#out to me!!!!! I know he doesn’t owe me it but it’d be really nice if he’d reach out when it’s not a family emergency

[tiredsadpeach]

Hahaha

[sinofwriting]

Not Quite Temptation - Max Verstappen

Words: 874 Summary: Christian introduces Max to his daughter. Note(s): This was requested months ago and I apologize to the requester that it took so long for me to write it, but I hope you enjoy! Also, I’m aware of the complaint that has been filed on Horner (the complaint from what I understand (and seen from majority sources) is about aggressive management i.e. controlling behavior). I understand if seeing this makes people uncomfortable and if it does, I urge you to scroll past and ignore this.

Masterlist | Support Me!

Christian had been thrilled when his oldest child, his daughter, had finally wanted to come to a race. He wasn’t delusional. He knew it wasn’t because she had finally gained a larger interest in the sport, no matter how much he had tried over the years. It was simply to spend time with him. Which as much as he pretended to complain to Geri about it (because honestly if she wanted to spend time with him, it’d be much easier not during a race weekend) he loved it.

He hadn’t gotten to really be a part of her life as she grew up, custody arrangement strict due to all of his traveling. It was only later when she turned sixteen that really she and him truly got to spend time together. Her mother allowing her to spend weeks at his house, more comfortable as well with Geri being there. There was a little part of him however that was bitter that it took this long for her to attend a race, that her mother had been so insistent on her not going to races when she was underage.

He pushed away the thought, just happy that finally wanted to go to one, even if it was just to see and spend time with him.

Introducing her around, he laughs when Adrian’s eyes go a little wide.

“Why that can’t be little Y/N? You were twelve the last time I saw you. And this high.” He raises his hand to just a little above his waist. “Eight years changes a lot.” She laughs. “What dad doesn’t show a picture of me around?” It’s a joke, but a few people overhearing flinch, exchanging looks. “If you’d let me show pictures of you, I would. I’m very proud.” Christian says, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head, still in disbelief that he had a twenty-year-old daughter. It didn’t feel right or real. “I know.”

He smiles, nodding at Adrian before directing to where the driver’s rooms are. “C’mon, I want you to meet Max. It’s nearly a crime you haven’t met him till now.” “Aw, your golden child. Or second golden child.” He mock scowls at her. “You need to stop talking to Seb.” “No way. His girls call me Auntie.” Christian makes a humming noise, stopping in front of a closed door and raising his fist to knock.

“Max. Do you have a moment? There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He hears the driver groan through the door. “Christian, I really don’t want to meet a sponsor right now, okay. I’m not feeling well.” “Not a sponsor, I promise.” “Pleasant.” She murmurs when Max doesn’t say anything else. It makes him glance down and he’s relieved to see an amused smile on her face. “How often are you forcing him to meet sponsors?” “You sound like him right now.” He tells her. As she starts to laugh, the door opens.

“Max,” Christian smiles. “This is my daughter, Y/N. Y/N, Max Verstappen.” “Your golden child.” She teases, before reaching out to shake Max’s hand that he had extended. “Nice to meet you, Max. My dad is quite fond of you.” “Lovely to meet you.” He tells her, before looking at Christian for a brief second with a raised eyebrow. “Is this your first race?” “It is.” “Let me give you a tour, introduce you to a few drivers. Any minute now, Christian will have to go to a meeting.” “Oh, you don’t have to do that.” She says, leaning just the slightest bit into him and he knows that Max picks up on it with the way his eyes soften a bit. “It’s no problem really. Besides, this means your dad will owe me a favor.” He winks. Christian wants to protest, but she laughs and he nods. “One favor and my meeting should only be an hour, darling.” He presses another kiss to her head. “Careful with my daughter, Max and don’t take her around Toto or Esteban. That’s the last thing I need.” “Got it, boss.”

A little over an hour later, as Christian enters the garage, his eyes quickly spot his daughter who's talking to Adrian again, her hands moving around as she explains something to him. He considers going over, but Adrian has that look on his face. The one where he’s fully paying attention and getting some sort of idea from what the other person is telling him.

Letting his eyes wander around the garage, they pause on Max and he nearly freezes because that is the look of a man clearly checking someone out and a sick sort of feeling forms in his stomach. Following his line of sight, his fists clench and he struggles not to yell. Because it was his daughter that Max was looking at. His fucking daughter.

Looking at her, he takes a few deep breaths, comforting himself with the fact that she’d never be interested in someone like Max. Completely missing how her hair is no longer up but down and carefully covering parts of her neck and how she keeps shifting her weight. He also completely misses the small glances and smiles Max and her exchange.

@cixrosie @darleneslane @fanboyluvr @teti-menchon0604 @eugene-emt-roe @quackquackhun @rewmuslupin @copper-boom @stopeatread @crashingwavesofeuphoria @jointhehunt67 @namgification @gemofthenight @peachiicherries @lpab @hiireadstuff @iloveyou3000morgan @boiohboii @bibliosaurous @skepvids @elliegrey2803

[plussizeficchick]

Like That | Sleazy Alpha!Kirishima x Chubby!Reader

Warnings: Dubcon(blackmailing)Cunnilingus, P in V, breeding kink, predator/prey kink(Kiri likes the chase😉)

Summary; Reader’s been keeping a secret from her fellow classmates, except Kirishima’s figured it out. You know what they say, when life gives you lemons

“-gonna be soo cute! Just you, hey! Are you even listening to me?!” Kirishima mentally rolls his eyes before turning to face the omega that was talking his ear off. “Sorry, what was that?” He asked. He had a way of disarming people, big glassy eyes, a cute little pout and the person is putty in his hands.

The omega chirps, flustered by the look he gives her before batting her eyelashes, the sight quite literally making Kirishima want to throw up. She giggles and the noise grates on his ears. “I said that I’m excited for the party after you guys win the game. My outfit’s going to be really cute.” She winks and Kirishima knows what she’s implying.

She thinks that by the end of the night she’ll get in his pants but he knows better. He has only one omega on his mind, one that he knows was made for him specifically.

You thought you’d hidden it well, and if he wasn’t a prime alpha you may have even gotten away with it, but his senses were stronger than the average one and your scent made his mouth water.

He knew why you presented yourself as beta, he honestly couldn’t fault you. Prime omegas were extremely rare, so with you being the only one on campus, it would’ve caused quite a stir.

That was the main reason he was even talking to this girl. He’d seen you around her and he was hoping to get an in to talk to you. “Sounds nice, you bringing any friends?” She goes on to list a bunch of names that he doesn’t care to know, only recognizing his heart skipping a beat at the mention of your name. Jackpot.

— —

This was not your kind of party. It was overly crowded, way too many people to fit inside the enclosed space, but that wasn’t your main focus. You were on a mission.

Your mission: Avoid Eijiro Kirishima.

He made you extremely nervous. His predatory gaze always somehow on you, as if he’s studying you. As if he knows something.

You have a feeling he knows what you really are, his senses as a prime alpha more heightened, so you’d understand if he knew.

But that was just all the more reason to avoid him.

You thought you were doing pretty well, trying your best to enjoy your university’s big win, but then you come to see Kirishima standing in the far corner of the room, nursing a drink with a girl by his side, failing miserably at flirting.

His eyes are everywhere but her, and he’s barely giving her a response. And if that’s not the worst of it, as soon as he catches sight of you in the tight bodycon dress you have on, he’s making a beeline towards you, cutting her off mid sentence. You turn to leave, hoping that the sea of bodies will help him lose track of you. You lose faith however, when you feel his warm, calloused hands grip your arm, turning you to face him.

“Hey, pretty girl. I was hoping to see you here.” He murmurs softly in your ear. You feel a shiver run down your spine at the close proximity. You quirk a brow, “Oh really? And to what do I owe the pleasure?” You answer sarcastically.

Kirishima takes a moment to look you up and down, drinking in the sight of your dress hugging your curves deliciously, the thought of finally getting to peel away the small piece of fabric enough to get him hard. “I was thinking that since we won the championships, maybe you’d want to give me a little reward.” He says, pushing a bit of your hair behind your ear. “I mean, wouldn’t it be a real tragedy if all these alphas were to somehow find out you were a prime omega?” He smirks at the shock that etches onto your face.

He wouldn’t.

“You wouldn’t.” You practically hiss. He just gives you a smug grin, hands up in mock surrender before leaning directly into your face, “I’m not saying I would. I’m just saying it’d be a real shame if word got around and no one could protect you if something were to happen.” You frown at what he was implying, but what other choice do you have? If you didn’t, alphas were going to salivate anytime you crossed paths and omegas would feel threatened, especially those mated. And he knew that. “What do you say, omega? Wanna get out of here?” He grins, his sharp teeth glinting in the light.

He would.

— —

As soon as Kirishima got you into his room, he was all over you. The scent blockers that you thought you’d so strategically hidden were ripped off without hesitation, Kirishima burrowing his nose right into your scent gland. He groans at the smell, a mix of honey and cinnamon.

He licks at your scent gland, releasing pheromones that will hopefully push you into heat.

He pulls away slightly to get a good look at you, tweaking your nipples through your top and he notices the slight rubbing in your thighs. You were just too cute.

He leans into you, nipping at your neck. “Aw, what’s wrong baby? Need me? Need your big, strong alpha to make it better, hm? Talk to me.” You whine at his words, the feel of his teeth grazing your scent gland about to send you into a frenzy. When did it get so hot? “Please, Eiji.” You practically beg, but that’s not enough for Kirishima, no. He wants you to need him.

He tsks and gives a slight shake of his head before pulling away from you slightly. You whine at the loss of body heat but Kirishima is quick to shut that down with a searing kiss, tongue swirling with yours before sucking and nipping at your bottom lip. “You need me, baby. Know you do. Jus’ wanna hear you say it.” He whispers into your mouth.

How did you end up like this? He had practically blackmailed you, threatened to expose your secret and throw you into the lion’s den, yet you’re seriously aching to get on your knees for him. Ready to give him anything he wants.

“Need you, Eiji. Need you so fucking bad.” You mewl into his neck, sucking hickies into his scent gland. Kirishima groans at your neediness, ready to devour you completely. “Yeah?” He asks, and you nod vigorously. You don’t know why, but you feel the heat intensifying. And the waves of arousal feel much more profound than usual.

Kirishima seems to notice your confusion, cock stirring in his jeans. You really have no idea how this works do you? “What’s wrong, babe?” He asks you with faux concern. “Heat about to break?” He grins wolfishly.

You feel your stomach fall to your ass.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.” He says, peeling away at his clothes. “Well, I’ll try anyway.” He chuckles.

The sight of his rock hard abs and muscles has your panties soaking and the way he’s looking at you, like you're a cute, chunky bunny ready to be eaten has your heart skipping beats.

“Well?” Kirishima gestures to your clothes, wanting more than anything to rip them off your body. “Not gonna make me wait, are you?” He asks, stroking the length of his cock. You immediately shimmy out of your clothes, your eyes trained on the motion of his hand. He has the prettiest dick you think you’ve ever seen. It’s heavy, the tip is a nice shade of pink, and it’s drooling pre and you want nothing more than to feel the weight of it against your tongue, but it seems like Kiri has a different idea.

“Next time, baby. Right now,” He hoists you up as if you weigh nothing, and honestly, you probably don’t to him, and he unceremoniously drops you on his bed. His hands find purchase on your thighs, it being one of his favorite things about you. “I need to taste you. You gonna let me, hm? Gonna let me make you cum for me?” He mumbles into the skin, and you know you're done for.

“Please, Eiji. Please make me cum.” You beg, tears welling up in your eyes. The sight has Kirishima groaning. He wants to ruin you.

He spreads your pussy lips apart, running a finger along your slick before sucking the finger into his mouth, moaning at the taste. That only seems to encourage him to drink right from the source. Before you know it, he’s pushing your thighs to your chest and is sucking your clit into his mouth, tongue flicking over the bud in rhythmic strokes. You gasp at the feeling, nobody ever eating you out with such vigor before. He’s moaning into your cunt, lapping up as much of your juices as he can but it’s just not enough! He needs more.

He reaches one hand down and rubs it through your slick before pressing a finger inside. You moan, your cunt clenching around the digit while trying to ignore the embarrassing shlick! sound your cunt is making.

It doesn’t take long before Kirishima pulls an orgasm from you and you barely have time to recover before the second one rips through you.

You didn’t even realize he’d come up until you felt his lips against yours and the head of his cock pressing against your entrance.

You gasp as he stuffs his full length in one go, the tip rubbing against your g-spot deliciously with every snap of his hips.

It feels so good, almost too good, the way he’s grinding his pubic bone against you, and when he rubs your clit in tandem with his thrusts, you know you’re a goner.

You’re gushing around his cock, a lewd squelch sound being made every time his hips snap into yours and you’re barely able to form a sentence. “Feel good, baby? Fuck, your pussy feels s’good. S’good to me, baby. So. Fucking Good. Gonna knot you. Fill you up with my pups. Y’want that, baby? Say “yes, daddy.”” Emphasizing his words with each vicious thrust.

He’s fucking into you with vigor, chasing after his own orgasm and at the same time you both reach your climax, your cunt spasming around his pulsing cock as he shoots load, after load into your abused cunt. He’s pawing at your body, the feeling of the soft, doughy flesh somehow intensifying his orgasm.

You cry out, your plush stomach flexing as you feel all your muscles going taut as your orgasm washes over you. Kirishima works you both through it, laying sweet kisses along your neck and chest before pressing one to your lips and cheek as you both come down from your high. You giggle at his softness, knowing he couldn’t keep the act up for much longer.

“Kiriii.” You whine as he blows raspberries into your neck. “(Y/NNNNN).” He mocks back, before pressing more kisses to your face. “We need to shower.” You pout, the sight making him fall deeper in love with you. He sighs, snuggling further into you, “But whyyy, we’re just gonna do it all over again and you smell like me.” He pouts back and neither one of you can help but bust out laughing. “Alright, alright. I’ll get the bath started. You want cookies?” “You have my favorites?” You ask, perking up at the sound of your favorite snack. “Don’t I always?” He smirks. He is your alpha after all.

— —

Taglist: @xogabbiexo @kinq-sleazee @dabilovesme @sintiva @blkchxrryblyss @tenyaiidasslut @luna-indigoduh @bookwormsenpai @bl--ankhaeji @thicksimpx @namjoonswifeyy @nasty-quillz @haikyutiehoe @musicisme333 @unsatisfiedanddisappointed @celi-xxmoon

[gallierhouse]

how do you think armand will react to the realization that his godhusbandfather marius is still alive and presumably never bothered to seek armand out in about 500 years?

In my opinion, this is the greatest betrayal of Armand’s life. The abuse was one thing, the trafficking another, but not seeking him out trumps it all. Fundamentally, I think Armand sees love as a contract between two people. You tolerate pain, you even learn to love pain, you learn to love whatever they tell you to love and you love to surrender, and that’s love. In return for that, they choose you. Maybe they also treat you with kindness, or provide you for materially, or stroke your hair gently and hold you, but fundamentally, it’s about being chosen. It’s about sacrificing all these parts of yourself as duty and love and devotion and accepting abuse and mistreatment as self-sacrifice service as the price for devotion from someone else. It’s all “I do this for you, I let you do this to me, and in return, you have to love me.” In Armand’s mind, Marius owes to him to love him. Marius put him through so much. He saved him, he abused him, he turned him. Armand has tolerated? accepted? all of it. And Marius still didn’t go back for him? It’s salt in the wound. How could Marius let him go so easily? How could Marius not love him? How could Marius do all those things and still not love him? How could he do all those things and still not choose him? I don’t really think Armand is psychologically capable of differentiating between love and abuse, because the person he uses as his model of love abused him. Possession, control, punishment, violation, abuse, it’s all part of the shape love takes to him. If someone didn’t love you they wouldn’t bother to cage or hurt you; they’d simply let you go or kill you. You wouldn’t be worth the time or effort to torture or punish or abuse. The love is in the attention, even if it hurts. So Marius not going to look for him is the worst possible betrayal. It’s not love, it’s not abuse, it’s not even hate, it’s indifference. It’s nothing. It would be really painful for him, pain on a level he’s very rarely experienced, despite how much he’s been through.

I think he’d try to rationalize it first. Maybe Marius lost his memory, maybe he was prevented from looking for Armand somehow, maybe he was weakened. Maybe he didn’t look because he thought Armand was better off without him, maybe it was a twisted act of kindness, maybe he was setting him free? No, that can’t be true, because if Marius fucking loved him he would’ve stopped at nothing to retrieve him. He would’ve tried, at least. He would’ve tried. Then it moves to heartbreak, deep, stabbing pain, disappointment and grief and betrayal and hurt and how could you? How could you not? How could you let me go so easily? How could you not love me? How could I mean nothing to you? Then it turns into icy, apocalyptic anger. If Marius doesn’t want him, Marius doesn’t want him. He’ll never see Marius again. Marius is nothing. If it’s done it’s done. This is the end. It’d be a little like that moment of disappointing, crushing clarity all children experience when they realize their parents are pathetic and fallible and not all-knowing or all-forgiving gods. Only broken people who can’t even practice what they preach. It would turn glacial. He’d miss Marius more than life itself, and he always has and I suppose he always will, but that feeling will never again resurface. It’ll be there, somewhere, inside, in private moments, in negative space, but he won’t show it ever again. He’ll be cordial. He’ll be civil. This is his maker. It’s nice to see him. Sure. It’s nice. How’s the weather?

It’s one thing to leave, and another thing entirely to not come back. If he found out firsthand it might actually be possible to see his sanity split like the sky during a thunderstorm as it gets ripped up by lightning. I don’t think he’d react violently. It’d be quiet and terrifying. So much underneath the surface, so much he’s holding back, so much he’s struggling to understand. If he found out firsthand and in private (as in, alone with Marius) I think he’d let Marius explain. He’d still feel all the conflict, but I think he’d look at Marius and wait. Wait for the explanation that’s going to make all of this understandable. Wait for the explanation that’s going to make things go back to how they were. Wait for the explanation that’s going to make him sure Marius loves him. Wait for safety, the comfort, the familiarity. Wait for something that’ll never come and will only ever be a hollow imitation and insult to the real thing that died 5 centuries ago.

[newbornwhumperfly]

believing, if only for its sake...

so sad that this event is coming to an end but so eager to share this installment 😍👀🥰 this @whumpmasinjuly prompt - day 27: delirium - was a tricky one for me but i cracked it with a desire to introduce y'all to a new cast member...💖💖💖

title insp. by the song "comes and goes (in waves)" by greg laswell - "this one's for believing, if only for its sake"

~

So...sparring on hard-mode with Morja might have been…a mistake. 

Listen, Cobi knows the guy’s as stiff as a starched shirt most days but he’s not a mean or aggressive dude. Just…very quiet. Cobi’s met a lot of muscley dudes whose frowny-cross-armed-silence covers a lotta I’m better than you and my dick is bigger than yours and what are you looking at cockiness, crowding personal space and slammed doors. Dollars to donuts, Cobi bets Morja’s just shy - he doesn’t even close the fridge loudly. 

So all-in-all it’s kinda surprising when Cobi finds himself ass over teakettle on the gym mat.

And he thought it’d been going so well too, Cobi thinks to the ceiling spinning over him, cupping a hand over his eye. Ow. That’s gonna fuckin’ bruise. Just cause Morja’s on the short side doesn’t mean shit (when Claudia’s your bestie, you learn not to underestimate) and Morja spars like it’s for money, grim and silent and fast and precise in that very nice black tank top (very sporty, nice muscles, what?). Cobi hadn’t gone easy on him or anything but he’d been flipped twice (double this guy’s weight and height at least, holy shit) cause the guy doesn’t dodge for shit but he doesn’t fall either and Cobi was getting a sneaking suspicion that this friendly workout wasn’t exactly loosening Morja up. 

It’s just that Cobi didn’t take Morja to spring his opponents, c’mon, they were taking a break, that’s dirty fuckin’ pool. 

Hey Morja, wanna go a few rounds of sparring in the gym? Hey Morja, you can go harder, not gonna break! Hey Morja, that dodge was pretty good! Hey Morja, how about a water break? Oh no, a kick in the head in exchange for a tossed water bottle, ouch.

It’s fine, Cobi can take a hit and it was but a glancing blow, really. A grunted damn, dude, warn a guy first and he’s on his feet again, still clutching his face, cause he’s fine, it’s all good, just ow. But really quick, Cobi’s got a whole different problem because Morja is swaying. Or maybe the room is swaying? 

Nope. It’s Morja who’s pitching and looks like he’s seen a fucking ghost. Eyes bugging out to the whites, mouth slack (is it trembling?), staggering back a step. 

“Buddy?” Cobi reaches out, worried, and there’s a horrible sound, a scream that can’t get any volume, falling from Morja’s mouth as his whole body jerks like he was struck. 

“Please-”

And he faints. 

“Shit!” Cobi lunges and barely gets his arms under Morja before his eyes roll back, slumping limp in Cobi’s catch. “Oh, shit- uh…” 

Morja’s solid and stocky and thickly-built and he’s way too fucking light when Cobi scoops him, arm under knees, that detail spinning in Cobi’s mind when he carries Morja over to the little sitting place leading to the showers, towels, water bottles, right. 

Morja’s head sags onto Cobi’s shoulder and, damn, he looks so small laid down on the little sitting bench. The lights are softer in here - yellow and fancy outside the bathrooms, not the white-brightness of the workout room. He tucks a rolled-up towel under Morja’s neck, so gentle, slow, carefully pulls back his eyelid to check - okay, pupils fine, good, concussion-less, he doesn’t have to run for Sarai. 

Maybe he got overheated? They had been going for a while and Cobi thinks, with a pang of guilt, how he didn’t see Morja drink much water - did he drink at all? Shit.  

“Ah, be right back, man, don’t go anywhere, shhhhh…”

Cobi ducks into the bathroom with big steps, grabbing some cold water from the dispenser, dampening a towel from the sink, kneeling back in moments at Morja’s side. Llays a hand against the back of Morja’s head, stroking his dark, sweaty hair back. His hand shadows the guy’s whole face and something sinks a little in his stomach. 

Yeah, this is one of those time’s Cobi doesn’t like being big. Fuck, Morja’s face has a lot of scars - Cobi’d never stare, like, other than checking him out. It’s hard not to notice how many there are when his skin is clammy and ashen, raccoon circles under his eyes, lids fluttering (gosh, he’s got long lashes up close, huh?)

“Heyyyy, buddy, ‘s okay…you’re okay…gonna be okay, man…” 

Cobi says brightly, softly, stroking his hair. Kinda petting his head like a puppy or something but oh well. He hopes it’s not creepy. Cobi just wants to put him at ease, so small and still laying there, dabbing the damp towel over his head as he says nonsense words. His talking, or maybe his petting, seems to be working, and Morja’s eyelids flutter, blinking awake, stirring with a shudder, looking up. 

“Heyyyy, shhh, don’t move, buddy, just lay back, okay?” Cobi soothes, stroking the guy’s hair back with the towel now, a gentle hand on his shoulder so he doesn’t try to spring up. 

Well, oops, that was a mistake, cause the guy looks like he’s about to cry and his face crumples up into the smallest, saddest, most scared face ever and he fucking whimpers.

“Sorry, ‘msorryano-, sirsirdon’pleasedon’t, amsosorry- ‘m sorry-”

Shit. 

Oh, shit. Right, refugee, political asylum, the whole shebang, got it, right. Cobi curses his own fucking insensitivity. New Athens probably isn’t super nice to their whatchamacalits and yeah, oops, Morja probably thinks he’s in trouble or something fucked-up like that. The juddering, dry sob and the way Morja seems to be trying to melt back into the fucking bench-plastic doesn’t do anything to disprove Cobi’s theory. 

“Morja,” Cobi says, clearly and softly as possible, like Morja is a hysterical toddler who skinned his knee. “Not in trouble, okay, you passed out? Just gotta lay still for me, don’t want you to fall again, okay?”

He strokes his palm over Morja’s head again and the guy chokes on what sounds like a retch and turns his face to look at the wall. He’s fucking shaking. His knees seem drawn up close to his belly like he’s trying to curl up and, oops, Cobi doesn’t like that. 

“Ngh- I- yessir-” Morja flinches violently at another stroke of his hair, his breath coming out way too fast, hard, hiccuping. “Sorrysorrysorry…”

“Didn’t do anything wrong, hon, you’re maybe dehydrated? Gonna be all okay, I promise, there we go…breathe deep, yeah?”

Drags air in deep through his nose and out again. 

“Can you do what I’m doing, Morja? I’ve gotcha, just gotta breathe with me, doin’ so good?”

That seems to be a right thing to do, hashem, and Cobi breathes a little thanks out as Morja copies him. Certain people are comforted by being told to stop panicking and Morja definitely seems like the type, following oh-so-well, whimpering a little but not being attacked by panics anymore. 

“Doing so awesome, Morja, that was a lot, huh? You’re crushing this breathing-thing…”

Dark, watery eyes blink up at Cobi and fuck, it’s hard to see such a miserable expression in his direction. His mouth is a solid line, curling at the edges, and Cobi can see his jaw ticcing, clenched, under his skin. He gulps and shudders under Cobi’s hand and he doesn’t know if this petting thing is helping or not but Morja looks for all the world like a kicked dog (or a dog that’s about to be kicked). 

“‘m…’m sorry for fainting.” 

The whisper is so quiet, so shaky and choked, and it kinda breaks his heart hearing that tone from this guy. Cobi shakes his head, smiling softly, and thinks back. It wasn’t just the lack of water. If he remembers hard, Cobi can recall a weird look shuttering over Morja’s face, kinda blank and frantic, when Cobi threw the water bottle Morja’s direction, right before he got round-housed. 

“Aw, man, that’s gonna happen when you don’t got enough water in you.” Cobi answers brightly, patting softly, softly, at the crown of Morja’s head and tries to ignore the little flinch that happens when he does that, oops. Okay, not patting then. That feels suspiciously close to nothing that feels like a slap and wow, ouch, huh. “I’m sorry if I startled you? Kinda…threw that bottle at you, huh? Probably your body thought we were still in spar-mode?”

Morja nods so hard, tight and small and desperate, eyes wide and brown and there’s that please don’t kick me look again under all that frowniness. 

“Yes, yessir, yes sir, I- I don’t know w-why, I- I apologize for getting it wrong, wasn’t an attack, sir?-”

“No, no, honey, I know,” Cobi rushes to reassure cause he can see the gears ticking up to panic attack time in the hitch of Morja’s chest. “I know you weren’t attacking me, Morja, you’re just very well trained! Probably got really strong fighty-instincts and that water bottle really came flying in hard, huh?” 

Right thing to say again, yay, cause Morja does that tight, sharp nod again and there’s a little tiny bit of hopefulness in the way he looks up at Cobi and, fuck, that shouldn’t be so sad.

“Yessir.” He sniffs when he inhales deeply, swallows, his eyes flickering to the side of Cobi’s face that’s currently throbbing, shudders, closes his eyes. “I’m very sorry.”

“You’re all good, buddy, was a total accident, okay? Like, really obviously an accident, nothing to be sorry for.”

Morja’s lids squeeze shut, his fists at his side following suit, and Cobi sees his mouth shape around accident very quietly. He looks like he’s trying not to cry again. Cobi can’t help but still do his hair-petting thing cause he’s worried if he stops it’ll make Morja think he’s mad or something. 

“Are…are you going to correct me now, sir?”

Cobi frowns to himself and then laughs a little cause geez this guy is little-a-lot too self-disciplined to want form-adjustments right in the wake of fainting and oops, that was the wrong thing to do cause Morja’s stiff mouth tries to crack its hard line again in a tremor, oops. 

“Nope, nope, absolutely not, man!” Cobi assures brightly, patting Morja’s shoulder gently before he can panic again. “Hey, I think passing out is, like, enough of a gut-check, don’t you?” 

There’s a long of silence broken by a choked whimper, a frown deepening on that serious, clammy face. 

“You’re not in trouble, buddy, you know how many times Claud’s almost cold-cocked me? Not even almost, the little gremlin. How’s about, uhhhh, you don’t tell anyone I fell on my ass and I won’t tell anyone you don’t hydrate enough, yeah?”

“I don’t…sorry. You don’t want me to do anything, sir?” 

The poor guy’s still shaking. Maybe he never stopped. Whatever the hell that means, Cobi doesn’t get a good feeling in his stomach again, so he just shakes his head hard and urgent. 

“You’ve been punished enough, buddy.” Cobi murmurs teasingly, softly, just his thumb stroking awkwardly at that soft dark hair. 

“I haven’t been punished at all.” 

Well, that’s awful! That’s not great. Oof. 

“Can you sit up a little, man? Wanna get some water into ya, there we go…” Cobi encourages by way of answering, cause how do you answer that, and uses one hand to leave Morja’s head, finally, and gently sit him up by holding his upper arms. Offering the cold cup of water, watching him sip it, offering another. The guy’s shoulders are hunched all the way in, a schoolboy outside of the principle’s office, and that won’t do at all. 

“You like Dumas bars?”

The look of confusion that greets him is a no and that absolutely won’t do either, hello. Cobi excitedly digs into his pocket because, thank you, he will take a victory lap on carrying candy everywhere, Claud. Triumphantly pulls out his prize, an only slightly smooshed chocolate bar. Milk chocolate is better than any other chocolate, so there, and Morja stands a ninety-percent chance of agreeing. 

“Oh, man, you’re gonna not want any other kind when you try this one, hand on my heart, it’s like biting a pillow.”

The look on Morja’s face is almost skeptical and considering how scared he looked a few minutes ago, Cobi will take that suspicion as a win. He waves the shiny silver wrapping in Morja’s direction, grinning, as the guy stares blankly. 

“I didn’t sit on it, don’t worry.”

Morja does accept it, as if he’s taking a knife blade-first from Cobi’s fingertips. After glancing up at Cobi with another swallow, he seems to make up his mind at the smile he gets. Ripping the scalloped edge of the wrapper right at the seam, peeling it slowly, neatly. When the silver-red-blue shell is shucked off, he kinda stares it down, weighing it in his palm - probably could guess how much nougat per square centimeter there is. 

It’s not great to be watched while eating so Cobi tries not to but it’s hard not to take note of how hard Morja’s hand shakes, how small his bite is, barely a nibble. He chews, bites again, swallows. There’s that weighing look on his face again as…he unstiffens a little tiny bit, tilting his head, bird-like, staring at the fluffy inside as he chews. It’s like he’s really tasting it, not just eating it. 

 “…What is this?”

There’s that laser focus flickering in Morja’s dark-brown eyes again, bright and assessing in that way of his, no flat distance in the little crease between his eyebrows. Cobi breathes a little secret sigh of relief, beaming, leaning a little sideways on the bench so he can be more open in Morja’s direction. Doesn’t push the distance between them - Morja’s still shaken - but stretches out a little, warm and languid. 

“Good, huh? It’s nougat, some…fluff with eggs and honey, I think? They whip it up and cover it in chocolate - saw a video about it in school.”

Morja swallows a mouthful of candy, another mouthful of water, and his trembling slows, slows, calming. 

“Oh. It…It is. Good, sir.”

Morja’s fingers fold the wrapper, halves, fourths, smaller and smaller. Frowns. Tongue moving against his cheek inside, collecting taste, chocolate, spare sugar. Cobi isn’t sure he’s ever seen the guy savor before and that’s a thought to have. 

“…I’ve…never had that before.”

“Glad this could be your first introduction! I mean, Dumas is the best bar out there, duh, but that’s my bias. I’m sure you’ve got your own favorite?”

The wrapper is a tiny teeny silver square gleaming in Morja’s hand, the foil pressed as flat and compact as it will go. The crease deepens between his eyes. He shakes his head, almost ducking, the strands of sweaty hair tumbling down to half-hide his expression. 

“I’ve, um, I n-never had.”

“A favorite?”

“…A chocolate bar.”

Oh. Damn, now Cobi wants to cry, a little, cause what the hell, man? He doesn’t know why he just…assumed? He kinda wants to send a strongly worded letter to anyone who was responsible for that absence, actually, cause Morja deserves candy bars. So fucking there. 

“Hey Morja?” He offers softly. “I’m glad you liked that and…I’m sure there’s a whole lot of flavors you’d find delicious. Now you’re not gonna stand up yet cause dehydration isn’t a joke but when you’re better, we’re gonna go find some at the vending machine. Okay?”

The silence behind the curtain of hair is long and heavy, like Morja is weighing that in his hand too, and Cobi waits. 

“…Does it- will it be now, sir?”

“Cobi. And nah, Morja, when you’re up to it.”

“Sorry. Um. Yes. Okay.”

“Okay, man?”

“…Okay.”

Hidden in clasped hands, the tiny foil square digs into Morja’s thumb, a streak of chocolate still stuck there, and a groove pulses, red and angry, in the callus as his only anchor, however small, of pain. 

~

so, so excited for y'all to finally meet my sweetheart, goldeen retriever, tank-sized boy, cobi!!! 💖💖💖🥰🥰🥰

(also, yes, in case anyone wondered - in this future, the three musketeers chocolate bar has been renamed the dumas in honor of the book's author, alexandre dumas. and yes, i am that pedantic and silly, thank you 😇😇😇)

taglist: @much-ado-about-whumping @haro-whumps @whump-tr0pes @whumpzone @i-eat-worlds

@whatgoeswhumpinthenight @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @redwingedwhump @straight-to-the-pain @whumpthisway

@kixngiggles @scoundrelwithboba @wolfeyedwitch @whump-me-all-night-long @stoic-whumpee

@suspicious-whumping-egg @tears-and-lilies @liliability @whumpster-draganies

have a very merry @whumpmasinjuly everyone! 💖💖💖

@whumpmasinjuly-archive

[joedirtymadre]

Porridge

MASH X READER! Fluff!

“Mash you don't look too good,” I said worriedly. “What do you- ACHOO!” He sneezed. “That’s what I mean,” I said. “No, must be the weath-CHOO!” He sneeze again. “Weath-choo? Yeah I don’t think so. Come on, let’s take you to bed,” I said and began dragging him. “But I still gotta workout,” he shuffled. “The longer you’re sick, the more I’ll babysit you so you can’t workout,” I scolded him. “Why are you babying him so much (Y/N)?” Dot cried as he and the rest of the gang walked up. “Maybe she’s in love with him?” Lance asked. “H-Huh? I can’t just c-care for my f-friend?” I stuttered, avoiding their eyes. Is it really that noticeable??? “Anyways, I’m just saying he’s been sneezing for 4 days now, and I don’t know about you guys but I’m tired of him sneezing everywhere…” I groaned. “That is true… during potions class he blew up our project because his sneeze blew our pot off the table…” Finn sighed. “Exactly, I’m tired of snot rockets this guys throws. He also sneezed my sandwich out of my hands,” I cried. “You said you forgave me for that,” Mash sniffed. “Doesn’t mean it’s erased from my memories!” I huffed. “How dare you do that to my dear (Y/N)’s sandwich?!” Dot glared and grasped Madh’s shoulder tightly. “It was an- ACHOO!” He sneezed on Dot’s face. Leaving Dot speechless and Mash asking for tissues. “You really wanna die don’t ya pal?” Dot said darkly, as he began squeezing Mash’s skull. “Ow. Ow. Ow. (Y/N). Save me,” Mash said, monotoned. “Come on Dot, I’ll treat you to a nice coffee. Please let go of Mash?” I asked, placing a hand on Dot’s arm. “Ok!” Dot smiled and began swooning, while Finn watched astonished at the sudden change in moods. “Alright come on Mash, time for bed. Everyone’s tired of you sneezing everywhere,” you sighed and began dragging him once again to his room. “Ahh. Save me. I want to workout,” Mash said very monotonously to the guys as I dragged him away.

I forced Mash into bed and tucked him in. “Good, now I’ll make you some porridge,” I smiled and began walking towards the door. “And cream puffs!” He called out. “Or- nevermind…” he said softly. “You remembered I can’t bake didn’t you?” I sighed. “Noo…” Mash said as he avoided my eyes. “Sorry, I wish I could make you a whole plate of cream puffs, but I can’t bake like you,” I frowned. “It’s fine, porridge is fine…” Mash said, obviously disappointed. “Ok…” I sighed. “Now don’t get out of bed, or else…” I glared darkly. “Scary,” he said before I closed the door shut and headed towards the kitchen.

I quickly finished making the porridge and began cleaning up. “I wish I could make him some cream puffs… he seemed so disappointed,” I said softly as I washed my dishes. “Oh hey (Y/N), I thought you would be here,” Finn said as he walked into the kitchen. “Hey Finn! Just finished making some porridge for Mash,” I smiled as I finished washing the remaining dishes. “You know you didn’t have to. You really gotta stop spoiling Mash, or else it’ll go to his head,” Finn sighed. “It’s fine, plus I want to do this. It makes me happy that I could do things like this for him,” I blushed. “Hmmm… (Y/N can I ask you something?” He asked. “What’s up?” I replied as I grabbed the packaged porridge. “Do you have feelings for Mash?” He asked. I felt my heart begin to face, “I-I-I don’t k-know what y-you’re talking about,” I stuttered. “Just as bad as Mash…” he laughed. “Is it that noticeable?” I asked nervously. “Sort of? Well your reaction to the question gave it away, but your actions can come off as friendly. Especially to someone like Mash, I’m sure he doesn’t know when someone’s actions have ulterior motives behind them,” He explained. “Yeah that makes sense,” I said. “So, planning on confessing to him?” He asked, as we continued walking back to his room. “I don’t think so, Mash has his mind on other stuff. Plus, I’m scared if he rejects me it’d be too awkward for us to hang out. I might as well just leave things as they are,” I softly smiled. “Are you sure that’s healthy?” Finn asks. “No… I’m certain it’s not, but trust me I don’t want to mess up what we have now,” I said, trying to cover my true feelings with a soft smile. “Well, whenever you feel overwhelmed you can talk to me. I don’t mind hearing you rant,” Finn said as he smiled back. “Thanks Finn, that means a lot,” I said. “Anyways! I gotta rush back to Mash before this gets cold!” I said and ran off.

I knocked before slowly entering the room, and noticed a sleeping Mash. I walked in slowly and shut the door trying to not make too much noise. I placed the still warm porridge on Mash’s desk and walked over to him. I slowly sat beside him on the bed and checked his temperature, a little warm. I slowly moved my hand to his cheek, and Mash quickly nuzzled into it. “You’re so cute,” I said softly. “You think so?” He asked, causing me to freeze. “S-Sorry,” I said as I tried pulling my hand back before Mash shook his head. “Keep it there, I like it,” he said and nuzzled into my hand again. “I didn’t know you were awake,” I laughed nervously. “I was just resting my eyes, but your hand feels nice and soft,” he said as he slowly opened his eyes to my flustered, beet face. “Did I get you sick?” He asked as he slowly sat up and placed his hand on my cheek. “N-No I-I just…” I said as I tried to get up. “Oh- hold on,” Mash said as he grabbed onto my hand. I yelped as I fell forward, landing over Mash. We stared at each other for a few seconds before Mash cupped my face again. “Why are you leaving?” He asked. “N-No I wasn’t,” I blushed. “Are you sure you’re ok?” He asked again. “N-No…” I sighed. “Oh no. I got you sick?” He asked. “No, you didn’t… I just… I’m just making it hard on myself,” I sighed as I got up and sat down on the edge of his bed. He quickly sat up and sat next to me. “Mash, there’s something I-I need to tell you,” I said slowly. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “Well… it’s just that-“ I cut myself off. Why is it so hard? Should I? Maybe this is a sign to not go through with it… He’ll reject me, I know it… “Nevermind… I should go,” I said as I quickly stood up and headed towards the door. “The porridge is right-“ I felt a hand grab my arm. “(Y/N) stop,” he said. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “Nothing! I’m just being weird,” I groaned and began rubbing my temples. “I’m not letting you leave until you tell me what’s wrong,” Mash said and quickly repositioned himself in front of the door. “Mash… you’re not being fair!” I said. “(Y/N) please,” he pleaded. “I like you ok?!” I yelled. “Do you know how hard it is to keep that secret? To be around someone you like and pretend that you only like them as a friend and no more?! I didn’t want it to be weird between us! I was gonna pretend these feelings didn’t exist! But you- you just had… you-“ I fell to the floor, feeling defeated. “I just didn’t want you to end up treating me differently,” my voice cracked as I stared at the floor. “Why would I?” He asked. I looked up at him dumbfounded, “Because I just said I like you!” I yelled, feeling my tears seep out. “I know… and… I think I like that,” he said softly. “H-Huh?” I asked in between my tears. “I like how nice you are and how you spoil me,” he said and dropped down to the floor. “Finn asked me the other day how would I feel if you treated someone else like that and… I didn’t like it… I didn’t like the idea of you doing all that for someone else, and he made me realize that I should do the same for you,” he said and wiped away my tears with his thumb. “Spoil you and make you feel happy too,” he said. “Y-You do?” I hiccuped. “Yeah,” he smiled. “So please stop crying, cause Kevin is getting mad at me for making you cry,” he said pointing to his left pec. I laughed and wiped my tears. “That’s better," he said and helped me up. “Now, time for porridge?” He asked. “Yeah! I hope you like it,” I smiled. “If you made it, then I’ll make sure to eat all of it. Good calories,” he said and began eating. I smiled and watched Mash eat the porr- “ACHOO!” He sneezed, causing a lot of the porridge to plop around the room and… on me. “Sorry (Y/N),” he sulked. “You’re lucky I like you, or else I would’ve killed you,” I smiled and began cleaning up. “Scary…” Mash said softly and began helping.

[saphronethaleph]

Faster Falcon Finding

“Okay, what’s wrong now?” Finn asked, coming down from the dorsal turret. “We did jump to lightspeed, right?”

“We jumped to lightspeed, then the motivator on this piece of garbage failed!” Rey replied, already levering up one of the floorboards with her staff. “That was the only thing that wasn’t giving alerts!”

She glanced up at Poe, who’d arrived from the cockpit. “Not that our pilot was helping much.”

“Hey, cut me some slack!” Poe replied, defensively. “I’m an ace fighter pilot not freighter pilot! And I didn’t want to take this ship anyway!”

“It’s not like we had much choice,” Finn pointed out. “That quadjumper got blown to pieces! We were being strafed! We’ve got to get to the Resistance, right?”

“Yeah, but – you guys seriously don’t know whose ship this is?” Poe asked. “I asked before but I think the question got lost!”

“Like we are?” Rey asked, then put a hydrospanner between her teeth while she adjusted something with a vibro wrench. “Hold on… who does this? This thing’s got a bypass on it to feed pseudovelocity compensation from the secondary generator – the one that blew up halfway through the fight!”

She sighed. “And it’s not on any of the manuals, either.”

“I’m not really surprised,” Poe said, then something began beeping.

“What’s that?” Finn asked. “That doesn’t sound like a good beep. That sounds like a very bad beep!”

“Proximity alarm, I think,” Poe replied, turning to run back to the cockpit. “That or the reactor’s about to fail, but since the reactors are in standby right now… it’d have to be-”

He yelped.

“Guys!”

“What?” Rey replied, head poking up from the underfloor compartment.

“You’re going to want to see this!”

By the time Rey reached the cockpit, several seconds after Finn, their ship was already most of the way inside the cargo bay of a much bigger bulk freighter.

“That’s not good,” Fin summarized. “Do you think – the First Order? Have they found us?”

“Maybe,” Poe muttered. “If they have, why aren’t they using a Star Destroyer?”

“Do they have enough to go around?” Rey asked.

“Who cares, we need to get out of this mess!” Finn said. “Tractor beam, right? Can we shoot it out?”

“Not likely,” Poe replied. “Okay – we need to hide under the floor plates. Rey, how soon can you get that hyperdrive motivator fixed?”

“If I knew that I’d already have it fixed!” Rey shot back. “Um – I’ll see how quickly I can do it?”

“Make it quick,” Finn suggested.

BB-8 whistled something.

“Yeah, take BB, he can help,” Poe agreed. “Finn, you and me should hide in the other compartment.”

It was cramped in the other compartment, but not that cramped, and Finn felt around to make sure he knew the space.

“It’s like these were built to hide stuff in,” he said.

“Of course they were, do you know whose ship this is?” Poe replied, in a whisper.

“I clearly don’t,” Finn countered.

Something went clang, then two sets of feet walked up the ramp.

Stopped.

“If you’re in the underfloor compartments, you can come out now, nice and slow,” a voice told them. “My friend and I have you covered, so don’t get any funny ideas.”

Finn glanced at Poe. “Got any funny ideas?” he whispered.

“I’ve got a blaster, but that’s it,” Poe told him, quietly.

Then a hand lifted the compartment, and Finn put his hands up as a sixtyish human man covered him with a blaster.

Poe stared.

“...General Solo!?” he said, astonished. “How did you-”

“I thought General Solo was a girl!” Finn objected.

“There’s two, they got married,” Poe said. “This is Han Solo, not Leia Organa Solo. I, uh… so I can explain-”

“General Solo?” Rey asked, then banged her head on the roof of the compartment. “Ow!”

She shoved the roof of the engineering space open, and stared at the wookiee pointing a bowcaster at her. “And you – you must be Chewbacca!”

Chewbacca made a pleased noise.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m recognizable too,” Han muttered. “So you stole my ship?”

“We didn’t have much choice,” Rey said. “We were being shot by the First Order!”

“Imagine how I felt!” Han replied. “I got called in to do a favour for my wife by helping answer the distress call of that kid over there, Poe Dameron, right?”

Poe nodded, a bit jerkily.

“I knew he was on this dustball Jakku, not much else,” Han went on. “So Chewie and I parked our ship – this ship – to ask the locals about anything that had been happening, and then the First Order starts shooting at us and I turned around and our ship was taking off without us!”

“...oops,” Rey said, quietly. “Sorry?”

“We didn’t recognize it,” Finn volunteered.

“I did, but I got outvoted and it was a bit hectic,” Poe finished.

“I also want to have a word with your engineer,” Rey said. “Who has a failing inertial compensator?”

Chewbacca suggested something.

“If that compensator had failed I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do that!” Rey objected. “...I don’t think I could anyway, is that possible?”

“How did you catch up to us, then?” Poe asked.

“That’s the ship we’re on,” Han explained. “I paid some smugglers way too much to charter their freighter-”

“Hey, Solo!” a trandoshan called, from the cargo ramp. “You done yet? We need to get moving!”

“Give me a minute!” Han shouted back. “Eesh, with how much I paid you’d think they’d be less rude.”

There was a clunk, and the whole freighter shook slightly.

“What was that?” Rey asked.

The trandoshan outside shouted something harsh in another language, and Han frowned.

“That sounds important, we’d better go and see,” he said.

By the time they were outside, the situation had not improved.

Two more freighters had shown up and docked with the one Han had chartered, and both had disgorged heavily armed groups, and the trandoshan smuggler group had armed up to find out what was going on.

“Hey, Rakas!” the first pirate group said. “Where are our rathtars?”

“Rathtars?” Rey repeated. “What are those?”

“They’re not hauling rathtars on this thing, are they?” Finn asked, extremely worried.

“I didn’t ask,” Han admitted.

“Rathtars are balls of teeth, tentacles and attitude,” Finn summarized. “You don’t want to deal with them!”

“We’ve got them, we’ve got them,” the trandoshan leader said. “Just let us get our passengers out of the cargo hold and we’ll begin the process of transferring them safely. You don’t want to cut corners with rathtars.”

“You were supposed to be delivering them already!” the pirate snapped, then the other group turned up and bristled. Blasters got pointed in just about every direction, and Poe frowned.

“This doesn’t look good,” he muttered. “What are those guys doing here, then, if the other group are here for the rathtars?”

“That’s Solo’s ship!” the aqualish in charge of the third group said. “I was here for the bounty on you, Rakas, but Solo’s bounty is much higher!”

“How much higher?” the trandoshan asked, sounding interested.

“Uh oh,” Rey said.

BB-8 whistled, and all the pirates turned to look.

“...isn’t that the BB unit the First Order is after?” one of the pirates asked. “The one where they’re offering enough to buy all of us a ship?”

“Run,” Han advised.

Rey and Poe made it into the Falcon, but a barrage of laserfire cut the others off from the ship, and Han glanced at Finn as they hid behind some barrels.

“Please tell me you’ve got a com frequency for them!” he said.

“Here,” Finn replied, handing his comlink straight to Han.

“Okay, listen!” Han said. “Underneath the back right seat in the cockpit there’s a control to deploy a miniature blaster turret. Use that to give us some cover!”

The Falcon deployed its miniature turret a moment later, opening fire, and Han glanced around as Chewbacca used his bowcaster to nail one of the trandoshans to a wall.

“We need to shut off the tractor beam before we go anywhere,” he said. “Story of my life… okay, kid, how good are you with freighter control systems?”

“...I don’t like this question,” Finn admitted.

“You’ll like the plan even less,” Han told him, glancing over his shoulder at one of the other corridors leading off the hangar bay. “We need to cause chaos. They’re keeping the rathtars somewhere, so…”

“You make terrible business decisions!” Finn accused.

“I know, I know!” Han replied. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“When a plan is this bad, no plan is better than this plan!” Finn complained.

[alastair-1205]

EPISODE 20 REACTIONS FUCKING FINALLY I think I hurt my wrist typing all this ngl. Holy fuck this show-

I am very scared :D 

At least they can still kick ass 

Cinder just cannot stop beating up Euphrasia damn

Stick!

OK SO LOOSING POWERS DOES HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOU THEN 

Im not normal about elemental powers 

Oh no Robie don’t get murdered-

He has the right idea tho with the cup thing

Zane is trying his fucking best rn lol 

Arin is not having any of it 

Oh shit yea they don’t know…all of that other stuff yet huh

THEYRE BACK NICE

Wdym captured by them?? Wtf happened to those two

Cinder is going to kill someone I stg 

LMAO respect where it’s due, that was funny

Robie îs only partially getting kidnapped don’t worry

FUCK YEA FRACK THIS IS WHY I LOVE YOU

I love Nook’s voice as well

FUCK YEA JORDY WIN BACK UR BRAIN

Oh that’s not good 

HELL YEA ARIN 

He’s gonna almost die isn’t he

LMAOOOOOOOOO 

Oh ow rip Robie 

Holy shit that’s actually insane 

OH GOD HE FELL ENTIERLY OFF THE EDGE JESUS 

Oh god they’re all fucked up

JORDY!

Hey the car’s back! AND SO IS JORDANA

OH GODDDDD

OH FUUUUUCK 

RAS AND ARIN MAKE ME INSANE THEY’RE BOTH SO COMPLEX HOLY FUCKKKK

At least most of them are out of it

Bro Robie is making friends with some rocks right now 

BADASS FIGHT IS BADASS

“Not from you” DAMN

OH. OH LLOYD KNOWS. HE KNOWS AND HE KNOWS HE CANT FIGHT IT OH GOD IM GONNA CRY 

ROBIES ALIVE 

I FUCKING LOVE HER SO MUCH 

I LOVE HOW HE WASNT EVEN BOTHERED JUST CONFUSED LMAO 

They’re actually adorable. Like I low-key didn’t want her to get a bf but this is so cute good for them 

But uh, y’all kinda have shit to do first-

Zdmn she almost got decapitated 

OH DAMN THIS IS PERSONAL

Bold choices Arin

KAI AND BONZEL 

Nil kinda wish he stayed in super hell longer but it’s ok 

CUZ THAT WAS A FUCKING ENTRANCE 

Oh hes pisssedddddd

They are such a dynamic duo omg that was iconic 

FUCK YEA ROBIE 

GET IT GEO 

LMAO that was personal for Euphrasia. Good for her 

LMAO HES JUST GETTING FUCKING DRAGGED HELP

BOLD CHOICES ARIN I STG 

Oh that scream :(((((

Oh fuuuuuck Arin made his choice 

Group hug :D That Lloyd isn’t in cuz he’s having a moment D:

BONZEL AND COLE :D

I’m just gonna assume he somehow knew she wasn’t dead ig? 

Wu being cryptic as always. We don’t even know if hes dead or not 

LMAO CINDER IN JAIL GET FUCKED

Yay for Sora but she is Not having a good time rn huh

Damn I wonder where Jordy went 

Lloyd and Sora man…..

That is a very good question Sora

THEYRE HOLDING HANDSSSSS

Kai should give this kid a shovel talk. I think it’d be funny 

GEO FRACK AND BONZEL AND FROCHICKY YAY

THEYRE GONNA TRACK DOWN JAY

Damn so they could be literally anywhere. They gotta track down Jay Arin and Pixal. At least Zane might get some time to look now

Dragon lady’s back 

I’m glad she’s not being a dick to him like Egalt would have been lol 

Oooooo Dragon favor 

Oh that’s an interesting thing for him to have 

I like how Arin’s reasonings are worded. Like he clearly still doesn’t exactly like Ras, he just needs him for his own thing. I really like that as opposed to Arin fully believing in what he’s doing cuz Arin just wouldn’t 

[bitchlessdino]

TPC: Seungkwan's and Jeonghan's friend swap Pt. 2

Full series

Pairing: Jeonghan x afab!reader

Genre: smut, mature themes

Word count: 2.7k

tags: mentions of alcohol, brief mention of substance in a drink, bathroom sex, dom!jeonghan, mirror sex, fingering, standing back shots, praise kink, one night stand, a different kind of awkward

Summary: Seungkwan likes Jeonghan's friend while Jeonghan is more than willing to be the perfect distraction to entertain Seungkwan's friend. Looks like they're switching besties for the night.

tag list @iwouldbangchan @1uvlywon @just-here-to-read-01

Jeonghan sees you several meters away from him getting inching closer to the beat of the music. He observes the shape of your lips, to the curve of your cheek, until his eyes automatically lock with your eyes that bore into his. Any attention was good attention, he’d say.

“I have to talk to you, excuse me,” your fingers wrap around his wrist, tugging at a direction he’d blindly follow, but he doesn’t forget to wave his friend goodbye in his departure. They look at him in amused confusion, having them wave back unconcerned.

“Okay, ow. What is it?” He asks with feigned disdain.

“Oh, just…” your eyes trail over, Seungkwan finally makes his move, pretending to look cool while leaning up against the kitchen counter with a drink in hand. It’s visibly awkward but endearing, and the person he pursues doesn’t seem to mind his company. You’re reminded to respond when Jeonghan takes over your view, bending his neck to meet your eyes again. “Just what?”

“I, uh. Distracting you?”

“Why, so you can put something in my drink?”

Your eyebrows meet down the center, “Of course not, god, how dark.”

“Then, what is it,” he patiently waits for an answer, charmed by your startled expression that smooths over into one thought, as if only deciding now to find an excuse. You clear your throat, slightly shift from his gaze and open your mouth, thinking to spew the first thing that comes to mind. “S-sex.”

“Sex?” He ponders amused. “What? Are you proposing we have sex right now?”

Damnit. Not the brain. Another body part of yours did the speaking.

You scoff. “Please—“

“Well, since you’re asking so nicely—“

“Socializing.” Your eyes look over his shoulder, seeing Seungkwan laugh at something they say, bringing a smile to your eyes. “I came over just to talk, came to you for a drink since you always know where they are.”

He side grins, mischief taking up his face. “Follow me.”

You weren’t normally quick to follow the word of Yoon Jeonghan–you have heard he was all kinds of unhinged–but you were being a good friend. An amazing friend. A friend of Seungkwan would take several shots of vodka, tequila, or both just to prove how good of a friend they are. You’d throw them back like water because who can ignore a person who knows to have a good time? Jeonghan couldn’t. This would surely be a good distraction. 

They’d talk Jeonghan up, and do some light flirting to make sure Seungkwan and the person he likes could get alone time (although Seungkwan’s already sneaked out of the party an hour ago). One light brush against his arm would do the trick, maybe followed by soft whispers to his ears, saying ramblings of a person who’s had enough alcohol would say.

They would also sneak in some brief liplock with Jeonghan to really seal in that deal. You have his mouth over your lips in some hidden bathroom, tugging on his collar as you're sat over the sink counter. His skin is flushed against yours, clearly enjoying himself, and in every momentary part of your lips you can feel the heat of his chuckles against your cheeks.

What were you doing again?

You forget your purpose tonight with his hand up your thigh, his lips falling to your neck–sucking the skin you only realize of late was so sensitive it’d cry if it had eye sockets–and his bulging erection pressing into the area right where your throbbing core would be. You murmur words of encouragement in his ear, the bitter taste of Smirnoff on your tongue mixing with the sweet taste of Jeonghan’s lips. He grunts in return, muffling himself as he bites down. “S-shit. I want this.”

He levels his gaze back to you, searching for the same desire in your eyes that he was feeling in him. “Do you want me, Yn? I won’t fuck you until you tell me you do.”

How far has this gone already?

You were only supposed to ‘distract’ the man, and although you actively were–he hadn’t thought to mention the friend he brought once tonight–maybe you were going a bit far. At this point of the night, you’ve got enough alcohol in you to say the shit you want but have complete control over your body. You were far from a lightweight. You could’ve stopped at any point in time. You should’ve stopped now–

“I, Y/n of clear and mind, solemnly swear that I want you, Yoon Jeonghan, to fuck me in this restroom. Is that clear enough for y–”

He wastes no time, pinning your arms against the mirror, smashing his lips against yours, and pushing his tongue through the gap of your mouth. You feel his chest heave, his hips roll, and his digits around your wrists wrap only tighter. A moan breaks out of your mouth and soon his hands leave to trap it, finding their way up your neck and up your hair. Your knees bend, pushing him closer, having you dangerously close to the edge. One wrong move and you go down with him.

Jeonghan is quick to notice, taking him only a second to tug your shorts off, adjusting you on the cool marble surface, and feeling the warmth of your arousal now drenching his fingers. He swallows in your breath, literally taking them away, and holds you by the waist as he parts your folds and drags a finger along the slit. You slightly shudder, the slightest touch of his raises goosebumps on your arms and you’re embarrassed at how quickly you fold.

He chuckles when he hears your gasp, narrowing his eyes back at you. “What? Never had someone touch your pussy before?”

The truth was a lot of men didn’t. In your experience, the ones you’ve been with were always more focused on self-gratification, rather than pleasing their partner. The ratio of either of you or them cumming was drastic, so close to making you give up hookups entirely.

You simply shake your head, watching as his gaze shifts to the glistening of your entrance before his fingers swallow up inside and he breathes in your whimpers with a proud grin. You press kisses against his lips in desperate bursts, urging him to do more than tease you. Your hips thrust against his digits, hand clutching the back of his head and fingering through his soft dark locks.

“Jeonghan,” you clench around him, squirming, “S-stop, fucking around. Just give it to me.”

“You’re so impatient,” His voice drops an octave, and the hair on the back of your neck stands, “Beg for it.”

“You’re the worst,” you squeak.

“Say it. Say how badly you want my cock inside you. I’ll give it to you.”

You already admitted to him you wanted him to fuck you, what more did he want?

You put on your best begging face—not like you had to try since you were already dying to have him inside you—you blink at him, pouting your lips, taking sharp breaths as he fucks his fingers in you deeper. You take your voice up a pitch, your whines coming too easily, and you roam your hand over his body, inching closer and closer to the tent built in his pants. “I want you inside me, Jeonghan.”

“More.”

“I want you to fuck me.” You persist.

“You can do better than that.”

“I need your cock inside me. I’m dying to have you fuck me with your cock,” your nails graze over the top button, already unclasping the hold of his pants to cup over his bulge, feeling it take up the whole surface of your palms. “Give it to me.”

Jeonghan twitches at your touch, hooking his fingers inside your pussy only to slam it at a ferocious speed his last run, your hand holding his clothed private in a balled fist. “Fuck.”

He lets his pants and underwear pool around his ankles, taking your underwear with him. In a brief sense of clarity, he looks for something and with sheer luck he finds it, staring back at him on top of the toilet tank, remembering how he set it aside when you accompanied him. He reaches out to claim it, tearing it open and rolls its latex material over his hard member. 

You sigh with contentment seeing him stroke his length, worried about how you’ll adjust to his size, and all that worry vanishes when he taps the head at your entrance, swirling it into your wet mess. His hand lands on the small of your back, pulling you against him, and deposits himself inside you. Your eyes lightly flutter, feeling how he stretches you out, “F-fuck…”

“Such a perfect pussy,” he compliments lowly, feeling your walls close around him like perfection, pulsing at the rate of your heartbeat.

His hands reach around your hips, guiding them to buck around his frame, and your legs are now locked around him. You grip the counter and throw your head back, the crown of your head hitting the mirror behind you but you hardly notice as Jeonghan splits you open.

You moan ‘yes’s, drool pooling in your throat. Jeonghan savors them, his thrusts steadily knocking back into you as he squeezes your backside, pressing into you. Your nails can’t help but crawl underneath his shirt and claw up against his back, a growl leaves Jeonghan’s lips. You feel his sweat beneath your palms, his skin burning at contact, and can’t think of a better reason to rip his shirt off. So you do just that, the shirt falls to the ground without a second thought, and in return, Jeonghan rips off the buttons of your blouse.

“Jeonghan!”

“You won’t need that anymore,” he laughs and pins your wrists back at the mirror to avoid your protests.

His hips don’t falter, and his mouth claims the skin of your nipples, biting them at the tip between his tongue swirling around your areola. You hard swallow, voice aching in need, so much need, it was crashing on you like a traffic accident. Obscenities flowed like water on your lips and they only get louder when Jeonghan plays against your clit, rubbing on its imperfect spherical shape and you feel as if you’re going to fall.

With all the force in his free arm, he clutches around your waist and rams his hips into you, not changing the fact you could still fall right off this counter but leverages you from doing so. You feel your climax coming close in the face of danger. The thrill of possibly hurting yourself as you were getting railed is a thought that hadn’t occurred to you until this very moment. You’d probably still keep going if your ass did fall on the ground, he was fucking you just that good. 

Your eyes roll back, contorting your lips until they repeat the words “I’m cumming” like a broken record for him to hear. He lands you no response, focused on his own high, but in this case, you didn’t mind.

The sensitivity from having already gotten off simply enhances the sensation of what happens next. Without a word, Jeonghan pulls you down from the counter and has your back towards his chest. Taking in your hair, he forces the cheeks of your face to meet the cold sink counter. Hand clashing against the flesh of your ass before he pokes through, taking you from behind.

“H-holy f-f-fuck…”

You feel his hips come up on your ass like lashings, only this kind of lashing was something you’re more than willing to be accustomed to. 

His pants are loud and clear, feeling you clench around him blissfully as you moan out his name. He tries not to think much of it, it was some meaningless hookup, nothing new. Then again, this was you, a friend of a friend, a common college student like him, but enticingly hot in the fitted clothes you decided to wear tonight. Of course, he’s thought about you once or twice seeing you in passing, wondering what it’s like to fuck you sideways. Even if it's just once. Or twice. Or if he’s lucky, for as long as you let him.

He shakes those thoughts away and places his focus on plowing into you, and you seem to greatly appreciate that.

He takes hands full of your hair, forcing you to look back at yourself. “You see that?”

Choking on your spit, you nod. “Y-yes.”

“What does that fucking look like?”

“It l-looks like you fucking me.”

The smug grin reappears on his face and he pulls harder against your scalp, lips pressing against the smooth of your cheek. “How am I fucking you?”

He playfully bites your cheek, snaking his other hand back to your clit, pinching in his fingertips when he’s not rubbing in. “S-shit.”

“Look at you a fucking mess for me. Can’t even tell me what I'm doing to you. Say it. I give you permission.”

You shut your eyes, tears forming from your overstimulated core, yet pushing back into him. “You’re fucking my pussy so good.”

He hums, shaking his head to move the fallen strands over his eyes, failing. “Say it again.”

“Your cock is fucking my pussy so damn fucking good.” You grit.

You watch him laugh through the reflection, and accelerate his thrusts, the shaky outline of your body the only thing apparent. Gripping the counter for dear life, you feel the sensation once again resurface, having Jeonghan’s climax to follow. Your jaw drops, sounds that could be mistaken for agony makes its escape and you feel your legs tremble under his weight. Jeonghan’s cheek lands on your back, panting out as he lets out his final pumps into the casing, feeling you weak in his embrace.

He pulls out of you, disposing of the condom, and seats you on the covered toilet seat, brushing sweaty strands of hair away from your face. You’re visibly worn out, eyes likely foggy from all the energy he’s sucked out of you, and he internally swells up in pride. “You okay?”

You look at him, eyes widening as if you just realized what happened. His pretty face is all you can see and you think to yourself, what in the hell did you get yourself into? “Yeah, yeah I am. Uh, thanks.”

He lightly grins and pulls up his clothes on the ground, getting them back on his body. “That was fun.”

“Yeah, it was,” You confess, “we should probably keep this to ourselves.”

“Mmhm.”

He expected that. He knew what this was. And pretending to not care was one of his many valuable qualities.

“Get dressed and come back around. Your friend is probably looking for you.”

He leaves you behind, and a bitter taste is left on your tongue, making you wonder why that is. 

That was really awkward, wasn’t it?

You do your best to cover yourself up with your ruined shirt, settling on tying it to your mid-drift, and wait a few minutes before leaving, looking at your phone finally to see the messages left behind. 

Kwanie: You’ll never believe what just happened to me!

Kwanie: hello

Kwanie: Is this revenge for me leaving you behind with jeonghan?

Kwanie: whatever im so happy I DONT EVEN CARE

Kwanie: i just came back, i see jeonghan. Where are you

You rush back to the common area of the house to join the party, seeing Seungkwan with his person of interest chatting up with Jeonghan, who looks relaxed as a man who just fucked you in someone’s personal bathroom can be. With a sheepish grin, you join the party, having Seungkwan meet your eyes in pure joy. He calls out your name and seamlessly you join them, enacting normal party behavior. 

Jeonghan barely bats an eye at you the rest of the night and you feel like you're drowning in your self-deprecating thoughts, thinking the worst. It all felt like a mistake. You definitely went way too far. And now by the looks of Seungkwan’s arm around Jeonghan’s friend, you’ll be seeing Jeonghan a lot more often. All for being a good friend.

[buckets-and-trees]

hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have

Fandom: MCU Characters/Pairings: Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky x gn!Reader, side Sam Wilson Word Count: 2k

Summary: He reluctantly agreed to this in the first place, but a nice afternoon turns into a darker night than Bucky ever could have anticipated. [Takes place after Wandavision and TFATWS but before Multiverse of Madness]

Content Warnings: DARK FIC, entrapment, somnophilia, dub-con, non-con, entrapment, non-graphic sexual situations (p in v), magic, sorcery, trickery… 

Additional Notes: Written for @darkficsyouneveraskedfor's Mini March Challenge (literally the Pacific Coast eleventh hour of March 31st, but we made it), featuring a wicker basket and honey jar, a touch of praise, and a flash of voyeurism. I listened to a lot of Lana Del Rey, and the fic takes its title from her song of the same name (and I let Wanda use that as a beat of dialogue).

“Listen, we’re not far from the farm where she’s been staying. I know you don’t know her that well, but in case you forgot, she’s one of the ones who stuck her neck out for you at the airport in Berlin, went to The Raft with me, then went on the run with me and Steve.”

Bucky looked up to the roof of the SUV they were trundling along in. “I know, fine. I know you trust her, I just–“ Bucky broke off and took a deep breath. “After not being in control of my own mind for most of a century, you can’t blame me for being a little wary of dropping by to visit someone whose powers include mind manipulation.”

Sam opened his mouth and closed it again. A beat later, he said, “She’s on our side. I saw her a few weeks ago. I owe it to her to look in and see how she’s doing now and then, and it’d probably mean a lot to her if you came along with me.”

“You’re going to do that? Appeal to my redeveloping humanity?” Bucky rolled his eyes for show but smiled. “Fine. Do we need to pick up a pie or some cookies first?”

Sam grinned. “And you say you have no social skills.”

“What’s this?” Wanda asked, trying to hide a smirk.

“Buck here insisted we needed to bring something if we were going to drop in unannounced,” Sam said, clapping the super soldier on the shoulder and pushing him into the cabin.

“I – well – my ma always said it was the polite thing to do. Not my fault this one has no manners,” Bucky offered, holding out the wicker basket with two loaves of fresh bread and a jar of honey from a local bakery they’d found in the small town nearby.

“Plus, we eat a lot and didn’t want to wipe you out.”

Sam and Wanda both laugh.

Wanda reaches for the basket. “It’s appreciated. Go ahead and have a seat at the table. I’ll put the kettle on.”

When the afternoon sun is casting long shadows across the room as it fights to keep streaming through the windows and Bucky, Sam, and Wanda have demolished almost all the bread, the new Captain America and the Winter Soldier stand up to leave. Bucky had been nervous, but this has proven to be another normal thing, another connection he’s fostering and doesn’t have to worry about. This was good.

“It’s good to see you holding up so well,” Sam said, pulling his jacket back on.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Thanks for putting up with our checkup intrusion,” Bucky added. “You know Sam can’t help dithering over us lost souls.”

“Always wanting to help,” Wanda agreed.

“You know what?” Sam interjected in protest. "There are people who appreciate my efforts."

Bucky and Wanda laughed. It felt nice.

“Actually, if you don’t mind, Bucky, there is something I was hoping to speak just with Sam about.”

“Oh,” Bucky hadn’t expected that, but he knew they had so much more history behind them. “Sure, I’ll just wait in the car.”

He really hadn’t minded leaving them to talk in private. Twenty minutes had been fine. He hadn’t even begrudged thirty minutes, but forty-five minutes seemed a bit too long. They could’ve told him, and he would have gone on a walk or something. Really the only annoyance was letting him think their conversation was going to be quick.

If they were talking for this long, maybe there was a real issue. Maybe he could help.

And now he did need to use the bathroom, so he had a reason to check in that wasn’t indicating the impatience he’d accumulated over nearly an hour.

He rapped lightly on the door with the knuckles of his right hand while opening it with the vibranium one – the reverse would’ve sounded a little more aggressive, even if it would’ve been more convenient.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I–“

Bucky looked around the open living and dining room of the main level. Sam was not here, and Wanda was sitting serenely on the couch, legs crossed, a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Music was playing from a Bluetooth speaker in the corner.

“I was waiting for you to come back inside,” she stated calmly, closing the book, and setting it aside on the end table with her tea.

Without thought, Bucky had already adopted a defensive and alert stance, looking around for any helpful cues and cocking his head to listen for–

A long groan drifted down from the upstairs, cutting across the music.

“Sam!” Bucky moved with his preternatural speed to the stairs before Wanda could stop him and ascended, easily taking them three at a time.

What he saw when he reached the top of the stairs brought him to a full stop, his brows furrowing and his jaw dropping.

“What the hell is–?”

Another deep groan from Sam interrupted him, and no wonder. Bucky needed to look away, he really did, but he couldn’t – nor could he believe what he was witnessing.

On the other side of the lofted room of the cabin, Sam was naked on his back, a dark, misty creature seated squarely over his hips. The creature had its hands planted on Sam’s chest and was pumping itself up and down with Sam’s hands on the creature’s own hips to guide it.

“He is a magnificent sight, isn’t he?” Wanda crooned softly at his shoulder.

It was the tone of her comment that pulled Bucky’s attention away from the spectacle. “Choose your words wisely, Wanda.”

The brainwashing of the Winter Soldier was gone, but the unbelievable levels of control, precision, and restraint that had been honed by the US Army, heightened by the super soldier serum, and finetuned by the Soviets remained and were all that kept Bucky from ripping her limb from limb that instant. The rage was simmering right below the surface.

“It’s little known, but it’s quite a simple enchantment with the result of harvesting power. Copulation, particularly a moment of sexual climax, can generate a great deal of energy. An incubus or succubus draws that energy to sustain themselves, but this creature is an umbrabus, or a shadow of a sexual demon which I can absorb once it’s collected the energy.”

“You’re harvesting energy?”

“Mhmm,” she hums. “There are witches who steal power from other witches. This seemed more elegant a solution, and practically harmless.”

“Not harmless.”

Wanda calmly side-stepped him to adjust the drapes over the window as she responded, “He doesn’t remember.”

Bucky’s mind whirred, rapidly piecing things together what he was seeing with what he already knew and reports he’d read about this woman – back in Wakanda when he wanted to know everything about the fugitives who had turned with Steve and then the recent reports he’d hacked into SWORD and FBI servers to read in the car on the way to the cabin today.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve done this to him.” His hands balled into fists.

“No, it’s not.”

“What do you need the power for?”

“Aw, you’re too inquisitive,” she cooed, and stepped closer to him, reaching out as if to stroke his cheek, but he jerked out of the way. She still kept the small, serene smile on her face. “Don’t you worry your pretty head about it – that’s what they told me so many times.”

Bucky couldn’t stop the open glare that formed on his face.

Wanda just laughed.

“I could tell you, but you won’t remember anyway. Like I said, he doesn’t remember. You won’t remember anything more than maybe a dream,” she said in a way he knew was trying to reassure him, but he was not naïve enough for that. “Let’s just say hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have.

“I can give you anyone you want,” she continued. “I gave Sam the woman he’s been dating and about to start introducing to people as his girlfriend back home. I always wondered… perhaps Steve?”

Without even thinking he had the redhead slammed up against the wall, lifting her by her throat in less than an instant. “Steve? You didn’t do this to him – to them, did you?” The rage that had been simmering now surged like fire through every vein of his body. Wanda had been with Steve, Sam, and Natasha for the better part of two years.

“No,” she eked out, “I did not know the breadth of my abilities then.”

She squeezed his forearm to get him to let her down, and he slowly acquiesced, lowering her to stand of her own volition again but kept enough pressure on her throat to keep her pinned. He might believe that she wasn’t practicing dark magic on his friends before Thanos. The report filed by a Monica Rambeau claimed Westview was grief with good intentions that were put right after Wanda realized the harm she’d caused – created. James Woo from the FBI had reported a similar view. But that was months ago…

Wanda licked her lips, then one of her hands moved up to draw patterns over his hand still on her throat. “Who do you want, James?”

Bucky shook his head. “No.”

Wanda tilted her head. “There’s certainly someone who must have caught the eye of a handsome soldier like you,” her voice lilted sweetly. Saccharine.

Bucky clenched his jaw as your face flashed in his mind, clear as day.

“Ah.” Her eyes gleam, and he feels the dread tighten in his stomach. “What a lovely creature.”

She began to whisper an incantation, and the words are far from the ten cursed Russian words that overruled his own agency for decades, but the dread it conjured was the same.

“No,” he plead.

Then there was the soft weight of a hand on his shoulder, and he whipped his head to see another dark, shadowy being. But as he grabbed the hand to remove it from his shoulder, the umbrabus transforms into a striking approximation of you.

He dropped his grip on Wanda, but otherwise he was now frozen, watching the shadow you. You weren’t naked, but nearly, in only too-tempting swaths of dark blue satin and lace. The being stepped forward and caressed his cheek, and he closed his eyes and didn’t jerk away as he had when Wanda reached for him, but he did try to turn his head and refuse the soft touch. He tried, but he couldn’t.

“Oh, James, there’s no harm in it,” Wanda said. “You can’t stop me from getting what I want, and this world has already taken so much from you, so why not get something you want?”

One hand of the umbrabus – he had to remember it wasn’t you, he had to – trailed delicately down his neck and along his shoulder while the other gently came to rest on his hip. It inclined its head toward him, then moved in and pressed hot lips against his throat. He groaned.

“It will hurt no one,” Wanda continued to speak, “no collateral damage, and you deserve a little happiness.”

The umbrabus’s fingers moved from resting on his hip to hook into the waistband of his jeans, and tugged him toward a bed Wanda conjured just a few steps away.

“Pleasure and happiness aren’t the same thing,” Bucky protested.

“Maybe not, but you will still feel it.”

Was he tumbling willingly onto the bed with you, no her, it?

Because he didn't want this. This isn’t you circling your legs around his waist and pulling his head down to kiss you. He'd only spoken with you a few times, and he didn’t want the falsification unfolding here to supplant the reality he had been looking to slowly build with you.

“And to think of all the strength and stamina you will give me as a super soldier,” Wanda whispered in his ear, trailing a finger down his spine. Where were his clothes? “The only one of your kind left, you will be such a good source of power it will be difficult to let you go, but I promise I will. I’m not the villain, after all.”

He sank into you

“Yes, doing so well for me,” she says softly.

And he was lost.

READ: writer's commentary for this piece for the Dark Forest Fest

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

read more from the Dark Forest Fest

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine accidentally setting up your member with Joshua even though you both have feelings for each other

When you found out Joshua was dating your member part of you felt betrayed, then you felt silly for even feeling that. Neither of them knew your feelings so didn't owe you any loyalty in that respect but still you felt upset. The only person who knew your feelings for Joshua were his members. Or 3 to be precise Jeonghan, Scoups and DK. You got along well with all his members and hung out with them a lot. One day you were at their house but Joshua wasn't there yet, he was joining after work. The trio all noted how aware of his absence you were and when they caught you texting him several times Jeonghan just asked "y/n do you like Joshua?". You froze and went bright red making DK and Scoups burst out laughing. You gulped and stared at them "I...he's really nice and good looking, I'm not sure what I feel but yeah". The members all smiled and you did too before it dawned on you what you'd done. You swore them all to secrecy and they agreed, promising you they wouldn't tell Joshua what you'd said. You thought they'd probably say that and then tell him as soon as he walked through the door but they kept their word and you appreciated that. They subtly encouraged you to ask Joshua out or for you to let them hint to Joshua you were interested but you were always too shy. Then your friend beat you to it.

Your friend Yuji was bored one day so you took her with you when you were going to meet Joshua. She seemed to really get along with him which didn't surprise you. In your mind Joshua was one of the nicest people in the world so who wouldn't like him? You just didn't realise how much she liked him. So Yuji started coming with you everytime you hung out with Seventeen and still you had no idea anything was going on.

When Joshua announced it you were just as shocked as his members and several looked at you confused. Even the ones who didn't know about your feelings assumed you and Joshua were kind of dating based on how much you got along. So they were shocked he and Yuji were a thing and not you and him. Of course Yuji was looking to you as her friend so you smiled and told her it was great. You couldn't even look at Joshua but if you had managed to look at him you would've seen how he also couldn't seem to meet your eye. As soon as was possible without being suspicious Jeonghan pulled you aside along with Scoups to ask what you were going to do. When you replied “nothing” both of them weren't happy. "No it's not right" Jeonghan told you "and you shouldn't take this lying down, you need to fight!". "But how?" you asked "neither of them did anything wrong". "Yeah but just because they're dating doesn't mean you can't tell Joshua how you feel" Scoups said. You paused "I don't know though, doesn't that make me a bad person for messing with their relationship?". Scoups shook his head "no, y/n there are times when you have to put yourself first. If you don't say anything and they keep dating imagine the worst-case scenario they fall for each other and then get married. It'd be a lot harder to tell him then, compared to now when they've been dating a week". You nodded along but still weren't sure and the boys could tell. Time passed as you mulled it over. Things didn't change that much. You still hung out with Seventeen and Joshua, just not with Yuji. She and Joshua obviously hung out alone now and sometimes they'd miss the group parties to be together. Which was all fine or so you told yourself when in reality it made you feel all fluttery and weird. For the first time in weeks Joshua was at the regular Seventeen weekend festivities. Yuji had gone home for the weekend and so it was just the members and you "like old times" as Jun had said which made you smile to know the boys liked you. The members were very happy at everyone being here and so they went a little over the top. Pretty much everyone was drunk and that's how some secrets got out. Dk was explaining the scratching incident where he and Joshua both claimed the other was at blame for the scratch Joshua got. He’d conveniently waited for Joshua to leave the room before he launched into his story and no matter how many times DK tried to tell his side of the story things just didn't add up. So you told him that. “Well of course you'll side with Joshua you're into him" Dk said and you froze. Scoups and Jeonghan paused while the other members around laughed. "Wait what?" Vernon asked looking at you and Jun smiled "you like Joshua?". Dk's eyes went wide and he immediately realised what he'd done. "Y/n I'm so sorry" he said trying to grab you, making the whole situation worse so you grabbed his hand and took him outside. Jeonghan followed and helped you console DK who was devastated. "I swear I didn't mean to y/n" he promised you "it just slipped out and I...". "Dk it's okay I know you didn't mean to" you said trying to get him to stop crying. Eventually you assured DK you weren't mad and Scoups and Jeonghan reassured you this wasn't bad. "You're allowed to be attracted to someone y/n, you can't control that" Scoups argued. Jeonghan nodded "plus Joshua would be a hypocrite if he got mad at you for being attracted to him, he won't be angry". You were still pretty nervous though for Joshua to find out when you headed back inside. You saw him not a minute after entering and he looked at you. The awkward eye contact told you he knew. "What do I do?" you asked Jeonghan who paused "well I think now is as good a time as any to tell him how you feel". You sighed and nodded but didn't move "I feel sick". Jeonghan laughed "then sit down for a second and plan what you're gonna say. If you want I can take him to one side?". You shook your head "it's okay but thank you". So after drinking some water and gentle soothing from Jeonghan you approached Joshua where he was talking with Wonwoo. "Hey" Joshua smiled softly and you smiled back "hey, can we talk?". He nodded "of course" and led you into a side room that nobody was in. "What's up?” he asked politely pretending like he didn't know exactly what this was about. "I know you must’ve heard what DK said" you told him and he nodded "yeah I heard but don't worry I ignored it". You shook your head "I want you to know it's true, I do like you but don't worry I'm not going to try anything". "You like me?" Joshua asked shocked and you blushed. "Yeah I kind of always have but I respect you and Yuji so of course I'm not going to do anything. I just hope we can move on and kind of forget it ever happened". Joshua paused "forget it...okay if that's what you want, I'll do it". You smiled "thanks Joshua, I really didn't want to lose you over this". Joshua shook his head "don't worry you won't" and you felt relief sweep through you. Unbeknownst to you however Joshua was feeling disappointed. When you told Scoups and Jeonghan what you'd said they were upset. You'd confessed but also told Joshua you weren't going to act and just wanted to forget it all basically ending any chance of this becoming anything more. However they knew it was your decision to make and supported you. You then fretted over if you should tell Yuji what happened. You figured it should come from you and so when she got back from her trip home you asked to meet with her and sat her down. She could instantly tell something was wrong "what's happened?". "So you know the party last weekend? Something happened...I did something". She nodded "okay, what did you do?". "Dk and Joshua were arguing about the scratch incident and DK made a comment about me siding with Joshua because I’m into him...and I agreed". You waited for her to start screaming at you but your friend just smiled "that's it?". You frowned "yeah...I spoke to Joshua and explained I'm not going to try anything with him and just wanted to forget it but I felt like I owed it to you to explain myself too". Yuji smiled "Y/n it's fine! Joshua is attractive so all you did was tell the truth. It's not like you kissed him or anything right?". You shook your head "of course not!". "Then it's fine" she smiled "now I have so much to tell you! Guess who I saw on my trip home...Cole!". Cole was this guy from Yuji's hometown who she'd known from her trainee days. You’d never liked the guy and found he and Yuji always had a weird relationship. They’d never dated but hooked up a fair few times before he’d always go awol and disappear usually leaving her heartbroken. He had this weird hold on her where she couldn’t seem to say no to him and this immediately made you nervous. “Ow yeah?” you asked and she nodded. “He was at this party my dad was throwing and we spent the whole night just talking together, isn’t that insane”. You nodded but didn’t comment. “He also seems...different, like he’s so much more mature and apologised for all the times he hurt me”. Well that was something atleast so you smiled “i’m pleased”. “It was so nice seeing him again and the best news is, he lives here now”. You panicked “here? As in...”. “He literally lives a 15 minute drive from our house and I had no clue, how crazy is that?”. You nodded the knot in your stomach getting worse “crazy...”. “I just feel like everything in my life is really good right now. Our group is doing well, I’ve got a great boyfriend and now my oldest friend is back”. You nodded pleased she remembered Joshua, despite everything you did not want to see Joshua get hurt for Cole of all people. So you decided to relax and trust Yuji.

That was a mistake and it didn’t take long for that to show. 

It started off slowly with her lying about details of Cole to Joshua. She told him he was a friend of her brothers when that wasn’t true and said he had a girlfriend which he didn’t. She also hadn’t told him about their history together and how they’d been an item for a while. Jeonghan and Scoups wanted to tell Joshua but you refused to butt in. Then finally Yuji started telling Joshua she was meeting a friend or worse you when she was going to Cole’s house. It was starting all over again and you decided to nip this in the bud. 

Yuji had been busy all week with work and mainly Cole but she was coming to the weekly Seventeen party and you were driving her. It was the only time you’d be able to get her alone so you took the opportunity. “Yuji I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me okay?”. She nodded “of course! What’s wrong?”. “Earlier this week, why did you tell Joshua we were having a movie night when you were at Cole’s?”. She stiffened and paused “I don’t know it just seemed easier?”. “To lie to your boyfriend?” you asked and she sighed. “You make it sound so bad...all I did was withhold information that would make him worry”. “And why would it make him worry?” you asked. Yuji frowned “he doesn’t like Cole, when he met him he worked out we used to be a thing and he thinks Cole is still into me. He claims Cole changed anytime I left the room and was rude to him but I think Joshua’s just imagining things”. That didn’t sound anything like Joshua but you didn’t get into that “well he asked me how the movie night went and I had no idea what to say. Please don’t involve me in your schemes”. “What did you say?” she asked and you replied “I told him there was no movie night, atleast as far as I was aware”. Yuji hit your arm “Y/n! You’re the worst friend ever!”. You glared parking the car outside Joshua’s house. “Yuji I won't lie to Joshua for you, you're my friend but so he is too, plus it's just wrong!". She sighed "is this because of your feelings for him?". Your eyes widened "of course not! If it was the other way around and he asked me to lie to you I wouldn't. I've told you I can control my feelings for him, I won't risk our friendship for that". She sighed but nodded "I believe you, I'm sorry for even asking". You shook your head "it's okay, it makes sense you would think that". "I'm sorry for lying and involving you, I'm just all turned around and don't know what to do. Joshua is great but Cole is too". You nodded "well don't do anything with Cole while you're dating Joshua and then you haven't done anything wrong, you can't help it if you have feelings but acting on them is different". Yuji paused “I invited Cole here tonight”. “Did you tell Joshua?” you asked and she nodded “he said it was fine...why am I like this?” she sighed. You patted her back “it’s okay stay calm. Just get through tonight without doing anything rash and you can work everything else out tomorrow”. "You're totally right I won't, now let's go inside". "You sure?" you asked "we can wait if you aren't ready, or I can take you home...". She shook her head "let's go" and opened the door.

The party was as good as always with one exception. Yuji was being very touchy and forward with Joshua and you couldn't seem to stop yourself from spotting it. How she'd whisper things in his ear making him smile or trail her hand up and down his leg making him blush. You weren't sure if this was Yuji's way of working out how she felt but you wish she'd picked a method that wasn't so visible. Then again if she wanted to touch her boyfriend she could so figuring you were the one with the problem you walked out of the room. Jeonghan was stood on the balcony and smiled when he saw you "done seeing Joshua and Yuji feel each other up". You burst out laughing and nodded "so done". Jeonghan smirked and took your hand "come on, you need a drink".

After that you avoided the two of them and had a good night. You stuck with Jeonghan and Scoups and had a great time, the two eldest definitely knew how to have a good time and though it would've been even better with Joshua, the two were good substitutes and you were pleased you were now close enough with them that you didn't have to have Joshua around. The two also drew in a lot of their members and soon there were lots of you all crowded around the kitchen laughing and joking. 

Then Joshua appeared and you could tell by his face something was wrong.  "Hey have you seen Yuji?" Joshua asked and you shook your head "no, why?". "She left to get a drink half an hour ago and I haven't seen her since". You frowned and got a bad feeling. "Yuji?" Dino asked "I saw her upstairs about 30 minutes ago, maybe she's still there". Joshua frowned "upstairs? I wonder why she was going up there". "She was with that friend of hers...what's his name". You paused and grabbed Joshua "why don't you and Jeonghan look downstairs and outside and Scoups and I will search upstairs?". Joshua paused before nodding "okay". "Great" you said smiling fakely and grabbed Scoups arms. You practically dragged him away and he looked at you "you think something's happening between them don't you?". You nodded "I hope I'm wrong but Yuji's been having thoughts about Cole and if they are...Joshua doesn't deserve to see that". Scoups nodded "but we're not going to keep it a secret right?". "Of course not but we will let Yuji tell him, if she's done anything which she might not have". You reached the top of the stairs and began searching the rooms. You didn't find anything until only one room remained. You were about to open the door when Joshua appeared Jeonghan tailing. "Joshua..." you said and he looked at you "is she in there with him?". You froze "we don't know but you should go downstairs...". "No if she's cheating on me I want to know" Joshua said "now y/n please stand aside". You looked at Jeonghan and Scoups for help but Jeonghan shrugged and Scoups sighed "it's his choice y/n". So you stepped away and Joshua opened the door. The glimpse you got was more than enough to confirm your worst fear. The hurt on Joshua's face broke you but that quickly changed to anger. You'd never seen Joshua angry before but walking in on his girlfriend cheating on him was sure to do it. He began to shout and Scoups rushed in to stop him from doing anything. Jeonghan tried to calm him and you helped Yuji get dressed and shielded her. Cole however started yelling back at Joshua like he had no shame. Saying horrible things like how Yuji never even liked Joshua and wished Joshua was him every time. "Shut up Cole!" you yelled and he smirked "why? Surely this is exactly what you wanted? Don't act so innocent, you know you pushed us all to this just so you could have him. You're practically an accomplice". "You shut your mouth before I shut it for you!" Joshua yelled and Jeonghan had to help hold him back. Yuji was crying and although you were furious at her too, you put an arm around her. "Go wait in my car, I'll take you home" you told her giving her your keys and she nodded. Yuji hurried from the room but Cole was still kicking off. "Y/n" Jeonghan called and you tried to help. "Take Joshua into one of the other rooms while we get rid of this trash" Scoups said to you and you nodded gently taking Joshua's arm "Joshua I know you're angry but he's not worth it, please come with me". Joshua paused and glanced at you. He looked back at Cole before sighing and nodding "let's go". You led him away while Cole was still shouting and to a room down on the opposite end of the corridor. 

Once you'd closed the door you looked at him "okay go, vent". Joshua groaned "I'm so stupid!". “No you’re not” you replied and he shook his head “I am, I could tell the second I saw her with Cole that there was something going on...and then when she was telling me friend’s names who I’d never heard before I knew she was lying to me but I did nothing”. You shook your head “none of this is your fault Joshua, it’s on Yuji and Cole, you did nothing wrong”. He sighed “but it is because I said yes to her when I didn’t want her, not really”. You frowned “you didn’t?”. He shook his head “I wanted you”. 

You thought you misheard him and paused “I'm sorry?”. “I’ve always had a thing for you and I wanted to ask you out for ages but I was never sure if you liked me back. Then when Yuji asked me out I figured you really must not like me back because surely she wouldn’t ask out her friend’s crush. I was hurt and Yuji seemed nice enough so I said yes but the whole time I wanted it to be you y/n”. 

You blinked trying to clear your head “Joshua you’re pretty drunk and this has been an emotional night, I think it’d be best if we stopped and gave yourself a chance to think more about what you’re saying tomorrow morning”.  "I don’t need time it’s all true y/n, it was always you but I was too much of a coward" and he walked closer making you back up. "Joshua I think..." you started but he carried on. "I've always been attracted to you, my eyes go to you naturally and I love being around you. All my members love you and you’ve always been so kind to me. I know I can trust you and I value your presence in my life more than you could ever know. I want you y/n...so much" he said stopping in front of you. Those words made your stomach do somersaults but you sighed "Joshua". "Don't" he said and he leaned down to kiss you. 

Your heart was hammering in your chest and the alcohol you had also consumed didn’t help your mind try to work out what was happening. Everything Joshua had said made you feel weak at the knees but you also knew he’d just gone through a major emotional blow and didn’t want to take advantage of him in a vulnerable state. So as Joshua came closer you turned at the last minute and he kissed your cheek instead. "Joshua I can't" you said but he just made a noise. "Don't you want me?" he asked softly and you smiled sadly grabbing his hands "I do, you have no idea how much but not like this...you're hurt and upset. I get it, you want to hurt them back but you're better than them. You don't have to sink to their level. You can choose to be better". Joshua sighed "but I’ve wasted so much time with you...". "I'll be here no matter how long it takes you to get over this" you told him gently moving his hands back to his own body "I'm not going anywhere". "You mean it?" Joshua asked a tear slipping down his cheek and you nodded "I promise" wiping it away. Joshua nodded and then there was a knock at the door. You called come in and Scoups and Jeonghan appeared "hey Cole is gone, are you okay?". Joshua nodded "yeah I'm okay" but they could tell he wasn't. Jeonghan hugged him and you stepped away. "I have to go take Yuji home" you told Scoups "do you think he'll be okay?". He nodded "we won't leave his side, thank you y/n for everything". You nodded and gently told Joshua you had to go. He nodded wiping his eyes and hugged you. "I'll text you tomorrow okay?" you asked and he nodded "okay". His eyes were glued to you and it pained you to see him so sad.

The minute you stepped in the car Yuji launched into an apology but you shook your head. “I told you Joshua was my friend and I didn’t want to see you hurt him but you did and i’m angry. Not because of what I feel or don’t feel for him but because he’s my friend. I’ll always be your member but I think I need some space from you right now”. Yuji nodded “okay” and you drove home in silence.  

You didn't get much sleep that night and woke up early. You texted Joshua telling him you hoped he was okay and you were here if he needed you. You kept thinking back to last night when he tried to kiss you and wondered if he meant everything he said. He was drunk and pretty upset so you’d get it if he didn't but you’d be crushed of course if it was all a lie. Joshua texted you a little later thanking you and asking if you could come over. You agreed and drove there nervously. When you got there the house was oddly quiet. You heard someone around the back so went that way and found Scoups. He smiled when he saw you "y/n! How are you doing after yesterday". "I'm alright, how is he?". Scoups sighed "he’s okay I think. He slept in and Jeonghan was with him for a bit this morning...have you heard from Yuji?". You shook your head "i don't expect to, when I dropped her home I told her I was mad at her and needed some space". Scoups nodded "that's fair, come inside. Most of the members are in a semi-state of consciousness". You said hello to the few in the kitchen who looked bright-eyed and not hungover (The8, Wonwoo, Woozi and Vernon) and were just texting Joshua when he appeared with Jeonghan. He saw you and paused "y/n...i didn’t know you'd arrived". "I just got here" you explained and wondered if the way he couldn’t look at you was good or bad. "Great, should we head upstairs?". You nodded and followed him to his room. 

Once inside Joshua paused "so firstly I wanted to thank you for last night...for so many reasons. For comforting me, for trying to protect me, for getting me out of that room with Cole and for stopping me from kissing you". Your heart skipped and you nodded "no problem" looking down. Joshua saw your reaction and panicked "not that I would’ve regretted it...but the circumstance wasn’t good and as you said, we don’t want to start that way". You looked back up "so everything you said last night...". "I meant" he said smiling softly "i like you y/n". You blushed and Joshua chuckled "you're so cute". You blushed even more and Joshua took pity on you "I want to date you but I was wondering...do you think we should jump right in?". You shook your head "no I think you need a bit of time. What happened was awful and you need to heal". Joshua nodded "but what if it takes a few weeks or something. I don’t want you to get bored". You shook your head "Joshua your healing is so important i don’t care how long it takes. Your mental health is a priority I can wait for". Joshua blushed and chuckled "it's ironic that you saying that really makes me want to kiss you". You blushed but smiled "I’ll be ready whenever you are, now have you eaten? should we go grab something?". Joshua smiled "let's go" and led you downstairs. All eyes were on you as you came down and you knew they were all dying to ask if you were now together. You sat together and acted as normal but it felt different. Now you knew Joshua liked you everytime he looked at you your heart raced. Any time your arms grazed one another you got goosebumps and when he said your name it was like a shiver going down your spine. He was so beautiful and the idea he might be yours...was insane. You and Joshua finally got together 2 months later. You’d tried to give Joshua space at first to deal with what he was feeling then a month in he started inviting you over more and more until you were there all the time. The members all liked you and you were a good house guest so they didn't mind. Plus they could see you and Joshua getting closer and closer and loved it. One day you were sitting outside together laughing about how cute drunk Hoshi was when it happened. "Y/n I'm ready" Joshua said and you paused. It only took you a few seconds to realise what he meant. "Are you sure?" you asked "please don’t rush on my account". Joshua smiled "I'll admit part of me just wanted to run to you but I didn’t. I took time away and hurt and cried but then I got better. That's when I asked you over more and more and now when I wake up in the morning my first thought is you...so I know I'm ready". You blushed and Joshua smiled "so do you still want to go through with this, last chance to back out”. You grinned "there's no way i’m doing that, I'm ready if you are". Joshua beamed at you "then in that case we need to work out where we’re going on our first date but before that there’s something I've been wanting to do for a while now" and he leaned forwards and kissed you. 

It was perfect and you were so glad you'd waited and hadn't given in that night. Now it was so much more special and you could tell Joshua meant it. He wasn’t upset or emotional, he was present and wanted to kiss you for you. When you separated you heard cheers and turned bright red. You saw all the members watching and almost died. You buried your head in Joshua who hugged you and told the guys to shut up while laughing. You stayed in hiding until you stopped blushing and Joshua kept his arms wrapped around you lazily. "This feels so right" Joshua said and you nodded "It does".

It’d taken you a while to get there but you were finally where you were supposed to be.

[galexystern]

every road leads back to you

pairing; steve harrington/ace!reader

rating; t

warnings; fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, second-chance romance

word count; 8.2k

masterlist

It’s all your fault because you aren’t looking where you’re going. Or maybe it’s your coworker Melanie’s fault, for raving about and lending you her copy of the book you can’t tear your eyes from even as you’re walking. Or maybe it’s Brian’s fault, for recommending the book to Melanie. Or maybe it’s the librarian’s fault, for picking it out for Brian.

Regardless, you aren’t looking and so you crash directly into someone.

As your face smushes against a chest, your book tumbles to the ground and you let out an unnecessary yelp. You immediately step back, leaning down for your novel as the other person does too, and you knock heads.

“Ow,” they say, and you freeze. A hand you recognize is holding the book out to you, paired with a familiar voice. You take it hesitantly and slowly straighten back up and look at who you desperately hope it isn’t.

But it is. It’s Steve Harrington.

Realization dawns in his eyes as he stares at you. He says your name in surprise and follows it up with a “Hi.”

You blink at him. Much too late, you reply, “Sorry for running into you,” with red cheeks and hot skin.

A nervous, awkward smile adorns his mouth. “It’s no trouble. I wasn’t looking either.”

You can’t take your eyes off him. He’s still so fucking pretty. You’d really hoped that after he broke your heart, you wouldn’t find him handsome anymore, but no such luck. His hair is gorgeous, his eyes are bright, his lips are perfectly kissable. He’s still toned and fit, tan from the summer sun.

“Hi, I’m Robin.” You finally look away from the specimen that is Steve to see there’s a girl with him. There’s no reason for your heart to twinge, but it does all the same.

You introduce yourself and shake her outstretched hand. Steve’s still looking at you, seemingly oblivious to the conversation until Robin—girlfriend?—elbows him hard. He jerks and glances back at her with a sheepish face and pink cheeks before clearing his throat.

“How are you?” He asks, almost earnestly.

“I’m fine,” you reply, unsure. You’ve heard through the grapevine that Steve has changed somehow, possibly for the better, giving up his King ways and treating people with something like kindness and respect. It all sounds nice but you’ll believe it when you see it. Maybe you’re seeing it now.

“Good,” he says forcefully, like it’s what he wanted to hear. “Congrats on graduating. Heard you were at the top of your class, that’s great.” How is he getting this information about you? Robin eyes him but he pointedly ignores her. “Where’d you go again?”

If he knows your class rank, why doesn’t he know the school? “Butler University,” you supply, confused. Steve smiles and you get it—he did know. He just wanted to make you say it. You think he might be making fun of you, but then he glances at Robin and raises his eyebrows, and you blush when you realize he’s trying to impress Robin with your achievements.

“Um, thanks, I guess.” You clear your throat and change the subject. “What are you up to?” You want to say you’re asking to be polite but it’d be a lie. You wanna know.

“Not much. Robin and I work at Family Video, though she’s leaving me soon for another job.”

He smiles when she rolls her eyes. “We still live together, Dingus. We’ll see each other all the time.” Live together? That’s pretty serious.

“It’s not the same,” Steve responds with a fake-sad teasing tone. Robin looks at you like she’s done with his shit and you have to hold back a giggle. Steve grins at you with a distracting twinkle in his eye when he notices.

“Besides,” Robin adds haughtily, “you are also leaving FV soon.”

Now Steve’s bashful, as you turn to look at him expectantly, and it’s oddly endearing. “Yeah, to spend money, not make it. I’m going to school,” he clarifies for you.

“Business school!” Robin jumps in loudly.

“At the community college,” he rushes to finish. “Nothing fancy.” You bite your cheek at how he’s downplaying something impressive.

“I am allowed to be proud of my best friend,” Robin scolds him and your mind races. If they’re dating, why would she use those words? Sure, couples can be best friends, but is that really the descriptor they would use?

You shake away the thoughts and agree. “It’s something to be proud of, Steve.”

“See?” Robin grins at you. “I like you already. Do you wanna come with us? We’re getting lunch.”

A look of panic flashes over Steve’s face before it disappears, disheartening you. Though you don’t really want to go either. And you can’t. “I have my shift at the library soon. That’s where I’m heading now.”

Robin nods, looking glum. Interestingly, Steve also looks disappointed. “We can let you get going then,” he says. “Sorry again about running into you.”

“Partly my fault too,” you reply, and the three of you do the awkward dance of switching places on the sidewalk. When you’re finally in the right spot, you give them a wave. “See you around.”

“Bye!” Robin calls out.

Steve smiles shyly. “Later.”

And with that, you go on your ways.

;

“What was that?” Robin demands. She and Steve are sitting in their regular booth, regular drinks in front of them and regular meals ordered. She’s staring at him with an expectant expression.

“Uh, our waitress?”

Her eyes narrow. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He sighs. He does know. “We used to date.”

He says it quietly, with feigned lightness, but it doesn’t work. Robin’s eyebrows go even higher. “Date? When?”

“During King Steve.” His mouth twists at the memory. “It was for a couple of months. Didn’t end great. Kinda my fault.”

“Kinda?”

“Okay, all my fault.”

“What happened?”

Steve looks down at the table and plays with his straw wrapper. “I sorta dumped her when she wouldn’t sleep with me.” He winces when he hears Robin’s gasp. “I know. I wasn’t very nice about it either.”

“Steven Edward Harrington!”

“That’s not my middle name,” he mutters.

She goes on with a glare. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Look—“ He ducks when her straw comes flying at him. “Look! I regret it, okay? I feel bad about it. I have since I did it.”

“Did you apologize?” Her eyes are blazing holes into his forehead; he’s still looking down. He shakes his head. "Why the fuck not?"

“I don’t know, so much time has passed. Thought it might be more awkward.”

“You know what’s more awkward? Not apologizing and still having feelings for her.”

Steve jerks his head up. “What?” He sputters. “No, I don’t.”

“I’m not blind, Harrington. I saw that entire interaction.” She pretends to be all moony-eyed. “Oh, where did you go to school again? So I can brag that you graduated at the top of your class?” She drops the act and looks at him.

“I didn’t sound like that.” But he’s unsure. He did know where you went to school and didn’t need to ask. He did want Robin to be impressed. And you're just as gorgeous as you were when he had that hopeless-but-turns-out-not-really crush on you. He can still remember the surprise he’d felt when he learned you liked him too, it had floored him. He couldn’t believe his luck. He still couldn’t believe it after you'd become official.

But thoughts of your relationship bring back memories of how it ended, and he’d blocked those from his mind for a reason. He closes the box and pushes it away again, and continues, “Doesn’t matter. It’s ancient history.”

“If you say so.” She says it like she agrees, but there’s something in her tone that makes him think she knows something he doesn’t.

“What?” He asks.

She eyes him with fake innocence. “Nothing. It’s history. I won’t bring it up again.”

“Robin,” he growls. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” She steals the straw from his drink and places it in her glass, swirling the liquid like she’s mixing a potion. “I just don’t think it’s done.”

“Why?”

“Oh, just the way she was looking at you. Like you hung the moon or something. And agreed with me that you should be proud of school. And her blush when you bragged about her. And her shy smiles when you grinned at her.”

He blinks at her. “That’s impossible. I broke her heart.” Badly, he doesn’t add.

She shrugs. “The heart wants what it wants.” She picks up her cup and sips delicately, watching him as he processes. Or tries to process; his brain feels like it’s melting. The box has exploded open and he can't contain everything that's now flooding back. Robin sighs as she sets the drink back down. “I think you should give it another try. Maybe it’ll work out. And if not, at least you’ll have apologized. Because you will apologize.”

She’s expectant again, and he nods meekly. Of course he’s going to apologize. He’s just not sure what he’s gonna say.

;

You’re thinking about ramming your head against the desk—you’ve been that bored for hours—when someone taps on the surface. You look up from your impossible crossword and straighten when you see Steve standing before you. He has a nervous smile and seems to be fidgeting. When he notices you’ve noticed, he places his hands in his pockets.

“Hi,” he says quietly.

“Hi,” you reply, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you. Um, if that’s okay.”

You stare at him. You can feel the anxious energy rolling off of him and the longer you stay silent the more pleading his eyes become. Eventually, you nod. “Gimme a minute.”

Steve nods and waits as you disappear into the office and tell them you’re going on break. Since it’s dead, they don’t mind and so you meet Steve on his side of the desk.

“Outside?” He asks, thumb pointing to the doors.

“Sure.”

He leads the way, holding open each door for you and picking out a shady bench. You sit next to him hesitantly, unable to look him in the eye. What is he doing here?

Steve takes a deep breath and then says, “I’m here to apologize.”

Oh. “Why?”

“For how our relationship ended.”

You finally look up at him. “What?”

He has soft eyes. “That was really horrible of me, and I’m sorry. I’ve regretted it ever since, and I’m a coward for not apologizing sooner. It wasn’t right. None of it was. Well, except for everything before what I did. But it kinda ruins it all, doesn’t it?”

You’re not sure what to say. What he did was horrible. You can still remember all the mean things he’d said, when he’d dumped you and left you crying on your front porch. He hadn’t talked to you after that, and you'd both graduated like nothing had happened. It’d broken your heart. It was devastating. And yet…

“The stuff before that isn’t ruined,” you reply softly. Steve perks up. “It was a really good part. I, um, I liked that part.”

“Me too,” he breathes, like he can’t believe what you’re saying. You almost can’t believe it yourself. But the feeling of euphoria you’d felt after learning Steve Harrington had a crush on you too, when you realized it wasn’t a fantasy but something attainable, eclipses the heartbreak a bit. And your dates are still some of the best you’ve ever had; ones you’ve been on since just don’t hold up to them. And the sensation in your body, mind, and soul when you’d kissed him…ineffable.

So, no. Not ruined. “It did, um, hurt.” You avert your eyes and watch the leaves sway in the summer breeze for a minute. Steve seems content to wait and see if you have more to say. “But I understood,” you eventually add.

“What?” He sounds so confused that you have to look at him again. His brows are furrowed.

“Come on.” You laugh awkwardly. “A girlfriend who wouldn’t put out in high school? That’s a nightmare. I see why you dumped me.”

Steve blinks, and then his hands are grabbing yours and holding on tight. He says your name like he’s pained. “No. That is not a reason to break up with someone and it’s not why I broke up with you. It didn’t even matter to me that much. I ended things because my stupid friends kept making fun of me that we hadn’t had sex yet. I let them influence me into pressuring you and then dumping you when you wouldn't be pressured. That’s what I’m apologizing for. For not having enough of a spine to stand up to those idiots and fight for the only relationship that’s ever been worth anything to me.” He goes red when he realizes what he’s said. “I thought I needed to impress them, but I was wrong. And I lost you in the process.”

You gape at him. Before you can say anything, he’s continuing, “Also for what I said and how I did it. That wasn’t right either. I let them get into my head and speak for me. I didn’t even mean any of that stuff. That doesn’t make it right, I know, but I want you to know that. That I never meant what I said.”

He’s looking at you with those hazel eyes shining in the sun and a ashamed but hopeful expression, and holding your hands in his like he used to when you’d watch a movie together or have dinner, and you want to hug him so tight you might squeeze him to death.

So you do.

He’s caught unaware by it, by you leaping forward and hugging him hard, but he regains composure quite quickly and hugs you back. He exhales in relief and you giggle. It feels amazing to be back in his arms, and it ends much too soon. You both lean back and look at each other, smiling.

“Do you wanna get dinner sometime? Catch up?” Steve asks.

Your heart catches, but… “What about Robin?”

“Robin?” He looks confused but then it seems to dawn on him. “Oh! No, she’s not my girlfriend. She’s just my best friend. Has been for five years.”

You’re a little surprised but take it in stride. “Oh, okay. Dinner sounds good.”

He nods excitedly. “Maybe Friday night, 6pm? We can go to the diner. It’s our favorite.”

You smile at his eagerness. “Is 7 okay? I work until 6:30.”

“Of course! I can come pick you up here and walk you to the diner.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” he reassures, and you blush a little.

“If you insist,” you say reluctantly, and he grins in triumph.

At that moment, the door opens and your coworker sticks her head out. She motions for you to come back and then disappears. You sigh and stand, Steve following suit. “I gotta go.”

“No worries. I’ll see you Friday?”

You nod. “Friday.”

Steve smiles brightly and then starts walking away. You go to the door and open it, pausing to watch him leave. Your heart skips a beat when you see the happy skip in his step.

;

A knock on the door has you lifting your head from the last of your closing tasks. You see Steve, hair gleaming in the sun and sunglasses coolly covering his eyes. But they don’t hide the smile on his face, or the excited wave he sends through the glass. You smile back, motioning for him to give you one minute, and he nods. You rush through the rest of your agenda before rushing to grab your stuff and rushing out the door.

“Hi,” he says happily when you appear.

“Hi,” you reply softly, hiding your shy anxiety by focusing on locking the door. Once that’s done, you look back at him.

He's gorgeous. “Ready?”

At your nod, he sweeps out an arm for you to go first, and so you start the journey to the diner. He falls into step with you, strolling easily, like it’s effortless.

“How are you?” He follows up, as you pass the florist.

“Good. Tired, but who isn’t?” You attempt to joke. Before he can respond, you continue, “How are you?”

“I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous.”

“What?” You can’t help your shocked laugh. “You’re nervous?”

He grins and nods. “Terrified.”

That knowledge relaxes you a bit, and some tension floods away. His arm brushes yours as you pass the pharmacy. You have to hide the shiver it sends down your spine.

“Here we are.” He slows to a stop and pulls open the diner door for you. You walk in with a grateful nod, noticing that it’s pretty empty, despite it being prime dinner time on a Friday night. Steve notices you looking around. “Football game. First of the year. That’s where everyone is.”

You look back at him but then the hostess comes up and takes you to a booth. You slide onto the red vinyl bench as he does the same opposite you. The butterflies start to swarm when you realize you’re alone with Steve Harrington on purpose for the first time in five years.

“Why aren’t you there?” You blurt out, immediately regretting it.

But Steve doesn’t look bothered. “At the game?” He shrugs. “Football’s never been my thing really. I’d rather be here with you.” The butterflies threaten to make their way up your throat when he smiles widely.

You look down at your menu with a blush. “So,” you say a little too loudly, “what’s good here?”

“The classics. Burger, fries, milkshake. Vanilla only though.”

You make a face. “Absolutely not. Chocolate or bust.”

Steve holds a hand to his chest like he’s clutching a string of pearls. “You heathen. Don’t you dare disrespect vanilla in my house.”

“I’ll do what I like,” you shoot back. He laughs.

“Just as sassy, I see,” he teases. “At least you’re not like Robin. She only goes for a strawberry milkshake.” You stick out your tongue in disgust and he nods. “Exactly! It’s horrifying.”

Your mouth twists to hold back a huge grin. He can tell and lets his own blossom. The waitress comes over and takes your order—vanilla milkshake for him and chocolate for you—before whisking the menus away. Steve sets his hands on the surface, fingers intertwined.

“So,” he says, “how was work?”

“Slow, oh my god. No one comes to the library on Fridays, I swear.”

“‘Cause they’re all at Family Video,” he replies.

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. It was nonstop today. Everyone wanted movies for the weekend and wanted to get it done before the game. I even had to break up a fight between two old ladies over the last copy of Dirty Dancing.”

You burst out laughing. “No way.”

“Seriously! They wouldn’t cut it out so we didn’t rent it to either of them. It was snatched up by Mrs. Fletcher.”

“Shut up. Mrs. Fletcher, our old math teacher?”

He nods. “Emphasis on the old. But good for her.”

“Did she recognize you?”

“She always does. She insists on squeezing my cheek and lamenting how poorly I did in her class.”

You giggle. “You never did get a good grade.”

“It’s not my fault math isn’t my strong suit. She should’ve been an English teacher if she wanted to see me succeed.”

“Right, you were always freakishly good in English.”

“I recall my knack for English saving your butt when midterms rolled around.”

“Only because my science knowledge saved yours.”

“Yes, that was a good balancing act, huh?”

You two look at each other, remembering happier times when you’d tutor each other before descending into a makeout session. As you stare at Steve, memories of his lips sucking on your neck while you tugged on his hair surfacing, you blush and change the subject. "What kind of business are you gonna go into?"

He adopts a thoughtful expression. "I don't know. Been thinking about it a lot lately, but I can't seem to pick something."

"Well," you spread your hands on the table, "what do you like?"

"What?"

"In life. What are your favorite things in life?"

"My friends," he replies automatically, and you smile. "Basketball."

"Maybe sports business?"

He makes a face. "I only really like basketball. Nothing else is interesting."

"I could argue with you about that as baseball's advocate but I won't. For now." Steve grins at that. "What else?"

"Kids. I want a whole pack of them."

You melt. There's a niggling thought invading your mind about the origin of children, but you push it away and offer, "Maybe school administration? Like a principal or superintendent."

Something lights up in his eyes. "That could be good. I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a teacher."

"You'd make a great teacher."

He blushes but says, "Thanks. But I meant more in terms of picking a grade or subject. I like the lot of them."

"You like all ages of kids?" Your eyebrows are at your hairline. "Even angsty, angry eighth graders? Even rude, can't be bothered high schoolers?"

"Yup." He pops the p while nodding. "Adults seem to forget that they were that age once too. I just think about how I wish I'd been treated and do that."

"You'll really put the 'pal' in principal," you joke, laughing when he rolls his eyes at the corny nature of it. "Seriously, Steve, that sounds perfect for you."

"You think?" When you nod, he grins and you smile reflexively. His smiles were always infectious. "Okay. I'll look into it more."

The waitress reappears and places your milkshakes on the table. "Burgers and fries are on their way, kids," she says. "Couple minutes."

"No problem," Steve says brightly, with a kind smile just for her, making her blush. She walks away, and both of you excitedly unwrap your straws and dip them into the frothy goodness. You each take a sip, your eyes widening in pleasure as he groans at the delicious taste. After a few more sips, you lean back.

"Wow, that is so good," you say in surprise. You've never really trusted diner food tastiness.

"Told you," he replies, around a mouthful of ice cream, and you laugh. He pushes the glass back towards the middle of the table and gazes at you. "Almost perfect."

"Almost?"

"Perfect would've been us splitting one." Your face heats at the picture of the two of you leaning forward to sip at the same time, so close that you'd be centimeters away from each other. The idea of his honey eyes being right there, staring into yours, with lips pursed around his straw like puckering up for a kiss, has your mind spinning. You'd never been able to resist getting lost in those hazel beauties.

"Would've been nice," you squeak out, immediately wincing internally at the uncoolness of it all. But Steve just smiles and nods. At the same time, your waitress comes back with your food, placing all the plates on the table and a stack of napkins so high it's kind of ridiculous. You sigh in relief, both of you arranging your meals how you like—you remove the tomato and Steve steals it to add to his burger, he takes out all but a little of his onion—and digging in. You two eat in comfortable silence until your food is about half-gone.

"So, pretty girl, how was school?" He asks before taking another handful of fries.

You blush at the nickname, but thank god, a safe topic. "It was good. Spent a lot of time in the library."

His face doesn't change, but you can tell he finds that disappointing. "Oh, okay. That sounds fun."

You giggle. "You were always a bad liar, Steve."

He turns sheepish. "Sorry. Books are not my idea of a good time, but I know how much you love to read. And I guess you don't get to be top of your class without spending a good amount of time studying."

"True. But I wasn't a complete recluse. I joined a sorority."

"A sorority?" He's surprised. "Like Greek life sorority? Frat parties and everything?"

"Kinda. It was a sorority but not a slutty one or anything." You sigh. "That's not what I meant. I mean our members were not limited to blonde, skinny white girls; it was more diverse. We had our slutty members too. Nothing wrong with that."

"Were you one of them?" It's a tease but there's a tense undercurrent to the question. You shake your head and relief flashes over his face briefly. It's sweet that he was worried about it, it makes your heart beat just a little faster, but you have an uneasy feeling in your stomach. You'd had your fun in school, did your time getting wasted and high and doing dangerous things with your friends and flirting with plenty of people, but you'd never actually wanted to have sex with anyone, even those you found aesthetically attractive. You'd done it anyway of course, to be an insider, because it's what you're supposed to want and do. But it'd never felt good and you'd never really desired to do it. It'd freaked you out then and it freaks you out now. So you refuse to think about it.

"What have you been doing since graduation?" You ask.

"Well, I worked at the mall before it exploded."

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that."

"Yeah, it was wild. I worked at the ice cream shop. Scoops Ahoy."

"Ahoy?" He nods. You cock your head as your mind races ahead of you. "Was it nautical-themed?" He nods again, this time with a disgusted face. "Wait, did you have to wear a uniform?"

He looks a little anxious now. "Yes," he answers nervously.

"OMG," you exclaim, reading all the signs in his body language, "did you have to dress up...as a sailor?" His features scrunch in distaste. When he reluctantly nods for the third time, you gasp gleefully. "That's amazing. I wish I could've seen it."

"Unfortunately, the uniform did not go up in the fiery blaze." He sniffs haughtily. "A true shame."

"So you still have it?"

His eyes widen when he realizes what he's admitted. You stare each other down and he blinks first. "Yes," he sighs, rolling his eyes fondly when you clap your hands in joy.

"I have to see it. I have to see you in it." He shakes his head firmly and you pout. You put a pleading edge to your next words, "What can I do to make that happen?"

He eyes you in interest. He pretends to think about it, but his answer comes a little too quickly for it to have been thought up in the moment. "Go out with me again."

You bite your lip slightly and shrug, suddenly so nervous that a reply is caught in your throat.

He plays with the straw in his milkshake, practically finished. "Did I mention that the shorts are absurdly short? And it comes with a little hat?"

You fight back a smile but he knows he's won. His grin is blinding when you respond, "Okay."

"Great." Your stomach flips at the happiness in his voice, like he's won something precious. "What should we do?"

You ponder the question. "How about we go someplace with alcohol?"

"I can make that happen," he replies, his wink making you look away with pink cheeks. You watch as he takes out his wallet, throws a couple bills on the table, and then stands. He holds out a hand and you take it, sliding out of the booth. He doesn't drop it as he walks you to the door and through it. He glances at you. "Wanna get some ice cream?"

"We just had milkshakes," you point out, giggling.

"Can never have too much ice cream."

"Shouldn't you be sick of it by now? That's what happens when you work at a restaurant; you get sick of what you serve."

He makes a conceding noise and you smile. "You got me. I just wanted to spend more time with you."

"I can make that happen," you tease. "Let's get some ice cream."

He looks at you with a fond gaze as he gently tugs you down the street. "You just wanted to hear me say it, huh?" You smile enigmatically, and he chuckles, squeezing your hand tighter. "Never change, honey."

"Wasn't planning on it." You bite your cheek to make sure this is really happening.

"Good."

It is.

;

The next few months are a whirlwind of Steve, Robin, their friends, work, Steve, Steve, Steve. You two see each other a lot, both feeling like everything is right with the world when you're together. He keeps his promise and takes you to a bar for the second date, staying mostly sober while you get drunk, so he can make sure you get home safe. He finds intoxicated you adorable, speaking your mind and letting loose on the dance floor. He's surprised he has so much fun dancing without a sexual end to the night.

You go to the movies a couple times. You choose Ghost but have a bad time, uncomfortable with all of the sexual overtones while being there with Steve, who doesn't seem to notice your poorly hidden tension since his eyes are glued to the screen (though he refuses to admit he liked it that much). So you let him pick next and he goes with the hottest new release Goodfellas, which you liked for its comedy but not its violence, for which you'd held Steve's hand (something he'd been very pleased about). You both end up picking Home Alone as your next choices, loving it and finding it absolutely hilarious, just like everyone else in the theater.

Steve takes you along to some Hawkins basketball games, since his friend Lucas is on the Varsity team and plays a lot. You watch amusedly as Steve gets really into it, yelling at the refs, cheering loudly, telling you the things he would've done had he been the coach instead. But Lucas plays great, putting up the winning shot just as a buzzer rings during one game, and Steve goes crazy with the rest of the crowd, shocking you by hugging you tight in his excitement. He's apologetic about it after, but you reassure him it's very okay; you'd never turn down a hug from him.

Steve even drives you into Indianapolis now and then, escorting you to museums and tagging along to concerts. His friend Eddie joins sometimes, when you're seeing a band he likes—you two have surprisingly similar music tastes, something that delights him since no one seems to appreciate his “artistic genius” in Hawkins. Steve brings you to the Hideout at Eddie's urging and your pleading; despite not really liking Corroded Coffin, he can't say no to your puppy dog eyes. You end up loving them and predicting they're gonna make it big, something Steve doubts but enjoys seeing you have fun.

Throughout it all, there's a thread of tension thrumming in your body. Steve had kissed your cheek at the end of your first couple of dates, and then upgraded to a chaste kiss on the lips, and while his lips were soft and warm and felt nice on your skin, you didn't feel anything beyond a growing romantic attachment for him. You don't want to rip his clothes off, you don't want him to rip off yours. You have no desire to do anything naked with him, with maybe the exception of skinny-dipping, and only because you haven't done it before and it's on your bucket list. But you can feel yourself falling for him anyways, which is a dangerous game. He hasn't pressured you into having sex, and you keep reminding yourself of what he said in his apology about not minding not having sex, but that was five years ago and you were high schoolers, basically kids. Now you're full-fledged adults and a sex life is an important part of an adult relationship and he would be well within his rights to break up with you if you refuse to have sex with him.

You dread the day that happens, knowing it'll come, but you can't help yourself from still seeing him, going on cute little dates where he makes you blush and laugh and smirk. They're better than the ones in high school, and mostly only because you two can do whatever you want now and can drink on top of it. There's nothing stopping you from spending all your time together, and so you do.

You even entrust him with the secret of applying for grad schools, wanting to get a master's in library science so you can become an actual librarian. He thinks it's perfect for you, encourages you to apply anywhere and everywhere, promising to come visit when you eventually get accepted somewhere. There's a lump in your throat whenever he says the distance doesn't matter, he'll come to you no matter where you are, and a constant voice in your head telling you that it's not fair to him, not fair to keep hidden your lack of sexual attraction while he thinks about a future with you. But you're so scared of telling him and being rejected again—and you really think Steve is the one—that you keep your lips sealed.

And then the day comes.

It's a normal, ordinary night. You're up late reading—another book recommended by Melanie—when the phone rings. Annoyed at being interrupted at a good spot, you pick up the phone and grit out an irritated "Hello?"

"Angel!"

Your bad mood instantly vanishes when you realize who it is. "Hi, Stevie. What are you doing?"

"Alcohol!"

You giggle at his unnecessary loudness. He must be pretty drunk, which makes sense; you knew he and Robin were going out tonight. He'd invited you but you weren't feeling up to it. "Sounds like you're having fun."

"Yeah! But I miss you!"

A smile blossoms across your face. "Miss you too."

"Wish I was with you!"

You snort softly at the exclamation point he puts after every sentence. "Me too. How's your night been?"

"Good! Robin got a girl's number!"

"Good for her. Vickie might be upset though," naming Robin's girlfriend.

"Probably!" You laugh. "Baby!"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna kiss you!"

"Me too, pretty boy."

"Wanna kiss you all over! You're so sexy, you know that!" You freeze. "You turn me on so much!"

You think your heart may have stopped completely. "That's nice," you hear yourself reply faintly, a buzzing in your ears blocking all sound. "Stevie, can I talk to Robin?"

"Yeah!" You hear rustling and then Robin says, "Sorry about that. He escaped when a girl was flirting with me. Even though I told her multiple times I had a girlfriend she gave me her number anyway." You can picture the eye roll she must be performing.

"It's fine," you reply, voice still quiet. "Make sure Steve gets home safe, yeah?"

"Of course, you'll get him back safe and sound."

I won't get him back at all, you think. "Thanks. I'm gonna go, okay? Feeling tired."

"Okay. Have a good night, babe." There's more rustling and then she adds, "Wait, Steve wants to say bye."

"Goodnight, honey!" He yells into the phone. "Sweet dreams!"

"Thanks, Stevie," you whisper. You hear the line click as the call ends, and you slowly hang up your phone in a daze. You stare at the wall for a while, mind blank, and then turn off the lights and slip into bed. You lie awake for a long time, hoping you can come up with a different plan of action than the one you currently have, but you can't. Your time has run out. It's time for the extraction.

;

Steve knocks on your door for the third time that week. You hadn't answered the first two times he'd come around, but he needs to check again. He can't let you disappear on him, can't give up this time, not when it's going so well. Or had been, at least. It's been a couple weeks since you stopped answering his calls, wouldn't call him back, hid from him at work when he visited you, wouldn't open your door, and he's desperate. He's at the end of his rope. He needs to talk to you.

He knocks again and calls your name. It sounds pathetic enough, but he puts every ounce of pleading into his voice to croak out, "Please."

The door opens to reveal a sliver of you. You look awful—Steve thinks you're pretty all the time and always will, but there are layers of sadness, exhaustion, frustration on your face that look like they weigh you down so much you'd sink in shallow water. His heart clenches at the sight and he wants nothing more than to hold you in his arms and take away your burdens.

"Please go away, Steve," you say quietly, half-heartedly. "I don't want to see you."

"I don't believe that. You want to see me, you just won't let yourself." You look away and he knows he's got it right. "Why? Sweetheart, talk to me." Your lower lip wobbles and he reflexively takes a step forward, stomach falling when you step back. "Please, baby. I'll do anything. Just tell me what's wrong. Tell me what I did and I'll fix it."

Tears spring to your eyes and start dripping down your cheeks. You hesitantly open the door wider and he seizes the space, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "You didn't do anything wrong," you say, and he almost cracks apart at the heartbreak in your words.

"Come on, honey," he says gently, and slowly leads you into the living room, sitting you on the couch and placing himself beside you. "What's happened then? I thought things were good."

"They were. It's just...I'm not right for you."

"What? Yes, you are."

"We aren't a good match."

"I don't understand. We make each other happy, isn't that enough?"

"I can't give you everything you need." You're staring at him like you're hoping he'll know what you mean, but he doesn't. He's at a loss.

"Like what?" He asks desperately. "Tell me."

"Steve," you say in anguish. You take a shuddering breath. "I don't wanna have sex with you."

He blinks at you. "You're not attracted to me?"

You shake your head. "But it's not you. Or just you. Something's wrong with me. I'm not...I'm not attracted to anyone." A fresh wave of tears spill down your face. "I don't wanna have sex with anyone."

Sobs emerge at the end of your sentence, and Steve leans forward to wrap his arms around you and pull you to him. You press your face to his chest, soaking the fabric but he doesn't care. He buries his face in your hair, placing kisses at the crown of your head, only happy that he's with you again. "Nothing's wrong with you," he says softly, hands tightening when you cry harder. "I promise, pretty girl. Nothing's wrong with you."

"Then why don't I wanna have sex with anyone?" You mumble against him, with another surge of sobs.

"Some people just don't wanna have sex," he replies. "It's called asexuality. Robin taught me. She gave me a crash course in all things LGBTQ+ after she came out to me."

You lean back to look up at him and hiccup a small laugh, which Steve considers a win. "She would."

"I'm surprised you didn't learn about it in college."

"I didn't tell anyone," you admit. "I thought I was, I don't know, defective. And Greek life isn't a great place for that, I guess. Like, I had sex anyway." You shake your head. "I didn't like it."

"I'm sorry, baby," he says empathetically. "I hope no one forced you."

"Just myself." You smile humorlessly.

"You don't have to," he reassures. "Not with me."

"But what about you? I know you're not...asexual." You try out the new word.

"I'm not, you're right. But we'll figure it out. Promise."

You duck your head. "It's not fair to you."

"That's my decision," he says gently but firmly.

"I'm not worth it."

He tuts, placing his fingers under your chin and lifting your head until you're facing him again. "Look at me, pretty girl." It takes a few seconds, but you eventually meet his gaze. "You are definitely, absolutely worth it."

"Steve," you say, like you don't believe him, because you don’t. "Come on."

"I mean it. You are one hundred percent worth it." He puts every last drop of meaning into it.

"I'm worth not having sex again?" You doubt it.

"Look, are you open to having sex with me?"

Anxiety invades your features. "I don't know," you answer quietly.

"Okay. That's not a no. We can look into it. And if it becomes a no, we'll deal with it. We can talk about other options. But I'm not losing you again. You're it for me."

You gaze at him with hope in your eyes, at last. It's beautiful, just like you. "Are you sure?"

Instead of answering, he leans down to kiss you. You're surprised by it, but you lean in anyways, unable to turn down a kiss from him. He hums happily against your lips, and you break away with a giggle. He rests his forehead against yours. "I'm so sure, baby," he whispers.

You study him, looking deep in his eyes, and then whisper back, "Okay."

He relaxes completely, smiling widely. Your smile back is small, but it's there and he's still yours so it doesn't matter. Then you lean your head on his shoulder and groan. "I can't believe I never knew about asexuality. You'd think all those books would teach me something, but I guess not."

"It's okay, sweetheart," Steve chuckles. "I only know because of Robin. She actually asked me if you were ace but I didn't know. So she suspects, at least."

"As long as y'all didn't bet on me," you warn.

"No bets," he promises. "That's for TV shows."

You laugh a little, the sound music to his ears. You lean back and look at him shyly. "You're it for me too."

He beams.

;

“Come on!” You sing-song. “You promised.”

“I never actually promised,” comes Steve’s muffled voice from behind the closed bathroom door.

You tsk. “Then I will just have to tell everyone Steven Michael Harrington doesn’t keep his word and reneges on his deals.”

“That’s not my middle name,” he groans, making you smile. It grows wider when he adds, “Alright, alright. I’m coming out.”

You watch in rapture as the door slowly opens to reveal Steve, in a dark blue sailor’s outfit, shorts as absurdly short as he’d said, a little white hat sitting atop his styled hair. You gasp as soon as you see him, unable to decide what to look at first, hiding a giggle at the grimace on his face.

“I told you it ruins my hair,” he mutters.

You give him a fake sad expression. “Oh, baby. Did it ruin your chances with tons of girls? They couldn’t swoon since they couldn’t see your luscious hair?”

“Yes!” He exclaims, shutting his mouth when you playfully raise an eyebrow. “I mean, no! I’m grateful it made me look horrible and childish in front of a lot of girls I was trying to flirt with. Because I wouldn’t have been able to be with you. It was…a gift from the universe.”

His face breaks into a relieved grin at his ingenuity in the moment, and you finally laugh. “Whatever you say, baby.”

He sticks his tongue out at you and you do the same back to him.

It’s been a couple weeks since your big talk. Steve has been just as caring and thoughtful as before, and you’re starting to think he was telling the truth (you don’t think he was lying per se, but now you can feel yourself start to believe it). You’ve started seeing a therapist—it’s very early and no decisions have been made, but she’s very understanding about asexuality and actually helping you work through it. Steve has even offered to go to couple’s counseling if you need it, to discuss what you should do going forward.

It’s very sweet of him, and makes you fall even deeper in love with him, but you don’t think it’s necessary. You haven’t thought it all the way through yet, but you think you’ll try sex with him. You may not be attracted to him, and you may not get any physical pleasure out of it, but the idea of being so intimate and close with him, and making him feel good, feels like the right choice. You haven’t talked to him about it and you hope he’ll be happy about it. You don’t see why he wouldn’t be.

He also doesn’t pressure you into anything and never initiates more than cuddling and kissing—he’s quite clingy when he’s in a relationship. In fact, it’s been you who’s doing the initiating, starting a make-out session or kissing somewhere other than his lips. The rush you get from his reactions are more than enough to make up for the lack of physical desire you have. The desire to make him feel good is just as nice.

“So,” he says, bringing you back to the present. He does a little twirl. “What do you think?”

“You look really sexy, baby.” At his look, you add, “Seriously! I know when things are sexy even if I don’t find them sexy. And you’re sexy in that. The amount of leg shown? The low cut of the shirt? The little ascot things that someone can use to pull you forward? Not to mention the prospect of calling you 'sailor' in bed.”

“If someone called me 'sailor' in bed I think I’d actually die of embarrassment,” Steve states, and you snort.

“How is that any different than ‘cowboy’?” You ask. “Or for that matter, how is it worse than ‘daddy’?”

“I don’t know, it just is.” He groans and makes his way over to the bed, where you’re sitting, and flops next to you. He takes off his cap and goes to throw it away from him, but you grab it and place it on your head.

You pose. “How do I look?”

He smiles. “Gorgeous, angel. Sorry—sailor.”

“Is ‘sailor’ gender-neutral?” You wonder aloud.

“I don’t know,” Steve murmurs, still gazing at you with heart eyes. He still can’t quite believe you’re here with him again, for good this time if he can make it happen, and how amazing it feels. You two just fit together.

You look down at him and blush at his blatant adoration. He huffs a little laugh when you glance away. He loves that he can still fluster you so easily. He wants to do it forever.

“Hey,” he says softly, and waits until you meet his eyes again. “I love you.”

He can see you melting inside, and it makes him go all gooey too. “I love you,” you reply, barely above a whisper, like if you say it louder it’ll break the illusion.

But there isn’t an illusion. And Steve is prepared to make sure you know that for the rest of your lives.

Your mouth twitches. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a sailor tell me they love me,” you continue innocently. Steve narrows his eyes. “I’m surprised you didn’t say ‘ahoy’ instead of ‘hey’.”

He pounces and you let out peals of giggles as his hands descend to tickle you mercilessly. “I could make you walk the plank for that kind of sass, baby,” he teases, fingers digging into your sides as you flail and try to escape him, laughing all the while.

“I’ll bring you down with me,” you shriek. You finally get a foot in between your bodies and shove him away, making him go toppling off the bed. You gasp as he lands with a thud. “Steve!”

He’s laughing as he lays on the floor, watching you peek over the edge of the bed. “Man overboard,” he wheezes out, and you collapse on the bed in exasperated relief.

When his laughter dies down, he looks up at you, peering down at him from the safety of the mattress. “Would you like a hand, sailor?” You ask jokingly.

“Yes, please pull me from these depths, they’re infested with sharks,” he replies dramatically, making you chuckle as you reach a hand down for him to grab. He does so, and you haul him back into the bed with you. He lays down and pulls you close, and you rest your head on his chest. Closing his eyes, he revels in the feeling of you against him, and vows to never let you go again.

[derangedanomaly]

as promised, SOMETHING with ace (filtered for fluffiness). i’m not ultra confident in my dialogue for ace but yknow. i tried! idk it this counts as angsty enough but it’s still kind of comfort, hope this works as a nice gift! - yugioh anon

CW: self hatred, reassurance, ace style cheering you up, implications depression (lack of eating, empty feelings, poor hygiene), nightmare being an ass.

Several days have passed since you’ve ventured out of your room. Likely more have passed since you’ve had a proper wash. If you touch your hair, it feels tangled up to no end. Not that it matters to you. You’ve shut yourself off, made yourself quiet, so you don’t have to experience the ridicule that would surely follow your self-destructive behavior. That empty feeling stirred in your gut weeks ago and gradually sapped any energy you had away, like that of a mosquito sucking blood. No sound has come from you since you’ve laid in your bed aside from the occasional rustling of bedsheets when you roll. Your stomach growls. Ah, you’ve not eaten for a few days. Opening your eyes and looking around makes you dizzy, sick to whatever is left in your stomach. Being awake enough to feel the gunk that has coated your teeth only makes it worse. You wipe the crust from your series of naps, finally deciding to move. Minor crack sounds occur once you stretch your body a bit. Do you really want to get up to deal with all of this mess? Not even referring to your wreck of a room. No. You didn’t.

As you go to lay back down, a singular knock sounds from the door. After a few good seconds, another. And another.

“Hello? Are you in there? Nightmare needs to speak with you.”

Ugh. You audibly groan in response, gaining an understanding chuckle in return. Neither of you liked dealing with him.

“I know, mutual feeling. You do have to though. I’m not getting yelled at because I didn’t ‘try hard enough’ to get you to come down.”

“… I’ll take too long. He’ll get mad just looking at me.”

He pauses, likely confused by what you mean. He hesitates before asking but eventually requests, “May I come in?”

A few moments pass. Do you want him to see you like this? No, that’s utterly embarrassing. But it’d hurt even more to have Nightmare scold him when he’s done nothing wrong. You let out an acknowledging hum in response. The door creaks open. The shocked gasp or disgusted yelp isn’t what you get. Ace is silent as he takes in you and your surroundings. He doesn’t seem irritated with you, though. Ace seems like he’s sympathizing.

“Can you do something for me?”

“Hm..?”

“Go get in the bath or shower, whichever feels more comfortable, and wash up. I’ll take care of the rest.” He requests, picking up dirty clothing and setting them in a basket before you have any say. Guilt makes up your entire being at this point. He seems to notice, shaking his head. “Look, I get it. I.. I’ve experienced this before. It’s not a good feeling. You don’t owe me and I’m not angry. We can talk about it more once you’re done.”

Shakily, you nod. You don’t want to end up crying in front of him. As you head to your bathroom, you hear him picking up several spare cups. Only a short while passes as you wash up with body wash and shampoo. The warm water and soap coating your skin is beyond an incredible sensation. Once you get out, you brush your teeth. Pain aches in your mouth for a bit as you brush a bit too hard attempting to get more yellow off, but you end up stopping after three or four minutes. You take a towel and wrap it around you as you step out. Ace seems to have left your room for the time being, but it’s far cleaner than before. Messy clothes lay in the basket and your desk is cleaned.

You choose some comfortable sweatpants and a star-themed sweater. A few minutes pass and Ace knocks again.

“You alright in there? Nightmare seems to be in a good mood right now. He’s cooking with Chaos, so I brought you up some food. Is it alright if I come in?” He asks, a soft cadence to his voice. Comforting doesn’t begin to describe it.

“I’d like that. Thank you, Ace.”

He walks in with a plate of bacon, an omelette with veggies, a banana on the side, and a cup of juice. Chaos seems to be experimenting with breakfast foods. The smell makes your stomach ache. He sets it on the desk and grabs the remote for the television. Standing beside your bed, he turns on what he knows to be your comfort show. The lights are mesmerizing as you sit down with your food. You turn to him, a weak smile on your face.

“We can sit here and watch together. I’m positive Nightmare won’t notice if he’s sat there with Chaos. We can talk about what you’ve been feeling or we can just focus on the show. I’m here for you, okay?”

YAYAYAYAYA! THIS IS AWESOME! You've captured filtered Ace perfectly!

Yet another masterpiece! ^^

[drabbles-mc]

Trustfall

Canche x GN!Reader

Warnings: 18+, language, light angst

With the help of This Prompt List by @creativepromptsforwriting and my trusty Wheel of Names with every character I’ve ever written for, I’m aiming to write a fic in 500 words or less every day of March.

Prompt: pattern

Word Count: 500

A/N: the way this is reminding me that i have a multichap for this man that's almost done. i need to finish that soon so i can post it and get it out of my drafts lmfao. anyway! enjoy this in the meantime!

It had been so much easier to compartmentalize your relationship with Canche when he was only in Santo Padre for a night or two. The pattern of push and pull was almost fun in a way because it wasn’t a constant. There were no obligations, no worries.

But ever since the night the Yuma charter stormed the clubhouse, it seemed as though he’d taken up residency there. It was rare for you to walk in and not see him, when it used to be the exact opposite.

Even before everything that had happened, the most you and Canche would give each other in front of people were small smiles and knowing glances—the real exchanges always happening after hours and behind closed doors. But these days you couldn’t help but to wonder if he ever even realized you were there. He didn’t owe you anything—that was part of the deal. Still, you couldn’t help but to find it a little strange.

Your night was over even though there were still plenty of men lingering. Marcus had given you the okay to head home and you weren’t looking to argue about it.  You slipped quietly out the side door to get to your car around back.

You were about to unlock your car when you heard footsteps coming up behind you. Assuming it was one of the men from Santo Padre, you spoke before turning around. “Alvarez said that I’m good to go, so do whatev—”

Canche cut your sentence short with a hand on your hip. He turned you around to face him and pinned you back against the driver’s door of your car. Despite his hand still resting on you, he left a sliver of space between you.

You let the back of your head rest against the window of your car. “Was starting to think you just didn’t recognize me anymore.”

“Part of me doesn’t.”

Your brows knit, tied together with confusion and frustration. “What the fuck’s that sup—”

“You thought it was going to be the same? After all the shit that went down?” His grip on your hip tightened. “Shit you didn’t bother telling me about?”

You put your hand between you. “You think they bothered to tell me about any of it?” You scoffed. “Not like you gave me the heads-up when your guys wanted to turn my clubhouse into fucking Swiss cheese.”

A smirk flickered across his face. “Your clubhouse?”

You rolled your eyes. “You know what I mean.” You paused. “What do you want, Canche?”

“We’re gonna be here for a while. It’d be nice to have someone around that I can stand,” his grip eased, “that I can trust.”

“I didn’t think trust really had anything to do with this.”

His lips curled up for a moment. “It didn’t. Maybe it should.”

You finally let your hand rest against the leather of his kutte. “Maybe.” You felt his tense muscles ease and you nodded towards your car. “C’mon, then.”

[kiwwles]

Liira

Liira! The Necromancer Vampire OC! She has a little skeleton fox friend and likes to host elaborate dance parties with the skeletons in her possession. AKA Superman

BACKSTORY*

Vampire attacked her family, she was the one and only survivor. Instead of joining the coven, she killed them (because they killed her family, duh.) Keeps the skulls of all the vampires as trophies.

(Talked about after the idea of Lira gaining the castle by just squatting there)

She killed the elder vampires as a fledgling through sheer rage, but then had nowhere to go.

She was lost in the woods and a servant found her. Having pity on what they though was a child, the servant took her in as an employee in the castle to provide shelter to the poor thing. Then as people started dying out she rose through the ranks by the simple quality of Not-Dying and when everyone else died she simply became the owner of the castle because she was all that was left.

Servant: *finds this small probably 16yr old in the forest covered in blood*

Servant: you poor thing :( come with me and j can get you a stable job and bed

Unfortunately, liira is just one person, and as more and more people die, it's harder die her to keep up with making the castle lion nice. So it's pretty run down by the time she meets northwind. Theres no electricity, just oil lamps and candles

Or the castle belonged to the vampires and she won it through right of conquest if you prefer, but I think it’d be funny if there’s just a random ass vampire teen who lives in the castle. She doesn’t do dishes or laundry cause ow, running water, but she’s good at dusting high places and can make a bed really well. She doesn’t eat anybody, fledglings her age are only supposed do drink their sire’s blood and she got PLENTY of that so she’s just kind of around. People get old, start to die. Didn’t repopulate fast enough to keep the castle employed. The young lord doesn’t have children after the passing of his parents. Once he grows ill and dies, that’s essentially it. Servants leave in hopes of finding other civilization or lay down and die in their homes. And Liira… watches. She is unchanged in the past two generations. People realized what she is long ago but do not care. They give her well wishes for eternity before passing on. And so Liira is left with her castle. A bit lonely though.

I love that

That's so much better then just "she killed the last vampires and got it "

It's just

Lonely. Watching everyone you know die

**REANIMATING LORE STUFF and the woods she lives*

Okay here's a random idea

All the animals near liiras castle are dead

You walk through the forest and see a squirrel run by missing fur There's a rotting badger corps digging a hole. The closer you get the more animated dead animals you see

Because she loves icolayed in a forest. She needs to drink some blood to survive, so she goes for the animals. But then she feels bad, so she reanimates their corpses, dispelling more energy, so she needs to eat more - and it's just a cycle

The villagers nearby all died out. The other vampires are gone. It's just her and the animals she feeds on

I think the animals probably intuitively avoid her when their alive. It's how they evolved. The ones who hang out with her are all dead and brainwashed

We established that her undead skeletons don’t actually have the souls of the person they once were, just her memory of how it once was, so the squirrels run around trees and bury nuts, chew on wood chips and flick their tails. But what else do squirrels do? She doesn’t know, so they just do that. On loop. Over and over. The badger roams around and digs holes, fights other animals, and generally sneaks around. Because that’s all badgers do, right? The deer roam, eat grass, follow rivers, and the males fight with their antlers. Birds sing songs but she’s not familiar with the intricacies of different birdsongs so they’re all singing the same song. Fish swim in circles. Mice stockpile vegetation with no real use. Foxes sleep in burrows and ‘hunt’ the mice. None of them exist outside of Liira’s understanding of their ‘roles’

It's so uncanny, and even if you can't tell their dead you can definitely tell there's something Off

Each animals varies, but if you follow one around,, it'll probably cover the same trail over and over. Walking in circles, repeating all the actions they were told to. Every 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on the animal, they'll pass by that same tree

Her understanding of the animal changes how long the loop is. Squirrels are common, easier to see and learn their behaviors. Those have the longest loop. But more elusive animals? Or seasonal ones? The turkey just gobbles and scratches the ground, walking in the same half mile circle to the east of the river. The rabbits spend two hours idle, sitting still like statues in their warrens without moving because she can’t observe their behavior down there so they have no task in the burrow but she knows they’re there a lot so they go down there for hours on end.

Do you think that's why northwinds tribe left? They were traveling and saw how off the animals were. And it freaked them out so they left too soon for her to get back? I don't remember her lore that well

Imagine you're like, a traveler And you're hungry. So you follow this deer around for 20 minutes. And. It's just doing the same thing, over, and over, and over again. Do you still try and kill/ eat it?

Most hunters would keep a distance anyways, as to not scare the prey off, so they might not notice a slashed throat or blood on its snout. Even if they do, the animal is just weak now so it should be even easier to kill… but you shoot it in the heart and it got back up. Maybe you just missed. Liver shot, same thing. Lung, again. It has three arrows sticking out of it and has yet to stop doing what it was doing. Fine, headshot, let’s get this over with. Clean shot right in the eye! The deer falls. You stand up to run over. The deer stands up as well. You freeze, shaking. The deer’s head sits crooked now, leaning heavily towards the side with the arrow as it casually steps forward in the dry grass field, grazing on nothing as its face does not reach the ground but it mimes it anyways. You run. You run as fast as your legs can take you. You don’t make it out of the forest. No living thing was around to hear your scream.

Omg yes yes YESSSSS

You kill it and it just keeps getting back up. A horrid imitation of life

And as you run you swear your being followed. A twig snap there. A shadow there. Something grazes your shoulder and when you finally get a glimpse of the creature you're paralyzed by the glowing red eyes. You can't look away.

Just a dead forest of dead creatures

In a way you got what you wanted. You were hungry… and the dead have no need for food.

And now you get to dance

Forever.

[fanfoolishness]

If you're so inclined from that prompt list, Greez & Purrgils? or BD-1 & bacta?

Thank you! I hope you enjoy this for Greez & Purrgil!

in the still of an endless night

Greez struggles with grief and going it alone, but being there for family brings him back. Greez POV, Greez & Cal, a smidgen of Cal x Merrin, Jedi: Survivor spoilers. 1800 words, angst, grief, Mantis found family.

-

Greez knows he should try to get some sleep.

He's the pilot. He's got people relying on him. He owes it to them to stay rested, to make sure he's at the top of his game. Where would they be without him?

Instead he sits at his pilot's chair, hands cupping the controls loosely, autopilot on.  He watches hyperspace stream by, blue and white streaks dancing in the void, their interplay a mystery he knows he will never understand.  That’s okay.  It’s not for him to know.  All he has to do is navigate it, and he’s got that down.

The Mantis is quiet all around him.  Maybe Cal’s rubbing off on him, but for a moment Greez imagines he hears the sounds he used to, back when they were all together; Cal and Merrin joking together awkwardly on the sofa, Cere’s calming voice with occasional crazy good jabs, BD-1’s burbling cheer.  

He hears none of it now, of course.  BD-1’s plugged in and powered down for the trip.  Cal and Merrin are asleep, or at least, together.  He’s not stupid. Something’s finally going on with those two, and he should be happy about it, happy for them.  

He is.  He’s glad that Cal’s moving on from the Jedi code, that Merrin’s figured herself out, and that somehow, those two weird kids have found their way back to each other.  He’d long ago decided that when it inevitably happened, he’d razz them about it -- but just gently enough so that they knew he really was proud of them.  He’d always figured when it finally happened that it’d be a happy time for their funny little family.  A new chapter.  Something to celebrate, after all of their struggles.

But Cal and Merrin and BD aren’t the only ones on board. Cere’s here too with Master Cordova, both in burial shrouds.  Safe and sound, where nothing can hurt them again.  

And everything, everything is wrong.

Here in the quiet, the tears come.  He’d been trying to keep them back.  Trying to put on a brave face for Cal and Merrin.  He’s suddenly aware that he’s all they have left to look up to, and all his swagger and charm and charisma feel powerfully, powerfully hollow.

The streaming lines of hyperspace blur, waver, vanish entirely.  Greez weeps into all four hands, and for a while, everything fades away.

His breath eventually slows.  He only has so many tears at once, after all.  He wipes them from his face, feels his damp whiskers, lets out a long, deep sigh.

That’s when he sees them.

For a moment he isn’t sure of what he’s looking at.  The lines of hyperspace bend and sway.  At first he thinks it’s his bleary eyes, but the bend in the lines deepens, becomes a deep, ominous shadow.

Many shadows.

“Oh, kriff,” he breathes.  There’s only one thing the shadows can be, here in a hyperspace lane.  Purrgil.

Maybe he’s been lucky, but they’ve never haunted the Mantis before.  He’s heard the tales, the hyperspace collisions, wrecks never to be found.  He freezes.  What can he do?  If he tries to haul the ship out of hyperspace, they’ll wind up in who knows where, just as wrecked as if a purrgil tried to ram them.  All he can do is sit tight, and hope they’ll pass on by.

“What are they?” asks a hoarse voice from the shadowed cabin, and Greez nearly falls out of his chair.

“Dammit, Cal, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Greez hisses.  “Well, come on up, get a better view.  If we’re gonna die now, it’d be nice to have some company.”

Cal slides into the seat beside Greez.  The blue and white light of hyperspace plays over his face, revealing messy hair and swollen, puffy eyes.  Whatever rest he’s gotten on his own or with Merrin hasn’t been enough; kid’s still a wreck, and Greez doesn’t blame him.  

“Have you ever seen them before?” asks Cal.

“No, and I don’t wanna be seeing them now,” says Greez gruffly.  “They’re purrgil.  Some kind of space whale.  They have a nasty reputation for crashing into ships in hyperspace.”  He watches them float past, their tails somehow twinkling with the same glow as the infinite stars.  Funny, but they seem awfully gentle for beasts with their reputation.  “Huh.  I don’t think they mean to do it, really.  Maybe they ain’t that bright.”

“They’re not malicious,” says Cal.  “They just have somewhere to be, and they want to get there.  That’s all.”

“That a Jedi thing?  You can talk to them?” 

Cal shrugs.  “I don’t know.  Just a guess, from the way they’re moving.  I don’t think they’re interested in us at all.”  He laughs, but it’s a brittle, rueful sound.  “They might be the only thing in the galaxy we don’t have to run from.”

Greez takes a deep breath.  What would Cere say?  She was always good at talking Cal through those bitter waves that hit him, now and then.  She never let it get her down, just always acted like it was a lesson she could work through with him.  That was the teacher in her.  

She’d been so wise.

Greez watches the purrgil swim on by, massive ethereal things, slow and stately and yet impossibly fast.  Maybe Cere would have liked them.  Maybe she would have shared some Jedi lore about them.  They’ll never know now.

He’s got nothing, but he tries anyway.  “Cal… we’re gonna get through this,” says Greez.  “Not just the purrgil.  All of it.  Cere and Cordova and Bode, all of it.”

Cal nods, his mouth tight, looking off into the distant void.  

“How are you, kid?”

He shrugs, shoulders jerking.  “I -- I keep seeing it, Greez,” he whispers.  “Her death.”  He crosses his arms over his chest and hunkers down in his seat, screwing his eyes shut.  

Oh, oh.  Greez has seen this before, seen the kid sunken down on the floor, huddled to try and shut the memories out.  Before it was the memory of losing his old master.  Now it’s --

“Hey, hey.”  He takes a deep breath, tries to figure out what might help.  “I’m sorry, Cal.  I know this thing you got, with seeing these -- these echoes -- I know it’s hard.  If it seems like it’s just too much, you can tell old Greezy.  Maybe it won’t feel so bad if someone else shares it too, you know?”  

Cal’s shaking.  Greez slides out of his pilot’s chair, seizes the kid in a fierce squeeze of a hug.  “You hear me?”

Cal looks down at him, breathing hard.  “She nearly had him, Greez.  Darth Vader.  She fought like a hero.  Like the Jedi Master she was.”  He hangs his head.  “And at the end, she reached out to me.  I could feel her fading, through the Force -- and I kept hoping I was wrong, I was confused, maybe I was feeling something else --”  He hugs Greez back and lets out a long, shuddering breath.  “If I’d made it back in time, if I hadn’t gone after Bode --”

“Then maybe you’d both be dead,” says Greez sharply.  “You telling me you could take out Darth Vader?  If Merrin and I lost both of you, things would be even worse.”  He swallows.  “Cere was special.  But she wouldn’t have wanted you to get killed trying to save her.”

Cal nods, his eyes bright.  “I know.”  He glances up, gazing into hyperspace.  “... Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”  Greez listens, but all he picks up are the normal Mantis sounds, and Cal’s rough breathing.  He looks curiously at the kid, then out the view field.  The purrgil have swum far ahead of them, now, their long, massive tails dancing in the starstreams.  They seem to be clustering together, drawing close to one another.  

“Hear what?” he asks again.

“It’s like singing,” Cal says, and he closes his eyes, falling deep into concentration.  “But it’s so… strange.  Beautiful, almost.”  For a moment, he looks like normal Cal again, the grief fading to the background.  It makes Greez’s chest hurt.

The reverie is brief, and Cal shakes his head, coming out of it.  “It was faint.  I wish I could have understood it.  All I could get was just a sense of… striving.”  He looks down at his hands.  “Maybe Cere could have understood them better.”

There’s a flash in white and blue, and the shadows are gone.  The purrgil have left them, vanishing to parts unknown.  Greez sighs in relief.

“Maybe,” says Greez.  “But you got something from them, and that’s not nothing, Cal.  Who knows?  Maybe you’re what kept us from turning into space trash.  If so, I appreciate it.”  

Cal gives him a tired smile.  Unlike the laugh from earlier, it reaches his eyes.

“Go get some rest,” Greez prods.  “Plenty of time to run yourself ragged later.”

“I’m fine --” Cal begins. 

Greez fixes him with a stern stare.  “I don’t know if you know this, kid, but Cere and I, we had a pact.  If we lost one of us… the other one was gonna do everything they could to keep you kids safe.  I may not be much of a fighter, but I can bug you to take care of yourself, and dank farrik, I’ll do it.”

“That’s -- no, I shouldn’t be surprised.  That sounds just like both of you.”  Cal gets to his feet.  “But you should get some rest, too.  Don’t think you’re the only one on this ship who can worry.  I know you’re hurting too.”  

“Well -- well -- fine,” Greez grumbles, touched.  “Okay.  The Mantis is on autopilot anyway.  I just… I needed some time, too.”

“I hear you.”  They walk towards the sleeping quarters, Cal heading for the engine room.  

“‘Night, Cal.  And say goodnight to Merrin for me,” says Greez casually.

“Sure,” Cal says, then stops and draws himself up straight, looking startled.  “Wait -- how did you know--”

“You two’ve been making eyes at each other for years, Cal.  Cere and I had a bet on, even with the Jedi code and all.  It was a whole thing.  Don’t worry about it,” he says, waving a hand.  “I’m  glad for you two.  This family could use a little extra happiness, right about now.”

Cal just smiles at him.  His face is still drawn and grief-lined, but there’s a glimmer of real warmth there that’s heartening to see.  “Thanks, Greez.”

“Don’t think this means you’re not getting teased,” Greez warns.  “It just doesn’t feel appropriate right now, under the circumstances.  But we figure this thing out -- see it through -- well, just be prepared, is all I’m saying.”

“You think Merrin’ll stand for that?”

“Well, no, she’ll probably turn me into a toad.  It’ll be worth it, though.”

“Toads it is, then, I’ll make sure to tell her.”

“Now wait a minute --”

“See you when we get there.”  Cal’s chuckle cuts off as he walks down the hallway back to his quarters, and Greez heads to his own bunk, pondering his potential future as a toad.  He climbs in and lays back against the pillow, letting his eyes close.

The night feels a little easier now.  They’ve managed not to get exploded by a purrgil, that’s gotta count for something.  With their luck lately, he’ll take it as a win.

The grief of losing Cere -- and Cordova, the Anchorites, the Archive -- still waits for him, here in the dark.  This isn’t his first run-in with grief, and he knows it’s something he’ll carry with him always, just as he carries Granny Pyloon with him.  But one of the funny things about grief is that you can’t feel the worst in your life every minute, and right now, thinking of his talk with Cal, he feels a little better.

“I’ll do what I can for them, Cere,” Greez says quietly.  “You can count on me.”