#nothing happens but there's a plan

[blueskittlesart]

zl wedding (again)

[edorazzi]

Page 19 of my Miraculous Mentor AU comic A Matter of Trust! In which 1999's Chat Noir and Ladybug cross paths for the first time and find their Miraculous powers don't mix! 🧨💥

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Weekly updates each Sunday! You can also read ahead early on Patreon, and/or buy me a Ko-fi if you'd like to support my work! 💖

[halorvic]

[joodles98]

we all trying to make sense of swsh story. no problem ☺️👍🏼

[heyclickadee]

“Hey, you okay?”

“I…no.”

“Okay. Talk to me.”

“Phee…what if we made a mistake?”

“What?”

“There is hardly anywhere the Empire is not these days. What if something happens to one of us? To both of us? What if you go out on a mission for Vos and you are killed or”—

“It’s us, brown eyes. And it’s me. I’d like to see the Empire try to keep me down.”

“Then what if one day I wake up and I cannot remember you? Or the girls?”

“Then we’ll help you remember all over again. All of us.”

“But what if”—

“You were having that nightmare about Tantiss, weren’t you?”

“Yes. I…don’t want to…go back to being….”

“Listen, Tech Ninety-Nine Genoa: you are never going back to that ever again. I promise.”

For the day five prompt of ND Tech Week. I’m thinking it takes Tech a little while to get back home, and a little while longer to figure out who he really is. He still has some rough days, and worries in ways he didn’t before. Whatever happened to him, and whatever he did afterwards, was something he couldn’t control—and it kept him away for so much longer than he wanted. Still, every once in while it hits him how much they lost, and how much they got back, and in spite of everything he thinks he must be the luckiest man in the galaxy to have come out the other side. After all, better late than dead. As Phee always says. (Or did that one time.)

[isjasz]

[Day 80]

Lil animation wip today (MAYBE ill color it) inspired by this hollow knight au :DDD

no i have no clue what the lore is yet cant wait to get destroyed once i actually watch/play the game more👍

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 784: The first day's mountain

Pag 1

3: We're passing through the riverside road

4: I see it

6: Kaka

7: Ah!!

8: Teh!

9: It's the first day's

Pag 2

1: “mountain”!!

Pag 3

2: As we “promised”!!

Pag 4

3: It's the “first day's mountain stage”!!

4: A year ago

6: Manami-kun said it after the finish line, on the third and last day of the Inter High, when both of us were all worn out and barely still on our bikes

Pag 5

1: But having our race at the end on the final stage is too much pressure

2: Next year, if we both have the chance to run in the Inter High....

3: …. yeah

4: Let's race for the mountain stage on the first day

Yeah

5: Like Toudou-san and Makishima-san last year

Onoda!!

Manami-san!!

Pag 6

1: Manami!!

Manami-san!!

2: Onoda!!

3: He collapsed!!

Manami!! Take off his helmet

It's okay, I caught him

Onodaa!!

Onoda-san

Do we have a towel?

Danchiku, water!!

4: Next year... the mountain stage on the first day.... yeah

5: Got it....!!

Pag 7

3: When you run along a river....

4: the water only flows if there's a difference in elevation, either uphill or downhill!!

5: Here it's definitely uphill!!

Even if it looks like a flat at first glance, it's gradually climbing!!

Pag 8

1: Toward that mountain!!

Reading the map, it says that it's 5km until the base of the mountain!!

2: 5km!!

3: Don't lose sight of it like last year!!

Yes!! Sorry!!

4: Hold on tight!!

5: 'Cause I'll carry you all the way to the foot of the mountain!!

Pag 9

1: Thank you!!

2: “Positioning”....!!

3: When going from a flat to a climb you need to “position” yourself

Each team accelerates from the flats in order to bring their climbers to a good position

4: It's the so called “mountain's launching pad”!!

5: There will be a difference of several hundred meters in the first stage between a climber who was launched near the front of the group and a climber who was made to run up from the back of the group

Pag 10

1: Bring Onoda to the best possible position, Naruko!!

Oh-

Sohoku is moving up!!

Pag 11

1: -ruaaaagh

Ugh!! Sohoku's Naruko is so fast!!

2: I get what you're tryin to say, Hotshot!!

I'll take him!! Definitely!!

3: That's why I left the first result to Kabu!!

4: On that winter day, with an apologetic face

5: Ah....

6: Ah- uhm, I have something to tell you, but

Onoda-kun, who told us like it was difficult to say....

Pag 12

1: Ah the stove? You can just turn it off, we're the last ones

Yeah, please. Woah, look outside, it's snowing

Seriously? It must be cold

2: That's not it!!

3: Th-th- this morning... I got a text

4: What was that, an acceptance letter?

The proficiency exam?

5: It's a reply to the text I sent....

6: Three months ago!!

7: Uhm... really, I was worried that back when we made that promise it was right after the race and we were tired, so I thought maybe he had forgotten

Three months?

It was a long wait

So I sent him a text to ask him if he remembers?

Pag 13

1: And I received it this morning

Must be the proficiency test

Shut up!!

What are you whispering idiot

“Back when”, when was it?

No idea

2:He said only one word, “of course”

4: So, uhm... this time

5: Is it okay if I run for the first day's mountain stage during this summer's Inter High?

7: Is that so? Kakaka

Onoda-kun's eyes, like he couldn't contain his excitement...

Pag 14

1: I haven't forgotten it!!

2: I can't forget it!!

3: Onoda!!

Onoda-kun!!

Pag 15

1: 2km left until the foot of the mountain!!

2: Do your beeest....!!

Aren't they climbing at an amazing speed!? Each team is getting in line!!

Yeah, you're right!!

3: Every team is trying to “position” themselves for their climbers!!

“Position”!?

4: Also, look closely

Right now, the cyclist in the second position in the ranks

Pag 16

1: is the one who will race in the mountain stage!!

Pag 18

1: Oi, are you kidding me? Hakogaku is sending Manami?

From the first day!?

Manami is in second place

2: He's the “final boss”....!!

3: My dream of getting the red bib has been destroyed even before reaching the foot of the mountain....!!

4: Oi, look over there, that's not all!!

For Sohoku....

5: Naruko is pulling the “King of the mountain”!!

Wa- we're done for!! Completely!! My mountain prize!!

Pag 19

3: Manami-kun!!

4: Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 20

1: It's time for our promise!!

We're almost at the foot of the mountain!!

[good-beansdraws]

And another little piece from @kyanako5972 's the Final Judgement fic! I loved the witch hunt theme so much 👀👀👀

[abowlofsourcream]

⏳💫Switch a Loop: An Idea from Loop!💫⏳

*This post reference’s “Memory of Rotting” but is made to leave out some of the more triggering language of that post! Please be mindful of that if you wish to read the aftermath of that post. The aftermath should not be needed to understand this interaction! *

*…

*They didn’t want to leave Siffrin alone, especially after everything that happened…

*But Siffrin is currently resting at the Clocktower, being watched by some of the villagers!

*So it should be fine!

*They hope it will be fine…

*…

*It was dead silent at the Favor Tree…

*Oh Change…

*What could really be said?

*…

*After a while, Loop speaks.

Loop: Now, you may not like this. But, I have an idea of what you could do next.

*Everyone looked at them, hesitantly.

*The party had exhausted every single angle that they could think of. They beat the king, they learned about the curse, the disappeared island, Time Craft and Wish Craft. Now they know how their Looping, but they don’t know why…

*Even worse, Siffrin’s health seemingly taken a deep dive for the worse. They were incomprehensible at the end of that loop. Screaming about the need to wake up and not wanting to be alone.

*Was… Was Siffrin always that loud?

*…

Odile: Well, I think I can speak for everyone saying that we don’t really have any other Ideas. Now do we?

*Isabeau turns away. Bonnie clings to him.

*Mirabelle sighs.

Mirabelle: What is your idea, Loop?

*Loop looks deep in thought.

Loop: Well, You now know that your Traveler is why you are looping, Correct? And everytime they die, talk to the Head HouseMaiden or get upset, You all loop back. And the Head HouseMaiden mentioned something about how the loops were supposed to stop after you beat the King, but the wish was messed up somehow… Not only that, it appears your little Traveler has gone sick! Boy, what a pickle you have all gotten yourself into!

*They all look unimpressed, Loop continues.

Loop: Now… It’s just me spitting-balling, so bear with me! What would happen if the Traveler just… stayed here?

*…

*What?

Isabeau: What do you mean? “If they stayed here?”

*Loop stares at them, unchanged.

Loop: I mean… What if you went to fight the King on your own? Surely, you’re strong enough now… And it’s not like you really need him. You know the Traps, where the keys are, and you should be able to get the key-knife if everything goes to plan…

*…

*WHAT?!

Bonnie: That’s stupid! YOUR STUPID! FRIN IS OUR FRIEND! WE’RE NOT LEAVING HIM BEHIND!

*Loop rolls their eyes.

*Isabeau crosses his arms, glaring at them.

Isabeau: Yea! Sif is part of the team! Sure, they are acting really weird. But, leaving them alone isn’t the best way to fix that!

Odile: Especially after what happened with the Head HouseMaiden. Leaving him alone after that would be extremely irresponsible.

*Mirabelle flinches.

Loop: Well, just make sure to not leave them with anything. It’s not like they’re in any condition to do anything that bad anyway. Come on! This could be the way out! Don’t you think it’s worth a try?

*Isabeau presses his hands on his face.

Isabeau: Change, that is not the point! We can’t just leave him alone! What if they get worse?

Odile: Who will be there to make sure Siffrin won’t hurt themselves?

Bonnie: YEA, DUMMY! WHO?

*…

*Well…

Mirabelle: Loop is here…

*They all turned to her, surprised.

*Loop raises their brow, quizzically.

Loop: Indeed, I am…

*Bonnie dramatically gestures at Loop, annoyed.

Bonnie: WHY? THEY HATE FRIN!!!

*Isabeau stares at her, worried.

Isabeau: Mira, you can’t be serious.

*Mirabelle walks up to Loop, cautiously.

Mirabelle: If Siffrin came looking for us here, would you tell him where we are and why?

*Loop hesitates.

*…

*They put their finger to their chin.

Loop: Hmm, I would… Yes…

*Odile rests her hand on Mirabelle shoulder.

Odile: Look, I understand where you are coming from. But don’t you think we should at least talk about this a little bit?

*Mirabelle snapped.

Mirabelle: You said it yourself! We are fresh out of ideas! I LITERALLY have NO IDEA what to do anymore! I just want this to be over!

*The other’s step back…

Mirabelle: I don’t want you guys to be hurt anymore! I don’t want Siffrin to be sick anymore! I don’t want to keep going if all I ever do is keep failing to keep my home safe! I just can’t take it! I can’t keep failing! I just can’t!

Isabeau: Mira-

*Mirabelle turns to Loop.

Mirabelle: Are you sure this could end the loops?

*Loop stares at her, with an unclear look in their eyes.

Loop: I wouldn’t tell you this, if I wasn’t… I promise you.

*Mirabelle takes a deep breath.

Mirabelle: Look, I don’t like this either. Change, I really don’t want to do this… But what else can we do?

*Everyone is silent…

*…

*Isabeau sighs.

Isabeau: Look, Mira… It’s not that don’t trust you… I am just worried, extremely worried. Like, I am totally freaking out! For you, Sif, Bonnie, Odlie! Change, this is probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever really experienced before! But… You’re right, we are out of ideas… I’m sorry for not thinking about the bigger picture… I’m okay with anything you want to try. I mean, I promised at the start, didn’t I? That I would help you save our home?

Mirabelle: Isa…

*Odile nods.

Odile: And Loop is right… Siffrin is in no condition to fight. It would be too dangerous for them… I guess we can ask the villagers to keep an eye on them, and… Maybe Loop… Although, I would hope that it’s in a more civilized manner than the way then the way they speak of him in private…

Loop: Whaaat? Don’t you trust me? I can behave, I’ll be the nicest you’ve ever seen me be! Honest!

*Odile glares at them, then turns to Mirabelle.

Odile: In other words, I have complete trust in what you do next… We wouldn’t want you to do this alone….

*Bonnie looks to Mirabelle, not sure on this plan.

Bonnie: But… Frin! What if-?

*Mirabelle kneels down to Bonnie, putting her hands on their shoulders.

Mirabelle: If it doesn’t work and we do loop back. We won’t do it again! It will be a one time thing! I promise! We won’t let anything happen to Siffrin… Trust me.

*Bonnie looks down, but then nods.

Bonnie: Okay… I trust you, Belle! But I’m still making “get better soup” for Frin! To be extra sure!

*Mirabelle laughs.

Mirabelle: Of course! Just be careful!

*They all nod.

*Mirabelle looks back at Loop.

Mirabelle: Now, We are trying your idea! But the moment It doesn’t work, we aren’t doing this again!

*Mirabelle looks sternly at them.

Mirabelle: Promise me that you will keep your word and make sure Siffrin doesn’t do anything stupid.

*Loop stares at them…

*Like they were lost in their thoughts…

*….

*Then, they close their eyes.

Loop: You have my word!

[bulbabutt]

Raphaella Meets his Match

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7

welcome to this idea that has stuck with me for months now but i finally feel able to take on, meet my rise mona lisa! she's heavily based on 87 mona lisa (obviously) so is she as sweet as she seems?

ive never made a proper comic before but if u never try u never get better ykno?

[hoofpeet]

I'd probably have to read the printed version and web version back to back at some point to note all the differences but... ough

[dailyloopdeloop]

Fairy Loop, since you asked for suggestions

DAY 85: hey! listen!

[rintoki]

when you sleep at night

characters: kafka x dom!reader

tw: somnophilia, dubcon, nothing too crazy actually relax

a/n: i guess this can be considered a second part to my first kafka smut, its like the exact same setting and dynamic.

MINORS DNI

the door opens easily as kafka steps into the entrance way, slipping out of her heeled boots and quietly making her way through the dark living room. all the lights in the house was out and it was eerily silent, through the dim lighting kafka strains her eyes to check the clock hanging on your wall.

11:37pm

you couldn’t possibly be sleeping this early yet. but, alas, you proved to be unpredictable to her once again as she turns the knob to your bedroom, pushing it open to reveal your sleeping form on the bed. her feet padded softly on the floor; taking slow, deliberate steps closer to the bed that you laid on.

kafka clicked her tongue, a tinge of annoyance blossoming in her chest when she sees that you were indeed fast asleep and not just pretending to mess with her. not that you were the type to do that anyway. she felt her finger twitch unconsciously, standing foolishly by your bed as she is once again reminded of how little you cared for her. despite her now regular visits to your residence, you never once welcomed her, nor have you ever made any type of accommodations towards her.

the woman breathes deeply, your familiar scent permeates the room and her body is quick to react to it. reminded of all the late nights spent together, how warm your body felt next to hers, and how good you made her feel. kafka shuts her eyes for a moment, deciding on what to do now. part of her knows that the right thing to do is to leave and come back another time, preferably informing you beforehand like you had asked of her.

but instead she remains in her spot; unmoving as she watches the steady rise and fall of your chest, your soft breasts hidden underneath the thin material of your pyjamas, and how easy it would be to simply unbutton it right now. kafka finds herself getting lost in her thoughts, eyes raking over your body as she thinks about everything she could do to you now. but more than anything, her purple eyes finally land on your hands; the same hands that brought her orgasm after orgasm. the very ones that hugged and caressed her body, how she wanted to feel them again.

and as if in a trance, kafka pushes her jacket off her shoulders, letting the expensive coat fall to the floor without a care. normally unheard of with how much she loves her coats, but now there’s no one here to see that. and there’s no one to witness as she peels off the layers of her clothing, her belly tightening with every passing second and soon the woman stood in nothing but her panties.

kafka crawls gingerly onto the bed, careful to not wake you as she eyes your hand resting by your side. she tests the waters, nimble fingers wrapping around your wrist and pulling it away from your body. when you show no reaction does the excitement bubble up within her, her pussy already beginning to ache with need

inch by inch, she shuffles closer. until your relaxed fingers lay just underneath her clothed pussy, a wet spot now forming on her panties. kafka’s breathes deeply, trying to keep it even as she lowers herself onto your hand, feeling your fingers fold naturally under her weight.

a shaky breath escapes her at the feeling, slowly moving her hips back and forth on your curled fingers, not caring how awkward the position was. kafka watches your sleeping form carefully, but you showed no signs of waking up, still blissfully unaware and deeply asleep.

a small part of her was annoyed—that you didn’t wake up and catch her in the act, that she won’t get to see your reaction. but the larger part of her is now pushing off her panties, letting her bare pussy rub against the palm of your hand. it was warm, and the ridges brushed perfectly against her swollen clit. kafka shudders, her breathing turns heavy as she continues the slow rutting of her hips, allowing herself to enjoy the sensations until your hand was sufficiently lubricated from how much she leaked.

and with shaky hands, she positioned your fingers upright, aligning it with her hole before sinking down upon them. kafka nearly whines, biting back any sounds as your fingers penetrates her tight walls. she grips your wrist, holding them in place as the woman lifts her hips once again, this time pushing your fingers into her pussy. again and again, your fingers sunk deep into her warmth and kafka pants quietly. her mind was feeling dizzy from the entire situation, the fact that you weren’t even conscious now and yet you still managed to reduce her to this state. how even just your fingers was enough for her pussy to twitch and push back so desperately against your hand.

she squeezes her eyes shut, her head hung low and nearing the verge of her orgasm as she angles your wrist so that the tips of your fingers brushed against her spot. the sensitive patch of nerves singing in response as it felt like shocks ran through her body. kafka gasps loudly, unable to hold back her moans now as it almost felt like your hand was moving by itself. too far gone to put the pieces together even when your fingers begin to curl and thrust inside her, or when your thumb has suddenly begin to press against her clit at the same time.

her mouth hung open, panting breathlessly as her body felt like it was on fire. her hand wrapped helplessly around your wrist even as it moved by itself and her back arched, muscles flexing and her thighs trembled terribly. kafka was right on the edge, just a little more… just one more stroke, just one more thrust…

“agh…! fu—fuck, wha…!”

the woman felt every sensation in her body stop cold. before she’d knew it your hand was already ripped from her body, and her orgasm had come to a screeching halt. kafka nearly chokes, scrambling to her senses as she finally raises her head to face you.

from her flushed expression to her bare body, your cold eyes finally landed on your soaked fingers, covered in her wetness after having used it for her own pleasure. kafka watches with wide eyes; somewhere in her mind she understood that you had probably been awake for a while now, that you’d probably purposely fucked with her. brought her to the brink of an orgasm before ruthlessly ripping it away from her.

her heart pounds in her chest, an unfamiliar feeling as she waits for your next move, your next words. what will you with her now? she’s not that shameless to ask you to make her cum again after begin caught like that, but for whatever reason she could feel her pussy tightening again, waiting with anticipation of what you might do to her now.

[ianthine-ichor]

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick NSFW Alphabet

Masterlist

A/n: Ah yes, the obligatory NSFW Alphabet. Anyway this was done very quickly and has not been edited very much but I hope you enjoy the food anyway Gaz lovers!

Tw: NSFW. No minors beyond this point!

Aftercare - he's elite status with aftercare. In fact he's managed to make aftercare just as sexy as actually fucking. Man's is in your ear whispering sweet nothings while cleaning you up and making sure you're in the most comfortable position pressed against him so you aren't as sore. He's really all about making sure you feel like a divine deity in the bedroom.

Body Part - he is a legs man, through and through. He wants to bite them, lick them, stuff his face between them, all of it. He wants to suffocate in their grip.

Control - he's pretty in control of his sex drive. He can hold himself back until you two are alone without you even noticing that he was hot and bothered.

Dirty Secret - he loves surprising you with a sudden movement just to hear you gasp for him. He finds nothing is hotter than making your body jolt with pleasure.

Experience - He has a lot of experience. He's got that charming yet devilish smile down to a science at this point and he was never against a good one night stand every once in a while. That being said, there is definitely a difference between how he fucks a random person he met in a dive bar verses how he fucks his lover.

Favorite Position - anywhere between your legs honestly. Sit on his face, let him suck you off or eat you out he honestly doesn't care. Just as long as he gets a taste of you.

Goofy - he's not so serious he can't laugh a bit here and there, but he's honestly just so intense and passionate that it's hard to find the humor for him sometimes. He wants to make the moment as hot as possible and that sometimes gets in the way of a good giggle.

Hair - he is very well groomed. He prides himself on a clean cut look and down there is no different.

Intimate - he is so intimate that it's honestly a little intimidating at times. He's fucking you with such slow, deep strokes, breathing hot against your neck and letting out only the most delicious moans right into you're ear. He will kiss over every inch of your body like he plans to paint the feeling of your skin against his lips by memory.

Jack off - he's not a very big fan of jacking off. He'll do it if he needs to, but it's never satisfying enough. He craves the closeness of someone else.

Kinks - he's really into blindfolds, both on him or his partner. Something about the trust of it really turns him on.

Location - he's a bedroom only type of guy. He just doesn't find the thrill in getting caught when all he wants is your attention fully on him.

Man or machine? - he absolutely loves toys in the bedroom. Anything he can use to get you twitching at a moments notice is just too good of an idea to pass up.

Nope - he doesn't like pain during sex. Now don't get him wrong, a slap on the ass is never a no, but he tries to avoid anything that leaves too many bruises or scratches the next morning. It just makes him feel a little guilty.

Oral - he's an oral man all the way. In fact the hard part is keeping his mouth off of you. He wants his mouth constantly filled with the taste of you.

Pace - slow, intense, purposeful strokes. He's always searching for the perfect angle to get your face to scrunch and your toes to curl. His pace never falters, even when he's close.

Quickie - as of now his record for successful quickies that didn't turn into full blown passionate sex is zero. He just can't help himself, he always needs more.

Risk - he's not a very big risk taker. He likes finding what works and sticking to it for the most part. But he isn't completely opposed to a little bit of thrill seeking if that's what you want.

Stamina - orally? He could fuck you all day. Dick wise? Not that impressive. He dumped all his points into oral and didn't take the time to up his dick game. Still, you won't leave the bed unsatisfied, he'll make sure of it.

Temptation - tempting him is pretty easy. Just stare at him with those pretty eyes and call him whatever pet name you've given him and he'll melt like butter at the touch of you.

Unfair - he's never unfair during sex. In fact his goal is to make sure you always end when you feel the most satisfied. He doesn't like to tease or draw things out too much. He gets you exactly where you need to be.

Vocal - just the most spine tingling, lip biting, tantalizing sounds you've ever heard in your life. He makes sure you hear how good your fucking him too, what with all the dirty little praises he keeps whispering in your ear. He's definitely more of a moaner than a talker though.

Wait - he's incredibly patient and if need be he could go a while without fucking you. However just know that when he does finally get his hands on you again you aren't getting away for at least a day or two.

Xtra - he is definitely holding your hand while he dicks you down, no questions asked.

Yearning - he's definitely the type to yearn from afar for a while before asking. He wants to make sure you have the time before he asks.

Zzz - it takes him a while to come down from the high most times, so you two often spend a while holding each other with some nice, soft pillow talk before either of you pass out.

[unknownarmageddon]

uh i don’t really actually have a caption for this one. various killers in their crosses’ jackets. yeag

killer belongs to rahafwabas apocalyptic kross au (right) belongs to me, @denieatsart and @psycho-chair rental suits (left) belongs to me and chair

[lovingapparition]

i’ve got a river running right into you.

Pairing: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn

Warnings for descriptions of medical gore.

Ghost gets hurt. Ghost is touch starved. You just want to help. It’s awkward. 

NOT COMPLETE / NO BETA

It's loud in the medical bay. The lights overhead buzz, adding their hum to the sound of clinking medical instruments, shouted calls for supplies, and the pained sounds of the injured. No set of hands are still as the wounded are wheeled in on gurneys or dragged in by their fellow soldiers. There's too much iron in the air to really adhere to the stricter medical protocols, and it's a scramble for everyone to assess and treat the damage in front of them. Each doctor's movements are efficient and practiced; stitching a wound just as a soldier would clean a gun. 

Just another day on the job.

You were hustling from one sectioned off bed to another, caught in the flow of all the action in the medical bay. The thin curtains between beds did nothing to muffle the chaos of the situation. Too many bodies were moving in and out of the area, it was almost dizzying. Your section of the unit had been chaotic for the better part of three hours, leaving you no time to stop and breathe. It seems things had gone south on the recent mission. The details of which were lost on you, but they didn’t matter now.

Stepping behind a curtain, you immediately get to work assessing the situation the soldier on the bed has found herself in, and you set about putting her back together. She's only caught minor fragments of shrapnel in her upper arms and chest. Nothing deep and nothing dangerous. It doesn't take you long to patch her up, thankfully. As you work, your brain vaguely registers that your medical team must be shifting focus to the less severely injured of the bunch.

You and the soldier both breathe a shared sigh of relief as you finish up her sutures. She only needs a few, and you tell her to return in about a week to check in before they can be removed. As you fill out her paperwork with a quick hand, you notice that the sounds of the room have hushed. You must be reaching the end of the torrent of injured soldiers.

Though small, your team was incredibly efficient; working like a machine during frenzied moments like these. Every second counted, nothing could go to waste.

You briskly step into another curtained area to see a broad, masked man on the gurney. The poor bed looked like it might strain under the weight of his bulky frame and plethora of equipment. For a moment, you can't even tell what's wrong with him. Stepping closer, the scent of fresh blood hits you just as you notice the dark wetness blooming on the upper right thigh of his gray fatigues. It looks like he’s used his own belt as a tourniquet. Your eyebrows scrunch down as you move to his side, your gloved hands automatically moving to his mask.

"Are you awake? Hey-" you're interrupted with a stiff, gloved hand gripping tightly at your wrist. Looking through the skull mask's eye sockets, you can see the whites of his half-lidded eyes starkly against his eyeblack. He's staring evenly back at you.

"I'm awake," he rumbles, low in his chest as if through water, "leave the mask." The directive is clear, even through the murk of his discomfort. You're not sure who this guy is, but from his tone he clearly expects to be obeyed. You knew there was a special operations unit active out of the base, and you can only guess that he's a part of it. Those types tended to be.. odd. This guy fit the bill.

The exchange doesn't last long though, and you immediately move down to visually assess the rest of his body as you open a new emergency medical kit. "Can you feel anywhere other than your legs that you've been injured? Have you hit your head at all?" you ask, running through regular questions since he seems to be lucid enough to give clear answers. He watches you intently, blinking slowly and almost lazily when you look at him, trauma shears in hand.

He simply shakes his head, grunting what sounds like a negative response. Great, how very helpful. You sigh as you work the shears beneath his pant leg. Without even looking up at him you slide the shears up, cutting half of his pants away to reveal the mess of both fresh and congealing blood on his thigh. Without a second thought, you cut through his briefs, pushing them aside just enough to allow him privacy as you get a better view of his injuries. The belt stays for now, it’s probably the only thing keeping him from passing out. 

It's not great. He definitely needed to be seen sooner, and you're worried about exactly how much blood he's lost. Some of these wounds are deep and still bleeding. Small bits of metal are visible through the clots. You can see bruising already beginning to form on the skin around the lacerations. The hot iron scent of his blood floods your nose, thick in the air between you.

"I need help in here- I've got shrapnel, heavy blood loss and I need extra hands!" you shout to your team without looking up, busy flushing his wounds with saline to clear any loose debris. Your hands are practiced and steady, one hand deftly wiping the blood and saline as you work. The man shifts, a strained breath escaping him. You spare him a sympathetic glance, knowing this part made many uncomfortable. Why had no one tended to him? He should've been among the first.

Evidently, so is the man in the bed. 

Before you can ask, your colleague steps in and immediately gloves up before getting to work with you. Together, you clean and stitch the man's wounds. He remains almost totally silent for all of it, save for the soft grunts as he's sewn back together. Even with the local anesthetic, it's still a bit uncomfortable. Throughout it all, he peers at you, his pale eyes flitting between your hands and your face as you work. At one point his gloved hands twitch at his side like he wants to move them. He doesn’t.

Your colleague quickly removes the man’s vest, knowing just as you do that there could be more injuries beneath it. The vest goes in a chair by the bed for later. The black shirt shirt he's wearing beneath it isn't torn or bloody, but you’re aware of your colleague’s intention to begin feeling for broken ribs as you get his IV drip ready. 

His hands catch your colleague’s wrists with a quickness you wouldn’t have thought possible given the amount of blood he’s already lost. “That’s enough,” he hisses. Your head snaps up, and you can only see the tight narrowing of his eyes through the mask. Before you can react, your colleague jerks from his grip. 

"I need to get these pants the rest of the way off, and then we're done. I'll get you cleaned up and finished for the night," you explain, falling back into your doctor mindset and practiced speech to ease the tension. He makes no response to this, so you take his silence as the go ahead. It's not like his pants were salvageable anyway.

"Are you gonna be okay in here? I have to go check on someone," your colleague asks, clearly annoyed. It wasn’t anything new to have a rude patient, but everyone’s nerves were fried after the hectic shift. You couldn’t blame them at all.

You wave them off, tired. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got him. Shouldn’t be much longer anyway.” They head off, and you turn back to the man, sighing. He’s clearly had a rough night, maybe he could use the benefit of the doubt. You were certain that you’d be a bit pissy after catching some shrapnel. 

"Do you think you can get into a clean bed without ripping those stitches?" you ask tiredly as you remove your gloves. Without looking up, you move to unlace his boot. You swear you can feel him watching your fingers loosen the laces, watching your hand wrap around his ankle as you pull the boot off. His stare holds a weight in it you've never experienced before. When you look up at him, he's ready looking away.

You offer him a fresh towel for privacy as you cut his pants and briefs the rest of the way off and gingerly slide them from beneath him. They go straight in the red trash bin specifically for biohazard waste. You gingerly clean his thigh one last time and apply a thin layer of ointment to his sutures to encourage healing before you wrap his thigh in gauze. He helpfully spreads his legs enough to allow you to securely tape the gauze in place. His skin is warm, even through your gloves.

You blink once, twice, forcing the thought away as you finish up. 

"I can." is all you get out of him. You sigh, it's been a long day. His boots join his vest in the chair, and you roll a clean cot into his room. This one has a thin cotton sheet and a blanket on it. You could almost swear his head is cocked, ever so slightly, with a question, and you answer it without thinking. "You're sleeping here tonight. You've lost a lot of blood and you'll need IV fluids to recover. It's not much, but it's better than that gurney."

He huffs, you can only guess he’s annoyed, but he looks the bed over. The cushioned pad was minimal at best. He would definitely feel it in the morning in addition to whatever pain arose from his stitches. “Look, I’m going to override whatever authority you think you have here. It’s safest for us to be able to watch you, just for tonight.” It’s your turn to leave him without room to argue.

For a long moment, he looks at you indignantly, like he’s not covering himself with a thin towel and your sutures aren't in his thigh. Then the tension slowly eases out of his shoulders, and he nods once.

You don't look away as he slides his legs around to the edge of the gurney, one massive hand still covering himself with the towel for decency. It's nothing you haven't seen before, and you're more concerned with whether or not he's okay to stand without support. You step closer, clearing your throat to cut the silence.

You roll an IV pole to the side of his cot and hand the fluids you’d prepared earlier on it. “Okay, last thing and then I’ll fuck off for the night, I swear,” you tell him dryly. He huffs, a short sound that’s close to a laugh, you think. 

"I'm here, if you need a hand," you tell him, more confidently than you feel. Seeing him standing now you realize he's nearly a full head taller and twice as broad as you. Your hand finds his elbow, and to your surprise he doesn't tell you to back off as you help him ease into the bed.

A low, cut off groan escapes him as he sits tentatively on the edge of the bed. When he eases back to lay down, his shirt rides up just enough to hint at the bloom of a purple bruise draped over his side. His eyes are pinched shut as he slowly settles into bed.

He doesn’t get the chance to try to help himself get comfortable. “Here, just let me. I’ve got it.” You tell him quietly, batting his hands away from the sheets. You gingerly help him maneuver his legs into a comfortable position and tuck the blankets loosely around him. Another stolen glance at him tells you he’s still got that dreamy half lidded look. It’s enough for you to not exactly trust him with getting settled in bed on his own.

“I’m going to give you an IV to replace the fluids you lost and some light pain medication. Then we’re all done,” You tell him as you add more of those shitty military issue pillows to the bed. It’s the least you can do to make him comfortable. The local anesthetic won’t last him the entire night, and you’re certain the rest of his body must be sore from the aftermath of the mission. 

Placing his IV goes without fuss. He's slumped back against the pillows, breathing evenly as you fill out his paperwork for his overnight check in. You'd managed to fill out most of it, but you still didn't know his name or what unit he belonged to. "Hey, what's your name and unit? I need to fill this sheet out for my records,” you ask, not even looking up.

"Ghost. One four one," each rumbling word has you bristling, your face paling. Oh hell. 

"..Thank you sir." Your throat feels like it’s closing up. You don’t even bother asking for his actual name. You’d heard about a Ghost on the base, but you’d never seen him; never thought you would. It was all just rumors, something to shoot the shit about over dinner in the cafeteria. 

You wanted to sink into the floor. How could you have missed the literal skull mask? The hectic rush of the day coupled with your exhaustion must have completely cleared your brain out of any irrelevant gossip, and now it was biting you in the ass. For the last half hour you’d been practically ogling him and talking to him like he was any other soldier on the base. 

The rest of the shift moves by in a blur, it’s mostly paperwork and cleanup since everyone has been seen too. You luckily are not chosen to pass food out, so you’re saved the further embarrassment of having to interact with Ghost even more. With any luck tomorrow morning would be the last you two ever speak, and he could go back to being invisible to you, and you’d be saved from dying of embarrassment.

A low chuckle rolls from his chest, and your head sharply snaps up. You fight the urge to apologize and dig your hole deeper. You can feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment as you realize he’s laughing at you. You had heard rumors about his particularly efficient methods of combat and data extraction from captured enemies; some of the things you’d heard made your spine chill.

You can only smile nervously back at him and tiredly drag your hand over your eyes. You can only cling to the last vestiges of professionalism that you have left. “You’re all set here. Once things calm down someone will be by with some food for you, if you feel like eating,” you tell him, your mouth dry. He hums softly in response, and you figure the pain medication has started to take effect. “I’ll be back in the morning to check in, have a good night, sir.”