francisibijola

[frogeyedape]

Holy fucking shit sending a wire to close on a property is intense

[daisynik7]

test drive

Pairing: ex-boyfriend!Eren x f!reader

Word Count: ~4.9k

cw: exes-to-lovers, a breakup scene (flashback) established past relationship, fluff, some angst, smut - car sex (cowgirl), blowjob, cunnilingus, face-riding, 69 position, sex with no condom, multiple orgasms, pet names (sweetie, sweetheart, princess, baby)

Summary: You’re moving back to your hometown of Paradis after completing two long years of grad school in Marley. In desperate need of a car, you’re surprised to hear from your ex-boyfriend Eren, who graciously offers you one.  Author’s Note: Had this in my head for a while, brain is a little fried at the moment, but I just had to get this out! Likes, comments, and/or reblogs are always appreciated! Header image found on Pinterest, mdni divider by @/mikeykuns.

“Eren, do you think we should break up?”

The two of you are in your bedroom, finished packing the last of your luggage before you fly out to Marley tomorrow morning. It’s near midnight on the last day of summer. The windows are open, and the chirping of crickets is loud amidst the silence of the night air. He zips your suitcase closed, peering at you, confused. “What?”

It’s been the lingering question on your mind the past couple of weeks, but you were too afraid to mention it. Maybe you were hoping that the thought would go away on its own. You didn’t really want to break up. You love him. The idea of being apart scares you, though. The uncertainty, the unknown. Two years isn’t very long in the grand scheme of life, but who’s to say you don’t end up deciding to remain in Marley for good? Eren has already made it clear that he has no intentions of leaving Paradis. Would staying together be a waste of time when the future is so unpredictable?

You bite your lip, nervous to elaborate, voice timid. “I’ve heard that long distance is really hard.”

He stands up, crossing his arms over his chest. “So? We’ll get through it.”

“Will we, though? I’m going to be busy with school, and you’re starting your new job. Plus, Marley is so far away. When are we ever going to see each other?” 

He stares at you as if you’re sputtering nonsense. “We’ll make it work,” he answers, definitive. 

“It’s not going to be easy.”

He scratches his scalp, frustrated. “I don’t understand. Do you want to break up?”

You stay quiet, contemplating. When you don’t respond right away, he says, “You do, don’t you?” He sounds like he’s been betrayed, which in retrospect, he has been. By you, of all people. The person who’s supposed to love him. 

Breathing staggered, tears welling in your eyes, you murmur, “I just don’t know if we can do it.”

He begins pacing the floor, voice increasing in volume, rightfully upset. “You don’t know if you can do it. Me? I’m all in. You’re already giving up before we try.”

“I just don’t want either of us to get hurt!” you cry.

“What do you call this, then?!” he yells, tears rolling down his cheeks. “This fucking hurts! Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling this way sooner?”

“I don’t know! I wasn’t sure! I was scared.” You sob into your hands. “I’m sorry, Eren.”

He’s shaking his head erratically, fists bunched in his hair. “I can’t believe you’re doing this right now. After all we’ve been through. You don’t even want to give it a shot.”

You swallow hard, wiping snot from your nose. “We can try it out. Let’s try it out,” you plead with him, regretting it. 

“No. It’s too late now. You already set us up for failure. Since you’re not confident about us, then maybe this isn’t going to work out after all.” He sounds spiteful. Daggers piercing through your heart in the form of harsh words. And while you struggle for breath, drenching the fabric of your t-shirt, you can’t blame him for reacting this way. You spent an amazing summer together, and the night before you leave, you drop a grenade like this. What were you thinking?

“Eren,” you beg, sniffling

“I gotta go,” he mutters, grabbing his keys, avoiding your gaze. 

“Eren, wait!” you shout, following him out the room. Down the stairs. Through the front door. In front of his car. “Eren! I’m sorry! I take it back!”

“Have a nice life in Marley,” he spits out, getting into his car, slamming it shut, and reversing out of the driveway without another word. Headlights reflect off the shimmer in your eyes, watching him leave.

That’s the last time you saw Eren. The next day, you boarded your flight to Marley and moved into your new home. You tried to call him, text him, even pestered friends and family to urge him to reach out to you. He never did. And all the while, you still don’t blame him for reacting the way he did. 

The two of you were happy. You loved each other. And when an inkling of hardship reared its ugly head, you ran for it instead of facing it. There’s no way you could have predicted that your relationship would fall apart. In fact, there’s many times that you’ve considered how much stronger the two of you would have gotten if you did stay together. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. If you had believed that sooner, you wouldn’t be living with this remorse. 

It's been over two years since that day. Life continued, though it was tough not having Eren around anymore. He was always your biggest supporter, the anchor that kept you afloat. Grad school wouldn’t have been as stressful if you had him by your side, but you managed to scrape by. You made new friends along the way while maintaining your relationships from home. Mikasa and you would chat regularly, and on occasion, she would mention Eren’s name in passing. You received little footnotes of his life through her, but overall, he’s a stranger to you now. 

That being said, you’re shocked to finally hear from him after that fateful night two years ago. 

Following graduation, you secured a job in Paradis nearby your hometown. For now, the plan is to move in with your family until you save enough money to move out. Unfortunately, you don’t have car. So, in an unexpected turn of events, you sit in the rear of a taxi, on your way to Eren’s. 

Eren: Heard you’re home and you need a car.

Those were his first words to you after two whole years of radio silence. After telling you to have a nice life in Marley. Of course, you were stunned when his name popped up on your screen in the first place, even more so to see his offer to help you. Most likely he was informed about your current situation by Mikasa. Nevertheless, it shocks you that he wants anything to do with you. 

You actually want to meet with him. It may be no more than a business transaction, but to see him in the flesh will be nice. Will it fix what happened? Probably not. It’s worth a shot, though, for some peace of mind. Maybe this is his own way of telling you that he’s over it, and that the two of you can finally put this to bed. 

So, you arrange a time to meet at his place. He gives you an unfamiliar address; it seems he moved out of his parent’s house not long after he started working. Mikasa had mentioned that before. What she’s never disclosed with you is if he’s been dating. On your way to him, your belly begins to fill with dread. Could you handle seeing Eren with another woman? Living together, happily in love? You want him to be happy, but with someone else? Deep down, you still love him. You never dated anyone seriously during your time in Marley. No one even came close to him. He’ll never get back together with you, not after what happened. In fact, you’re positive he’s already found someone, a person who will appreciate him and love him for all he is. Someone who isn’t afraid. It’s better he’s with someone else; you actually hope you see that today, so that you can finally move on. 

The trip takes over half an hour. You recognize the route being taken; the same one you would take on the way to Paradis University, where you and Eren met for the first time. During freshman year, Mikasa, your roommate at the time, introduced you to him. The two of you became fast friends, even faster lovers. The spark was there the moment you shook his hand, the moment he gazed into your eyes, flashing that charming smile at you. It was casual at first, no labels, no strings attached. Two horny college kids fulfilling their sexual desires exclusively with one another. Kisses and sex soon became something more, something special. By the time you were sophomores, it was official: he was yours and you were his. 

The driver enters a quaint neighborhood, pulling up to the front of a modern apartment complex. Once you pay the fare, you step out, inspecting the building. Eren lives on the third floor; each unit has a balcony overlooking the neighborhood, the nearby cityscape in the near distance. It’s a beautiful location and your curiosity gets the best of you. Who is he currently sharing his life with? Do they watch sunrises together from their grand view, sipping their morning coffee in domestic bliss? Should it be you instead? 

Before you get carried away with your imagination, you retrieve your phone from your bag, texting him that you have arrived and are waiting outside. There’s no reason for you to head up into his apartment, right? You’re here to check out his car; that’s it. You can’t help thinking that it would be fun to check out. For research purposes, of course.

He replies quickly, mentioning how he’ll head down to you. You take a few deep breaths, mentally preparing yourself to see him for the first time ever since your bitter goodbye. Do you hug him? Keep your distance? Should you say anything personal or keep it strictly professional? All of these conflicting feelings are fighting with each other in your head. There’s so much you want to tell him: your life the last two years, how sorry you are for the way it ended, how much you miss him. At the same time, you want a clean slate, almost as if you’re strangers meeting for the first time. 

As he steps out from the lobby, you freeze on the spot, dazzled by his presence. What strikes you initially is how long his hair has gotten; it’s enough to put up into a small bun, with a few stray strands scattered around his face. His eyes are as brilliant as ever, barely visible dark circles underneath from age or stress, most likely the lather; it hasn’t been that long. There’s still that youthful charm about him, though. That will never fade.

He's dressed in a plain white t-shirt and black sweats pants, an outfit reminiscent of his college years, laid-back and casual. You’ve always liked this look on him, always found it sexy. Too many memories of you stripping this exact attire off him, hasty to make love in the twin bed of his dormitory. You try to shake these thoughts away as he approaches you with a rigid disposition, hesitant and a bit awkward. He clears his throat before saying, “Hey.” His hands are in his pockets as he greets you. 

You respond with a gentle smile. “Hi.”

This is going to be harder than you thought. 

~~~

Two years. That’s how long it’s been since they broke up, since he last saw her. Two whole fucking years. 

Eren didn’t want to break up. The thought never even crossed his mind. He was determined to be with her the rest of his life, of their lives. That’s why he got so upset when she suggested it. They spent an entire summer together, perfect in every possible way, and she had the nerve to ask that question the night before the big move? Do you think we should break up? He couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. They were supposed to love each other forever. 

It doesn’t excuse the way he behaved to her afterwards. Instead of discussing it like a mature adult, he exploded, too caught up in the storm of emotions raging in his head. His ego was hurt, pride shot down, heart betrayed. Following that night, Eren was too ashamed by the whole ordeal; he thought it’d be easier to ignore it and move on. 

Move on. Yeah right.

He replays those scenes constantly. Her pleas of We can try it out. Let’s try it out. I’m sorry! I take it back! ringing in his ears like a broken record, reminding him that if they talked about it, if he had just turned around to work it out, maybe they’d still be together. They’d be happy. It’s the biggest regret of his life; not fighting for her and letting her slip away. A fleeting moment of weakness and fear leading to their ultimate demise. A tragic ending to such a beautiful story. Can they ever get the happy ending they wanted? 

He tried to date other women; it never amounted to anything serious. Eventually, Eren gave up on the dating scene all together, focusing his energy on other priorities like his career and friendships. He was hoping that one day, he’d magically be over her.

When Mikasa informs him about her move back to Paradis, he knows immediately he needs to meet with her. Seeing her one last time might be the key to moving on once and for all. So, he finally decides to be mature and contact her, under the guise of giving her one of his cars. In his defense, he’s been meaning to sell it anyways. He never could quite let it go, though, considering it’s the car he drove all throughout college, with her. Late night drives to Maria’s Point, holding hands and kissing beneath the stars. Fast food runs at their favorite drive-thru, her feeding French fries to him from the passenger side, cruising through the empty streets with their favorite music blaring through the radio speakers. Even the backseat has seen plenty of action during those years, the foreground to many naughty trysts away from campus. Every corner of it carries a memory of her; that’s why he’s been so reluctant to let it go. He still loves her. But that’s all in the past. This car will be the final peace offering that will allow him to move on. He’s got it all planned out. 

What he’s not prepared for is the rush of emotions that flood his chest upon seeing her. This is definitely not part of the plan. 

When he greets her, she smiles at him, the same radiant smile he’s yearned for the two years of her absence. One that instantly warms his soul. He does his best to maintain his composure. Keep it together, he thinks to himself, stuffing his hands in his pockets while he clenches his fists, bursting at the seams. This isn’t part of the plan. 

He kicks the ground with his heels, fidgeting. “So…it’s been a minute, huh?” He does a mental eye roll to himself. Did he really say that? Idiot, idiot, idiot. 

She giggles, and he nearly combusts. How is it that a simple laugh can ignite every fiber of his being? He’s a fool for assuming he could get through this unscathed. “Yeah. It has. How are you?” Her expression is sincere; he always loved that about her, how intently she listens, how much she cares. Even after their harsh breakup, that sincerity remains. She’s making this much more difficult than he expected. 

He shrugs, nonchalant. “I’m okay. You?”

She mimics him, raising her shoulders. “I’m alright.”

He chews his lip nervously before asking, “Well, do you want to check out the car?” Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan, he reminds himself. 

She nods, following him to the parking garage to his designated spot. Her eyes widen when she sees it. “You want to sell me this?”

“Yup.”

She inspects it, mouth parted, surprised. “Wow. The Titan.”

He busts out in laughter, amused that she remembers the silly nickname they came up with freshman year. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

She turns to look at him, eyes twinkling, lips curled into a warm smile. “How could I forget?”

He swallows hard, saliva thick on his tongue. Fluttering in his core, tingling through his fingers. The question stumbles out quickly. “Want to take it out for a spin? A test drive?” 

Eren’s aware that this is dangerous territory. The two of them, enclosed in the small space of his car, memories in every crevice of the interior. It’s his chance to properly apologize for what happened. That’s how he justifies it, at least. Part of him also wants to recreate their past together. Riding in his car, fingers laced together on the center console, singing their favorite songs with the windows rolled down, wind blowing on their smiling faces. It’s infeasible; he doesn’t even know if she feels the same way. There’s that tiny portion of him that holds out hope; she did agree to meet him. That means something, right?

She contemplates for a moment. “Sure. Can you drive, though?”

“Still the passenger princess, I see.” 

“Some things never change, right?” She gives him a wink before stepping to the side of the car, waiting for him to unlock the doors. 

He gulps, thrilled and jittery at whatever adventure they’re about to embark on. In the corner of his mind, all he can think is 

Fuck the plan. 

~~~

You weren’t supposed to get in it with him. The idea was to meet him and do the exchange, simple as that. When you recognize the car, all the memories you shared flood into your mind. You let your emotions get the best of you; you want one more special moment with Eren. It’s only fair to your relationship to end it on a good note, right? You weren’t expecting anything more than closure, which was what the both of you needed. 

He doesn’t tell you where he’s driving to, but he doesn’t have to. By the time you’re on the highway, you watch the sun set in the distance from the rearview mirror. You pass by multiple signs, indicating Maria’s Point in x number of miles, the amount decreasing the closer you approach it. The two of you chat, condensing all from the past two years into a half hour car ride. You describe your experience in grad school, he talks about his full-time job. It’s cordial, like two old friends catching up after a while being apart. Except the both of you are fully aware of the elephant squished in the backseat of The Titan. Neither of you mention anything about it.

He drives up the familiar hill leading up to the panorama at the top of the cliff. This spot of Maria’s Point is often secluded, which was perfect for you and Eren back in the day. He parks away from the edge, the last rays of orange and pink hovering on the skyline. With a twist of his keys, he shuts off the ignition and it’s silent. Suddenly, after effortless conversation, you’re shy, unable to speak. 

Luckily, he does. “I actually want to talk to you about something important.”

You snap your seatbelt off, adjusting to give him your full attention. His hands remain on the steering wheel, drumming his fingers nervously. “I’m sorry for the way I acted that night.” He doesn’t need to elaborate; you know exactly what he’s referring to. You’re caught off guard from the apology, so you keep quiet, waiting for him to continue. 

After a deep breath, he explains, “I blew up, and I shouldn’t have. I got upset because I thought you had given up before we even tried. But I know you were scared; I was too. Regardless, it wasn’t right and I’m sorry. For that and for avoiding you after.” He slides his hands around the wheel, dropping them to his lap. His eyes are forward, avoiding you. 

When he doesn’t have more to add, you respond. “Thank you. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have blindsided you. I should have told you how I was feeling instead of ignoring it until the last minute. Like you said, I was scared, so I ran away from it without even giving it a shot. It wasn’t fair to you, and it wasn’t fair to us.” He’s focuses on you now, listening carefully as you talk. “Just so you know, I never blamed you for how you reacted. I deserved it.”

He shifts his body towards you, shaking his head. “No, you didn’t deserve that. I didn’t even say goodbye.”

You blink away the oncoming tears from your eyes. “It’s okay, Eren. We can do that now.”

The stillness that follows is concerning. He studies you with an unreadable expression, contemplating. Then, he leans closer to you, elbow resting on the center console, his breath tickling your cheeks, whispering, “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

You gravitate towards him, lessening the space between you, gazing at his lips. “You don’t?”

“I never wanted to in the first place.”

Drifting forward, you rest your forehead to his, the skin-to-skin contact rekindling the spark that burned so brightly not too long ago. “Eren.”

“I miss you,” he confesses. “Every fucking day.” 

His lips graze yours, eyes watching you, waiting. Unable to hold back any longer, you kiss him, melting into him seamlessly. The two years of remorse vanish in an instant, and you’re transported in time, as if you were never apart. You touch your palm on his chest, his racing heartbeat thumping against your fingertips. He slides his hand around the nape of your neck, cradling you gently, deepening the kiss. His lips are soft on yours, prudent and delicate, careful not to overbear you. 

You pull off to catch your breath, clutching at his t-shirt so that’s it’s bunched into your fist. “I missed you, Eren.”

He swallows loudly, eyes half-lidded in a daze. “I missed you so fucking much,” he mutters, driving his tongue inside your mouth, kissing you desperately now. He drinks you up like he’s dying of thirst, the only cure to his drought. You match him, opening wider, swirling your tongue with his. His lips trail to your neck, sucking on the pulse point beneath your chin.  

“Eren,” you moan, running your fingers through his hair. 

“I love hearing you say my name. Fuck,” he swears, licking at the spot. He marks you on the other side, nibbling lightly at your skin with his teeth. “Did you ever think about me?”

“Every day,” you admit, eyes closed as he moves to your ear, pinching your lobe between his lips. “And you?”

“All the time,” he answers. He breaks away, cupping your cheek tenderly in his palm. “I’m still in love with you. I love you.”

Your breath hitches, throat tight with emotion, though you manage to utter, “I love you too.”

He beams at you before suggesting, “Should we get out of here? Go to my place?”

Tugging at his collar, you shake your head with a smirk. “I can’t wait that long.”

Understanding what you’re implying, he suggests, “Backseat?”

You give him a wet smooch and a nod. He chuckles, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Are you that needy for me, baby? Can’t even wait to go home?”

Glancing at his lap, the evident bulge protruding from his sweats, you scoff at him playfully. “Don’t act like you aren’t either. Look how big you are already.”

He grins, exiting the driver’s side and quickly sliding into the backseat, spreading his legs wide, hoisting his shirt off to reveal his chiseled torso. “You’re right. I’ve been waiting two years, please don’t make me wait any longer.”

You follow him to the rear, shrugging your blouse and pants off hastily until you’re down to your underwear. He marvels at your bare figure, licking his lips while you kneel beside him. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispers, scanning you up and down, almost in disbelief. “Would you think about me whenever you touched yourself?”

Nestled to his lap, ass sticking out, you nod, rubbing your face on the erection straining against the fabric. “I only thought about you, Eren.”

“Fuck,” he groans, mesmerized. He pets you, brushing his thumb across your cheeks. “Me too, sweetie. No one makes me come the way you do.” He lifts his hips to slide his bottoms and boxers down his legs, exposing his hard cock standing stiff and pretty, glistening with precum leaking from the tip. 

You’re salivating, spit coating your entire mouth, hungry for his cock. Without wasting another second, you swallow him, surrounding him in your wet heat until he hits the back of your throat. He bucks up slightly, thighs trembling beneath you. “Fuck,” he swears, trailing your spine, gliding to your ass. “Always so good to me.” He slips beneath your panties, teasing your entrance. “Can I fuck you with these fingers? Please?”

You nod with his cock in your mouth, slurping the drool trickling on his shaft, bobbing on him. He slides one in, then another, pumping them in and out of you as you moan around his dick. He wriggles inside you, stimulating your sweet spot, gushing on his digits with your first orgasm. His follows immediately after, his load spurting onto your tongue, guzzling every last drop of him. 

You release him, turning over so your head is resting on his lap, peering up at his face. His hand is between your legs, rubbing the soft plush of your thighs, smiling down at you. He teases your clit, flicking his wet fingers on it, causing you to whine. 

“You still like it when I play with you like this,” he purrs, watching you twitch from the pleasure. “My good girl always comes so much for me.” He caresses your forehead gently, toying with your swollen bud. “Can you give me another one, princess?” Too many times do you remember him pleasuring you, sitting in the passenger seat, you gripping to his wrist, directing his hand to your pussy. Tonight is no different; he’s just as relentless, tapping away at you until your creaming for him once more. 

“I need to fucking taste you,” he growls, slipping his fingers past his lips, licking them. “Sit up, sweetie. Ride me while you make me hard again.”

It’s clumsy maneuvering in the cramped space, but eventually, you get into position. He’s below you, slurping at your sopping pussy as you’re bent over his cock, licking the head as you stroke him off. The windows begin fogging up, the air sweltering and humid. Your knee digs uncomfortably into the cushion, the other hangs off the edge of the seat, foot planted to the floor. Eren manages to fit his impressive stature, one leg angled and stretched towards the driver’s side, the other laid across the backseat, enough space for you to blow him while you ride his face. 

“I missed this sloppy cunt,” he muffles, spreading his tongue on you. He spits, smearing his frothy saliva across your clit, puckered around it, sucking. 

Once he’s hard again, you beg, “Fuck me, Eren.” You’re close to another climax and you’re desperate to come with him in you this time. “Please.”

He laughs, lifting you off, his face glossy with your slick, covering his nose, mouth, and chin. “Whatever you want, princess.” He sits up against the seat, legs splayed like a throne for you to sit pretty on. You straddle his lap, rubbing your pussy on his cock before guiding it into your entrance. 

You both drawl out, “Fuck,” kissing messily, arms wrapped around each other in a snug embrace. You ride him feverishly as he fucks up into you, gripping onto your hips tightly, bouncing you on his dick. You’re both sweating immensely, the temperature in the car sweltering, but neither of you mind it, too concentrated on each other’s orgasms, too addicted to the high you’re chasing together. 

“Fuck, baby. I’m so close,” he groans, picking up the pace, his thighs slapping lewdly against your ass.

“Come inside me, Eren. Fill me up,” you whimper, pushing the hair away from his sweaty forehead. 

“Yeah? You want it? Take it then. Take it sweetheart.” His eyes are shut tight as he shoots his load, thick cock pulsing inside you. You ride out your orgasm with him, scattering delicate kisses on his face. He grins, gazing at you with a hazy expression. 

“What’s that look for?” you ask, booping his nose. 

“Nothing,” he replies, cheeks rounded into a bigger smile. He squeezes your face between his palms. “I’m just happy. So unbelievably happy right now.”

You place your hands over his, leaning into his touch. “Me too.”

You stay comfortably like this for a few minutes, Eren cracking the windows open to let out some steam. You joke, “So, are you still going to sell me this car?”

He chuckles. “How about I give it to you. I was going to anyways.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. It was supposed to be a peace offering. But I like this outcome way better.”

“Me too. But I’m not going to just take it from you. Let me pay you for it.”

He tips your chin to look at you, grinning wide. “How about you move in with me instead?”

“What?” you giggle, unable to contain your smile, thrilled by the suggestion.

“Move in with me,” he repeats, nuzzling his nose to yours. 

“Isn’t this is a little too soon, considering we just got back together?”

He stretches his arms out, relaxing into the seat, smirking at you. “We already wasted two years without each other, I’m not wasting any more time.”

You scoot closer to him, kissing his cheek, then his lips. “Okay, you’ve got a deal.”

[dixons-sunshine]

Study Buddy | Young!Daryl Dixon x Young!Fem!Reader

*GIF isn't mine.*

Summary: Your exams were coming up soon. While studying for your history exam, you offered to tutor your boyfriend. However, Daryl accidentally revealed that he's much smarter at school than he gave himself credit for.

Genre: Fluff.

Era: Pre apocalypse.

Part of the Shopping Spree, Hangout Dreams AU.

Warnings: Swearing.

Word count: 1.3k.

A/n: This sucks. I don't like this at all, but I really wanted to get some actual writing done, so I powered through. I hope you like this nonetheless.

The late afternoon sun was starting its slow descend beyond the hills. The birds' chirps were slowly being replaced by those of crickets, and the owls were making their presence known one by one. There was a lone pigeon resting on the bench outside your trailer home, but the unsuspecting creature was startled by the rumbling of a stopping truck.

Daryl Dixon got out of the truck his brother had unofficially given him, a shopping bag with multiple snacks and a few drinks in his hand. He slammed the driver's side door shut behind him before walking up the small steps into your trailer. Without even really thinking about it, Daryl walked down the familiar narrow hallway that lead to your room.

The sound of your door opening diverted your attention away from the history textbook that rested on your bed. An enormous smile spread across your face at the sight of your handsome boyfriend. You got up from the bed and walked over to him, looping your arms around his neck and pulling him in for a soft, tender kiss.

Daryl, shy as ever, could feel his face heat up at your actions, but he didn't resist. His hand that wasn't holding the bag rested on the small of your back, his fingers lightly gripping at your sweater. When you pulled back, he gave you a lopsided smile, his eyes holding a softness that he reserved only for you.

You smiled at him, your fingers playing with his hair at the nape of his neck. “Hey, handsome,” you greeted him in a whisper. “Took you long enough.”

Daryl chuckled and shrugged. “Sorry, sunshine. Got caught up at the store,” he explained, pulling back from your hold slightly to reach into the bag and take out a soda for you. “Got yer favourite for ya.”

You gently took the drink from his hands, sending him a look of appreciation. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

Daryl ducked his head in embarrassment, his cheeks taking on the colour of the red rose bush outside your window. “Ya might've mentioned it once or twice.”

“Well,” you began, popping the lid of the can open. “Then I definitely don't tell you that enough. I love you, Dar.”

“Love ya too, peach.” Daryl smiled a small smile, before moving to plop down on your bed. He picked up the textbook that rested on your bed and started flipping through it, his eyes skimming over the pages. “Ya already started studyin'?”

You sat down next to him, placing the can of soda on your nightstand. “Only to make flashcards.” To prove your point, you picked up the aforementioned flashcards from your nightstand. “I was just skimming through for good measure. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything important.” You made yourself more comfortable on the bed, adjusting the flashcards. “You ready to get some studying done?”

Daryl nodded. “How's this gon' work?” he asked.

“Well, I wanna see how much you know, so I'm gonna start asking random questions to see what we need to pay special attention to.”

“Alrigh',” Daryl shrugged nonchalantly. “Do yer worst.”

You smirked playfully. “I'll try my best.” You shuffled the cards, selecting a random one. “Okay, let's start easy. When did the Second World War start?”

“September 1st, 1939. Tha's when it was generally considered to have started. S'when the Nazi's invaded Poland,” Daryl replied with zero hesitation, absentmindedly twirling one of the loose threads on your blanket. “The UK and France officially declared war on the third, two days after the invasion.”

You looked at your boyfriend with raised eyebrows, impressed by the way he answered the question so easily and proceeded to answer two separate questions without being asked to do so. You knew Daryl was smart, there was no doubt about that, but you were still a bit surprised. Daryl made it no secret to you that he wasn't the best student, so his perfect answer to the question was a nice surprise.

“Correct,” you told him with a smile. “Next question: How many alliances were there in the Second World War, and what were they called?”

Daryl pondered over the question for a moment. “Two. The Allies and the Axis Powers, right?”

You flipped the flashcard over and read the answer, humming in approval. “Correct again. You're on a roll, Dar.”

Daryl shook his head, shrugging nonchalantly. “Ya ain't askin' any hard questions. Everybody knows the answers to those.”

You narrowed your eyes playfully, shuffling through the flashcards again to find a different question. “Okay, then, smart guy. How about this one: Which cities did the United States detonate atomic bombs over?”

“Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Two cities in Japan. The bombs were dropped on August 6th and August 9th. The US wanted to force the Japanese to surrender.”

“Okay, time out,” you started, carelessly tossing the flashcards to the side. “Please tell me again how you're not smart? Because those were perfect answers and you haven't even read through the textbook yet.”

Daryl shrugged again, averting his eyes to the bed. “Ain't smart. Jus' heard the teacher talkin' 'bout it in class. Ain't tha' hard to remember it. 'Sides, history is interestin'. S'the only class I dun' mind attendin'.”

You laughed in disbelief, looking at your boyfriend in wonder. “You manage to find a way to surprise me every day. I thought I knew everything about you, and now I learn something new. You're a history nerd.”

Daryl scoffed incredulously. “Ain't no damn nerd. Jus' 'cause I know some history doesn't mean m'a nerd.”

“Sure,” you started, sending him a playful smile. “So I know a lot about science and I get called a nerd by you, but you know a lot about history and I can't call you a nerd?”

“Damn straight,” Daryl replied, his tone playful. “Yer a nerd. Tha's one of the many reasons why I fell fer ya.”

“I love you, too, Mr I-know-that-Hitler-was-born-on-the-30th-of-April.”

“He was born on the 20th. He shot himself on the 30th, ten days after his birthday.” You smirked, and Daryl instantly knew that he had fallen into your trap. “Oh, fuck ya fer tha'.”

“My point has been proven,” you said with a victorious smile, leaning forward to let your lips hover over Daryl's. “No need to be ashamed of being a nerd. I find it extremely hot.”

Daryl hummed, his lips grazing against yours. “Ya find it hot tha' I know 'bout the world war? Then yer gon' find it really hot when we get to the Cold War.”

“Colour me intrigued,” you whispered, before closing the gap between the two of you.

Daryl's lips moved against yours hungrily. Soon, he gently guided you to lay on your back, hovering over you as his lips trailed down your jaw to your neck. You giggled, leaning your head back to allow him more access.

“You might be really smart in history, Dar, but I'm not. I need to study,” you told him.

Daryl hummed, but his kisses didn't cease. “Ya'll be fine,” he mumbled against your skin. “'Sides, we got a human anatomy exam comin' up soon. I suck at tha'. I need to get some studyin' done fer tha'.”

You laughed lightly, yielding to the desire. Well, studying would just have to wait. You had other, much more fun activities planned for the time being.

©dixons-sunshine 2024. I do not give permission for my works to be copied, modified, adapted or translated to any other site or platform without evidence of my given consent.

[chlobliviate]

Wolfstar Microfic - World

Words: 977

@wolfstarmicrofic

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

Sirius loved his job. He loved working with tiny humans. He loved being one of the people who introduced them to the world outside their home. To show them nature, read stories, and chat with them while they drew scribbly pictures.

The plan had been for him to go into politics, like his father, and grandfather. And great grandfathers, back further than he cared to think about. But even Orion Black couldn’t get on board with his gay son inheriting his seat in the House of Lords. So they swiftly moved onto the spare, until they pushed him to rebellion too. According to the last email, Regulus was running a vineyard in France and was stunningly happy, which made Sirius happy in turn.

Each year he got kids from all walks of life. Kids with two moms, disabled kids, kids in care, kids with more energy than they knew what to do with, kids whose passions were adorably wild for four-year-olds, like cooking or cricket. His godson had just started in his class and was proving to be a handful, as he knew he would be. Any child that was half James Potter and half Lily Evans, with a healthy dose of Sirius’ influence could be nothing less.

But when he got word that he had a student starting the school year a month late, he mentally assigned Harry as his buddy. Within minutes of having Teddy Lupin in his class, he knew it was a good decision.

He’d been in a meeting when Teddy arrived. He’d meant to have a chat with Teddy’s parent. Dad, he seemed to remember the paperwork saying, with a name almost as ridiculous as his own. Roman? Something like that. He’d have to catch him at the end of the day. His teaching assistant, Dorcas told him that the dad seemed as nervous as Teddy, but that he was cute and sarcastic. If she said that with a pointed look at him, he pretended not to notice.

Teddy let Harry show him around the classroom, the reading nook, the ‘pretend area’ that was set up as a cafe this week, the toy cupboard and finally their table. Teddy asked lots of questions and Sirius took this as a good sign. Better he ask than feel like he couldn’t.

Once the class was settled, working on drawing their house and family, Sirius crouched next to Teddy’s desk.

“How’re you getting on, Teddy?” He said quietly.

“Good, I think.” He stuck his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on drawing. “I only have to draw me and my dad.”

“That’s not fair!” Ron moaned from the other side of the table. “I think I need more Paper!”

Sirius chuckled, “But think how much your mum and dad will love this drawing, with all of you on it!” He’d taught Ron’s twin brothers a couple of years ago, and he knew for a fact that they had not produced any pictures like this for their family, so it would be a nice change of pace for them. He turned back to Teddy, “If you need help or anything at all, just let me know. There are no stupid questions, ok?” Teddy nodded, not looking away from his drawing.

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

Teddy was the last to collect his belongings at the end of the day, and Sirius helped him put his water bottle into his tiny backpack before they headed for the door. “Oh, wait! Your lovely drawing!” Sirius grabbed it off his desk. “I bet your dad is going to love this!”

“He does drawing. For a job!” Teddy shared, gleefully. “I want to do that.”

“Well based on today’s artwork, I think you’d be a fantastic artist!” He smiled down at Teddy, who beamed up at him. “Come on, let’s go find your dad.”

Teddy’s Dad, who Dorcas was, annoyingly, definitely not wrong about, was waiting on the playground alone, looking nervously at the door. He visibly sighed in relief when he saw them and walked towards them.

“Dad!” Teddy ran towards him and was swept up into a hug. “Dad! I did art!”

“You did?” Teddy’s dad asked earnestly. “Can I see it?” Sirius held out the drawing, which he took and examined. He crouched next to his son. “You drew the new house. Wow! That’s so much detail, Teds. This is amazing. We’re going to put this on the wall in the kitchen!”

Teddy grinned at his dad, and then back at Sirius. “Thank you for Today.”

Sirius’ heart melted a little bit, “Thank you, Teddy! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you go and play on the swings for a minute, while I have a quick chat with Mr…”

“Black.” Sirius supplied, “Sirius.”

Remus nodded as Teddy ran to the tiny swings on the playing field. “Was he alright? No trouble?”

“No trouble at all, he’s a good kid.” Sirius smiled, “His art skills are so advanced for his age. I honestly wouldn’t blink if you told me a ten-year-old drew this. Must be genetic.”

“Ah, he’s been bragging about me?” His cheeks flushed slightly and it was possibly the cutest thing that Sirius had ever seen.

“Yeah, seems he wants to follow in your footsteps.” Sirius paused, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t ask your name.”

“Remus. Lupin.” Remus. That was it. Remus’ cheeks grew pinker. “Well, thank you. I was so nervous about him starting late. He’s my world, but we had to move back. My mum.” Sirius understood. “But it seems he’s... in good hands.” A slight smirk teased the corners of Remus’ mouth.

Sirius had plenty of single mums flirt with him over the years, but this was new. “I’ll tell you what, Remus. Why don’t I give you my number, just in case.” He dragged his eyes up Remus’ torso.

“Sounds good,” Remus said, breathlessly.

[dragonfirerogue-writes]

Can I please request a (fem reader x Jade West) where the reader has been living off energy drinks and is VERY sleep deprived, so Jade force-cuddles her to sleep? Thank you for reading my request. I hope you have a good day/night! :]

I Don't Need Sleep

Jade x Reader

If there's anything good about Sykowitz's classes, it's that he can definitely wake you up and keep you engaged. You can ride that energy through to the next class. For the rest of the day though, you had your stash of energy drinks.

There was so much you had to do and never enough time to do it. School, homework, your part-time job, chores, and preparing for the next day. Rinse and repeat. Sleep, for the past two weeks, was not on the list.

You trudge through the rest of the school day, downing three energy drinks in quick succession before going to your car and getting ready for work. Being a barista had its perks of an easy uniform. Changing in the car was no issue once you made your way. Too bad the coffee perk didn't help you as much anymore.

How you made it home was a wonder. You were so tired, yet the caffeine coursing through your veins keeps you awake. Well, it kept your eyes open. You were so out of it while entering your house that you didn't even notice your girlfriend, Jade, sitting on the couch with scissors in hand and what looked like a magazine in a pile.

"Welcome home, dear," she greeted in her deadpan voice. You jumped, fear and adrenaline waking you up. The can of caffeine in your hands flies into the air and miraculously lands in the kitchen sink.

"Jade!? When did you get here?" Your eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you here?"

The dark haired goth sheathes her scissors and walks up to you. With a quick yank, she grabs your arm and pulls you to your bedroom.

"We're ditching school tomorrow. You're ditching work tomorrow."

"Whoa, what?" You tried pulling your arm away, but Jade's grip was a vice. "Jade, no. I have homework and chores to do. I can't just leave 'em."

The goth all but chucks you onto your bed and rummages through your dresser to grab pajamas. Your eyes follow her in disbelief. Once she finds what she knows is your comfiest pair, she proceeds to throw them at you.

"I finished your chores today. Your mom let me in before she went to work." After a moment of you not moving, Jade moves to pull your clothes off. She laments that it's not for a fun reason. "You can afford a day off of work and the others can bring the homework we missed tomorrow."

When you're finally dressed, your girlfriend lays on your bed and drags you with her. You struggle against her pull, but in your current state, it was utterly futile. Even as she wraps her arms around you, the struggle continues.

"Jade, lemme go!"

"No."

"Jade!"

"No."

There was an immense amount of patience coming from Jade. Unusual for her on a regular day. However, she was worried about you. Throughout the past two weeks, she watched as her girlfriend shambled around like a zombie. Eyes gaunt with bags weighing them down. Hoodies and sweatpants rather than your usual fashion. Back hunched as you slouch during every action. You hardly paid attention to the ridiculous antics of your friend group. Your current lifestyle was running you ragged and Jade wasn't letting that happen. This was worse than Beck losing sleep over a stupid cricket.

Eventually, you stop wriggling with a huff. Jade takes a moment before saying something.

"You done?"

"... Yes..." You sounded dejected. Tired. Almost like you just gave up on life.

Your girlfriend turns you over and gently caresses your cheek. Your eyes flutter at the touch.

"You need to take better care of yourself. You can't keep pushing yourself like this."

You let out a soft mumble that sounded like a retort. Jade just shushes you. Her hand starts to run through your hair, causing you to let out a soft whimper. She pulls you closer, partly to make sure you stay, partly because she missed having you close. When you mumble again, it's incoherent. She just smirks and continues her ministrations.

Stubborn, you refused to fall asleep. You had things to do. If you could outlast Jade, you could probably get something done. But that all went down the drain when you hear Jade's melodious singing voice. The soft, gentle song begins to pull you into Hypnos' embrace.

Jade continues on until she feels your body relax. Your breathing evens out and finally, you were asleep. She smirks in victory and relaxes herself.

She was a damn good girlfriend.

[thatkippycat]

Hi! I'd like to ask for a Rocky x reader oneshot (female or gender neutral works), where him and the reader were childhood best friends, and still are close. Basically since he joined Lackadaisy, he's been talking the reader up, and telling the group about the amazing stuff they've done, and telling them about how he'd like to take you on this date, then laying out said date.

Basically, he's simping hard. Then the reader comes down to Lackadaisy for a drink

How it ends could be up to you. Maybe the crew asks the reader outright, or states that he likes them, or maybe they force him to confess. Whatever you feel is right.

Aye aye cap'n!

Rocky Rickaby x GN!BestFriend!Reader

A little tired today so I will keep my little prelude short. Hope yall enjoy!

     Today was rough. Work sucked, the rain sucked, etc.,etc. Everything was just...blah. Luckily, you had a surefire way of cheering yourself up.

     Rocky Rickaby was an odd guy, to say the least, but you grew up with him. You knew him better than most other people, and that made being around him for extended periods of time fun instead of life threatening. Sure, you played the straight man in this comedy duo, but it felt good. Plus, Rocky's a sweetheart. Well, at least when he's not causing property damage.

     The Cafe was empty, which was pretty standard. The crew was probably down at the bar. Maybe Zib and the band were playing. Maybe Rocky was up there too. First thing first though, you needed to dry off. It was pouring rain outside and you were drenched. Plus, you could always sneak something from the kitchen.

     After a while of drying off and raiding the cafe's fridge, you headed down to the Lackadaisy. Horatio was sitting down by the door. It was more common for him to sit down when business was slow. Oddly enough though, the door was cracked open. Horatio put his finger to his lips, telling you to keep quiet, before motioning to sit down by him. You were confused until you heard Rocky's distinct voice carry through the opening.

"--and then I'd take Y/N on to the bridge overlooking the Mississippi and serenade them long into the night. I'd get down to them and finally ask Y/N out, and then we'd cuddle by the tracks until the sun comes up and the crickets go home."

"...wow Rocky, that's, um..."

"Excessive? Agreed. Just tell Y/N you love them and stop going on for hours about how you would ask them out."

"That's not what I was gonna say Zib, but I do agree a little. Why not just make ot simple."

"Oh Ms. Pepper, you know I can't do that. I just have to wait for the perfect moment, and then..."

     That was...a lot to take in. You wouldn't deny that you did have some feelings for Rocky, you just weren't sure how to act on them. Although now, you had a few ideas. One definitely stuck out to you.

     Getting off the ground and dusting yourself off, you headed towards the door, shooting Horatio a sly wink on the way out. Carefully, you maneuvered through the entrance, careful not to make a sound. Rocky was too busy talking about you to notice everyone looking over at you. Luckily, none of them said a word, letting you get up right behind him.

     You tapped him on the shoulder, making Rocky turn around. As soon as you got the chance, your grabbed him by his lucky tie and pulled him in for a kiss. A mix of quiet cheers and exasperated "finally"s accompanied the two of you as Rocky wrapped his arms around you. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Zib handing over some cash to Viktor too, losing a secret bet betweenthe two. As your lips parted, Rocky leaned into your ear, and whispered to you.

"Y'know, I think this was better than my idea."

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

what is this jean/Jeremy/Kevin thing it looks interesting and the art is cool

oh boy oh boy!!!!!!!! i am absolutely going through it anon. so basically there is this book series called all for the game by nora sakavic that you should totally read (the first book is called the foxhole court -- but please check out a list of trigger warnings for it because it is very heavy and deals with a lot of serious and painful topics. i myself have had to disconnect for some of the scenes and come back when i was ready; its completely okay to do so, or to not read the books at all if its uncomfortable). its about gay athletes, guys just going through the absolute worst, the yakuza, fucked up families, a running game of how pathetic can you get answered in 15 different ways by each person, fucked up relationships, all not-so-neatly packaged into a completely made up fictional sport. (its funny because i am NOT a sports person and barely even understand cricket even though i watch it all the time, but i know the rules of exy forwards, backwards, and inside out. its that serious.)

i also need to warn you that the first book is slow. the second book is also kind of slow. i personally didnt have any trouble with it because im more of a character reader and aftg had PLENTYYY to keep me busy, but i think its a fair warning if youre sensitive to pace. however. the payoff is so incredibly worth it. its an amazing read with obsession-worthy characters, detailed and balanced plot beats, flowing and natural dialogue, very creative sports , and the relationships will make you want to reread it twenty thousand times. the romance is also the slowest burn to ever burn. if youre going in for romance at the start, you Will Not Get what you want -- but you will get it. i think we as a fandom focus on the romances a lot (im new so dont take my word for it) but its 1) because we're tumblr dont come and 2) because the romances and relationships are incredibly interesting to see through the lens of the books and vice versa. what i really love most (and youll see this in the ec doc) is that it feels like each and every choice was deliberately made by the author to make the book. like. down to the ice cream flavor they get at one point. especially with the sunshine court, i feel like i can see exactly where she made a choice and what mightve happened if that choice wasnt made. its intoxicated to read. it feels like breathing and it feels like drowning.

i just read the sunshine court (where jean and jeremy are more from) so thats what all the recent stuff has been, but you should read the foxhole court series first for it to make sense. i think tsc is 100000x times better and better written than tfc but you have to work for it lol. and!!!!! the author is on tumblr (@/korakos)! also if you do read it, please tell me!!!!!! you can keep sending anons or you can dm me or you can come to my house and live in my room but tell me!!!!! theres also an extra content doc (thanks @jeansyvesmoreau for sending this to me) between the series' (so after the kings men, before the sunshine court) that you should definitely definitely read. but im getting ahead of myself.

i hope that helps?? or at least doesnt hurt. if you liked the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater, i think this is a good step up. let me know if you have any questions at all!!

okay ive been normal for this whole thing, ranting and incoherent noises below cut:

ANON ITS SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD ITS SO GOOD. ITS SO GOOD. i told mel this but i cant possibly say i love these books because its not necessarily love. its not something i can explain but youll get it if you read it. there is a piece of my soul that was carved out, reformed, and then put back into me by nora sakavic. i dont think ill ever be the same again. i need a therapist who has read these books so they can understand exactly what im going through. each character was like a bomb to me. jean moreau is like a straitjacket. they mean so much to me. theyre nothing. i hate them. i need to feed them breakfast. OUGHHHHHHHHORGHEURGHEOGH. there is so much grief entangled with them but they are so vibrant and full of life it hurts. i cant stop thinking about them. i finished tsc yesterday and ive been sobbing ever since. i am dead serious. i cried myself to sleep last night thinking about one of the characters. i need you to know how real i am being.

i think if i meet nora sakavic i will probably kill her. just fully black out and kill her and not even know it. so i wont meet her for the better! but i need this to be out there. my fingers hurt from typing all this but know that there is MORE in my head. so much more. i am fit to burst with it all. love you anon thanks for asking

[that-gay-guy-from-hell]

As You Wish (Part 1): Vergil x G/N Reader

Summary: Vergil loses a game of darts

Beginning Notes: Saw a post on Tumblr about how much people want to touch Vergil’s hair, so this was born. Did this get kinda skewed? Maybe, but I like it--I dunno lol. For dart games, I only know how to play 301/501 and I kinda understand how Cricket works; so, sorry I used something so basic lmao 🎀💙🎀 Vergil x G/N Reader Unestablished relationship; however, the two of you being in love is obvious to everyone besides Vergil and you. You live at the DMC with Dante and Vergil. Stupid Fluff

==

     “Alright, I’m headed out!” Dante smiled widely, “Need anything?”

     “I’m good,” you reached up and ruffled his hair a bit, “Thanks though.”

     The red devil nodded, “Try not to burn down the shop while I’m gone..?”

     You clicked your tongue as you jested, “You sure you’re telling that to the right person?”

     The two of you shared a laugh as he walked to the front door, “I’ll be back later.”

     “Bye, Dante!” you waved as he left and left you alone in the shop’s foyer.

     With a delighted hum, you waltzed over to the jukebox, turned on a random track, and grabbed a drink from the fridge. A loud huff left your mouth as you slumped onto the pleather couch.

     As you tried to relax, you mindlessly wandered through your thoughts when a certain blue devil popped into your mind, “Mmn, wonder what Vergil’s doing…” a warm smile tugged at your lips at the thought of the suave man. 

     When the twins came back from the Underworld, you were enamored with the eldest son of Sparda. The contrast between the brothers was enough to pique your curiosity. As time went on, there was more than just your interest in their dynamic, something deeper than that. 

     At first, Vergil was enigmatic and frustratingly difficult. You felt he was purposely being insufferably insolent towards you; which he definitely was. After receiving a rather difficult contract, it was decided that said elder brother and you were to work together; much to both your irritations. However, as the two of you did more and more jobs together, you began to tolerate one another. Never in a thousand years would you have thought he would be your friend; let alone extremely cordial and, dare you say, kind. 

     Nowadays, the blue devil is always with you: in or out of the shop, recreational or job-related; it didn’t matter, he was right beside you. Admittedly, you found that Vergil’s presence had become extremely comforting.

     A distant part of you wondered if he felt the same about you; if someone like him could find the same unending solace that you do. If you asked the other members of the DMC, Vergil definitely does. It became a regular thing for the crew (especially Dante and Nero) to point out how personable the eldest son of Sparda is with you and how uncharacteristically gentle he is when it comes to you. Your smile grew as you toyed with the idea of your secret feelings being returned.

     “Where is Dante?” a serene voice pulled you from your thoughts. 

     At the bottom of the staircase was Vergil, standing with folded arms, “Oh! Hey- Vergil, I-” you stumbled over your thoughts, “Uh, What did you ask?”

     The eldest twin raised a brow at your jumbled words and dropped his original question, “Are you alright?”

     “I uh,” you shook your head and sat up straight, “Yeah, I’m good,” you set your drink on the coffee table. 

     Vergil squinted at you for a moment before moving to the fridge to get some water. Then he turned to head back upstairs.

     “Hey, wait,” you stood from the couch and Vergil turned to face you, “Did you maybe wanna shoot some darts? Bet I can beat you.”

     A small smirk adorned his lips and he upturned his brow as he responded, “Are you challenging me?”

     “Yeah, you can’t be any harder to play against than Dante or Nero,” you playfully winked at him.

     He shook his head with a small happy sigh, “Fine, I will be right back,” he turned around and headed up the stairs to his room. 

     You grabbed the darts from the desk drawer and pursed your lips in thought, “Yeah, sure, as if I have beaten Dante or Nero before… Vergil’s gonna wipe the floor with me…”

     Vergil reappeared downstairs shortly after, “So, what game do you have in mind?”

     “How about… uh,” you stood there, not knowing what to say since you had only played one type of game before.

     Vergil noticed your odd response and softly chuckled, “Let’s do something simple then. How about 501?”

     “Sure, that works,” you awkwardly smiled, “Especially since it's the only game I know how to play…”

     “Perhaps, if you'd like, I could teach you different games at some point..?"

     “I think I'd very much like that,” you smiled at Vergil and failed to notice the light pink that dusted his features.

     The two of you finished the first game rather quickly. Despite Vergil’s confidence, you weren’t too far off of his score. 

     “Wanna play again?” you were practically beaming, even though you lost. 

     He was standing with his arms folded and leaning against the edge of Dante’s desk, “I don’t see why not,” that’s when Vergil got an idea, “Why don’t we raise the steaks?”

     You raised a brow at the man.

     The eldest twin stood up off the desk, “Whoever wins gets to ask the loser to do one thing for them,” he had a large smirk and was radiating confidence, “No questions asked.”

     You flashed him a wide grin, “You’re so on.”

     The game was tense, to say the least. You were nipping at his heels the entire time and it was now down to the wire. Vergil had fifteen and you had twenty points left. 

     It was his turn. The blue devil had an expression that was akin to the slight frown of concentration he got during a fight; apparently, he wanted to win just as much as you do. In a manner both forceful and delicate, Vergil shot his dart. A triple fifteen. You could see the frustration in his eyes as he went and pulled his dart from the board. He went and leaned against the wall with crossed arms, carefully watching you. 

     It was your turn. You decided to shut your eyes, hope for the best, and throw your dart. Single twenty. A small huff of disbelief left your parted and upturned lips--Vergil doing the same. 

     With a large beaming smile, you turned to him, “Guess I win, huh?”

     He eyed you coldly.

     “Come on,” you slightly pouted at his reaction, “Don’t be like that.”

     With a soft sigh, he avoided your gaze.

     You walked over to the board with a slight spring to your step, “Now,” you pulled your dart from the board and looked over at the sulking devil, “About that bet~” you playfully placed a hand on your hip.

     He regained his air of confidence and folded his arms, “Best choose wisely, I assure you this won’t happen again.”

     “Hm…” you went to put your darts away in the desk drawer, Vergil following suit, “I know,” you moved to the stairs and beckoned him to you, “Come with me.” 

     The eldest twin raised a brow at your request but did as you asked. The two of you went into your bedroom; making sure to lock the door behind you in case Dante came home. 

     “Sit, please?” you gestured to your bed.

     He gave you a confused look but did as instructed.

     You pursed your lips and took a deep breath before moving to straddle his lap.

     A shade of pink decorated Vergil’s face,  “Now what, wanderer?”

     A small laugh left your lips, “I didn’t know you remembered that,” you draped your arms over his shoulders.

     “I remember many things,” Vergil cautiously set his hands on your lower back.

     “Oh?” you hoped he would elaborate, however, he did not.

     He gave you a warm smirk, one reminiscent of V’s, “Is this really all you want from me?”

     “Yeah…” you gave him a sheepish smile, “Is that alright?”

     “I suppose, although,” he gently pulled you closer to him and lowly whispered, “you could have just asked.”

     Your face became flush as you felt his head rest against the side of your neck, “Then can- can I ask you something else?”

     “Hm..?”

    “Would it be okay if I… touched your hair?” 

     His brow furrowed as he let out a laugh followed by a smokey whisper, “You are sitting on my lap… and you want to know if you can touch my hair?”

     “Is that a no?”

     He chuckled, “You may do as you wish.”

     With a joyful hum, you ran your fingers through his pomaded hair. Vergil was unable to hold back a loud purring from your tender soft touch. The blue devil nuzzled further into the crook of your neck, attempting to silence the unwelcomed happy noise. You knew better than to point it out, however, you let out a small laugh at his odd reaction.

     After a few minutes, you removed your hands from his hair. Vergil pouted a bit at your action as he leaned back. The both of you stared into one another’s eyes. Despite Vergil’s assertive nature, he couldn’t have been more nervous and unsure of what to do now.

     Slowly, you placed a hand on his cheek and thumbed over his soft skin as a loving smile adorned your lips, “Can I tell you something?”

     Upon seeing your half-lidded and warm expression, Vergil’s face became a few shades redder, “Of course.”

      “You’re gorgeous, Vergil,” you noticed his brow upturn, “I mean that in the least insulting way, of course.”

     He broke off from your stare and had a sheepish smile, unsure how to respond.

     You gently placed your thumb and forefinger on his chin, “Vergil..?” you turned him back to face you.

     His eyes met with yours once more, however, this time there was an odd shyness to them; one which made your heart flutter. The blue devil’s eyes occasionally broke from yours to look down at your lips. 

     Your voice was barely audible as you leaned in, resting the side of your nose against his, “May I?”

     With a low husky whisper, the blue devil lightly smirked, “Didn’t I tell you to do as you wished?”

     Carefully, you placed a sweet peck of a kiss against his lips. Before he could reciprocate, you shot back up from his face in a panic that you had just crossed a line. However, when you tried to stand, you found yourself flipped underneath him. 

     “Is that what you call a kiss?” he gave you a face that conveyed a mixture of confusion and light disappointment.

     “It is,” you pursed your lips before giving him a meek smile and whisper, “Care to show me yours?”

     The blue devil dipped down and connected his lips with yours. His lips were warm and oddly affectionate. A small moan left your lips as you felt his fingers dig into the sides of your hips. A smirk adorned his lips as he continued to give you slow fervorous kisses. The blue devil made sure to steal your breath and not allow you to break off from him. You took your hands and ran them through his hair, making him let out an unintentional moan. 

     Vergil stopped his kisses and pulled back up to look you in the eyes, “Careful, you might not like what happens if you do that…”

     You gave him a salacious smirk, “You told me to do what I wished, and right now,” you leaned up to kiss the side of his neck, “All I want is you.”

==

Ending Notes: Did Vergil let you win? Who knows (He totally did). Might write a part two that is smut. I don’t know. Let me know if you want to see that or not. Also ngl, writing smut has been kinda hard for me to get in the groove as of late, not sure why lmao.

==

HERE'S PART 2

==

If you like this please consider checking this on my AO3. There are extra chapters and my H/Cs over there, so please consider checking them out! Comments, Likes/Kudos, and shares are always appreciated! Thanks so much for reading!! :)))

MASTER LIST FOR TUMBLR

[deconstructthesoup]

All right, the Fantasy High DBD AU won (which, by the way, I'm calling Inevitable & Strange), so let's go a little bit deeper into some of the characters... *cracks knuckles*

Fig went to St Hilarion's in part because Sandra Lynn used to be a student there, but it was mostly because she found out that her bio-dad was working there as the coach for the girl's cricket team, and she even joined it so she could get to know him---hence, why she carries the cricket bat, even after she's dead. She never worked up the nerve to tell him that she was his daughter, though, and he only found out after she died.

Riz is actually a pretty well-known agent for the endless bureaucracy that is the afterlife, but after failing to catch a rogue demon, he got demoted to the Lost & Found Department. He's less of the "strict teacher" that the Night Nurse is and more of a burnt-out James Bond who's mostly just going through the motions. Of course, finding out that Ayda is an escapee from Hell definitely brings back a lot of the old zest for the job, and a lot of his harshness towards the girls stems from him genuinely believing that Ayda's a sinner and there's no way she could be there by mistake---and that anybody who evades the afterlife has to be up to no good. Don't worry, Riz's black-and-white thinking doesn't stick around.

Adaine is still the daughter of diplomats, though they of course have as little time for her as they do in canon---really, the only thing that's different is that they actually give her money, because it makes her "easier to deal with" if she can just do her own thing. Before she lost her memories, she carried a lot of anger and resentment about how her parents treated her, and did a lot of reckless stuff so they'd at least acknowledge her... mostly because, well, she knew that Aelwyn was a wild child when Angwyn and Arianwen weren't looking, and she figured that acting more like her would get her at least a little bit of respect. And when you throw psychic powers into the equation, it doesn't take much for things to spiral out of control.

Kristen... oh man, do I have a lot to say about Kristen. Before she was the Cat Queen, she was a girl living in Port Townsend just after its founding and a few decades after Kalina made her deal with Lilith. Kristen's family was incredibly religious and devout, expecting her to be the same, but she harbored deep doubts that only doubled when she met Tracker---who wasn't a wolf then, but an orphan girl who Kalina had just recently taken in. Kalina taught Tracker and Kristen the ways of witchcraft, and both of them took to it pretty quickly... until Kristen discovered how exactly Kalina got her power and youth from. She immediately told Tracker, thinking that they could run away together, but Tracker didn't believe her---and when she finally saw the truth, she confronted Kalina and got turned into her familiar as a result.

After that went down, Kalina managed to turn the people of Port Townsend against Kristen, branding her as a witch who need to be hanged. Driven by desperation, heartbreak, betrayal, and a whole lotta fury, Kristen called on Dream and Desire to give her what she wanted... and in an incredibly rare moment of them agreeing on something, they both blessed her with their powers and made her into the Cat Queen. Ever since then, Kristen's been a quiet little menace who takes Kalina down in smaller ways, knowing full well that doing anything major would mean that Tracker got hurt or worse---and she's lost all of her old optimism and hope, turning into a cynic who flirts with girls to keep herself distracted from her truckload of issues.

So, uh... yeah, that's what I got so far.

[jayzissleppy]

sweet over spicy

You're my water when I'm stuck in the desert You're the Tylenol I take when my head hurts.. inspired by best part - Daniel Ceasar

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

includes ; established relationship, non idol au, fluff overload, seongwha is head over heels for reader pet names: love, darling (nothing bad to be worried about just a cute fluff) 😵‍💫

a/n ; i wrote this on impulse at 3AM so please be nice to me on this one, this is also my first time publishing my work !

words: ___

summary: you'd choose sweet over spicy anyday, you couldnt handle spicy food or spicy interactions, and sweet was just your favourite oh, and how your boyfriend seongwha was just that...

"love? i brought you some fruit." the study doors opened and the room was now filled with the scent of fresh fruit and your boyfriends voice.

"thank you seongie, you didn't have to." you say looking up at him feeling guilty.

"i thought you might need some, you've been in here for 4 hours now, don't you want to take a break?" you lightly chuckle.

"i don't know, i mean im almost done with writing my draft for this week"

you thought that being an author would been easy since it was something you always wanted to do, theres some days where your cooped up in the study and some days where you dont write for nearly a week. sometimes writing a romance novel is worse than an action novel, the plotline, character development, everything its too much, and seonghwa notices that.

"y/n, thats why its called weekly drafts. you're supposed to finish it in a week, not a day. your overworking yourself, just please lets take a break?" seonghwa says tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

i mean an hour break wouldn't hurt right? you think to yourself as you push up of your chair to stand.

"just for a little bit okay?" you say while seonghwa smiles. "but not anything tiring love."

seongwha takes your hand and pulls you out the study and hands you your favourite hoodie and earmuffs.

"does a midnight stroll sound good?' he asks.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

walking hand in hand around han river, is most definitely the break you needed. the sound of crickets and the leaves blowing, it was relaxing.

"should we make a stop at a convenience store?" seongwha said swinging arms as you held hands. "hmm? i think i could do with something to drink" you smiled.

at the convenience store you and seongwha bought your ultimate favourite childhood drink, ramune.

bleggh.. "i dont remember it tasting like this you" said laughing. seongwha pulled his face as he drunk from the bottle.. "i think they.. cough .. changed the recipe" you both burst out in laughter. the laughter continued as seonghwa had hiccups and could barely speak a sentence without being cut off "should we.. hiccup.. get some rice crack..hiccup..-ers?"

you were almost on the floor in tears. upon leaving the store you noticed that there was a claw machine outside that had hello kitty and dear daniel, the most iconic sanrio couple other than kurmoi and badtz maru. you decided to quickly pull out some coins and try to win the plushies.

"should i help you darling?" seongwha said coming up behind you and placing his hand on yours. his hands were cold, but you didnt hate it. he used his hand to guide yours to the bag that hello kitty and daniel were inside, and within seconds the coldness of his hands filled yours with warmth. in that exact moment you though over and over again about how much you love seongwha. looking back at the time you first met, it truly was not a coincidence.

you were walking down the busy street of gangnam to get to your book signing event when you accidentally bumped into someone. your ipod played fell to the floor and so did his. you apologised to him and picked up your ipod before beginning to rush again. " excuse me, you have my ipod !" he shouted. you turned around and ran back to him to trade your ipods and laugh at how your both listening to the same song. "i see you like daniel ceasar too" he laughed. you smiled before beginning " i really have to run, but im really sorry about bumping into you, i hope the rest of your day is better" you said getting further away from him.

"but this just made my day the best" he whispered under his breath watching as you disappeared through the crowd, and luckily enough you ran into each other again.

you were taking a bus to gimpo airport in seoul when you sat down in front of him him. he watched over your shoulders as you looked for a song to listen too.

"i suggest best part by daniel ceaser" he said trying his hardest not to look like a creep. you immediately smiled when you saw his face and the ipod in his hands. he was hard not to forget, little studio ghibli stickers on it. "you have nice music taste" you replied putting the song on still smiling. "where are going with a suitcase?" he asked. "oh im leaving to japan for a few days for my book signing event."

"what books have you written, i might have one" he said showing the tote bag he had with him. "well i've written quite a few.." as you go on about the names of the books you've written you watch how his face lights up. "your her? the y/n?" he says shocked. you smile a little embarrassed. "im headed to the airport to get my book signed by you, because i was to late the last time." he said pulling one of your books out.

wow, to think that he would be a fan of yours is unbelievable i mean, he looks sweet, nice hair, gorgeous eyes... as you continued to think about every feature of his you realised just how pretty he was. to call him pretty was even an understatement.

"well i wouldnt mind signing one now.." you smiled lightly.

"actually.. could you also .. um.. could i have your number. not like a fan but i'd really like to get to know you sometime or take you out to dinner." he said getting embarrased and avoiding eye contact.

"id love that."

while in japan you and seongwha texted for hours, sharing the same timezone made it easy as well. and when you got back from japan he picked you up from the airport and took you to that promised dinner date. you talked throughout all the seasons, summer, autumn, winter and spring. the only thing that did change between those seasons were your feelings for eachother and the next thing you knew it was winter 2022 and seongwha and you were outside walking in the snow, planing to go ice skating, when he took your hand in his and spoke, "y/n its cold right?, but im not cold at all, my hands may be cold and so could my face, but my heart is warm and thats because of you. you've made every season have a new meaning behind it, summer used to just be 'summer', but now summer is when i spend my days at parks with you, reading, having a small picnic and when i least expected it. you were apart of more than just seasons, you invaded my everyday life. id walk past a flower shop and notice tulips and buy them out of impulse because they reminded me of you. i'd think of things that reminded me of you, till you were all i thought about. i loved the way your voice echoed through the back of my mind when i missed you most, or when i still felt the lingering kiss you left last winter as an 'accident'. well, if this is an accident i apologise but y/n, i love you, everything about you, would you allow me to be yours?" you would cry if you could, but you were afraid of your tears freezing. "seongie..i'd love that.. i love you" you say sniffiling the tears back. he placed his cold hands on your cheek pulling you in for a loving kiss. "thats not an accident right?" he said. you laughed "no.." and all of a sudden the coldness in his hands turned to warm.

"love?" he called out to you, waking you up from daydreaming. "i got the plushies" he said smiling and holding out the bag to you. you kissed his cheek "thank you seongie, you're too sweet !" you took the bag from him, as well as took his hand yet again. "lets go back?" he hummed a response.

while walking back seongwha suggested you sat down at a bench for a bit.

"y/n love, remember this?" he said pulling out his airpods and putting one in your ear as the melody finally hit you.

'I just wanna see I just wanna see how beautiful you are You know that I see it I know you're a star Where you go I follow No matter how far If life is a movie Oh you're the best part'

you smiled as you turned to face seongwha, stars from the sky reflecting in his eyes. seongwha softly sang along while intertwining his fingers with yours. "what should we have for dinner, sweet tteokbokie or spicy?" you looked at him intently, before leaning over and giving him a soft kiss.

"sweet, id choose sweet anyday"

end note: hihi ^^ i finished this quickly so i could focus on school so im sorry if this is a bit rushed, but i hope you enjoy! please dont forget to reblog to help me get more recognition as im a new! you may leave kind criticism !

[enchantedflameandflower]

Glimmer 22/? Billy Butcher fic!

Notes: I've been in a bit of a slump so please let me know if you're reading ♥

Tag List: @2dead2function @secretdreamlandmentality

Billy Butcher Master list

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

Addison sipped her pint of beer at a table in the back corner where she sat watching Annie and Hughie - they had challenged each other to a game of darts. Hughie was currently losing quite miserably, but taking it like a champ. Addison couldn’t help smiling to herself as she thought about what a sweet couple they made.

Idly, she wondered how they made it work. It definitely wasn’t easy. That was something she had to admit now. She wanted Billy more than anything else in the world, so why was it still so difficult? 

She stilled for a minute, thinking of Billy, of his worry, then listening to her surroundings. Nothing out of place. 

Still, she felt uneasy. She tried to shake the constant feeling of edginess that had settled in the pit of her stomach lately and wouldn’t seem to go away. Wouldn’t go away unless Billy was touching her...

She sighed to herself, drinking again. 

But then he’d bellow and rave and tell her what to do...and it just made her...it made her want to explode. She had worked so hard, for so long, to be okay on her own. Sometimes it felt like he wanted to take that away from her. She knew he didn’t really. He wanted to take care of her, he just didn’t know how to convey that without coming off like a controlling prick. And she was too stubborn and impatient to listen to what he was really trying to say. She never wanted to fight but when he pushed her she only wanted to push back. She had been on her own for so long. 

The truth was, she was just scared. Scared it wouldn’t work, scared he would hate her in the end, scared she couldn’t get stronger, scared she would just fail at it all again. Scared she might succeed.

Hughie and Annie came back to the table and Addison forced herself to smile. “Thank you for helping me Annie, really. I don’t know how much good it will do, but I appreciate it.”

Annie gave her an encouraging look. “You already know what to do. You just need some self-confidence. It’s all right there inside of you, all of it. You just have to believe in yourself.”

Easier said then done. Addison thought, and she took a sip, thinking for a moment. 

“I can feel it,” Addison murmured quietly. “I can feel what I’m doing, physically...I never did before. Or I didn’t pay attention. I almost wonder if...” she trailed off. 

“You wonder if...?” Hughie asked. 

Addison shook her head. “Never mind. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Anyway,” she changed the subject. “Who won?” she nodded her head toward the dartboard. 

Hughie looked to Annie and she quirked her mouth. “Guilty,” she smiled. 

“And I think winner buys the next round?” Hughie grinned. 

“Oh I see how it is,” Annie smiled at him. “Okay, be right back.”

They watched Annie head to the bar, then Hughie turned to Addison when she was mostly out of earshot. “Annie was really excited to help you,” he said. 

“She’s...amazing,” Addison smiled. 

He tilted his head. “But yet...you’re holding her at arm’s length. Why is that? Because of Butcher?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” Addison protested, gesturing at the table. Geez the kid knew how to get straight to the point. “What did she say? I never meant to be rude, if I was...”

Hughie shook his head. “No, she just said - that you’re... guarded.”

“She’s probably right,” Addison sighed. “I’m trying. It’s not easy for me, I guess. To make friends.”

He regarded her for a moment. “But I think this is more than that.”

“What do you want me to do?” she shrugged. 

“Just be you. The best you that you can be.”

Addison couldn’t help giving a soft laugh. He was always just so fucking earnest. “Okay, Jiminy Cricket.”

Hughie huffed dramatically, giving her a mock glare. “You and Butcher deserve each other, you know that?” 

Addison grinned. “I know that.” She rubbed her finger over a spot on her glass, thinking. “How does Annie deal with him?” she shook her head. 

“How do I deal with who?” Annie spoke up, setting the pitcher in the middle of the table. 

“Three guesses and the first two don’t count,” Hughie joked as he refilled each of their glasses. 

Annie rolled her eyes. “Butcher?” She looked to Addison and she nodded. 

“I think...” Annie looked up as she thought. “I think I can forgive him for all his bluster because...well because I understand why.” She looked to Hughie then, and Addison could see in her eyes how much she felt for him. “And because I know he loves Hughie. So that’s enough.” She took a drink of her beer then grinned. “But the real question is how do *you* deal with him?”

Addison couldn’t help smiling as she gazed into the amber liquid in her glass. Billy. Her Billy. She could deal with anything because he was hers. But she didn’t say that out loud. 

“He’s really good with his hands...” she quipped, then tipped her beer up to her lips. 

“Oh TMI,” Hughie groaned but Annie laughed and Addison shared a look with her. 

Addison promised herself she would try to work to open up more. It had been so easy with MM. Probably because he was so annoyingly persistent and she’d never had a choice, but still. 

“Can I ask you something?” Addison asked after awhile, looking over toward Annie. “Did you know? About V?”

Hughie and Annie shared a look. “No,” Annie shook her head. 

“Billy told me when he found out. I just...I couldn’t process it. I didn’t react well.”

“How do you react well to that?” Annie said emphatically. “I lost it, on my mom. I just...” she shook her head. “I felt so betrayed. I felt like my whole life had been ripped away for a lie. Suddenly it all made so much sense, why my dad left, the way he acted, everything. But you know, at the end of the day she’s still my mom, so...” she shrugged. 

Addison nodded, her brow furrowed. How many lives had Vought wrought destruction and misery upon? All of them. It was almost too much to bear

“I’m working on it,” Annie continued. “What about your parents?”

Addison swallowed. “Gone. But it’s for the better.” For one moment, she thought about saying more, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to. Not about that. Not yet. 

“I’m sorry, that must be really hard,” Annie and Hughie shared another look. 

“Yeah I’m sorry too,” Hughie chimed in.

“Well...I have you all now, right?” Addison smiled. 

“Cheers to that.” Hughie held up his glass and Addison clicked hers to his, both of them finishing the last drink. 

She did have them. And Billy. Who was waiting for her at home right now and suddenly she wanted to be back with him more than anything. 

She wondered again if they could ever make it work. This was the path she was on now. Would he leave her when he found out this was what she wanted?

They asked for the check and all she could think about was getting to Billy and she pulled out her phone to text him she was heading home.

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

Billy stripped his jacket off and threw it toward his couch when he came in to his apartment. ‘What in the fuck am I doing?’ he cursed himself. 

He dropped into a chair, burying his face in his hands. He shouldn’t do this to her, involve her in all this shit. All his shit. 

But he couldn’t help himself or how good she made him feel. 

He thought of the way her eyes lit when she smiled at him, the way she looked when she was teasing him, the way she looked when she wanted him...

He just would not let anything happen to her. She was in trouble now and she needed him more than ever. He wouldn’t sit by and watch awful things happen to her. But he wouldn’t watch her become something awful either.  

He wasn't naive and he knew exactly what would happen if she became stronger. Every day, he saw what Kimiko and Annie had to go through, what they had to endure. He saw what people like Noir and Deep and even Maeve became after too long with the power they were given. He couldn’t watch that happen to her. 

Billy didn’t know what her future would be but he knew he was going to protect her until the day he died no matter what she did. He would do whatever he had to to make her want to stay. 

It felt like an eternity before she finally opened the door to his apartment. He was in the middle of changing and he did not miss the way her gaze swept over his bare chest as he came out of his room but he was too agitated to respond in kind. 

“Good of you to stop by,” he glowered at her, annoyed and beyond frustrated. 

Addison stopped. She looked like she had taken a hit to the gut. For one second he felt guilty, but what was she thinking? Why could she not understand someone was trying to kill her. 

“I just got here and you’re already pissed again?” she threw her bag to the floor. “I’m exhausted, Billy. What do you want from me?”

“You said you’d be home an hour ago,” he stopped in front of her, crossing his arms over his bare chest. The motion made his muscles bunch and he wasn’t above using that to try and persuade her. But it didn’t seem to work this time.

“For fuck’s sake Billy, I can’t teleport. I said I was heading out. The check took longer than I expected.”

Addison pressed her hands to her face, shaking her head before she looked at him again. He knew he was pushing her too hard but he didn’t know how to get her to listen. 

“I’ve spent my entire life alone, Billy. I’m capable of taking care of myself. I’ve worked really hard to be okay on my own, and I am,” her voice took on a desperate edge but he couldn’t stop, he had to make her see.

“I have a really shit feeling about this, Addison. These cunts are serious. It’s more dangerous than you think it is.”

“Is it though? Or do you just like the excuse to be controlling...”

“This ain’t about that. I’m trying to protect ya!” His voice rose as he started to lose his temper. What in holy fuck was wrong with her? 

“I’m here aren’t I?” she threw her hands up. “As much as you want to pretend I’m helpless, I am a supe. I went out, I had a fucking drink, I’m home now. I’m fine.”

He felt like he’d lost the entire fuckin’ plot. How many times did she need to be shot before she realized she wasn’t invincible. “This ain’t about your independence, sunshine,” he pointed a blunt finger toward her. “This is about your life.” And he refused to risk it. “No more,” he cut his hand through the air. “Until we get this cunt, you stay with me, right here.”

“You don’t fucking own me,” she was nearly as loud as him now but he could see the the war of emotion in her eyes and he felt his heart crack. Whatever he had left of one. 

He had to make her understand, but she was stark ravin’ now.

“You can’t order me around like you do everyone else!”

“I’m tryin’ to keep you safe and you won’t listen to a fuckin’ thing I’m tryin to tell you,” he growled.

“You’re acting like a lunatic!”

“And you’re actin’ like your life don’t matter at all. Well, it fucking matters. It matters to me. And if something happens to you I won’t forgive meself.”

“You can’t protect the entire goddamn world, Billy. I can’t live like that, under lock and key.” 

Oh yeah? He damn well would if that’s what he wanted. He straightened, raising to his full height, his voice fierce. “If that’s what I have to do to keep you from getting hurt, I’ll do it.”

Her eyes turned to steel grey, sharper than the blade of a sword and brimming full of blue fire. He knew then he had completely fucked up.

“Like fucking hell you will.” Addison spat, then she spun toward the door. 

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

Let me know what you think!

Chapter 23

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

NO MORE ANGST AND DRAMA

Headcanons where sve/sdv where are the bachelors and the bachelorettes (of your choice) just find their farmer who just lies on the grass and is like "I'm just lying here, dear, it's just that the spirits decided so today" and it's so stupid and cute, because we all need it right now ehehe

Let's write some fluff ❤️ thank you for your ask ☺️

Elliott:

The writer invited the Farmer to a picnic in the woods in early autumn, when it is still not so cold outside, but the leaves of the trees are already beginning to acquire red and gold hues. The weather today is sunny, which cannot but rejoice, because such days will soon end and give way to cold and rainy weather.

The Farmer and Elliott lay out the picnic blanket together, laid out the food and utensils. And just as Elliott began to open the bottle of the red wine, he heard a rustle behind him. This is his partner, who for some reason decided to lie down on the grass that had not yet turned yellow.

To Elliott's questioning look, the Farmer replied with a laugh that they were just feeling "funny". It didn't explain much, but Elliott let them do what they wanted. He found such behavior charming, one of the many fine qualities of his most beloved person.

The writer nevertheless took off his jacket, afraid to get it dirty in the earth and grass (which is then difficult to wash off), and lay down next to the Farmer.

Although the grass tickles the skin and pricks the face, Elliott found this situation very cute and funny, he especially remembered his partner's sincere and beautiful laughter when they giggled at Elliott's facial expression at the tingling of the grass.

He's definitely going to write this cute moment into his autobiography somehow.

Leah:

Leah was working on her new sculpture in the small courtyard of her house, when her partner came to visit. The artist smiled at her guest, but asked me to wait a couple of minutes so that she could finish her work on the sculpture. The Farmer nodded their heads, but instead of sitting on the stump nearby, they lay down on the green grass.

"A handy stump isn't good enough for you?" joked Leah.

"I feel how the spirits favor me to approach nature as close as possible."

"Oh really?" Leah looked down to where their beloved Farmer lay with a smile. When she finished with the sculpture, she walked up to the Farmer, looking down.

"Hey, anyone on the line?"

"Yeap," the Farmer laughs and looks tenderly at Leah. She looked at them with the same tenderness, and decided to sit next to them.

"You are so silly" in her words there was not a drop of causticity, only love.

"What can I say, the spirits favor today."

Lance:

It happened one summer evening when Lance was at the farm today, preparing dinner for himself and the Farmer while his hard-working spouse took care of the crops.

He noticed that the time was approaching 9 pm, and the Farmer still did not appear at home. He need to check what they are doing.

The gallant adventurer didn't have to go far, as he saw his beloved next to the porch of their house. The Farmer lay on the grass with their eyes closed.

Lance approached them, worried that they had passed out from overwork.

"My love?"

The Farmer immediately opened their eyes, letting Lance know that they were all right.

"The stars are beautiful," the Farmer beamed at Lance. “But it seems to me that I found the view even more beautiful,” and look directly into the eyes of the adventurer in the blue cloak.

Lance laughed softly. Sweet talker.

"Shall we go inside? Dinner is ready."

"With pleasure. Just... Lie with me dear, for a couple of minutes."

Lance complied with the request of his loved one. He lay down on the cool grass next to the Farmer, listening to the crickets chirping and looking at the stars in the sky.

"A beautiful view, indeed."

They both held hands, enjoying such peaceful moments together.

[cheesemonky]

the queen's society

an overview of the universe of mark, david and all their other friends

head's up, this is a very chaotic story line and the amount of illegal activity that these guys discuss and do is unholy 😭

don't blame me, this is all with my friends' input, and this was created a long while back!!

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CHARACTERS :

DAVID:

he is (not so secretly) in love with his best friend

may or may not have a tiny weenie alchohol addiction

does drugs. and by drugs, i mean caffeine. which he gets from an old lady with dementia. and the caffeine in question is kopiko

dropped out of high school in year 11 because "the IB course is way too hard broski" (tbf it WAS difficult)

used to work at a club... not as a bartender...

met almost all his friends in some sort of sexual encounter. 'almost all' being the key words.

swears on his life that he once lived with 8 other people (he didnt, it was one night, and they were all drunk)

shares an apartment with mark, but mark pays the entire rent. like, david payed the first time, then mark moved in and paid for everything after that, including bills

is 25 but only just started uni because mark says he needs a proper job

MARK:

david is his best friend and love interest

aced high school and actually has his life together

rich ass surgeon but had a side job as a bartender for a while

he says he's only living with david because of david's tendencies, but there's definitely an ulterior motive...

his ex-girlfriend is his therapist, so there's tension there

has this weird thing where he gets kidnapped like, every other day, but somehow makes it out???

prefers wine to beer and makes that one 'ew' face when he sees david's cans and bottles laid all over the floor (which is all the time)

adding onto that, has to give constant reminders to get david to clean them out of the tv room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. but they're never gone

KAMERON:

gets mistaken for a woman and has to explain that he wears thigh highs and heels solely because they're comfortable ("tf you mean 'heels are comfy'?")

went to high school with mark and david yet still can't handle either of them

no one knows what he does for work, but he's got a pretty good house and a decent car

closeted gay (the closet is made of glass)

visits david every other week to drink, game and get high

the only friend in the group that has never had any sort of romantic relationship

also pretty smart cos he likes to code

STANLEY

rascist asf and no one knows why he's still in the friend group

he's schizophrenic and insists his name is Andleeb (he has names for everyone else as well)

met mark at a convenience store after he tried to rob the cashier, and mark later bailed him out of jail

is dating his drug dealer (actual drugs this time)

finished high school but dropped out of uni

used to be a car mechanic but got fired after a multitude of cars broke down and the company was sued

pretty sporty, major cricket fan

CLYDE

makes and sells meth to most of his friends

tells people that his name is walter white

met david at a brothel an unholy place

went to school with harriet and jim

was never actually part of the main friend group, he was always just... there ig

he and david dated for a while but turns out he only needed david's basement for meth making so they broke up

is dating his client

CHARACTERS THAT AREN'T THAT INTERESTING BUT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE STORY:

Harriett

Jim

Greg

Rebecca

Elizabeth

Rashmi

@hanjiquokkaaa @jinnie-ret <3

[all-the-things-2020]

No Better Place - Chapter 5

Summary: Javi and Cassidy go for a ride.

Word count: 1700+

“Bored yet?”

Javi opened his eyes. He’d been leaning back in his lawn chair, arms crossed, but definitely not napping. “Just communing with Buster,” he said. “He gets me, don’t you, buddy?” The gelding, who had been dozing off, simply swished his tail at a particularly annoying fly and flicked an ear when he heard his name.

Cassidy laughed. “Yeah, you have so much in common,” she said. “You’re both lazy, good for nothing, free loaders.”

Javi sat up. “Hey! I’m doing this as a favor to you,” he said. “And I brought the beer last week.”

“One lousy six pack,” she scoffed.

“It was the good shit,” Javi shot back. “Not that cheap crap you buy.” In the weeks since he’d started coming over to socialize Buster, they’d fallen into a friendly banter, ending most days with a cold beer in the barn or on her back porch.

“Well, I have a mortgage to pay,” Cassidy replied. “I’m not living rent free in my dad’s house.”

Javi shook his head and flipped her the bird. She’d hit a bit too close to the bone with that last remark. Chucho had made it clear that Javi could stay as long as he liked, but he still felt like he was imposing.

“Get off your lazy ass and come for a ride with me,” Cassidy said. “I need to get some miles on Dawson before I can start advertising him for sale, but I also need to get Cricket out before she gets too fat.”

“I’m not much of a rider,” Javi protested. It was true. He knew how to ride, of course. His dad had insisted on it, but it had been years since he’d ridden more than just to get from point A to point B on the ranch, and then only if he couldn’t easily drive one of the trucks.

“I’ll put you on Cricket,” Cassidy said. “She’s my babysitter horse. I’ve put little kids on her. I think you’ll be okay.”

“Oh, I know how to ride well enough,” Javi said. “I meant I’m not used to riding for a long time.”

“Afraid you’ll hurt your ass?”

“Afraid I won’t be able to walk tomorrow,” Javi admitted. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“You’re not that old,” Cassidy said. “But you are out of shape.” She reached down and poked his stomach. “Less beer and whiskey, more exercise. And stop smoking those cancer sticks.”

Javi batted her hand away. “Don’t touch me,” he grumbled.

“Just get up and help me saddle the horses,” she said. Javi took a moment to admire the view as she walked away before he levered himself up out of the chair. He followed her into the barn and into the tack room at the end.

He whistled in admiration. “Nice collection,” he said. There were close to a dozen saddles placed neatly on racks on the far wall. The wall opposite had pegs which held bridles and halters and other bits of tack.

“Yeah, I like to have options,” Cassidy said. She ran her hand over the seat of a glossy black English style saddle. “Western, jumping, dressage … I used to have a sidesaddle, too, but I got a great offer to sell it to a historical reenactor.” She pulled a plain trail saddle off one of the racks and nodded to another one a few spaces over. “Grab that and follow me.”

They worked silently, except for a few quiet instructions from Cassidy, brushing the horses off and tacking them up. Dawson was a nondescript bay gelding with no white markings at all. He fidgeted as Cassidy worked with him. Cricket, on the other hand, was a pretty little buckskin mare with a white stripe down her face and impeccable ground manners.

“I’m serious about you riding Cricket,” Cassidy said as she checked the girths on both saddles. “She’s got that nice, easy jog. Dawson’s a real bone shaker. Your backside will thank me.”

“Glad to know you think about my backside so much,” Javi said. “I’m flattered.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” she replied, as she swung gracefully into the saddle on Dawson’s back.

Javi chuckled and hoisted himself onto Cricket’s back. Cassidy led the way past the riding arena and to the beginnings of a trail that led out into the brush. She sat easily in the saddle, swaying with the horse’s movements. Javi tried to relax and imitate her, but it was hard to strike the right balance between following the horse and staying in control.

************************************

Cassidy turned in the saddle to check on Javi. “Jesus Christ, man, relax,” she laughed. “Give her a loose rein and sit back on the cantle. She won’t bolt on you. Trust her. Cricket’s a good girl.”

She was sure Javi had narrowed his eyes behind his ubiquitous aviator sunglasses. She kept hoping he’d lose them somewhere; they reminded her of that cheesy show about the California highway patrol officers from the 70’s.

“Last time I trusted a horse, he took me through a barbed wire fence and dumped me in a patch of cactus,” Javi grumbled. “I like to be in control of my horse.” He lifted his chin at her in accusation. It was true that she was sitting halfway round in her saddle, one foot out of the stirrup, with the reins looped loosely around the saddle horn.

“I’m still in control,” she retorted. “I just don’t have to rule with an iron hand.” She shifted her weight, cueing Dawson to stop, and he did. Javi pulled back on Cricket’s reins to keep her from walking into Dawson’s butt. “See!” Cassidy cried. “Right there. You hauled on her mouth. All she needs is for you to sit back in the saddle, drop your weight, open your legs a little.” She held up her hand to forestall the snide comment she knew he was dying to make. “Yeah, I heard it. But it’s true. You don’t need to be yanking on the reins. I don’t cowboy my horses, and I don’t charro my horses. Got it?” Dawson shifted nervously beneath her. She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but damn, men were such asses sometimes when it came to horses.

Javi nodded. “Okay, okay, I’ll try to be gentler,” he said. “But in my defense, my dad’s horses aren’t as well trained as this little lady.” He leaned forward to smooth down a section of Cricket’s mane that had flipped the wrong way, and Cassidy saw that he could be gentle if he wanted to be. She also wondered what it would feel like to have that hand smooth her own hair away from her neck and … she shook her head. Focus, Cass, focus!

“All right, as long as we’re on the same page,” she said. “Come on, let’s ride.” She nudged Dawson into a walk and then a trot. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Javi he was a bone shaker. It was nearly impossible to sit his trot, so she posted as best she could. She did take a glance back and saw that Javi was bouncing around in the saddle a bit, even with Cricket’s smooth Quarter Horse jog.

She slowed to a walk when they reached a wide, open section of grassland where the well defined trail they’d been following broke into a braid of tracks. “Bring her up alongside,” she said. “I want Dawson to get used to being next to other horses, not always single file.”

Javi let Cricket stride out until they had caught up. Dawson immediately pinned his ears. “Hey, hey, none of that,” Cassidy chided him, taking a firmer grip on the reins. Cricket snorted and shook her head as if to say, Amateur.

They rode in silence for a while, no sound but the creaking of saddle leather, the jingling of bits, the thud of hooves, and the occasional snort as the horses blew dust from their noses. “This is the life,” Cassidy said eventually. She dropped the reins and leaned back to rest her hands on Dawson’s rump. “I could do this forever.”

Javi looked over at her, and she felt his eyes travel the length of her body. “I could watch it forever,” he said.

“You’re disgusting,” she said, sitting back up properly. “But you don’t look so bad yourself, when you’re not trying to be all macho and in control.” She ran her own eyes over him, his long legs hanging loosely along Cricket’s sides, his hips moving gently with her strides, his huge hands lightly holding the leather reins. Yeah, he looked damned good.

Javi shrugged. “Okay, so we agree we both look hot in the saddle,” he said. “Can we head back now before I get a callus on my ass the size of Dallas?”

Cassidy laughed. “Oh, we’re just getting started, Mr. Pena,” she said. “Giddy up!” She tapped her heels against Dawson’s sides, urging him into a canter. Cricket didn’t need any encouragement to join in; she loved to run.

“Hey!” Javi yelped as Cricket lowered her head and lit out after Cassidy. “I wasn’t ready!”

“You snooze, you lose!” Cassidy cried. “Yee haw!” She leaned forward and urged Dawson into a full on gallop. She heard Javi cursing behind her and knew that Cricket had kicked into overdrive. She was a sweet mare but had a competitive streak that would put a racehorse to shame. No one outran her. In just a few strides, she’d caught Dawson and was pulling ahead. She flicked an ear at Javi but kept going. Cassidy laughed. “That’s my girl. Show him who’s boss!”

As soon as she’d put a length or two between them, Cricket slowed her stride. Cassidy reined Dawson back into a canter, then to a trot, and finally a walk. He was blowing hard, but Cricket looked ready to go again.

“Damn, that was insane,” Javi said once the two horse were walking side by side again.

“Never underestimate a woman,” Cassidy said. “Human or equine.”

Javi smiled, something she rarely got to see. “Point taken,” he said. “Now, seriously, can we go home now? My ass is killing me.”

[leavingautumn13]

Do you have any burning regrets in life? Also who is your favorite fictional pet and why is it dogmeat?

because dogmeat is the best boy, duh.

as for your first question... the first job i got after i moved out of my bio mom's house was at a pet store. stupid naïve sheltered younger autumn, not quite disillusioned with the capitalist hellscape that is modern america, thought to herself, "a pet store will be a great job for me! i love animals, i'll love getting to work with them every day!"

wrong. (well, okay, i did enjoy getting to pet dogs regularly.)

so, here's the thing about pet stores, or at least the pet store i worked at: ultimately, it's retail, and those animals are products for the company to sell to turn a profit and not, you know, living creatures who deserve care if we're going to be removing them from their natural habitats. it's also, you know, RETAIL. with all that that implies. suffice to say i was made very bitter very quickly.

another thing you should know about me is that my beloved father introduced me to spyro the dragon when i was four years old, and i've loved dragons and all manner of reptiles ever since. naturally, when i started working at the pet store, i got pretty attached to the selection of geckos and bearded dragons and what have you and endeavored to learn everything i could about them. i even bought a beardie and a skink of my own.

anyway, all of this culminated in me being the "reptile person" at the store. if customers had a question about reptile diets, or terrarium care, or whatever, talk to autumn. i was known for sending customers home with big printouts of what the best foods would be, what temperature ranges needed to be, etc. and if i didn't have that information out of pocket, well, i'd take them up to the register and look it up for them. i was a damn good employee.

so one day, i'm in the reptile section, and this super sweet lesbian couple is talking to me about wanting to purchase a bearded dragon. we're going over heat lamp requirements and how you definitely can't have a baby beardie on sand because of the ingestion and compaction risk, when this middle aged man steps between us and demands my attention. no waiting for a pause, no "excuse me," just bursts right in with his question. this might be petty of me, but i thought it was pretty rude, and to be honest i don't even remember what he asked, but i directed him on his way and got back to helping the couple.

once i get the couple sorted with their tank, substrate, uvb and heating lamps and accessories, etc, i let them know i'll meet them at the register once i've wrangled their little dragon, and that we can get their food situation sorted once we get up there, since live bugs were kept behind the register. so i do so, lizard in his little carry box, but there's a line. no worries, i hop on and help my coworker check people out.

middle aged dude from earlier is also in line, and actually DIRECTLY in line before the couple. i get him and his lady friend checked out, and the lesbian couple approaches the register. i turn around and grab the box of small dubia roaches, which in my somewhat professional opinion are the best starter food for a little beardie, since they've got a higher protein-to-chitin ratio than mealworms or crickets. the caveat though is they're more expensive, so i'm about to try and make a hard sale to these two nice ladies to please buy some cockroaches.

i've got the box open, and i have to dig around for a dubia because there were only about a half dozen left. (they go really quickly, even being .5 USD per bug. like i said, good eating.) but now i've got one in my hand and am holding it up to show the nice lesbians, and they're going "oohhh" and leaning into look at it and whatever.

middle aged guy from before and his lady friend overhear me talking about bugs, and for whatever reason, turn around halfway to the door. they come back to the register and get in the nice lesbian couples' space, and lady friend says,

"that's DISGUSTING! you'd have that in your HOUSE?? i could NEVER have something so gross in my home!"

here's another thing you've got to know about me. i was in the gifted program as a kid but got shit grades in school and was always getting in trouble for reading during class. but i was a girl child, so instead of the adhd diagnosis i needed (and actually only got last year, FINALLY), i got told i had all of this potential i was wasting.

but it's not that, the potential was never there, whatever. i just have adhd. it makes me, let's say, the tiniest bit impulsive.

i look this lady in the eye. i smile. "actually," i say, leaping to the defense of one of my favorite invertebrates, "they're an excellent source of protein."

i am about to eat that cockroach in front of her, in front of the nice lesbians, in front of my coworker tom, in front of the whole damn line, just to ruin this lady's entire fucking day.

but.

but. i only have six roaches left. and i really want to make this sale. and like i said--dubias are pricey for bugs.

i don't eat the roach.

and that is my burning regret. fuck that company and fuck its profits, and especially fuck working retail in the first place. i should have eaten that cockroach.

[applepiesupreme]

American Apple Pie, Chapter 11

Pairing: Low/Mid Honor Arthur Morgan and female OC.

Summary: Savigne Ricci is a temporary guest at the Van der Linde camp. Her path crosses with the enforcer of the gang, Arthur Morgan and despite their differences, a relationship develops between them.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54945853/chapters/142308673

CHAPTER 11

The next morning when she woke up, there was a piece of paper placed inside under the flap of the tent. “Have to leave for a few days” it read. On the backside was a quick sketch of Cricket and she smiled, running her fingers over the lines.

She placed the note between the pages of her cookbook, where the recipe of apple pie was and started to get dressed. She thought about that note all day, and then the day after.

At first it was unexpected, cute and innocent; she was excited and intrigued by why he had left it. Was there more between them? She thought about the man who had dragged her out to the forest to collect a debt - he hadn't been the kind to leave notes. Had he changed or was she just starting to see a different, a hidden side to him? Had he pre-planned it or had it been just an afterthought? It was just a single line, hard to interpret as anything but a simple heads up, practical and unsentimental. But then he had also sketched Cricket in the back and surely that meant something? Or maybe he had sketched Cricket long ago just because and then had added the note to the front because he was out of paper?

But the more she thought on it, the more ominous it became. Because it exposed something, something she sensed but couldn’t define. Initially, like an ethereal ghost, it evaded the grasp of her understanding. But after doggedly peeling back the layers, she found the heart of the matter:

It didn’t matter why he left it, what made her uneasy was that she cared so much why he left it, her reaction to it, how much she thought about it and how invested she was in the answer. Men had gifted her nice bouquets, hairpins and necklaces; a simple note wasn’t really something to get worked up about. But at night she found herself retrieving it and looking at it, imagining his fingers writing the lines. It was daunting to have this weak spot for someone. It felt like realizing one day that your back door wouldn’t lock, that it hadn’t been locked for weeks.

After this realization she wasn’t certain if her affair with Arthur was just a simple sexual, physical attraction anymore and emotional entanglement with people was something Savigne had grown out of, even actively avoided since her parents had died, leaving her alone on a ship sailing towards a new country. Every connection she had formed since then had always been with the understanding that she could and would always break it when she needed to, that she never would entirely depend on it. She would miss it perhaps, but definitely survive it. Now here she was, enthralled by a man she hardly knew, excited by the little things he did for her that went beyond just physical intimacy.

It occurred to her then that she was wrong to fear Micah or Dutch. That Arthur was the one she really should fear.

She went back to camp that Saturday and found Sadie sitting by the water and decided to join her. They sat in comfortable silence for a long time and watched birds circling the little islands in the distance.

Sadie seemed better overall but a dark anger had replaced her depression. Savigne asked about her husband and their life together to change the mood and it worked for a little while.

“What’s it like,” she said carefully, “to rely on someone like that?”

Sadie gave her look. “I wouldn’ change a thing, if that’s yer meaning.”

“So if you could go back in time…I mean knowing what you know now…” Savigne tried carefully, “…the good and the bad…you would still do it? You would still love him and marry him, knowing what follows?”

“Sure.”

The unhesitant response surprised her.

“I’m not so sure I would,” Savigne conceded to herself. “Feels like signing up for a lot of avoidable pain.”

“No other way of livin’.”

“There is though…”

“That ain’t livin’,” was Sadie’s simple answer.

“But…”

“Can’t just take the good and leave out the bad, that ain’t how life works.”

“But…”

“You’ve been on yer own too long,” Sadie said gently, gazing at her with what looked suspiciously like pity.

“I like being on my own,” Savigne mumbled defensively.

“Sure. And good for ya. Ya should be proud. But all the same, that ain’t livin’.”

“I don’t get it,” Savigne admitted after a long silence.

“You cook, right? Think of it like eatin’ food with no flavor. Yeah, you’ll get what ya need out of it, but would ya want t’eat food like that all yer life?”

She thought about this for a long time. “I guess not.”

Sadie smiled and touched her shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you. Like I said, ya been alone too long. But it’ll come natural when it comes. Me? Wasn’t even a choice. I met my Jakey and that was that.”

“I fear it,” Savigne whispered, looking at the emerging stars. “Wanting something so bad that it’s not really a choice anymore. Like you think you have a say in it but it’s a lie you tell yourself, you never did.”

She shrugged in discomfort, unable to explain further and was surprised when Sadie placed her hand on her back and drew circles, the way her mother used to do in the dim recesses of her memories.

“You’re proud Savigne. I like that about ya. But some things nobody has a say in, not even kings and queens.”

On the fourth night she woke up with a palm on her mouth and her heart jolted so hard, she thought it would jump out of her chest. Her hand immediately went under the pillow but a much bigger hand enveloped her wrist.

“Ssshhh…it’s me. Savigne, it’s me.” She stilled, confused and unsure. Then, lips on her ear: “It’s me.” A shudder of relief ran through her at Arthur’s voice and a tear trickled down her cheek. He removed both hands and she shot up to sit, shaking.

“Seriously!?” she gasped, feeling like she was about to faint.

“‘M sorry,” was the sheepish response from the dark. “Wasn’ thinkin’.”

She took big gulps of air as he moved to sit beside her. His palm settled on her back to calm her. It was a warm summer night and it must have been the early hours of morning because it was unusually quiet. Even the stragglers who kept odd waking hours seemed to have passed out. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the dark and she threw her arms around his shoulders, still shaking.

“Don’t do that again,” she whispered into his neck, still panting. She felt him nod against her. “Also,” she sighed, “welcome back.”

She felt the smile on his lips when he lifted her chin to kiss her. He deepened the kiss as his thumb wiped the tear off her cheek, then his hand pressed down her shoulder to make her lie back down. Halfway to doing that Savigne jerked back up to sit. “What are you doing here?”

“Whad’ya mean?” he whispered against her neck, his hand re-applying the force to her shoulder.

“In my tent!?” she hissed and tried to shove him away.

He cuffed both of her wrists in his palm and moved them above her head as he pressed his chest against her, easily pushing her flat on her bedroll and kissed her again, his body covering hers. He moved up on one elbow so he wouldn’t crush her as his lips traveled down her jawline.

“Stop! Someone’s going to hear us!” she breathed, nervous.

He didn’t seem to care. Savigne tried to scurry from under him but her movements only served to make it easier for him to settle between her legs and he chuckled lowly in amusement. He captured her lips again and let go of her hands. She struggled some more and stilled when she felt his hardness through his trousers.

“Ya ain’t helping,” was the dark growl into her ear.

She gasped when his hand pulled down the shoulder strap of her chemise and he left wet kisses on her shoulder. His beard, a few days longer, scraped against her skin. Her fingers carded through his hair and he moaned, pleased at the sensation. She wondered momentarily where he had been and what he had done. What he had seen. Maybe he had robbed someone, maybe he had collected debts. Or maybe most of the time he had just drifted around, camping under the stars. It occurred to her that she knew very little about how he passed the days and what he did when he left camp.

“Arthur!” she tried again.

"‘Tis late, everyone's 'sleep," he mumbled into her chest.

She bit back a moan when his mouth closed on her nipple, hot and hungry, and her grip on his hair tightened reflexively.

“We can…meet…up…later today,” she mewled, feeling like she was fighting a losing battle as the familiar warmth gathered in her gut.

“That ain’t happenin’.” His left hand slipping under her bloomers to heft a cheek as he ground his erection against her thigh to make his point. It still surprised her, his boldness with her body, how unabashedly he touched her. They hadn’t known each other for very long, but Arthur acted as comfortable as if they’ve been intimate for ages; as if her body was his to touch and kiss and fondle whenever he wanted.

“But…”

“Ssshhhh.” The fingers of his right hand slowly stroked her folds over her bloomers. Her mouth fell open as she started panting again and her fingers curled on his shirt. He sat up suddenly and started to unbutton his shirt, then threw it aside and glided to lie above her again. She realized that for the first time she could touch his naked torso and her palms rounded his shoulders, then slowly down, over his heart and the trail of hair on his stomach, the hard panes of his abdomen, down to the waistband of his trousers.

He kissed her again, one hand unbuttoning his trousers, then grasped her hand to guide it to his warm cock, hard and ready. She wrapped her fingers around it and he groaned into her mouth, curling his large hand around hers, teaching her how to touch him, showing her how he liked to be touched. Eventually he retrieved his hand and remained perched on his elbows looking down at her, his eyes shimmering with lust.

She slowly stroked him, watching his face as he panted down at her, his hips pulsing in tandem with her movements. He groaned softly when her thumb brushed under the swollen head, mumbling incomprehensible things against her lips.

Savigne had had a number of lovers before and she was no stranger to sex. But she wouldn’t call herself bold or experienced. Her preference of men had always put her in a position of power instead of the other way around and as shy and reserved she had been, most of her lovers had been even more so. Now that the roles were reversed, she suddenly found herself to be the pupil and somewhat out of her league. But Arthur didn’t seem to mind - if anything, he was more eager for it. The more reluctant and awkward she was around him, the more he seemed to enjoy prying her out of her shell.

“Just so…you know…” she whispered between kisses. “if we get…caught,” she tightened her grip and brushed that sensitive spot again as his breath stuttered, “it’s…your…fault.”

“Yes ma’am,” was his ragged reply before he gently slapped her hand away and scrambled back to undress completely, then crawled to her on his hands and knees, his muscles rippling like a tiger. He smoothly pulled off her bloomers and then peeled the chemise over her head before he straddled her, sitting on his knees. She realized that for the first time they were both completely naked and rose up to glide her fingers over his biceps and his thighs. He felt like warm marble. Her hands mapped his broad back and glided over his ribs to the curve of his buttocks as he watched her, his eyes unreadable in the dark.

“You feel so hard,” she mumbled, fascinated. She thought of her previous bed mates, their soft muscles, their long limbs and skinny legs.

“So soft,” he sighed in return as his hands traveled down her arms, cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing underneath and down her stomach. He pushed her back down and slid between her legs again. "How're ya always so clean?" he mumbled into her mouth. It was a rhetorical question, he didn't wait for an answer as he suckled on her lower lip before he glided into her, then set a painfully slow rhythm. His hand closed around her throat, gentle but firm and pushed her chin up to continue his ministrations with her lips.

Savigne panted with need, inhaled his hot breath as he inhaled hers while she tried to swallow all the moans bubbling up in her. Her legs pressed down on his buttocks, urging him to go faster but he ignored her as he pulled almost completely out before her glided back in. Leisurely, agonizingly teasing as he watched her with hooded eyes, licking her lips and kissing her cheeks.

The tent was warm, warmer still with him in here with her, and even warmer still as they panted and gasped against one another. It felt very different from their previous trysts. More sensuous, more intimate to be in this small space and completely naked, unhurried. It felt like making love.

She knew he must have been very impatient to have come to her tent at this hour, an unspoken line they had never crossed before. And yet he was slow and gentle, taking his sweet time and resisting her pleadings to move faster.

"I-I need," she stammered, trying to press into him for more friction between them.

"Ssshhh...I know what ya need."

She felt immense, sustained pleasure and writhed underneath him with the need to get more, her hands dancing on his ribs, nails scratching his back. Sweat was dripping down her neck and beading on his forehead. She felt him get harder in her, his breath bellowing but he didn't change his pace. "Ya know," he whispered as she felt a tremor run through his torso, "yer very...pretty...when yer...flustered."

She moaned despite herself and his thumb came up from her neck to wipe at her mouth. She closed her lips around it and suckled it and his breath caught as his hips stuttered. She panted his name arching her back and he groaned as his rhythm grew more haphazard, his movements more erratic.

Her orgasm, when it came, was stupendously long and smooth, forcing a low sigh out of her that he inhaled through his mouth as he rocked into her a few more times before he stilled. He sank down to lie half on, half off her chest, cheek on her shoulder, hot and heavy. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling his slacking pulse on her skin. A long time passed as they remained like that, their sweat cooling off in the warm summer air. All was quiet. She drifted off and it felt only like minutes but when she woke up it was light out and he was gone.

She stretched like a cat, still feeling the lingering throes of her pleasure and lay there for a minute, absolutely happy. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this content. She needed to get ready for her trip to Valentine but all she wanted was to stay in his orbit. No, what she really wanted was to walk up to his tent and kiss him.

Told you, you would catch feelings.

Savigne groaned, a dark cloud appearing on her sunny day.

Next you'll imagine cooking for him as he chops wood in the back of your cabin or some other mundane fluffy shit.

She decided to ignore it. No need to spoil her off day with such venomous company.

He doesn't feel the same you stupid, stupid girl. Know how I know? Go on, walk over and try to kiss him and see what happens. He'd be mortified and cross.

A drop of green poison landed in her tranquil pool, swirling lazily, unfurling and dissipating.

For all we know, he does have a woman in a cabin somewhere but you're just a side piece he fucks when he's horny.

Her resolve crumbled. Another green droplet went plop.

And that woman, well that one he wouldn't hide. She's the real one and you're just a good lay.

Savigne sometimes marveled at her skill in making herself miserable. It came so easy to her, like a gift she was born with. She didn't have to hone it or perfect it, it was just naturally sharp.

Come to think of it, keeping you to himself is probably him taking pity on you. Because if it was revealed, everyone in camp would be laughing at you behind your back.

Rings extended on the surface of her pool as another drop went in, coloring the clear water further.

She sat there, head bowed in frustration. She didn't know why she did this to herself. There was absolutely no reason to believe Arthur was doing any of the things her mind kept whispering to her, and yet here she was, already feeling the compulsion to scratch that scab.

“Enough of this,” she sniffed finally, stuffing her dirty laundry into the basket. “I know what you’re doing and I’m tired of it.” She started to get dressed and muttered on, more confident: “Nothing has changed. My life continues just the same as before.”

People are fickle. Why give someone power over you? Nobody deserves that kind of trust.

“Nobody has power over me,” she said to the reflection in her mirror while she was braiding her hair. “I haven’t lost my mind and made stupid choices. I haven’t given up on my dreams. As long as I don’t deviate, there’s no problem.”

Sadie said you won’t have a choice when it happens. Don’t. Lose. Your. Head.

She inspected her face in the mirror, absentmindedly listening to the camp noises in the distance. She pulled out Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, cracked it open and found the photo of her parents. Two young people looking at the camera, serious and somber. The woman in a simple dress, seated, the young man standing behind her, his hands on the back of the chair she was sitting in. The image cracked, a bit faded, the once rich black ink dull and the whites a shade of grey now.

Not for the first time she wondered what their day had been like before this picture was taken. What they had done after. Had they gone out for lunch? What had they talked about? Had they sauntered around town, arms locked? Maybe they weren’t affectionate people and they had just stalked back home, feeling awkward and insecure. Maybe it had been an arranged marriage. Maybe quite the opposite - they had been in love and they had run away together?

The picture wasn’t dated. Maybe Savigne hadn’t even been a figment of a thought for them when this was taken. Or maybe she was already there with them, hidden snugly in her mother’s womb. Either way, it was years before the voyage to America. She looked at their somber expressions, her mother’s beautiful hair and her father’s slim, athletic stature. They looked so strong, so confident, so healthy. Not the slightest inkling in their minds how in a few years they would perish on a ship, coughing, frightened and in pain, far away from everything they knew.

She looked up to the mirror again. Same slightly slanted eyes and same cheekbones as her mother but the stronger nose of her father. She was probably older now than they had been when this photo was taken. If true, she had outlived them in age already. In a strange way this notion calmed her because it implied that she must be doing something right. They had passed the torch to her and she had run further with it than they had managed to. She hadn’t perished at the orphanage, she hadn’t picked up an addiction, she hadn’t gotten involved with some brute and gotten pregnant out of wedlock, she hadn’t gotten her life derailed over a petty crime. She had been careful, disciplined, focused and she was still here.

A surge of confidence and peace settled on her and her acrimonious mind went blessedly silent.

“I won’t lose my head,” she snorted to her reflection. “That kind of nonsense is for stupid girls. I’m a woman. No man is going to bewitch me.”

The weeks went on as summer unfolded in all its glorious beauty. She told herself she wouldn’t lose her head every night. Then every other night. Then it was spotty and half-hearted, like a prayer mumbled from memory, no thought going into the words. He didn’t ask anything of her and he didn’t transform into some mean, selfish fiend, so her guard slackened and her wariness eroded.

Arthur left her notes before he would leave if he would be gone for longer than a few days and sometimes he would leave her drawings of the places he’d been at after his return, and sometimes those came with a note to meet somewhere the next day at a certain time. She never felt as alarmed about them as she had after that first one. Sure, her heart did a funny thing when she received them but the more she got to know him, the more she was convinced that this was simply his way of communicating. Because he was a private person, not inclined to talk much.

That didn’t mean he was dull. He might not be chatty, but he did speak in other ways. She learned to tell his grunts of agreement apart from those of disagreement. She learned that he had a habit of letting a long breath out of his nose when he was angry. He ran his hand through his beard when he was uncomfortable or frustrated and had a particular huff when he was impatient.

He rarely talked about himself, things about his past life would only come out with a sentence or two in random circumstances. But he liked to talk at least about the things he’d seen when he was traveling. Even then he wasn’t much of a wordsmith and at times, when he felt like he couldn’t express himself as he wanted to, he would show her a drawing in his journal to get his point across. His drawings were always a testament to how perceptive he was – the way he managed to capture the essence of things sometimes with very few lines showed that he was a diligent and patient observer.

The key pillar at the center of their affair was a ridiculous inability to keep their hands off each other. His virility was stupendous - something she would expect from a teenager but not a man of his age. In the beginning she just assumed that he mustn’t have had a woman in his life for a long time and he was just awash with pent up sexual frustration. Then she thought that it was the life he was leading - the life of an outlaw with risk and violence around every corner, the drive to survive, the worry about his gang - that fed the pressure. But then at times she suspected that, just like his notes and drawings, sex was how he expressed himself. A way of speaking without using words.

Sometimes, if he had been away for a while, instead of returning to camp, he would wait for her on the road to Saint Denis and whisk her away for a tumble in the woods before she went to work. These she liked less because she was always stressed that she would be late. But when he was gone like this for a period of time, he developed a hunger for her and he was ravenous in his passion, making her come with mind blowing orgasms within minutes. Other times he would pick her up from work and their affair was more languid and drawn out, until she dressed up and returned to camp and he followed within a reasonable time gap. Some nights, when it was late he would come to her tent, whispering her name to wake her up and those were her favorites because they felt so much less rushed.

Savigne suspected that their relationship was an open secret in camp – she sensed that everyone knew but pretended not to for their sake but Arthur didn’t want to change it, so they stayed away from one another in camp. He attempted to help her with the shooting lessons again but it quickly devolved into them making out in the woods so that was the end of that.

She was so caught up in this infatuation, she barely noticed the date of Antoine’s screening drawing closer and then one day it was just upon her.

“Ya tell him it’s tomorrow?” Luther grunted beside her.

“No. I don’t want anyone else to know. It’ll just up the expectation, make me nervous. I’ll tell him when I win the position.”

“Confident, are we? Good on ya.”

Then he gave her a long look.

“What?”

“Ya know, ya don’ even look like you care.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged his big shoulders. “Like if ya don’ get it, you’ll just waltz back here and go on as ya was and that would be just fine.”

“Well, I mean it would be fine.” The long look returned. “It would be! It wouldn’t be great, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world, you know?”

“Ain’t sayin’ it be the end of the world. But was a day, ya really wanted it. Wanted it.”

“I do want it.”

But she thought about it some more as she went to get a stack of plates. “You think he’s distracting me?” A tad nervous.

“Oh I know he distractin’ ya!” he guwaffed.

“Not what I mean. I mean like…you think I’m losing my head?”

“Yer head long gone, woman.”

She huffed, a bit annoyed.

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with wantin’ other things, too” he said, gentler.

He watched with amusement as she ruminated on it for several minutes while she was plating the steaks and the mashed potatoes. She ran the back of a spoon over the potatoes to give them a pleasant shape and turned the plates to look at them from different angles.

“I shouldn’t get so carried away,” she muttered to herself when it was done. “People are fickle.”

“True,” he said and put out his cigarette, immediately lighting another one.

“This thing…” she drifted off. In the back of her mind, she thought how she still couldn’t call it a relationship even and it added to her worries. “This thing between him and me…it could end. It’s foolish to focus on it so much that it interferes with my life goals.”

“Life goals huh?” His eyebrows shot up. “Them’s big words.”

“Luther,” she said, hand on hip, her serious timbre in stark contrast to his amusement. “He could die. Like, tomorrow.”

“We can all die tomorrow,” he shrugged, flipping a steak.

“You know what I mean. Obviously his life is riskier than yours or mine.”

“Eh,” he waved it away with his fork. “Sure. In a way.”

She thought of the death of her parents. Of course that hadn’t been sudden, they’d been both sick for a long time but she had been a child, she hadn’t understood what that sickness meant and their death had surprised her all the same. If anything, it intensified her current discomfort.

“Or he could leave,” she said and paused as Susan came to pick up the plates before she continued: “Camp could move somewhere I can’t go.”

“Can’t or won’?”

“Either. Both.”

“Hmmm….”

“Or, like…he could meet someone…else…” she glanced up at him. “Why are you looking at me like that? It’s entirely possible.”

“Watchin’ ya do yer thing, is all,” he said coolly.

“What thing?”

“Thing ya do every time somethin’ nice happens to ya.”

“And what’s that?”

“Ya make sure it ain’t nice no more.”

“What!?”

He took out his cigarette and waved it around in frustration. “Woman, ya think too much! Just live. Youse here today, ya happy, that’s all it needs to be.”

“I’m just saying!” she rolled her eyes.

“All them things could happen to you, too.”

She shrugged, now feeling glum.

Luther sighed a big sigh. “Ya know, every day I come here and listen to yer nonsense. Every day ‘cept Sunday because the Lord has mercy and even He know I need a rest from it. And ya know what – every day I’m happy you ain’t my woman,” he huffed, shaking his head. ���Yer exhausting.”

“Well as of tomorrow you won’t have to anymore,” she said loftily.

“Praise be!”

“And guess what – you’ll miss me.”

“I’ll miss ya like a hole in m’shoe.”

“I’m still going to stop by, you know,” she said darkly, pulling out more steak from the fridge. “Don’t think you can get rid of me that easily.”

“I would pay this Arthur a year’s salary to put ya on a horse and ride away.”

“You keep talking, I’m going to come by on my breaks, too.”

He shook his head again and flipped the steaks, but seemed cowed enough at the threat to hold his tongue.