#tess can’t read T-T

[beskarandblasters]

I Might Kill My Ex

Ex!Joel Miller x F!Reader

Main Masterlist | Joel Miller Masterlist

Author's note: Inspired by Kill Bill by SZA!! This amazing graphic is by the crazy talented @nostalxgic 🤯😍 Matching MDNI/support banners from @saradika 🥰 And thank you to @wannab-urs for beta reading ❤️‍🔥 Please read the warnings before deciding if you want to read this!

Summary: Joel Miller breaks up with you unexpectedly and you’re not taking it well. Five days later he starts dating his smuggling partner, Tess, and you’re completely livid. One day while you’re in your apartment scheming you come up with a truly diabolical plan.

Word count: 3k

Warnings: reader is able-bodied, canon divergent, no age gap, non con (done by reader to Joel), dark!reader, major character death, blood, descriptions of death/murder/mutilation, blindfolding, oral sex (M receiving), vaginal sex, unprotected sex, hate fucking, creampie, Joel is also kinda fucked up too, ambiguous ending, no use of y/n

“It just isn’t working out anymore.” Joel says, looking down at his feet.

“What do you mean?” you ask, afraid that your worst fears might be coming true. 

“We’re done.” he says harshly, looking at you directly in the eye with his brows furrowed

“But-” you start.

But before you can even finish, he leaves you there, turning on his heel walking away from you without even looking back. And you’re left there in the street, replaying the moment, the very brief moment, in your head over and over again. 

How could he? How could he leave you like that without so much as an explanation? You deserve one. You’ve been together for a few years, you're both grown adults. If anything you’re owed an explanation. There were no warning signs, nothing to indicate he was thinking of leaving you or seeing someone else. Just last night you were laughing together, something that is so rare for Joel. But that’s what you did for him. You made him enjoy life, even just a little bit in this life where happiness, joy, and excitement are rare, a fleeting moment if anything at all. And he’s going to leave you? The best thing that’s happened to him since the world went to shit? How could this be?

It’s been five days since Joel broke up with you. You’ve been putting this off for a while but… you need some of your stuff that’s still in his apartment. The dread builds in your stomach, Joel’s apartment is the last place you want to go to. You decide to go when he’ll be at work, figuring you can just let yourself in, grab what you need and slip out. But as you come upon the door to Joel’s apartment you hear what sounds like… panting?

You crouch down beside his door and press your ear against the thin wood. Tears well up in the corners of your eyes as you listen; listening to the sounds of Joel having sex with someone. You can’t tell who it is by her moans. Her voice is high pitched as Joel plows her, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the small apartment and spilling out into the hallway. 

“Takin’ this cock so good, darlin’,” you hear Joel say. You can tell just by the tone of his voice that he’s smiling; smiling at whoever’s underneath him. You can’t listen to this anymore. It’ll kill you. 

You stand up and start pacing, the tears spilling down your cheeks now. Five days later and he’s already fucking someone else? The audacity of him. Did he not think what you had was special? You’re completely torn up inside, at the lowest of lows you never thought possible. But Joel? Joel’s on top of the world, already fucking someone new in the bed he used to fuck you in. 

You stop pacing and rest your head against the wall, closing your eyes and trying to forget the sounds of him with another woman that are just etched in your brain permanently. 

The lewd sounds eventually come to a stop and the thought hits you, What if they’re leaving right now? 

You can’t bring yourself to look Joel in the eye after what you just heard so you start to leave. The door opens behind you and you freeze, knees going weak at the thought of Joel catching you outside his apartment, listening to him fuck another woman while you cry. To your surprise it’s not him.

“Hello?” a woman’s voice calls out. 

Turning slowly, you mentally prepare to see the person standing behind you, hoping it’s someone you don’t know or recognize. 

That couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

You look at who it is and the contents of your stomach threaten to eject from your body at the sight. 

No. No. No. No. No, this can’t be happening. 

Standing before you is none other than Tess, Joel’s smuggling partner. Out of all the people in the Boston QZ it just had to be her, right?

“Tess?”

“Are you okay?” she asks.

Is she fucking for real?

“Uh… No?” you snap. 

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do? Do you want to talk about it?” 

You have to resist the urge to laugh in her face. Does she really think you’re gonna wanna talk to her about your problem? She is the problem. 

“No thanks. I don’t need anything from you,” you say coldly before turning on your heel and leaving, heading all the way to your apartment and not looking back; not letting the tears flow again until you’re alone. 

Flash forward to a week after you saw Tess in the hallway. You’re still seething, the anger bubbling inside you and threatening to spill over. You could maybe accept that Joel wanted to leave you, sure. But you couldn’t accept that Joel left you for her. How could you be so fucking stupid to not see what was happening right in front of you?

If you can’t have him, no one will. 

Well past midnight you stay up and pace around your apartment, racking your brain for ways to solve your problem. The reality is, Tess is the problem. Joel left you for her and now she needs to be dealt with. She needs to be eradicated; out of the equation completely. 

Once you come to that conclusion you concoct a three step plan: 1. Find out the route she takes home every day by observing her. 2. Situate yourself somewhere along that route and wait. Put on a show; a real sob fest. Make her believe she can help you and lure her into an alley. And finally, 3. Get rid of her. 

The next afternoon you linger in the streets, loafing around and waiting; waiting for Tess. The sun is starting to set and the air is turning crisp, a new invigorating feeling washing over you. She’ll be walking home soon, she just has to be. 

It’s dark now, the only light around is the pale moonlight and the dimly lit, flickering street lamps. Curfew is approaching fast but this is too important. You’re too determined to let something like FEDRA’s stupid curfew stop you now. Lingering at the edge of an alley, you poke your head around the corner, slipping back into the darkness when someone other than Tess or a FEDRA truck passes by. 

Just when you think this is hopeless, you spot her, walking on the other side of the street and glancing over her shoulder at her surroundings. This will be tricky, Tess is a smart woman and a tough one at that. If you’re going to lure her into an alley you’ll have to be convincing and ready to strike quickly. You’ll have to pretend to be nice to her, as hard as it will be. 

She walks in the direction towards Joel’s apartment of course. You expected her to, but it still hurts to see. She turns a corner and disappears into the night, going home to him. 

You know what you need to do.

It’s the next day; the day everything is going to come crashing down. Ammo is too precious of a commodity to be wasted on such an easy kill like this. An ax is too big; too noticeable to be hidden discreetly. You know exactly how you’re gonna do it. You have a knife Joel gave you. It’s smaller, easy to hide but fatal when it needs to be. He gave it to you when you first started dating to protect yourself on the streets whenever you were alone. And now it’s being used to get your old life back; your old life with Joel. How poetic. 

And so you leave your apartment, knife tucked into your pants, without a single doubt in your mind that this is the right thing to do. She thinks she can swoop in and take what’s yours? Then she pays the price. You’re not gonna let her of all people take what rightfully belongs to you. Not even for a second did you have doubts or second thoughts about this when you concocted your plan. It should scare you that you came to his dark conclusion so fast, without stopping to consider if this was even a good idea or not. But it doesn’t. This feels natural like something inside you snapped. Or better yet, like your true self was finally released, like you’re no longer a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

Leaving your apartment just before sundown you head to the street where you saw Tess, except this time you’re on the opposite side of the street where she walked home the night before. You hang out in the alley as it gets dark and get ready to put on the best show of your life, crocodile tears and all. 

Thinking about why you’re doing this, you start to cry. Hot tears roll down your face as one hand clutches the handle of the knife behind your back. Poking your head out of the alley you spot Tess heading your way. You step out onto the sidewalk, putting on the full show now, crying dramatically and your nose running. Tess is approaching you, worry painted on her face. Yes. Yes, this is all going according to plan. 

“What’s wrong?” she asks, brows furrowed with concern. 

“It’s… It’s about Joel,” you choke out, pretending to hold back a sob. 

“What do you mean?! What happened?!” 

You look both ways, as if to check if anyone is coming before motioning for her to come closer. And she does. She has no reason not to trust you. Backpedaling deeper and deeper into the alley, she follows you. 

“Tess, he’s… I can’t even say it,” you start, voice quivering. 

If only the Oscars were still a thing, you’d win one right now for best actress.

“Is he hurt? Is he in trouble?”

“He’s… He’s…” you say, taking one final step back. 

She’s getting frustrated; frustrated at you for not spitting it out already. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you open your eyes one final tear streams down your face. She gets closer to you, inches away from your face. You clutch the handle of the knife and in one swift motion you swipe the blade across her neck, all of the anger, pain, and frustration released in your motion. Her skin splits apart and her screams are mangled and broken. You’re sprayed with her blood, covered in the warm, sticky liquid and reveling in the feeling of a life slipping away thanks to you. 

She crumples to the ground, falling backwards only just a little. You stand over her, watching the life fade from her eyes. She stops twitching and her eyes glaze over. You look down at your clothes, spattered in blood. Crouching down, you close her eyes, scanning the alley for a place to hide her for the time being. You spot a dumpster nearby and drag her behind it, a trail of blood following in her wake. Ah fuck, it’s pretty bad; very noticeable. Whatever, it’s dark out and no one saw you. You take one last look at her before leaving the alley, scurrying home before someone sees you covered in the dark red liquid. 

Now that she’s gone and you’re home, you’re replaying the night’s events in your head. The thing is… You loved that feeling; the feeling of having a life in your hands one moment and gone the next. 

Another thought pops into your head… Joel is home right now; home alone. Time to pay him a little visit. 

You change into different clothes, grabbing the same knife and a cloth. It’s late, Joel has to be asleep already. It makes this easier for you anyway. All of this begs the question… Could you really kill Joel?

Stepping back out in the street you weave in and out of alleyways, hiding in the dark whenever the coast isn’t clear. As you climb the stairs to Joel’s apartment you replay the last time you were here, when you saw Tess, and how different everything is now- for the better. 

You let yourself into Joel’s apartment and just like you suspected Joel’s asleep. He stirs a bit when you open the door but it doesn’t last long. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you see him now. You love him, you really do. But you’re also scorned by him, still reeling from the feeling of being dumped in the middle of the street. He needs to pay for his actions. He needs to suffer for the way he treated you and moved on so quickly. If you can’t have him, no one will. 

You slip off your clothes, and walk towards his bed with the knife and cloth in your hand. As you get closer you realize he’s sleeping naked, something he never really did before but you realize he was probably waiting for Tess. And the anger inside you bubbles some more. With the cloth in your hand you tie it around his head. He wakes up with a confused, “Huh?”

But as soon as he feels your hand on his cock he relaxes. He touches the blindfold tied around his head and chuckles. 

“A blindfold, huh? Didn’t realize you had that in you, Tess.”

It burns. It burns to be called that. It burns that he thinks you’re Tess but you stay quiet, offering a small shh as your hand caresses his cock. 

You set the knife down on the bed and get up, grabbing his hands and prompting him to sit at the edge of the bed so you can crouch down to suck his cock. You kiss along his groin, inching closer to his cock and letting him grow frustrated. Slowly, you take him in your mouth, as much as you can fit. You wrap your hand around the base and bob your head up and down, feeling him get harder in your mouth. The wetness and excitement brews between your legs, something about tricking him is adding to your arousal. The charade won’t last long but it’s exciting to have the upper hand. 

You cup his balls with your other hand, feeling them grow tighter. He’s getting closer but he can’t cum just yet. You pull him out of your mouth much to his dismay, standing up and spreading your legs apart. You take his hand and bring it to your cunt, letting him feel how wet you are.

“Oh you’re soaked, darlin’. You like doing dirty stuff like don’t you? Filthy girl.”

He strokes your entrance, fingers sliding back and forth between your cunt and your clit. You can’t wait any longer, needing to have his cock one last time. You push him back, forcing him to lay down as you straddle him. Just as you sink down onto his cock he reluctantly asks, “…Tess?”

The charade is up. 

“She’s not here right now,” you say, wearing a devilish grin that he can’t see.  

He inhales and the realization clicks in. 

“You break into my apartment… And blindfold me… And pretend to be Tess…” he starts. 

“Mhm.”

“And you suck my cock and sit on it, all while pretending to be Tess…”

“Never said I was Tess. You just assumed,” you say, rocking your hips back and forth. 

“Fuck,” he curses, letting out a shaky breath. 

“Don’t act like you’re not into this,” you tease, resting your hands on his chest as you ride him harder.

“Fuck, I shouldn’t be… But I am.”

“And you don’t mind that you’re cheating on her?” you ask, feeling the pleasure in your core build up. 

“You mean like how I did to you?” he asks, the smirk evident in his voice. 

“What?!” you ask, leaning forward and ripping the blindfold off. 

“Mhm,” he teases. 

No way. He’s not going to have the upper hand now. 

You start riding him faster and faster, desperate to cum before switching the gears of your plan. 

“Well, too bad I took care of her. Now you’re all mine.”

“What do you mean “took care of her”?” he asks, the horror of the situation dawning on him. 

“What do you think, Joel?” you laugh, your orgasm threatening to break loose. 

“You wouldn’t!” 

“Oh, but I did,” you laugh. Your orgasm spills over now, the muscles in your core, contracting and releasing erratically. It’s different from any orgasm you’ve ever had, but because the build up and the context of it was so unconventional; diabolical. 

Your orgasm triggers Joel’s, his cum painting your insides as the movement of your hips slows. Just as he’s finished coming you grab the knife, dragging it across his skin in small flicks, enough to draw blood. 

He yells in response to the pain but you don’t stop, continuing to make multiple small cuts. 

“This is what you deserve, Joel,” you say, flicking the knife across his arms and chest. 

“You cheat on me, you dump me, you fuck her five days later,” you continue, making a slice after each word, all while his cock and his cum are still inside you. The yelps in pain start to dissipate and he eventually falls silent. 

“If I can’t have you Joel… no one will,” you finish, inflicting one last cut across his chest, this one longer and deeper than the rest. 

You pull yourself off of him and collapse onto the bed. You feel Joel and his labored breathing beside you. Sleep is overtaking you. You had a long day. You don’t know if Joel will be there in the morning when you wake up, but either way you got what you wanted. 

You meant it when you said if you can’t have him, no one will. 

End note: Hope y'all liked that! It was really different from what I normally write so if you read this I appreciate you! This is my last one shot for a while before I stick to focusing on my two series (even tho I’m sure I’ll get an a random idea and want to crank it out); Bodega Joel and a Din series I haven’t shared many details for just yet ❤️‍🔥

Tag list for anyone who interacted with the announcement post: @wannab-urs @lincolndjarin @mrknightt @living-daisy @superflymaterial @local-bxbby @lizz-1 @lavema @linzels-blog @obscurexsorrows @undrthelights @tuquoquebrute @millerscoffee @pamasaur @h0neyb3ars @runningmom94 @catchallfangirl @rav3n-pascal22 @uphill-winds @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @kez-bez @starkovli @marisemonteiroo @almodovarispunk @morgaussy @nervoushottee @dugiioh @axshadows @butiknewyoudlinger @notsosecretspy @daddysfavoritesexkitten @intheseaofme @northennlights @lovequinnslover @maryrhodalouandted @pedrit0-pascalit0 @psychedelic-ink @kylosbitch @jediknight122 @adigitalgirl @dilfspitdrinker @lilliesonthemoon @texassred @marleneev @yazsos @morallyinept @love-the-abyss

[perotovar]

given to fly — drabble

pairing: joel/tess, ellie makes an appearance rating: T warnings: angst, takes place during ep 3, lots of introspection/character study, canon character death, if i missed anything else lmk! word count: 556 dividers: @saradika-graphics beta: @deathswaywardson this is a part of @iamasaddie 's ✏️ game! make sure you go read the other submissions!! moodboard is also made by @iamasaddie ♥

Joel hadn’t really had a chance to properly… process what happened to Tess. He’s not sure he’ll ever get one. He made that little memorial for her by the riverbank, but it’s not enough. Tess meant too much for that.

It really hit him when Ellie looked through the clothes at Bill and Frank’s. “They had clothes for women?” She asked incredulously and held up one of the boxes. On the side, it said, Women’s Shirts – SM - MED. When Joel looked at the box, it didn’t register until Ellie asked, “How come? Did they trade with anyone else, or was it just you and…?” She left it hanging, because of what Joel said earlier.

“You don’t bring up Tess. Ever.”

Joel grunted to himself and turned back to the closet, looking through a box of the Men’s Shirts – L - XL.

“Jus’ pick somethin’ out and take your shower,” he mumbled under his breath.

Ellie exhaled a heavy breath and went back to look through the shirts. When she decided on one she liked she made an awkward exit, gesturing toward the bathroom in the hall with her thumb, and turned to leave.

Joel waited until he heard the water running to let out his own deep exhale, and pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes. He felt the tears sting behind his eyelids, and for a second he didn’t think he was going to cry, but then he let out a shaky breath and it’s like the floodgates opened. He didn’t even recognize the sounds he made. He felt his chest aching and his head pounding, but he had to stop. He had no idea how much time had passed with him like this. He can’t imagine Ellie will be much longer.

He cleared his throat and used the sleeve of his canvas jacket to wipe any stray tears away and made himself seem at least somewhat presentable. Shortly after, the sounds of the shower ceased and he coughed again, sniffling to himself. He grabbed an outfit for himself and a towel to use and waited until Ellie left. Thankfully, she didn’t come back into the bedroom with the clothes, and just made her way down the stairs.

Once Joel is under the spray, less warm now that Ellie’s used some of the hot water, he pressed his forehead against the tiles and remembered.

Flashes of Tess’ face, both smiling and not, crossed his mind. For some reason, the thing that stuck out to him the most is the smell of the shitty QZ shampoo they had to use. Tess’ hair always smelled like it because she had more hair to use it on. He focused on that for a minute and then Tess’ words rang in his ear.

“Save who you can save.”

A couple more tears ran down his cheeks as he shut his eyes and he nodded to himself. He shut off the water and dried himself as best he could. He wiped the steam away from the mirror and got a good look at himself for the first time in who knows how long. He felt tired. He felt old.

As he clasped the buttons of the green flannel he grabbed for himself, one thought permeated his head, over and over, almost like a mantra.

I can’t fail her. Not again.

[wordywarriorwrites]

Clearly

Title: Clearly | A03 | Rating: T+

Pairing: Joel Miller x F! Reader

Summary: Joel’s spent a year trying to get a read on you. One night, you finally let him.

Warnings: Brief mentions of violence. Hints of spice. Language.

Joel can’t remember the last time he really wanted a woman.

Being a single father had made dating a challenge. Then, the world ended. And as for Tess? Well, they never managed to be on the same page – her always needing something more and him being unable to give it.

Now, things are different. And there’s you. Sitting across from him, feeding Tommy’s son, and looking like a confusing combination of a bad idea and something that might be good for him.

This isn’t the first meeting. Or the first shared dinner. Still, Joel’s so damn nervous just being near you that his palms are actually sweating where they rest on his knees beneath the table. There’s an edge and an air about you – something that makes the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

It beckons him – tempts him to take a risk and get a closer look.

You’re a mutual friend of Tommy and Maria. Joel’s known you for about a year now and has seen you around town enough to know people respect and trust you. In addition to teaching the kids of Jackson their ABCs and 1-2-3s, he’s watched you plant flowers, sew busted buttons, and calm unruly horses. You’re damn good with a rifle and decent at darts.

Hell, even Ellie likes you – in fact, she’s practically monopolizing you, peppering you with questions while Maria and Tommy set the table, and you answer everything while simultaneously (and successfully) scooping mashed peas into the gummy mouth of a gurgling, wriggling baby who seems to adore you.

Joel used to be so good at knowing what people were thinking, what made them tick, but consistent food, safety, and shelter have made him softer and more complacent than he ought to be. He thinks he gets glimpses – brief flashes of bridled wildness that appear when you’ve had a few too many, or when the townsfolk get a little rowdy, or when the odd fight breaks out. It’s rare, but he swears he’s seen it. Then again, perhaps he’s misreading you entirely.

Maybe he just sees in you the edge he used to have.

If he recalls correctly, you’re around his age – maybe a handful of years younger. Save for a vicious scar of unknown origins at the base of your throat, you seemed to have fared better than he did, all things considered. You sure as hell aged better – becoming laugh lines, no grays, and zero complaints about your back and knees. You’re a damn fine-looking woman, but he’s met beautiful women before, and he’s never been this affected.

In fact, it’s been more than twenty years since he’s felt the type of pull that makes him want to do something other than run or just ignore it. You’ve piqued his curiosity. Made something misfire in his brain. He doesn’t know whether to be wary, turned on, or scared.

“You alright, Miller?” you prompt.

Joel stares dumbly at you. You waggle the bowl of potatoes at him. He offers an awkward head bob and a mumbled thanks before overserving himself and clumsily passing the dish off to his brother.

Aside from his blunder, the rest of dinner is uneventful, with the evening being mostly comprised of small talk centered around work rotations, wall maintenance, and supply audits. Joel doesn’t really have much to contribute and save for the occasional yes or no response to a direct question, he’s silent. The baby gets passed around a few times before the night’s over, and by the end of it, he’s exhausted and can’t exactly pinpoint why.

Maria and Tommy see everyone out, sending you and Ellie home with baskets brimming with leftovers. Joel heads off with a wave and a yawn, following the two of you down the stairs and onto the street. He’s not paying much attention, just moseying along until the place he and Ellie call home comes into view.

“You head inside,” you murmur to Ellie. “I wanna talk to Joel for a minute.”

Ellie looks back and forth between the two of you, “Everything cool?”

You laugh, “Yeah. Just boring, adult stuff. Nothing that would interest you.”

The quirk of the kid’s brow suggests she knows better, and she doesn’t budge until Joel waves her off. When Ellie slows and looks back, he shoos her again. As soon as she disappears into the house and closes the front door, you set your basket at your feet and let out a sigh.

“Well, I’m sure she’s looking out the window, so, let’s get to it,” you declare.

One moment, he’s standing across from you, watching the moonlight highlight the apples of your cheeks. The next, you’ve got the lapels of his flannel balled up in your fists, and you’re yanking him forward. You kiss him hard – almost like you’ve got something to prove – but you don’t fumble it. You hit him with a heady, one-two-punch combination of teeth and tongue that sends something scorching zipping up his spine, turning him from a passive spectator to an aggressive participant.  

In his haste to reciprocate, he kicks over your basket of leftovers, but you don’t protest. And when he palms your ass, bringing your bodies flush and pressing against you tight, you don’t stop him. In fact, you make a little sound in the back of your throat that shakes the hell out of him – like this is what you were after and what you wanted all along. Joel knows he’s in danger because he’s already flying high with just a kiss, and your fingertips grazing his patchy beard before finding their way into his messy hair makes his belly swoop and his breath catch.

You pull away first, and he chases your mouth, eagerly and greedily brushing his lips against yours a few more times before clearing his throat and standing to his full height.

“Dunno about you,” you sigh, tone warmer than a banked fire. “But I feel better.”

He laughs, and your answering smile cranks up the odd, giddy feeling that’s floating somewhere in the region of his chest. Joel stares at you for a time. You stare right back. No awkwardness, no apprehension. The shared moment comfortably dissipates, and the two of you work together to repack the basket.

“Can I walk you home?” he offers.

“Better not,” you banter, tone all flirtatious as you secure the basket’s handle in the crook of your elbow “If I get you alone or near a bed… Could be dangerous.” 

Joel grins and rubs the back of his neck, “Well, if you change your mind.”

You don’t have to say it because he knows. Joel knows he’ll see you again. Kiss you again. That you’ll claim him as your own and that you’ll belong to him. He knows it because when he looks into your eyes, he’s finally – and perhaps with only your blessing – able to see you clearly.

[brighttears]

Battery

Joel Miller x f!reader

Series masterlist

No physical description

Summary: You met Tess in the Boston QZ because you have a battery for her car. She introduces you to her sidekick Joel, the handsome, hardass who looks like he wants to kill you. You’re leaving Boston with them in the morning. 

Word count: 3.6k

Warnings: deals in Boston with unfriendly characters, drinking, Joel takes sleeping pills

A/n: Wrote this is one sitting with very minimal editing heehee. Obviously screaming for more parts but I just decided to put this out and see what happens with it

—

You sit on a rusty metal folding chair in the musty basement you’ve come to know well, sitting next from your new friends Tess—the person you’ve come here to sort of compromise with, someone who promises a car to give a home to the battery you’ve come here to score in the first place. You met her at work, rolling paint over Firefly logos. You don’t usually chit–chat with your ‘coworkers’, and Tess said the same thing to you when you started talking, but you did, and it was maybe the most pleasant experience you’ve had in your year in the Boston QZ. Somehow, you clicked, and now, you guess you could say you’re something like friends. You even laughed once. More importantly, you both decided you could put a little trust into each other. The paramount detail, however, is that she’s looking for a car battery, and you know someone who has one, and you were going to speak with him the next day anyway. Finally, you both might have a way out of this hellhole. 

She did tell you that her other friend, Joel, is “kind of a piece of work, a real hard head who will look like he wants to kill you”, but goddamn did she mean that. He’s currently glaring at you from across the table, trying to size you up, looking like he’s trying to make you explode with his mind despite the fact that you’re here to do him a huge fucking favor. Next to him is your dealer, a poorly built man who can handle a lot more than he looks like he can, and a man who has plenty of people to back him up for what he can’t. He’s the King Rat, dirty and only seen in basements, but a kingpin just the same. He has a couple of his men around the room with him now, standing by the door with their hands clasped like ex-marines, doing their job at creating an atmosphere of static danger, telling you that he is the person that decides when and if you leave this room. However, your fear is on the backburner. You have become somewhat of a regular in King Rat’s basement—his actual name, the one you address him as, being Wojciech—for deals, trades more like it, but all of it being a forerunner for this right meeting right now. 

“Now, you know I like you,” he says to you, lazily raising a finger with something like a smile, “but I do not know either of you.” He waves his finger at Joel and Tess.

“I like them,” you tell him, a white lie, “that’s why I brought them here. I thought you’d want to know the whole deal here.”

“And we would both like to be here to see that the goods are real.” Tess says, face stoney. 

The static in the air picks up, though no one moves. 

Wojciech grows a slow grin, looking her right in the eyes. You watch them, trying to determine if this is about to get nasty, trying to read what you might be able to do to calm it down. He is a person to learn. Tess, apparently, is someone who doesn’t really give a fuck. Some may think she’s stupid to be so curt, but you can tell that she can hold the fuck her own. Plus, Joel looks like he could rip someone's throat out with ease. Still, you tense. 

“Aah,” he drawls, “smart woman. I can understand that. Yes, very smart. Well,” he flicks his hand out to a man behind him who then produces the battery onto the table, “it is very real. And it can be all yours,” he looks at you now, still grinning, “at the agreed price.” You then unload from your bag onto the table a fat stack of ration cards, a metal box full of various kinds of bullets, and a large plastic bag full to the brim of fat white pills. 

Wojciech’s eyes widen and he licks his lips as if you’ve just placed a freshly cooked Thanksgiving style turkey on the table.

“Good girl,” he says, still drooling over the payment, “what a sight, what a sight. You are a good girl, you know,” he looks up at you, his hands absentmindedly flexing. You try to smile, although his words make you want to gag. He is a person to learn, and also a person to swallow your bile for. This is just how he talks, and he’s never actually tried to lay a hand on you, so you can put up with it. Besides, once this deal is done, you'll never have to see him again. Just as his mouth is probably salivating for what's on the table right now, so is yours. You force yourself to keep Wojciech’s gaze instead of staring at the car battery. 

Still, though, you can see Joel’s eyes on you, still looking at you like you don’t belong here, like he hates you. So far, you really don’t like him, but it’s not him you care about, it’s the car he has. 

“You know, I will miss you, you and your sneaky ways. I don’t know how you did this, but I will never ask, because I don’t care as long as you get it onto my table.” He laughs heartily, leaning back in his chair with his hands still flexing, the sounds ending in squeaks, as they always do, which has added to the sticking nickname of Rat King. 

You got this stuff by saving, scraping, working a lot, and, yes, some stealing, along with making ‘friends’ with some guards who will never get the chance to get in your pants, though flirting was your main method of essentially manipulating them. It was hard work, never honest, but worth it. And now, finally, it is about to pay off.

“Well, seems we’re done here now, right?” Tess says.

Wojciech’s eyes roll to hers, relaxing back in his chair, still with his somewhat disquieting half grin. 

“Down to business. I like that. I like you, too, miss missy. Too bad you’ll be taking this battery and then be far gone right?”

Tess says nothing, which is smart.

Rat King finally gives in, “Aah”ing as he slides the battery across the table while one of his men bags up the other items on the table. 

You take the battery in your hands, sliding it over to yourself, then standing to set your now empty bag on the table next to it. It barely fits, but it does. 

Everyone else raises to their feet as you do, concluding the meeting. Wojciech is grinning at you again, wide, thin, full of small teeth, his eyes squinting with it. 

“Once again, very nice doing business with you,” you say to him, reaching out your hand for him to shake and hoping the grimace doesn’t show in your smile. 

“Yes, yes, as always, I really will miss you, you know.” He tells you as he shakes your hand, sweaty and tight. 

You say nothing. You try to say as little as you can with him, just be polite as possible; get in, get out. 

He lets go of your hand and then nods, signaling permission for your departure. You lead Tess and Joel out, all filing up the narrow staircase back into the sunlight. The bag hurts your shoulders, but you need to hide the weight, make it look like nothing important as you walk down the streets. 

“Alright, golden girl,” Tess says to you, now in stride next to you with Joel on the other side of her, “smartest way to do this is you stay with us tonight, and then you leave with us in the morning. Sound good to you?”

You nod, “Sounds good to me.”

“You got any shit to pick up at your place or are you good?”

“I’ve got everything I own on me.”

“Really?” She screws her face up with her question.

“Yup. Clothes, two loaded guns, and two knives.”

“No food?”

“Nope. Sorry I have nothing to offer on that front, but, that’s part of how we got this big thing on my back.” You pull the strap of your bag more securely on your shoulder.

“So, what,” Joel grumbles, “we just s’spossed to supply that for you?” He asks, mostly rhetorically. Really, he’s saying fuck you, who do you think you are?

Before you can snap anything back, Tess says, giving him a warning look, “Well, I think it’s a pretty fair fucking trade, seeing as she is the reason that we’re finally getting the fuck out of here.”

Joel stares at her for a moment, glowering, then looks back down the road, grumbling under his breath. 

Tess switches her gaze to you, “We’ve got shit saved up, don’t worry about it.” You nod, grateful. 

The rest of the walk is silent, all the way up to their apartment. Once at the door, Tess tells you, “Stay out here for a second, we gotta talk.” You nod, and she closes the door. You stay still, listening in on their private conversation. 

“I don’t like this.” Comes Joel’s muffled voice, “I do not want to add another person into our lives.”

“Well, this is how it’s gonna go. She has a battery, we don’t. We need her. She’s solid.”

“And how do you know that? You just met ‘er.” Joel snaps back. 

“Because I know, Joel. Look, do you trust me? Good. So, trust me. I understand you’re worried, I know you think this will complicate things, but we need her, and I trust her, ok?”

“It’s stupid to trust someone you barely know. I don’t like ‘er, I don’t like that prick Wojciech, I don’t like any of this. We can find another battery, alone.”

“No, we can’t. Who knows how long that will take? We have one right in front of us. This is our chance, Joel. To get out of here. Go find Tommy.”

There’s a pause, a shuffle of feet, and then Tess’s voice again, barely audible, “There’s just something about this chic. Okay? I like her. I really think she’s worth keeping around.” 

Joel says nothing. 

“Alright?”

He says nothing again. 

“Good. Now, be nice.”

You smile. You’re starting to really like Tess; the unspoken command she has over his angry bear of a man, this authority she holds over seemingly the air itself, instantly knocks up your respect for her. Thank god you like at least one of the people you’re about to travel with, to wherever they’re going. 

She opens the door then with a slight, polite smile, “Come on in. Get that thing off your shoulders. I’m sure they’re bruised by now.” As you enter, she adds, kind of offhandedly, “We need to talk.”

You offer a matching smile back, walking in and finding the table to set down your heavy bag before joining her on the couch. Joel sits in a chair in the corner, still looking annoyingly murderous. You stare right back, blankly, challenging him. He scares you just as much as half of the people in Boston, so it doesn’t really hit like it used to. He’s not gonna hurt you, he just wants you to feel like he will. You almost sigh, tired of shit like this. 

He looks pissed as fuck, but, eventually, he looks to the ground, submitting to Tess’s request of ‘being nice’.

Joel is almost like a puppy, well, more like a dog, a guard dog, who sits in the corner, watching and glaring as much as a dog can, who eventually huffs, defeated, and plods over to lay at your feet. He reminds you of an old, tired, Saint Bernard. Tess is unquestionably his owner, known this dog for years, able to command him with one word or even just her eyes. 

“Look,” Tess interrupts your musing, her eyes demanding your attention, sitting next to you with her hands clasped over spread knees. “Him and I, we are not good people. We are here to get what we want, and go.”

Something about Tess makes you think that she may have been a mother at some point. You like it.

She continues, “I think we can help each other out. You wanna get outta here, too, right?”

You nod, “As soon as possible.”

She half chuckles, “Well, we’re on the same page, then. Joel here has a brother somewhere out in—”

“Tess,” Joel suddenly hisses, not even looking at you when he addresses you, “she does not need to know that.”

Tess barely gives him a look before she looks back to you, continuing on, “Somewhere out in Wyoming.”

“She did not need to know that.” Joel repeats, firmer. 

Tess turns to him then, pausing. “Look. We all have the same goal, now. Get the fuck out of Boston. And that’s where we’re headed, and she’s coming along, so, yes, she does need to know that. It’s as much her business as it is ours.”

“Who the fuck says she’s comin’ along? We’re gettin’ her out of Boston, an’ that’s it.”

Deciding you have a right to say something on the matter, you interject, “I want to get as far away from Boston as I can. I’ll go as far as you can take me. And for what it’s worth, I’m not gonna rob you, I’m not gonna kill you, I just want—”

“That’s worth nothin’.” Joel snaps, glaring at you again. 

You huff, glaring back. “I get it. I’m a stranger. So are you. But I’m coming with you, because it’s my fucking battery. I busted my ass getting that thing. And if we’re getting this car, we’re gonna be stuck in close quarters for a while, so you might as well get used to me, and I might as well get used to you. We’re helping each other out here, ok? I’m not just cargo. I am a fucking asset. That should be apparent enough now. That Wojciech guy is not easy to fucking work with, you’re lucky you got to be in the room to begin with. Because I got him to trust me. Cause I can get my hands on things others cannot. I know shit. I know how to talk to people. And I have shit out there. I know what to do, where to go. I’ve only been in Boston for a year. I was out there for years. I have shit stashed, and I know where it is. And I can show you. And we can share it. I’m not a child, I’m not useless, and I’m not stupid. So be nice, ok?”

Joel just stares back, glowering, grinding his teeth.

“What is this,” Tess speaks up, “a staring contest? Look, we don’t have time for this. We’re leaving in the morning, and she’s right, you need to get used to each other. I don’t have the patience to deal with this shit, ok?”

You’re not exactly sure who she’s addressing while you’re still steady with Joel’s gaze. If this is a staring contest, you are way too stubborn to lose, especially after how he’s been treating you. 

After a moment, Joel finally submits, casting his eyes to the floor before he gets up and goes to the kitchen where he digs a large, thick glass bottle out from the top shelf of a cabinet, a quarter of the way full with golden, what you assume to be, liquor. He doggedly retrieves two, then three, cups. He holds all three in one hand, a finger in each, with the bottle in his other hand. He comes to the table before the couch, moving slow, resistantly, like he’s trying to rub it in how much he does not want to be setting the glasses down to pour one for Tess, but then also one for you. He keeps his gaze down as he does and then pours his own glass, not even bothering to set the bottle down so that he can immediately pour himself another after downing the first. You watch as he pulls a bag out of his pocket and takes two big, fat, white pills—the same kind you just passed hundreds of over to Wojciech—to swallow down with his alcohol. He pauses, turns, and tosses the bag to you. You catch it, look at it in your palm, and then set it on the table. 

Joel glances over at it, “T’s not laced.” There’s taut irritation in his voice, “I jus’ took one.” You dumbass is easily heard, though he doesn’t say it, instead taking a sip and trying to hide the grimace it gives him. 

“I don’t want one.” You tell him, “I prefer less sleep. ‘Few hours keep me sharp.” You don’t take your eyes off of him, though he only keeps you in his peripheral. 

The alcohol is harsh on your tongue, a mixture of every type of alcohol to exist, probably, and not watered down like you’re used to. You polish the glass off in one gulp, unintentionally slamming the glass back down on the table with a wince. Tess chuckles and gulps hers down as well. 

She sets her glass down almost as hard as you had, then says to you, “Alright, you get the couch. I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, she gets up and goes into the next room over. 

Joel stays standing, glass and bottle still in hand, not looking at you. He pours himself another one, then plods closer to pour you another as well. He abandons the bottle on the table then and sits in the chair in the corner in a way that ages him. The setting sun crosses orange over his chest and lights up his face; he’s rough, and handsome. More handsome than you want him to be. 

His flits his eyes around, considering, then submitting again with a sigh. 

“So, you said you got stuff stashed around?” He says, finally looking at you. 

You nod as you sip, trying to mute a grimace. 

“Where?”

“Few miles from here. Pretty much a straight shot from the gates. Then some more a few miles further.”

“You know how to get us there?”

“Yes.” You answer, annoyed. 

He sighs, then grimaces with his sip. He pauses again, looking absentmindedly at the seat next to you on the couch, then speaks again, “So you said you only been here a year?” You nod. “Why’d you come?” 

“For a break.” 

“A break,” he nearly chuckles.

“I know, not much of one. That’s why I’m ready to leave.”

“You got a destination in mind?”

“No.” 

“Good.”

There's a pause. You want to know more about him, the reasoning you assign to being for the safety of your own travels. 

“So, brother?” You inquire. 

Joel takes a slow sip, answering with a grimace probably both from the taste and the decision to answer, “Yes.”

“Why isn’t he with you?”

Joel considers the walls before he answers, “We had a disagreement.”

“About what?”

“Morals. You gonna finish that?”

You keep eye contact as you down the dregs of your drink. He keeps the gaze as well, examining you as he licks his teeth behind his lips. He sighs, then looks through the window. 

“You gonna watch me as I sleep?” You quip. He turns back to you, eyes looking you over again. 

“No.” With that, he gets up, walks to the table to set his glass down, and leaves into the next room over. 

When he’s gone, you sigh. What an introduction. Tess seems solid, but Joel is fucking exhausting. You hope to god he lets up on his go fuck yourself air about him soon enough, but you can’t tell if that’s a possibility. You have to admit, it’s a bit winsome, and definitely intriguing. He’s a nut you’d love to crack, and if things do work out, you should have plenty of time. 

You lay back on the couch and close your eyes. You feel almost like a kid on Christmas Eve, so much so that you consider the bag of sleeping pills on the table, but you’ve never touched them and you don’t plan on starting now. That would be stupid. Maybe by now, however long he’s been here, Joel is used to going to sleep in a bed and being sure he’ll be fine until he wakes up in the morning, but you are not. It is an idea that’s nice to have in your head, allowing you maybe a few hours more sleep than you used to get, but that all ends tomorrow. You’re not upset about that, though; sometimes, it feels like out there is your natural habitat. You have no qualms with leaving these walls. So, you try your best to welcome sleep, to get the next few hours over with so you can start the next chapter.

[pedrito-friskito]

strawberry wine - joel miller x ofc!liv stone/fem!reader

after - part twenty-two

series masterlist | main masterlist | read on ao3

you agree to something...unexpected.

a/n: we're in the SHOW PLOT BABIESSSSS ugh I'm having so much fun with this 🤍

word count: 5.1k

warnings: canon-typical violence, you know the drill.

✨@friskito-library for updates on new parts/works✨

“I don’t know where he is, Liv, I swear.”

You sigh, leaning back in your chair, and dig in your pocket. You produce two ration cards, the highest value kind, and slide them across the table. “Now, you and I both know that’s a load of bullshit, Ted. So why don’t you stop wasting my time and tell me where Robert is?”

Ted’s a good kid. A little screwed up, sure, but so is every other kid that was born on the edge of the outbreak. He’s helped you out with a few jobs here and there, but lately, he’s been running shit for Robert, which made him the obvious first choice to find out where your least favourite smuggler had run off to.

You watch Ted’s eyes dart between the ration cards on the table between you and over your shoulder to where Joel and Tess are standing. Joel’s stance is wide, his hands shoved in his pockets, his brow hard. His eyes are glued to you, and you follow Ted’s eyes, glancing back at your husband and your friend.

“Don’t worry about them,” you tell the kid. “Look at me.”

“I told you, Liv, I don’t know where—”

“You don’t know where he is, yep, I heard you the first time. But I know it’s bullshit, because I know for a fact you were running a job for Robert three days ago, before my ass ended up in lock-up. And I also know that I saw you just outside the warehouse district, and ten minutes later, I have FEDRA all over me. You screwed me, so give me this, and I won’t let Joel break your jaw.”

The kid whimpers. 

You reach into your pocket, pull out another card. “Now, Ted. Or I walk.”

His throat bobs, but he reaches for the cards. Bingo. “T-there’s a red-tagged building, Stillman and Cross. He said he was taking the battery there, that he had someone else who would pay triple what Tess offered.”

You stare him down for a moment. “You know what happens if I find out you’re lying, don’t you?”

His eyes shift from your face back to Joel over your shoulder. “I do.”

“Broken jaws take a long time to heal,” you say almost casually, and Ted nods. You slide out of your seat. “See you around, kid.”

As soon as you’re close enough, Joel and Tess start to walk, and you fall into step with them, fitting yourself between them both. “Well?” Joel prompts, his hand finding the small of your back.

“Cost me three cards,” you tell them, “but he told me. Red-tagged building at Stillman and Cross.”

Joel’s brow lifts. “Wasn’t that a Firefly building, back when Tommy joined?”

Tess nods. “It was. Then they emptied out, and Miguel took over.” Her eyes shift to you, and she clears her throat. “It was empty again, last I heard.”

You shake a memory away. “I have a thought. We take the subway tunnel under Haymarket, that gets us into the building from below, and we can take him by surprise. He’ll never see us coming, and if all three of us go, he doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Pay this fucker back,” Joel says, and you can’t help your grin.

+

You go back to the apartment. Tess heads up to her place to get her bag, and the moment you’re through the door, you beeline for the wardrobe, digging out your guns, your knives, the bat. Joel had reluctantly put everything away after you’d convinced him not to go straight after Robert. You needed to be smart about it, to get the battery, and once the plan was more fleshed out, when you realized Ted would know where Robert was and you had a place to start, he softened slightly.

Only slightly.

Time has made Joel harder. It’s made you both harder, both new versions of yourselves you hadn’t anticipated turning into. The last decade has pushed you both to your limits, in every goddamn sense, but still, your love for each other? That’s never so much as wavered. Never.

It’s mostly weapons, in your bags. Ration cards, emergency supplies on the off-chance you need to make a quick getaway after you confront Robert. Bolt cutters. Ideally, you’ll go, scare the shit out of him, get the battery, then come back home. You’ll plan a real route, get the truck from Lee, and off you go.

It’s pouring rain, by the time you meet Tess in the lobby and step back out into the streets. Joel keeps a tight grip on your hand as you head towards the subway, and all three of you are soaked to the bone when you reach Haymarket, you and Tess standing in front, trying to look casual while Joel clips the chain on the door with the bolt cutters.

You all step through, crouching to fish flashlights out of your packs. The bat is tucked between your shoulders, mostly hidden by your bag, but you go for your gun instead. “Ready?” Tess asks, and you both nod, heading down the stairs.

The flashlight beams light the way, revealing mouldy walls, cracks in the ceiling letting rainwater drip down over you. Joel shoves his hand through his hair, wet strands slicking back across his scalp, and you can’t stop yourself from thinking idly that he looks good.

The steps down were at least partially lit between your flashlights and the diffused daylight coming through the windows, but as you descend into the subway tunnel itself, it’s nearly pitch black. Not a shock — you used to meet people down here all the time to trade — but it still makes your gut twist. A few years back, you’d heard rumours about a swarm of Infected that had stumbled in through the opposite end, which fed out into the open city. No more subway drops for you.

There are multiple doorways that lead up from the tunnels, the few you’ve used over the years to get out of the QZ proper, others that have helped when you almost got caught out after curfew. There are a few offices, maintenance rooms and supply bunkers that have served in a pinch.

“That’s the one,” Tess says, pointing to one of the little staircases that lead up from the subway rail itself. She goes first, and you follow, Joel close behind, his hand bumping your leg as you walk up the few steps. Tess opens the door, stepping inside, and you go to follow again, but Joel hooks his fingers into your back pocket, stalling you.

There’s no noise, at first, and you move toward the doorway. When Tess’s shouted oh fuck! echoes through the tunnel, you bolt forward, gun raised, with Joel a half-step behind you. “What?”

Then you see it. The far wall of the office. You can just barely make out the body within the fungus, nothing human left, just cordyceps spreading across the tile. The face open in a silent roar, fungi sprouting from the mouth, the eyes, the ears. Frozen in place, creeping in every direction. Taking over, even buried beneath the earth.

“This one’s done,” Joel declares, shining his light on what used to be the person’s face. That’s one thing you’ve learned about the Infected, over the years: nothing lasts forever. The infection can only push the human body so far, and it gets to the point where there’s nothing left for the infection to puppet.

Beside you, Tess exhales sharply, a hand pressed to her chest. “Yeah, I know, I just…I wasn’t expecting it.”

Joel glances at you. “That wasn’t down here last time?” 

You shake your head. “Nothing was. But when was the last time we were here, Tess? A year? Two?”

“More than that,” she answers, sweeping her flashlight beam over the body. “You think he came down after he was infected?”

Joel sighs, and his words send a prickle through you. “Maybe down here is where he was infected.”

Tess stares at the body for a moment before she turns away. You clear your throat, tap your flashlight to Joel’s. “Let’s keep moving.”

The office leads into a narrow hallway, a series of ladders that have been tied and strapped together leaned against the wall. Probably not up to code, but it’ll do. Tess slides her flashlight into the strap of her bag, and you and Joel do the same, both peering up as Tess grips the ladder and starts moving up. “It’s like they reframed the whole structure,” Joel says, tapping your ass as you move to follow Tess. “Probably in the eighties. Everyone was cutting down on apartment sizes to sell more condos.”

Tess pauses, shooting you a look over her shoulder. “This has been Construction Corner with Joel Miller.”

You sputter out a laugh, the ladder wobbling in your grip, and when you look behind you, Joel looks less than impressed. “Hey, I’d watch it.”

“Sure you would,” he grunts, swatting your ankle. “Keep goin’.”

A few more rungs before you call out to Tess. “How far up we gonna go?”

“Uh,” she pauses, swinging her boot off the rung and onto what looks like solid floor, “this far.”

You all shuffle off the ladder one by one, Joel grabbing your hand when you offer it, while Tess pushes on the makeshift door cut into the drywall from the inside. It’s been a long time since you and her came in this way. “This opens into the hallway,” she says, more for Joel’s benefit than your own. “What the fuck? Someone put a piano in front of this?”

Joel sweeps his flashlight over the ceiling, catching on old pieces of insulation and cracked drywall. As Tess pushes on the door again, something hits your nose and you wince, the telltale tang of wasted ammunition curling at the back of your throat. “Wait,” you whisper, grabbing her forearm, stopping her from moving the door again. “You smell that?”

“Gunpowder,” Joel answers, and the beam of his flashlight traces the door, down to the bottom, where you see a thin drip of blood seeping through the bottom crack, pooling on the floor. “Shit.”

Both you and Joel draw your guns, and you push forward, Joel calling your name as you shove your shoulder into the door, sliding it open. The body that was leaned against it slumps over as you step through, peering around, something in you twisting when you see the dead man’s face.

Robert.

“Fuck,” you murmur, stepping through the door completely, your gun still raised. Joel’s right behind you, his brow furrowed, Tess a step behind him. Both their flashlights rake over Robert’s body, and over the car battery on the ground beside him. Tess steps towards the battery, inspecting it closer, while you turn to Joel, seeing the displeasure on his face. “The fuck happened here?”

He just shakes his head, jaw set, mouth a firm line.

“Well, the battery’s no good,” Tess informs you, nudging it with her boot. “And he still tried to sell it. Twice.”

“You’re shocked?” you scoff, glancing up the hall. There are more Fireflies, all of them riddled with bullets, bodies propped against the wall. “Doesn’t surprise me one bit. Greedy fuck.”

Someone lets out a pained groan, somewhere nearby, and you all jump on the defence, guns raised. Joel steps in front of you as you move down to where the hallway crosses with another, and you move to his right side. There’s mumbled conversation, words you can’t make out as Joel presses himself to the wall, inching towards the corner.

“Shit…Oh god, just…fuck!”

Joel turns the corner, and you’re quick to follow, both of you with your guns raised, steps silent as you creep closer towards the two women toward the end of the hall, one helping the other to her feet.

Suddenly, the door you’re barely in front of swings inward, a young girl shouting as she surges forward, a knife raised. Joel moves quicker than you, blocking the blow and sending her to the floor with a grunted fuck. The knife hits the floor, and Joel swings his gun towards the girl. She looks up at him with an almost feral look in her dark eyes, baring her teeth at him. 

She looks young, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale. She’s got dark-coloured Converse on her feet, and for some reason, it makes you smile.

The sound of guns cocking rips your eyes from the young girl, and you turn to see the two women at the end of the hallway both with pistols pointed in your direction. “Liv?”

“Marlene?” you reply, officially confused as shit.

She stares at you for a long moment, her face pinched in pain before her eyes drop to the girl. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” the girl replies, her eyes still glued to Joel.

She goes for the knife, but Joel puts his boot over the blade before she can grab it. She bares her teeth again. “Ellie,” Marlene calls, assumedly the girl’s name, but she’s too busy sneering at Joel. “Ellie.”

Ellie whips her head in Marlene’s direction, and instantly, you see the fear that works across the young girl’s face. “Oh, shit!” she gasps.

Marlene loosens her grip on the gun, tilted the barrel of it away from your head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be all right.” You see her face fall slightly. “You can’t be stupid like this.”

Yep, you’re fucking confused.

Tess, who you’d left inspecting the battery, rounds the corner. “So this is who Robert screwed us over with?” she asks, moving up to stand beside you. “The Che Guevara of Boston?”

You scoff, jutting your chin at Marlene. “War must be goin’ pretty shitty for you to be buying from scumbags like him. I know we screwed you once or twice, but at least you didn’t end up with a bullet in your gut.”

“Yeah, it’s been a fucking stretch,” Marlene asks, sagging against the wall slightly. “The merch was bad, and he obviously didn’t take fuck off for an answer.”

You squint at Marlene, but your ears prick when you hear Ellie mutter, “Give me my knife.”

“What do you need a car battery for?” Joel asks, ignoring the girl at his feet. Ellie reaches forward, and both you and Joel swing your guns at her. “Don’t.”

���Not at her,” Marlene nearly shouts, both her and the woman standing beside her lifting their guns again, pointing at you both. Tess lifts hers, aiming for Marlene. “Point it at me.”

Joel gives you a look before glancing down at Ellie, who’s pressed herself against the wall, her hands raised in surrender. She looks fucking terrified. “Joel,” you murmur, pointing your gun away from the girl, toward Marlene and her friend. He follows suit, and you hear Ellie’s relieved exhale.

“To answer your question,” Marlene says, “I need it for a better reason than you do. No offence, but Tommy’s just one man.”

“What the…” Joel mutters, but you reach out with the hand not holding your gun, touch his chest.

“Who told you we’re going after Tommy?”

Marlene almost laughs. “It’s our business to know things. You of all people should know that, Liv.”

“To know things,” Joel repeats, and you can see the anger creeping up his spine, feel it in the heavy beat against your palm. “You’re the cause of it. You turned my own brother against me.”

“Okay, Joel,” Marlene mumbles, nearly rolling her eyes. Your own anger spikes.

“That was a lot of gunfire,” Marlene’s partner says. You don’t know her name. “FEDRA’s gonna be on their way.”

“I know,” she answers, and she stares at the kid at your feet for a long moment before speaking again, her voice louder. “We were gonna move Ellie outta the zone tonight.” Joel’s eyes flick down to the girl, and you watch him for a moment before your eyes move back to Marlene. “But we won’t make it anywhere like this. Not for a while, anyway. So now I’m thinkin’, you’re gonna do it.”

You squint at the woman. What…

Behind you, Tess: “Why the fuck would we do that?”

At the same time, Joel: “The hell we are.”

And Ellie: “I’m not going with them!”

You can’t read the expression on Marlene’s face. She’s in pain, clearly, but there’s something more to it. Something you’re certainly not used to seeing on the Queen of the Fireflies. But then it clicks.

She’s desperate.

“Liv,” Joel says, tearing your focus from Marlene, his gun still pointed at her, “we don’t have time for this.”

You meet his eyes for a sec before your gaze moves back to the Fireflies at the end of the hall. “Oh, you don’t have time?” Marlene calls, and she’s not even hiding the desperation anymore. You can hear it clear as day in her voice.

“Who is she?” you ask, narrowing your eyes, tilting your head towards the kid on the ground.

“To you?” Marlene shoots back. “She’s cargo.”

“We don’t smuggle people,” Joel nearly shouts, and you put your hand on his arm.

“I can do it,” the woman beside Marlene says, and the Queen snaps.

“Kim, you don’t have a fuckin’ ear on your fuckin’ head, could you please!” It’s only then that you realize that Marlene’s friend — Kim — has clearly taken a shot to the head, because most of her ear is missing, blood smeared down her neck. Marlene keeps talking, staring you down. “There’s a team of Fireflies waiting for her at the old State House.” Behind you, Tess scoffs. “I know what’s out there. We were going with an entire squadron for that very reason.”

“An entire squadron,” you repeat, “and you want the three of us to do it?”

“I don’t have a truck, I don’t have a squadron,” Marlene says, “FEDRA’s five minutes away. What I do have is you. And I know what you’re all capable of. For better or worse.” Her eyes slide from you to Joel, and you inhale sharply.

At your feet, Ellie looks at you all warily. “What are they capable of?”

Marlene just keeps on talking. “You get her there safely, and they’ll get you what you need. Not just a battery, but the whole thing. Fuelled-up truck, guns, supplies, all of it. I swear.” Joel’s head turns to you, his jaw set. Somehow, this has become your call. “I swear,” Marlene says again.

Joel slides his boot across the ground, Ellie’s knife spinning out of reach. “Asshole!” she shouts, and as the three of you step away to deliberate, you stoop to the floor, scooping the thing up. It’s a simple thing, short blade, wooden handle with a metal switch. You slide your finger across the wood, feeling the weight of it in your palm, turning it over as you step back.

There are initials carved into the bottom, right along the edge of the wood. ASW.

“You trust her?” Tess asks you as you move away, Joel’s hand settling against your hip.

Joel shakes his head. “Me either,” you agree, giving a slight nod, “but she seems desperate.”

When Joel speaks, you don’t miss the thread of hope in his voice. “Firefly vehicle usually means repurposed FEDRA stuff,” he says, “so better-than-decent chance of makin’ it to Tommy in one of those.” He looks at you. “Get us to Lincoln too.”

You nod.

“The second we hand this kid over—” Tess starts, but Marlene’s voice cuts her off.

“Ya’ll talk it through, but please remember that I’m bleeding out.”

Joel reaches out and grabs your wrist, the hand holding the knife. His eyes are hard as you meet them, but he lifts his chin, and you nod.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” you call to Marlene, turning on your heel. “We take the kid to the State House, but we don’t hand her over until we get everything that we want. Everything. Guns, truck, ammo, whatever we ask for. Anyone so much as pauses, we kill her. Then and there.”

You’ve barely gotten the words out before Marlene agrees. “Deal.”

“Really?” Ellie quips, almost exasperated. “That fast?”

Marlene looks at her, that same desperation still laced in her voice. “You are all that matters. My team will not jeopardize that. Remember what I told you?” Ellie glances up at you, and you try to school your face neutral. “Now go get your bag. Now, Ellie.”

With a huff, the kid gets to her feet and stalks into the room she’d leapt out of. You all just stare each other down until she returns, a green and blue backpack in her hands. She stares at Marlene, and Tess turns on her heel, heading back down the hallway. Joel touches your arm, nodding his head in the direction Tess went. “Let’s go.”

Ellie stares Marlene down until she nods, and then spins, shoving Joel with her shoulder as she goes, plucking her knife out of your hand before pushing past you as well. Joel gives you a look, and you just shake your head.

“Miller,” Marlene calls, and both of you turn to look at her. “Don’t fuck this up. Please.”

+

Thunder rumbles, the moment you step foot back outside. It’s still early, nowhere near curfew, but you’re all quick to move through the city, circling back to the apartments. You need to regroup, gather more supplies, if you’re gonna make it to the State House.

What the fuck did you just agree to?

Tess leads the pack as you stride through the rain, Ellie behind her, you behind Ellie, Joel behind you. You don’t miss the way the kid pulls her hood over her face every time you pass a FEDRA soldier, flinches every time one of those big FEDRA trucks rolls past on the street.

Somewhere between the Firefly building and your apartment, Joel grabs your hand, pulls you back into step with him. “I don’t like this,” he says softly, his tone rough.

You lace your fingers with his. “I don’t either. Doing Marlene a favour wasn’t exactly high on my list of things to do. But if they pull through and get us what we need, then it’s worth it, right?”

The furrow in his brow deepens, but he squeezes your hand, gives a slight nod. “Right.”

It’s not long before you’re inside the building, climbing the stairs up to your floor. Ellie’s foot slips on one of the steps, nearly sending her tumbling back. Out of instinct, you grab her by the arm, pushing her back upright. She shoots you a look over her shoulder, her eyes wide. “Thanks.”

You just nod.

Joel holds his hand out for the keys as you approach the apartment, unlocking the door after you toss them to him. You push the door open, stepping aside for Ellie to enter after Joel gestures for her to step forward. “Give us a minute,” you say, stepping back out into the hall, pulling the door shut. It earns you a shouted what the fuck! from the kid, but you ignore it.

“So, what’s the plan?” Tess asks, hands braced on her hips.

You breathe out a sigh, leaning back against the door. “When’s the last time we even made it near the State House?”

Joel pushes his hand through his hair. “Long way or short way.”

“We took the short way last time,” Tess says, glancing at you. “Nearly got ourselves killed.”

You chew your thumb. “So we take the long way? If things go bad, we’ll figure something out. Drop whatever we have to, head for Bill and Frank’s.”

“And what, leave the kid there?”

“If shit hits the fan, Lincoln first. We check on them, we resupply, and we head for Wyoming. Simple. There are more than enough cities between here and Wyoming with Firefly groups. Chances are we can find another one to drop her at.”

“Nothin’s ever fuckin’ simple, Liv,” Joel grunts, and you shoot him a glare. “Lee had the decency to warn me to stay off the streets tonight. Apparently, the Fireflies freaked FEDRA out, few guys got shot. This is risky.”

“Every single fucking thing we do is risky, Joel. If we wait this out any longer, someone’s gonna come snooping, or Marlene’s gonna rat us out and we’re gonna lose our window. You wanna get to Tommy, this is what we have to do.”

He just glares back.

“I’ll go check out the spot under Lancaster,” Tess offers, and you nod, your eyes stuck on Joel’s.

“Yeah, that’ll work,” you say. “I’ll come with you, keep an eye out. We should leave after dark.” You take a step away from your husband, your eyes still glued to his. “Stay with the kid.”

You start walking away before he can convince you otherwise, but you still hear his protests as you and Tess head back toward the stairs. “Wait. Why do I have to…Liv! Olivia!”

“You’re gonna pay for that one,” Tess mumbles as your feet hit the top step, both of your knees creaking as you make your way back down to the lobby. “He’s right, though. This is risky.”

“It’s all risky. Walking around in broad daylight is risky, these days.”

“You got me there.”

“I knew, you know,” you tell her, gripping the stair rail, “that eventually we’d leave Boston. Just never thought we’d be doing Marlene any fucking favours in the process.”

You reach the lobby, push back out onto the street. It’s still raining, but you weren’t inside long enough to feel dry, and your boots seem to find every puddle as you head toward Lancaster. It was one of the first spots you used, when you first started smuggling. A just-wide-enough storm drain that got hit in the bombings before the QZ walls went up, the tunnel under that opened up on the other side, a large slab of asphalt hiding the exit. More than once, FEDRA’s posted themselves in front of the entrance, close enough to the QZ wall that it gives them a good vantage point.

Today, not a soldier in sight.

“Good,” you mutter, glancing over your shoulder as you and Tess round the corner, trying to look as casual as possible. “We should head back through the market. Pick up some supplies. In case anyone’s tailing us.”

“You know, you’re just as paranoid as your husband, sometimes.”

“Oh, shut it.”

You only make it about ten feet before someone calls Tess’s name. You both freeze, and you haven’t seen Tess go that pale since the last time you ran into a Clicker.

Robin. 

You turn slow, spotting Tess’s ex-girlfriend on the opposite side of the street. She’s dressed in full FEDRA gear, gun at her hip. Last you heard, she was still teaching at the school; what subject, you didn’t know, but clearly something that warranted her carrying a weapon. Maybe teaching the next generation of soldiers how to become shittier shots than the current ones.

Robin’s ponytail swings as she crosses the road to where you’re stood, her dark hair made darker by the rain. “Tess,” she says again, something unreadable in her voice. You don’t know her well enough to get a clear read on her. “Can we talk?”

Tess is rigid as hell at your side, and you turn to look at her. “Tess?”

“Yeah,” she says finally, returning your glance. “Give us a sec.”

With a nod, you wander a few steps back. You’re right at the edge of the market, and you busy yourself trading a couple ration cards for new bootlaces, glancing over at Tess and Robin every few moments. Tess looks exasperated, and when Robin reaches for her, your hand automatically wanders toward the gun tucked in the back of your waistband, hidden beneath your shirt. Tess grabs Robin’s wrist, her expression going hard as she drops her hand forcefully, making Robin stumble back a step.

Without another word, Tess stalks towards you, her face a hard mask. Behind her, Robin lingers in the street for a moment, staring after Tess, before her shoulders slump and she turns away, disappearing around the corner.

“What was that about?”

“Let’s go.”

You wander around the city another hour or so, waiting for the sky to darken, making sure no one’s following you. There are a few people that owe you favours, and you collect on a few, returning to the apartment shortly after curfew with a few extra boxes of ammunition, some dried beef, rolls of bandages.

When you push open the door of your apartment again, they’re both in the living room. Ellie’s perched on the chair by the window, a smug grin on her face, and Joel’s stood in front of the couch, like he just got up, hands braced on his hips. A familiar stance.

He doesn’t say anything as you and Tess step through the door, Tess shutting it behind you. Joel looks at you, then at Ellie, then back at you, his face expectant. “Lancaster looks good,” you say, pulling your coat and Joel’s off the hooks by the doors. Tess swings her back from her shoulders, pulls her own out. “Ellie, you got a jacket in your bag?”

“Yeah,” she answers, a streak of fear in her eyes as she looks at you. 

“Okay,” you nod, “get it. It’s time to go.”

Joel walks over to you, taking his coat when you hold it out to him. He steps close to you, one hand finding a home on your bicep and squeezing. “You good?”

“Fine,” you say, glancing over your shoulder at where Tess is shrugging into her jacket. “We ran into Robin.”

Joel’s brow goes hard. “She…?”

“Tess didn’t tell me,” you reply, reaching up to brush an errant strand of hair from his forehead. “I don’t think she was suspicious. We were in the market, nothing out of the ordinary.” You incline your head toward Ellie. “How’s the kid?”

“Smart ass,” Joel grunts, and you have to stifle your laugh. “Seems scared though. Was askin’ me how many times we’ve done this, if we’d be okay.”

You nod. “We will be.”

“We going or what?” Tess calls, and you tug on Joel’s hand, all of you heading toward the door.

“Wait,” you say, and head for the bookshelf, reaching for the copy of Moby Dick that you’d cut the middle of out. You flip it open, pull out the portable radio Bill had given you. “Just in case.”

Joel just nods to you as you swing your bag from your shoulders, sliding the radio into one of the pockets. “We’ll see them soon,” he reassures you, and you just nod as you all step out of the apartment, pulling the door shut behind you.

You take one last glance around as the door swings closed. Who knows the next time you’ll see this place again.

PREV | NEXT

[punkassfrance]

Mare Nostrum Mediterranean Grill - Chapter 3 - Joel/Tess/Reader

Currently rated T, rating will change in later chapters! Contains drug use, swearing, sleazy flirting, age gap, and an HR nightmare brewing. This chapter contains a (minor) knife wound.

The song is Never Tear Us Apart by INXS! I recommend listening to at least the first minute if you don't know it!

Summary:

Your first job would have been stressful enough if you didn't have to deal with mind games from Joel and Tess. But god, you couldn't bring yourself to complain. - Joel and Tess are line cooks who really, really like flirting with the innocent newhires. Or maybe it's just you.

Tess gets hurt.

Previous Chapter - Entire Work - Next Chapter

~

“Joel, do what you want. You know I don’t care.”

“You sure, Tess? I figured you might want in on this…”

“I’m fine, really. Not looking to fish in my backyard.”

“If you’re sure. Good luck with tonight- hear you’ve only got Jesse in the back with you.”

“Ugh.”

You clear your throat and go back to your task, hearing Joel walk out the back door.

-

“Tess, uh- do you need any help? I know you’re a bit lonely back here today.”

Tess looked over to you in the doorway. She stared for a moment, frozen for only a second as tickets rang in and chimed on her screen. God, there was no getting used to her stare. If Tess was good at anything, it was pinning someone to the floor without a word.

You still weren’t sure where you stood with Tess. She scoffed and rolled her eyes when Joel brushed up against you- she grimaced at anything he said to you, really. Still, she somehow didn’t seem to be upset with you. Even incredulous at Joel’s every move, she never snapped at you- it was hard to read. She was hard to read.

“...sure. Relieve Jesse on dish and send him up here.”

Jesse had earbuds in when you approached him. He almost sprayed you when you tapped him, startled, but he managed to put the nozzle away and shut off the water.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Tess asked me to take over and send you to help her. Things are getting a bit busy.”

He nodded, wiping his hands. “Sick, thanks. I’m pretty soaked by now anyway.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

He paused and turned back to face you, glancing back at the kitchen for a moment. “Quickly, yeah.”

“What’s the deal with Tess? I can’t tell if she hates me or not.”

“Tess? Nah, she’s just kinda like that. Did she say something?”

“No, I don’t know, she just…no, it’s fine.”

He leaned in a bit, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Look- Tess has worked here a long time. Joel too. They’re rough around the edges, but I promise they’re not that bad.”

“...thanks.”

He glanced back again, then leaned in one more time-

“Oh, fuck!” You heard from the kitchen.

You both ran onto the line and saw drops of blood on the floor, a rag wrapped around Tess’ hand. “Jesus, fuck- got myself with these stupid fucking-” she jerked her knee into the prep station, bumping it into the wall. The knife clattered to the ground. “...dull knives! Tell Tommy he’s getting them f-” she lowered her tone, conscious of the window to the dining room. “...he’s getting these knives fucking sharpened or so help me god-”

You lost a bit of color at the blood, but you grabbed a clean rag regardless. The one she’d wrapped around her hand looked filthy- you couldn’t blame her for using whatever she had on hand. Jesse ran for the first aid kit, shouting for Dina to call Tommy and Joel.

“Fuck-” she peeled a bit of the towel back, getting another look at the cut. She’d sliced a few inches on the back of her hand; the knife wasn’t serrated, but the pressure of using a dull blade drove it in deep.

“I can’t work like this, shit. Jesse, you’re gonna have to take over- I’m going to urgent care. This is gonna need stitches.” She held the rag, pulling it tight around her wound.

Dina held the receiver away from her face. “Tess, the nearest urgent care is miles away and I don’t know how soon Joel can get here, he’s not picking up. Tommy and Maria are at the obstetrician.”

She swore under her breath. “I’ll just- fuck, I’ll get an uber or something.”

You paused, grimacing. “No, you’re not taking an uber. I’ll take you, if- Dina, can you handle things up front for a bit?”

Dina swore and the phone and set it down, nodding. “Ellie’s here in a bit, she can come help if I need it. Go, take her.”

“No, you don’t need to take me-” she looked away, refusing to meet your eye for the first time since you’d met her. Her eyes darted all over the room- you, Dina, her hand, the floor, and eventually the doorway. “Kid, grab my phone from my jacket, I’ll just call my sister or something-”

“Tess.” Dina leaned through the window, jaw clenched. “Your sister lives an hour away. Let them take you.”

Tess screwed up her face and looked down at her hand, taking another look at the wound.

“Fuck- ugh, fine.”

-

In the urgent care parking lot, Tess tapped away furiously on her phone. Every once in a while she’d grunt or scoff, muttering something under her breath before picking her phone back up. Her hand was pressed between her knees, keeping pressure on it before she threw her phone on the dashboard and leaned her head back.

Your phone chimed, and for a moment you thought the clinic was letting you know they were ready to see her.

“tess doin ok? its dina btw x”

You smiled and put the contact in before responding.

“yea she’s holding up, waiting to be seen

u and ellie ok?” There was a moment of silence as you waited for a reply before Tess cranked your window down.

“yep, don’t worry about us kid

“Kid, you mind if I have a smoke while we wait? Promise I’ll try not to stink up your car.”

You looked over to her and set your phone down. There were bags under her half-lidded eyes, betraying mere hours of sleep the night before. She had her fingers on a cigarette in her shirt pocket, rolling it between them as she waited for an answer.

Your eyes wandered down, before you could help it. You hadn’t seen her without an apron on. Her button-up is undone, sleeves rolled up, ribbed tank top underneath it. The servers had a dress code, but the kitchen staff didn’t- anything to keep them comfortable and clean in the kitchen heat. If you had let your eyes linger, you could see the outline of her bra under her shirt. Trailing up- her collarbone, pale skin pulled to sharp angles, faint red marks on the columns of her neck. She swallowed as you looked up to meet her eye.

“Go for it.”

The song changed on the radio as she pulled the cigarette out- quick notes on a violin.

She put the cigarette between her lips and took out a lighter, hand quivering as she tried to light the cigarette in her mouth. Between her tremors and the cigarette, she wasn’t getting anywhere.

Don’t ask me, what you know is true.

You held out a hand, offering to take it from her. She looked over to you, thumb releasing the fork of the lighter.

Don’t have to tell you,

The gas station lighter was smooth and light in your hand. You flicked it on, fighting to keep your hand steady.

I love your precious heart.

She leaned in, slow, her free hand holding the bloodied rag on her wound.

I…I was standing.

You hesitated, watching her. She was looking at you from under her eyelashes, graying hair falling into her face. Your free hand came up and brushed it behind her ear before you could really think about it.

You were there.

You held the lighter to her lips, guiding it under the cigarette.

Two worlds collided.

She looked up to meet your eye, letting the cigarette burn for a moment over the flame.

And they could never tear us apart.

You released the gas, but held her gaze. Pinned again. The tip of the cigarette glowed between you.

She leaned back, inhaling and exhaling out the window. Her hair fell back into her face, her legs falling apart as she relaxed into the seat.

“Thanks, kid.”

Your phone chimed. "You’re next on the waitlist! Please come to the lobby for triage."

“You’re up. I’ll wait here.”

She swore under her breath and nodded, taking a deep drag of the cigarette and stepping out of the car. “Didn’t know it would be that quick. Thanks, kid.” She shut the door with her hip, leaning down. “I love that song, by the way.”

As she walked away her phone chimed on the dashboard. Face up, you saw the reflection of the message in the windshield.

“Aww, come on babe, I know they’re your type. You could be all huffy and jealous or you could have some fun with me.”

Next Chapter

[batsclass101-blog]

Dead People Book Club - Part 2

Gotham’s cycles of life remained the same. That was Jason Todd-Wayne’s initial observation after returning to life. The fight for survival and the struggle between good and evil was ever present. It was both comforting and disconcerting to note that he had become a true embodiment of Gotham. A survivalist given the hope of life only to be snuffed out...and then resurrected. 

Jason was a survivor long before getting dunked in a Lazarus Pit. He snorted at the irony of his resurrection as he tossed on a t-shirt, jeans and his favorite leather Jacket. He’d spent enough time resurrected, but only a few of those had been establishing his name as Hood. Still, he wasn’t sure he was glad to be back. The angry haze that he lived in most days made fond memories of the past blur. His persona as the Red Hood allowed him some relief from the way his thoughts twisted. It wasn’t much but it was a small relief. 

Somedays he wasn’t sure if his family was really glad he was back. A trick of the pit, Dick would say. But life hadn’t stopped for anyone. He glanced in the mirror suddenly overcome with melancholia. Last week there’d been a public announcement of his return, but he’d yet faced any “friends” from his past. It stung to think that no one cared. 

‘You were Robin. You’re the Red Hood, Jason. You don’t need “friends.’ He shook his head and mussed his hair before grabbing his keys. Getting caught up in his head wouldn’t do anyone any good. The day was young and he had errands to run before he was due to the manor for dinner. Things were still a bit rocky with his family, but it wouldn’t help to let the anger simmer long. Life goes on and so did Jason Todd. 

_________

“That can’t be him...” 

Hero felt her eyes water as she clutched her groceries closer. She stared at the back of the familiar figure as it moved steadily forward. The walk was familiar...the hair and set of those shoulders. She was so intent on solving the puzzle that she didn’t even notice when she began walking. Soon enough the walking turned into running. Maybe it was just her mind, but she so desperately missed her sort-of-friend, she had to be sure. 

“Jason!” The name flew from her lips a bit louder than intended. 

Quicker than she could blink, the figure whipped around, and she dropped her groceries. It was him! Her gallon of milk exploded, and she grimaced as eggs oozed out of a bag. 

“Villain Origin story complete...” Hero muttered as she squatted and hurriedly scraped items into her bag. 

“And you are?” Jason frowned as he crouched down to help. His shoulders were tense with wariness, but he wasn’t one to be rude to cute girls. He tucked a can of beans into a bag and glanced at the girl... long brown hair, hazel eyes, dimples, and olive skin. She seemed almost familiar.

“We went to Gotham Academy together. Octavia Kingsley?” A laugh escaped Hero as she finished retrieving her food. “I went by my middle name in Book Club. Parents were obsessed with Shakespeare. I heard you’d been kidnapped. I thought you... I’m really glad you’re ok! You look really good.” 

Hero wanted to slap herself as soon as the last sentence left her mouth. ‘You look really good.’ She could feel the flush creeping up her neck. Jason was staring at her slightly as if she’d grown a second head. ‘Great. Now he thinks you’re weirder than he thought you were in school.’ 

“Our last meeting was... at the park near school. And the book was Tess of the D'urbervilles. We discussed it and...I think our next choice was The Trial by Franz Kafka. When you di...” She almost said died but thought better. “When you disappeared, I went ahead and read it for us both.”

“Shakespeare!” A sudden smile broke through Jason’s dumbfounded stare. “Yeah. I remember you now! We did finish Tess and decided to move onto Kafka’s book. Despite the snobs.”

 He felt himself grinning. It’d been a while since he’d talked books with anyone...since before he died actually. Something warm wrapped around his heart. Shakespeare seemed to have genuinely missed him AND remembered him. She seemed to remember him as a friend, even though they’d been passing acquaintances. 

“I thought your butler did all the running for you?” Jason politely grabbed the groceries and sent Hero a smirk. 

“Mmmh.” Hero shot Jason a forced smile. “I’m actually attending college so...no butler for now.” 

It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her new lifestyle, but you didn’t just announce living in Crime Alley. She felt a smile tug at her face as she noted Jason staring. 

“You haven’t changed much since I last saw you. Still short.”

“Be quiet. Just because you eat Miracle Grow don’t be looking down on us fun-size creatures!” Hero mockingly waved a fist at Jason. “And I’m not afraid to buy another jug of milk and chuck it at your smug face.” 

“Well, you’re more vocal than you used to be,” Jason glanced at his watch and swallowed a groan. “I’d love to keep talking, but unfortunately I’ve been summoned for a family dinner.” Reluctantly he handed Hero her groceries. 

“It’s really great to see you again. Maybe we can start up our Book Exchange again.”

It wasn’t a good idea to get close to civilians, but Jason couldn’t help himself. Before he knew it, he was asking for her number and plugging it in. 

“I’ll finish Kafka’s book and we can discuss it sometime maybe.” He waved at her lightly before hurrying for his bike. It couldn’t hurt to talk to someone that wasn’t a thug or family. 

________________________________________________________________

“Doyle, best day ever! Jason is actually alive! I thought that was some bogus news feed. But no! He’s alive AND he remembered me. Better yet, he asked for my number!” Hero faceplanted on the couch and let out a happy squeal. 

“Meoooooow...”

“I’ll feed you, I promise.” Hero mumbled into the pillow. She sighed happily at the thought of discussing books with her old friend. 

“MEOW!”

“I hear you,” Hero stood and fed her cat and flipped the TV on. “You know. I used to like him. But that was high school. I’m just happy he remembered me.” 

Doyle shot his owner a look that was too human. ‘Sure it was just a crush.’

“You hush. I’m going to watch Colin Firth while I finish my English paper. Pizza should be done by then.” She shook a head at herself...her life was pretty sad if her greatest conversations prior to today had been between her and Doyle. 

‘Maybe that will change since Jason is back.’ Hero smiled to herself as she booted up her laptop. One could only hope that her old friendship wasn’t too old to be truly renewed. 

___________________________________

Dinner went better than Jason had expected. A dinner with the Wayne family usually held some form of tension, especially with the ever-growing brood. Despite that usual tension Jason had felt surprisingly at ease. For the first time since he’d been resurrected, he felt seen and truly remembered. 

Having a very observant family was annoying in the best of situations and infuriating in bad situations. Throughout the meal he’d received various stares and a few snickers from Dick’s direction. He must be smiling too much, quickly he slammed a frown on his face. 

“So I’m assuming you need my help on patrol?” Jason threw down his napkin and cracked his knuckles. 

“Father and I are able to handle things without--”

“First I want to hear the reason behind Jason actually talking during dinner.” Dick waggled his eyebrows. “Is it a girl? I bet its a girl. Fifty bucks says he got her number!” 

Sometimes he really wondered if coming back to Gotham had been a good idea... Maybe there was a nice island he could disappear to?

[justagalwhowrites]

so is Joel just gonna be with t*ss for like 15 years?? bc that feels weird to me lol

Like he doesn’t wanna get close to anyone and all that but then spends that long with her?

We’re going to get a lot of insight into that in the parts that are from his POV but here’s the basics: he is still painfully in love with the FMC and feels safest trying to deny that. Tess he can have a largely platonic, more detached love for that he feels he can survive. He cares about Tess a lot but knows he’d be fine without her, which is why he’s able to comfortably stay in a semi-relationship/FWB situation with her. FMC he knows it would kill him if she got hurt or died (especially if it’s his fault) and it fucking terrifies him.

Now while he’s with Tess, the fact that their relationship is a bit loose and undefined is kind of important. Tess is not dumb. She knows EXACTLY how Joel feels about FMC after chapter 14 and it will come up periodically - especially when Joel decides to intervene in FMC’s life to try to keep her safe and whatnot. Tess is mostly fine with the fact that Joel can’t love her that way - she’s got the trauma of her late husband and shit so she gets it - but every now and then, Joel’s attachment to FMC, his denial of it and what he’s willing to risk without looping in Tess becomes a problem.

I hope this makes it less weird and helps it make sense! Thank you so much for reading!!!

[imagine-loki]

Chaos in Yggdrasil City!

TITLE: Chaos in Yggdrasil City! CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Two shot (part 1) AUTHOR: colifower ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki having a relatively normal human life. Goes to work, pays his taxes, studies for his finals… you know, what your average college student usually deals with. However, there’s a catch. His parents’ divorce, playing loudly in the background, and the consequent split of their mob creates the biggest battle between gangs Yggdrasil City has ever seen. RATING: T for teen NOTES/WARNINGS: There would be mentions of mobs, swordfights, Thor is a sex worker this time (nothing explicit)

Also on my AO3!

Loki was sitting in his room, finishing up his homework for the day. All day working in the kindergarten meant that all afternoons were spent in an oversized t-shirt stressing over whatever essay he needed to hand in. And with the exam week in the horizon, that meant most of the nights too.

He hated it.

Well, he didn’t hate the kids, or the job itself, but he heated that neither of his parents wanted to support him in this way. And it wasn’t because they didn’t have the money, oh no. Being the respective leaders of opposite mobs that controlled Yggdrasil City.

Hearing that last sentence could make anybody think of Romeo and Juliet. “Two households, both alike in dignity ….” Nope, the truth was way more ridiculous than that: His father, Odin “Allfather” Borson, was once happily married to his other dad, Laufey “Alligator” Nálson.

But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Fire Nation being Odin’s inability to just zip his pants. Laufey filled in for divorce as soon as he heard about Odin’s bastard child Thor and the sexcapades with his yoga teacher, Volstagg, that resulted in his birth.

The gang, previously known as the Nine Realms, split up in two. Those who thought Odin was in his right to do what he did, stayed and formed the gang called Asgard. Those who were in Laufey’s side, left to form Jotunheim.

Somehow, Odin got Loki in the divorce. Something to do with the “Alligator” nickname or so thought Loki. His other theory was that Odin just snogged every jury. Who knows! Loki still spent the school holidays over at Laufey’s, hearing him laugh at the old man’s eyepatch while stroking the scar that indicated where his left ear should be, both injuries also courtesy of the divorce, or rather, the fight that broke in the middle of the court hearing.

All that violence, all that drama… Loki always wished for a normal life and dreamed of the day he would be a legal adult and go to university to get a degree in Primary Education. The moment that he turned of age, Loki’s heritage was the main point of discussion between the members of both gangs. His fathers’ were competing for his affections in order to convince Loki to join their side.

Said competition was devastating the city’s public infrastructure, and all for nothing; he had no interest in the family business whatsoever, but neither Odin nor Laufey of them seemed to care. They were more interested in trying to murder the other in the most creative most painful way they could imagine.

  Somebody knocked at Loki’s bedroom door, breaking his concentration.

“Erm… Loki? There’s somebody at the door asking for you” said Tess, their roommate. “Oh, that’s a lovely shirt.”

“Oh, erm.. Thanks!” Loki babbled, caressing his rainbow flowered tee that read ‘Queer as in fuck you’. Tesseract had that effect on him, making him violently blush at any interaction. “I’ll go now” he said, fighting the urge to just caress their hand.

“Afternoon” said Loki to their other roommates in the common area. Power and Time were too busy making their tongues battle for dominance as if they were Pokémon to give Loki any kind of answer.

Loki opened the door with a sight. “Fandral” he greeted the man in a plain tone.

“Hello, Loki.”

“What does father want from me again?”

“What do you mean by that?” he said, furrowing his brow. “Can’t an old man spend the night with his son?”

Loki shut him down with a look. He told both of them time and time again that he wasn’t interested in their quest for vengeance.

“Erm… look, man, don’t kill the messenger” he shrugged.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Of course not. That’s your job, isn’t it?”

“You’re being too harsh with good ol’Alligator. You should…”

A dark figure walked down the road, and Fandral instinctively drew his sword. There was somebody out there, and Fandral and the mysterious intruder started to swordfight.

“Oh. My. Norns” shouted Tess from the inside of the house. “Are those guys sword fighting in the corridor?”

Loki groaned. “Don’t worry about it. Just… go back inside.”

“Oh, to hell with that” they said. “I’m staying.”

“What? No! What if you get hurt?”

Tess looked at them, trying to look as innocent as possible. “But Loki. THE DRAMA.”

Loki shouted, but finally agreed to let them see the fight. They looked so cute gasping and shouting at the fight’s twists and turns.

Sif was like a shadow. She managed to infiltrate the student residence (passing the desk registry without Mx. Soul noticing) and sneaked up on Fandral. Well, almost. He was able to block her sword with his just in time.

They fought for a while; Tess was ecstatic while Loki found it more of the same. He’s been on hundreds of situations like this one.

“Are you guys going to finish any time soon?”

“NO!” they shouted at unison, then continued on with their fight.

Loki just rolled his eyes. “I need to submit this essay today. What did you need, Sif?”

“Your father wants you to come to dinner.”

“Fuck you, Sif” shouted Fandral. “He’s coming with me!”

“The Allfather will hear about this” she said between sword acrobatics.

“Of course he will… when the police find your body.”

“What kind of goon are you that you can’t even hide a body from the cops?”

  Loki went briefly back inside to make some popcorn for Tess. It was totally worth it, if only for the peck Tess gave them on the cheek. He waited until they got bored to close their front door as quietly as possible.

“Wait!” shouted Sif. “Thor is coming too!”

That piqued his interest. He hadn’t seen his brother in a while. He didn’t even know he was back from his tour. “Ok, I’ll think about it” he said as he closed the door.

“Oi, stop that you two” shouted Mx. Soul, their supervisor. “Either take the fight outside or I’m calling security.”

[moon-ursidae]

it’s time for session #2!

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR BOTH OF THE LAST OF US GAMES UNDER THE CUT!!!!

these notes are so scattered if you read them without context and i am SO SORRY lmao. i’m typing them so fast trying to keep up with my brain that’s going 700 mph and the game. ANYWAY, we’re getting a very late start tonight bc i was helping my friend learn guitar for a few hours haha

total play time: about 2 hrs and 40 min (there’s not much story progression here just exploring seattle!)

okay so we last left off with ellie and dina in the woods on horseback post joel’s house. i have not gotten farther than the woods bc i was super ultra mega tired. so let us continue!

okay sooooo this section is called the gate cool cool cool

this is fucking gorgeouuusssssss

omg dina listing off all the people that joel crossed

i’m sure there’s more before that bro

oh my god the LIGHTINGGGGG in the woods so so good

we’re so close to seattle i’m scared

so much happens here man

map acquired✅

CARD BABYYYYYY

jesus christ i L O V E the aesthetic of nature reclaiming land and man made structures. it’s sooooooo pretty

oh shit QZ!

i’m looking through ur journal ellie hope you don’t mind haha

dina seems to be sick? well. i know why but ellie doesn’t yet so shhhhhh

it’s so sad to me that every drawing of joel so far that ellie’s done, she hasn’t been able to draw his eyes. that was the last thing she saw of him while he was alive. like she wants to get them just right but everytime she draws it that means she has to look him in the eye again. and maybe she’s feeling too guilty to do that rn. ugh idk i know neil always does shit like that but maybe i’m reading too much into it haha. ANYWAY that is one of the most heartbreaking parts about her journal dude. UUUUGGHHHHH 😭

“i really love her.” 😭😭😭😭 ELLIE TELL HER PLEASE

we just got a letter, wonder who it’s from🕺🏻

kieran?? kieran duffy??????

haha wrong game

also lemme just say, i fucking love dina

she’s so sweet and empathetic, but will cut the fuck out of a bitch when needed

I HAVE TO PARKOUR?? UP HIGH?? IN THE LAST OF US?? OVER A GATE??

this is some nathan drake shit bro where’s nolan north

FUUUUUCK I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA FALL BRO OH MY GOD

hoooooollllyyyyyy fuuuuuuck this is a big city jesus christ

LMAO her wobble before she fell down to the platform below

this game is so gorgeous. holy fuckin shit i’m gonna say that a lot huh?

THE SOUND DESIGN??? WHEN GOING DOWN THE LOOKOUT TOWER AT THE GATE OF THE QZ??? WHEN SHE FALLS AND IT ECHOES?? THAT SHIT WAS CRAZYYYY

guys i’m gonna be honest. i’m team brick.

i LOVE being able to break windows this is so fun

oh god i have a horrible memory plz don’t make me memorize these gate codes

side note: i love ellie’s hair here. i’m gonna have to try a lil half up half down situation

i saw someone on twitter point out that it looks a lot like tess’s hair🥺

“well, we believe in you” shimmer and dina? or baby and dina? hmmm things to consider

totally unrelated, but i can’t not hear ashley johnson going “babyyyyyyyyy” with an s.o. since the mighty nein reunion lmao

ellie seeing dina and going “babyyyyyyyy” like yasha LMAO

ANYWAY

fuck i hope i can pull out that page of codes dude

THANK GOD

oh shit another hotel

i’m traumatized after the last on dude you can’t make me go back

H O L Y. S H I T.

THIS IS SO OPEN I’M GONNA SPEND SOOOOOOOO MUCH TIME HERE

FUCK DUDE

this is fucking crazy

there’s so much small shit everywhere oh my fucking G O D

omg joel was definitely reading that space book for ellie she just talked about an early moon mission at this tank

DINA’S JOKE “she’s sounding a bit hoarse” they’re literally made for each other

OH MY GOD I JUST FOUND THE DR. UCKMANN CARD NO FUCKING SHOT

damn is this his way of addressing the crunch work hours at naughty dog?

“once a well respected researcher… questionable experiments in the realm of pushing human limits saw him ostracized from the scientific community… Laurent Foucault of SPARK Laboratories found his work dubious…”

the music is hauntingly beautiful in this area oh my god

OH MY GOD THE SCANNERS THAT DETECT THE VIRUS FROM THE BOSTON QZ IN THE FIRST GAME

i miss the first game LMAO even though i JUST finished that

THERE’S A FUCKING PEARL JAM POSTER IN THE MUSIC SHOP😭

IF I EVER WERE TO LOSE YOU, I’D SURELY LOSE MYSELF😭

i feel like this is supposed to be hank williams which would be fucking sick bc “alone and forsaken” and all that jazz haha

“guitars starting at $49.99” BRO SINCE WHEN I FUCKING WIIISH DUDE😭

as a drummer, i can confirm dina is a fucking natural

“i love you?” A H H H H H

ANUTHA CARD WOOO

Das Wort is my favorite card so far. he just like me fr

WAIT THIS IS THE TAKE ON ME SCENE

i will cry

SHE’S PLAYING FUTURE DAYS😭😭😭😭

BARRE CHORDS??? ellie i could literally never wtf

the chords are all accurate too holy fuck naughty dog

ashley has such a nice voice oh my god

i’m gonna fucking cry bc they put this in the hbo trailer

AAAAHHHHHHH😭😭

this is why i fucking love music dude. it transcends everything and always will. it’s the one thing that connects everyone. and it’s connecting people in this game too and i UGGHHH i love music holy fuck

the way dina looks at her🥹

and also knowing that joel was the one that showed her all of these songs and artists bc ellie wasn’t even alive to hear take on me and future days, and literally everything else. GOOOOODDDDDDDD😭😭

“you should have kissed me then.” “i wanted to.”

god i love dina and ellie they sound like an old married couple already

first dawn of the wolf poster i’ve seen!!! WOOOOO

i’m gonna come back to the nutrition distribution center bc i feel like that shit is gonna be bad news bears

“wasn’t joel all about coffee?” as he should. i’d be all about coffee too if i didn’t have it for years

ANUTHA CAAAARD

i really like the Big Blue card too

THAT FUCKING INFECTED IN THE BATHROOM SCARED THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF ME MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY OH MY GOD

so many fucking side quests oml what do you mean “barko’s”

oh my god there are so many fucking alleyways to go down

THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO I AM SO BUSY FINDING SECRETS AND STUFFS

BARKO’S LOCATED

it’s too dark in here i don’t like it

“they think we’re sheep! BARE YOUR FANGS.” what in the fuckin trump train “sHeEpLe” is goin on in here

i feel like i’m gonna get fucking jumped by infected again in here

THIGH HOLSTER ACQUIRED

omg plz “we can get a little creature to take care of” AND THEN THEY HAVE A FARM AT THE END😭😭😭

STUN BOMB ACQUIRED

i have already spent 2 hours in this fucking QZ holy shit

i just wanna explore rn i don’t wanna progress story atm

i am secret hunting

ANUTHA CARD BABYYY WEST GATE 2

it doesn’t even look like i’ve done that much😭

i also have a bad feeling about this bank

oh fuck this shit. it goes underground

they are ALWAYS underground bro

dina this is not cool, this is scary

i don’t fucking trust this shit

HOW DID I FUCKING KNOW

infected or whateva🙄

SHOTGUN ACQUIRED

FUCK this bank dude i’m GONE

dina said she’d get a farmhouse with the money😭😭

okay i think i’m gonna stop here bc it is literally 5am and i am sleepy haha. no story! but got some goodies and secrets out of the way! i will continue maybe tomorrow? not sure bc i am quite busy but we’ll see!

having a really good time so far and i love watching ellie and dina’s dynamic! still lots of buildings and secrets to loot! i’m excited >:)

[stormyoceans]

[VICE VERSA episode 4 parts 1&2]

“Friend Credits” is so cheesy but I love it asdljfkdl

There’s that weird music from episode 2 again

Yeah you would NOT get me up to that studio, I have a fear of falling so I wouldn’t be able to climb that ladder

My reservations aside though it’s such a cute and quirky location :’)

Guys, at least pick initials instead of “male lead” and “female lead”, use T and P as a cute nod for all I care

Up and Aou leaving together /again/, MM-HMMM

Fuckin’ Mr Plagiarism over here

Puen’s writing got good because he’s in luuuurve

Talay’s gotten so used to Puen getting in his face askdljf

Gonna need to try harder than just staring his soul out of his body Puen

I don’t think people can blush on command guys

Omg Talay what is the colour of that suit you’re wearing, it’s so ugly

HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW YOU HAVE A TEST

AI’DANG <3

I’d rather be called Ai’Dang than Miss Vera the Hottie

I just remembered Puen’s driving skills and the only time I’d get on a bike with him is if I had a death wish

HOW FAR AWAY IS THIS TURN THAT THEY CAN DO THIS

DON’T PLAY AROUND ON THE BIKE OMG I’m gonna kill these two myself

STICKING THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT UP THE ACTOR’S NOSE IS ONE WAY TO DO IT

Talay doing the back thing again to thank him, cuuuute

Correct me if I’m wrong but at this stage Puen kind of comes off as still trying to be cool and aloof when he’s probably melting inside

“Who’s the guy in red?” He’s wearing a black jacket……  (yes I know the shirt is red but from their angle it’s not the first thing they’d see)

Look Puen fanfic writers write amazing smut all the time, you don’t need to actually experience a thing before you can write it, you’re an ACTOR for god’s sake

… omg… it’s THE place…….

(and deserted despite the lights being on for some reason)

“After the leads part, they reunite here one day” eheheHEHEEHHEHE

Just cooperate Talay, you stick in the mud

“The cake is a chef’s kiss” WHAT ARE THESE SUBTITLES

“I can buy it myself, I don’t need a lover to do that” Talay gets it

I guess aro universe-swappers would be fucked if the condition is romantic love

Puen: I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IIIIIIIS

More copyright infringement with the folders

If I were a guest at this café I’d get so fucking pissed at these four shouting

Okay but would Tess’s friends not think it… interesting that Tess might be going out with the guy he bragged about stealing a girl from

Screenwriters =/= casting agents Fuse you dipshit

There goes Talay

YEAH SO WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF PLACE IS THIS THAT IT HAS AN AQUARIUM IN THE CEILING

I think later on Puen complains about not being able to pay the rent and it’s like YEAH NO SHIT

Poor Puen, the idea of him hitting on Talay is so implausible to Talay he flat-out rejects it when Puen literally says it

Are you really telling me they made a “reading shoujo is embarrassing because Puen is too good for that” joke, c’mon man

I’d eat that entire basket of chocolate snacks ngl

“Wanna touch it?” DON’T SAY IT LIKE THAT

Now I can’t unthink “cheek” as being a stand-in for something else

Damn just kiss already you pathetic cheek-pinchers

Talay’s like “no time for kissing I need to get serious for a mo”

Puen telling Talay he’s not alone <3

At least brush your teeth before you go back to sleep man

Come to think of it how do you /not/ have a hang-over

Nobody at the wedding’s like “who the heck’s this guy who showed up late”

“I should just marry a colorist” Talay’s brain short-circuits

PUEN (the protagonist) CATCHING THE BOUQUET IS SO CLICHÉ BUT I CAN’T EVEN BE MAD

“Friend Credits” is so cheesy but I love it asdljfkdl <<<<< I LOVE IT SO MUCH TOO and the fact that it was puen to suggest the ‘friend’ part…….. IT’S FINE IM FINE

There’s that weird music from episode 2 again <<<<< sfdskfdgsk i’ve never really noticed it before you pointed it out and now for some reason my mind is calling it the ‘get freaky’ music ;;;;;;;;

Yeah you would NOT get me up to that studio, I have a fear of falling so I wouldn’t be able to climb that ladder <<<<< UP JUST GOT LUCKY NONE OF THEM HAD A FEAR OF HEIGHTS TBH like okay maybe he knows tun and aou well enough to know they don’t have that specific phobia, but imagine if he rented the place only to find out that tess is terrified of heights [shakes head] it’s still a very nice location though!!

Guys, at least pick initials instead of “male lead” and “female lead”, use T and P as a cute nod for all I care <<<<< NOW I WISH THEY HAD ACTUALLY USED THEIR INITIALS THAT WOULD HAVE HAD ME SOMERSAULTING CLIMBING THE WALLS SPINNING COUNTERCLOCKWISE ON THE FLOOR SCREAMING

Up and Aou leaving together /again/, MM-HMMM <<<<< 🙊🙊🙊

Fuckin’ Mr Plagiarism over here <<<<< i love that puen's writing is either a) straight up PLAGIARISM, or b) things he actually experienced/wants to experience with talay. i hope he never had to write a sex scene because the mad man would just put his fantasies on display for everyone to see

Talay’s gotten so used to Puen getting in his face askdljf <<<<< after taking a bath together and basically seeing puen naked i guess talay just got desensitized sfjhfsdkjg (the way i wish they had showed us the two of them getting out of that bathtub……. talay is a gentleman so he probably closed his eyes again and let puen have his privacy as he climbed out of the tub and wrapped himself in a towel, meanwhile puen is such a horny bastard he probably turned around but kept sneaking glances……….)

I’d rather be called Ai’Dang than Miss Vera the Hottie <<<<< you mean i cannot call you Miss Vera the Hottie???? 🥺🥺🥺 IM HEARTBROKEN

I just remembered Puen’s driving skills and the only time I’d get on a bike with him is if I had a death wish <<<<< talay trusting puen’s driving skills after knowing that puen died from a car accident and got arrested for driving while drunk (AGAIN) is like.. both the most reckless and most romantic thing he’s ever done

STICKING THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT UP THE ACTOR’S NOSE IS ONE WAY TO DO IT <<<<< I ALREADY SAID THIS BUT LISTEN. i know there are way too many product placements in vice versa but at the same time most of them are literally SO FUNNY AND CLEVER AND GOOD IF I COULD MARRY THEM ALL I WOULD

Correct me if I’m wrong but at this stage Puen kind of comes off as still trying to be cool and aloof when he’s probably melting inside <<<<< i don't want to spoiler you.. though technically you did watch episode 11..... anyway let's just say there is a reason WHY i can't understand how people do not feel the urge to run back to watch AT LEAST episode 4 after ending the show like this was one of my least favorite episodes the first time around and now IT'S ONE OF MY MOST BELOVED LITERALLY MY ENTIRE PERSPECTIVE OF IT CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY IT'S INSANE

Look Puen fanfic writers write amazing smut all the time, you don’t need to actually experience a thing before you can write it, you’re an ACTOR for god’s sake <<<<< OH YOU KNOW THAT WAS JUST AN EXCUSE TO HAVE ANOTHER DATE-NOT-DATE WITH TALAY HE IS SO PATHETIC (affectionate)

… omg… it’s THE place……. <<<<< I CANNOT COMMENT ON ANY PART OF THIS SCENE ON THE ACCOUNT THAT IM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN WAILING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

I guess aro universe-swappers would be fucked if the condition is romantic love <<<<< yeah just don't listen to anything puen says at this point he wants talay to love him back SOOOO BADLY he would say anything sfjksgfj (but im gonna remind myself to get back to this point once you're done with the show)

Puen: I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE IIIIIIIS <<<<< I WANT YOU TO SHOW MEEEEEE (im laughing but also the way this genuinely is a puen song….. [bites her entire hand off])

Okay but would Tess’s friends not think it… interesting that Tess might be going out with the guy he bragged about stealing a girl from <<<<< i don’t think they know the one who tess allegedly stole a girl from is tun, because in episode 2 fuse just says that tess bragged about stealing her from “someone in high school”. then again, even if they knew it was tun i feel like both of them would be like ‘can’t believe tess dated the girl when he actually wanted to date the guy bless his heart he is so….. STOOPID’ (and considering tess’ endless string of Bad Choices, that probably wouldn’t even be too weird)

Poor Puen, the idea of him hitting on Talay is so implausible to Talay he flat-out rejects it when Puen literally says it <<<<< the funny thing is that talay rejecting the idea of puen hitting on him so strongly is the reason why puen brings up the whole 'faking it' thing which is also the reason why talay doesn't believe puen is sincere and all of this ends up trapping them into a vicious cycle for the entire episode and by funny i mean IT MAKES ME WANT TO WALK INTO TRAFFIC

Are you really telling me they made a “reading shoujo is embarrassing because Puen is too good for that” joke, c’mon MAN <<<<< i personally read this scene as puen being embarrassed to admit he likes shoujo because it clashes with the cool actor mask he's still partially hiding himself behind when the truth is that he's just a very soft and romantic boy

I’d eat that entire basket of chocolate snacks ngl <<<<< SAME!!!!!!

“Wanna touch it?” DON’T SAY IT LIKE THAT <<<<< I'D TAKE THE KEYBOARD AWAY FROM YOU EXCEPT I KNOW PUEN'S MIND WAS IN THE GUTTER TOO

Now I can’t unthink “cheek” as being a stand-in for something else <<<<< STOPPPPPSFJKSGDKSGDK (i mean puen IS an ass ma- [GUNSHOT])

Puen telling Talay he’s not alone <3 <<<<< NOT TO REPEAT MYSELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN BUT THE WAY THEY ARE FRIENDS WHO SUPPORT AND CARE FOR EACH OTHER BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE 🤧🤧🤧

Come to think of it how do you /not/ have a HANGOVER <<<<< apparently talay can get drunk, fall asleep and wake up feeling perfectly fine i wish i had that superpower too

“I should just marry a colorist” Talay’s brain short-circuits <<<<< MINE DID TOO BECAUSE LITERALLY WHO EVEN SAYS THAT KIND OF THINGS PUEN JUST HAS NO SHAME I WANT TO STUDY HIM IN A LAB

PUEN (the protagonist) CATCHING THE BOUQUET IS SO CLICHÉ BUT I CAN’T EVEN BE MAD <<<<< okay but the way talay shields himself from it while puen catches it with no fear symbolizing their current attitude towards love I JUST LOVE THE DETAILS IN THIS SHOW

[estes03berry]

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[spencerlawrence4]

Chloe Replica Sunglasses

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[izziejomarbles]

Honest

once again, writing about my struggles. this one is really dark, so don’t read it if you can’t. read the tw’s on this one because it is important and can be triggering. if you need to talk to someone, you can always message me x

tw’s: death, grief, ed’s, guilt, angst

Tom had been away filming for 4 months. He didn’t really want to leave when he did, because your brother had died in an accident 2 months beforehand. You felt like you were teetering the edge, but you told him to go anyway. He loved his job. And even though he would say that he loved you more, you didn’t really want to bother him with your grief anymore. But you had found a coping mechanism. A bad one. 

‘Okay, if I had porridge for breakfast, I could have salad for lunch?’

You looked down at Tessa, meeting her eyes from on the floor.

‘Lunch or no lunch, Tess?’

She just butted her head against your leg.

‘Okay then, no lunch it is.’

You made your way to the couch you shared with your husband, and you rolled your ankle on the way there. Your eyes slammed shut as you felt your side collide with the cold tiles. 

‘Fuck. That hurt.’

You looked down to see your ankle already turning purple and swelling. You quickly got up and grabbed a frozen pack of peas before limping over to the sofa. You put on Fear Street, trying to ignore the hunger in your stomach. You knew that even if you had a quick snack, you wouldn't be able to handle the guilt afterwards. 

Your mother had come round a week ago, and as soon as she saw how thin and sunken in you looked, she suggested you get mental help.

‘Darling, you look awful.’

You chuckled.

‘Gee, thanks Mum. I really appreciate the vote of confidence.’

‘No, I only mean that you should see someone about your brother. I I know you two were close, hell, you grew up together. I know this is hard. I know. But you’re letting yourself go and I can’t lose another child.’

You looked into your mothers eyes, and a wave of guilt rushed over you. Tom had been away for months and you had been alone. Had you really gotten this bad?

‘I don’t think I’ve let myself go. I’m okay, Mum. Really. I’m fine.’

Your mother let out a sarcastic laugh.

‘Fine? I’m standing in front of the shell of the girl I raised. I know fine when I see it, and you my dear, are not fine.’

You wanted her to leave. Before you had no legs to stand on and you couldn't defend yourself anymore.

‘I’m fine Mum. Let it go.’

You turned around to face the counter, putting your hands on the marble, closing your eyes, waiting for the blow.

‘Your brother wouldn't want you to live like this.’

You whirled around, and pointed your hand towards the door.

‘That's it. Get out. Get out of my house!’

Your mother quickly shuffled towards the door, leaving with a goodbye and promises to call you later.

But you were better today. Because today Tom was supposed to come home.

But when he slowly unlocked the door, you had fallen asleep. He took in the sight of his wife curled up on the sofa, and softly smiled. Until he noticed there was less of you than when he had left. All those facetime calls had not shown him how slim you had really gotten. And it caught him off guard. 

He slowly came towards your sleeping figure on the sofa, careful not to make any of the floorboards squeak. He gently put his hand on your shoulder, rubbing his thumb against your crimson jumper.

Your eyelids fluttered open, to be met face to face with your favourite person in the world. You leap off the sofa, flinging your arms around your husband, a tear laugh slipping out from between your lips.

‘You’re back!’

Tom laughed, and stroked your cheeks, wiping the tears that were threatening to fall.

‘I am. I missed you, baby.’

You tucked your head into his shoulder, inhaling the scent of Tom.

‘You’re real. You’re real.’

Tom's smile dropped. Real? Had he been away for that long? He dragged his right hand up and down your back, while his left ran his fingers through your hair. 

‘Of course I’m real honey. Now, what happened? Why does it look like there are less of you than before I left?’

That seemed to send off warning bells in your head. You quickly curled into yourself, taking a step back and wrapping your arms around your figure.

‘Nothing happened, I just…I don’t always have time to cook.’

Tom sensed that you were lying, but he didn't want to push you. He grabbed your hand and kissed the back. 

‘Why don’t I make you a nice meal then?’

He guided you away from the black leather sofa, taking in the pack of thawing peas in the corner, making a mental note to ask about them later. 

‘Pasta? Soup? What are we feeling?’

Tom let go of your hand, nodding his head towards a chair in the corner of the room, encouraging you to go sit down.

You were racking your brain for excuses. You’ve already eaten today? He wouldn’t fall for that, he’s not dumb. 

‘I can do soup.’

Tom started making the base of your favourite soup, Italian wedding soup. You somehow managed to escape, making your way up the stairs of your house. Tessa followed you, sensing that you were on edge. Tom also noticed it, but kept his mouth shut. He didn't really want to deal with confrontation on his first day back. So he let his wife go.

‘Darling! Dinners ready!’

You woke up for the third time today. It wasn't unusual for you to take naps throughout the day, but now all you wanted to do was sleep. You made eye contact with Tessa who was lying on the floor, staring up at you. 

‘I don't want to be awake.’ You whispered into the darkness.

You slowly, step by step, made it down the stairs. Tom was smiling, waiting for you at the bottom.

‘I made your favourite. Italian wedding soup!’

You gave him a tight smile and wrapped your arms around his frame. You loved this man so much. 

‘Thank you so much, Tommy.’ You whispered in his ear.

You knew that the struggle wasn’t over, but you were glad to have Tom by your side.

[miscelunaaa]

strawberry whine | ksj

pairing: seokjin x female reader

genre: slice of life, fluff, just a little bit of cuteness tbh

summary: You can’t stand strawberries, but your fiancé has taken you to his uncle’s strawberry farm to see if he can change your mind.

rating: t for tame

word count: just over 1k

warnings/contents: Swearing. References to Tess of the D’Urbervilles but no discussion of the novel’s content. Weirdly erotic fruit experience. Referenced sexual content.

notes: I don’t like strawberries … but I’d eat one if Seokjin were the one feeding it to me. Alas, the strawberries where I live are lackluster, flavorless, and underripe. This is not, however, the case in places including but not limited to South Korea and Japan! Certain countries and cultures place a premium on buying beautiful, flavorful fruit and I earnestly wish that was the case here in the States. I have a lot of feelings about this. I think about the peaches that Yoongi opened and peeled in ITS2 frequently, because we just don’t do the designer fruit thing here, at least, not widely. And this is to say nothing of the myriad shortfalls of our agricultural systems and their various failures for the sake of profit. Then there’s the matter of the strawberry itself, a fruit that persists only because we pursue its cultivation. If left to its own devices, the strawberry plant as we know it would have likely died out by now. It is especially vulnerable to viral disease, and we’ve lost countless varietals over the centuries because of it. Sustainability is not just environmental.

Anyway, that’s a lot of context for what is supposed to be a little vignette about Jin visiting his uncle’s greenhouse so … um … here we are. This is technically the Life Mushroom couple, but you need not have read that to understand what’s happening here. I’ve got a lot weird feelings about strawberries, but I didn’t let that stop me. This was a fun piece to write. Enjoy!

my masterlist | read on ao3

“It still blows my mind that you don’t like strawberries.”

“Say it louder so that your uncle can hear, why don’t you?” You groan under your breath. 

He doesn’t have to look at you to note the perturbed grimace spread across your face. It’s evident in your voice. 

“I’m just saying, these strawberries are different. They’re so much better than what you grew up eating overseas.”

“They’re grown in a greenhouse! They’re still huge! Just like the ones in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. They always remind me of that novel. They’re so … artificial.”

“Ugh, are you really going to go on that rant now?”

“No, I already told you I don’t want your family to hate me so I’m keeping my strawberry hatred all to myself.” You sound a little more pouty than you intended. 

Seokjin looks at you, his lips pressed into a line to keep from laughing. “Babe, your eyes are about ready to pop out of your head because keep staring fruit down. It’s not going to bite you.”

“Yeah, but it likes being bitten. Seems sus.”

He can no longer keep the laughter from bubbling up. “So do you, but you don’t see me rejecting you like you’re rejecting fucking fruit right now.”

The pout in your voice has now manifested itself on your face, and Seokjin almost feels bad about his teasing. 

“Look, babe,” he squats and points to a large strawberry hanging off the edge of the growing rig. It’s enormous, hanging heavy like a jewel from a tiny green vine. The uniform scarlet color is so intense that it’s hard to look at. It seems effortless in its beauty, and even you, with your strawberry hating ways, have to admit that it looks incredibly enticing. You find yourself transfixed. “It’s just a fruit. My uncle’s worked hard on this farm, and we all help out. It’s worth it, because they taste so fucking good. Would you please try one? Just for me? If you hate it, I’ll never tease you about it again.”

You bite your lip. Seokjin’s always been more adventurous than you, but he’s always been encouraging when it comes to trying new things. He’s always understanding when you don’t like something. You hate that he was right about the fucking Mario thing, but he was right, in the end. 

Sometimes it feels like your fiancé knows you better than yourself. 

“Fine. Fine! I’ll try the fucking strawberry, Jin.” You’re exasperated by his stubbornness, but you know deep down that it’s better to try it and confirm you still hate them. There’s little to loose; if you like them, you smirk to yourself, you happen to know a guy who has ready access. 

Your fiancé smiles up at you and beckons. You squat down next to him, letting your knees bump against his long, puffy coat as you draw closer to him. You watch as he gently plucks the fruit from the hanging stem, twists off the little green cap, and holds out his hand to you, cradling the ripe fruit in his fingertip.

You should at least have a little fun with this, right?

You lean down, pressing your lips to his fingers and the fruit they hold. You can smell the heady, floral fragrance of the strawberry already, and you’ve not even taken a bite yet. Slowly, while looking Seokjin directly in the eye, you open your mouth to take a bite. His breath catches, his neck and ears beginning to redden beneath your gaze. Perfection.

The taste as you sink your teeth into the bright red flesh is not what you expected at all. The strawberries you’re used to are sweet but devoid of flavor, lacking the scent or color of the ones that currently surround you, ripening on their plants while they wait to be sold to shoppers who appreciate them. This berry, the one staining your mouth and the fingertips of the man you love, is a revelation. It’s honey sweet, rich and warm from sitting in the humid air of the green house. The juicy flesh disintegrates in your mouth, making it water for more. You feel your cheeks heat unexpectedly, the experience of this fruit going straight to your head. 

God damn it, he was right. 

This strawberry has ruined all other strawberries for you. If all strawberries were like this, you would have loved them all along. 

You draw your face away from his hand as you chew the bite you took, savoring each moment spent with the flavor. Seokjin has a small smile on his face. 

“So, what do you think, princess?”

You feel a little trickle of delight pass through you at his use of his favorite pet name for you. 

“It’s good. You were right. They are different.”

“Right? I’m glad you tried it.”

He freezes as you dip your head again to eat the rest of the strawberry, your lips lingering around the tips of his fingers for a moment longer than necessary. The knot in his throat bobs as he swallows nervously. 

“I’m … well I was going to say I told you so but I’m—” The words rush from his mouth without much thought. “—Is it hot in here?”

“Suddenly? Yeah, it feels kind of hot,” you smirk between chews. “Better take your coat off about it.”

“No. Hard line. We are not fucking in my uncle’s greenhouse.” Seokjin points to a cluster of neon green, unripe berries. “Think of the children!”

You finally let yourself laugh, “Fine! Okay! Shit, what is it about fruit that gets people so hot and bothered? I feel like I just had a religious experience.”

“I don’t know, but now you know how I felt when you were sucking my dick in that Peach dress.”

You hit him on the shoulder, the sound muted by the down filling his coat. “Let’s get out of here, you nerd.”

“Yes, let’s,” he says, both of you rising to leave. 

Before you move too far, however, you feel his hand wrap around your wrist. He pulls you toward him into an embrace. Your lips meet his, his tongue darting out, enticing you to deepen the kiss for a moment. The two of you break apart. It only takes a few moments in this heated state to leave you both feeling breathless. His hand cups your jaw and traces over your lips as he gazes down at you, the look on his face inscrutable.

Seokjin gives your body another squeeze before taking your hand and leading you out of the greenhouse. 

Before you leave, he turns to you, and says with a smile, “I’m proud of you for trying something new, princess.”

Thank you for reading! Drop me an ask and tell me what you think. Find me in various places at my carrd :)

© miscelunaaa 2021. My work is only found on this blog and under my ao3 pseud. Do not, under any circumstances, copy or repost my work. Thank you.

posted: 1.15.2022