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spaceagebachelormann · 6 months

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𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

!!REQUEST REQUIREMENTS!!

-> state the character, romantic or platonic, the format of the request, and a plot

-> do you have any specifics for the reader? blonde, poc, male, neurodivergent, etc? (please keep in mind i will write poc readers but i’m white so they may be a little difficult for me)

-> requests are preferred to be sent through inbox, but i can make dms work if needed

-> PLEASE ACTUALLY SPECIFY WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR REQUEST!! ITS VERY HARD FOR ME TO WRITE “____ x reader fluff” GIVE ME A PLOT LINE

!!WHAT I WILL WRITE!!

-> platonic

-> romantic

-> familial

-> any gender x any gender

-> headcanons

-> long fics

-> multi character

-> blurbs

-> poly relationships

-> x reader

-> i will only write cheating if it’s a character comforting r after being cheated on, not a character cheating on r

!!WHAT I WONT WRITE!!

-> smut (i’m 14)

-> yandere

-> most aus, ask about the specific au before requesting an au

-> incest

-> age gaps

-> canonical gay/lesbian character x a man (if lesbian) or a woman (if gay)

-> song fics

-> things about ocs

-> ships

-> sunshine x grumpy tropes, i’m horrible at this trope

character list

keeper of the lost cities

sophie foster, dex dizznee, fitz vacker, keefe sencen, biana vacker, marella redek, maruca chebota, tam song, linh song, wylie endal, jensi babblos, stina heks, elwin hesledge

chronicles of narnia

peter pevensie, edmund pevensie, susan pevensie, lucy pevensie, caspian

riordanverse

percy jackson, annabeth chase, grover underwood, jason grace, piper mclean, leo valdez, hazel levesque, frank zhang, nico di angelo, will solace, reyna arellano, rachel dare, travis stoll, connor stoll, thalia grace, magnus chase, alex fierro, carter kane, sadie kane

harry potter

harry potter, ron weasley, hermione granger, neville longbottom, luna lovegood, ginny weasley, fred weasley, george weasley, sirius black, james potter, remus lupin, mary macdonald, marlene mckinnon, lily evans, dorcas meadows, regulus black, barty crouch jr, narcissa black, andromeda black, bellatrix lestrange

ride the cyclone

ocean o’connell rosenberg, noel gruber, mischa bachinski, ricky potts, jane doe/penny lamb, constance blackwood

shadow and bone

alina starkov, malyen oretsev, genya safin, zoya nazyalensky, david kostyk, tamaar & tolya, nikolai lantsov

six of crows

kaz brekker, inej ghafa, jesper fahey, nina zenik, wylan van eck, matthias helvar

the outsiders

ponyboy curtis, johnny cade, sodapop curtis, darry curtis, steve randall, twobit matthews, dallas winston, cherry valance

the hunger games

katniss everdeen, peeta mellark, finnick odair, johanna mason, cinna, effie trinket

it (2017)

bill denbrough, eddie kaspbrak, richie tozier, stan uris, beverly marsh, ben hanscom, mike hanlon

the school for good and evil

agatha, sophie, tedros, hort, hester, anadil, dot, nicola, rhian mistral, rafal mistral, clarissa dovey, leonora lesso

the land of stories

connor bailey, alex bailey, red riding hood, jack, goldilocks

scooby doo

shaggy rogers, fred jones, daphne blake, velma dinkley, thorn, dusk, luna

little women

jo march, amy march, beth march, meg march, laurie

dracula

dracula, lucy westenra, arthur holmwood, john seward, mina harker, abraham van helsing, renfield, quincey morris, jonathan harker, the brides

frankenstein

victor frankenstein, elizabeth lavenza, henry clerval, adam frankenstein, justine mortiz, ernest frankenstein, the bride

dr jekyll and mr hyde

henry jekyll, edward hyde, richard enfield, gabriel utterson, hastie lanyon, lucy harris

phantom of the opera

christine daaé, erik destler, raoul de chagney, meg giry, carlotta giudicelli

a good girls guide to murder

pippa fitz-amobi, ravi singh, naomi ward, cara ward, connor reynolds, jamie reynolds, nat da silva

the mighty ducks

charlie conway, adam banks, lester averman, guy germaine, connie moreau, fulton reed, dean portman, julie gaffney, ken wu, luis mendoza, dwayne robertson

monster high

frankie stein, draculaura, clawdeen wolf, cleo de nile, abbey bominable, ghoulia yelps, operetta, rochelle goyle, spectra vondergeist, elissabat, clawd wolf, deuce gorgon, heath burns, jackson jekyll, holt hyde, kieran valentine

the powerpuff girls

blossom utonium, bubbles utonium, buttercup utonium, brick jojo, boomer jojo, butch jojo

david bowie

david bowie, ziggy stardust, jareth, thomas jerome newton, celliers

sweeney todd

sweeney todd, anthony hope, mrs lovett, johanna todd

the rosewood chronicles

lottie pumpkin, ellie wolf, jamie volk, ollie moreno, raphael wilcox, anastacia alcroft leblanc, saskia san martin, lola tomkins, mickey tomkins, binah fae

hairspray

corny collins, link larkin, amber von tussle, tracey turnblad, penny pingleton, seaweed j. stubbs

attack on titan

eren yeager, mikasa ackerman, armin arlert, jean kirstein, sasha braus, connie springer, annie leonhardt, bertholdt hoover, reiner braun, hange zoe, levi ackerman, erwin smith, colt grice, niccolo, yelena, onyakopon, zeke yeager

daisy jones and the six

daisy jones, billy dunne, graham dunne, karen sirko, warren rhodes, pete loving/roundtree, eddie loving/roundtree, camila dunne, simone jackson

doctor who bbc

ninth doctor, tenth doctor, rose tyler, jack harkness, mickey smith, donna noble, martha jones, clara oswald, river song, simm! master

miss peregrines home for peculiar children

jacob portman, emma bloom, millard nulling, enoch o’connor, olive elephanta, alma peregrine

miscellaneous characters

sarah williams, bernard the elf, rodrick heffley, varian, lisa frankenstein, the creature (lisa frankenstein)

UPCOMING FANDOMS : les miserables

#marlee organization <3

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bijouxcarys · 1 year

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⛧𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆⛧

Requests are closed

All of my works are intended for mature audiences, and are not recommended to those under the age of 16. I am not responsible for any minors who may read my work.

Click below to access contents:

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to look around.

First off, my name is Carys, I'm 22 and I'm from the United Kingdom. I've been writing fanfiction for 10 years. I started off on MJFiction.com writing Michael Jackson fanfic, and I found I absolutely loved it!

I'm autistic and am absolutely riddled with undiagnosed ADHD, but I don't bang on about it, so don't worry. I rarely ever talk about it. That being said, without having autistic special interests, I wouldn't be here writing for you all!

My special interests include the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, films, WWE, and... MUSIC.

I write fanfiction about Robert Plant and Brian May, which is what my blog is mainly centred around.

Don't be afraid to shoot me a message; I may be Northern English but I am very nice. Promise.

((Side note, if you are one of those Jimbert stans who fully believe that they were in a relationship/have very real feelings towards each other... Navigate my blog with caution, because that ain't it for me. I support everyone's freedom to fantasise and write fanfic, draw fanart, etc of anything, but when it goes beyond fantasy and starts becoming something real, that's when I draw the line. Y'all know who you are.))

Archive of our Own

Wattpad

Donate/leave a tip

Silly Discord that barely is active but is always nice to have

Spotify (in the process of creating all the relevant playlists for fics)

In the event of not being able to access my works through the links in the masterlist, please go to the search bar and type in "bijouxcaryslibrary" and all the necessary content will come up (hopefully.)

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞:

Smut

Fluff

x Reader

Personalised (you choose the name insert)

x OC

FxM pairings (smut and fluff)

FxF pairings (smut and fluff)

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞:

Creepy shit. Like... obviously dodgy areas. Pedophilia, necrophilia, non-con, etc...

Food kinks and pregnancy kinks (no kink shaming here, I just personally feel uncomfortable with it)

MxM pairings (smut and romantic fluff)

Pairings of real life people such as band mate x band mate

I will pretty much write anything apart from the above, don't be shy to be specific with your requests. The more detailed, the better!

To Love So Completely (Robert Plant x fem!OC mini series)

Got My Timing Right (Book 3 of my Brian May series)

Allure pt. 2 (Sequel to my Brian May one shot Allure)

Herbal Clouds (1969 Brian May one shot)

Robert Plant x OC request

Roman Reigns x OC request

Brian May x reader request

𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐘

Peace Lovin' Guy Series

Book 1: Peace Lovin' Guy (completed, in the process of uploading on Tumblr)

Book 2: Get Your Heart Beating (completed, in the process of uploading on Tumblr)

Book 3: Got My Timing Right (ongoing)

Book 4: Can't Understand It (TBA)

Book 5: A Sweetheart Hand (TBA)

Book 6: Through the Madness (TBA)

One Shots

Allure **

𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓

Honey Bee ** | Part 1 Part 2

Little Wayward Girl **

Daddy's Attention **

Aphrodite **

To Love So Completely (Masterlist)

Cherry Lips **

The High Life **

Fine Wine **

Spotlight **

Celestial **

Eternally **

Make It Better **

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒

Just Your Tribal Chief **

Prove It **

Bad News

Ties That Bind (Masterlist)

Honey Bee | fic board

To Love So Completely | fic board

Peace Lovin’ Guy (PLG Book 1) | fic board

Allure | fic board

Get Your Heart Beating (PLG Book 2) | fic board

Got My Timing Right (PLG Book 3) | fic board

Little Wayward Girl | fic board

Daddy’s Attention | fic board

Aphrodite | fic board

Cherry Lips | fic board

The High Life | fic board

Fine Wine | fic board

Spotlight | fic board

To Love So Completely | fic playlist

Allure | fic playlist

Honey Bee | fic playlist

Peace Lovin’ Guy | fic playlist

Get Your Heart Beating | fic playlist

Suffer and Brew

I Did It Again

Turn Out The Lights

Still Alive

Royalty

Blood To My Vein

I Deserve It

Someday

You'll Never Be Loved

Antidote

If I Die

Bother

𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆

My Unfiltered Thoughts on Clash at the Castle 2024

@celestial-dragoness writes some fantastic Robert Plant fanfiction, and is one of the sweetest people ever. She's also a talented crocheter :p

@firethatgrewsolow has some of the best Robert fics on the internet, and is just as unhinged as the rest of the Zep fandom, and fucking lovely.

@callmethehunter has great Zeppelin content, like analyses, reblogs, thoughts, um... studies of sorts... and is just an all around genuine person.

@brownskinsugarplum76 again has very realistic and steamy Rob fics.

@nature-and-music is an amazingly talented writer, and I suggest indulging to your heart's content.

@trippinsorrows If you're in need of a good, solid Roman Reigns fanfiction, with a narrative and multiple chapters, this girl is the best. And ridiculously dedicated to what she does. Also so fucking sweet.

@she2real also writes bomb ass Roman fics

@heauxvibez writes some fucking delicious Roman fics that have me questioning my existence afterwards

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atinylittlepain · 2 years

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Of Saints and Sinners - Chapter 8

Joel Miller x f!reader/f!oc

series masterlist

chapter summary: it continues to be a push and pull between her and Joel. Will they be able to overcome each other's steel?

warnings | 18+ canon-typical violence and gore, references to smut, angst

a/n | happy TLOU night :) I consider this chapter to be sort of a set up for the next leg of plot to this story, but there's plenty of angst to sink your teeth into here

Spring has pulled her verdant arms over Jackson, and Summer is close on her heels. The days are getting longer and brighter. The greenhouses are dizzyingly full of fresh produce. Ellie brings home a bowl of strawberries one day, and the taste makes Joel’s eyes water. But it’s not just the landscape that’s been set in a full thaw. She has all but officially moved in with him, each week a few more of her belongings finding permanent residence in his space. There’s a stack of her books on his nightstand, a folded pile of her clothes in his closet, two toothbrushes sitting in his bathroom.

While they go their separate ways in the morning, she is always at his place for dinner, talking easily with Ellie, helping in the kitchen. The first couple of times, Joel had found the scene strange, almost absurd in its domesticity. But, perhaps dangerously, he had easily gotten used to it because he liked it so much. She always spends the night, and when they tangle together, it’s like the first time all over again. He’d devour her if he could, that’s how much he wants her. The way she sighs his name when pleasure strokes down her spine, her nails grazing the expanse of his back, the taste of her and the way she preens into his mouth. They fall asleep most nights bare and slick with the salt of pleasure.

It’s in this position, a tangle of limbs and sighs, that they find themselves in tonight. She rests her cheek on his chest as he grazes his fingers down the length of her arm. His eyes trace the swirls of ink and scar that laces down her back. She no longer hides from him, and he knows it’s no small gift that she has given him.

“Can I ask you something?” She hums at his question, craning her neck to peer at him. He clears his throat before continuing.

“Will you tell me about these? All this ink?” He’s still careful about how much he pries, though she’s certainly been more willing to talk, he never knows when he might have pushed a bit too far. For a moment, he worries that he just has, but she offers him a small smile and nod. She sits up, kneeling between his legs. He still has to catch his breath seeing her bare body before him.

“What do you want to know, Joel?” He tentatively reaches a hand out to brush along the birds that sit below her collarbone, tracing down the swirls of ink on her one arm.

“Do they all have meaning?” Her smile brightens and she nods again. She takes both his wrists to guide his palms to splay back over the birds.

“These I got for my mother. Magpies were her favorite birds. Have you seen magpies before?”

“They’re a kind of crow, right?” She snorts, squeezing his wrists.

“They’re way cooler than crows. Bigger, and smarter. And wickedly loud.” She draws his one palm to her shoulder, down along her bicep where a swirling branch is inked.

“Cherry. And plum on the outside of my arm. My grandparents owned an orchard in Bend. We spent most of our summers there.” She twists in his old, her back facing him as Joel sits up. He doesn’t know how he didn’t see it before, but it’s now clear how the branches on her arm twine across her shoulder blades, following into the twisted trunks of trees that span down her spine. For the first time, he wholly takes in the expanse of her back, the twisting, silvery scars that lay under swaths of ink. He traces his fingers down the branches and she shivers under his touch.

“Alex is one hell of an artist.” She huffs out a laugh.

“He’s been working on a new tattoo gun. Putting it together out of scrap parts. Figure I’ll get something over the fresh scar.” His eyes instinctually dart to the puckered skin on her forearm. It’s healed over, but she keeps it bandaged during the day to keep prying eyes out. He draws his attention to her back again, and his eyes catch on a small figure in the one tree.

“Is that a–”

“Squirrel? Yeah, that’s for Jack.” A heavy silence falls after her words. It’s the one thing Joel knows not to ask about, that she’ll tell him scraps in time, when she’s ready. He knows that Jack was her little brother, and he knows she lost him, and that it destroyed her. He doesn’t pry, instead laying his palm over the inked creature.

“What’re you gonna get, when Alex’s gun is ready?” She turns back in his arms, nudging into his lap and drawing her fingers through his hair with a hum.

“Not sure yet. If you have any ideas, let me know.” She presses a chaste kiss to his mouth to seal her words. She seems to be thinking something over, thoughtlessly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Squirrels were his favorite animal.” Joel’s hands still where he had been skating them up her sides, letting them rest at her hips. He tries to keep his expression steady as he searches her face. She won’t quite meet his eyes as she continues.

“I would take him to the park after school and he never wanted to play or run around, he’d just sit and watch the damn squirrels.” She lets out a breathy laugh.

“I was always trying to get a laugh out of him, or just some reaction. So one day, we went to the park and I brought a bag of trail mix and just started throwing nuts and raisins to the squirrels. By the time we left, we had them eating off the toes of our shoes. It was so fucking weird, but it was his favorite thing, I think. We did it all the time afterwards.” She takes a deep breath, her shoulders slumping with the exhale.

“Anyways, um, yeah, the squirrel is Jack’s.” Joel knows there’s nothing he can say right now that’d be right. Even as she offers him a small smile, he can see the pain laced through her eyes. He dips his head and lays a kiss to her sternum before pulling her into his embrace. They don’t talk anymore that night.

…

The next morning, Joel is not pleased with what Ellie tells him over breakfast. Her old patrol partner is switching shifts and she’s now been paired up with Roger. He doesn’t miss the way she winces when she hears Ellie say his name.

“He’s not gonna be your partner for long, kid. That boy is an idiot. I’ll talk to Tommy today. Get the partners rearranged.” Ellie just shrugs at Joel, finishing her bowl of oatmeal before hurrying off out the door to get to her shift. Joel glances at her out of the corner of his eye, catching her smirk.

“Roger may be an idiot. But I’ve heard he’s good on patrol. You don’t have to worry about her, Joel.” He huffs, taking another swig of coffee.

“I’m still gonna talk to Tommy, find her a better partner. Would you wanna take shifts with her?” She looks taken aback by his question.

“I mean, do you think that’s a good idea? To have us put together?” Ellie still doesn’t know that she’s immune like her, nor does she know that it had been her immunity that had put her in so much danger previously. Joel hadn’t really even been thinking about that when he posed the idea, but now, remembering that day that Alex rode back by himself, without her, his stomach starts to churn. He shakes his head to clear the thought away.

“No, you’re right. I don’t like that idea at all. What about Alex?” She quirks an eyebrow at him.

“You trying to steal my patrol partner, Miller?” A smug grin settles on his face.

“Well, I may know someone else who’d be happy to fill the position.” That earns him a laugh, a sound that sends a giddy sweep up his spine.

“We did make a pretty good team, huh? Alright, I’ll talk to him about it. Pretty sure he wouldn’t mind.” She slips her palm into his. That’s new, the simple touches that they’re starting to share. Joel thinks it might be better than the sex, or at least a close second.

“I gotta go. I’m helping Maria with some new security plans. See you tonight?” He nods, watching her stand and clear her plate away. She sweeps back and presses a quick kiss to his lips, rubbing her palm on his chest.

“Be safe, darlin.”

“Bye, Joel.”

…

The sun is starting to set, and Ellie hasn’t come home from her shift yet. Joel is beginning to panic. He’s getting ready to set out looking for her himself when the front door opens, though it’s not Ellie. She looks just as worried as he feels.

“Have you seen Ellie?” “No, I heard that she hasn’t come back though. Joel, it’s getting dark, I think we need to go look for her.” He just nods, grabbing his gun and following her out into the quick darkening evening.

They don’t make it far on horseback before they see a figure cresting over the hill that lays before them. She keeps her gun cocked, but sure enough, it’s Ellie. There’s no sign of Roger. They set off at a gallop towards her, quickly dismounting when they come upon her. Joel’s on her in an instant, cupping her face in his hands and looking her over for injury. She doesn't appear to be hurt, just shaken.

“There was a cluster of them up near the dam. Jesus– they came out of nowhere. Roger’s dead.” Joel thinks to himself that he doesn’t give a fuck about Roger.

“Are you ok?” She just nods, but her eyes flicker down to her leg and Joel sees blood pooling in the ankle of her sock. He knows right away that she must have gotten bit again, trying to hide it in the presence of someone else.

“Ellie, it’s alright, she knows. About you.” Ellie’s eyes go wide and she shoves Joel away, her gaze darting between him and her.

“What the fuck, Joel? You’re the one who told me not to tell anyone. But apparently that doesn’t apply to your lady friend.”

“Ellie!” She steps forward then, placing a hand on his shoulder before he can bark out anything else, stepping between him and Ellie.

“It’s fine, Joel. Ellie, your secret is safe with me.” The girl scoffs.

“Oh yeah? Why should I believe you?” With that, she’s rolling up her shirt sleeve and unwinding the bandage on her forearm, bearing the still healing bite that wraps around her skin. Ellie is stunned speechless.

“Because I’m like you, kid.”

…

Ellie is silent the whole ride back. Joel goes to tell Tommy what happened while she hustles the girl home. She grabs their makeshift first aid kit and shuffles her into the bathroom, ordering Ellie to hop onto the counter while she sits on the ground to get a better look at her ankle. She pulls off her boot and sock, rolling up her pant leg, and sure enough, a fresh bite smeared across her calf. She lets out a low whistle.

“Got you good, kid. Let’s clean this up, alright?” She glances up at the girl, still nothing. She sighs and gets to work cleaning the wound. As she’s getting ready to wrap a dressing on the bite, Ellie finally speaks up.

“How did you find out?” She pauses.

“About you?” Ellie shakes her head.

“About yourself, how did you find out you were immune?” She sighs, standing up and pulling the collar of her shirt down to expose the top of her shoulder.

“If you squint you can see it under all that ink.” Ellie’s face draws closer to her shoulder, peering at the skin. She can see it in her face when she finally makes out the scarring, letting out a “woah” under her breath before backing off.

“Is that why you have all those tattoos?” She just nods, sinking back down to the floor to finish wrapping her calf. She considers not saying what she’s about to, but goes ahead anyway.

“You remember a couple months ago when I went missing?” Ellie nods.

“Well, it was because some people found out what I am, what we are. I think you know just as well that we have to be careful about this thing. Ellie, I want you to know that I would never, will never tell anyone, ok?” She smooths out the gauze on Ellie’s leg before standing, patting her knee.

“Now, you keep that clean and covered, and when it’s healed maybe we can see about getting you some ink, if you want.” Ellie grins, and it’s a relief to her.

“Oh, I want. You’re like the coolest person in this town and like forty percent of that is just ‘cause of your tattoos, so, hell yeah. Sign me up.” She snorts at that, squeezing the girl's arm before stepping aside and letting her hop down.

“Are you feeling ok?” Ellie shrugs, eyes settling on her feet.

“I mean, s’never a good day when someone dies on your watch, but I’ll be alright.”

“Hey. It wasn’t on your watch. Your da– Joel was right. Roger was a cocky idiot. He was gonna get himself hurt eventually. I’m just sorry it happened when you were around, kid.” Ellie just huffs, but still offers her a small “thank you” before walking off, headed towards her room in the garage. She feels her shoulders slacken from where they had been pinned up to her ears.

…

When he finally gets home, he finds her sitting at the dining table reading. She cranes her neck around to look at him as he enters.

“Told Tommy. Said he wasn’t surprised that Roger got picked off.” She huffs at that as Joel sits down beside her.

“Well I concur with Tommy. You hungry? I made dinner for Ellie and there’s leftovers.” He just shakes his head, letting out a long exhale.

“Joel? Did something else happen?” He pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive headache rushing in.

“He, uh, wants you and Ellie to work patrol together. Sees you both being immune as a strength. I told him to forget it–” he cuts himself off when he looks at her and sees that she doesn’t seem as repulsed by the idea as he is. She shrugs.

“I don’t know, Joel. After today, maybe Tommy’s right?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She holds his gaze, steadfast.

“I’m serious. I mean, face it, as long as that kid is going out with people that aren’t like her, the chance that she comes back and they don’t is always going to be huge.”

“And just why is that a problem, so long as she’s coming back?” He can feel the frustration rising up in his throat at this conversation, the exhaustion and stress of the day pushing his limit.

“She may have come back this time, but I’m telling you Joel. Everytime she watches someone else die while she gets to live just because of the dumb luck of her immunity, another part of her is gonna get chipped away until she doesn’t come back at all.” He runs a ragged hand across his face, tugging at the roots of his hair. He can’t believe they’re actually having this conversation.

“You speaking from experience?” Her face twists up at that.

“Lose a lot of partners, huh? Had to come back alone?” He knows he’s being taunting, cruel even, but he can’t help it anymore, too lost in his anger.

“I can protect her, Joel. In a way that other people can’t. She doesn’t have to come back alone ever again.”

“So what, you’re gonna be some power team, huh? You may be immune, darlin, but you’re sure as shit not invincible. Already learned that the hard way.” It’s harsher than he wanted it to be and he can see the slight fall in her expression, but she steels back up.

“Now you’re just being a dick for the hell of it. I’m going to run patrol with her, Joel. Whether you like it or not.”

“No you’re not! Goddamnit! This isn’t some fucking game, don’t you see that? Quit trying to play the hero, trying to make up for the past. You can’t bring any of them back. You can’t bring him back.” It’s a shot in the dark really, an assumption he makes but it seems to hit the target as her face immediately goes slack.

“You can’t bring Ja–” She’s on him before he can even get the whole name out, her sheer strength taking him by surprise as she hauls him by his shirt collar and shoves him against the wall.

“You don’t fucking say his name. I’m taking patrol with Ellie. But you and I? Whatever this was? It’s over. Go find someone else to boss around.” She shoves him, hard, into the wall before turning heel and stomping out the front door before he can even get a word out.

Joel keels over for a moment, hands on his knees as he lets out a string of sharp curses and he can’t help thinking that he’s been somewhere very similar in the recent past. He slowly rights himself, dragging both his hands down his face. Before he can think better of it, he’s whipping around and punching his fist straight through the wall she had just slammed him against.

Everything goes silent for a moment as he studies his bloodied knuckles.

“What the fuck?” He swears he jumps a few feet in the air, finding Ellie staring at him like he’s crazy. He feels like he’s going crazy.

“Don’t ask, kid.”

…

Joel’s done caring. At least that’s what he keeps telling himself. He doesn’t look for her outside the childcare center, doesn’t ask Maria how she’s doing. If he sees Steve or Alex in the bar he heads home, not wanting to risk seeing her there. One day, he went out on patrol in the morning, and when he came home that night, all her books, her clothes, even her toothbrush was gone. He had broken two of his knuckles that night when he stupidly punched clean through the wall, and the pain is a constant reminder to keep his head down and mind his own business.

For once, Ellie doesn’t bug him about it, seeming to sense how torn up he really is. She does start taking patrol shifts with her, but she won’t tell Joel anything about it. He lets it be, so long as she keeps coming home safe.

A few weeks pass in this fugue state. His hand finally heals. Ellie keeps coming home in one piece. He’s slowly realized that it’s going to take practice, forgetting about her, and so his days are spent trying to forget. He takes on as many shifts as he can, working from sunup to sun down most days. They even elect him onto the town council with how much he’s been working with Tommy on shoring up security.

Spring has fully rolled over to summer, and Joel is starting to accept this life of forgetting until he’s forced to remember. Once again, Ellie doesn’t come home from her shift on time. He doesn’t wait around this time, immediately going to Tommy who agrees to go with him up into the mountains to look for her. The long summer days are to their advantage, keeping it light out still into the evening as they set out on horseback. Joel’s trying to swallow down the frantic panic in his chest. Tommy breaks the silence.

“You gonna tell me what happened between you and her?”

“Shut up, Tommy.”

“Easy, brother. I’m just trying to understand is all. It seemed like you two had a good thing going, then all of a sudden you’re avoiding each other like the damn plague. I don’t get it.” “Yeah, well neither do I. So just shut up and ride.” For once, his brother complies.

They’ve just made it up past the foothills of the mountain when they come across a horse. Joel immediately recognizes it as Shimmer, the horse Ellie likes to take out. He feels sick to his stomach. They dismount and start looking around, but there’s no one in sight. Just as Tommy goes to say something, the sound of a gunshot rings out through the trees. Joel doesn’t even think, already slinging his gun off his shoulder and getting it loaded as he starts to jog towards the sound, Tommy close on his heels. Another shot rings out, and Joel can just start to hear the sounds of shouting up ahead.

Before they get any further, something, or someone, is running smack into Joel, knocking them both onto the ground. He quickly rolls them over, pinning the person down, but his grip slackens when he sees that it’s Ellie. There��s blood splattered across her face and she’s gasping for breath.

“Ellie? Are you hurt?” She shakes her head hard.

“S-she told me to run. It’s a bunch of raiders. They would’ve already killed us, but– they s-saw the bite on her arm, w-wanted answers, how the f-fuck she was still alive.” Joel’s head is spinning as Ellie speaks, but just then another round of gunshots resounds through the trees. He quickly hauls Ellie up, barking at Tommy to get her back to town before turning back towards the sound of gunfire.

There’s a break in the trees, and sure enough, he sees her holding her own against a pair of men, two bodies already dispatched on the forest floor. He puts a bullet through the one man’s head, turning his attention back to her where she’s struggling with the other raider. Joel’s trying to aim for him, but they’re too close together in their fighting and he can’t risk it. She finally gets the upper hand, sending her knife up and into the fleshy softness beneath the man’s ribs, letting him fall to the ground with a gurgling moan. When she finally looks at Joel, it’s as if she’s in a daze. Meanwhile, Joel keeps opening his mouth to say something, anything, but promptly coming up with nothing. The relief he feels seeing her alive scares him into a stunned silence.

But then he sees that she’s bleeding. There are slicing gashes across her forearm where her fresh scar had been. The cuts look deep and he thinks to himself that it looks purposeful and it makes his stomach twist. She follows his gaze down to her arm, lifting it up to look at it in the quick fading light. Her voice is hoarse when she speaks, but still steely cool.

“Guess they wanted to do a little science experiment.” He could drop to his knees, her words make him feel so sick. She glances at him again.

“Is Ellie–”

“Tommy took her back to town. She’s fine, because of you.” She huffs, not acknowledging his last words as she starts gathering knives and guns off the dead bodies. She keeps her gaze down as she moves. Joel swallows hard around the thick pain in his throat.

“Are you ok?” She freezes where she stands. Joel can see the shake in her hands, the weapons she had been collecting clattering to the ground.

When she looks up at him, there’s tears collecting in her eyes. All she manages is a broken whimper of his name before she’s collapsing to her knees in a sob. Joel is on the ground with her in an instant, wrapping her in his arms as she wails into the evening air. Her words crack, punctuated by gasps and shuddering cries.

“I’m so sorry, Joel– I’m so sorry– I–” She can’t even get the rest of what she wants to say out, heaving breaths wracking her body. He pulls back to hold her by her shoulders, dipping his head to catch her watery gaze.

“No sorrys. It’s ok, you’re ok.” She just shakes her head, pressing her clenched fists into her thighs. He pulls her back into a crushing embrace, trying to press stillness into the way her body shakes with each sob until her shudders start to slow. She murmurs into his shoulder that they need to get back to town. He sighs, loosening his grip but keeping his hands wrapped around her arms as he pulls back to look at her.

“I’m so tired, Joel. I’m so tired.” Something in him shatters at her words, and he takes a sharp inhale to try to keep it together. It has become painfully clear that he was never done caring for her, that he probably would never be done caring for her.

“I know you are, darlin. I’m gonna get you home.”

…

Once again, Joel finds himself in his bathroom taking care of her wounds. She was quiet the whole way back, the occasional shaky exhale all he heard to let him know she was still with him. She won’t meet his gaze, not even when she winces as he cleans the gashes. It’s coming out of his mouth before he can even think better.

“We gotta stop meeting like this, darlin.” There’s a beat of silence, and then she’s letting out an incredulous laugh, finally looking up at him. For a moment, there’s a ghost of a smile on her face.

“We really do.” Her smile quickly fades, a crease settling between her brows as she looks at him.

“Joel, I’m so sorry. For everything. I just– I’m no good. I’ve tried so hard to just keep moving– to not think about– to not think at all. A-and because of it I hurt you and put Ellie in danger and– I’m just so sorry.” She’s clutching his wrist as she speaks, and Joel slides his hand to twine with hers, squeezing hard.

“Stop apologizing. Because of you, Ellie’s asleep in her own bed right now.” There’s a whole lot more he wants to say, but for now he settles with bandaging her forearm. She lets out another sigh before speaking.

“Been trying so hard to leave you be. You don’t deserve to get stuck with all my shit, not when I’ve been so awful to you.” His hands stop.

“You haven’t been awful to me–” “Joel.” “No, I was out of line that night. What I said– I just– the thought of you and Ellie heading out together– everything I– I lost my head. It was wrong, what I said, and I’m sorry. Hell, if someone talked to me like that about Sarah, I’d probably– I’d–”

“Punch a hole through a wall?” There’s a slight smirk tugging on the corner of her mouth, Joel huffs.

“She told you about that, huh?” Her smile cracks a little wider as she shrugs. He squeezes her hand again, letting out a laugh.

“That little shit.” They’re both laughing now and it feels impossibly good. Joel lets out a sigh, finally letting go of her hand to finish wrapping her arm. His voice is a low murmur as he speaks.

“I don’t mind. Being stuck with you. Long as you’re ok being stuck with me. Don’t think I can really help it, to be honest.” He presses his palm into the bandage for good measure before looking at her again. She slides her hand along the scruff of his jaw and feeling her touch like this again is like finally coming up for air after all these weeks.

“I guess we’re just gonna have to be fucked up together, huh?” He smiles, tilting his head to lay a kiss to her palm.

“I guess so, darlin.”

They strip down to nothing before getting into bed, pressing as close as they can and letting their steady heartbeats slow the ebb and flow of their breathing.

“Joel? Wanna introduce you to someone tomorrow, can I?” She peers up at him from her place on his chest and he nods.

“Who am I meeting?” Her fingers brush down his arm before taking his hand.

“His name is Will. He lives at the childcare center.”

#joel miller angst #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller smut #joel miller x oc #the last of us #tlou fanfiction #tlou

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dancingsunflowers-ocs · 7 months

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𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗘𝗦

The time has once again come for me to talk about some plot bunnies!! These are some all of the plot bunnies I currently have that I haven’t really talked about much - feel free to ask me any questions you might have about them!!

Solana Corzo, Glee OC, Artie Abrams ship.

-Childhood best friend of Claudia Green, before her move to Lima.

-Loves the colour pink, Disney films, Taylor Swift and old vintage sci-fi films/tv shows.

-She basically shocks people with her smarts when everyone thinks of her as an airhead like Brittany.

-Is the only person who gets Rachel, as much to the annoyance of both Claudia and Francesca who can’t stand her.

Pedro Fernandez, Glee OC, Kurt Hummel ship.

-Revamped version of James Green.

-Has been best friends with Ariel Berry since childhood.

-Bisexual disaster and proud!!

-Barista at the Lima Bean and a student at McKinney High.

-Tough guy with a soft heart. Initially, he comes across as aggressive, socially isolated, and simply not given a break in the world.

Matilda Thorpe Wednesday OC, Enid Sinclair ship.

-Based on Matilda from the Roald Dahl book of the same name.

-Her parents are neglectful, however, her brother Xavier takes care of her and acts as a surrogate parent to her.

-She’s a telekinetic, and also has the power to manipulate written words.

-She also has quite a close familial bond with Miss Thornhill, similar to Matilda from the book’s close bond with Miss Honey… But slightly off

-Roommate, and eventually the best friend of Bianca.

-Is a huge reader, and is especially a fan of the Percy Jackson books which she gets Wednesday into.

Feyra Sherwood, The Chronicles of Narnia OC, Peter Pevensie ship.

-Is a school teacher in the 60’s/70’s flower power era.

-After losing her mom, she, her twin brother and cousin discover the world of Narnia through a portal in an old storybook when going through their mother’s belongings.

-Discovers that she has stellar manipulation powers while she’s in the fantasy world.

-She and Peter have a slow burn romance, and she eventually proposes to him with a mood ring from her era/world.

August Sherwood, The Chronicles of Narnia OC, Edmund Pevensie ship.

-Is the twin brother of Feyra Sherwood and the cousin of Joan Connelly.

-Works in the National History Museum in the 60’s/70’s era.

-Discovers with Feyra and Joan, in which he finds out he has earth/weather manipulation powers.

-When he and Edmund first met, they were both constantly bickering with each other, and were basically too stubborn to admit their romantic feelings for each other.

Joan Connelly, The Chronicles of Narnia OC, Lucy Pevensie ship.

-Is the cousin of Feyra and August Sherwood, and is like a younger sibling to them.

-Is a college student during the 60’s/70’s era who’s questioning their gender/sexuality.

-When they and the twins discover Narnia, they finds out that’s they’re really skilled at using weapons.

-They get so confused when animals just follow them around for no particular reason.

-They later befriend/adopt an orphan wolf cub, after some hesitation at first, which they name Akela who laters becomes their companion.

Cherry Hearts, Descendants OC, Ben Beast ship.

-Is the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, but their relationship with each other is very stained.

-Is in contact with her aunt, Mirana of Marmoreal/The White Queen who she considers more of a mother figure than her own.

-A member of the VKs, she wants desperately to be good and break away from her mother’s reputation, and dedicates herself to being better once the VKs choose good at the coronation.

-Smart and sarcastic by nature but not mean.

-Loves strawberries, red lipstick and graffiti.

Sofía Madrigal, Descendants OC, Evie Grimhilde ship.

-Is the daughter of Mirabel Madrigal.

-Like her mother, Sofía is a very optimistic and enthusiastic girl who loves her family above everything, and would do absolutely anything to make them proud of her.

-Many years after Casita was rebuilt, Alma passed away, and it was revealed to Mirabel that she had the most important role in the Madrigal family all along, as she was always destined to be the next holder of the family’s miracle casa.

-Is very skilled at sewing and playing the accordion.

-The day before she was sent off to auradon, Mirabel gifted her with a hand-sewn butterfly plush. She said that she would always be with her if she kept the butterfly close, so Sofía keeps the plush in her mochila bag, as she is extremely homesick & misses her mamá, familia & casa very much.

-Unlike her mother, Sofía was blessed on her fifth birthday with a magical gift, joining the rest of the Madrigal family. Sofía has the gift of light, meaning she can create, cease & manipulate it, making her the family’s real life miracle candle. However her power is defective due to Mirabel being giftless, so her gift is uncontrollable.

Wanda Darling, Descendants OC, Harry Hook ship.

-Is the daughter of Wendy Darling.

-Enemies-to-lovers trope!! She has the purest of hearts, is kind and sees only inner beauty, which causes some tension between her and Harry when they meet for the first time in the second movie.

-Wanda negates Harry’s narcissism and teaches him humility. (She basically baked him a big, humble pie.)

-Super shy and doesn’t talk a whole lot, but incredibly smart and loving. Has a huge interest in astronomy.

Tagging: @luucypevensie (since she helped me with many of these!!) @ginger-grimm @daughter-of-melpomene @ginevrastilinski-ocs @manyfandomocs

#oc plot bunnies #oc: solana corzo #oc: pedro fernandez #oc: matilda thorpe #oc: feyra sherwood #oc: august sherwood #oc: joan connelly #oc: cherry hearts #oc: sofia madrigal #oc: wanda darling

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delilahcalicocat · 7 months

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《Got your back》

Rating: None

Warnings: Your heart might melt from the amount of fluff

Summary: Millie is always there for her beloved Adam Page <3

Pairing: "Hangman" Adam Page & Millie Jackson (Original Character / OC)

WC: I don't know lol :[

[Millie's POV:]

It was Wednesday Night, Adam was on his way to the ring. I was backstage still since he told me to stay back there, he was fighting against Kip Sabian. Penelope Ford was of course at ringside, so she had some sort of plan.

Adam went for a DDT, only for Penelope to distract him. Penelope was going to punch him, which was clearly unplanned.

I know Adam told me to stay backstage, but I wasn't gonna stand by and let this happen. I ran out to the ring and hit Penelope with a Powerbomb, Adam in that time hit Kip with a DDT and Got the pin.

As the cherry on top of the Cake, we stood in the ring as Adam had his arm raised, after that.

He walked towards me, and captured our lips in a kiss, The entire crowd was shocked at the action.

"Let's go Home Darlin" He said to me

"O-Ok" I said, still a little shocked about the kiss from mere seconds ago.

"I Love you Darlin'.." He muttered as we walked up the ramp to go backstage

"I Love you too Adam.." I Replied

He seemed a little shocked I understood his muttering.

"I guess. Thanks for the save." He said

"No problem, I've always got your back" I said with a little smile

Hope you enjoyed this tooth rotting Fluff story :D

#aew #oneshot #{♡}delilah's fics{♧}#drabble #aew drabble #aew x reader #adam page #adam page x reader #Adam page x OC

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autisticempathydaemon · 9 months

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hi hi !! I was wondering if I could have one of the redacted match ups? it's such a cool concept to be putting on ^^

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

I believe the song I would go with would probably be Francesca by Hozier, or Unknown/Nth by Hozier. The Bridge to Unknown is probably my favourite because it's such a like emotional lyric. It depicts the story of someone willing to do anything for someone who doesn't love them back.

"Do you know I could break beneath the weight/Of the goodness, love, I still carry for you?/That I'd walk so far just to take/The injury of finally knowin' you?"

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

I wouldn't mind listening to a video essay, but I don't purposefully go looking for them! If the topic seems interesting I might click on it tho ^^

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Usually cuddled up with a teddy and listening to a sleep aid ^^ there's only a few times that I pass out a few minutes after laying down/with no help. My favourite sleep aid to go to is Ollie's gaming sleep aid where he's playing MK (I have trouble with the "traditional" sleep aids because its too quiet)

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

I won't say what name I chose when i first found out I was Enby because it would (potentially) give me away but the reason I chose it is because it tied multiple parts of my interests together. It felt fitting for that reason. Plus, when ppl hear my name they can usually see that I picked it myself and know that I'm queer as hell so.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

I adore Milo's "getting ready" video (getting dressed up for your feisty werewolf boyfriend), it always makes me feel very special ^^ I also just adore Milo in general (probably my top fav). I also really enjoy the imperium series as it gives us a different side to the boys we love sm.

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

I think that one of the boys I don't understand the hype for is Lasko (though, he's slowly growing on me now). I don't know what it was about early Lasko but he just didn't scratch that part of my brain for the longest time.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

Oh gods I could go one about this. I would have to say the percy jackson series (and Heroes of Olympus) as that is a series that has stuck with me since middle school. Though honourable mention to Tangled (the movie) because oh how I love it so

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Guy, honestly. Like don't get me wrong i would date him too, but if we're talking friendship he seems like a pretty cool dude.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

The ancient greeks, my ocs, sometimes also space. I never really get to a point where I ramble all that often while tired, but if I'm tired and thinking about something you will hear about it.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

Probably Circle K because it's the closest to my house and I usually go for a cherry slushie or orange crush.

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

Probably the playlist where I compiled all the Epic: The Musical Songs, or one of my many oc playlists. I will say I do often listen to my spotify Daylist though, that usually brings me a great vibe

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

Bear in the Big Blue House, because it was the show from my childhood. Also Grey's Anatomy because sometimes I like getting lost in the dumb drama on that show

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

ummm lets see, maybe that im a reader and creator. I love creating things and indulging in others creations so much its insane. I also don't have a strict like association with foods only being for certain meals. like pancakes/eggs and bacon are an any meal kinda food kinda deal. I'm also more of a night owl, though if I get enough sleep I don't mind being up at 5/6 am if its needed/gives me time to chill before the day "actually starts".

Thank you !!

So Avior went through HELL, a whole-ass hell, and made the tragic, Byronic hero’s choice to drag his lover back into that hell. That’s so Unreal Unearth-coded. That’s, like, textbook Hozier; that’s your man.

That’s half of it; the other half is that Avior is so Greek mythology, classics, Socratic coded. Like, he gives so much dark academic vibes, and he really rocks it. That’s a man who has strong opinions about Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism in the best way. Avior loves hearing you talk about Greek myths and philosophy and would be the kind of partner where you’d have lots of lively discussions on translations and interpretation of their literature.

Every day with him would be so lively; Avior is the type who’d be such a fantastic beta reader when you’re in need of him. He’s thoughtful, analytical but not cruel or harsh. The two of you just devour books, reccing things to each other constantly. Avior’d also be so fun to watch Grey’s Anatomy with in that he fucking hated it at first but he’s obsessed now. He would have a big crush on Dr. Yang, and who could blame him?

Song:

My feet are aching/ And your back is pretty tired/ And we've drunk a couple bottles, babe/ And set our grief aside/ The papers say it's doomsday/ The button has been pressed/ We're gonna nuke each other up boys/ 'Til old Satan stands impressed/ And here it is, our final night alive

I love this song and how fantastic, longing, romantic, and tragic it is. It’s a little more Imperium than Prime-coded but no matter the universe, the vibes of holding onto one another as the sky falls to pieces around you will always suit you and Avior. (This is my favorite version but I also recommend the Matt Maltese original.)

Runner-Ups:

Anton is a runner-up because he also gives tragic academic vibes but not as fun for you, you know? He reads all the same classics but doesn’t have as many strong opinions about them. Blake is your other runner-up because he’s also incredibly Hozier-coded to me but like in a derogatory way.

note: thank you for waiting and submitting 💌

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

#redactedasmr #redactedverse #redacted asmr #redactedaudio #redacted audio #redacted #busybee matches

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twoidiotwriters1 · 6 months

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The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Something about Nico, he will always choose violence (when it comes to Ara) -Danny Words: 2,204 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Sign of the Times' -by Harry Styles

XXXII: *Sobbing* I'm Fine!

Leo is waiting for them at the top of the gangplank, he grins and waves at the group, then his eyes focus on Frank and her. The moment she reaches his side and Leo has to look up to meet her gaze, he flushes to a cherry tone Ara has never seen on his face.

He speaks in a strangled voice. "Ares?"

"Mars. I don't know, I doubt it matters," Ara says, self-conscious about their height difference. "How does it look?"

"You could crash my skull with your thighs," he blurts out.

Hazel gasps, fanning her face scandalized at his comment. "Gods, I hate you," Nico groans, guiding his flustered sister away from them.

Ara hurries past Leo and goes to her cabin to check her reflection, her breath hitches at the sight: she looks exactly like Arachne's tapestry minus the cape and hair. Yesterday she had baby fat around her face, her abs were a soft belly, and now she looks like a high school senior who never misses a workout. Arms toned and longer legs—she barely fits in the mirror, since it was designed for a girl that was 5'3.

"Holy crap," she breathes. Someone knocks on her door, and she finds Nico standing there, waiting to be let in. "I'm tall," she states in shock.

"Congrats. What was the fight about? The one you had with Lily?"

Ara knows this will bring an argument, but if it doesn't happen today, it'll happen at an even worse time. "I told her we couldn't trust you."

Nico visibly tenses. "I'm not surprised."

Ara turns to face him properly. "I had a good reason, you know what I'm talking about."

Nico's eyes darken. "My dad forbade me to talk about it. One of your patrons—your main patron, or did you forget?"

"How can I? Ever since that day, I've been the babysitter of his little prince."

"I told you I wanted no part of your stupid camp, but it was you who promised—"

"You needed a place to live—"

"You expected everyone to act like I don't creep them out."

"Oh, cry me a river," Ara walks past him. "I've got more important things to do than to listen to the same complaints on repeat."

"Crap!" Ara struggles with the damaged oar, she hisses when it scratches her palm. "Leo, I forgot my gloves, can you toss them over?"

Leo seizes her Octopi bag and rummages through its contents. "You didn't grab them? That's basic gear, Ara."

"I don't do basic," she responds.

Leo looks over the railing. "Say what?"

"It's like maths," Ara squints when she looks up. "Unnecessary."

The boy holds onto the handrail as he leans in dramatically. "You think is what?"

"Oh no..." She mumbles and tilts her head. "My scolding senses are tingling..."

Leo scowls. "Get your ass back here—and be careful."

He doesn't reprimand her like, ever, not even tries to, but his job is the one thing he takes seriously, so Ara climbs back on deck and dusts off her hands expecting the berating of the week.

Leo spots the scrape on her hand and searches for his tool belt. "You almost lost an arm last December and you think being careful is unnecessary?"

"Oh, that was different," Ara watches Leo heal her. "Silly things—"

"Silly?" Leo looks up and his eye twitches. "Fixing the oars and giving Festus an upgrade ain't like changing the batteries of a TV remote, sweetheart. And maths? You need maths!"

She laughs nervously. "You okay?"

"Arae Jackson, that's negligence!" He exclaims. "Is this why they call you Dr Frankenstein back in camp?"

"Oh, you know about that?" She asks unbothered.

"That's it, you're not allowed to work on the repairs."

Her mouth opens in shock. "Leo, you know I'm a good repairperson, don't do this!"

"You heard me," he tries to take the harness off her, muttering grumpily. "Don't do maths, seriously..."

"Hey! Stand back!" Ara keeps him away. Leo is smaller than her now and he was never strong to begin with. "I'll finish the task whether I'm wearing the harness or not!"

"You're not helping yourself!" Nico speaks out of nowhere, both teens looking up to see him at the top mast.

"Stay out of this!" Ara seizes Leo's wrist. "Stop!"

It's kind of cute, seeing him angry over this. Reminds her of Mike a bit, which makes her feel kind of guilty. "Promise you'll be careful in the right way, not yours!"

Ara rolls her eyes. "Can I have my gloves, then?"

"Put them on before you go back," Leo crosses his arms. "I don't understand why Beckendorf made you Cabin Nine's right-hand girl if you ignore safety procedures."

"Beck had the knowledge, I had the spirit," she puts the gloves on with an amused expression. "Anyway... I need insulation stuff—the spongy one? And Industrial glue, and the..." She makes a gesture as if holding something and puffs some air out of her lips. "To fuse the bronze to the hull..."

"Insulation foam, industrial glue, metal welding kit—and bronze-welding rods to reattach the frame to the hull," the boy turns to get the goods.

Ara beams. "And welding goggles."

"'Course," Leo grabs stuff from his toolbox, the rest are from his magic belt. Ara stands there waiting. "Anything else?"

"Your hand in marriage?"

"Dang it, woman! You can't make me forget how irresponsible you are by love-bombing me!" Leo exclaims, handing the tools to her.

Ara puts the goggles on. "Seriously, Cabin Nine kids can tell what I'm talking about after a few tries, but you don't even think about it, that's awesome."

Leo looks away to hide his blush. "Your brain works similarly to mine, that's all. It's why we're attracted to each other in the first place."

It's nice to hear that's what Leo thinks about their situation. "We're soulmates." She says it so matter-of-factly that it makes Leo light up as much as the sun. Ara clears her throat and steps back. "Well, I'm going..."

"Yeah," Leo mumbles, a little smile playing on his face. "I'll be watching, my soon-to-be fiancé."

Above them, Nico groans again, but they both ignore him.

Leo has long forgotten he's supposed to be checking Ara's work while installing Festus's upgrade. Instead, he's just eyeing her, trying not to be obvious, but doing a terrible job.

He can't even hate the fact that she's taller than him by a lot. She's the only demigod that looks god-like in his eyes, Ara's beauty grows with every blessing, no smudge of dirt she gets from her hard work can take it away. When she moves, her body gets framed by the dying sunlight in a way that makes Leo lightheaded.

She's wearing the hair tie he made for her, holding her shiny brown locks in a loose braid, and the way she scrunches up her nose in concentration, the tip of her tongue poking out... The more he looks, the more his heart races.

She was once out of his league, now she's out of everyone's orbit. She's skillful and experienced, and Leo has a hard time understanding why she would love someone as inconsequential as him.

"You should be careful."

Nico's voice comes to remind him not everything is perfect. Leo jumps out of his skin and swears in Spanish, he glares at the tall boy standing behind him. "Dude, can you not do that?"

Nico doesn't apologize before adding to his comment. "Ara's fool's gold."

Leo frowns. "What?"

Nico glances at the girl, he's angry at her for trying to convince Lily, his only friend, to stop trusting him. Two can play the same game. "She looks good, then you get closer and realize it's all pretend. You call her a doll, right?" He laughs shortly. "That's accurate. Ara likes playing with boys like you."

Leo's fists start to smoke. "Don't you mean boys like us?"

Nico's taken by surprise, a creepy smile forms on his face when he understands what Leo is insinuating. He won't clear up the misunderstanding, Leo has the same arrogant air Ara has when challenged, and is always far more entertaining to watch those kinds of people trip over their feet.

Nico steps closer. "I can get under her skin like no one else. Have you ever asked her why she loathes having me around? You should. She doesn't like to be questioned, so you'll get to see the real Arae."

"She's the General," Leo replies tensely. "You're not supposed to question her, smartass."

Nico's smirk grows. "I see why she likes you." The boy turns to leave. "Ask her."

"I know why she hates you," Leo says confidently, which causes Nico to laugh again.

"No, you don't," he reaches the stairs. "Ask her about the curse."

Ara takes a look at the finished product. "Good as new, right?"

Festus blows out steam and Ara recoils, feeling the air around her get hotter when he does that. She takes off the goggles and dries the sweat off her brow.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The moon is high above but very thin, so Ara has a bit of trouble finding her way back to the deck, she doesn't notice Leo until she's right under the handrail. The boy's watching in silence with a scowl on his face.

She jumps over the railing landing on both feet, then dusts off her hands, and nods at Leo. "Hey."

He walks over to the control board. "Hey."

"I'm done," she announces proudly. "I was very safe the whole time."

"Good job," he checks the monitor. "Festus's stable, so are the oars."

Leo looks at her doing a quick scan. Ara is covered in sweat and grime, her cheeks are flushed... he can't think of any girl who would look better than she does like this, but Nico succeeded in his attempt to plant a seed of doubt, and Leo can't shake off the feeling that Ara has been lying to him about something.

Besides, he once overheard Percy and Ara talking, and her brother mentioned an old crush she used to have on Nico... Leo panicked and sneaked back to his cabin after hearing that, but the words stuck in his brain and he couldn't take them out.

Ara sighs. "I promise to be careful from now on, I'll use a calculator and everything..."

Leo's seen the way she looks at him lately, like it hurts to be near him. At first, he thought it was guilt because she'd decided to leave her camp, but now... What if the love's fading out between them?

"I..." he starts quietly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "How do you feel?"

"Great!" She smiles. "I'd missed it, getting my hands dirty reminded me of home, it made me feel useful."

"You're always useful," he replies. "But you definitely have a natural aptitude for mechanics."

"I was fated to," Ara replies casually. "Thank you for letting me do this."

"You don't have to thank me. You're the General."

"Yeah, well..." she continues, now trying to ignore his weird vibes. "I'll go take a shower before dinner."

Leo blurts out the first thought in his mind. "I didn't know someone could make me this stupid."

Leo would rather jump into Tartarus than tinker with something that doesn't need fixing... but what if it does? Sometimes a machine doesn't look broken, but it malfunctions anyway. He can't deny that their relationship feels... unbalanced. A creation jumpstarted without all the necessary precautions, and there's a buzzing coming from it that Leo can't identify, but it's making his skin crawl.

Ara is unsure of where this is going. "What's wrong?"

He can't think when her eyes are on him like this, he has this urge to make her smile, and he doesn't know where that comes from. Sure, he loves making people laugh, but with Ara... it almost feels like an obligation.

He struggles to form a proper sentence. "I think you're lying to me."

Ara pales, which is not a good sign. "What?"

"You wanted to jump off the cliff," he continues. "And you tried to leave us when Reyna cornered us at the Fort—"

"Leo—"

"Let me finish," he presses anxiously. "You weren't surprised when Nemesis gave you that weird warning, and you've been acting even weirder since we rescued di Angelo—"

"I—"

"Don't lie to me," he demands. "Your prophecy mentions a curse—The curse of love. Does that mean—"

"This is Nico talking," Ara's eyes darken. "I thought he was ending his shift, but he came to taunt you, didn't he?"

Leo feels like throwing up, but more than that, he feels insulted. "So what if he did?"

"He wants us to get into an argument," Ara steps forward. "Don't let him do this!"

Leo steps back. "Then answer my question."

Unexpectedly, her eyes brim with tears. "I can't."

Some part of him that he's not even aware of triggers, Leo is too distraught to think, his heart is breaking. "You said promises were important to you, but you're not keeping yours."

"There are things that I need to keep under control," she speaks with a trembling voice.

"What things?" He asks bitterly. "Me?"

"Don't say that!" She squeezes the gloves in her hands. "We've failed too many times, Leo. I can't risk it. As your General, I'm telling you to stay out of it."

Leo doesn't like how she says that, her voice weighs like it carries centuries of painful memories, and it sounds like Ara thinks Leo will ruin her plans, and that stings.

"Chiron was right," he says aghast. "Your ambition blinds you. No matter what the outcome is, it's never enough, is it?"

Ara can't stand another second of that conversation, so she abandons it, and Leo doesn't stop her.

Next Chapter –>

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