#not going to tag all of these freaks I’m just gonna set them down and run away

[friendlyengie]

I haven’t posted any art in a hot second because I’ve been thinking about psychonauts and it’s been having a war with tf2 in my brain. They’ve come to a stalemate and are now merging into a singular entity (I’ve been designing a tf2 psychonauts au)

If I ever complete this collection of designs and shit I’ll elaborate on what any of this means. But I’m not going to now because if I start talking I won’t stop

[leclercsainzz]

hello love x

i was wondering if you could potentially do one where the reader is an actress and is in the new hunger games movies and everyone ships her with tom but she’s also dating lando … could you make a love triangle situation with these two?? like maybe she hangs out with tom more than lando or something idk lol u can come up with anything (you can decide who the endgame is) sort of like a illicit affair or where maybe she is seeing tom and everyone is aware of it idk??? (at this point im just saying nonsense i think lol)

ILLICIT AFFAIRS

PAIRINGS: lando norris x gf!reader / tom blyth x fem!reader

TYPE: social media au

WARNING: // cheating implied

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5

yourusername

liked by landonorris, tomblyth and 689,736 others

yourusername: making this movie was hands-down one of the best experiences of my life thus far! i cannot wait to share more behind the scenes content with you all:)) and with only one week to spare .. see you out there on our press tour!

view 5,846 comments

landonorris: can’t wait!

landonorris: proud of you, my love!! ❤️

↳ yourusername: ilyyyyy 😘

↳ user: lando being a supportive bf >>>

↳ user: alexa, how to get my own lando norris?? 😭

user: she’s so pretty, i can’t

user: after reading the book, i just know this movies gonna break me 😩😩😩😩

user: LANDO LET ME HAVE HER, PLEASE

user: SCREAMING!!! CANNOT WAIT!!!!

user: i have been looking forward to this movie since they announced it, can’t believe we’re only one week away

joshandresrivera: who’s the cute guy at the end??

↳ yourusername: just some guy i know 🤷🏻‍♀️

user: caNnot wait, omggggg

user: read the book and idk if i’m mentally prepared

user: you look soo good 😩😩😩

songbirdsandsnakes: our lucy gray ❤️❤️

user: i’m actually freaking tf out about this alapapalddbsod

user: YES YES YES YES YES

oscarpiastri: can i get free tickets?

↳ yourusername: absolutely!

↳ user: i love this duo so much 🤣

user: movie of the year incoming????

user: the movie hasn’t even come out yet and the amount of snow x lucy gray edits i’ve seen just from the trailer alone 😩

↳ user: i just know once the movie comes out they’ll be all over tiktok …. i can’t wait tho!!!!!!

user: i just realized that jason schwartman, viola davis, and peter dinklage are in this too!!! alwnsofnf

user: i’ve seen the trailer like 10+ times, can’t wait!!

hunterschafar: ❤️

user: will josh and jlaw be in this??

↳ user: noooo 💀 bro, this is set 64 years before them

user: she’s playing lucy gray right???

↳ user: yes

user: AHHHHHH

user: can’t wait for all the interviews omg!!!!

user: yn and the hunger games???? SIGN ME TF UPPP

user: soo excited over this

user: i wonder if lando will be attending the premiere

yourusername

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri and 675,758 others

yourusername: last race with my favorite boyyy 🥺🧡

tagged: @landonorris

view 4,846 comments

user: LAST RACE??? WHYYY????

↳ user: she starts press tour tomorrow for the hunger games

user: ima miss seeing you in the paddock 😩

user: ima miss you in the paddock 😩 but i cannot wait for the hunger games press interviews

user: his smile 😩😩

user: my fav papayas 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 + oscar

user: the first pic 😭😭

user: last race??? nooooooo

user: wait, im confused …. why’s she leaving???

user: gonna miss you

user: last pic 😩

user: YN?!?!!? YOURE LEAVING??!?? 😭😭😭😭😭

user: my favssssss 🧡

user: ya’ll acting as if she’s leaving forever and won’t see her again lmaooo 🤣 she’s doing press tour bc the movie she’s in comes out in a week

landonorris: 😘😘😘

landonorris: gonna miss your cute face 🥺

↳ yourusername: gonna miss you tooo, pretty boy 🥺

user: the way he smiles around her

user: wait when is she leaving???

↳ yourusername: a little after the race

↳ user: wait why tho??

↳ user: she starts press tour tomorrow since her movie comes out next week lol

oscarpiastri: that smile thoooo 🤭

user: where is she going????

user: THE best couple

user: what movie is she going for?

↳ user: the hunger games

↳ user: WAIT FRR????? is it the new one???

user: parents, frrrrr 😍

user: can’t wait for press tour, i just know she’s gonna slay

carlossainz55: pic creds to me, thank you 💁🏻‍♂️

↳ yourusername: 🙄🙄🙄 yea yea

↳ landonorris: 😘

↳ user: ynlando who??? i only know carlando ❤️🧡

user: they’re the reason i believe in love ❤️❤️

user: the way he looks at her, bro 😭😭😭

↳ user: he’s sooo in love, i can’t 😩😩

user: we won’t see ynlando for a while 😭

user: my ynlando heart 😍😍😍❤️❤️

yourusername

liked by landonorris, hunterschafer and 689,945 others

yourusername: thank you, berlin ❤️ @thehungergames

tagged: @tomblyth @hunterschafer @joshandresrivera

view 7,526 comments

user: THE REFERENCE OMG!!!!

user: MOTHER IS SERVING, OOH MYYYY 😍😍😍😍

user: he’s sooo fine!! but he looks EXTRA FINE with the buzz cut & blonde hair 😮‍💨

📌 pinned

↳ yourusername: told yaaaa @tomblyth

joshandresrivera: ohh hiiii 👋🏼

user: yn came to serve

user: tom’s the new white boy of the month!!!

user: HER PINNED COMMENT

user: tom’s soo good looking 😩

user: she’s so beautiful 😍😍

hunterschafer: WERK

↳ yourusername: are we about to kiss rn?

user: okay but why do i ship her and tom?? 🫣

user: idc what anyone says, she looks gorgeous! 😍

user: ngl but tom and yn look good together 🤷🏻‍♀️

↳ user: she’s got a bf and he’s got a gf

user: this man’s gorgeous but i also gotta remember he’s the one responsible for finnick’s death

↳ yourusername: same bestie 🥺

↳ user: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

user: okay but her and tom look soo good 😩😩

landonorris: stunning 😍

landonorris: you’re gorgeous

↳ yourusername: 😘😘😘😘

↳ user: them >>>

↳ user: missing them rn 😩😩

user: dress is gorgeous! she’s gorgeous! i just don’t like the top of the dress, if i’m being honest

tomblyth: ❤️❤️

user: cannot wait till the movie is out!!!!

user: tHe second slide and fourth slide slandnslsmd

user: oBSESSED 😩😩😩😩

user: i can already tell yn and tom are gonna be my fav duo

user: tom tho 😍

user: you look soo beautiful, i can’t 😩

user: 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

user: i’m already a simp for president snow, and the movie hasn’t even come out yet

user: TOM, OMG 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

user: THE WAY SHE PINNED THAT ONE COMMENT 😂 yn being a coriolanus simp confirmed???

user: everything about you is soo slayyyyyyyyyy

user: nothing beats the original cast but they all look sooooo good, i can’t even lie

user: the dress reference 🤩

user: PLEASE GIVE TOM MY NUMBER!!!! OR GIVE ME HIS NUMBER EITHER IS FINE WITH ME

user: is it just me or does tom look better with the buzz cut and blonde hair???

↳ yourusername: you’re not the only one 😩 ive told him several times!!!!!!

yourusername

liked by joshandresrivera, landonorris and 699,947 others

yourusername: world premiere for @thehungergames 🇬🇧

view 6,836 comments

user: THE THRID POST ALSNDKDKDMDNSN

user: i ship

user: why do they look so in love in that third slide??

joshandresrivera: 🧡

user: yn, babe, where’s lando????

user: that don’t look like lando to me 👀

user: the chemistry is INSANE 😮‍💨

landonorris: you’re killing it, babe ❤️

↳ yourusername: 😘😘 love yaa

↳ landonorris: i love you moreeee 😘

↳ user: parents 😭😭😭

user: i hope her and tom date, they look so good together

user: ya’ll gotta stop shipping tom and yn, yn’s literally dating lando and tom’s got a girlfriend

user: tom and her look so good 😩😩😩

tomblyth: love you, gorgeous ❤️

↳ yourusername: ❤️❤️

↳ user: IM SORRY WHAT??!???

↳ user: excuse me??? sir????

user: TOMS COMMENT AKALSMDN

user: the chemistry is INSANE

user: he called her gorgeous 😭😭😭 brb gonna go cry

hunterschafer: YUPPPPP

hunterschafer: serving as always!

user: MOTHER IS SERVING 😍😍😍

user: obsessed with you and tom 😍😍😍

user: if i were lando, i would be crying in a corner rn

user: why do they look like a couple in that third slide??

user: toMs’S COMMENT!! he called her gorgeous

user: ya’ll shipping her with tom as if she doesn’t have a bf

↳ user: have you ever heard of cheating??

user: ya’ll see the interview?? she called him delicious and said that it’s so easy to fall in love with him 😭😭

↳ user: she said, “and getting to work with that is delicious to an actor like me” bffr she never said anything about it being easy to fall in love with him 🙄

↳ user: actually she did proceed to talk about how easy it is to fall in love with him?????? if anything you bffr

user: @landonorris come get your girl

user: she’s so touchy with him 🙄🙄🙄🙄

user: LANDO OPEN YOUR EYES

user: we’re all thinking the same thing right?? 😏

user: they’re definitely fucking around

tomblyth

liked by yourusername, hunterschafer and 678,927 others

tomblyth: thank you, l.a. 🤩

tagged: @yourusername @joshandresrivera @hunterschafer

view 5,936 comments

user: ngl but yn and tom look cute together

user: PARENTS FRRRR 😍😍😍😍😍

user: lando & yn >>>>>

user: they have sm tension

user: ya’ll are crazy if you think yn would leave lando for tom

↳ user: and youre crazy for not thinking that maybe yn already cheated on lando with tom 🫢

user: @landonorris @landonorris @landonorris

user: lando’s busy trying to win a race while yn’s busy fooling around with tom

yourusername: SNOW FALLS ON TOP!!!

↳ user: yes, on top of you

↳ user: nahhhhh 😭😭😭

user: how’d you know about the tattoo??? 👀

yourusername: love yaaaa ❤️

↳ tomblyth: back at you! ❤️

↳ user: @landonorris

hunterschafer: cute

↳ user: how does it feel to third wheel all the time?

user: yn’s literally soo gorgeous!!! 😩

user: if i were yn, i’d be all over him too, idcccc

user: lando’s stronger than me bc if my gf was like this with another man id be going apeshit

user: they’re 100% having an affair

↳ user: ohh definitely!

↳ user: the fact that he knew about her tattoo that none of us knew about says a lot!!!! this man has explored her body

user: yntom >>> ❤️❤️❤️

user: i wonder if lando knows about the tattoo tom was referring to

↳ user: that man is clueless like the rest of us

user: @landonorris

user: not ppl tagging lando 😭😭

↳ user: he’s gottta open his eyes

↳ user: @landonorris

imessage

— author’s note: this is simply for the story, i’m aware that rachael and tom both have partners

pt2?

[choism]

Jester's Game | b.tc

Captain Buggy x Pirate!afab!Reader

Genre: smut, angst, fluff (If you squint)

Summary: Trying to overtake Captain Buggy's ship leaves you asking questions, and surprisingly, getting answers

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: top!buggy, afab!reader, unprotected sex (pls dont), cunnilingus, fingering, creampie, squirting, rough sex, gentle sex (yeah wild), inappropriate use of detached limbs, spit as lube (also a no no), overstimulation, pet names (sweetheart, princess)

A/N: WOOHOO ITS MY FIRST NON KPOP FIC!! I knew I would write for other stuff eventually but I definitely did not expect it to be a recent hyperfixation. Buggy just has me bricked up okay! Anyway I hope y'all enjoy, don't forget to let me know what you thought of the fic in the tags !

It’s a rather unfortunate series of events, really. Sure, you could’ve told your navigator to sail away from the ship with the giant clown crossbones flag. Yeah, it might’ve helped if you had told your crew that they were about to fight some of the toughest pirates in the East Blue. But where’s the fun in that? As their captain, it’s your job to seek the adventure, and well, this was an adventure all right.

It started with you telling your men to approach, cannons firing, your crew hopping their ship, the infamous ship commandeered by none other Buggy The Clown. Yes, the ship your measly crew has decided to board. Listen, it was strategic! Buggy had somehow gotten the map to the grand line back, and your ship just so happened to be within the vicinity of his, so why not seek the opportunity to take it? Well that was your first mistake.

Now, you find yourself here, hands bound behind your back and kneeling with your crew in front of Buggy’s stupid, dumb throne in his stupid, dumb circus tent cabin.

“You all truly are fools for thinking you could take on my band of freaks,” Buggy lazily sprawls over his throne, seemingly unimpressed by your, in his words, ‘lackluster crew’.

“It’s funny actually, how pathetic it was, I mean even Mohji got in a few punches! Ha! Truly a fine show.” The man you assume being the Mohji that Buggy had just poked fun at, slumps his shoulders sadly at his jab. “Now, time to get to the good stuff…” Buggy trails off, standing up and taking a few strides in your direction, his dirty boots stopping directly in front of you. He detaches his hand and uses it to lift your head, pointing your chin up to look him in the eye.

Looking up, you spit and it lands on his cheek, he simply swipes it off with his attached, gloved hand. “So what if you defeated us, it doesn’t make you any better of a pirate, and doesn’t get you any closer to the One Piece.” You tilt your head and smirk. He may have overcome your crew, but he will never overcome your overwhelming ego and pride. It matches his just as equally.

“Ah, that's where you’re wrong, princess,” His grin is just as wide as yours, and briefly you’re confused, what could he mean? “Given your set of thieving skills, probably some of the best in the East Blue, I’ve heard, you’re gonna join my band of freaks, and I’m not giving you a choice sweetheart,” Buggy removes his hand from your chin, and it floats to his arm, re-attaching itself.

“Boys, throw their crew overboard, we have no use for them.” He rolls his eyes and sits back on his throne, “Oh! And go show them to their new quarters, make them feel at home.” Buggy laughs a deep boisterous laugh, one that genuinely sends shivers down your spine.

The pirates lead you into, what is actually, quite a nice room in the lower deck of the cabin, lit by a few candles, and a cot in the corner. Surprisingly, they cut you out of your ropes, and shut the door without locking it. What’s their deal? Don’t they know you can escape at any time if you wanted? Sneak out and steal one of their emergency boats, and sail to the nearest Island? Granted, you aren’t sure where the nearest Island is, you’re a thief, not a navigator.

Instead of worrying about escaping, you roam the small room, admiring your surroundings. The whole ship is clown themed, front he flags to the cabin to everything, but this room is different. Not a single sign of jester-like decorations anywhere. In fact, it’s as if this cabin was decorated specifically for you. Before you can think more of it, the door opens suddenly.

Buggy enters, and closes the door behind him. When he enters you’re sitting on the cot, legs crossed and unamused.

“Not thinking about escaping? Not that you could anyway, we are miles away from the nearest island, and realistically it would take you days to get there on one of our measly boats.” He rolls his eyes, as if annoyed by how small and fragile the boats are, before sitting backwards on the chair at the short desk next to the cot.

“So what do you even need a thief for? Why am I here?” You blurt, already growing impatient from the lack of information being given to you.

“I need you for many reasons, being a thief is only one of them, sweetheart.” Buggy grins and removes his hat, setting it on the desk. “You already have connections at the grand line, and while I know you need my map to get there, I know that you know the people I need to talk to, to gain safe entry without slaughtering half the fucking pirates there.” He leans back and relaxes a bit, observing your facial features.

“And why do you think any of the people I know would want to help you? You’re just some lowly pirate.” You spit at him, angered by his casualness. In what world would you even willingly help him? Who does he think he is?

“Ha…Me? A lowly pirate? This coming from the literal captain of a crew is hilarious! Tell me another joke, please.” He grins knowingly, he knows how to get a rise out of you for sure. You look over his facial expression, smugness overtakes his face and it makes your stomach twist, not with disgust though for some odd reason, with another feeling you don’t quite recognize. 

This whole situation has you feeling all kinds of anxious. How did you just happen to raid the ship of a pirate who just happened to need you for this specific thing, and why is his presence making you feel so…weird? Something isn’t right here, and it can’t be because of your connections to the grand line. No, he’s hiding something. 

“What are you hiding, clown? There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

His face drops, and he gets suddenly very serious, “Listen here, princess,” Buggy gets up from the chair and gets close to you, leaning down, your noses almost touching. “You’re gonna get me to the grand line, I don’t care if I have to torture it out of you, got it? No more questions tonight.” He gets up and suddenly grins very brightly, as if nothing ever happened. “Night night!” Buggy walks out and slams the door, then you hear a locking sound.

Fuck, he locked you in your room. You should’ve expected this, honestly. The way he reacted to your question was so strange. You knew there was something fishy, but you didn’t think whatever it was could’ve prompted that kind of reaction out of him. 

***

The next day you wake up to yelling outside of your cramped room. Yawning, you get up and put your ear to the door,

“I’m sorry Captain Buggy! I didn’t know that was their ship I swear I promise!”

You hear what sounds like a kick to the jaw and a yelp,

“Didn’t know? Didn’t know?! You couldn’t tell by the giant crossbones flag that very obviously bares their symbol? I’m tired of you, someone go throw him off the deck.”

You hear screams and pleads of “No please!” and “I didn’t know I’m sorry captain!” before hearing water splash, then silence, then- oh shit footsteps coming towards your room. You scramble back to your cot and lay down, pretending to sleep. You hear a couple of knocks before hearing a feint “What the fuck am I doing, I go where I want!” Before Buggy barges into the room after unlocking it.

“Get up, I know you heard everything.” He spits gruffly, sitting back in the chair again the same way as yesterday. You sit up abruptly. Last night you couldn’t shake this feeling, of what you felt when Buggy had gotten so serious, and it’s just gotten worse being in his presence. Your abdomen feels hot, your ears feel hot, everything feels hot. It’s like butterflies in your stomach if the butterflies were armed with knives.

“Yes, I did hear, what do you mean by my symbol? I thought bumping into you was a coincidence?” Buggy smiles faintly, and chuckles.

“Yes, it was, I wasn’t informed of what ship we attacked, just that my men captured you all, oh but when I saw you…I knew.” Buggy stands up and motions for you to do the same, getting so close to you, your chests almost touch. He brings his hand to your arm, caressing down the length before gripping your wrist harshly, causing you to wince. “Do you….” he trails off, “Do you really not remember me?” He brings his eyes from your arm to your face, making direct eye contact.

You struggle to find words, what does he mean, remember? Yeah, he gives you a strange feeling everytime you're near him, but you’ve never met this man in your entire life. You think. Honestly you can’t remember anything before the age of seventeen.

“I– no, no I don’t…”

His smile fades, and he lets go of you, “I thought you would remember once you saw me, we were on Gold Roger’s crew together years ago, but you went missing after a particularly tough battle.” He pauses, thinking carefully about what to say next, “You– We– We were close, and I was devastated, I thought you were dead.” He’s being surprisingly vulnerable right now, and it’s kind of scaring you.

“I don’t really remember anything before I turned seventeen, All I know is one day I woke up on an island, a group of pirates took me in, I left, and I’ve been on my own since. The only reason I am where I am today is because I wanted to find who I was, and I figured I could find that out at the grand line.” You feel overwhelmingly sad. Why are you sad? You don’t even know him.

There’s a long silence between the two of you, it’s uncomfortable, tight, and makes you want to leave, until he says, “Let me show you.” He says abruptly, and you think you see a blush across his face.

“Sorry, I mean, please,” Buggy steps into your space again, this time his eyes flit between your lips and your eyes, back to your lips. “I’m sorry we couldn’t find you, I’m sorry you had to go through that, I missed you so much y/n” That was the first time he’s said your name this entire time, but it’s not one you recognize.

“Is that my name?” Your lip quivers, he’s so close now, your lips are inches apart.

“Yes it is, y/n, sweetheart, princess, I’ll call you whatever you want, just let me show you.” The thick air has disappeared and is now replaced with tension. Something deeper, heavier, fills the room. But it’s not a bad thing.

“Let me show you who you were to me.”

You let his face drop to yours, and your lips finally connect.

The kiss is slow, languid. It’s like his lips were meant to connect with yours. Buggy wraps his arms around your waist. Pulling you in closer, and kissing you deeper. His tongue slips into your mouth, and you let him kiss you as deep as he wants. The pace quickens and he slots his leg in between yours, rubbing against your pants and providing much needed friction.

You moan into his touch and he walks the both of you backwards until the back of your knees reach the bed. He lowers you onto it and hovers above you, kissing you again before departing. “Is this okay?” Buggy asks, brushes his hands underneath the bottom of your shirt, slowly lifting it.

“Only if you return the favor.” He chuckles and lowers his head to your neck, sucking and biting gently while riding up your shirt until your chest is exposed. You sit up briefly to take off your shirt and as promised, he does the same. He isn’t overly ripped like most pirates are, but he’s still well toned. His muscles flex as he shifts lower, kissing down your chest, down your stomach and stopping just above the navel.

“When I saw you were the one my men captured, it took my breath away,” He lifts your hips so he can remove your pants and undergarments, “I was scared, anxious, I didn’t know what to do, so I pretended I knew you for your skills, not for your past.” After removing everything, he pushes back, kissing your thighs before sitting up, taking his gloves off with his teeth and throwing them to the side. Man that was hot.

Buggy detaches one of his hands and lets it roam up your torso, reaches your neck and gives it a gentle squeeze. Before leading his fingers over your mouth, asking for entry. You grant it and his index and middle finger slip into your mouth, swirling your saliva around and coating them generously. “When you suspected I knew more, I didn’t know what to do. When you boarded I just knew you by name, not face, there was no way I could’ve expected this.”

He removes his hand from your mouth and moves it down to your center, rubbing through your folds gently and inserting two fingers, scissoring you open and prepping you for what's to come. Buggy uses his still detached hand to remove his own trousers, his cock springing free from its confines. He strokes it slowly, clearly getting off to his detached hand fingering you open.

“Buggy…” You moan, you can’t even reply or form a sentence, the pleasure too good.

“Shhh just relax sweetheart, I’ll take care of you.” He brings his hand away from your now dripping cunt, reattaching it and leaning down. You feel his breathe over your core, he kisses your clit before taking it in his mouth, lapping up your taste and fucking you onto his tongue. You can feel your orgasm approaching quickly as he flits between sucking on your clit and tonguing inside of you, but he pulls away.

“Fuck! Why’d you–”

You’re interrupted by his cock entering you and your legs being lifted by his hands so he can enter as deep as possible. You don’t think you’ve ever felt so full before. His cock fits so nice and feels so good and he hasn’t even moved yet.

“Fuck you’re so tight and wet for me, so fucking good huh? Letting me fuck you like this.” His pupils are so blown out, he watches his own cock pull out and start to thrust into you, it just fuels your arousal further. Buggy starts out slow, just getting you used to his size before he picks up the pace, fucking into you even deeper and faster.

“Shit, gonna cum Buggy please.” He moves your legs to prop onto his shoulders and he grabs onto your waist, pushing down and holding you in place as he fucks into you roughly.

“Gonna cum for me? Go ahead sweetheart. Cum all over my cock.” He moves his hand over your abdomen and presses down, the pressure making you feel dizzy. You feel white hot, the band finally snapping as you come. “Fuck, gonna cum soon too, gonna fill you up so good.”

Buggy relentlessly fucks into your cunt, overstimulating you and causing a pressure to build that’s unfamiliar. “Wait Buggy I, fuck I feel weird it feels good.” Soon, with a loud cry you feel a wetness rush between your legs, causing you to let out a loud string of moans and curses.

“Squirting for me already? God you’re full of surprises. Shit, I’m coming.” A few more snaps of his hips and you feel his hot cum fill you up, as promised. It feels so good. He slows down and pulls out, his load leaking out of you and onto the sheets below. “So good for me.” He whispers, leaning down and kissing you gently. He cleans the both of you up quickly and gets dressed, ready to go back to his quarters for the night.

“Wait Buggy, before you go…” You trail off and he turns around, listening intently. “If you don’t mind, can you tell me more about my- about our, past? I need to know where I came from, what happened.” Buggy smiles gently, walking up and kissing you on the forehead.

“Of course princess, later”

© Choism 2023. do not repost or translate.

[steddieas-shegoes]

is that tax fraud?

for @corrodedcoffinfest warm-up round prompt ‘taxes’

rated t | 671 words | cw: language | tags: they’re just so stupid, and I love them, look Steve is here!

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

“What the hell do you mean you’ve never filed taxes?” Jeff asked Gareth as they sat around trying to write a song.

Keyword: trying.

Now it looked like they were gonna be figuring out how to keep Gareth out of fucking prison for tax fraud.

“I thought our band accountant handled it!” Gareth exclaimed.

“We don’t have a band accountant! The label just handles our money!” Jeff exclaimed back.

“Okay, let’s calm down.” Eddie, the voice of reason at this moment, held his hands up towards them. “Technically, Gareth only turned 18 two years ago. That’s only two years of back taxes. And if he’s honest, it’ll be fine! He probably didn’t even make enough the first year for them to care.”

“Well, I did get an inheritance from my grandpa who died,” Gareth said unhelpfully. “Does that count as income?”

Everyone stared at him in shock.

“This is a joke,” Freak said from his spot on the couch. “Has to be.”

“Oh my god, our drummer is actively committing tax fraud,” Jeff put his head in his hands.

“Guys, it’s fine! I’ll just file it all this year,” Gareth assured them.

“We should call someone. Right? Someone should be told about this,” Eddie started pacing the floor, wearing a trail into the shag carpet.

Who even put shag carpet in here? Shag was terrible.

The door swung open and Steve walked in holding three large pizzas and a grocery bag full of sodas.

“They didn’t have any Mountain Dew, but that’s probably for the best. You guys have a conference call in an hour so eat up,” he said as he started setting everything on the coffee table. He looked around when he realized it was way too quiet. “Everything okay?”

“Stevie. I fear our drummer may be going to prison.”

Steve paled. “What? Why?”

“He forgot to tell the government he has money. For two years.”

“He what?” Steve looked at Gareth to explain.

“I didn’t know I was supposed to file my own taxes! I thought we had a guy!”

Steve looked between all of them. He looked at Gareth.

“You do have a guy. The label provides a guy. I think his name is Sam? Maybe Shane.” Steve shook his head. “Either way. You have a tax guy. He filed for all of you last year.”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence.

“What do you mean? We all filed for ourselves last year. Except Gareth, apparently,” Jeff was frowning at the floor.

“Uh, well, you may have given double the money, then,” Steve laughed, though this wasn’t exactly funny.

“So let me get this straight: the label provided a guy to do our taxes without telling us. We all file our own taxes after this guy already did. No one caught it. Gareth’s the only one who hasn’t double paid into the fucking government?” Eddie asked, face red with shame or anger, it was hard to say which.

“Yeah, appears so.”

“Fuck you guys. Had me worried I was going to prison and I’m the only one who’s done shit right!” Gareth laughed. He reached for a slice of pizza and sat back in his chair, smug smile on his face. “Feels good to have my taxes paid.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Freak rolled his eyes. “So how do we get money back if we double filed?”

“Not sure we can,” Jeff sighed. “Probably isn’t worth figuring it out anyway. It’s not like we were rolling in for last year’s taxes.”

“But this year…” Eddie started.

They all looked at each other and nodded.

Yeah. This year would be different. They’d skyrocketed after the release of their first album and their first tour. Money was…pretty fucking great.

“So…pizza?” Steve asked.

They all nodded and started grabbing for their food.

“If you guys want, I’m sure Nancy can try to find a way to get money back. She’s good at that stuff,” Steve suggested.

“Nah, she’d call us idiots.”

“Well, if the shoe fits.”

“Hey!”

[moosemonstrous]

Ghost Rider Magical Girl AU

yeah you read that right - check out the tag I'm just following the brilliance of @cicada-candy and @wazzappp

At first, Robbie thinks he must be dead. He drove straight into a wall at forty miles per hour, by all means he should be dead.

This is like the fourth time you’re having this freak out, the snake mutters, coiling around the steering wheel. It flicks the wipers on with his tail, the blades struggling to scrape off the black substance covering the windshield. A ghostly body slowly evaporates from the hood.

Robbie blinks. He’s on the other side of the building, as if he drove right through it. When he looks over his shoulder, through the miraculously intact rear window, all he can see is a solid brick wall of the warehouse.

See? The snake hisses. He sounds incredibly smug. Told ya it would work. I think you got them—

Just to hammer down how rarely the snake is right about anything, he’s interrupted by a loud bang on the roof of the car. It’s promptly followed by manic scratching, like the ghost is trying to claw its way in.

Well, shit, the snake observes. You’re gonna have to get out to deal with this one.

“Like hell I’m getting out.” Robbie turns the key in the ignition to start the car again, the engine rumbling to life with a shower of pink sparks on the dashboard, because this is his life now, apparently. When he tries to step on the gas, he ends up jamming the ridiculous heel of his boots into the floor. “These fucking boots—” He tries again, only for his foot to slip right off the pedal. “Come on!”

The scratching intensifies. It’s gonna take the paint off! The snake shouts, like that isn’t a mind-boggling event all of it’s own. Get the hell out and kick its ass!

“You think I can stand in these?!” Robbie nearly broke his leg running back to the car when the ghosts attacked him outside the auto shop. Just because injuries don’t seem to stick when he’s in this stupid fucking outfit doesn’t mean he wants to try that again, much less kick anything. Inches above his head, the ghost shrieks in rage.

How hard can it be?! It’s just shoes! Women do it all the time!

“Not without– training, or something!”

The next warehouse is only a few meters away, and Robbie is an excellent driver, but he’s not exactly flying under the best conditions right now. If he can’t control the car, he’s going to end up–

A set of hooked talons breaks through the passenger window, the half-melted ghostly face lowering itself down after it. His options rapidly diminishing, Robbie grabs one of the bedazzled white hammers he ends up holding after every transformation and throws it at the creature, hitting it right in the nose. It wails in pain, but doesn’t stop it’s torturous crawl inside.

Get the other hammer! Don’t just throw it, keep hitting it!

Robbie does. He’s dimly aware he’s screaming the entire time, the black blood spraying out of the ghost and onto his white gloves, but eventually the ghost goes limp. It gives one last forlorn moan before dissolving into nothing. Robbie waits a couple of seconds, struggling to catch his breath, before he risks sticking his head through the broken window to see if this was the last one.

No more ghosts. The night is quiet again, the colours returning back to their regular L.A. light pollution levels. He falls back into the driver seat heavily, chin against his chest, which puts him in the inconvenient position of staring right down at the pink fucking gem embedded in his sternum.

On top of everything else, why does it have to be this violently pink?

That could’ve gone worse, the snake slithers across the dashboard to audit the damage to the window. Don’t turn back yet, the glass will repair itself in a few minutes.

“Why can’t it do that when I’m normal?” he mutters. He doesn’t want to be wearing a dress for a moment longer than it’s strictly necessary.

It’s just faster this way, quit whining.

Just to add insult to injury, the gunk doesn’t disappear with all the other magical shit. At least it looks more like motor oil than anything else – it’s enough of a pain to clean it up every time without someone calling the cops because Robbie keeps leaving dark alleyways covered in actual blood. With a sigh, he reaches under the seat to retrieve the paper towels and the disinfectant. It’s easier if he wipes it off right away.

Someone clears their throat outside. The snake shoots his head up, instantly wary, while Robbie ducks down – the last thing he wants is for anyone to see him like this, ghost blood notwithstanding.

“Hi,” he hears, before the crunch of gravel closing in on the car. “That wasn’t half bad.”

Robbie turns back around just in time for a blonde man in a leather jacket to lean down to peer through his window. He looks remarkably unfazed by having witnessed someone hammer thin air into submission, although he does look a little surprised when he takes in Robbie’s whole… thing. He gestures for him to roll down the window, and Robbie does, mostly out of sheer confusion.

There’s a motorcycle parked a few meters behind him. How long has he been here?

“Uh,” the man takes a second to collect himself. “Damn, sorry, I thought you were an actual girl.”

Robbie’s going to grow an entire beard as soon as he gets out of here.

He’s a witness, the snake hisses. You need to get rid of him.

“Hey, now,” the man protests. “That won’t be necessary.”

“You can hear him?” Robbie asks dumbly, pointing at the snake. “Did you–see? All that?”

The man inspects his nails while he talks. They’re painted flame-bright orange. It doesn’t really fit his general biker aesthetic, and Robbie feels something like hope kindle low in his chest.

“I think you and I should have a conversation,” the man says. Then, as if a hilarious joke just occurred to him, grins and adds: “Magical girl to magical girl.”

[yourlocalmerchgirl]

Okay, I was thinking Robbie Reyes x Reader. Where Reader was coming home from work and she heard tiny meows along the way. She finds two kittens, one with orange eyes with black fur and brown eyes with tan fur. She brings them home because she doesn’t want to leave them. She walks into Robbie’s house quietly because Gabe and Robbie are sleeping. In the morning. Robbie and Gabe are in the kitchen for breakfast till they heard meows and they freak out till they saw the kittens. Robbie confronts them and she begged Robbie to keep them. Fluff :)

Thank you so much for this request!! I’m so sorry it took be a little while to get it done but I enjoyed doing it.

No warnings. This story and prompt are pure love and fluff

Tagging my fellow Robbie ladies @kalllistos and @spikershoyo

Robbie hated when you worked closing shifts, because him and the rider knew all to well the evil that lurked around in the shadows. Which to be fair you didn’t see well driving at night so you hated working late just as much he hated you doing it.

The last couple weeks you were picking up a couple of overtime closing shifts. Gabe’s birthday was coming up and you wanted to surprise him with a trip down to San Diego to this sports center that opened up for wheelchair sports.

Your big heart is what made Robbie fall in love with you. You treated Gabe like your own since the moment you two started dating, so the fact that you were willing to work extra to be able to make Gabe’s dream to go there possible made his heart swell.

As you’re approaching your car in the dark dimly lit parking lot you hear what sounds like faint meows. You think nothing of it at first, figuring it was just the wind. But as you approach your drivers side door you notice a little shadow under your car followed by more meows.

I swear if I get kidnapped trying to look under my car for a cat I’m going to be so pissed.

As you get down on the ground to look under your car you notice not one but two tiny kittens, fishing them out from under your car you sit with them trying to figure out what to do.

I can’t just leave them here…

You loaded them into your car and drove to the bodega around the corner. The lights on the outside of the store finally giving you a good look at the kittens. One was all black with a little triangle of white fur on his chest with orangish colored eyes, and the other one tan with big brown eyes.

“Hey chicka, I never see you out here this late”

“Hey Javi, yea I picked up a couple of extra shifts”

“Random question, do you guys have like cat food and litter boxes and stuff?”

“Yea the pet stuff is back in the corner…wait you guys get a cat?” Javi asks as he points back to the stuff.

“Not exactly, I found two kittens on my way to my car tonight and I couldn’t just leave them.”

“Oooo chicka Robbie’s gonna kill you” he teases

“I know, but Gabe will love them. We’ll gang up on Robbie and he’ll let us keep them” you chuckle as you put the supplies up on the counter.

When you arrive home Robbie is still out working for the rider and Gabe is staying at a friends. So you bring the kittens inside and set up a little play pen in the middle of the living room with every extra pillow you can find. You set them in it while you get a little water dish and food bowl ready for them, who knows when their last meal was. Your eyes begin to grow heavy as you lowly drift off to sleep watching them settle in.

Robbie notices the soft light of the living room on when he walks in, it wasn’t unusual for you to try to wait up for him at night.

“Baby are you up?” Robbie calls out while he’s taking off his shoes and jacket.

He hears the faint meows in response. What the hell is that?

He peaks his head into the living room and melts when he see you passed out on the floor of the living room, your head resting on a fortress of pillows containing two tiny kittens.

Robbie kneels down on the floor next to you, gently rubbing you leg.

“Baby what do you have here” he softly chuckles.

“These two kittens were huddled underneath my car, I couldn’t leave them there. They were so hungry and cold.”

“Oh baby your big heart never ceases to amaze me”

Robbie lays behind you his chest flush again your back, nestling his face in your neck, watching them with you.

“We can keep them if you want, I know you and gabe would love them”

[laundrybiscuits]

(wait for the season to come back to me tag)

“We still on for dinner this Thursday, or are you gonna reschedule again? Because I swear to god, Steve, I will break into your apartment and set up camp if I have to. It’s been years. Centuries.”

“It’s been a month, Henderson.”

“I barely remember who you are anymore. What’s your name again? How do I know you? We’re actually very happy with our current cable provider, thanks.”

God, that kid is such an asshole. Steve loves the shit out of him.

“Listen, I’ll see you on Thursday and explain everything, okay? Actually, uh—I’m kinda calling to give you a heads-up. Got some big news, so you should, like…brace yourself.”

Dustin’s quiet for a long, worrying moment.

“Steve. You have got to know that that’s the least helpful thing you could possibly say. You’re not even gonna give me a hint, man?”

“Wish I could. It’s not a bad thing, okay? Just big. Like…Upside Down big.”

“Okay, for my own peace of mind, I’m going to pretend you’re completely overreacting about the fact that you, like, got a dog or something.”

“I’m not—”

“Peace of mind, Steve! See you Thursday at my place! Don’t cancel or I’ll kill you!”

Steve’s left laughing into the dial tone. Honestly, he’d mostly called so Dustin couldn’t complain afterwards about not getting an advance warning. There’s just no way to hint at the whole Eddie thing without Eddie being present and accounted for; it would be the worst kind of cruel.

Steve can’t imagine what he’d have done to anyone who tried to tell him Eddie was alive without any kind of proof. It wouldn’t have been good.

“So we’re telling Henderson on Thursday?” Eddie jostles Steve’s shoulder. Steve thinks he’s been doing that a lot more lately.

“Seems like,” says Steve.

———

They take the train to Dustin’s place in Wilmette as soon as it gets dark out. Eddie’s bundled up in a nondescript hoodie and one of Steve’s denim jackets, looking like every other Chicagoan braced against the cool evening air.

They haven’t been going out all that much. Robin keeps asking if Eddie wants to do any tourist stuff, maybe the museums or something, but he always shrugs off the offers. Steve would’ve maybe expected him to want to get out and explore, now that he’s not cooped up anymore, but Eddie mostly seems to want to sleep, read, and watch TV.

Robin’s been on a campaign to educate Eddie about the ten years of pop culture he missed. “It’s essential for rehabilitation,” she says. Steve is pretty sure it’s just an excuse to make them rewatch all of Robin’s favorite movies, because some of the stuff she brings home was definitely already out in 1986.

Eddie draws the line at letting Robin show him music, though: “Nope, nuh-uh, no freaking way. I wouldn’t have listened to that shimmery synth shit if I’d been alive and free every single day of the last decade, and I’m not gonna listen to it now.”

Steve does have a few metal cassettes, but he feels weird about bringing them out. It feels like he’s crossing a line, somehow—admitting to something. So instead, they’d all traipsed over to the Tower Records a few blocks over, and let Eddie roam around sampling things.

To Steve’s surprise, Eddie hadn’t actually picked up that many metal albums. He'd grabbed the new Accept and some Alice in Chains, sure, but he also picked up Nirvana and Soundgarden. He had gotten into a conversation with a very helpful clerk that ended with the clerk scribbling a number on a business card and handing it over with a grin and a promise to make Eddie try some local act called Wilco next time.

Obviously Steve’s happy that Eddie’s making friends and charming people. He’s legitimately fucking thrilled that other people are finally seeing how great Eddie is, because Eddie deserves that. Eddie deserves the world, and if he wants to date some random clerk, he should get to.

It’s just that if Eddie Munson comes back from the dead to start dating some random clerk, Steve is going to have to go live at the bottom of Lake Michigan. That’s all.

[glorious-spoon]

Second-Guessing [9-1-1 | Buck/Eddie | 1/1]

Rating: Teen Wordcount: ~1000 Warnings: None Other Tags: Pre-relationship, Emotional hurt/comfort, Friendship, Episode tag - 6x13 Mixed Feelings

-

“Do you think I’m bad at sex?”

Eddie barks out a startled laugh at his ceiling, then straightens up. This is not, unfortunately, the weirdest way Buck has ever opened a phone call with him, but it’s definitely up there. “What?”

“That call the other day, you know, the lady with the vibrator—”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Eddie,” Buck whines. “This is important!”

“Is it, really?”

“Eighty percent. He said that the article said eighty percent of people report being unsatisfied. Do you know how many women I’ve slept with? Eighty percent of that is, like, a lot. Okay? And I was doing some research—on a first time hookup, did you know that only forty percent of women even have an orgasm at all? So if I do the math on that—”

“Buck.”

Buck lets out a deep sigh that crackles down the phone line. “I’m being an idiot about this, aren’t I?”

“Nah. Well, I mean, kinda. But it’s okay.”

“Is it, though? Like—” there’s a rustle on the other end of the line. It’s easy to imagine Buck right now, flopped out across his bed because the couch his parents bought him is a bona fide torture device. In his sweatpants, probably, his hair still damp from the shower. He lets out another sigh, then says, “You know, Bobby was saying—when I was with Taylor, Bobby said that the problem was that I never talk to my partners, that I don’t know how to communicate, and that’s why my relationships always turn into catastrophes.”

“I don’t think that’s quite what he was saying. And Taylor—”

“I know. You hate her guts.”

Eddie snorts. “I was gonna say that it’s different, in a long term relationship.”

“Right, but. I haven’t historically had a lot of success with those.”

“Relationships don’t work out sometimes. A lot of the time.”

There’s silence for a moment. It’s not just Taylor hanging over the conversation now; Ana is there too. And Shannon.

Sex with Ana was always stilted, awkward in a way that he told himself at the time was just the newness of it all. Just a new person, a new body to learn, just Eddie being rusty when it came to literally any form of physical intimacy. He and Shannon were each other's firsts, so of course neither of them knew what they were doing to start with, and what they learned they learned together. By the end of it, sex was the only part of their relationship that actually worked. Beyond that—

He doesn’t really have a lot of perspective to offer Buck, is the thing. Even setting aside the fact that he’s not sure he can give an objective analysis of the sexual history of the guy he’s in love with.

So there’s that.

“It’s just…” Buck sounds quieter now, almost miserable, and it tugs at Eddie's heartstrings despite the absurdity of this whole conversation. “That was like. The one thing I knew I was good at. You know? Everything else, sure, my life was a mess, I made a lot of dumb choices and messed up a lot of relationships and got myself fired, and—but at least I knew how to, you know, make somebody feel good. Except maybe I didn’t after all. And if I wasn’t even any good at that, then—”

“Buck,” Eddie interrupts again. Gently, this time. He firmly squashes the unhelpful little voice in the back of his head that wants to ask for a hands-on demonstration. Buck sounds freaked out enough that he might actually take Eddie up on it, and Eddie is… really not ready to cope with that possibility. “You’re spiraling.”

Another silence. Then: “I called them. Some of them.”

Good grief. “Your hookups?”

“Yeah—is that a disrespectful way to talk about them? I mean—anyway, yeah. The ones I still have phone numbers for, I called them. Most of them didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Shocking,” Eddie deadpans.

Buck laughs, which is what he was going for. “Shut up.”

“So? What was the verdict?”

He regrets asking the moment the words are out of his mouth, but he doesn't take it back.

“Uh,” Buck says, still laughing a little. “Of the ones I actually got a hold of? Yes, yes, probably, no, who the hell are you, I thought I blocked your number, yes, no, I don't remember, yes.”

“More yeses than nos,” Eddie offers.

“Unless they were lying to make me feel better,” Buck counters triumphantly.

“Buck. If someone called you up out of the blue after years of radio silence to ask if you had an orgasm when you slept together, would you lie about it to spare their feelings?”

Buck is quiet for a minute. “Yeah, okay, that was kind of an insane thing to do, huh.”

“A little. Yeah.”

He can hear the fondness in his own voice and is helpless to mute it. Though he's honestly not really trying that hard. Buck deserves to know that he's loved, even when he's being ridiculous. Maybe especially then.

“I just worry. You know, that all the shit I thought I knew about myself—that maybe it’s not really true after all. And if that’s the case then who the hell am I, anyway?”

“Feels like this maybe isn’t actually about whether or not you’re good in bed,” Eddie offers, and bites his teeth on anything else he could say about that. About finding out that maybe the person you thought you were was just a carefully painted mask over the messy, tender reality underneath. He could offer Buck some truth of his own, but he doesn’t. It doesn’t feel like the right time for it.

That, or he’s a coward. He’s working on it, though.

“Maybe not. I guess. Eddie, I…” Buck trails off.

“What?” Eddie asks, when a few moments of silence have passed.

“Nothing,” Buck says. He laughs quietly; Eddie can conjure up the shape of his smile and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes as easily as breathing. “Just. Thanks for taking my call.”

“Of course. Always.”

For a little while, they just breathe together across the miles between them as night falls gently over Los Angeles. Then Buck says softly, “Come over tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Eddie says back, just as soft. There’s nothing new about the invitation, but it feels new, somehow, anyway. Either way, the answer is the same as it’s always been. “Yeah, okay.”

[harringtonstilinski]

Armageddon It - Eddie Munson (Smut) ; Teaser

Author: @harringtonstilinski​ Characters: Eddie Munson x Reader Word Count: 371 Warnings: none Requested: no | yes; Smut (Minors DNI): no | yes, 18+; eventually in the real fic once posted A/N: Hi, friends! Here's little teaser for the Eddie fic I was supposed to write for a challenge back in March with @stevesxyellowxsweater, but life ended up getting in the way, but I'm gonna finish it and post it in full, hopefully, soon!! If you like this, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

eddie munson masterlist

eddie munson playlist

You were already feeling a little tired, so agreeing to Eddie’s offer of watching a movie seemed like the next best thing. As you walked back into the trailer, you set your stuff back down on the small kitchen table before walking to the couch, plopping yourself down while releasing a deep breath before yawning, “What did you want to watch?”

“None of that rom-com shit you like to watch,” he chuckled.

“Well, none of that horror shit you like to watch,” you retorted, smiling at the end to show him that you were joking.

He chuckled, sitting down next to you after he popped a movie into the player, the remote in his hand. Putting his arm around the back of the couch, he smirked, the trailers playing on the screen, the brightness of the screen lighting up his features.

Looking from him back to the tv, you groaned, a small bit of fear crossing your features. “Eddie. I hate this movie. Why would you pick this movie?”

“What’s wrong with this movie?” he asked, tapping his heels on the floor, his legs having been spread since he sat down.

“It’s fucking creepy!” you whined. “And I feel bad for the little piggie!”

“Well, I, for one, like the Horned King.” “Of course you would. The Black Cauldron is right up your freaking alley.” Crossing your arms, you scrunch your brows, wallowing in your discomfort causing Eddie to lightly chuckle to himself.

Not ten minutes into the film, and you were burying your face into Eddie’s shoulder, your hands up by your cheek. “Oh, fuck!” you exclaimed. This made Eddie chuckle, his arm wrapping around your shoulders, making your face go from his shoulder to his chest, your eyes peeking out from between your fingers. 

“Turn it off, turn it off,” you whimpered as the Horned King spoke on screen.

“How I’ve thirsted to be a god,” the Horned King said.

“You’re fucking creepy as shit, man! You’re no god! You’re just a devil with horns!”

Laughing, Eddie tightened his grip on your shoulders. “That’s the point, babe.” He didn’t mean to use the nickname, it just slipped out. Not that it didn’t feel good rolling off of his tongue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 2:  hi, friends! i hope y’all liked this, and it got y’all excited for the rest of the fic!! i’m working as hard as i can to get it finished and posted. again, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox.

Additional Note: i know that some of y’all are waiting to see your requests, and i promise i’ll get to them. the writer’s block hit really bad, and i've just been really focused on reading/listening to books.

~~~

Forever / Everything Taglist: @stiles-o-dylan24​​​ @stixnstripesworld​​​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​​​ @quanticobae​​​ @mischiefandi​​​ @kellyashcroft​​​ @lauren-novak​​​​

If you’re tagged and didn’t want to be, please let me know.

~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski​.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from y/n and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of The Duffer Brothers.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Posted on August 11, 2024

[glitxhwayventeen]

The Smart One: Part One

Yeonjun

Characters: Yeonjun x female reader

Warnings: mentions of- violence, death, drinking, smoking, sleeping around (but it’s all consensual so i don’t see a problem with it. But i know some people do so TW ig), name calling (but they don’t actually mean it and none of them think they do, they’re loving nicknames), crying, pining/angsty love, Yeonjun being dumb basically poor baby

Author’s Note: Ahhh so I’m back. I hope no one’s too made i started a new addition to the werewolf/college universe but i really think these stories are gonna be nice and get me excited to start writing again so here’s to hoping! Let me know if anyone wants to be added to the tag list for any of the characters!

Please remember that all of these chapters and the content within them are a work of fiction! They’re just for fun/entertainment!

There Will Be Blood Masterlist

The Smart One: Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

🥀

Bold- Dialogue Italics- Thoughts

Tag list-

Yeonjun never understood his brothers. He never understood half of the weird shit they did. He never understood their constant need to be around one another. And he certainly never understood why they were so eager to find their mates.

So as he sat on the couch listening to the pup of their pack argue with the alpha over what their future mates must be like at the kitchen table, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes while he scrolled through his phone in boredom.

“Hyung, there’s no way you’ll get a mate that’s like you. That relationship could never last! Two control freaks don’t make for a happy couple!”

“Surprised you could do that much math! In fact, you better hope yours has half a brain because you’re too stupid to not have someone looking out for you for the rest of your life!”

Everyone in the pack knew that the youngest in the pack wasn’t always the smartest when it came to basic schooling and common sense. Hell, the only reason they found him and added him to the pack in the first place was because he had somehow managed to piss off a group of fifth graders who began chasing him, a high school senior, down the eldest’s home street.

So Yeonjun knew the alpha wasn’t entirely wrong for insinuating Kai probably needed a mate with a head on their shoulders. But that didn’t mean that he thought the boy was stupid. And that definitely didn’t mean he liked the topic at hand to begin with.

“I can take care of myself you know hyung.”

Yeonjun didn’t like the idea of mates. He didn’t like the idea of signing away everything that made them themselves to some stranger werewolf instincts told them they would have to love forever. He didn’t like the idea that his brothers were all trying as hard as they were to find theirs.

And he sure as shit didn’t agree with wanting to give up the lifestyle he had gotten used to over the years just because his dumb wolfy brain would be too obsessed with some innocent unsuspecting human to think straight.

“You literally wouldn’t be able to tie your shoes if it weren’t for us but whatever Huening.”

Because who would want to be tied down like that? Who would want to have to answer to some random person for the rest of their life that something as ridiculous as fate set them up with? Who would want a life that basically took away everyone in the situation’s free will and personal choices? Not Yeonjun, that’s for sure.

“That was one time! And it was only because I couldn’t find my contacts hyung!”

At that point in his younger brothers conversation, Yeonjun had pretty much tuned them out. Not that he could help it, they’re the ones who got his brain stuck on a topic he otherwise wouldn’t have given five seconds of his time on. Now because of them, his brain was laser focused on what finding a mate would mean for him in particular. And the thought started making his stomach churn with unease.

Because he was someone who liked going to parties. He liked the opportunity to make friends and socialize. He liked the free drinks and party favors. He even liked the god awful music because it meant he could dance his troubles away.

If he had a mate chances are they wouldn’t want him to go to parties. Or go out. Or have a good time with his friends.

He was also someone who liked to drink and smoke pretty regularly to handle the stress of his everyday life. Not that he was an alcoholic or anything, but he was definitely someone who had to go to the hospital more than a handful of times to get his stomach pumped after partying a little too hard. And he was definitely someone who always had a pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket in case he needed to chill out, but he didn’t think he was a chain smoker or anything.

But the pack was friends with other packs in the area, and let’s just say more than a few of them had mates that were heavily against their mate doing any smoking or drinking. With his luck, his mate would be the same exact way and he’d be forced to give up something he loved for someone his instincts would tell him he loved.

Yeonjun also liked to hook up with random people at the parties he went to. Some of them even on a regular basis because it was a situation that benefited everyone involved. They all would be satisfied with their sex lives and no one had to worry about mushy gushy relationship stuff like going on picnics or planning cheesy dates to get laid.

But he knew the second he got a girlfriend, that favorite pass time of his would be over or it would become the center of all their arguments. Which is exactly why he had never had one before.

Which was another issue, he wasn’t exactly a guy destined for monogamy. Hell, he wasn’t even able to promise his situationships that he wouldn’t go fuck someone else right after he was done with them. And everyone, everyone, knew that about him. Even people he had never even met or people from other universities knew he was the kind of guy who girls brought to their beds, not to meet their parents.

If he had a mate, chances were they wouldn’t be okay with an open relationship. In fact, they’d likely want to be completely exclusive and to only be with each other. Yeonjun would want the opposite of that. He wouldn’t even know how to go about having that talk with someone. Actually, he couldn’t even imagine the issues that uncomfortable conversation would cause him if he had a mate.

As the eldest stayed seated adorned in his usual black and leather get up, he couldn’t help but think of another rather unsettling complication finding a mate would cause him if he somehow did manage to warm up to the idea of having one: bringing a fragile little human into his rather chaotic and dangerous life.

Sure he had plenty of human friends, they had to stay unsuspecting to the outside world after all. And it wasn’t even that he thought less of them or had them for appearances sake. Yeonjun did genuinely like, and even at times envy, his human friends. But none of them knew half the shit that really went on in his life.

They didn’t know that he wore brown colored contacts to hide his naturally golden eyes. They didn’t know that his roommates were actually his packmates. They didn’t know he had to be locked up for almost a whole week twice a year to keep from fucking everything and everyone that crossed his path during his rut.

And they definitely didn’t know that if he ever let his emotions go unchecked and got too mad he could phase and hurt, possibly even accidentally kill, the people around him.

Yeonjun had known he had to take all that into consideration during every interaction he had with his human friends. But he had never really thought about what falling in love with one would mean for them.

Being a mate meant being part of his pack. His pack of very kind, albeit very dumb, brothers and their future mates. It meant always having to be tethered to them because Yeonjun was, no matter how big in size it would get or how rocky a relationship the person would have with them.

Being a mate meant having to keep a secret, a huge one, from all friends and family outside of said pack in order to protect everyone. It meant his mate would have to watch everything they said to be sure they never let anything slip out.

And being a mate meant being put in dangerous, possibly even deadly, situations. It meant that his mate would have to always be on the look out for werewolf hunters trying to use them for leverage.

It meant they’d have to be conscious of rivaling or vengeful packs/rogue wolves who’d have a bone to pick with theirs for one reason or another. It meant they’d have to get wrapped up with other packs and their business because Yeonjun’s never turned others away when they needed help.

It even meant that he could hurt his mate himself if he wasn’t careful while phasing or using too much strength when their weaker human body couldn’t handle it.

Being linked to him meant being linked to a revolver with one bullet in the chamber randomly firing, you just never knew when it would go off. How could Yeonjun ever be okay with doing that to someone who never had a say in the matter to begin with because of the feelings they would catch due to his werewolf instincts?

“Jjun hyung,” Soobin’s voice suddenly broke through Yeonjun’s thoughts, “I need you to drive Hyuka to the library for his tutoring session today.”

He couldn’t help but pull his brow together in annoyance, “And why the fuck would I do that?”

Yeonjun couldn’t lie and say he meant for his question to come out as rude as it did. But he truthfully didn’t see why he needed to be the one to take him. Sure the pup of the pack couldn’t drive yet, but others in the pack had recently gotten their licenses and could take him.

“Because I’m in charge and because I’m asking you politely to do it,” Binnie spoke hurriedly as he shoved some books into his already overflowing bag, clearly rushing to leave the house for, what the eldest could only assume based on his polished appearance anyways, work.

Yeonjun didn’t really think that was a good enough answer. Why couldn’t Beomgyu take the younger boy? Or Taehyun? Why did it have to be him?

He drove a really nice motorcycle that, even though it could fit two people on it easily, he didn’t like other people getting close to because they could scratch or dent it. Not to mention Hueningkai was absolutely terrified of riding it as he so lovingly pointed out when he deemed it a “coffin on two wheels.”

So Yeonjun let out a dry chuckle, “Nicely? Sounds more like a command if you ask me. Huening failing out of school is not my responsibility. Besides someone else will have to do it anyways because I have school myself sorry.”

While he knew that statement was a selfish thing to say, it was also true. If he could manage to get by in school with a hope and a prayer, why couldn’t the youngest of their little family learn to do it?

Sure other people did try to “help” Yeonjun with his issues once upon a time, but they just made him feel even more stupid than he already knew his parents thought he was. So he didn’t even fully see the point of the pup going to tutoring anyways. Chances are it wouldn’t work for him either. So it was a waste of money in his eyes.

The alpha pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly agitated and over the fight he hadn’t even had with the eldest yet, “Jesus fuck Yeonjun-ah, I don’t have time for this. Tweedle dee and tweedle dumbass’s timing of their classes today won’t let them do it and i have work. We both know you’re just gonna blow your classes off today like you do nearly everyday so you can do it you just don’t want to.”

Soobin sighed jaggedly as he ran a hand through his messy hair in an attempt to steady his breathing, “But if that’s what it takes to get you off your ass and to get you to be helpful for once then yes, it’s a command then!” He practically growled because he had to do something he hated and had to force his status on his brothers as he threw his bag to sit on his shoulder, “Take his ass to his tutoring so he doesn’t fail out of school. I dont know about you but i don’t want his sisters to come and freak out on us for being bad influences on him again!”

Even though he heard muffled snickers coming from Taehyun and Beomgyu sitting nearby, all Yeonjun could do at that point was throw a harsh scowl Soobin’s way.

He couldn’t disobey an alphas order anymore than he could stop breathing. And he couldn’t necessarily say the alpha was wrong in saying he was just planning on not going to his classes today anyways. He just really hadn’t planned on being Huening’s personal taxi driver for the day. Sometimes he really hated being a werewolf.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me hyung!” Kai put his arm over the eldest’s shoulder with a squeeze, a cheshire grin happily plastered on his face.

“You know I hate you right?” Yeonjun hissed as he got up to grab the keys to his motorcycle, much to the sudden mortification of the younger boy.

————

A whiff of old books and ancient dust seemed to flow through the air as the two boys stepped through the double doors to their college’s library. A library Yeonjun hated.

He hated the smell, even if the smell today wasn’t as putrid as usual for some reason. It still smelled musky and moldy like it normally did, just… less moldy and musky than he had known it to be previously.

He hated the goodie goodie people sitting at their tables studying, who no doubt thought they were better than him. Which was total bull. Because just because he wasn’t book smart like they were and could barely scrape by in his classes didn’t mean the brown nosing assholes scattered about the depressing building should have the right to judge him.

And he definitely hated having to be anywhere near the grouchy librarian who always told him he was too loud to be there. Which he found ridiculous because why should he have to be less noisy and more tame when ehe let everyone else do what they wanted to all the time anyways? He was 99.99% positive that the old crone just had it out for him.

“You just haaaaaad to flunk calculus didn’t you?” Yeonjun rhetorically asked his brother under his breath, his nose automatically scrunching up at the foreign aromas around him, slightly catching a whiff of someone’s delicious smelling cherry perfume that was sweet enough to almost have him forgetting why he was there in the first place. Almost.

But Huening paid no mind to the sulky boy as his eyes began to scan the rather large and echoey room for his rather small and quiet tutor.

The eldest knew that Hyuka had been doing sessions with you for a little over three months now and he’d say they had paid off substantially, his calculus grade went from a failing D to an above average B. Which was something none of his brothers had managed to help him do.

So, as annoyed as he was at his alpha for forcing him to take him to school, Yeonjun tried not to be too annoyed with the pup. At least he was putting in effort to do something good for himself for once.

But that didn’t mean he had to like the place you two did your study sessions. It was literally the most cliche and boring place ever.

“There she is!” Hueningkai practically squealed, his high pitched voice causing you to look up from the book that was in front of you at your table with a small, though obviously very shocked, smile.

While Kai was just happy rambling about what they were going to work on that day and why the session would take so long as he was getting tutored by someone he considered a friend, one of the few he had actually managed to make on his own, Yeonjun was in his own little world.

From the moment his eyes turned to you as you looked up to shyly greet his younger brother from afar, everything else around him faded away.

All the students mumbling around him were tuned out when he quickly realized the sweet cherry smell hanging in the air was linked to you.

All the sounds of chairs being pushed in and out from the tables scattered about went mute as your beautiful curls residually bounced from moving your head to look up.

All the passerbyers around you practically floated out of his line of sight as your dimpled smile radiated a warmth bright enough to reach even the coldest person in the room.

Before his current interaction with you, Yeonjun had only heard about you from his younger brother’s constant babbling about his new tutor friend. Soobin, Taehyun, or Beomgyu had always been the one to drop him off because the eldest never wanted to and/or was never home.

He never cared enough about something so trivial to listen to Kai’s mentions of you, which was something he was regretting in the present.

He didn’t remember much, but what did manage to sneak it’s way into his brain made sense. He had once told Yeonjun something about you being a foreigner. You definitely didn’t look as Korean as the people around you, yet you still managed to outshine every single person in the building by a landslide.

The younger boy had once spoken about how shy you were and, based on how your cheeks lit up with noticeable hues of pink and red even through your darker complexion once you saw that Kai hadn’t come alone, he guessed his assessment of you was correct.

Huening had also said something about you being very polished and conservative in appearance. Which was something exuded in your outfit choice: a pastel yellow cardigan that brought out the glow in your ebony skin and an olive green under vest that fit your rather curvy body perfectly.

And from what Yeonjun could see just under the open library table, you had a pleated skirt composed of similar colors and white laced tights that matched your headband on top of your beautifully and expertly styled hair.

To say you were the most gorgeous person the elder boy had ever seen was an understatement.

All Yeonjun wanted to do was go over, pull you up from your chair, and kiss your glossed lips until you both ran out of breath.

Sure it would be a little difficult to maneuver, Yeonjun could tell by referencing the size of everything around you that you were quite a bit shorter than him, actually probably a lot a bit shorter than him. But with his strength and your small frame, he was sure he would still be able to lift you with ease.

In fact, you would probably be just the right size for him to be able to wrap your legs around his waist and walk around comfortably. Which would mean that walking you over to the nearest room with a lockable door wouldn’t be a probl-

But before he could finish his line of thinking, you lifted your delicate hand in the air to signal Kai to come over to you and suddenly the panic of the situation truly set in, causing Yeonjun to react on instinct.

Heart nearly pounding out of his chest from the shock of having seen you, he quickly threw himself to the side of the nearest bookcase to hide himself from your view. Much to the confusion of his younger brother who dutifully followed suite in order to see what was going on.

“Yeonjun-ah,” Kai hesitantly spoke to get the elder boy’s attention, “Is everything okay?”

No, nothing was okay. Five seconds ago his life was great. Five seconds ago he was Yeonjun, the guy who smoked nearly a pack a day. Five seconds ago he was Yeonjun, the guy who always had a drink in his hand to take the edge off.

Five seconds ago he was Yeonjun, party boy who slept with whoever he wanted whenever he wanted without a care in the world. Five seconds ago he was Yeonjun, a normal human guy.

Now he was Yeonjun, the werewolf whose senses were going into hyperdrive and who’s brain was ready to throw all that away over some girl he had only seen once for less than half a second.

“T-That girl’s your tutor?” The elder boy asked as he worked on catching his breath, deeply gulping back a crack he knew his voice was desperate to let out.

Huening tilted his head in confusion and gripped the strap of the bag that was thrown over his shoulder a little tighter in discomfort, “Yeah… that’s ____… why…?”

Scanning the pup’s expression, Yeonjun could tell he was getting suspicious of what was going on. He knew the second the youngest understood what was going on he’d run an tell everyone in the pack.

After that there’d be no going back. After that everything would change. But he couldn’t let that happen.

He couldn’t lose what little life he had found for himself outside of his pack. He couldn’t let go of the few things he had left that make him happy. He couldn’t throw away a life of freedom for a life of fear.

And he couldn’t get you caught up in the mess he had created that was his life, not when he finally saw you. Not when he could tell you were a happy sweet innocent person who deserved a hell of a lot better than what he could give you. Not when every instinct in his body was telling him to protect you for the biggest threat around: himself.

Yeonjun knew he’d have to respond to his brother in a matter of seconds. He knew he was acting weird and that the youngest would come to his own conclusions.

But he still had one hope: no one else in the pack had gone through it yet, so no one knew 100% what the signs really were in real life. They only heard second hand accounts from their friends in other packs. So there was still a chance he could hide it. You still had a chance.

“No- No reason,” Yeonjun did his best to pull himself together and recreate his shattered normal cool guy persona, even though his heart was still in his throat and it was causing him to become light headed, “Just wondering. That’s all. What time do you need picked up?”

Based on Kai’s still confused face, he didn’t seem to buy Yeonjun’s answer fully. Probably because he could physically hear his brother’s pulse racing.

But he at least let it go soon enough when he heard you softly call his name, “I need a ride back at 4. I gotta go, thanks for the ride hyung!”

With that, the pup went off in a hurry to meet you at your table, giving you a quick hug and placing his things on the table for you to get your session started.

And while Yeonjun’s immediate instinct to his internal decision to stay away from you was to need to whimper because you were so close yet so far away from him, he shakily began to walk to the library’s exit so he could get back to his bike.

It felt like his heart was crushing in two. It felt like the world was crumbling around him. Like all the air was being pulled from his lungs with ever step further from you that he took. It felt like he was slipping away and that the only thing that could bring him back to earth was you. But he refused.

As he jumped on his motorcycle, started the engine, and he sped off and way from his university at full speed, tears began to slide down his face underneath his helmet.

He made a promise to himself and to you to keep you away from him, no matter how much it hurt. It was better for everyone that way.

He wasn’t meant to be in relationships. He wasn’t meant for commitment. He wasn’t meant to love people unconditionally. He physically couldn’t, he had no frame of reference to mimic to even show you he would be willing to try to figure it out for you.

He couldn’t be a boyfriend, he legitimately didn’t know how to be one. And he wasn’t about to force you to teach him while also putting you in mortal danger every single day because of him and his pack.

A part of Yeonjun’s distraught brain wondered if he should’ve felt bad for taking the choice away from you. After all, that’s why he hated the idea of mating in the first place.

But he decided that nobody should have to make that choice. Nobody should have to choose between a quiet life with someone you could never love right and a dangerous life that may be cut short because of someone you love madly. Nobody should have to feel guilty for unintentionally killing someone if they rejected them. Nobody should have to be put through it, least of all you.

You’d be safer and happier this way. And he could continue on living for his pack because you wouldn’t have verbally denied him.

He didn’t like the idea of mates and what they stood for. He hated that they took away free will. But as cheesy as it sounded, seeing you for the first time changed everything he felt just earlier in the day.

He saw you and he immediately wanted to stop partying. He saw you and would’ve instantly quit smoking and drinking if that’s what you wanted him to do. He saw you and felt the need to send out messages to all his previous fuckbuddies to let them know it was over between them, that he had no need for them when he had you.

Because all he could think about was the future he could have with you. The stereotypical one people always referenced with the nice big house with a white picket fence he would’ve helped put up himself.

One where you two had a stupidly expensive wedding where you looked absolutely stunning walking down the aisle towards where he would be at the alter bawling his eyes out knowing you would be his forever.

A future where you had normal human jobs you came home from at the end of the day and complained to each other about while making dinner.

A life where you had two kids: a boy who looked and unfortunately acted just like himself and a girl that luckily looked and acted just like you.

Now that he had met you, he wanted you to be together. He wanted you to be his mate, to be his. He was fine with his free will being taken away if it meant he was able to spend a lifetime with you.

But he couldn’t put you through that.

And driving away from you when he could’ve just gone to introduce himself to you and ask you out was single handedly the hardest thing he had ever done. And his life was only gonna get harder.

(Edited 5/25/2024)

[mlm-writer]

Survival First, Mourning Later (Tiran Kandros x GN!Reader)

Pairing:  Tiran Kandros x Gender Neutral Reader (relationship unspecified) Rating: Mature Words: 1753 POV: Second Summary: The Big Tober Day 15 - Last Words Note: Ssshhh I am totally not behind. Also all other characters are my OCs. Enjoy them. Tags: Major character death, explicit violence, action, gunfights with the Remnant and reader and Kandros are at least on physical touch level comfortable with each other.

You had a bad feeling the moment you stepped into the Renmant building, like a bug crawling over your bones. The metal vibrated under your feet, making you feel like the whole structure was alive. Maybe it was; you never knew with these damned robots. It had been eerily quiet, like there was no life after all. Kandros led the team of 6, including you and himself. You expected to find the scientists you were looking for dead, but director Tann was hopeful. Well, he pretended to be hopeful. You all knew he just did not want to admit he sent some scientists to their death.

“Can’t we just kill the fuckers above ground and steal their batteries? The things are ancient, so I bet we could power the Nexus with them for decades,” Logus Daemus whispered over the comm. It was a funny idea, but no one laughed, because no one was sure if Logus was serious or not. The Turian was a great shot, but his brawn was with a 100% certainty meant to compensate for his brain.

“And if we manage to find out what they charge those batteries with, the Nexus could be set forever,” Lalia Daemus mused. Being his sister, she really was the only one who could talk logic into the man without angering him.

“Quiet,” Kandros hissed. He was not against chatter, so when he said it, everyone froze. Surely, in the distance, one could hear the tell tale sounds of Remnant at work. Your grip on your weapon tightened. “Let’s try to avoid a fight,” Kandros whispered as he put a hand on your arm, making you relax. You couldn’t see his face well through his visor, but even without his eyes, he could make you feel more at ease. Kandros nodded towards a smaller hallway that led away from where the Remnant could be heard.

You followed Kandros close by, the rest of your team tailing behind you. Dai Lian was almost fused with your rear. You wondered why he was brought along. He was comfortable fighting exiles and Kett, but you knew the Remnant freaked him out. It was not like his biotics didn’t work against the Remnant, but you supposed he had some history with the Geth.

All went well, the hallway quiet, until Yalona, who was the tail of your group, stepped on something. She could feel it shift under her foot. Immediately, red lights surrounded you and a deep sound that reminded you of an alarm echoed through the hallway. “Get to cover!” Kandros hollered. There were some metal half-walls in the hallway. You took Dai Lian’s hand and dragged him with you to the shortest one. Being the only humans, you two were the smallest ones in the squad. To your left, Logus and Lalia were hiding behind a slightly taller half-wall. Behind you, Kandros and Yalona were watching your six. You heard Kandros shoot, before you saw the first Assembler turn around the corner from where you just came.

Your assault rifle vibrated in your hands as you fought - quite literally - for your life. Dai Lian made sure they didn’t get close, pushing them away or slowing them down with his biotics. “Need some backup over here,” Kandros’ voice came over the com.

“Logus, Lalia, I’m leaving Dai Lian here for support. Gonna help Kandros and Yalona.” The Turian siblings confirmed they heard you and you bolted out of cover to Kandros’ little half-wall. You didn’t really fit behind it with Yalona there too, especially not now the Salarian’s tech armour was making her bulkier. The way you were going got swarmed by Remnant. You shot the Breachers out of the air, the continuous stream leaving very little room to actually attack the Assemblers creating them.

“Running out of heatclips here,” Logus warned over the com. One moment you heard him. The next moment, there was a heavy explosion behind you. You allowed yourself a quick look over your shoulder. There were three Nullifiers lined up. Logus and Lalia would’ve been dead, were it not for Dai Lian’s quick reflexes. Lalia demanded Kandros to call for a retreat. You knew he knew, but just like everyone else, you were aware that you were surrounded.

“Yalona, do you see any shafts leading away from here?” Kandros yelled over the com as he finally managed to get rid of one of the Assemblers. Yalona had barely a word out, when she got interrupted by another heavy explosion behind you. You heard a brief scream over the com, but it was cut short. It was followed by a woeful cry from Dai Lian.

You turned your head just far enough to see the gaping hole in the floor where once Logus and Lalia were hiding. “Kandros, five ‘o clock, the Nullifiers shot a hole through the floor,” you called as you focused your gaze forward again to quickly shoot an Observer down.

“We escape through it, now!” You did not need to be told twice. You were bolting, picking up Dai Lian on the way and tumbling down the hole face first. You rolled onto your back and pointed your assault rifle up. Kandros was right behind you, dragging Yalona in much the same way you had dragged Dai Lian with you. Behind Kandros, you could see a Breacher trying to follow him. You shot it down, before it could hurt anyone. “Get up, we gotta run.” Kandros ordered as he pulled you to your feet. Dai Lian was already on his feet, moving a large crate with his biotics. He plugged the hole with it. You ran right behind Kandros, a second later realising Yalona was not catching up.

“Kandros! Yalona is injured.” The Turian paused and then ran back past you. He swung the Salarian over his shoulders with ease. Yalona muttered some thank yous, but did not say much else. That should’ve been a bad sign, but you were too occupied with finding a safe haven to think about it. “If the rest of the structure is like this, let’s count our scientists as dead. We already lost two people…”

“I know!” Kandros snapped at you. “We get out and we’ll retrieve the bodies, when we got backup.” You were unsure if he meant those of the scientists or those of the siblings. The latter were destroyed to nothing but ash, but Kandros probably could not accept that right away. You noticed how quiet Dai Lian was. When you looked over, he had tears in his eyes.

Kandros paused when he heard more Remnant approaching ahead of you. You spotted a side room and signalled everyone to get in. Yalona managed to hack the door in time and lock it behind you. She leaned against the wall next to the door, where Kandros was listening to what was going on in the hallway. You were in the back with Dai Lian; he sat on a crate, while you were crouched in front of him, one of your hands rubbing his knee. “I couldn’t protect them,” the other human whispered. He was trying hard not to cry, but even you couldn’t imagine the survivor's guilt he was feeling. “If I was just…”

You shushed him and leaned up to give him a hug. “We can’t have you spiralling right now. Survival first, mourning later,” you whispered to him. He sniffed into your shoulder, before giving you a small hum that indicated that he understood. After a brief moment, you let go of your fellow agent. You looked over your shoulder at Kandros and Yalona. You narrowed your eyes at the Salarian. She was slumped over, but no longer gasping for breath. “Yalona?” You closed the distance between you, but before you could touch her, Kandros had caught your wrist midair.

“She’s gone,” he whispered, ear still against the door and eyes avoiding yours. You swallowed a lump in your throat. You sighed and pulled your hand free, repeating the word you just told Dai Lian in your head for yourself. Survival first, mourning later.

You put Yalona in what looked like a more comfortable position; it was all you could do for her now. You made her a promise in your head. You would come back for her body. When you had the manpower, she would get her proper funeral. You were pulled from your thoughts by Dai Lian calling out your name. You got to your feet and turned to him. “Think we can make it through here?” Dai Lian asked as he revealed a grid that was hidden behind the crate he sat on earlier. With his biotics, he ripped the grid off. You crouched down next to him, looking at the shaft behind the grid.

“We will, but no way a full-grown Turian would fit thr…” You were cut off by the sound of lasers and explosions. The door rattled, the metal creaking under the onslaught.

“Go! I will hold them off your back for as long as I can.” Kandros ordered as he made sure his weapon had a fresh heatclip inside. You tried to argue with him, but even you knew the options were all dying here or you and Dai Lian possibly making it out of here alive. When the door started to crumble, you pushed Dai Lian into the shaft, following close by. “See you in the next adventure!” Kandros called after you. You liked to pretend those words were the last thing you heard from him. Everything you heard after that made you wanna turn around, but you couldn’t. Survival first, mourning later.

You and Dai Lian made it out, barely. You ran to the shuttle covered in machine fluid and blood from both you and Dai Lian. When you came back, some other big shot took over for Kandros, but no amount of respectable record could replace the man you trusted with your life. Especially not when said big shot refused to dispatch an APEX squad to retrieve the bodies. ‘Waste of resources’ your ass.

Eventually it was Ryder who went back in with a horde of volunteers from the APEX squads and their own team. Kandros just meant that much to the people he led. They found Kandros and Yalona, but there was nothing left of the Daemus siblings. Seeing his body was hard, but it was thanks to him that you were even there to see it. You survived that day and now came the time of later…

—————

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[otemporanerys]

7 snippets, 7 mutuals

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Time to air all my dirty laundry WIPs!

1. True Blue - siblings edition

When the two of them entered the apartment that afternoon, Sol was sitting on the floor of the living room, folding up her clothes as small as they would go. “Hey, G,” she said without looking up, “how was school?”

“Fine.” Sol didn’t look up. “Uh, you remember Shepard.”

Sol snapped to attention. “Oh. Hi.”

Shepard ran over to the TV. “Whoa, this one’s new!” She sat down, cross-legged, and admired his games console. “We only get the ones the kids’ hospital doesn’t want.”

“Wait, seriously?” Garrus asked.

“Yeah, it’s awful.” Shepard turned the console on. “They try and wrap them up so we don’t notice but they’re always covered in snot.”

Sol mouthed at Garrus, she’s gonna steal it. Garrus mouthed back, shut up.

2. True Blue - idiots in love edition

Another reason being on the Normandy was weird: normally seeing Shepard in person was a process of extensive negotiations with both their calendars. - Can you do next week? - Sorry, the tour doesn’t end until next month. Does that work? - No, Pallin’s sending me on a course, what about after?

But now that they were on the same ship, it was the work of moments.

Dualla? she texted.

Sure, he replied, I’ll be there in five.

Dualla could be – very crudely, in Garrus’s opinion – described as turian yoga, but it was faster paced, mixing speed and flexibility. Once upon a time, Garrus had been better at it than Shepard, but that was a long time ago, and when Shepard set her mind to something, it took her no time at all to master it.

The VI in the Normandy’s gym suggested some gentle adjustments, bearing in mind that Shepard’s joints weren’t shaped for the basic program, but Shepard, naturally, ignored all of them.

3. True Blue - Garrus is hot now edition

“Don’t tell me you didn’t freak out when you first saw him,” Metina needled. “C’mon, you can tell us.”

Shepard muttered something through clenched teeth – Garrus didn’t catch it, and if she said anything after, it was drowned out by Saesa and Metina cackling. “Hey,” he said, and they cackled even louder. Shepard’s face was… really red. Like after a long run, or a hard fight. “I got you a beer.”

She took it without saying thank you.

“Aw,” said Metina, “where’s my drink?”

“I, uh.” Garrus looked down at his beer. “I only have two hands.”

“Ignore her,” Saesa tutted. She leaned against a disused storage crate and sipped her drink. “So I hear basic is a non-stop party.”

Garrus scoffed. “If you ever go to parties where they make you do push-ups.”

She giggled behind her straw.

4. species swap - Vakarian parents edition

Even though she’d been awake for nearly 48 hours, she wasn’t tired when it was time for Castor to leave, but she did feel a little… she didn’t know. Wistful, maybe.

Even the way he stepped back into his clothes was efficient, she thought, as she wrapped her dressing down (towelly and Muppet print) around herself. He tightened his belt and asked, “Do you mind if I call you again?”

Right. A man who looked like that probably had a girl in every port, and she was this port’s girl. “Yeah, sure. Although, I don’t know if I’ll be here for your next shore leave.”

“I didn’t mean next time I’m here,” he said, buttoning up his shirt.

“Oh.” What? She laughed. “Yeah, sure, just ring me up whenever you feel like a chat.”

When he walked over to her, he looked just as soldier-fresh as he had when he’d walked into that weird officer’s restaurant the day before – except maybe there was a bit of stubble on his chin. He leaned down and kissed her, slowly and with tongue.

God, he was hot.

5. species swap - (angry) siblings edition

Somehow, out of all the Vakarians – stiff Castor, angry Tegan, and the prodigal son – Syl was the one who looked like she wanted to be here the least.

She hunched in the corner, pulling her little jacket around herself, and she pulled something out of her pocket. Gareth smelt it before he saw it – the sweet stink of unlit cigarettes.

“I didn’t know you still –”

Her head whipped over her shoulder. Jesus, Gareth had heard of looks to kill, but the look his sister gave him could vaporize. “I didn’t think you’d show.”

Gareth shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, uh. How are you?”

She turned back, lighting her cigarette.

This was always going to be an uphill battle. Gareth walked around in front of her, getting a faceful of smoke for his trouble. “I know you’re pissed, and you have every right to be, but –”

“Pissed. That’s one word for it.” She narrowed her eyes. “You really think you can just show up here like nothing happened?”

6. witcher - horny Kasumi edition

“Where do you keep finding these men?” Kasumi asked. “I never see you with anyone who isn’t drop-dead –”

“We’re working together,” Shepard interrupted. “Kasumi, meet –"

“Garrus.” Kasumi gave an exaggerated curtsey. “Whatever happened to that sorcerer you were travelling with last?” the sorceress asked. “Tall, dark, handsome –” “Oh,” Shepard grimaced. “Jacob. He found someone else.”

Garrus blinked. “He left you for another woman?”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Shepard replied, “it only saved me the bother of jilting him myself.”

“Another sorceress?” Kasumi pouted.

“Mortal,” Shepard said. “Pregnant. Not his, obviously, but he still felt –”

“Ah,” Kasumi smirked, “so it’s only a matter of waiting.”

7. witcher - AU of the AU edition

“Hello, your grace,” she ventured.

“You know her, my lord?” one of the villagers asked. “But she’s a –”

“Witcher,” Garrus – she was pretty sure it was Garrus – finished. “Yes, she helped me with a problem once.” He smiled softly. “Must’ve been a decade ago.”

That sounded right, and he looked it. Not in a bad way: his face had filled out a little, and there was the smallest scattering of grey in that thick head of dark hair.  

Shepard jerked her chin at the snowbank. “Do you have a spare spade?”

Garrus took it upon himself to dig right next to her. “I didn’t think you’d remember me,” he muttered, low enough that the villagers – his subjects – couldn’t hear.

“Oh, I remember.” She smirked. “I made you a man.”

He blushed, and smiled, and for a moment he looked just like that earnest young man she bedded all those years ago.

[autisticempathydaemon]

[A4A] Your Goofy Partner Makes Thunderstorms Fun

Tags: [Comfort for fear of storms] [Established Relationship] [Silly] [Reassuring]

Type: SFW

Tagline: It’s not a dark and stormy night no more, baby; it’s a party.

Tone: silly, optimistic, bubbly

Setting; SFX: inside during a thunderstorm; faint thunder and rain

Word count: 1,176, ~10-12

Author's Notes: Lowkey, I was thinking of Lasko's comfort audio but give it to Asher, ya know?

[Rumbling of rain and distant thunder (maybe gets gradually louder/closer to build tension and denote fear which is then broken by the following), knocking at the door] (Muffled) Babyyyy! Hey, babe, are you still home? Are you there? I hope you are, cause otherwise I’m gonna look so nuts out here-

[Door opening] (Unmuffled) There you are, good! Can I come in? 

[Door closing, the storm lowers in volume and seems far now that you are here, fumbling with jacket and bags] (Rambling, breathless) I know you told me that you didn’t have anything to do today, but that was, like, four hours ago. I was hoping to get here before the rain, but I lost that race- obviously. 

[Laugh, kiss] How’re you, baby? How’re you holding up?

What do you mean? I’m here, because the forecast says thunderstorms tonight. 

Aaaand you told me last week you were really, really scared of them. I didn’t want you to be here and all scared alone, so here I am, locked and loaded with a thunderstorm funtimes bug-out bag. 

I know I didn’t have to do all that, silly; I wanted to. And I really didn’t come that far. You live, like, fifteen minutes away from me. 

It’s a good thing I didn’t drive in the rain for something “dumb” then. I drove in the rain for something legit and serious and important. Storms are loud and bright and shitty and totally reasonable to be afraid of- at least, just as reasonable as other, more common fears. Like, I’m afraid of clowns, babe. That shit makes no sense. 

It doesn’t make more sense though- that’s the thing! Like, I can probably count on one- maybe two hands how many people have died from clowns, and almost all of that is that one serial killer who gave clowns a bad name. Not to freak you out but the thing you’re scared of is so much more legit than mine which means it isn’t dumb. 

Yeah. Besides, I don’t care what you’re afraid of, you know? Babe, you could be afraid of, like… stars, like the stars in the sky, and I’m still coming over to support you and bring the best sources of light pollution a middle-class dude can buy. It doesn’t matter what‘s causing it; all that matters to me is that you’re scared and that I want to help.

Of course, sunshine. Anything for you.

[Kiss] Now that we settled all that, wanna get comfy on the floor and go through all the goodies I brought?

[Footsteps, thump of putting bags down] I know you’ve got a perfectly good couch to sit on, but this is not a couch sort of affair. This is a pillows, poles, blanket tent occasion, and I was a Scout. I know a thing or two about tents.

I figured a warm, kind of half-enclosed tent might be more cozy than just sitting in your living room. I thought helping put it together would take your mind off the storm and be another barrier between you and the noise, you know?

(Pleased) Cool. I brought a couple of blankets for the structure, but this one is for you to use as an actual blanket. It’s weighted and is really good for anxiety and nerves. 

[Fabric rustling] It’s nice, right? You can keep that one, I have another at home. Alright, so I also brought a ton of snacks, because I wasn’t sure what your snack situation was, and I didn’t want to raid your pantry. Also, my snacks are probably better.

Because I brought skittles, sour patch kids, and cheese balls for the express reason that it’s scientifically impossible to be scared or sad or upset with a mouth of cheese balls. 

Yeah, I’ve got studies; they were published in the scientific journals of Hard Knocks and Because I Said So.

[Laugh] Eat a skittle, brat, and let me show you the rest. I’ve got all the stuff to make either hot cocoa or chocolate milk; I wasn’t sure if you were in the mood for a hot drink or cold drink, so I played it safe and brought the ingredients for both. Oh, and movies! I brought over movies.

The same reason people like vinyl records. I love having something physical on a disk that no one can take from me and will still work without wifi. It doesn’t look like there’ll be a power outage, but we can still watch DVDs if there is.

(Playful) Hey, despite my good looks and carefree “hakuna matata” vibes, I’m smart! I’m thoughtful and logical!

I cannot be blamed for not paying my trash bill, okay. That shit doesn’t get covered in school, and I think it’s a really reasonable assumption that trash and recycling services are paid for with our tax dollars because they should be!

[Laugh] More skittles! Eat ‘em before I throw them at you!

[Laugh] Unbelievable. You’re so lucky you’re cute and it’s storming, or I’d throw pillows, not candy. Alright, take your pick. We’ve got Rambo, Hercules, and/or The Ring. What are we feeling?

Well, I figured an action movie might help, because all the gunfire and explosions might drown out the rain and thunder. Hercules, I figured we might be too busy singing to be scared; plus, the lightning outside might blend in with Zeus’s lightning in the movie. The Ring was a bit of a long shot, but my logic was that you might be less scared if we were scared… together? Does that make sense?

[Laugh] (Soft, bashful) I like you too, baby. What’s got you looking at me like that?

Of course I like you. Was that not obvious?

(Playful) Oh, you still have no idea. I like you so much I got us, as the finishing touch…

[Fabric rustling] matching pajama pants!

Because I want you to be comfy and happy, and what’s more comfy and happy than soft, fuzzy pajama pants covered in silly animals? Do you want the baby pugs or tiny dachshunds?

Yeah, I know both are cute, but I wanted you to be able to pick which one you thought was the most cute, you know? Cute things are diametrically opposed to fear… unless you’re a doll. Or a Furby… Most cute things are diametrically opposed to fear. 

[Laugh] There we go. There’s that smile that makes my day. Who cares about the rainclouds when I’ve got all the sunshine I need right here?

[Kiss] Sure I could. What exactly’s stopping me from doing this every time it storms?

And what exactly do you think I should spend my time, energy, and money on instead? What better use for them than to be with you and make you happy?

(Playful) A little bit of stupid question, just a smidge, but fear will make you delusional, so let’s get right on fixing that. You know what your brain needs to fight? Fuel. You know what fuels your brain. Sugar! Do you want a cold or sweet hot drink?

Performances~!

[alittlextrathatway]

Line: "I never would've known from that look on your face." Location: incident scene

So for this one I’ve decided to do a continuation of the slight AU universe where Sylvie works at 40. You can find part 1 here.

Okay here we go.

Btw, this AU branched off from the S2/S3 apartment fire. Neither Shay nor Gabby died. Gabby went to 105 to be their candidate and then bounced around different houses as a firefighter, never coming back to 51. Eventually, she and Matt flamed out before ever walking down the aisle. Shay became PIC on 61 and Mills became her partner in S3 and the partner rotation since has been the same. Just with Shay instead of Sylvie.

***

Matt Casey is not a texter. Anyone at 51 could attest to that. He never responds to anything in the group chat unless someone, probably Kidd or Mikami, tags him a million times. But for Sylvie Brett, he’ll text.

Texting back and forth with her has been the highlight of his day for the last week. They haven’t been able to schedule a drink yet. His construction jobs have gotten in the way and she’s had to pull back to back doubles since the PIC on first watch is out sick. It sucks but he gets it. He’s been there too. Her firehouse needs her, so she shows up. He respects that.

The lack of a date in his schedule hasn’t dampened his spirits though and everyone at 51 has noticed.

“Man, the smiling has got to stop,” Severide tells him as they’re leaving Boden’s office. “You’re freaking me out.”

He intends to defend himself but his phone buzzes in his jacket pocket, distracting him. Checking his texts immediately, he chuckles at a goofy meme Sylvie sent him.

“Jesus, you’re whipped.”

His head snaps up at the sound of the smirk in his best friend’s voice. “What, like you’re not? Remind me, what show do you happily binge with Kidd until her heart’s content now?”

“The Bachelor is actually freaking hilarious.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

“So, when are you actually going to go on a date with this girl?”

“Whenever the medic she’s covering for comes back, I guess. Or whenever I finish this bathroom I’m remodeling. Whichever comes first.” There was an instant connection between him and Sylvie which makes being unable to move forward that much more frustrating. He knows it shows in his voice.

“You know, if your girl needs help handling some of those doubles I’m sure Shay could use the overtime,” Severide suggests, referring to their PIC on 61.

It’s an interesting idea. One he might propose to Sylvie if they can’t work out a date by the end of next week. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They’re making their way to the apparatus floor, intending to climb up on the roof and enjoy a couple of cigars, but the bells go off first. It’s an all respond to an apartment fire at a building not far from them. Casey thinks nothing of it as the rigs set off for the scene. He doesn’t get nervous until he pulls up and sees Ambo 36 parked along the sidewalk, no medics in sight.

Dispatch didn’t mention anyone else on scene. He radios it in and the response comes back that 36 was there for a non-emergency wellness check when they noticed the flames and called it in.

“36, this is Captain Casey from Truck 81, do you copy?” As the silence lingers his anxiety increases. This can’t be good. “36, do you copy?”

“Copy!” He swears a medics voice has never been more beautiful in that moment than Sylvie’s. “But we’ve got a man trapped under a toppled china cabinet. We’re gonna need an assist.”

Currently Matt can see the flames through a window on the bottom right, most likely it started in the basement and spread to the first floor. They have some time. Not much, but some. “Alright, we’re coming to you. Location?”

She gives him the floor and the apartment number and then Matt begins directing the scene. Engine’s assigned to knocking down the flames with the hoses while Truck evacuates everyone else and Squad follows him to assist 36.

When they arrive at the second floor corner apartment they find Sylvie and her partner, kneeling next to the man. Well, kneeling isn’t the right word. Kneeling implies Sylvie took a knee. But really, she’s laying down on her stomach next to the victim, speaking softly and keeping him calm — broken dishes and glass all around her.

“Would you look at that? I told you help would be here in plenty of time, didn’t I? Just stay calm for me for a few more moments, okay?”

She looks as if she’s perfectly at home in the moment. Her face is as serene as ever. It’s reassuring. To the point that he almost forgets they’re there to fight a rapidly growing fire.

“Brett, what do we got?” He asks.

“Mr. Albie tried to move his antique china cabinet all by himself and had a bit of a misstep,” she explains, lowering her voice as she continues to keep the patient from hearing. “He’s managed to keep it from pressing on his chest by pushing against it with his hands but if he gets tired or this building shifts at all then—“

“We’re looking at potential suffocation,” Casey finishes for her, nodding crisply. “Got it. We’ll take it from here, 36 can go.”

“I’ll send Mackey out, but I’m staying. I’ve managed to keep him motivated and calm so far and not that I don’t believe in your bedside manner skills, Captain,” she says, flashing him a brief flirtatious smile. “But he trusts me. I can keep him from panicking.”

“Brett, there’s a fire headed this way. I can’t have anyone in the building without the proper gear—“

“Sylvie?” Mr. Albie calls out nervous, cabinet shaking precariously. Severide winces at the wobble. “Everything alright?”

“Everything’s just fine. These guys are gonna have you out in no time,” she promises. The shaking stops.

Of course it stops. He huffs in frustration and then nods at Sylvie. Severide shrugs as if to say he’s fine with it if Brett is and then gets to work.

“Mackey,” Sylvie orders. “Go to the rig, get the stretcher and c-collar ready, but stay with the ambo. Got it?”

“Got it,” Mackey replies, hesitantly letting Tony show her out.

Sylvie rushes back to her spot on the floor as soon as Mackey’a gone. Matt tenses as she crawls through shards of glass and porcelain. “Be careful, Brett.”

He has no idea if she hears him. She just plows on through. Squad works around her to leverage the cabinet up enough to drag him out. Tony comes back without Mackey, but with a backboard. They all work together to secure Mr. Albie on the board and squad carries him out.

Just as Matt’s about to reach for Sylvie’s arm and drag her out of the building, the floor begins to creak underneath their feet. He knows exactly what that means and how little time they have. He grabs Sylvie around the waist and yanks her forward, propelling them both toward the door in a literal leap of faith.

He lands on his back in the hallway, with Sylvie pressed protectively to his chest, mere seconds before the floorboards give way and collapse into the inferno on the level below them.

“Oh my god,” Sylvie says, glancing back at the gaping hole that nearly swallowed them up.

“Come on,” Matt says shifting her off of him and helping her to her feet. “We gotta get you out of here.”

They sprint down the fire exit stairs and out the front door, with his arm around her and her face tucked into his neck to shield her from potential smoke inhalation. Finally, they reach 36, looking sooty and singed from their treacherous run, but alive.

Without missing a beat, Sylvie slips back into her PIC role. She directs Mackey in what they need and what to do and then he and Severide help them load the stretcher into the back of the ambo. The back doors close while Mackey hurries to the driver’s seat. He pats the back twice, letting Mackey know it’s safe and then Sylvie’s gone again — as if it’s any old call and they didn’t narrowly escape death minutes ago.

This is his first time really seeing Sylvie Brett in action. He asked around about her immediately after they exchanged numbers. Back then he wasn’t sure about Shay’s description of her as a “stone cold slayer” but now he understands. And it’s impressive as hell.

He texts her when they finish overhaul and get back to the firehouse. “We’re setting a definite day for our date, sooner rather than later. Today was too close a call to let the what-if hang out there any longer. By the way, you terrified and amazed me on that call today. We should work together more often.”

Her reply comes almost instantly. “I swear sometimes it’s like you’re reading my mind. Shay reached out to cover the next first shift for me. How’s tomorrow night? Does that work for you?” The three dots undulate for another few seconds before a second text bubble comes through. “And thank you. I don’t know about being amazing. I was definitely terrified. Thank goodness we seem to make a pretty good team because you saved my butt out there today! You were unbelievably heroic.”

If she was terrified, she never once showed it. He’s fascinated by her ability to stay cool and think on her feet. They have so much to talk about on their date. He sends back a yes and a thank you. “If we make a good team now, imagine how much more in sync we’ll be after we know each other better.”

“I’m not sure the world is ready for that,” she replies with an accompanying winking emoji.

Maybe the world isn’t, be he definitely is.

[thedroneranger]

The Drone Ranger's Be Kind Rewind ⏪ ereardon Edition!

A rec reblog series dedicated to the fics that we love so much, we've re-read them!

Please enjoy @ereardon's Rewind! One of the biggest joys of this series is when someone pops into my inbox to ask if they can participate. Em was one of those people—thank you 🖤

While we continue to churn out amazing new content, let's be kind and rewind to look at some of the OG content we love! And don't forget to reblog when you re-read! Continue to show your comfort fics and favorite creators some love. It helps keep the fresh content coming :)

Let's keep this going throughout the summer, so if you're interested in participating in the Be Kind Rewind, message me. The more, the merrier!

If you want to know when a new Rewind drops, join the tag list, and check out previous Rewinds!

fics below the cut (listed in alphabetical order by title)

Frustrated, Bradley Bradshaw, @roosterforme Em’s masterlist is literally a masterpiece (seriously go read all of her stuff), so this might seem like a random pick. But it’s the epitome of a slutty one shot for me. Sex in the bar bathroom? Check. Jealousy? Check. Rooster versus Hangman battle for masculinity? Check. If you want to be hot and bothered, this is it y’all. 

Happy Little Accidents, Bob Floyd, @yanna-banana Listen. If someone is gonna knock me up after a one night stand, I need it to be Bob Floyd. Not even kidding. A traditional trope takes on a life of its own with Bob and Zak, a match made in heaven! They’re sweet, they’re spicy, I mean it’s Bobby Floyd as a dad-to-be. What's not to love? 

Killing Me Softly, Bob Floyd, @wkndwlff We love a Bob x Reader x Jake triangle in this household. I also just fucking LOVE a Bob Floyd roommate trope and this story by Taylor has it all! Sweet fluff, angst, Bobby with tattoos?? Bob is down bad for her in this and I love that for him. A sweet read! 

Sugar and Spice, Jake Seresin, @wombtotombx This was the VERY FIRST Tumblr fic I ever read and what brought me into the TGM fandom, so thank you SB! I just love an enemies to lovers story, and Grace and Jake’s relationship is such a push and pull. It also helps that the author has really in-depth knowledge of the Navy, and I’ve learned so much reading their stories! 

The Professor, Jake Seresin, @topguncortez What’s a list like this without a fic from G?? Seriously, she hits it out of the park with this one. Slightly dark, definitely condescending, asshole Jake as a PROFESSOR? Fucking hell get me a fan, I’m sweating. But honestly, their relationship is equal parts spicy and angsty and entirely believable and I just love it so much. Plus, we get a little Rooster and Bob side character action. 

Trouble in Paradise, Bradley Bradshaw, @sunlightmurdock This fic absolutely haunts me, in the best possible way. From the smutty goodness to just the painful realizations throughout and the setting, I always find myself going back to this fic. It’s also one story that literally patrols my thoughts, like it just pops up out of the blue and I love that! Katie’s entire masterlist is my fucking drug so it’s no surprise that I love this story so much, but if you haven’t read this it is a MUST. Also the setting makes it a perfect summer read! 

You Said You’d Grow Old With Me, Bradley Bradshaw, @blue-aconite Don’t want to cry today? Too freaking bad. Fe is going to make you cry with this, and you’ll love her for it. Bradley x soulmate; I said what I said.

Creator's Own

The Off-Season, Jake Seresin Jake and Meredith are just my favorite kind of duo. Both a little broken, both guarded, but too fucking attracted to each other to deny it for long. Also Meredith is the QUEEN of sass and snappy commentary (I aspire to be her). Add in a bit of an age and maturity gap (Jake is 29, Meredith is 23), a remote setting (Bar Harbor, Maine), and a dash of forbidden-ness (Meredith is the sister of Jake’s former college roommate) and you have a take on the classic roommates who hate each other trope but with nuance. But what will happen when the two inevitably fall for each other? 

Tag list and friends: @petcr3 @desert-fern @Sagittarius-Lovewitch @mygyn @sweetwhispersofchaos @horseshoegirl @the-annoying-fan @dingochef @moon42flight @thecitysgraveyard @ereardon @roosterforme @cherrycola27 @galaxy-of-stories @taytaylala12 @malindacath @violyn20 @awildewit @potato-girl99981 @shanimallina87 @blue-aconite @djs8891 @linkpk88 @furiousladyking @daggerspare-standingby @princess76179 @jstarr86 @hecate-steps-on-me @darkheartcherry @soulmates8 @roosters-girl @dempy @roosterisdaddy36 @hangmanscoming @s-u-t @mavrellover91 @chicomonks @averyhotchner 

A kind reminder, this is a 18+ blog. While not all stories in the recommendation list are 18+, please respect boundaries and do not interact unless you are 18 years of age or older.

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 12)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: Guess who feels like death again?? That's right, it’s this sickly bitch right here. Kill me lmao I’ve only just started to feel like I was getting over whatever I had last time and now I’ve got flu symptoms again and I’m just so done looool

I’m really enjoying seeing the speculation in the replies on where people think this is going and it’s so hard to not day if you’re right or not lmaooo 

—--------

You paced restlessly in front of the fountain in the garden, anxiety swallowing you whole and you couldn't keep still. Leanna was currently in labor and all you had to do was wait, but it felt like one of the hardest things you’d ever been through. She was a month early, making it a little further than her first pregnancy but you still worried, even with all of the medical staff and help she’d be getting. You ran a hand through your hair, tugging it in frustration as a growl left your lips. If there was one thing you hated more than anything, it was waiting. Especially when it could be for bad news. 

“You okay?” you jumped at the voice, whipping around to see Billy watching you with a worried frown on his face. 

“Leanna’s in labor so I’m just… freaking out until I get the news apparently,” you muttered, shaking your head as he approached you.

“She’s in good hands,” he reminded you and you nibbled your lip with a nod.

“I know, but after last time I can’t help but worry. Life loves to keep throwing shit at me lately so I’m just waiting for what else is going to go wrong,” you smirked self deprecatingly as you took up your pacing once more. You were stilled as he put his hands on your shoulders, leveling a look at you as his obsidian eyes danced around your face in concern. You could feel your whole body trembling with the anxiety you felt and after looking at you for a moment, he pulled you closer before wrapping his arms around you. You sunk into him, wrapping your arms around his middle as you tried to let it comfort you. He was warm and cozy and his scent was soothing. One of his hands came up to cradle the back of your head and you closed your eyes as you tried to just relax.

“Leanna’s gonna be fine, the baby is gonna be fine. You don’t need to worry, alright? We had a baby born here once that was four months early, tiny thing was the size of my goddamn hand and she still pulled through,” he assured you and you nodded, feeling a little better. 

“I’m just worried,” you admitted quietly into his chest and his hold on you tightened.

“I know,” he murmured, stroking your hair.

“Y//N,” a voice broke your moment with him and you parted, looking over to the archway to see Kos. You expected to see the worst, that horrible devastation that had been all over his face the last time. Instead, you found a beaming smile and teary eyes and your legs wobbled a little, Billy’s hand coming to steady you.

“They’re okay,” Kos grinned and you let out a watery laugh, tears freeing themselves down your cheeks as you ran to him and engulfed him in a hug. 

“They’re really okay?” you asked in disbelief, your voice sounding small as you cried into his neck.

“They’re really okay. We can go and see them,” he informed and you felt excitement welling inside of you. The pack’s first little pup, you really couldn't wait. You moved away and wiped your eyes with a smile before turning back to Billy. He was smiling fondly at you and it made your chest feel warm. 

“Thank you,” you said sincerely and he nodded.

“Don’t gotta thank me, you go see the baby. Congratulations,” he grinned as he came over. He clapped Kos on the back and Kos smiled with a nod and then he turned to you with a warm smile before he left the gardens.

“Come on,” Kos smiled eagerly and you didn't waste another moment as you both set off to the medical facility. 

You were in there for hours, spending time with Leanna as you told her what an amazing job she’d done and staring at little Orion in his incubator. He was so small and all you wanted to do was scoop him up and cuddle him forever. He was the first of the new generation of your pack and you wondered if there would ever be more. Maybe Atti and his mate and the thought soured your mood instantly. He’d missed the birth of the pack’s first baby and to say you were mad would be an understatement. After feeling like you and Kos had bugged Leanna enough, that and also the other members of your pack wanted to come and see her and she couldn't have too many people in the room at once, you and Kos left the medical facility and you were a mix of elated and annoyed. It was a confusing combination.

“I can’t believe Atti missed this,” you huffed with a scowl. When you saw him next, you had half a mind to beat the shit out of him for this. 

“I know,” Kos sighed and you folded your arms across your chest as you both walked through the castle grounds.

“I get he has a mate now but he’s just abandoned us all, even with everything else going on. He’s the pack Gamma, he should have been here, he should be here to fight with us all, but instead he’s out doing god knows what with his mate,” you growled.

“I know, the pack keeps asking where he is and I have no idea what to tell them. I think they all feel a little let down by him to be honest. I’ll go out and find him for you if you want. The mindlink won’t work too far but I can go out, just keep reaching out until I’m close enough for it to work,” he suggested and you felt your heart expand at how much he cared for you, for your pack. He was like the older brother you never had, the one you never knew you needed until he came into your life. You knew that while Atti’s behavior had annoyed him too and the rest of the pack, he was only offering because it was bothering you so much.

“You’d really do that?” you asked, giving him a grateful smile and he slung his arm over your shoulder, yanking you closer and you laughed.

“I’d do anything for you, you know that,” he answered with a grin and you beamed at him, stopping to give him a big bear hug.

“I love you,” you murmured as you squeezed him tightly.

“I love you too,” he replied with a smile, kissing the top of your head before he moved away.

“I’ll set off now. You take point when I’m gone, Beta,” he smirked and you gave him a mock salute. 

“Yes, sir,” you snorted and he flicked you on the nose, making you yelp as your hand came up to it. He started laughing as he walked away and you shook your head at him. You hoped he’d be back by tonight, that you wouldn’t wind up sleeping alone as the last time had been hell. You were grateful for him going out to look though. Atti needed to be brought back and given some tough love on how his behavior was affecting everyone. It wasn’t right of him to abandon the pack like this. 

You occupied your time training once again, trying to let off some steam and helping some of the other recruits who asked for it. The warriors that had been here before you had thankfully gotten over the fact that the infamous Dancer of Death was in their presence, they’d started just treating you normally and you were grateful. But now with new wolves coming in almost everyday, you’d had to deal with the fear and awe you received when people found out who you were. It was a little tiring. After training, you set off to find Azalea. You enjoyed spending time with her and you tried to make more of an effort to seek her out knowing how busy she was. You found her in the laundry room as she sorted through what looked like a never ending sea of clothes.

“Need some help?” you asked her wryly as you stood in the doorway. She looked over to you in shock before a bright smile graced her face.

“You don’t need to do that, I’m sure you have better things to be doing,” she smiled politely and you snorted as you walked in the room properly. 

“I want to be here. We can hang out and I can help you get this done faster,” you raised a brow at her, hoping to tempt her and she snorted.

“Okay,” she relented and you shot her a toothy grin. You’d learned in your time here that she was a hard worker, probably why the King favored her so much. At first, you'd thought that it had been Billy to push her to work so hard, feeling sorry for her. But now you knew she was just a workaholic and Billy was constantly telling her to go and rest or take some time away from her jobs. She just chose not to listen. She was also a stickler for the rules and you’d had to gently and gradually get her used to stepping out of her comfort zone. That included things like having a Beta help her with chores. You spent a while with her folding and sorting clothes as you talked about anything and everything.

“I keep wondering if my mate will be one of the new warriors that keep turning up,” she mused as she folded a tunic and set it in the large pile.

“Maybe he will be, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled,” you grinned wryly at her and she smiled.

“You never know, maybe yours will be here too,” she shrugged, a sly grin on her face and you snorted at her.

“Yeah… I doubt it, but maybe,” you murmured, smiling triumphantly once your pile was all folded nice and neat. Nowhere near as neat as Azalea’s, but still neat enough.

“I still can’t believe Leanna finally had her baby,” you sighed wistfully, leaning on the cupboard as you watched her fold the last of her clothes.

“He’s adorable, I saw him when I went to visit Jason before. Jason and Orion can be incubator buddies, maybe they’ll grow up to be best friends,” she grinned and you smiled at the thought. You were over the moon that the baby was okay, that things finally seemed to be looking up. Maybe you were finally catching a break and you could stop being so cynical. Even with all the bullshit that had happened since you arrived at the castle, little Orion being born fine and receiving the best care he could made it all worth it. Not long after, Azalea kicked you out. You’d offered to help her deliver all of the freshly washed clothes but she’d drawn the line at that so you’d left. It was almost time for dinner anyway. 

When it came to dinner time, Kos still wasn’t back and you were starting to get anxious that he might not return before bed time. Maybe you’d just stay up really late until he got back. When you walked into the mess hall, you spied Billy, Frank, Curtis, Micro and Karen at the diner table. You’d asked Micro once why you rarely saw his mate and you found out that she and the kids technically didn't live here. They lived with her original pack and would go back and forward. You’d met her a few times and you liked her, even if the set up confused you a little. You weren't sure why but you’d heard snippets about safety and the last war and everything else confused you. You grabbed your food before making your way over to the table and when Billy saw you coming over, he gave you a blinding smile. You sat next to him, your usual seat now it seemed as everyone greeted you. It was nice to have friends outside of Kos and Atti. It meant you weren’t eating alone. 

“Where’s Kos?” Frank asked curiously between shoveling bites of food in his mouth. Karen gave him a dirty look and your lips quirked up a little.

“He’s out finding Atti. I’m worried about him, we haven't heard anything in a while and it’s unlike him,” you explained with a frown.

“Finding your mate can be rough though. It’s intense. You just want to do whatever you can to make them happy and be with them,” Micro mused as he gave you a sympathetic smile.

“I mean, that's true but there’s still loyalty there to the pack. I don’t really agree with Atticus just leavin’ the way he did,” Frank muttered. You were kind of surprised he was so openly confessing to his disdain for your best friend's actions but you were grateful it wasn't just you being overdramatic. 

“Frank,” Karen chided softly, eyes wide as they flit from you to him.

“It’s fine, he’s not wrong,” you snorted.

“Anyway, I don’t like Aurora so maybe I’m biased,” Frank smirked, raising a wry brow at you. 

“What? Why?” Billy asked, confused, looking as surprised as you were at Frank’s admission. You really hadn't expected that but once again, you were glad it wasn't just you being a bitch. Frank took a sip of his drink before rubbing his thumb against his bottom lip.

“I just… don’t like her. She’s always so cold and somethin’ about her just rubs me the wrong way. Just a gut feelin’, you know?” Frank asked as he looked at Billy. It made you worry a little more if you were honest. You didn’t like Atti being fated to someone like that and maybe that was why he was changing so much. 

“Kos will find him,” Billy said firmly after giving Frank a pointed look. You blinked up at him and he gave you a reassuring smile.

“If you want, I can order Atticus and Aurora to stay,” he grinned jokingly and honestly, you thought about it for a moment. It almost felt like the only way to get the boy to stick around.

“No, it's fine,” you shot him a smile and he nodded. You knew it wouldn't go down well if he was forced to stay like that, it would only create more distance between you that you’d gone telling on him to the King.

“Alright. I’ll still speak to him though if I see him. Give him a lecture about responsibility or some shit,” he smirked and you snorted at him. Maybe Atti would listen if the King himself told him he was needed here.

Later that night, you were still awake and Kos wasn’t home. You didn’t really want to go to bed, not yet. You were still clinging to the hope that he’d come back soon and you wouldn't be doomed to a night of loneliness. You wondered what might happen, if Kos would even find him or not. If he did, how would Atti react to being brought back like this? You wanted to tear him a new one but part of you knew he’d probably get defensive if you did. You’d promised him you’d try to be more understanding about the whole mate thing and you felt like you were failing. But he’d promised to be around more and divide his time equally and he wasn't here so you could hardly blame yourself. You thought back to Frank’s words, not just about not liking Aurora but about him being annoyed with Atti. He’d mentioned that while the bond was strong like Micro had suggested, that there was still loyalty there. So you really couldn't fathom how he could so willingly abandon you all in the middle of a war like this. You heaved a large sigh, leaning your chin on your hand, your arm propped up by your leg as you looked at the still ‘ruined by magic’ moon. You hated it. You heard the gates open and your head looked over so fast, you were surprised you didn’t snap your neck. You felt relief flooding your system as Kos came through them but Atti wasn’t by his side which made you deflate. But then you just felt confused as you noticed a girl with him and it most certainly wasn’t Aurora. He saw you, saying something to the girl who smiled and they both made their way over and you stood up. You were about to ask him about any news of Atti but he spoke first, throwing your brain for a loop.

“Y/N… this is my mate Irene,” he had a careful tone to his voice, like he was talking to a spooked animal as your eyes widened, going to Kos’ bright smile to the girl standing next to him. She gave you a shy smile and your brain felt like it had stopped functioning completely. 

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you already,” she smiled brightly as she held her hand out. You blinked at it for a moment before you took it, shaking it weakly as your mind still reeled from what you’d just been told. Kos looked so happy and it was weird to see him this way and as you glanced from his lovesick smile to his mate, you found yourself feeling happy for him. She seemed nice, much nicer than Atti’s mate.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” you reply, still sounding in shock as you tried to give her a smile. You tried to tell yourself that this would be different to Atti. Case in point was the fact that Kos had come back and his mate had been introduced right away. 

“I wouldn't have found her if it wasn't for you. I went out there to find Atti for you and now… Thank you,” Kos said sincerely and you had little time to process his words before he scooped you a giant hug. You hugged him back, feeling more than overwhelmed. 

“Who’s this?” you broke away from Kos to see Billy and Frank. You presumed they’d just finished patrolling since you knew that's where they’d gone after dinner. Frank's voice wasn't unkind, just curious. 

“This is my mate Irene,” Kos grinned and both of the men looked surprised. You didn't miss how Billy’s eyes cut to you quickly and you wondered if he was worried how you were taking the news. 

“Congrats, man,” Frank smiled, giving him a manly hug with a pat to the back and Billy did the same. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Irene,” Billy smiled at her and she looked starstruck for a moment but you knew that feeling well. It was a weird experience to meet the King for the first time, especially when you found out he behaved just like a normal person.

“I was wondering, Your Majesty… would she be able to stay here with me? Obviously she’s my mate and with the war-” Kos started carefully but Billy cut him off.

“Of course she can, it won’t be a problem,” he nodded, looking at Irene then with a calm smile.

“If you come with me and Frank, we can talk about your role here and all the rules,” Billy said and she nodded. You watched the three of them leave into the castle as you and Kos stayed outside. 

“I’m happy for you,” you assured after a few worried glances your way. He relaxed a little then, smiling.

“I’m glad. I really can’t believe I found her,” he chuckled. He seemed so different to how you knew him to be, like a lifetime of trauma had been lifted off his shoulders. 

“There’s something I need to talk to you about… I… You’re going to have to pick your own room,” he said warily, a guilty look to his face. You were stunned at first and then it hit you. Of course he’d be sharing a room with his mate, you were stupid to not even put that together. You could hardly share a bed with the pair of them, that would be absurd and it was inappropriate for you and Kos to share a bed and expect his mate to have her own room. You felt that pain rip right through your heart again and you tried your hardest to push it way down deep so he didn't notice it. Despite it all, you were happy for him and he deserved to be happy. It wasn't his fault you were broken and scared to be alone. This was something you had to deal with. 

“That’s fine. I’ll pick one now and move my stuff so it’s not in your way,” you nodded, giving him a forced smile. You couldn't stick around for him to pick up on it, couldn't ruin his happy moment like this. You hurried off to the pack house, running up the stairs. You held yourself together as you took anything of yours from the room you’d been in and picked one of the spare rooms, dumping everything on the floor. Then the tears came. You felt a deep agonizing loss burning in your chest as you slid to the floor, sobs wracking your chest as you struggled to breathe. First Atti and now Kos. While you knew it was a little different with Kos, knew he would make an effort to at least be present, you’d still lost him. He had his mate now and he wouldn't be with you as much, wouldn't keep you safe at night. Too much was changing and you were struggling to cope with it. 

“Y/N,” a soft voice hit your ears then and you looked up, mortified to see Azalea standing at your door. You didn't know if you'd left the door open or if she’d let herself in, but either way, you wiped your eyes quickly as your cheeks burned in shame. She looked at you sympathetically as you sniffled and tried to pull yourself together.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly and you gave her a jerky nod, unable to speak and not wanting to talk about it.

“The King wants you,” she murmured and you gave her a confused look, getting to your feet. You had no idea what he wanted to speak to you about. You hoped it wasn't war related, you were dealing with too much already. You followed Azalea out of the pack house and into the castle. You were silent and she didn't make conversation, sensing you weren't in the mood. She did keep looking at you though with a concerned look on her face. You weren't crying anymore but you were sure your eyes were damp and red. 

“This is the King’s room,” she supplied outside of a door. You were shocked, never having been in there before. You’d thought it would be in his office or something. You were worried something urgent may have come up. She left you then with a sad smile and you blinked at the door for a moment. You knocked with a shaky hand and it didn't take long for the door to swing open. He didn't have his jacket on, the tie on the neck of his tunic loosened a little and his hair a little bit all over. He looked at you and you couldn't read his expression as he moved to the side and let you step in the room. He closed the door behind him before walking over to where you stood in the middle of the room. It didn't look much different to the room you’d been in when you were here. The only difference being the decor was white and gold and the room was pristine. 

“Why am I here?” you asked with a raw voice after he didn't say anything. 

“Are you okay?” he asked pointedly, his dark concerned eyes burning holes into you. You really hadn't expected that question, hadn't expected to be called here just for him to see how you were doing. You’d vented to him many times at this point and you figured it couldn't hurt to do it again, yet instead, your treacherous body decided it was a great time to burst into tears again. You were horrified and extremely embarrassed to break down in front of him like this. You covered your mouth as if to stifle the pitiful noises leaving your lips but it did little to help. You once again found yourself enveloped in his arms as he held you, stroking your hair. You felt like you couldn't breathe, lungs burning with each painful sob and you wobbled where you stood, unsteady on your feet. You felt him guide you to his bed, sitting you down as he still held you and sat beside you. It felt like forever until you got control over your sobs and you sat up properly, wiping your eyes at shame nipped at your heels. He was watching you carefully and he put his hand on your back, rubbing it gently and you tried to find comfort in it. 

“I knew you’d be upset about this, it's another big change,” he murmured and you nodded with a sniffle. It touched you though that he cared enough to ask you here, knowing how hurt you’d be. 

“I just…” you trailed off as your voice wobbled and you took a deep inhale to steady yourself. You really didn't want to have another bout of tears in front of him.

“I feel like everyone I care about is being taken away from me. Who am I going to lose next? You?” you lamented bitterly, feeling like a ball of fire was settling in your chest. 

“Never,” he insisted, so vehemently that it made you look at him. His eyes were wide and imploring as he watched you unblinking.

“Nothin’ would ever take me away from you,” you were shocked by the conviction in his tone and you found the ball of fire cooling to a comfortable warmth instead. You didn’t fully believe it, even if you did appreciate the sentiment. But you knew if his mate turned up too, he’d also leave. You knew how much he longed for her, you wouldn't blame him even if it would hurt. 

“I’ve had to… I’ve had to move into my own room and I hate sleeping alone. I just hate all these changes happening. The war is bad enough but now too much is going on all at once,” you frowned despondently.

“You’re strong, Y/N, you can pull through this. It won’t be the same as Atticus, Kos wants to stay here. You’ll be able to bond with his mate and be a real family,” he insisted. You nodded, taking a deep breath. 

“I know,” you murmured and he rubbed your back again. You wanted that, you wanted to be a part of it. Despite the feelings you were having, you were happy for Kos and the idea of being able to bond with his mate and still having him around was the only thing you were clinging on to.

“I should get back,” you sighed, rubbing your eyes as you stood. You felt tired now, completely drained after your emotions running rampant. He stood too, walking you to the door.

“Will you be alright?” he asked carefully, eyes scanning your face. You gave him a tired smile.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay… Thank you,” you gave him a meaningful look and he smiled with a nod. 

“Anytime. Goodnight, Y/N,” he murmured.

“Goodnight,” you smiled before you left the room.

The night had been terrible and restless. You’d barely slept a wink on your own and by morning, you were just as exhausted as the night before. You got dressed and ready for the day, wondering just what shit it would throw at you this time as you trudged down the stairs. You were startled to see Irene sitting on the sofa. She brightened when she saw you, giving you a warm smile that put you at ease. It wasn't her fault you had issues and she seemed like a really nice person. 

“Good morning,” she smiled. You decided this was a good time to try and connect with her so you gave her a smile and sat next to her, leaving some space so she didn't feel crowded. 

“Where’s Kos?” you asked curiously. You were surprised he wasn't glued to her side. A fond smile passed her face that made your chest ache, wondering what it must be like to feel that kind of love.

“He’s with the King,” she explained and you nodded. You weren't quite sure how to strike up a conversation with her, you’d never been great with new people and a silence settled over you both. 

“Kos told me all about you,” she started and as you looked at her, she was looking at you with a soft look on her face, almost sympathetic.

“He told me how close you are… you, him and Atticus. I just want you to know that… I’m not taking him away. I want to be part of this family, that includes you. I’ve heard so much about you even before Kos and honestly, I’ve admired you for a long time. You're so brave and strong, more than I’ll ever be. If you’d let me… I’d like to be part of the family,” she murmured carefully, looking slightly apprehensive about what your answer might be. You wondered if Kos had explained about Atti and how he ran off after finding his mate given her words but they touched you. The fact she would let you know her intentions and that she wanted to be part of the family meant a lot to you. She wasn’t stealing Kos away from you, she was just joining him.

“I’d really like that,” you admitted and her body sagged in relief, a bright smile tugging on her lips. 

“Really?” she asked and you grinned.

“Really. Welcome to the family, Irene,” you smiled and her face lit up. You really wanted to be able to bond with her more, get to really know her. You liked her already and you were so glad Kos’ mate turned out to be such a nice person. He needed someone like her in his life.

“Have you seen the Royal Gardens yet?” you asked her and she shook her head with a curious look.

“No,” she answered and you grinned as you stood up.

“Come on,” you instructed and she beamed, getting to her feet and following you out. 

You walked together to the gardens and her eyes widened as you made your way through the archway.

“Oh… wow. This is beautiful,” she murmured in awe, her head turning as she took everything in much like you had when you’d first seen them.

“I know, it’s amazing. It's one of my favorite places. The King planted everything himself,” you smiled proudly, as if you’d been the one to do it. She looked at you then with a smile.

“You’re close with the King,” she observed and you chuckled, nodding as you tried to ignore the way heat crept into your cheeks.

“I am… He’s a close friend,” you smiled and she nodded.

“He’s nice, not as scary as I thought he’d be,” she mused with a rueful smile and you snorted.

“I think he gets that a lot,” you grinned and it made her laugh. 

“Did you find out what your role here would be?” you asked as you both sat on the bench. 

“Not yet, we’re still figuring it out. I’m more of a healer than a fighter, so I’d be useless as a warrior,” she smiled wryly. 

“Maybe you could work in the hospital,” you shrugged.

“That was one of the King’s suggestions. I think I’d like doing something like that, helping people,” she admitted with a smile.

“I can put in a good word for you if you want?” you smirked and her face lit up.

“I’d appreciate it,” she smiled. You both spent some more time in the gardens as you got to know each other better and you found you really liked her and it eased most of your worries about Kos. You’d still have to get used to sleeping alone but that would be the only thing you needed to worry about with this and it made you feel better. After a while, you both headed back to the pack house and Kos was sitting on the steps. When he looked up and saw you both approaching, he looked relieved and a smile graced his face at seeing you two bonding. You realized he’d been really worried about how you’d react and it made you feel bad, even if it was understandable. He stood up and kissed his mate briefly and she gave you a smile.

“Thank you,” she grinned and you gave her a nod.

“You don’t need to thank me, we’re family now,” you replied and her smile widened before she slipped inside. 

“I’m happy you two are getting on,” Kos admitted.

“I really like her,” you confessed and he smiled. It faded though and you frowned, watching as he sat down again.

“I need to talk to you,” he muttered and you looked at him warily before sitting beside him on the steps.

“What is it?” you asked carefully. He wiped a hand over his face before he leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. 

“When I went out, I connected with Atti,” he explained. You were surprised since he hadn't said anything and as if reading your thoughts, he spoke again.

“I didn’t tell you last night because of Irene, there was already so much going on. I didn’t see him but I managed to mindlink him. I told him he’s needed back here and he agreed to come back in the next few days,” he murmured. You felt relieved at the news but also annoyed. You knew you’d give him an earful when he got back and maybe that’s why Kos seemed so stressed about it. You were sick of moping and crying about it all, sick of feeling hurt. You two were best friends and he had no right in doing this to you, no right in abandoning your pack like he had, mate or not. The pack needed him and he missed the birth of the pack’s first ever baby. He’d left your pack without a Gamma and you weren't having it anymore. He needed to step up and deal with it. The mate bond was no excuse, not when Kos was here with his mate and you’d already bonded with her. He was going to get a piece of your mind when he got here. 

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

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@blanchedelioncourt

@on-ya

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