments, two small feet came into the light, padding barefoot down the stairs.

“What are you doing here, sweetheart?” you said as you kneeled down to look at your daughter. 

One of her hands held onto the arm of her stuffed bear, a friend who kept her company at night, while the other brushed the sleep out of her eyes, trying to stay awake long enough to talk to you. “Grandma’s snoring,” she drew before yawning.

You smiled, ruffling her blonde locks a bit before saying, “Well, you can sleep with daddy and me tonight then.” 

Arthur stood a few feet away, watching the two of you without saying a word. He could feel resentment bubbling in him at your husband, and at the same time, himself. Despite how much he wanted to put all the blame on Roy (for “stealing” you), he realized that the only person he had to blame was himself. If he wasn’t so stupid all those years ago, if he just took your hand and let you lead him out of the outlaw life, this - a life with a house, a daughter and you as his wife - could’ve all been his. “Darlin’, right now ain’t a good time,” he would say when you would press him about finally making your escape. “We need more money if we wanna start on our own” would be another of his excuses. Truth be told, as much as he wanted to start a fresh, new life with you, he was afraid. Outlaw life was everything he’d ever known. He was raised and became the man he was today in it. He was terrified that out there, in the world of law and order, in which one woke up in the morning to start a day of work, and had proper suppers at the table with their family, he wouldn’t survive.

The sound of Lily’s voice, calling for him, pulled him out of his thoughts. Her clear, blue eyes, looked up at him as she asked him if he was her mother’s friend. You turned around to look at Arthur, and after a few seconds he said, “Yeah, I am. Something like that.” She smiled in return, calmed at knowing that the strange, big man was not a stranger at all but a friend. As you picked her up, ready to take her to bed, she introduced herself to Arthur, and asked him what his name was. He introduced himself, and in return, she said, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Arthur.” You didn’t know why, but at seeing the scene play out, you could feel tears well up in your eyes. It could’ve all been so different, you thought. The three of you were so close at being a family, practically looked like one right now. You took a shaky breath, trying to calm yourself down before murmuring that it’s already too late, and walking over to your bedroom door with your daughter in your hands. You stopped at the door for a second, fumbling with the door knob. Arthur watched your back as you stood, your daughter’s head peeking from behind your shoulder, before you turned the knob and disappeared into the room. 

He stood in the dark, empty dining room for a few more minutes, going over the scene that just unfolded a million times. He could feel the weight of everything crushing him down, breaking his bones and turning them into dust. He leaned heavily against the kitchen counter, shaking his head.

“Idiot,” he said to himself before taking the bottle of whiskey and pouring himself another shot. 

______________

The sound of birds singing outside accompanied you as you woke up. It was still early and no one was up yet, so you got ready without any hurry before going into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Not a while later, Bertha joined you in the kitchen, and the two of you had everything ready right as the men came to take their seats at the table.

You kept quiet as you ate breakfast, with Arthur sitting across from you, Lily next to him, and Roy next to you. Bertha, being the kind host that she was, something that she got used to from the years of marriage to an army Sergeant, couldn’t sit still and continued to check up on everybody, pouring coffee even when the cups were halfway full and making sure there were no empty plates on the table. It was only when Roy said, “Enough, mother” did she take a seat at the head of the table and started her own meal.

As you ate your breakfast, Roy and Arthur talked, discussing once again the best route to take back to the ranch. Despite not planning on going himself, Roy still wanted to make sure his opinion on the matter was considered and suggested the main road, which although would take longer, was safer from wild animals and any “savage outlaws that roamed the plains.” Arthur snickered at his choice of words, and noted that if he wanted to “come back to a ranch and not heap of ash, a shortcut is a better option.” Roy didn’t reply anything and turned back to his meal.

As Bertha sipped on her coffee, she turned to face you and asked, “Are you going too?”

“No,” both Roy and Arthur said in unison, and “Yes,” said you.

An awkward silence fell over as the three of you looked between each other. You could feel the men eyeing you in bafflement, Roy especially, but you looked at Arthur and spoke to him first.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” you said, disbelief painted all over your face.

Arthur shook his head, looking away and furrowing his brows.

“You’re not coming, it’s too dangerous,” he said, turning back to face you.

You let out a small chuckle before saying, “We’ve faced far more dangerous things than some puny cattle rustlers.”

Arthur dropped his fork and knife on the table with a loud thud and said, “You have a daughter now, I ain’t gonna let you put yourself in harm's way.”

“But you’re gonna let yourself get in harm's way?” you returned, tilting your head and squinting your eyes at him.

“They know who you are, they don’t know me,” he said, the volume of his voice long past what was appropriate for a breakfast conversation. “I can get in and out and they won’t know what hit em”

“And do you expect me to just sit patiently and wait?” you said, throwing your hands around. “What if something goes wrong? What if they’re more dangerous than we thought? Am I supposed to just wait till someone brings in your body?” Your words began to tangle in each other, becoming almost incoherent as you spoke faster than your mind could process. They, however, were cut short as Arthur shouted your name and hit his palm down on the table, making a glass of water spill.

Finally, the silence fell over the dining room once again and the only thing that could be heard were drops of water hitting the floor. Both Bertha and Roy sat wearing similar expressions, their mouths hanging open, eyes wide at what they just saw and heard. They felt like spectators, watching a play unfold before their eyes.

As you tried to calm yourself down, you remembered how back when you were in the gang, the two of you almost never went on missions without each other. At first, it bothered Dutch that if he wanted to send you on a mission, Arthur was bound to come along (and vice versa), but soon, he came to accept that the two of you were a package deal. He even took a notice that the jobs went smoother when the two of you were together, evident by the fact that you would get the job done quicker, and your gains were higher than those that Arthur and you brought when you went separately.

“You know I can’t let you go alone, Arthur,” you said after some time.

As if riding down the same memory lane you just did, he sighted and shook his head. 

“I know,” he said before getting up from the table and going over to the room where he stayed.

Slightly shaken up from the intense display that took place, Bertha got up from the table, and without a word started cleaning up, taking empty plates and cups and putting them in the sink. You sat with your eyes closed, taking deep breaths, and bracing yourself for what was to come. You could already feel Roy open his mouth, could already hear his voice…

  Arthur was haphazardly throwing his stuff in his bag, crumpling his shirts and pants into balls and pushing them into his bag as if the clothes themselves were at fault for his mood. He remembered how much fun the two of you had when you went on the jobs together. How the sight of blood and the smell of gunpowder did nothing more than excite you. A smile broke through his solemn face at the memory. But now, he thought, it was different. Not only had it been years since you were in the line of fire, but you now had a child. Your life has changed, you got away, broke free from the never ending nightmare in which one has to always look behind their back and sleep with one eye open and a gun under their pillow. He didn’t want you back into that kind of life, if it could even be called that. Deep in his mind, however, he knew it wasn’t for him to decide.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaning over a dresser and closing his eyes. He could’ve probably plunged deeper into his thoughts, but a sound of hushed tones outside got his attention, and he straightened up, inching closer to the door and pressed his ear against it. 

  “I was okay with your past, but this is pushing it,” Roy said.

“Is my past pushing it?”

“Your past is in the guest bedroom, getting dressed.”

Your shoulders slumped as a heavy sigh left your lips. You and Roy have been bickering for the past five minutes. Truth be told, the bickering has been going on for the past few days, but only now has it culminated. The tension that he felt between you and Arthur just a few minutes ago drove him over the edge - the edge to which he came from seeing you hold a gun, hearing more about your past and now, seeing Arthur - and he found himself not being able to hold his thoughts and feelings in any longer. Just like it always happened with couples who started arguing about one thing, only to move on to a completely unrelated one, you both got defensive. The conversation was fruitless. Nothing of the matter was discussed, no solution was reached and everyone was left thinking the other was in the wrong, leaving the two of you sitting next to each other like strangers in a train station, waiting for the next train.

“I’m doing this for us, Roy,” you said.

“You’re doing this for yourself,” he spit out before adding, a little bit softer, “You’ve changed a lot in these couple of weeks. I feel like I don’t know who you are anymore.”

You felt yourself detach from the world upon hearing his words. You could faintly hear him continue talking, referencing the relationship between his mother and father, and how the former always consulted her husband before any major decision, but you were not listening. You smiled weakly to yourself at the irony that upon showing him the real you, with all your past and your secrets, he said he didn’t know you anymore. Didn’t know, or he didn’t want to, you thought. Your mind instantly went back to Arthur, like it often tended to these past few days, and you thought of how from the beginning, he knew who you were, and without a word, accepted and loved you.

“You ready?”

Arthur’s voice pulled you out of your mind, and stopped Roy in his speech. You looked at Arthur, and then at Roy. For the first time since you got married, you didn’t feel anything when looking into your husband's eyes. You could see him plead, silently, for you not to go.

Without saying a word, you got up from your chair and went to your room to get 

ready.

_________________

  You turned your head around to watch your husband stand on the porch as you and Arthur roared off to your destination. You wondered what he thought as his figure grew smaller and smaller till he completely disappeared behind the trees. You turned back forward, spurring your horse.

The feeling of being back on a horse, with an iron on your hip and wind in your hair was exhilarating. You could feel life flow through your veins as you held the reins. Through clear plains, mountains and forests, the two of you rode non-stop for a few hours. There was not a single person on your way, only occasional elks, deers, and raccoons accompanying you on the journey. For a moment, you felt like you were once again an outlaw. All of this felt so familiar; you and Arthur, adrenaline in your veins, dirt road ahead. For a moment, you caught yourself thinking that if it weren’t for your daughter back home, you simply would’ve kept riding on.

As you kept going, the sun slowly began to set, painting the road in front of you in orange. 

“Let’s make camp,” Arthur said when the sun completely disappeared, and the night loomed over.

As you found a secluded space in the woods, the two of you fell into a long-established routine, with you going out to get some firewood and Arthur hunting a rabbit for the two of you to eat. The night might’ve been a bit chilly, but with the campfire next to you and the rum Arthur found in his satchel, the two of you were nice and warm as you enjoyed food, drinks and conversations that piled up from years apart. 

Your combined laughs could be heard all throughout the forest as Arthur told you about the latest predicament that John got himself into, and which he of course had to save him from. Sounds like John, you thought. You couldn’t tell how many times you and Arthur were sent to rescue him from some sort of trouble. Being the youngest, John always felt that he had to prove something to someone, which in the end, only proved that he was still the baby of the gang (despite at that point being a full grown adult).

Gradually, the laughter died down, but the smile still lingered on your lips.

“What are you so happy about?” Arthur said.

You looked into the fire, watching the flames dance and reach towards the sky, as you answered. “It’s been so long since I felt so at ease, so free…” you said.“I just-I’m real happy being here.”

Arthur hummed at your answer before saying, “Ranch life ain’t cutting it for you no more?”

“A woman can only shovel shit for so long,” you said, making Arthur chuckle. You took another swig of the rum before passing it to Arthur.

“I took this all for granted when we was together,” you said, looking around, “the freedom, the nature, the road. And now when I don’t have it, I crave it.”

You looked up, catching Arthur’s gaze and holding it as you continued. 

“I find myself so often thinking about the past,” you said and added, a little lower, “about you, how much I miss it all.”

Arthur could already feel the effect of your words on him, could already feel the intensity with which his heart beat faster. Hearing you say those words, sparked a flame in him. Only a few seconds passed before you continued speaking, but it was enough for Arthur to imagine, for a brief moment, a future with the two of you together. Could it be possible? Did he still have a chance at the happy ever after? He always was a firm believer that you can’t expect good things to happen to you while doing bad things, but in that instance, he allowed himself to believe that something good could happen.

“Oh, Arthur,” you said, shaking your head, “I think I made a mistake all those years ago.” 

The camp was silent except for the crackling of fire as your words hung in the air. Unlike a few years ago, you didn’t backtrack on your words, didn’t feel embarrassed by them. You meant every syllable and every letter. As much as you adored your current life, with your cows and your ranch, you found yourself thinking more often that you weren’t meant for it. You were tired of playing the role of the doting housewife, a rancher, shoveling shit and milking cows. The real you was out there, among the horses and the gun smoke. The thought only got stronger the closer you were to Arthur, and now that you were sitting next to each other, your thighs almost touching together, it reached its pinnacle.

No more words needed to be said as you held Arthur’s gaze. Everything has been said years ago. You stood up and got into his lap, draping your hands over his shoulders while his instantly went for your hips. The two of you stayed like this for a moment, admiring each other under the moonlight. You were conscious of nothing except the feeling of each other’s bodies against one another. Finally you moved your head closer, brushing your lips against his. You could feel his breath on your lips, the rum that the two of you drank still fresh on them. He closed his eyes, already leaning forward towards you. 

His hands tightened on your hips when you pressed your lips against his, slow and gentle like you always were. The two of you quickly found a comfortable pace, your lips moving against each other in a perfect flow, your tongues brushing against one another every once in a while. Instinctively, you started to move your hips against his, searching for that delicious feeling you were craving. Arthur wasn’t holding back either, moving his hips in tandem with yours, brushing his clothed erection over your center. His hands left your hips, moving to your blouse and unbuttoning it, revealing your naked chest.

You helped him completely remove your blouse, throwing it into direction unknown. As soon as it was away, his mouth was on your skin, starting at your neck and moving down to your chest.

“Arthur,” you moaned when his tongue circled your nipple. You tangled your fingers in his hair, gently massaging his scalp and pushing your chest closer to his mouth. You could feel his beard scraping at your chest, adding a slight burn that only heightened your pleasures. One of his hands started palming your other breast, rolling your nipple between his fingers and making you throw your head back, moaning into the night. 

He started going up your neck once again, leaving light nips and kisses from your chest, up your collarbone and neck, reaching to your ear. He kissed behind your ear while one of his hands was palming your breast, sending jolts of pleasure all through your being.

“Darlin’,” he said, kissing over your jaw and cheek, “I ain’t never lettin’ you go again.”

When it came to words, Arthur’s were always simple. He didn’t use any extraordinary vocabulary or elaborate euphemism. He always said what he meant, and his words always came from his heart. Hearing him utter this promise now, which held a vision of the future so beautiful you could hardly imagine it, made you teeter on the verge of crying tears of joy. You crashed your lips against his, not knowing any other way to express the sheer mix of love, lust and longing you were feeling. 

Neither of you could wait much longer and you untangled yourself from each other, standing up and starting to remove each other's clothes. He helped you unbuckle your belt and throw it aside while you unbuttoned his shirt. His lips were back on yours as he helped you pull his shirt away and went to work on the buttons of your pants. Before long, the little camp you set up was littered with your combined clothes, leaving you in just your drawers and Arthur in his union suit.

It was a beautiful night, with a sky so clear that the amount of stars around was inestimable. You, however, didn’t pay any attention to them, keeping your eyes on Arthur as you slowly pulled down your drawers, letting them fall to the ground. His breathing became haggard as he took in your naked form, flushed in pink from the campfire next to you. He's seen you naked before countless times, yet the sight of our body never stopped to take his breath away. His breathing was caught in his throat as he watched your every movement, following your hands as they reached out to the buttons of his union suit.

You could see the reflection of the fire in his eyes as you stood in front of him, popping button after button of his union suit, revealing his tan skin. Once the last button was open, he helped you take his union suit off, leaving the two of you naked to each other.

He took your hand in his and helped you down to the bedroll, covering your body with his. With the campfire next to you, and Arthur’s body covering yours, you felt warm and safe, protected from any and every thing the world could throw at you. One of his hands reached out, cradling your face. 

You placed your hand on his chest, running it up to his head and tangling it in his hair, bringing him down and pressing your lips against his. The kiss was as fiery and as hot as the fire you were laying next to, and in that moment, you realized that you never fell as alive as when you were with Arthur. “Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for things it has forbidden to itself,” you remembered a quote from the book you were reading a few weeks ago, and realized you were tired of resisting. You didn’t know what tomorrow had in store for you, but right now, you had Arthur and that’s all that mattered.

Breaking the kiss, he looked you in the eyes and said, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

You didn’t even have to think to answer. Your answer came so quick it almost sounded as if the two of you talked at the same time.

The lopsided smile that appeared on Arthur’s lips at your words was so genuine and innocent, it made you smile in return. You made sure to burn the image of it in your memory, just like all the others you got throughs the years when the two of you said, “I love you”. 

He settled comfortably between your spread legs and took a hold of his member before slowly pushing in.

“Arthur,” you moaned his name, clawing at his back when he bottomed out. You were practically dripping with how wet you were, yet his girth still gave you that delicious feeling of being stretched.

He kept still for a few moments, letting you get used to him all while whispering praises in your ear and kissing down your neck. When you felt you were ready, you moved your hips.

As if in a dream, silhouetted by the trees, the two of you made love under the starry night sky. The erotic novels would be envious of the passion the two of your shared; your bodies, sweaty, moving against each other in a perfect rhythm, your hands and legs, entangled in each other, your moans and sighs, unbounded, sounding in an empty forest. You were so lost in each other, you didn’t care if anyone heard you, the existence of other people didn’t register to you. The world was only as big as your camp, and the only people in it were the two of you.

You could feel yourself near the peak, could feel your legs twitch each time Arthur hit that delicious spot in you. He could feel it too, with how your walls were squeezing him tighter, and how your eyes were rolling to the back of your head each time he pushed in you. He wasn’t far behind either. One of his hands reached between the two of you, finding your clit and teasing it. It was as if an electric current shot through you; all your energy centered on where Arthur was touching you. You dug your nails into Arthur’s back, holding on to him as you breathed his name into his ear.

“Come on, darlin’,” he whispered in your ear, “let me feel you.”

As if hearing his voice was the last piece you needed to fall apart, you did. You saw white for a few moments as the immense pleasure took over your body, igniting every last nerve in you to life. You kept your body moving against his, your primal urges making you chase every last bit of pleasure you could get. 

The sight of you so lost in lust, your face contoured from the pleasure you were feeling pulled Arthur overboard, and he came a few moments later, spilling in you and  warming your walls with his seed. 

The two of you stayed like this for a few more minutes, entangled in each other, whispering “I love you”s as you showered each other with kisses, from neck, to cheeks, to forehead and lips. 

In the end, the two of you moved to the tent, draping a blanket over your bodies and holding onto each other. As the night went on, the tent filled with your combined dreams and hopes for the future. For the first time since the two of you got together, Arthur seriously discussed the possibility of leaving the gang so the three of you (You, Arthur and your daughter) could run away somewhere. You listened to him with your mouth open, not daring to make a single noise in fear of missing even a word he said. Could it be possible, you thought. Could you finally have the perfect ever after you’ve always dreamt of with Arthur? By the tone of his voice and how deeply in details he went as he planned the possible escape, you realized that your new life was right around the corner.

Despite the exhilarating conversation you were having, the two of you remembered you still had to wake up early tomorrow to make it to the ranch in time (the final loose end you had to tie before you were free). Reluctantly, you brought the conversation to a close - hopefully to be picked up again later - and fell asleep in each other’s arms.