#rest well nex...

[poeticrambler]

Allies and Partners

Siblings and Friends

Here's to the ones

Who have all met their ends

Here's to love lost

Here's to love won

Here's to our triumphs

And how far we have come

Here's to our fallen

The ones left behind

Who have joined the stars above

Now down on us they shine

Here's to life and victory

Here's to death and loss

Let us continue to press forward

But never forget the cost

Blood has been spilled

Lives have been taken

But the names of our fallen

Shall not be forsaken

Take courage my siblings

My allies

My friends

For we live on in their stead

And our fight has yet to end

(Inspired by @finleyforevermore 's poem in memory of Nex Benedict)

[dilf-docs]

Le Pedí Al Mar Y Al Sol Que Te Trajera

pedro pascal x younger fem!reader

summary: vacations are supposed to be fun! and with a hot older famous boyfriend? now we're really talking.

warnings: 18+ (minors dni), age gap (yum), pwp, p. in v., fingering, pussy spanking (ooc i'm sorry i just want a man to do this to me), creampie, virgin!reader (sorry if this is kinda unrealistic for a first as i too i'm a virgin; in the curb we all fam), aftercare, spanglish ofc!!!

word count: 2,865 words

side note: so, i modified the request a bit bc idk pedro's friends like that (i just know omar apollo can tower over me wait what). check the og request here. reqs still open as we enter 2025! happy new year, dilf town citizens: pushed this drabble last minute as a lil' gift for you before the year ends! :) thank u sm for being part of it, my journey on tumblr is just getting started!!!!!!!!!!

Hace tiempo que quería yo sentir esto que siento.

They say dating a star and having to share him with everybody else is the hardest part, but to you, it's having both of your vacations occur simultaneously.

Finally, after months of shooting so many projects for the next year, your boyfriend is free.

Vacations are fun! They're supposed to be relaxing, especially after leading such a busy life as yours: juggling between work, studies and a relationship with world-renowned actor, Pedro Pascal. Yet, you can't help but feel nervous, fiddling with the loose strands of your skirt.

Pedro wants you to go alone, which means just the both of you: a little escape before Christmas Eve, as he and his friends have already planned their holiday together.

Doesn't matter how many times you tried to excuse yourself, he was determined to make you go with him. Besides, let's get real: it's not like you can say no to him. So now here he is, both of your passports in hand as you both are ready to board your plane to Mexico, where the rest of his friends will meet you a week later. Yes, more nerves to add on the schedule.

"If you don't quit that shaking of yours, I'll extend our vacation two more weeks" Pedro threatens once you're seated, but it's devoid of any malice. He's a bit far from you (he also insisted on the VIP flying part; you're just fine flying tourist, but can understand why he isn't), so you can't count on his touch to comfort you. "Didn't know you were afraid of planes"

You sigh, "I'm not"

"Ay, cariño. Are you afraid of me then?"

"No" you laugh nervously. You are, but not for the reasons he thinks.

It's the very first time the two of you will be fully alone. For obvious reasons, a whole week at the beach is much more intimate than just the dates you've been in. But here you are, already seeing the sand and water beneath you.

"Like what you see?" he jokes.

"Yeah" you look back at him, sincerity washing over the expression on your face. "I do"

If there is one thing you're sure of, is your love for Pedro. You'll just have to wait and see how this goes.

As of now, everything has gone well: sun, water, diving and lots of new photos and videos on your camera roll. You've gone swimming and danced on the bar of the hotel you're staying, some extra drinks on your system. You've also sunbathed under the same sun you've watched go down, in the most beautiful sunsets you've ever seen in your life.

But here comes the hardest part: the night. Sharing a bed isn't hard: it's something that's happened before, one time even staying in his house for two days, all because he insisted.

This time is different: the way his gaze lingers over your bare legs, the same way he's looked at them when the droplets of water slide down them. The way he licks his lips, like he's starving and the most deliciously tempting meal stands before him. Mantaining eye contact like it's some kind of dare, just as he's done since you've landed, using it to disarm you little by little.

You don't think you can't take it anymore.

You lay down on the bed, and he leaves the book he's reading on the night table next to him, all his attention directed towards you. Yeah, you're afraid, he can sense, but apparently not that afraid to wear a dainty nightwear that gives a delicious peek of your breasts.

"Something you want to say?" you ask, almost daringly so.

"Say no" voice low, barely a whisper that could come across a breeze of wind entering through the open window as it stirs the courtains. "Want, yes"

You gulp. "What do you want, then?"

Shouldn't taken the bait.

"You" comes quick, like it's the easiest answer there ever is.

The rest of his answer comes in the form of hungry lips capturing yours, devouring them in a clash of desire against your own, even struggling to breath due to the animalistic borderline savage way Pedro's eating you out, his tongue battling inside your mouth while trying to explore every corner just to taste all of you on his palate.

"Pedro" you moan his name out when he bites your lip with a bit too much force, metallic filling your taste buds. It's all so hot, and you're too turned on to think.

His roaming hands itch to touch every available spot of soft skin your body offers, tracing first through your collarbones, and then leaving the task for his lips to complete. There goes a trail of kisses that go down your neck, teeth nibbling the sensitive skin until it turns red. You whine against his hold, big hands keeping you under him, back pushed against the soft mattress and silk sheets.

You gasp for air, lost in the fire, when suddenly his forgotten hands touch you down there.

"Wait!" you shout, mentally slapping yourself.

"¿Qué pasó?" he exclaims, scared. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no" you're quick to deny, voice wavering as you seat up on the bed. Your cheeks soon flush, as there's regret when you say. "I'm sorry"

"Sorry for what?" he tenderly cups your cheek. "Just tell me what happened"

"What happened is, I fucked up the vibe. I'm sorry, P. Didn't mean to stop you like that"

"¿No te estaba gustando, cariño?" he's questioning again.

"No" your answer is more firmly this time. His face morphs into a bit of hurt, and then you think your answer a bit more. "Ah, no. I mean, yes! I was liking it. I meant no as in no, it's not that why I stopped you"

"Then, why is it?" he grows a little impatient, but shows no such thing, rather focused on helping you out. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"I know" you smile sadly, insecurities washing over you like cold water.

"Then, tell me" he scoots closer, his perfume getting in your nostrils. Had he wore it again for this? God, what an evil little horny creature.

"I'm scared" you confess finally, the warmth of his receptiveness giving you a sense of security. His brown eyes soften, and you feel tears brim in the corner of your eyes.

"I know" he repeats your words, kissing you softheartedly, nothing compared to as before.

"No" you look directly at him, ready to take in every reaction his face will have. "I don't think you do"

"Amor, por favor-"

"I'm a virgin" you cut him off, panic rushing your answer.

"You are?" almost immediatly, giving no opportunity for silence to settle in.

You nod, slowly.

He sighs, sounding relieved. "And here I thought you didn't love me. Que te daba asco acostarte con un viejo como yo"

"No!" you deny hastily, then laugh. "Of course I love you, P. On the contrary, I was the one scared. Don't want to fuck it up on my first"

The energy changes again, as a flame sparks within your orbs. He looks surprised.

"Just because I said-" he cuts himself off. "Look, y/n, mi vida. I don't want to force you, yeah? I didn't know you hadn't- Listen, if you aren't ready, I'll understand"

"I am ready" clear and convinced, without a doubt.

His eyes circle between lust and love, "You want me to be your first, mmh baby?"

You nod, and he's back at the kissing and nibbling on your neck and collarbones.

"Please say it"

"I want you, Pedro. Quiero que seas mi primera vez"

Those sweet words of yours, an invitation not even the strongest man could deny.

"Let's start slow, yeah?" his fingers travel down to your panties under the nightwear, removing them and tossing them out of the bed, even with your pout. He kisses it off, wasting no time after to see your clit exposed. "Looking so sweet, angel. And needy" he gets closer, taking a better look at the wet mess that coats in between your thighs. He takes a whiff, intoxicated with the smell of your arousal dripping in waiting need. "Tell me if this is okay, yeah? I'll stop if it hurts"

Your breath hitches the moment his middle finger touches your puffy clit. Pedro runs his finger up and down, not adding much pressure to let you get used to it (kissing and eating each other out was all you had ever done). You whimper at the feeling as he repeats his action a few more times.

"Please, keep going" you plead, barely managing to not squirm at the overwhelming new sensations that shoot right through your cunt.

He begins to rub slow circles, making sure to add the right pressure onto your clit, then circling it, all while keeping eye contact, adoring the new expressions and sounds he's getting from you. You realize and shy away, embarrassed all of the sudden at the way he looks at you.

"Don't" he holds you by your chin with his free hand, "I want to know how you look when I please you"

You whimper, letting him do his own thing. He starts leaving sweet little kisses around your quivering pussy, enjoying the sight of your hole clenching at nothing.

"Think you can take more?" he asks, "want more?"

Two of his fingers dive straight in between your folds, coating them with your juices.

"Good girl" he praises when you only yelp, savouring the new feel of his digits inside of you. Then, he drags his fingers back to his mouth, tongue licking them clean. "Taste so sweet too"

"N-need more" you whine, desperate beneath him.

"Yeah?" This your first and you're already this greedy? I think I can get used to it" he laughs in adoration. "Let's try something better, yeah?"

Your body suddenly jolts, his big palm flat against your pussy. Pedro circles his whole palm across your cunt, middle finger pressing tightly onto it. You moan, back arching at the overstimulation.

He feels a little pervy, enjoying the way your tiny young body squirms beneath his caging body for of him. Nonetheless, he continues to rub you while you release more dirty sounds cascading out fo your filthy greedy lips. Your arousal keeps dripping like a broken pipeline, now smeared all over Pedro's palm, filling the room with slippery sounds.

"Mhm" you can't even speak, the exquisite combination of pain and pleasure reducing you to a moaning mess.

Pedro slaps your pussy twice, wet smacks bouncing off the walls.

"That's my girl" he then gently blows on your swollen bud, pressing a light kiss on it after. "Ready for it?"

It meaning his hard tent hidden under his underwear. You gulp, afraid you might not take it. He sees the hesitation in your eyes, but you're quick to dissmiss it.

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"Just do it" you demand, without knowing the consequences of your words, or the effect you have on him. Overall.

With needy fingers, you're fast to strip him out of it, admiring the size as much as you admire his now sculpted body. Jesus, you could build a cult out of it.

"Now" he cups your cheeks, fingers digging onto the skin, "I want you to look at me when I fuck you, yes? Don't dare to look away"

Pedro positions himself between your legs, aligning himself with your entrance. Then, he thrust inside you, filling you completely. You cry, trying to adjust to his size while your nails dig on his broad back, as he claims you, makes you his. Only his. Pedro'hi's hips snap forward with precision: every thrust is deliberate, each movement calculated to make your first as pleasurable as he can, despite the pain that's shown in your tears or the little drops of blood that fall onto the sheets.

"Shit" he pants, "tendremos que pagar por eso"

He grips your thighs, holding you steady as he pounds into you.

"Fuck, you feel so good" he moans, your tight untouched walls now stretching to adapt to his girth, "like you were made for me"

You cling to him, legs wrapping around his waist as he firmly holds you. Your vision goes foggy, mind numb at the burning and pleasing sensations. Despite that and lack of experience, you meet his every thrust, your bodies moving as one.

Your core contracts around him with every motion. "You fuck me so good" you mewl, music to his ears.

"I know, baby" he chuckles, "sólo lo mejor para mi princesa"

Fingers dig into your skin as he guides you with precision, right as he wants you to be. You feel the intensity of his deep inside of you with every movement, his hot laboured breath against your ear.

"Doing it so good" his voice is low, almost a growl, sending shivers down your spine. "Just for me"

"Just for you" you mindlessly pant out, the sensation of having all of him inside you, nothing separating the skin from skin, igniting a fire that spreads through your core. Your breasts bounce with each motion, Pedro's eyes never leaving yours, dark orbs locked onto your gaze as you urge him to go faster, drawing in a sharp breath as your body adjusts to the new rhythm he's providing, rapidly obeying.

The room is quiet except for the sound of your bodies clashing onto one another, flesh against flesh echoing softly.

"Your body is perfect, so wet, so tight for me" His words send a wave of pleasure crashing over you, making you moan loudly, your head falling back, "me tienes loco"

Pedro's weight grounds you as he begins to thrust deeply, each movement deliberate and unrelenting.

"Tell me you want this, us" the words catch you off guard. "Will you take all of me?"

"Yes" without a thought or doubt, answering as you whine and clutch at his shoulders with his more urgent thrusts. "All of you, always"

You notice his hips snapping forward, more energy as he pounts into you. "Good girl" praising you again, voice thick in arousal and rough, "so good for me"

Despite being your first, you can feel what would be your orgasm building, closer and closer until there is no holding it back.

"Pedro!" you scream his name, body collapsing around him as you come, stars reaching your closed eyelids.

His movements become more intense and sloppier, breathing ragged as he chases his own release.

"Espérame. Stay there for me"

You cling to him, legs wrapping tighter as he continues to pound into you. "Ya casi" his thrusts become erratic as he nears his climax, "almost there, baby"

You feel his body tensing as he comes inside you with a deep groan, seed spilling into you without wasting a drop.

"That's right" whispers against your sweet neck roughly, voice breaking as he collapses over you, trying to level his breathing. "Eres mía, only mine"

You're whimpering, body exhausted from the whole session you had.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired" you sigh, "but I don't think I can walk"

"We'll get you a wheelchair someway" he jokes.

"You think is funny? Ruining my holidays?"

He leans down to press a sweet kiss on your forehead. "Come on, we'll get you cleaned up" you mumble out a tired no, but Pedro's picking you up with his strong arms, taking your body to the bathroom. You wrap your legs instinctively around his waist, face hidden in the crook of his neck.

"You know what? Your fans were right: you do have a slutty little waist" you mock.

"Right" he blushes, embarrased as he takes you inside the bathroom, then placing you on top of the toilet. "Open up, baby" he grabs some tissues, trying to clean up the mess you've made between your legs. "Así, justo así, bebé" he parts your hair to the side lovingly, fixing it for you before pressing a kiss on the crown of your head. "Done, my pretty baby, look at you"

You hum, eyes threatening to close.

"I see you're not an after-sex talker. Come on, I'll take you back to bed" he picks you up again, your head leaning against Pedro's V line as he caresses your head. "Hope you don't mind the smell"

"I love how you smell" you mumble out in a drunk like state.

"Okay then" he chuckles, "let's go back to bed" taking you out of the room, gently placing you the mattress. He then pulls a pair of fresh panties from your suitcase, dressing you in them. He coos at the sight of you, sleeping peacefully despite what you did before.

He finally lays next to you, lovingly lifting up your arm to put it around his waist. He pulls the sheets over your bodies to keep you both warm, in the chilly room thanks to the beach's air.

He feels you move, snuggling closer to his chest to seek warmth.

"I love you" whispered, not expecting you to answer or hear it.

When you snuggle closer, he's sure you do.

cr: divider @kodaswrld / gif @a7estrellas

[our-trans-youth-experience]

Rest in Power, Nex Benedict

A 16 year old kid who loved nature and looking after their cat Zeus. Who enjoyed reading, watching the Walking Dead, and playing Ark and Minecraft. They loved to cook and would often make up their own recipes. They did well in school, being a straight-A student. Rest in power a teen who was human and had interests and ambitions and challenges and friendships. A trans youth who was brutally murdered just for being trans, when that was only a fragment of who they were as a person.

Nex Benedict, Jacob Williamson, Brianna Ghey, and other trans youth like them were real people with real lives. They deserved better, longer, happier lives. They deserved to grow up and not fear for their lives. They deserve to be remembered as who they were, not just as another trans kid who was killed, as people with families and normal human lives.

[spicyspiders]

stuck in overdrive

wolverine x male reader smut

major cw for knotting. wanted to post this because with the new dragon age coming out, i don't know when i'll be posting my nex fic. this is very short and sweet, i hope you enjoy :) ps. happy halloween.

“Logan?” You ask, trying to move away as you felt his cock fucking expanding at the base, “Logan?” You ask again, this time your voice full of fear. 

“Easy,” Logan says as you begin to struggle, his arms moving around your stomach to hold you in place, “easy!” He repeats, his heavy weight holding you down, “it’s just my knot,” he says as the base thickens, locking you together. 

Just my knot. You’d roll your eyes if they weren’t currently rolling to the back of your head as Logan’s cock rests directly onto your prostate, soaking your walls with his spend as his cock throbs. 

“Don’t be scared,” Logan whispers into your ear, “I’ve got you,” he says before resting his sweaty forehead into the back of your head, “you’re doing so well,” he whispers as he places a broad hand onto your stomach, right on top of where his cock floods your hole. 

“Logan,” you whimper, your cock twitching against the sheets. 

Your mind overwhelmed with questions, Logan pulls you back into the moment when he wraps his other hand around your cock, making you both moan as you clench down on his cock… and knot. 

“Roll over,” Logan says before he does nearly all of the work to get you on your side, out of the wet spot you made from your first orgasm. He hooks a thick thigh over your hips, bringing your body somehow closer together. 

“Logan I don’t think-” you begin, but your voice falls into a moan as he strokes his hand along your hardening cock. 

“Don’t think what?” He questions, as he presses his smirk into your skin. “How many do you think I can get out of you?” He asks, dragging his teeth across your neck. 

A number flashes into your brain before it fades away when Logan rocks his hips, stimulating the bundle of nerves deep inside your body. 

“I don’t know!” You moan, thrashing against his hold like you’re simultaneously trying to get away and get closer to chase the pleasure he’s bringing you. 

You feel your balls draw up, your orgasm already approaching as Logan chuckles darkly, “let’s find out,” he whispers, “it’s not like you have anywhere to go.”

[nico-nico-suavecito]

for nex benedict, who deserved better. who should still be here. I hope you are resting well.

may all those responsible - the students in the bathroom, the lawmakers, the influencers, the school administration - never sleep soundly again.

[minty-thereader]

SANJI X READER

“Stupid Boyfriend Cook.”

POV: Sanji is out here just being Sanji, until he realizes his behavior can make any other guy swoop you off your feet. Like a rival.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When you first came into the crew as a member of the straw hats you started off as their chore girl, but you didn’t mind because you didn’t have to do a lot of combat. Unfortunately for you that changed when one night you were mopping the deck and a few thieves came on board to rob the place. As usual Zoro was sleeping so he didn’t notice, the one that did come to your rescue however was the cook, Sanji, who you didn’t entirely like because he’s a pervert.

Sanji saved your life, and stole your heart.

That’s your love story.

So why is it must you sit and endure this feeling of worthlessness as you watched your supposedly great boyfriend Sanji, chat it up with like 3 women, all triplets. Your stomach clenched every time you saw him gently rub one of their cheeks or when one of these women would twirl with a strand of his hair. “Oh Sanji, you’re so funny!~” The short haired triplet said as she cupped his chin. Sanji smiled with rosy cheeks, “ah? Well thank you doll. You have the most beautiful baby green eyes I’ve ever seen.”

You tried your best to not roll your eyes. It’s the same compliment he’d give you! I love your beautiful e/c eyes. What? Was that a lie? Seeing your stressed out displeased face a familiar teammate decided that he would stroll over your way. Zoro slid into the seat across from you, deliberately blocking your view of Sanji. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, eyes narrowing as he took in your sulking expression.

“What’re you sulking over?” He asked with a tone like he didn’t wanna know but he was still curious. “Nothing..” you lie to his face. Like hell it was nothing. Your eyes were right stuck on the blonde flirt! “Yeah I’m not Luffy. I can tell when someone’s lying,” he tells you, picking up the glass of alcohol that sat in front of you. “Oh! Um Sanji made that for me—” “I don’t care.” He took a swing at it and placed the drink back down. “It’s mine now. Why would you sit and take shit from that stupid cook? Demand his attention or look like a fool. I know which option I’d pick.” This was the longest Zoro ever spoke to you! He never even looked your way much especially since you’re dating the guy he hated the most.

“Zoro..” He stayed silent, his eyes low and wandering. Way in the back (barely like 3 feet away) Sanji stopped paying attention to the three beauties that he let stray him away, turning around to talk to you only to see the moss headed rival of his blocking your view. The way Zoro’s body language wasn’t as hostile as he usually was made the cook cautious. What could you two be talking about?

Why is he even talking to you?

A strange dark emotion of jealousy tickled his veins and Sanji pulled his hand away from the long haired triplet’s grip. “Excuse me madam, I have a quick matter to attend to before I return to you.” The women giggled again and Sanji fixed his sky blue shirt before he strolled over to your table.

He attacked Zoro right away without holding back, his leg flying at him with dangerous speed, but the skilled swordsman saw that coming a mile away. Zoro was able to stop his kick without so much as looking back. “What’re you doing near my girl?” Sanji asked, putting his foot back down. “Keeping her company since you weren’t.” Zoro stood toe to toe with the cook before they both grunted and Zoro walked away.

“Gosh isn’t he a weirdo,” Sanji remarked sitting where Zoro was. At this point you didn’t even bother to pay attention to the blonde. “Y/n,” he reaches to grab your hand but you pull back with the same speed. “Go talk to your other bitches.” “Psh?! Other? HUH? Other bitches? Mon ami I have no such things!” Sanji grabs your hand preventing you from pulling away this time. “What’s wrong? Why are you acting like I’m the one person you don’t wanna be seen next to right now?” “Because you are Sanji. You’re so disrespectful, you know that? You left to get me some ice, I said okay cool! Sure! Then you got distracted like the man that you truly are and you start flirting with three women right in front of me. Not one but three. You can’t help yourself can you? You don’t care enough about me, clearly, if you can easily flirt with other women.” You pulled your arms to yourself, turning your head to the side so you didn’t face the man in front of you.

Sanji looked shocked, like he truly didn’t know what he was doing was wrong.

“I..I hurt you?” He asked with his hand running over his face. “Come on Sanji focus, you did hurt her,” he talked to himself. “Y/n, honey. I would never intentionally hurt you. I tell you this on my heart and if I’m lying may lightening strike me.” He raised his hand to his heart. “Baby I didn’t mean to do that to you, you have to believe me.”

Sanji was a flirt, that’s for sure, but one thing he wasn’t was a liar and a man to hurt women.

“You have to stop talking to other women. You’re with me now, you can’t go around flirting with every woman you meet.” You explained yourself. “It makes me feel small—” you were cut off by Sanji pulling you into a tight hug. “You are not small my love. I’m so sorry for being so dense and mindless in my actions. I will never talk to another woman ever again! No matter how beautiful!” He smiled gently at you. “You’re the only beauty for me.” You smiled back at him, forgiving the stupid cook.

“Okay…but you still have to interact with Nami.” “Oh yeah! Of course! I never meant EVERY woman!” He says with a laugh, and when the triplets approached him to talk again he immediately shooed them off with a, can’t you see me talking to this bombshell? Zoro watched from the sidelines too, shaking his head at his teammate.

[kathlare]

press play

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: A spontaneous game night brings Max face-to-face with the person who's been making Lando smile at his phone for months.

Wordcount: 2.0 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

May 1st, 2020 - London, United Kingdom

Lando adjusted the rearview mirror as Max rattled off the details of the next flat on their list. The streets of London blurred past, the usual grey sky hanging low but somehow comforting in its consistency.

—Alright, mate, this one’s a bit pricier but the location’s killer. Close to the Tube, a bit of greenery nearby, and the landlord seems chill. Plus, the photos make it look bigger than your last shoe box—

Ping.

Lando’s phone buzzed on the passenger seat, glowing against the dark interior. Without taking his eyes off the road, he glanced over and shook his head at Max.

—Oi, read that for me, yeah? I’m driving.—

Max grabbed the phone with a grin, already excited to stir the pot.

—Oh-ho, what do we have here?— Max sing-songed, unlocking the phone and reading aloud with dramatic flair. —“hey are you joining the guys to play later or are you ghosting me again? 😤🤨”—

Max let the message hang in the air, smirking as he side-eyed Lando like a cartoon villain catching someone in the act.

—Ohhh, it’s her, isn’t it? Your little gamer girlfriend.—

Lando groaned, turning onto the next street with an exaggerated sigh.

—She’s not my girlfriend, you absolute knob. We’re just mates.—

Max snorted. —Yeah, right. And I’m Lewis Hamilton’s long-lost cousin.—

—Mate, shut up. She’s just cool. Funny. Good at the game.—

—And stunning. Don’t forget stunning.— Max wagged his brows like a menace.

Lando didn’t respond, just flicked the indicator and merged lanes a bit too aggressively, earning a honk from someone behind them.

—Jesus, relax before you kill us. Anyway— Max turned his body toward Lando, still holding the phone like it was evidence in a trial —why the fuck haven’t I been invited to play with her yet? I thought we were becoming roommates, not strangers with secrets.—

Lando rubbed the back of his neck, pretending to focus hard on traffic. —Because I know you. The second she logs on, you’ll start running your mouth about… things.—

—What things?— Max asked innocently, already smirking.

—You’ll tell her I fancy her.—

—Well, you do.—

—No, I don’t.—

Max scoffed so hard it was almost a cough. —You’ve had a crush on her since 2018, and she didn’t even know who you were yet. Bro, you used to stalk her Instagram like it was a full-time job.—

—I was young!— Lando defended, turning red despite himself. —And I didn’t stalk, I just… admired from a respectful distance.—

Max laughed so hard his seatbelt clicked as he leaned forward. —“Respectful distance,” Jesus Christ, you sound like a pervy Victorian poet.—

Lando huffed. —Whatever. Look, it’s just… I don’t want it to be weird, alright? She’s been through a lot. She’s not like the other girls.—

Max’s smile faltered for a second. He knew about Cameron. Not everything, but enough. He knew Lando didn’t talk about it much, but there was something almost sacred about the way Lando spoke of Amelie—like she wasn’t just a crush, she was a person, a person who mattered.

—Alright.— Max said, softer now. —But I’ll be normal. I swear. I just wanna meet the girl you’re always grinning at your phone for like a bloody idiot.—

Lando hesitated at the light. The silence filled the car for a second.

—Fine. But if you embarrass me, I’ll kick you out of the group chat.—

—You won’t. You love me.—

—Debatable.—

—So I can play tonight?— Max asked, grinning.

Lando sighed, making the left turn into the street for the next flat. —You can play. But if you start telling her I write her name in my notebook or some shit, I’ll actually murder you.—

—No promises.— Max muttered gleefully, already typing back to Amelie on Lando’s phone.

—You’re a menace.—

—And you’re in love.—

—Fuck off.—

Max just laughed, resting his elbow on the window as they pulled up to the next apartment building.

But Lando… Lando couldn’t stop the small, involuntary smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Because she had texted. Again. Because even if she didn’t know it, even if she never would. She was the best part of his day. Every time.

And tonight, they'd play. And maybe Max would make her laugh. But maybe, just maybe, Lando would make her smile first.

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

liked by landoapologist88, papayagossip, and others

lanluvupdates: Lando was spotted in London today with Max Fewtrell — bros back in the city 😎🛍️ not a grid in sight, just vibes and overpriced coffee.

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landoapologist88: bro’s in his romcom era strolling through london with iced coffee like he’s not the most unserious man alive → f1cameraroll: @landoapologist88 someone get this man a film deal with amelie rn.

girlieswhopitstop: why does he look like he just walked out of an indie record store breakup → bradpittlane: @girlieswhopitstop bc he probs did… with max next to him crying about it too

softlanmelie: idc what y’all say this is the calm before the soft launch storm → quadrantchaos: @softlanmelie it’s giving “we’re just friends” but their group chats are chaos rn

helmetblondie: lando in london with max? someone’s either hiding or plotting → sundayswithlan: @helmetblondie it’s always one of those two. no in between

pitlanepeaches: i just know he made max take 12 photos of him outside a café "for content"

melodramelie: meanwhile amelie’s somewhere beachside and unbothered → papayagossip: @melodramelie they’re so in their pre-soft launch, location swap phase.

lanmelie4life: they look like they just plotted something and got away with it

paddockgossipqueen: they def just spent 3 hours talking about her → daymaniac: @paddockgossipqueen Lando blinking twice like he’s still mentally in Discord

gpzaddies: idk what they're doing but i support it → daymandoverload: @gpzaddies imagine being max just sitting there while lando talks about Amelie for 5 straight hours 💀 → georgehairline: @daymandoverload bro max deserves an award for emotional support at this point

quadrluvr: lando really said “i’m off duty” and hit the streets like he’s not the internet’s most shipped man

alexwtruther: max has seen things → mclarenmami: @alexwtruther max 100% has an NDA signed with glitter pen and heart stickers

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

Max Fewtrell was not used to nights like this.

He wasn’t really part of the usual gaming crew. Charles, Alex, George—those guys were a whole different level of chaos and inside jokes. Max only hung around with Lando, really. The two had grown close in recent years, mostly because Max was the kind of mate who stayed chill, didn’t cause drama, and could drag Lando out of his racing bubble now and then.

But tonight, Max had begged—literally begged—Lando to invite him to join this gaming night with Amelie. Because, yeah, he knew who Amelie was. Everyone did. Famous, stunning, quick-witted, and apparently Lando’s obsession (Sacha’s words, not his). So when Lando finally caved, Max was hyped to meet the girl who had Lando acting like a lovesick idiot.

As Max clicked into the Discord voice channel, the soft buzz of Lando’s stream echoed in the background. Lando was live, which meant Max got to watch the guy he’d known for years somehow transform from a casually confident driver to a twitch-chat-welcoming, stammering gamer.

Then, Amelie popped up on the video call.

Max blinked. The first thing he noticed was how unreal she was—not just in looks, though holy shit, the girl was gorgeous. It wasn’t just that. She had this energy that filled the room, even through the screen. She was grinning, eyes sparkling behind her smile.

And holy fuck, she was funny. Sharp, witty, and she was clearly flirting with Lando like it was second nature. Every time Lando stumbled over a sentence or made a dumb joke, she laughed like it was the best thing she’d heard all week.

Max settled back, watching the two of them banter as if they’d known each other forever. It was almost ridiculous how perfectly they clicked.

He glanced over at Lando’s face on stream—blushing slightly, trying to keep his cool but failing spectacularly.

Max had to admit, he finally got it. The way Lando talked about Amelie wasn’t just some silly crush or a passing phase. The guy was head over heels, no question. And seeing Amelie in action, it was easy to see why.

When Amelie noticed Max’s camera was on, she smiled warmly.

—Hey! You must be Max!—she said with a teasing grin.

Max smiled back, a bit nervous but trying to play it cool.

—That’s me. Lando’s best mate. Finally meeting the legend behind all the stories.—

Amelie laughed.

—All good things, I hope?—

—Mostly,—Max said with a smirk. —Although I’m starting to suspect you’re the reason Lando’s been so damn distracted lately.—

Lando groaned in the background. —Mate, shut the hell up.—

Amelie winked at the camera. —What can I say? I have that effect.—

Max nodded, chuckling softly. He was definitely the third wheel here, sitting in his own little flat while these two effortlessly stole the spotlight. But damn, if it wasn’t the most entertaining evening he’d had in ages.

He glanced at Lando, who was still streaming, fumbling through the game controls, clearly trying to impress Amelie and failing spectacularly.

Max couldn’t help but think: this was exactly why Lando was obsessed. Because Amelie wasn’t just some beautiful face on a screen—she was the real deal. Sharp as hell, hilarious, and totally comfortable being herself.

The rest of the guys might have bailed, but Max didn’t mind. Tonight was theirs. And he was just along for the ride, watching two friends dance around whatever it was that was quietly growing between them.

—Alright,—Amelie said, grinning. —Let’s see if you two can actually win a game tonight. No pressure.—

—You’re on,—Max said, cracking his knuckles. —But just a heads-up, Lando, I’m not letting you win.—

Lando threw a mock glare at Max, but the smile that followed was genuine.

—You’re gonna regret that.—

The night stretched on, full of laughter, teasing, and the kind of easy companionship that only came from people who’d found something rare and good in each other.

Max, the accidental third wheel, was already looking forward to the next game night. Because if this was what it looked like when Lando was around Amelie, then hell—he was not missing a thing.

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

liked by lanmelie_shipper, max_fanatic, and others

lanmelie.squad: historic stream alert 🚨 Lando, Amelie & Max finally squad up — first time Amelie meets Max and the vibes are ✨chef’s kiss✨

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f1.gasoline: three amigos but where’s the PDA at? 👀 → lanmelie_4ever: @f1.gasoline they’re playing it safe but we know the tea’s brewing ☕️🔥

stream.squadgoals: Lando really said “amaze-balls” live??? iconic energy 💀 → max_fanatic: @stream.squadgoals bro he’s the king of cringe and we love it

amelie_vibes: Amelie finally meeting Max and not stealing the spotlight? wild 🤯 → wolff_influencer: @amelie_vibes max was lowkey shook but handled it like a pro lol

lanmelie_shipper: can’t believe this is just “friends” lmao it’s obvious ✨ → friendship_goals_: @lanmelie_shipper same sis, just waiting for the confession stream

f1.tea_spiller: waiting for Lando to accidentally call her “bae” on mic fr

f1.sluttycorner: lan’s got the whole squad flexin now → maxspeedfan: @f1.sluttycorner fr, amelie + max = next-level chaos

beanie.lando: lando looking like a proud dad introducing his kids to each other → chillaxcharlie: @beanie.lando “my babies finally meet, we love a wholesome king”

amelievibes: max trying to keep up with lan & ame energy was so funny lol → goofygeorge: @amelievibes max was like “wait, this is too fast for me” 😂😂

speedster_sam: watching these 3 interact is my new cardio → gamer.gurl24: @speedster_sam same omg I was laughing so hard I snorted

sunshineamelie: they lowkey make a great trio tho, need more streams pls

racingqueen: max looks shook meeting amelie for the first time like “is this the reason he’s always distracted?” → lana_loves_f1: @racingqueen facts max really just found his new fave topic of conversation

lanmelie_watch: can we just appreciate how these streams lowkey confirm lanmelie vibes? just friends, sure…

lanmelieclouds: max meeting THE amelie like he hasn’t heard about her every day since 2018 😭 → pitlane.gossip: @lanmelieclouds he’s been emotionally preparing for this moment for years

softforlan: LANDO INTRODUCING THEM LIKE A PROUD BOYFR— i mean… best friend 🤠 → f1sluttycorner: @softforlan don’t let the “just friends” lies distract u from the lanmelie endgame

[entry41]

// major warning for murder, discrimination, and murder amongst transgender youth

im trying to find the part where the three girls, all older than them, are charged for murder? or are those girls not going to have to deal with any sort of represcussions???

is this going to be another case of "let's keep these people's identities private!!" or what. are we ignoring the fact that those girls bashed nex's head against the bathroom floor meanwhile nobody helped before, during, or after the situation??? because the media did the same thing with brianna ghey, they refused to release information on her killers until what, a year later? why are we working so hard to protect persecutors but not the ones being persecuted?

there are so many things wrong with this situation, let's start with the fact that an ambulance wasn't called upon nex being found? those three girls had quite literally banged their head against the bathroom floor NUMEROUS times, where was your sense of urgency upon finding a SOPHOMORE, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO IS NO OLDER THAN 16, beaten on the bathroom floor??

we are talking about a 16 year old, somebody with a whole life ahead of them. nex had so much to live for and now their blood is on your hands and i hope that you feel guilty. i don't even think enraged is the word i am looking for in this situation, it's a feeling far beyond rage.

as a society we truly need to do better because jfc. i have to live my life in fear everyday, so do my friends, the people i love, and thousands of others - we aren't scary, we are scared.

rest well, nex, they will never forget your name ❤️

adding onto this post because i still have so much to say: nex was no different from you and i, they took interest in the same things we do. nex liked the walking dead, minecraft, and their cat, zeus. but now nex won't be able to partake in the things they love because of how f'ed up society is. the fact that america is perfectly fine with murdering innocent people on a daily basis truly tells you all you need to know. we are fighting a war we will never win because people refuse to accept the fact that trans folk just want to live their lives, almost like everybody else!!

i read in a reblog that nex was twospirit and i just wanted to add that, sorry if it seemed as if i was trying to leave that out, i wasn't aware. that doesn't change anything though and my point still stands.

we are not scary, we are scared.

2/25/24: please read what @youareprobablywrong said in the reblogs, it also includes ways to actually take charge and help prevent future events like this

[kedreeva]

You're sort of one of the kindest people i know on tumblr, so. um. i had a question.

how do i deal with it all?

right of the bat i will tell you i am a minor and my parents are zionists, so i have no income of my own or anything i could donate. everytime i post a single fundraiser that reaches my inbox and is vetted, i get 4-5 new fundraising asks for palestine.

most of them are unvetted, but i keep thinking that if i can't donate i should at least have faith in people and reblog the fundraisers even if they're unvetted, possibly that they're actually new and need as much help we can give, however, there's a possibility they are scams, and i don't want to draw away the attention vetted fundraisers might get.

how do you decide where to help out and how to live with your decision?

I have a policy that when it comes to asks (or messages) that solicit money or other actions (like boosting posts) I don't respond to or even publish asks that come from anyone that has never spoken to me before that moment, and that's a policy that has been in place for many years now, and is unlikely to change largely because the majority of asks/messages that are requesting money or to visit a blog post/their blog/their website are scams (or more often several years ago, led to virus infections on your computer!). My blog is, as it has stated at the top for over ten years now, a personal blog, not a fundraising/signal boosting/vetting blog for spreading donations- there ARE blogs like that, and people can choose to interact with those blogs or not, but my blog isn't the place for it and that's a hard boundary I enforce for my own well being. Tumblr is my place to rest and recover, however I see fit to do that.

A random ask to my inbox asking for money, regardless of what it is for, is (in my view) equivalent to a cold call from a stranger soliciting money. It's not about faith in people, it's not about right or wrong, it's not about can or can't. This is my home, and I don't answer the phone to unknown numbers. I will help friends/family/people I know personally (or parasocially, if I like them or recognize them), obviously, but that's a bit of a different horse.

As for how I decide where to help out, if I have the ability (funds, spoons, time etc), I will seek out information on the best place to donate that can do the most with the money to help the person/people/cause that I want to help. It's the Food Pantry Equation: I could spend $5 on groceries at retail price to donate, and maybe get enough for 1 meal for 1 person (though in this fuckoff capitalist hellscape, I'm not sure $5 would even buy a whole meal), or I could give $5 directly to a Food Pantry organization, who buys in bulk and knows where to get stuff cheap, so that my $5 can help five people or ten people or whatever. I also do my best to participate in fandom events that raise money for good causes; stuff like the fanworks charity auction I helped run to donate to a wolf sanctuary, or stuff like Fandom Trumps Hate (another charity fanworks auction event). Those kind of events are generally open about where the donations go to, and have done research into organizations to ensure the gathered money goes to good charities.

Like with the above, however, it's different if I know the person. If my neighbor comes and asks for a cup of sugar or my friend needs help moving or whatever, I'm gonna give them what they need without the middleman because we have that relationship already established. Donating $5 to a food pantry would probably help more people by numbers, but helping my neighbors and friends and family etc builds community in a way giving $5 to a random stranger on the phone soliciting money cannot, and even in a way donating $5 (or $5 worth of food) to a Food Pantry cannot. It's also usually a matter of one and done, as well as semi-transactional the way any relationship is a give and take; I can give my neighbor some sugar, and down the road they can return the favor the next time I'm in need of help. I help my friends move and I know whether or not I ever move, myself, that they would do the same for me if they're able. You can't say this about a random ask on the Internet and you likely won't ever be able to say it for most charities unless you somehow end up in their exact area of expertise. So it's different.

I feel like you should also learn about Tim Wong, the guy who basically single-handedly repopulated the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly out in California. The lesson his story can and should teach is that... sometimes it can do more good for the world to care Very Much about one specific thing, and put your heart and soul into it, than it does to spread a little bit of care over a lot of things.

So, I guess what I mean to say here is... don't feel guilty about what you cannot do. There's no guilt in that. When you are ready and able to help, you can always go and look for a good way to do so (and what you end up helping may not always be the thing you think it will be), but you don't need to feel pressured by telemarketers or charity donation calls from strangers while you're trying to eat dinner. Especially if they don't even know who you are, either.

[purplefangirl42]

Relive the Memories

Summary: Two days at the Winter Solstice Festival, years apart.

Pairing: Silco/Reader (F)

A/N: This was written as part of a gift exchange for my friend @sirenofzaun. Love you Lauren!

Tags: Slight Angst, Established Relationship, Time Skip

AO3 Link Divider by saradika-graphics

The breeze that blew through the alley chilled you down to your bones, setting off a round of shivers that made your teeth chatter. You leaned against the wall behind you and wrapped your arms around your midsection in an attempt to trap some of the remaining body heat. You should have dressed warmer, but the thin sweater you wore was one of the only warm pieces of clothing that you had. 

Why, in Janna’s name, had you agreed to meet Silco up here?

It would have been much warmer down in the Undercity. The closeness of the walls, the hot air coming from the fissures in the ground, and even Jericho’s cooking would have been ten times better than this. Up here, everything was open and exposed. This alley was the closest thing to shelter you had been able to find while you waited for Silco to join you.

Just when you were about to give up and head back home before your fingers froze off, you heard footsteps from the other end of the alley. You turned to look and saw a lanky figure that you knew well heading in your direction. He seemed to be carrying something bulky in his arms, something you couldn’t identify from this distance.

“Kept me waiting long enough,” you accused, shaking your head at him.  “What do you have?”

“Something that I hope will help you forgive me for making you wait so long,” Silco said, lifting the large bundle. “I worked hard to get it for you, so please take that into consideration before you yell at me.”

You scowled slightly before closing the remaining distance between the two of you. Your gaze trailed up and down the thing Silco was holding, still not quite sure what it was. He lifted it higher and the bundle unfurled into its full size, nearly touching the ground.

It was a coat. A nice, long, fuzzy coat. Just looking at it made you feel a bit warmer. You reached out a hand to touch the sleeve and nearly gasped at how soft it felt. You had never gotten close to something this nice, let alone touched it. Your gaze shifted up to meet Silco’s and you tilted your head, raising your eyebrow in a questioning manner.

“Did you rob some poor Piltie lady in the street?”

Silco’s smile faltered slightly before he shook his head.

“First of all, I don’t think you can use ‘poor’ and ‘Piltie’ together in a sentence like that,” he said with a sniff. “And secondly, I acquired this for you as a gift. Worked hard to get it.”

“And by worked hard, you mean…” you started, leaving the rest of your question unspoken.

“I mean…I had Vander distract the shopkeeper while I took it off the rack and threw it out the delivery window while they weren’t looking.”

“Uh, huh,” you said, narrowing your eyes at him. “That’s what I thought.”

“If you don’t want it, I can give it to Felicia or Sevika. I’m sure they’d both appreciate a new coat.”

“I didn’t say that. Just wanted to know where it came from, that’s all,” you said, stepping forward. “I appreciate your ‘work’.”

You leaned in and placed a kiss on Silco’s cheek before taking the coat from him. You pulled it on and wrapped it around yourself, instantly feeling warmer as it closed around your body. Silco seemed pleased to see you wearing it, as his grin had returned in full force.

“Thank you, Silco. Not only for the coat, but for the thought that went into acquiring it for me. I really needed something like this.”

“I know,” Silco said, stepping forward to wrap his arms around your midsection beneath the coat. “I can hear your teeth chattering everytime we go scouting together. It’s not very covert if the people we’re spying on hear that.”

You laughed softly and returned his embrace, resting your head against his shoulder. 

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m trying not to freeze to death,” you said. “Now, could you please tell me why we needed to meet up here for you to give me this coat? Couldn’t we have met somewhere warmer?”

Silco stepped back from you a small amount and smiled, pulling on the lapels of the coat and closing it in front of you. He reached for your hand and started to pull you down the alley in the direction he had come from.

“It’s time to test out your new coat. We’re going to the Winter Solstice festival. I know you’ve always wanted to go and I was able to get us some tickets.”

“Did you work hard to get those too?” you asked.

“No comment.”

You laughed again as he pulled you along. Though you teased him about his methods, the thought behind the actions meant a great deal to you. He was always surprising you with gestures, both grand and small. This was just another thing on the list of surprises he had concocted for you in your time together.

When the pair of you reached the edge of the festival, you stopped short, bringing Silco to a halt as well. He turned to look at you with a questioning glance, his brows furrowed in slight concern. You stared at the sight before you in amazement, mouth hanging open slightly.

“Darling? Is everything alright?” Silco asked.

“Yes,” you said, your gaze switching from the festival to Silco, “everything is perfect.”

His concerned expression evaporated and a cheerful one took its place as you started moving again in the direction of the ticket gate. Silco gave the man at the entrance the tickets he had procured, and once you got the approval, pulled you through the gate. 

The sights inside the festival were even better than the glimpse you had gotten from the outside. Little twinkling lights on chains hung over the streets, swinging between poles covered in strands of gold and red tinsel. A mixture of savory and sweet smells drifted through the air, carried to your nostrils on the breeze that had previously sent a chill down your spine. You could even hear soft music playing from various places around you, its source unseen by you, which only seemed to add to the magic of the place.

“So, does it live up to your expectations?” Silco asked, diverting your attention away from the environment surrounding you.

“It’s even better than I thought it would be,” you said. “Thank you for bringing me here, Silco.”

“You’re welcome, darling.”

Silco leaned in and placed a soft kiss on your temple before the pair of you continued down the path to take in all the sights the festival had to offer.

The air felt just as cold as you remembered, possibly colder if you were truly being honest with yourself. You pulled the edges of your coat together to seal in the warmth and block out the cold wind. Over the years, your nice, warm coat had worn down and didn’t quite do the job it used to when it came to keeping you warm. You could never bear to part with it and acquire a new one though. Your heart wouldn’t let you.

The festival around you didn’t seem as magical as you thought it was in the past. Things didn’t sparkle like before, the music seemed out of sync, and even the smells were a bit off. It was almost as if something was missing. The key element that solidified the magic.

You hadn’t been to the festival since the day with Silco, and that had been many years ago. After he disappeared; or died as you had heard but didn’t believe; you didn’t feel it was right to experience any kind of happiness that you had attached to him without him there beside you. You felt it would taint the memories.

You couldn’t say what had brought you to the festival on this day. Something in your gut told you that you needed to go when you saw the poster on the bridge. Maybe it was a voice inside you telling you that you needed some closure. You needed to do something to end that chapter of your life and finally move on. Perhaps this was the way to do it.

As you walked between the various stalls, you thought over your memories of the last time you had been here. Of course, you hadn’t really had the money to buy anything, but it had still been fun to look at things. You had a little money this time, but no desire to make any purchases. You didn’t even truly look at the items on the tables you passed, your gaze just glancing over vague shapes and colors as you walked along.

With such an unfocused air about you, you weren’t watching where you were walking and ran into someone. You nearly lost your balance and reached out to grab the arm of the man you had collided with to steady yourself.

“My apologies, sir. I wasn’t watching where I was walking.”

Without looking at the man, face down to hide your embarrassment, you moved to walk past him when you heard a familiar voice speak your name. You halted in your tracks, your heart skipping a beat at the sound of the voice.

“When I said I worked hard to get you that coat, I didn’t mean you had to wear it forever.”

You slowly turned in place to look at the man you assumed was talking to you. What you saw made you believe that you had hit your head when you ran into him before. The man standing before you was none other than Silco. Alive and present, wrapped in a coat with a large collar. He was older and looked different, most noticeable things being a large scar across one side of his face and an eye that was black and orange.

But it was still Silco.

You were at a loss for words. You probably looked like a fish, standing there staring at him with your mouth wide open. He seemed to understand that you were unable to speak and stepped towards you, holding out a hand.

“I’ll explain later. Right now, we can just relive the memories.”

You took his offered hand and let him pull you closer. The sensation of his touch seemed to right all the things that had seemed off before about the festival. The music regained its melody, the food smelled delicious again, and the lights seemed to shine even brighter than they had the first time.

The magic had returned.

A/N: Give this a like, comment, and reblog and let me know what you think!

[caramelt4me]

Secret. - Part III

(Yandere Idol X Kidnapped Reader)

Trigger warning: mention of self-harm, blood, substance abuse, violence and suicide

·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊

Prologue Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V

𝔸s you laid unconscious on the bed; a crouched Asher watched you intently. A mix of guilt and worry filled his azure eyes as one hand tenderly stroked your head in silence, while the other hand held yours – the fingers intertwined.

Your breathing was low and long, indicating a deep sleep.

One of the several side effects of the medicine he made you take.

He sighed, withdrawing his hand from your forehead to gently pull the chair close, as he took a seat on it – his other hand remained interlocked in yours. His icy eyes stared back at your asleep face that looked peaceful, devoid of any inner conflict or distress from before.

If only he could make you feel the same always on his own when conscious, he thought. Then he wouldn’t have to take the aid of a mind-altering sedative.

Each dose taking away a piece of the old you – but this was his choice, his ugly way to claim you whole – body and soul.

He didn’t want to erase the defiant look in your eyes – no, he cherished it all too well. However, he wished the feeling could reside alongside the maddening love he had infected you with. But alas, if only one could exist – it would have to be the latter.

Then suddenly, Asher’s phone buzzed in his pocket. His brows slightly furrowed, his expression turning colder by the second.

He clicked his tongue and picked it up to answer lowly. “I'm starting to think you have a death wish, Mr. Baek. First you get caught by Damian and now even a drunk maknae is too much for you to handle. Is that it?”

“No, I-I’m extremely sorry about calling again Asher! I do not want to interrupt your time with um—"The manager fumbled on the other side of the line. “But Nex suddenly woke up from his nap and caught me trying to wire his phone, he has locked himself up inside the bathroom—H-He is asking for you and threatening to take his own life if you don’t—"

“What’s the status of the other members?” Asher interrupted, asking coolly. “Did you manage to access their phones before you dropped them to their apartments last night?”

“Y-Yes, only Nex was the problem—I couldn’t find it on him, so I went back to the club this morning—but it wasn’t there, so I came back to his place an hour ago, and it was right there! —in his pocket—I must have missed it somehow—but then he—”

Asher scoffed coldly, in front of you, unable to hide his perpetual frustration with the incompetent manager.

He had once made a silent promise to himself to only show his good side to you, and nothing else. Perhaps, it still counted as long as your eyes stayed closed.

His blue eyes glinted with frost as he retorted sarcastically. “Are you telling me that junkie kid played you like a fiddle in that state? Have you truly lost your touch with age, Baek?”

“I-I’m sorry A-Asher—I--!” Mr. Baek’s voice abruptly died before Nex’s voice grew into a muffled shouting in the background - demanding the older idol to return ‘the stash’ he had rightfully paid for.

Then, the delirious maknae doubled in on it, threatening to ruin the eldest’s untainted reputation with his death— and let the rest of the world know what kind of an obsessive control-freak of a monster ‘his hyung’ was.

The blue-eyed idol sighed, rolling his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Asher had never heard a more pathetic, empty threat.

Unless the youngest had a two-way access from Hell, an exposé would be quite difficult to pull without a suic*de note or an alibi. Of course, both of which would have been easily taken care of.

Still, it was amusing for him to hear the usual timid maknae be so –brazen and loud.

Did he really think he could gain the upper hand so easily?

Asher stifled a cruel smirk, before he cleared his throat.

“I’m on my way. Make sure he doesn’t stop talking, Mr. Baek,” The blue-eyed idol said nonchalant, before adding dryly. “Hope that long tongue of yours is of some use.”

“Y-Yes absolutely Asher! I will—”

Asher cut the call before the manager could finish his sentence.

He then gazed at your sleeping face, knowing full well that you wouldn't stir until the next morning. Another reason why he would normally prefer you to take the weekly tablets – since they had a lower dose and came with milder side-effects. 

However, this time, it worked out in his favour – buying him time to deal with his…problem child.

Not that he needed more than an hour with Nex.

A soft smile played on his lips as he turned his attention back to you.

He leaned down, his lips brushing against the back of your hand to leave a tender kiss. As he pulled away, his fingers lingered, tracing the lines of your hand before finally releasing their hold.

With one last glance at your peaceful face, he turned to leave – a soft click of the door echoed through the cabin shortly after.

---

The fluorescent bathroom light flickered, casting jagged shadows across the tiled floor. Another wave of nausea hit Nex, forcing him to his knees next to the toilet bowl. He clutched his throbbing head, fighting off the last remnants of a hangover.

His thoughts spiralled into a restless haze, and he could feel the cold sweat trickling down his brow. He was a mess—every muscle in his body pulsed with a dull ache that he knew was more than just the alcohol.

Withdrawals. Again.

The pink-haired idol cursed under his breath.

Maybe he should’ve just taken Clade’s offer, he thought, biting his lip anxiously. Slept with that pervert for double ‘the stash’—if only not for his damn pride.

But then, the little voice of reason whispered, reminding him that it would be useless too – since his dearest hyung planned to monitor them all.

Nex let out a frustrated cry—feeling like a prisoner in his own body as his bruised hands betrayed him –shaking uncontrollably, as he tried to hold one still with the other in vain. His heart began to race like an anxious trapped bird – pounding against his ribs with every beat. With a mouth drier than a desert and his throat parched raw, he could feel the withdrawals getting worse— his terrified fingers clutching his dishevelled pink hair in a futile attempt to calm his overstimulated mind.

If only he could get his hands on one sip of that laced drink, he had tried so hard to arrange for.

But, of course, Asher had intervened, just like he always did.

Then suddenly—

Knock-Knock-Knock.

The door rattled again, grating on his fried-up nerves.

"Nex, open the door!" a voice demanded. It was Mr. Baek, his tone laced with worry. He could almost see the manager’s anxious face through the thin wooden barrier.

“Don’t be childish and throw away the razor blade!”

Razor blade?

His mind went blank for a moment before his grey eyes noticed the fallen razor blade on the floor in his peripheral vision.

Right, of course.

The razor blade, he recalled in a daze; before he stumbled to grab it back in his hand.

He was in the middle of threatening them with his life, which seemed to have worked out in his favour—since Asher was on his way to his place, hopefully with his stash.

Could his hyung really be that soft for him?

Nex chuckled darkly, colour rushing to his cheeks – as he blatantly ignored the gory carnage around, that he had wrought inside the bathroom just to get the point across.

Broken tiles littered the floor, their white surfaces now stained crimson. Blood, dark and viscous, smeared the once pristine walls, creating grotesque patterns that echoed the chaos of emotions in his head.

His gaze flickered to his reflection in one of the infinite shards, that had shattered when he punched the mirrored cabinet before.

His eyes once bright grey—were bloodshot, haunted.

Was this why his hyung kept pushing him to quit? Nex scoffed weakly, a feeble attempt to deny the sobering reality creeping upon him.

“Nex? Are you still with me?”

Mr. Baek’s voice interrupted the youngest’s line of thoughts. “Please don’t do this! —Let’s talk, man to man!”

The pink-haired idol snickered. "Talk? About what? About how you probably bugged my phone already while I’m stuck in here? Or about how hyung ordered you to spy on all of us? Which one will it be, Mr. Baek?"

Silence.

What else could he expect from his hyung’s puppet?

Nex laughed bitterly, before his grey eyes had a cryptic glint to them.

“Say, Mr. Baek…how about we talk about something more interesting?” The pink-haired male casually purred. “Tell me, where does hyung actually disappear to every time we finish a tour? Does he have a secret family or something…staying at a cabin? A lover, perhaps?”

Silence.

“Who is she? Do I know her? Have we met before?”

Silence.

“Mr. Baek, you do realize I’m the one with the leash here, don’t you?” Nex sighed, idly toying with the razor blade in his bloodied hand.

Silence.

“Ya! I’m not kidding Mr. Baek—!!!" Nex was about to harshly blackmail the manager again, when he heard the door knob unlock.

Click. Clunk.

His grey eyes shot in the direction of the bathroom door—as it creaked open, revealing the familiar face of his hyung.

---

Asher ’s face was momentarily unreadable, before his icy blues met the maknae’s terrified grey ones – his unyielding gaze filled with silent judgement for the latter.

His lips curled into a twisted smile as he jingled the bundle of keys in front of the dumbfounded boy, making the youngest flinch and instinctively scurry into a defensive ball.

“Took me some time to find the spare keys in my car,” the blue-eyed idol remarked with a casual shrug, though the glint in his icy gaze was anything but friendly. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, Nex.”

“Hyung...”

Nex’s voice wavered, barely a whisper, as he struggled to meet the older idol’s cold stare. Years of ingrained fear rooted him in place, his trembling hands loosening their grip on the razor blade he had been clutching. It slipped from his grasp and tumbled to the floor, landing near Asher’s polished shoes.

“Ah.” Asher bent down to retrieve the sharp object before Nex could. His experienced fingers deftly played with it, spinning and flipping it in a manner that was both effortless and unnerving. Unlike the horrified maknae, he handled the sharp edges of the blade with ease.

Asher’s lips twitched into a devious smirk as he chuckled. “I know a thing or two about these. Want me to show you how it’s done?”

“N-No!” Nex stammered, his voice breaking as he scrambled backward, pressing himself against the wall. His arms shot behind his back as if to protect himself, his frantic grey eyes welling with tears. “I-I’m sorry, hyung! I-I must’ve lost my mind—I swear, please don’t hurt me!”

“Hurt you?” Asher echoed, amusement flickering across his face as he crouched down to Nex’s level. He reached out, prying the trembling boy’s hand from its hiding place. The maknae flinched as the older idol inspected his bruised and bloodied fingers. A harsh chuckle escaped Asher.

“Do I even need to?” he retorted, his tone sharp and cutting. “And here I thought you wanted me to return your things.”

“Huh?” Nex blinked in confusion, his tearful gaze darting to the small pouch that Asher slipped into his hand. The faint weight made his breath hitch. His timid grey eyes dropped to the bag, only for them to widen in recognition and panic when they flicked back up to meet Asher’s cold, unreadable blues.

It was a packet of his stash.

Impossible.

Nex’s hands moved instinctively, fumbling to open the pouch. The addict was moments away from scarfing down its contents when something stopped him—a sinking realization that this wasn’t right. His trembling gaze returned to Asher, who stood over him with a sadistic glint in his eye, his expression screaming of a hidden catch.

“Y-You… you did something to this, didn’t you?” Nex stammered, his voice barely audible as he gulped nervously.

Asher’s smile widened into something more sinister as he replied, his tone calm and detached. “You’re right. It’s laced with rat poison.”

The pouch slipped from Nex’s hands and fell to the floor. Panic surged through him as he frantically wiped his mouth, even though the contents hadn’t touched his lips. His wide, terrified grey eyes bore into Asher, his disbelief mingled with desperation. “Y-You... why would you do that?!”

Asher tilted his head, his expression almost bored, as though the question were absurd.

“Didn’t you want to bring me down with your death?” he asked simply, his voice void of empathy. “I thought I’d help you out myself—make it as pleasurable as possible for you.”

Nex stared at Asher in abject horror, unable to reconcile the twisted kindness laced in his hyung’s words. His unease deepened as Asher casually slipped another pouch into his trembling hand. The weight of it was all too familiar. 

“Don’t worry, I gotchu buddy~” The older male said with a cruel smile. 

The maknae flinched, instinctively trying to pull his hand back, but Asher’s iron grip on his wrist kept him in place. Those icy blue eyes bore into Nex with an intensity that made him shudder. 

“Withdrawals can be a b*tch, am I right?” Asher sneered. “So, hurry up and take it. Or should I help shove it down your throat?” 

“N-No—I-I’m sorry, hyung! T-This was a mistake! -” Nex stammered, his voice cracking as he tried to plead his way out. Tears welled up in his terrified grey eyes as he bowed his head in submission. “Please! Please stop!” 

Asher’s smile faded into a thin line as he slid his other hand to the back of Nex’s neck. The maknae flinched violently, his breath growing shallow as panic threatened to overtake him.

Without warning, Asher grabbed him by the scruff like a helpless kitten, forcing their faces close until Nex’s terror-stricken grey eyes met his cold, piercing blue gaze. 

“Are you sure?” Asher purred, his voice dripping with mockery. “Are you telling me you don’t want to have it your way?” 

Nex gulped nervously and shook his head in frantic denial. 

“Great,” Asher said with a mockingly cheerful tone, patting Nex’s cheek with false approval as he released him. But his eyes glinted dangerously. “Then, it’s time to do things my way.” 

Before Nex could react, a sharp sting pierced his arm. His breath hitched as his bewildered gaze dropped to see the syringe in Asher’s hand, its contents pressing into his vein. Warmth spread through his body, an unfamiliar calm overtaking his trembling form. 

“Don’t worry,” Asher said softly, his tone eerily gentle as he watched the youngest’s shivers subside. “It won’t kill you. Just something to help with the withdrawals.” 

Nex’s wide, confused eyes darted back to Asher’s icy blues, which were now studying him with a cold curiosity. His panic only grew as his body grew heavy, his limbs succumbing to the sedative coursing through his veins. The maknae collapsed forward, falling into Asher’s cold, unyielding embrace. 

“I should’ve done this earlier,” Asher murmured under his breath, stroking the back of Nex’s head with lazy indifference as the boy slipped into unconsciousness. His voice dropped to a chilling monotone. “Killing two birds with one stone.”

---

Initially, Asher had planned to scare Nex off—just another round of their usual cat-and-mouse game. It wasn’t the first time. Nex, with his predictable desperation, was the easiest to handle. But everything changed when Asher overheard the maknae’s conversation with Mr. Baek. 

The conversation had devolved into a one-sided exchange once Mr. Baek spotted Asher lurking in the shadows. The manager wisely clammed up, refusing to divulge anything further about you.

But the damage was already done.

Nex’s reckless attempt to extract blackmail material confirmed what Asher already suspected: the youngest was the weakest link. 

Desperate and impulsive, Nex’s addiction made him a liability. Yet, that desperation also meant he could be shaped into something useful—a better, much more reliable knight than the old manager to protect you from the outside world.

The idea appealed to Asher, though he begrudged the effort it would take. 

Time was the real issue. 

Asher sighed, glancing at the unconscious maknae. His time was precious, better spent with you. He resented the hours this would steal from him, but a compromise was necessary. 

“Mr. Baek, a hand please,” Asher ordered, his irritation evident as he adjusted the dead weight of Nex in his arms. Though the pink-haired maknae had a baby face, his muscular build made him heavier than expected. 

The manager scrambled to help, and together they carried Nex to the living room, unceremoniously dropping him onto the couch. Asher sank into the adjacent seat, catching his breath. 

His phone buzzed, drawing his immediate attention. The blue-eyed idol’s fingers darted to his pocket, but his tension dissolved when he saw the notification. Just spam—not the home-security motion detector app. 

Relief washed over him.

As expected, you were still asleep. 

Asher leaned back; his gaze distant as he recalled dismantling the cameras months ago. They had been convenient, but their presence had hurt you.

Your mind—already too fragile due to being saturated with the medicine and his love, couldn’t handle the perceived invasion of privacy.

He hadn’t understood why it upset you so much, but he couldn’t bear to see you suffer. The motion sensors were one of the smaller compromises he would end up making. 

Because more was yet to come. 

“Cancel all of Nex’s engagements for the next two weeks and prepare the guestroom in the cabin,” Asher instructed Baek. His tone was clipped, his displeasure clear. “And make sure it’s quiet. You know how light her sleep is.” 

Baek nodded hastily but hesitated. 

“What now?” Asher snapped, his patience wearing thin. 

“W-What should I tell Damien?” Baek stammered. “I know that he’s only a leader in name, but if he finds out about Nex’s absence without a proper explanation, he might grow suspicious. He could even come here to investigate.” 

Asher paused, considering the point. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he replied. “Good thinking, Baek. Tell him that the Old man* got Nex checked into rehab. Overseas. Leave the mess in the bathroom; it’ll make the story more convincing.” 

Baek blinked, momentarily awed by the blue-eyed male’s quick-witted deception. “Y-Yes, I’ll handle it.” 

“Good~” Asher chimed, standing up to get to work.

He gathered the evidence—the syringe and the empty vial—and sealed them in a disposable medical bag. He then tucked it in a separate compartment in his sling bag, away from the unused vials of medicine and sealed syringes—something he always carried on himself in case there was an ‘emergency’.

The blue-eyed idol cast one last glance at Nex, his expression devoid of pity. This was just another calculated move in his relentless game.

A game designed to keep his most precious treasure, you, safe and hidden.

·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊ ♡ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ °̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥ ♡ ‧̍̊·̊‧̥°̩̥˚̩̩̥͙°̩̥‧̥·̊‧̍̊

@shadowytravelerlover

[lost-and-created]

Consider the following:

The treatment of the unhoused/poor, including making being unhoused a crime.

The rising inability to afford housing, groceries, and utilities, even with full-time jobs that pay more than the minimum wage.

The genocide occuring in Palestine and the use of US funded weapons to commit it.

Rising rates of Neo-Nazis, antisemitism, and islamophobia.

The beating of a trans, Native American child at a public school, which resulted in death, being praised by an active senator who called trans people filth, when addressing the issue (Rest in Peace, Nex).

Trans people increasingly having their rights, especially to healthcare, taken.

Women increasingly having their rights to healthcare taken.

The migrants who are fleeing their home countries, leading them to the US-Mexico border, are being met with police violence, razor wire, and detention centers that have been reported to separate and "lose" children, as well as treat those within its walls with cruel amounts of negligence.

The subways of New York becoming flooded with cops and National Guard, making it a police state checkpoint for anyone that enters.

Police being able to justify the murder of a Black, autistic teenager, in front of his family.

However, the US government has deemed TikTok to be the largest threat to the nation and is the issue that they can all, collectively, agree on. Certainly can't be because it's been the main place for younger people to find current news that isn't gripped by corporate media. Can't be because it's a place for people to find information on the continued boycotts, divestments, and protests that are currently occurring and costing corporations millions of dollars, effecting how much those corporations can lobby their representatives. Can't be because it is the place people often go to when mainstream media refuses to cover the big stories that would otherwise be pushed under the rug. Can't be because our representatives, the people that we put in charge of making our voices heard, are sick of hearing what we have to say about their actions within and outside of their offices. Must just be because TikTok has a parent company in China (while the US servers and data are run through US based company, Oracle) and that it's a dangerous threat.

[sopiao]

König and Ghost fight (kinda) for reader’s attention. Both wanting to listen to music with you. But it fails. (:3_/ )\_

( ^^^ can’t tell if you can see but it’s a little guy laying down :))

(Callsign will be ‘Shark’ :D)

Cellphones, tablets, iPods. Anything that’s a cellular or digital device is prohibited from being brought into any military base. For precautions, maybe information can be slipped or recorded, so naturally there will be rules. But somehow, Captain Price has persuaded and assured that Shark is a good soldier, one of his best and won’t leak or record information. Plus you don’t even care about all that.

So you got to have a cassette player, but only could bring a total of 2 cassette players. So they had to think long and hard of what they could bring, what they would listen to on their free time, training, and on missions, occasionally.

Shark settled on one tape of relaxing noises to help you sleep at night, a mix of soft rain and thunder, 6hz theta waves, and fire cracking. The other tape is more upbeat and energizing music. Rammstein, Rob Zombie, Nine Inch Nails, Godsmack, and Limp Bizkit.

(If you don’t like or listen to any of them, just ignore this and replace it with your music taste ;3)

—

Currently, the group were driving back from a isolated town, back to a safe house where they’ll be picked up and back to base. To rest and recover to get ready for the next mission. Soap was laid out on the farthest back seat, snoozing away, snoring every so often.

Price and Gaz were in the front, Price drove while Gaz talked to him to try and keep him focused and awake since it has been a long long night for the team.

Shark was stuck in between Ghost and König. Even though the vehicle was a good size, not too small, it still felt like the three were in a cramped closet. While Soap got a whole row to himself. If only you were fast enough to shotgun. Ghost kept unconsciously man-spreading, pushing your thighs to press up against König’s.

The tall Austrian looked down and saw the small metal box being fidgeted with in your hands. He decided that this would be a good bonding moment, very small and subtle but still intimate in a way.

“Could I listen with you?” König had his hand out, slightly nervous that you’d reject him. But he was a little more comfortable with you than the others since he’s closest with you most.

You were a little self conscious with your music taste. Your parents didn’t really like your taste in songs so you thought that he wouldn’t too. But you still handed him the black wired ear bud.

König had to slouch down a little so the wire wouldn’t stretch or get pulled out. He wasn’t very surprised when he started to get familiar with your music taste. It was very much like you and your music taste.

Ghost had been listening in on the two’s conversation, somewhat conversation, resting his head on the glass beside him, staring off into the forest. Internally cursing at himself that he hadn’t asked Shark that sooner, he always saw them listening to it but never thought to ask to listen with them.

It irked him a little, his eyebrow twitching when he looked over and saw you and König so close, while innocently listening to music.

“You listen to Rammstein?” He asked excitedly when he heard the opening of ‘Mein Teil’ buzz through the earbud. Happy that he found another common interest between the two. He really didn’t expect you to listen to them since their in German and not the most popular.

Ghost continued to listen in on their conversation, pretending that he’s zoned out or possibly snoozing away like the sleepy soldier in the back. Rolling his eyes whenever König spoke.

“Could I- uh.. Rest my head on your shoulder? It kinda hurts my back sitting like this” König explained, a lie, but he thought that since everything has been going well. He gets to share music with you, find out a band you both like, now he’s testing it further, see his limits.

Eyebrows furrowing when his eyes shifted back down at you next to him. Ghost froze when he sees his comrade resting his head against your shoulder. He was practically cuddling you! Well that’s that Ghost saw. He decided enough was enough and he had to fight back.

Tapping your shoulder to get your attention, he spoke in a softer tone.

“What’re ya’ listening to?” Ghost usually took interest in whatever you were doing, but not in your music. It took you by surprise, but you were more than happy to share your taste with him.

“Rob Zombie. You know him?” Shark asked, hoping that he heard of him or that he’s into that kind of music. But even if he wasn’t known for his music, he still directed good movies. So hopefully he’s the type to be into that.

“Never. Could I listen?” Ghost asked, not really thinking straight when he did. Hoping that he could get closer to you, or find out more about you and your interests that he can later look into and research.

It would be weird if you said yes, cause there’s only two ear buds and the other if with König. If you gave him your earbud you wouldn’t be listening to music with either of them.

But if you said no, it would seem like you were favoring König over him. Too awkward to explain to that you couldn’t. You nodded handing him your bud.

Since he was also quite tall he didn’t hunch over like König did. Instead, he slide to the side to get closer to you since in his mind he wouldn’t wanna stretch the wire of the ear buds, and in a subtle way get physical closer to you. His arm on the car seat, around you, while his side was pressed up against you. Practically smothering you with his strong chest.

Now there you were, sat in between two men who thought were sharing music with you but were really sharing music with each other. But neither of them realized it.

Every so often Ghost or König would make a comment or ask a question about the song that’s playing, so you had to make up an answer as to not make it awkward.

—

Extra:

Both froze in place when a certain song played on the cassette. One song that you forgot you had on there, CPR by Cupcakke. But since it was only Ghost and König was really listening to music, you hoped that no weird songs would play.

‘I’m here to give you customer service. I save d— by giving it CPR’

They both, at the same time, looked at Shark for a reaction to the song. But of course they both are unaware that their sharing musics with each other. So Shark acted like everything was normal and fine.

[deansapplepie]

Till THE DEAD do us part|Chapter 20

Chapter 19 Chapter 21

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Chapter 20: Feeling better D.?

Summary: Everything is good again in paradise and you tell Daryl about how you feel left out by him and Rick. All is well, but Daryl needs a little help.

Warnings: Smut, purely bad smut, oral (male receiving), needy Daryl, just that. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, 18+.

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Grimes!Reader (Rick’s Sister)

Word Count: 1,6 K

A/N: Worst smut I probably ever wrote, it’s your own risk if you read.

You laid on the small warm bunk, curled up in his arms, your head on his chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. Your hand that rested on his chest had now the fingers intertwined with his. He brought your hand to his mouth and kissed each of your fingers. You were already awaken at this time and you adored how he could be tender. You tilted your head a bit so you could face him and slowly opened your eyes.

“Good morning handsome…” You said a sleepy smile on your face. “What tender and nice way to be waken up…”

“ ‘morning pup.” He said in his raspy voice that due to being sleepy was a little deeper. “D’ya like it? I could think of other nice ways to wake you up…”

“I like it a lot, I like when you’re affectionate like this.” You kissed his chin, the hair on his stubble tickling your face. “Don’t you think it’s too early to be a pervert?”

“It’s never too early.” He replied, his other hand, the one that was hugging you drawing circles on your waist. “Did ya sleep well?”

You just hummed to say that yes, you had slept well. You were warm, in his arms, felt good and had no nightmares. You had slept heavenly. “Better impossible. And you?”

“Same. It’s always better when I’m with ya.” You scoffed. “Wha’?”

“It doesn’t look like it. It looks like you prefer Rick’s company.” You complained.

“Ya can’t be serious.” Now was his time to let out a snort. “Are ya jealous of me?”

“It’s not funny.” You pouted and looked away from his face for the first time. “Both of you are putting me aside.”

“Are we, babe?” He softly asked, his hand now running on your hair. He wanted to understand, even though this was really amusing and funny to him.

“Yeah. He doesn’t come to me to talk about what’s happening or about what he’s feeling. I’m his sister and we talked about it before, I thought he would continue coming to me, but…” you paused, it was more difficult than you imagined to talk about it with him. It was easy to complain to Lori, Carol and Maggie. “… instead he looks for you. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the fact that you get along. I just… feel left out.”

“He doesn’t want to burden ya. He knows you’re there for him, but he can’t help but try to protect ya.” Rick never told him that, but he knew that was it. He loved you so much to burden you, when you already had to take care of Lori and listen to what was troubling her. Also, he knew you were happy he was alive, but he also knew you felt Shane’s death. He felt Shane’s death, so Rick couldn’t burden you, finding a friend in Daryl.

“And you are always leaving me behind. We used to hunt and go on runs together, but now you both do everything together.” You complained. “I can take care of myself.”

“ ‘m sorry.” He truly were. He always noticed how you’d get upset when they told you to not go with them. “Nex’ time Rick call me to do something, ‘m gonna tell him right away ‘ ‘m only going if ma woman comes with us’”

You giggled. You were serious about your feelings towards the matter, but you couldn’t resist but laugh when he talked about telling Rick he would only go with you. “I like when you do that.”

“What?” He looked down at you.

“When you call me your woman.” You propped on your elbow to face him more directly.

“ ‘cause that what’ya are.” He said, and his gruff voice sent tingles all over you. You leaned in his direction and covered his lips with yours.

How did you end up so lucky in the end of the world? It was mystery to you, but you didn’t want to know you just wanted to enjoy the man you had in your arms. You kissed him passionately, soon ending up on top of him and what a surprise, or not, when you felt his erection right below you. You stoped the kissing and looked at him, your hand caressing his hair. “Were you planning telling me about your morning wood or were you trying to be romantic?” You teased him, his cheeks going red at the same moment.

You had become so confident with the time that he was proud and at the same time a little annoyed. “I’d… say it… eventually.” His face became redder, if it was even possible.

“Can I take care of you?” You asked, and did you even wanted an answer? Not exactly, but you liked to have some power over him.

“We’re… they’ll hear us. Forget, it will pass.” He said, reluctantly, didn’t even seem like the reckless guy that would ram you anywhere possible along the road.

You moved your hips one time slowly over his hard on, he let out a small hiss and you lightly spoke on his ear. “So, be silent.”

“Ya’re gonna be the death of me.” He spoke and he would have said more if you hadn’t moved your hips one more time against his and covered his lips with yours.

Oh, he was going to be death of you and not otherwise, because there wasn’t a day or a single moment where you didn’t want him, and there wasn’t a single thing you wouldn’t do for him, or at least you couldn’t think of anything at the moment.

You descended one of your hands to his clothed groin and massaged it, your hands delicately going up and down. Your lips left his mouth and descended to jaw and neck, while your hand still worked on him. He bit his lips trying to control the noises that wanted to leave his lips, his hips bucking against your hand.

You wanted to take your time with his body, open his shirt and kiss all over him, provoking those reactions that by now you already knew so well. But he was needy, you didn’t have so much time in store too, the possibility of being interrupted at any moment was there… so you simply shoved your hand inside of his pants and took his cock out of it releasing him from all the pressure and restraints.

You pumped it slowly but rhythmically, taking sighs and hisses out of him. “Pup, just do sumthin…” he almost begged, damn, you wanted to be mean and make him beg some more, but you couldn’t help yourself but do anything and everything he asked you to.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll do it… I’m taking care of you, remember?” You reassured him as you slid your body down on his and was now face to face with his pretty delicious cock. He would protest, he would ask what about you… but it was too late, you already had the tip of his cock on your mouth and he was long lost in words.

You sucked on his tip savoring the delicious flavor of him and pre cum. He threw his head behind, he wanted to see you, he wanted to look at you, but he felt so overwhelmed. One of your hands stayed on top of his stomach, you didn’t have any power to keep him in place, but that had became an habit of yours when going down on him. Your hand on his lower stomach, your thumb making circular movements while your mouth worked sinfully on his dick. It had a strangely soothing effect on him at the same time you caused such a pleasure.

Your other hand still helped you pumping him, he groaned and hissed. He tried biting his pulse to muffle the sounds, that was just so good. You licked his cock almost from the base to the top and then repeated it again and one more time taking him fully inside your mouth. His free hand went to the back of your head, massaging your scalp, it was so tender and relaxing that you hummed on him the vibrations from your mouth making him throw his head back one more time.

You took him more and more inside your mouth establishing a rhythm, a vicious rhythm that for a moment made you forget where you exactly were. You bobbed your head savoring and sending him close to the edge. “Baby, Imma…” He tried to say, to warn you… but couldn’t even complete his sentence as his orgasm came and he shoot his seed inside of your warm delicious mouth. You didn’t waste a thing, you couldn’t get enough of that man.

You helped him to pack it again inside his pants and gave him another kiss on his lips. “Feeling better D.?”

“Better? Damn woman… we didn’t even do anything for ya.” The poor thing was in bliss but at the same time still concerned.

“Who says? You know I love your cock.” You said, another kiss. “Also, you can always compensate me in the future.”

He was about to reply you when you heard a voice coming down the stairs. “Hey! Lovebirds! Have you finished? We have work to do!” It was Glenn. You cringed when you listened to it, both of you tried to be silent… so the whole block had listened, probably. “It’s not like this… my ass.” You heard Maggie in the background probably making reference to months ago when you were still back at the farm.

Both of you got up and prepared to get ready for the day ahead of you. You were making this place a home.

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Mdni banner by @cafekitsune

[waterfire1848]

Au where instead of trying to imprison them, Azula joins Zuko and Iroh in search of avatar

Hello, anon!!

Ozai still orders Azula to go and capture her brother and uncle but Azula decides against that because her want for a family overpowers her need to follow his orders. She thinks that if she can join them and capture the Avatar then her father will allow them all to return home and they can have something like the family they did before. When she arrives, she instantly abandons the royal precession and goes to find him, saying that she wants to join them rather than fight. (Zuko: Do you think I'm stupid? Azula: Occasionally. Zuko: 😡 Azula: I only want to help, brother. Would you really reject assistance from me? Zuko: Yes! Azula: You're so paranoid. I really do just want to help you, Zuko. If we all can capture the Avatar then we can all go home. You will be able to redeem yourself and have fathers love.) Of course, Iroh isn't a fan of Azula and thinks that she's trying to trick them, but he doesn't want to say anything yet as Azula hasn't done anything to prove that she's lying to Zuko. Zuko ultimately allows Azula to join their team and the three head out to search for Aang.

During their first few days searching for the Avatar, Zuko still hasn't gotten a clear answer from Azula about why she's decided to join him in his search. All he manages to get out of her is that she was allowed to leave and didn't just run away from the palace. While they're out in the forest, trying to figure out where the Avatar is and what their next move will be, Azula makes a suggestion to stop by a nearby town for supplies. Iroh, not trusting Azula at all, believes that she's hiding something and claims that Azula is probably trying to trick them. Despite her words, Iroh and Zuko don't believe her and don't stop at the town. Later the next night, Azula drags Zuko to the town while Iroh is asleep and shows him that there's nothing wrong with it. The siblings decide to take the night to get the supplies they need (yes illegally) and then return to Iroh the next morning. Similar to canon, Zuko decides that he and Iroh no longer need to travel with one another and that he needs to set off on his own. (Azula: With me. Zuko: Azula, that's not what on my own means. Azula: Yes, but you're crazy if you think you can survive out here without me. Zuko: I don't have a choice, do I? Azula: Not at all.)

The siblings set out across the Earth Kingdom, tracking the Avatar, and as they do, they start to talk about life in the palace before Ursa left. Azula wants nothing to do with talking about her mother but Zuko keeps asking her questions about the night Azulon died and the night their mother left. It gets to a point where Azula finally screams at him that she doesn't care because Ursa never cared about her. Zuko argues against this and says that she loved them both. (Azula: No. She loved you. She loved her precious little Zuzu who could do no wrong and deserved the world. What did I ever get? Glares and whispers of 'what is wrong with that child?' Zuko: Azula, you know she never- Azula: Oh, but she did.) Zuko lets the subject drop and they get back to tracking the Avatar, eventually finding him on the run from a group of Fire Nation soldiers. (Zuko: How well can you fight in a mask and black suit?) The siblings stop the soldiers from taking them but Zuko is injured in the process of protecting Azula from a soldier's fireball. Azula gets the chance to grab Aang and run but decides to take her brother away somewhere where he can rest.

When Zuko comes to, he finds Azula making soup and looking over maps of the Earth Kingdom. He's shocked that she's helping him out but Azula tells him that he's more useful to her on his feet than lying on the ground somewhere and that next time he needs to stay more alert. She tells him that she suspects the Avatar is heading to a nearby rock quarry to train with his earthbending master and then will head through the forest next to Chameleon Bay to get to Ba Sing Se. (Zuko: Ba Sing Se? Why would he go there? Azula: It's a safe place for him to train with his earthbender and waterbender and for them to make more moves. Logically, it makes the most sense. Zuko: Then let's go-ugh! Azula: You're in no condition to go anywhere. We'll head to Ba Sing Se together once you're better. I already found a town nearby where I can steal some passports to get us into the city. Once we're inside it'll be easy to find the Avatar. Zuko:... Azula: You're thinking about uncle, aren't you? Zuko: Once we get into the city, it'll be hard to get out or send uncle a letter. What do we do if we need to find him? Azula: I wouldn't worry. Uncle Fatso has a habit of turning up. Zuko: Azula- Azula, handing him a bowl of soup: Just eat. The sooner you feel better, the sooner we can get moving.) Zuko also learns that day that Azula is not a good cook.

While Zuko and Azula are heading to Ba Sing Se, they run into Iroh once more who joins them into the city. There's still some obvious bad blood between Iroh and Azula but the two put it aside to focus on their main objective. Later, the three sneak into Ba Sing Se with their fake passports but become stuck in the lower ring and unable to get to the upper ring. The only way up there is to pay for a ticket which costs money that the two don't have. The siblings and Iroh get jobs at a local tea shop. (Azula: I still don't understand why we don't sneak up to the upper ring at night. Zuko: We'll get caught. We can't climb those walls. Azula: Then we'll hide on the train or something. There must be a better option than this. Zuko: Don't worry. Soon we'll have the Avatar and we'll all go home. Azula: Home.) When Jet gets captured, Long Feng doesn't simply ignore what he's saying and has a Dai Li agent watching the siblings and Iroh where they confirm that the three are from the Fire Nation. Long Feng decides to wait until they have an opening. Throughout this entire time, Azula has never told Zuko or Iroh that Ozai sent her to capture them because he believes them to be traitors now. When they get word that the Avatar is so close, Azula decides to tell Zuko about what her true mission was. Of course he doesn't take it well (despite Azula telling him that she could have easily captured him whenever she wanted but didn't because she really does want Zuko and Iroh, or at least Zuko, to be part of the family again) and decides to try capturing Aang all on his own which leads him to finding Appa. When Iroh leaves to confront him, a few Dai Li agents go to the house and kidnap Azula. The Gaang hear a knock on their door a few hours after Long Feng is kidnapped. (Aang: ZUKO!?! Zuko: We need your help.)

[mcytadventevent]

justabookworm39 is creating for Day Seven:

Prompt: Gift Exchange

Her piece is written, featuring Lizzie, Scar, and Jimmy!

Credit Links:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm39

(Piece under the cut!)

Lizzie beamed as she opened the front door. “Hi, Scar!”

“Well, hello there!” Scar stepped inside, resting his cane against the wall so he could close his umbrella. It wasn’t quite cold enough for snow yet, so it was just a chilly, soggy rain. Not great to drive in. But a good excuse to stay inside.

Lizzie had a paint-stained blue jacket on, half-zipped, and a pair of ripped jeans. Scar recognized them as the ones she’d tore while crawling behind the bird cages at work. Evidently she didn’t care about getting them any messier.

“We’ve got everything almost set up.” Lizzie led Scar through her apartment. “Jimmy’s already looking through the ornaments, so you might wanna hurry before he picks the best ones.”

“Help?”

Both stopped in the doorway to the living room. Scar had to stifle a laugh.

Jimmy was sitting on the floor, hands and sweatshirt covered in dark green paint and a pitiful look on his face. The offending bottle was sitting on top of a loose piece of notepaper, paint still dripping down the sides.

“Jimmy–” Lizzie started. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “It’s okay. Scar, can you pass him the paper towels? Do you have a shirt on underneath?”

Jimmy nodded. He waited for Scar to hand him the paper towel roll, wiping his hands before he peeled his sweatshirt off. Lizzie took the paint-stained bundle–with a few more fingerprints from what was left on his hands–and hurried off to the washing machine.

“Bad start,” Jimmy muttered.

“D’aw, don’t worry.” Scar patted Jimmy on the back as he sat down. “It’s not the dumbest thing I’ve seen. Why, I once had to help Lizzie rinse glitter out of her eye.”

“I heard that!”

Scar snickered to himself, and Jimmy grinned.

“Now,” Scar continued. His voice dropped, and he whispered, “I know you weren’t just looking for a present for Grian the other day.”

The tiny wings framing Jimmy’s face fluttered nervously. “What do you mean?”

“You wanted to get Lizzie something, didn’t you?”

Jimmy froze for a moment, eyes wide. Then he leaned in and hissed, “Don’t tell her, alright?!”

“Alright, alright, don’t worry.” Scar tilted his head. “Though I think it’s gonna be a little hard with her sitting here.”

“Yeah, I’ll… I’ll figure it out.” Jimmy waved his hand dismissively.

“Any ideas?”

“No.” Jimmy sounded in pain as he grabbed the cardboard box sitting across from them. “There’s too many options! And I’ve never done this before, and I want to get it right!”

Tipping the box, Scar saw the haul of do-it-yourself Christmas ornaments. Lizzie was the sort to hoard holiday crafts and decor as they went out-of-season and dropped in price. She still had a massive tote bag of tiny foam pumpkins she’d bought three years ago. So when he’d bumped into the two at the craft store, trying to find something Jimmy could buy or make for his older brother, Scar had asked if Lizzie still had any Christmas stuff.

She most certainly did. There were several different shapes, sizes, and materials–wood, ceramic, paper mache; some were flat, and others were three-dimensional shapes; they ranged from simple circles to full silhouetted scenes…

Yeah. Scar understood the overwhelm. Especially for someone who’d just now heard of Christmas. Thank the stars she hadn’t picked up anything new.

Lizzie reentered the room, dusting her hands off. “Alright, gave that a quick soak to get the paint loose, and it should all wash out!”

Jimmy was still staring down the box of ornaments. Lizzie hummed with concern. “Tell you what: there’s a buncha wooden snowflakes in there. I was thinking about using them to spruce up Critter City for the holidays, if you want to start by decorating those? Just as a warm-up?”

“Really?” Jimmy looked up. “I mean– y’know, I don’t wanna take your whole stash, but…” He trailed off, while Lizzie plopped down on the floor next to him.

“It’s not a big deal! I might never have gotten around to painting all of ‘em myself anyways.” Lizzie dug through the box, eventually retrieving a plastic pack with a dozen ornaments. There was no hole to thread a hanger through, but a bundle of silver cord was included in the package.

“Alright then!” Jimmy took the package from Lizzie, while Lizzie laid out a few paper plates as rests and palettes.

“I’ve got a ton of different paints here,” Lizzie explained. “Plus I’ve got a few funky top-coats?”

“Like what?” Jimmy asked.

“Well, this stuff has glitter in it; these reflect different colors depending on what angle you hold it–though it really only works on dark colors–I’ve got this really cool stuff with the holo flecks in it…”

Scar, meanwhile, just grabbed the first thing his hand found in the box. He ended up with a diamond shape made from paper mache, a gold thread loop sticking out the top. He grabbed a few bottles of blue paint, a paper plate, and a brush.

Really, he was just here for the company. He liked Lizzie’s idea of decorating the small-animals hall at the gardens they worked for, but he didn’t want to step in the middle of her project. (Even though she was letting Jimmy do exactly that.) And between the disability, the cat, and the living-alone-thing, Scar didn’t really do all that much for the holidays at home.

It was fine! He wouldn’t say it was a sore spot for him. He just didn’t see the reason for him, specifically, to go through all the effort when it was just himself and Jellie. So it wasn’t like he had anywhere to put Christmas ornaments.

But he didn’t mind. Half of Lizzie’s non-work friend group was out of town for December. Jimmy only had his brother and enough other friends to count on one hand. This was probably healthy for all three of them.

“Oh!” Lizzie grabbed a sponge-tipped tool from the tray with the paintbrushes. “Here, Scar. If you’re trying to get that base color down, the sponge will go faster, especially with all the flat sides.”

“Oh, thank you!” Scar dabbed the sponge in the lightest shade of blue. He figured he would alternate depending on the sides: light on the bottom and dark on the top, then dark on the bottom and light on the top…

It was a struggle, trying to hold the ornament without dropping it or smudging the paint. Partway through, Scar realized he didn’t have any way to put it down to dry. So he just held it carefully, tuning in to what the other two were doing.

Jimmy was applying a layer of gold to one of the ornaments, tongue sticking out slightly as he concentrated. Lizzie had a ceramic one shaped like a stocking, and she had several colors sitting next to her as she applied the first coat of lavender.

“Oh.” Jimmy froze mid-stroke. “Uh, Lizzie? I think I did something wrong.”

“Hm?” Lizzie leaned over, looking at the snowflake he was working on. “It looks fine, Jimmy.”

“It’s green?!”

“Yeah? Oh!” Lizzie grabbed a bottle. “You were using this stuff, right? That’s the color shift!”

“What’s that?” Jimmy’s brow was furrowed, still worried he’d made a mistake. 

“Look, if you move it back and forth–” Lizzie picked the snowflake up at the edges. Scar couldn’t really see it from where he sat, but Jimmy’s eyes widened. “It kinda switches between yellow and green! I’ve got a whole bunch of these. Most of them just have a gold flash, but there’s a few with cooler colors, too.”

“Oh my stars!” Jimmy carefully took the snowflake back, tilting it back and forth, mesmerized.

“Could you give me some of the shifty stuff, Lizzie?” Scar asked. “Maybe a few dots of that on this one…”

“Sure! Hm…” She grabbed a blue bottle with a purple sheen. “This work? It kinda matches what you had going.”

“That’s perfect!”

“Wait!” Jimmy yelled as the bottle changed hands. Scar froze with it. “Do you have anything else like that one? With the purple or the blue, or maybe a green?”

“Let’s seeeee…” Lizzie dragged the big bin of paints over.

“Grian?” Scar asked simply.

Jimmy nodded enthusiastically. “That’s definitely a ‘Grian’ thing, right?”

“You are so right. And maybe a little bit of the gold as details?”

“Yeah!”

“If you want,” Lizzie added, “Jimmy, you can grab one of the fancier snowflakes with the cut-out details for your brother. They’re a little bigger, too.”

“Yes!” Jimmy dug through the box, while Lizzie dropped a few more paint bottles by Jimmy’s knee.

“There’s a silver-to-purple and a white-to-blue. Those are probably good for the bottom coat, and then you can add the darker colors on top.”

Jimmy gasped, nearly tipping the box over into his lap. “Ooh, wait!” He balanced the box, then pulled out an ornament. His face fell as he sat back. “Aww.”

“What’s wrong?” Lizzie asked.

Jimmy held out the ornament in front of him, not looking at it. It was almost as big as Scar’s hand, with a little fan at the end of each arm. 

“It’s all bent!” Jimmy turned it over, and Scar could see how the wood curved slightly. “I can’t give him a messed-up gift.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine!” Scar waved his hand. “Gives it, uh, a little bit of character.”

“That looks like one of the ones I ordered online,” Lizzie said, shaking her head. “A few of them are pretty warped. I’m sorry, Jimmy.”

“‘s fine,” Jimmy muttered, putting the ornament down next to his leg. ‘I’ll just get a different one.” He grabbed the box, scowling.

“Hm…” Scar’s eyes landed on a nearby bottle of glittery white. “Hey, Lizzie,” he asked, “what d’you think is your favorite one of all the… weird paints?”

It wasn’t particularly subtle, but it didn’t need to be if the gift-giver wasn’t the one asking.

“Oh, definitely the holographic goop.” She held a couple of bottles in one hand. “It’s supposed to be like a paint, I think, but every time I’ve bought it it’s had a real sludgy consistency. But it’s still super pretty.”

“No kidding!” Out of the corner of his eye, Scar saw Jimmy look up for a moment. “Maybe I’ll use some of that on my next one…”

“Hey, guys?” Jimmy’s voice was small, but both humans immediately turned to him. His hands were still in the box, wings fluttering nervously. He gulped and mumbled, “Do y’think it’d really be okay?”

“Would what be okay?” Scar asked.

Lizzie smiled sweetly. “To use the warped ornament? Of course! Grian’s just gonna be happy to get a gift for you.”

Jimmy hid his eyes behind his wings.

“And I really do think Grian would find it neat,” Scar added.

“Yeah! And besides, it’s not fair to leave that little guy out just because he’s a little crooked, right?”

“Huh.” Jimmy shuffled around in the box, eventually pulling out a few more. “All three of these are also bent. Is it– Can I just paint all of them?”

“Go for it!” Lizzie said. Jimmy smiled as she added, “Do you need more paint for all of those? Fresh water?”

“A new cup of water would be nice,” Jimmy said.

Lizzie nodded, climbing to her feet. As soon as she left sight, Jimmy picked out one of the handful of warped snowflakes and held it out to Scar. It had a particularly crystal-like design, ending in diamond-shaped points on every arm.

Jimmy didn’t say a word, but Scar nodded enthusiastically. He could tell who it was for. Jimmy beamed, wrapping that snowflake in a paper towel and tucking it behind the box, just out of sight of Lizzie’s spot.

---

“Hm. Lizzie?”

“I didn't put those there.”

“That’s what I thought.”

The staff of Flower Fields Botanical Gardens had already done their annual gift exchange. Scar was tucking his various goodies into his bag, while Lizzie was snacking on the white chocolate-and-raspberry cookies Scar had made for her. But despite all of the staff and volunteers who'd signed up having handed out presents, there were two packages left in the break room.

Sitting on top of the coffee machine were two small drawstring bags, yellow fabric with shiny gold swirls. When Scar got closer, he could see tags with his and Lizzie's name scribbled on them, near-illegibly.

“Now, I wonder who these are from…” Lizzie sang, clearly sure who the mystery gift-giver was.

“Yeah…” Scar muttered, turning his package over. He looked up to see Lizzie grinning at him.

“You open your first,” she insisted.

“You're making it sound like a trap.” Scar fiddled with the strings, then said, “Let's open them at the same time then!”

“Works for me!”

It took a bit of fumbling to open the bag–somebody had cinched the drawstrings far tighter than was needed–but Scar eventually looped his fingers through a green ribbon. Carefully, Scar pulled his gift out of the bag.

It was a small, flat piece of wood, about the size of Scar’s palm, shaped like a gift tag and glittery red. Glued to the front was the silhouette of a cat, painted a warm off-white, pawing at a tiny star, carefully painted glittery gold. The back was painted the same red, with the gold used to draw a lopsided heart to fill the back.

“Oh, Jimmy…” Scar whispered. He cupped the ornament in his hand. There was no note from the gifter, but Scar was sure he knew who it was. He could see tiny spots where the paint had run over from the foreground pieces to the background, but it was rather well-done for a beginner. He could only imagine how hard Jimmy had worked on it.

“Scar, look!” Lizzie’s voice was an excited hiss. She was holding the exact ornament Scar had guessed Jimmy would give her. It was painted a soft pink, covered in a few layers of the holo-flake topcoat, and with a small silver rhinestone in the center. The whole thing hung from a metallic black cord, looped through one of the holes that finished each arm of the snowflake. It spun freely as Lizzie pinched the cord in her fingers, which was probably why both sides were decorated.

“Was this his plan the whole time?” Scar wondered aloud.

“Well, it was in your case!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah! That’s why he and I were at the store in the first place.” Lizzie looked over Scar’s shoulder, then smirked. “I can see you, y’know!”

Scar heard a soft chirp. He spun around, catching sight of a tiny yellow bird watching them from the outside windowsill. The bird picked up a tiny satchel in its beak and spread its wings.

“Now hold on!” Scar yelled after the bird, who took off as quickly as he was spotted.

Lizzie laughed. “Aw, c’mon. Probably out by the plum tree, right?”

“Yeah, that’s one of his favorite spots.” Scar grabbed his jacket, buttoning it halfway as he flung the door open.

They found not a bird, but a young man under the branches of the big plum tree outside the main building. Judging by the way he wobbled, Jimmy has just retaken his human form. He rubbed the back of his neck, watching as the two of them approached. “You like ‘em?”

“You little rascal– of course we like them!” Scar threw his arms around Jimmy, earning a startled cheep as they swayed back and forth.

“These are so sweet!” Lizzie swung hers a bit, watching as the glitter caught the afternoon sun. “When’d you even get this done?”

“Well, I had to be sneaky ‘bout it!” Jimmy said, smiling as Scar put him down.

Lizzie had helped Jimmy thin the holo-goop to a paintable state with some varnish, but seemingly hadn’t given a second thought to where he planned to use it. Not that Scar could judge–he didn’t even remember seeing anything with a cat on it!

“We maaay have actually picked up a few things at the craft store,” Lizzie said. She must’ve seen, either now or a moment ago, Scar confusion. “He flew back in late that night to work on yours.”

“I kinda wanted to paint it to look like Jellie,” Jimmy added softly. “But I didn’t want to mess it up. Maybe next time?”

“It’s still adorable either way, big man!” Scar poked Jimmy’s cheek, earning a tiny smile. He stepped back, cane jingling as it tapped the pathway.

Jimmy's eyes darted down, and he gasped and leaned in towards Scar's cane. “What's this?!”

He was staring at the little, ornate key-shaped charm hanging on the loop that attached the wrist strap. Lizzie had specifically chosen it on the grounds that it was both durable enough to get whacked around and small enough to not be distracting or intrusive.

“Oh, this?” Scar glanced to the side. “I think someone else would do a better job explaining, right?” As he said that, Lizzie dug through her purse for the right bag.

Jimmy didn't seem to notice at first, tilting his head and looking at Scar like a confused puppy.

“Surprise!”

Jimmy startled, jumping back upright as Lizzie yelled. She held out a small paper gift bag with tissue peeking out the top. “Happy holidays, Jimmy!”

Jimmy took it slowly, unsurely. He reached into the bag, picking through until he pulled out Lizzie’s gift. It was a heart-shaped bottle filled with tiny dark purple-and-pink beads. As Jimmy turned it over, Scar could see sparkly white pompoms, like clouds against a sunset. The stopper had a short gold chain attached, ending in a clasp big enough to secure it to Jimmy’s bag.

“You said anything on the outside of your bag shrinks with it,” Lizzie said. “So that should fit whether you’re walking or flying with it!”

“I…” Jimmy ran the chain through his fingers, watching the charm sway and shimmer. He seemed entranced for a moment, before he cupped the charm in his palm and held it to his chest. He smiled at Lizzie, eyes shimmering as if he might cry. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Aw, I’m glad you like it!” Lizzie threw her arms around Jimmy’s shoulders. With his hands full, Jimmy just leaned into the hug, nuzzling his face against her scarf. She giggled and ruffled his hair.

Scar had stepped away to give the two some space, but they were pulled out of it by beat-up rubber hitting cold asphalt. Lizzie stepped back, dramatically rolling her eyes and saying, “Yeah, yeah, you’re on your way to one-up me, aren’t you?!”

“I’m not trying to one-up you–” Scar yelled, waving his cane in mock-annoyance.

“You brought food!”

“And you brought sparkly things! I think we’re keeping pretty good pace!”

Lizzie giggled. “Come on, Jimmy,” she said. “Scar has something for you too!”

“He does?” Jimmy sounded in disbelief. Scar paused in the parking lot, looking back. Lizzie was already jogging to catch up, while he could faintly make out the delicate way Jimmy lowered the charm back into its bag and took both handles in one hand.

The trio caught up behind Scar’s station wagon, where he popped the trunk open. It was cold enough that Scar didn't have to worry about things melting, even locked in his car all day, so everyone’s presents rode around with him until he had a chance to hand them out.

He pawed through the giant tote bag. There were only a few boxes left, including the ones for the fae brothers. He grabbed the one decorated with poinsettias and stepped away from the trunk.

“I wasn't super-sure what kind of sweets you like, and I didn't want anything that might hurt your little bird tummy–I couldn't use chocolate so you didn't get a hot chocolate bomb, I could've bought apple cider mix but it probably would've had the wrong cinnamon so I ended up making that from scratch so I hope it's alright–”

“Oh my gosh!” Scar had handed over the box without noticing, and Jimmy was fumbling to hold and dig through it at the same time. He finally looped one arm under the bottom, picking up the pack of strawberry-oatmeal cookies with the other hand. He moved to hug the box to his chest, Lizzie’s gift bag still hanging from his fingers and a twinkle in his eye. “Thank you thank you–!”

“Of course, buddy!” Scar beamed as he closed the trunk. He wondered about giving Jimmy the one for Grian as well, but decided he wanted to see Grian's reaction in person.

Jimmy took the lid back from Lizzie, who'd taken it while he was juggling the box. He replaced it and rested his chin on the box, smiling. “Man, you guys…!” His bottom lip trembled, and he turned away.

“Oh, Jim!” Scar stepped forward, putting a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. Lizzie rubbed Jimmy’s back, while Jimmy took a deep breath.

“Sorry, sorry, just…” Jimmy looked up at the sky, clearly trying to hold back sniffles. “Y’know, I’ve been given things before, but it’s never been part of this whole organized… thing, right? This– this feels special.”

“Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t have done most human holidays, would you?” Lizzie rubbed her chin. “D’you guys do birthdays? Do fairies even have birthdays?”

“Not as far as I know,” Jimmy said. “Guess I could ask Gr– Wait!” He twisted his body, trying to swing his little brown satchel to his front. “I gotta get back home before Grian’s done running errands! I wanted to have his waiting for him, but it’s still in my bag!”

“Well, hey!” Scar shook his keys. “Me and Lizzie are almost done, and I’ve gotta drop off my present for your brother too.”

“Besides,” Lizzie added, “I don’t think that box is gonna fit in your little magic bag.”

“Yeeeah, good point.” Jimmy drummed his fingers on the side of the box. “Do you wanna come with, Lizzie? I know you’ve never seen where Grian and I live; he gets picky about havin’ guests over, but he knows you’re alright, so it shouldn’t be a problem…”

“Yeah!” Scar clapped Lizzie on the back. “Now it’s your turn to fall into the tree!”

“Tree? What tree? You guys live in a tree?”

Jimmy nodded.

“Like in a fairy way or in a bird way?”

“Wanna find out?” Scar didn’t wait for an answer, just hurrying to open the back door of his car. “Go ahead and drop those in the seat, Jim. Lizzie and I have gotta finish closing up, gotta make sure the animals are fed, then we can head over to your place, alright?”

“Sounds good to me!” Jimmy carefully shoved the box into the backseat, then placed the paper bag next to it. He stood up, stretched, then cleared his throat. “And, uh, Lizzie,” he muttered, half-heartedly hiding his mouth with his hand, “If you need a hand with the critters–”

“Well, look at that!” Lizzie grinned in a way that made Jimmy visibly flinch. “You finally ready to go say ‘hi’ to Stew?”

“No no no no!” Jimmy yelled before the question was finished. “Not– not today! But… I think I can help with the stoats? Maybe?”

“Alright, alright…” Lizzie scoffed as she and Jimmy crossed the parking lot. “You know a fox can’t eat you at this size, right?”

“It’s the principle of the thing!

“He’s gonna stay in his hutch the whole time–”

“See, that’s what he wants you to think!”

Scar chuckled, shaking his head. He took a moment to check the sky–daylight was fading, and clouds were starting to form. Best they finish soon and hit the road before the weather got ugly.

All in all, though, he’d call ‘Project: Baby (Bird)’s First Christmas’ a roaring success.