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apple-crunch · 1 month ago

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what if... caleb got into an "accident"

warnings: none, just fluff .𖥔 ݁ ˖ : inspired by this :)

An emergency landing. Or at least that was what Caleb said to you over the phone.

You were confident in him, that's for sure. But sometimes you just can't shake the worry of something going wrong during a mission. So when you got a call from Caleb himself informing you of his emergency landing, your heart rate immediately picked up— mind racing to the possibilities.

Was he hurt? Where is he? What happened? Will he get home? Is he okay? Is it bad?

Caleb tried to calm you down, you wanted him to turn his camera on to see him but he insisted no due to confidentiality of the mission— when in reality, he just wanted to hide his bloody state from you to keep you from being hysterical.

Coincidentally, you were in the middle of watching a TV show when he called, it was on commercial now but when screen flashed breaking news reporting a crash site of one of the Farspace Fleets crafts holding the current colonel you immediately started crying and sobbing over the phone.

"YOU SAID IT WAS AN EMERGENCY LANDING! CALEB THAT'S CALLED A CRASH!" You sobbed at him, raising your voice so loud that you could barely hear what the TV was saying.

"Hey- look, it's not that bad I promise, just a cras-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST A CRASH!? CALEB GO HOME NOW. I DON'T WANT YOU THERE, PLEASE!" Your voice was cracking both from your crying and screaming but you didn't care, eyes drifting to the screen— you cried even harder seeing how bad the wreck was. "Pips-"

"NO. HOME. NOW."

» »

To say that the wait was torture would be an understatement. After your scream at him to go home, Caleb only sighed and whispered a small okay before ending the call— only for you to ring him again urging to stay on the phone in case anything happens.

Caleb smiled at himself seeing how worried you are. You really do care about him a lot, and today just magnified that. It was cute hearing your voice despite it cracking and raspy, however, it did break his heart just a little bit; hearing your sniffles while he drives and your ting voice asking him where he was.

The two of you barely talked during the drive, just quick questions and even quicker answers. You wanted to rest your voice and Caleb knew that, thus, he stayed relatively quiet. Just small hums to let you know he was still there.

He didn't had the time to make himself look presentable, just poorly wrapped a badge around his cut right arm to prevent infection and stop bleeding— other than that, he looked like a mess. Torn, bloody, dirty uniform and just an overall unkept apperance. Thank the heavens for his handsome face to save the look.

You were waiting at the very doorstep of his front door. Phone sat on the granite floor, red teary eyes, puffy face, and a very evident pout on your lips. So cute; Caleb thought. You weren't even sitting, you were standing while waiting for him. Under watchful eyes, Caleb got out of the car— a gasp left your mouth and you immediately ran to him.

You wanted to hug him but stopped just a foot away from him even though he already had his arms open. For the probably nth time today, you started crying again.

"Oh, pips.. It's okay, I'm okay." Caleb cooed, patting your head twice before pressing it to his chest to embrace you in a hug. Your hands immediately wrapped around his torso, nuzzling your face deeper into him as you cried. Looking up at him and cradling his face in your hands. "Don't you ever! Do that again!" You scold him, lines burrowing between your eyebrows.

Caleb chuckles, nodding his head and leaning in to kiss your forehead, then your nose, then your lips. He bends his body to math your height before saying "I promise, never again. Especially now that I know how sad my boss baby gets."

Your lips wobble as more tears build up in your eyes. Your hands explore his body, feeling every bit of dust, blood, and torn fabric on his uniform. His tough left hand, and then finally his right hand where a porrly wrapped gash wrapped around it. Eyes widening, you look at him and he cocks his head sideways at you.

"Y- you're hurt.. Caleb! Why didn't you tend to it! Do you want both your arms to be metal now or something!" You scold him once more, now glaring at him. "Awe, my pips is so worried about me!"

"Caleb!" You softly hit his chest.

"It's only a small cut squeak, I'll be fine."

"Don't care! Get inside, you're wounded and it needs to be healed." You tug on his metal arm as you drag him inside the house. Once in, you assist him in taking his coat and boots off before guiding him to the bathroom and getting the very used and handy first aid kit.

Caleb's already took of the second layer of his uniform leaving him only in a white long sleeve button up. Slowly, he unbottons it with his left hand as you carefully take of the gash on his right. You pout even more when you see how deep the cut was on his skin.

You begin to do your work in silence, focus completely on sanitizing and treating his wound. He watches in adoration as you move on him, long gone the brave tough colonel Caleb of the Farspace Fleet as a crippling fear builds within him. He can't lose you, he can't lose this.

"Be more careful nextime, please Caleb. I don't want to lose you anymore." You look at him directly in the eye after finishing your work. Caleb's eyes soften when you embrace him in a hug, resting your face on his exposed skin while he rests his head on top of yours.

You hear his heartbeat, pressing yourself even more. Never letting go of your touch on him.

While the two of you clean yourself in the bathtub, your touch on him lingers as you wash his hair, massaging his scalp in the process.

While he cooks for dinner in the kitchen, you cling on him like a koala, wrapping your legs around his waist while you piggy back him.

While you lay in bed telling each other recaps of what happened while each other was away as you always do, your hand lays on his chest feelings his heartbeat. Legs intertwined so as your arms, and ultimately— your soul.

An unspoken promise of forever.

#﹙🍎﹚cc for lads CALEB.ᐟ #mc/reader is traumatized #don't be scared by the title </3 promise it's not bad #lads caleb #love and deepspace caleb #lnds caleb #caleb x reader #caleb x you #caleb x y/n #caleb x mc #caleb xia #lnds #love and deepspace #caleb fluff #lads fluff #caleb angst #lads angst

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whalesongsblog · 27 days ago

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Out of What Crypt they Crawl

Chapter 5: The Beginning of the End

AN: you thought I forgot about this bad boy?? NEVERR! thank you so so much as always to my beloved @heylorrain @rosewoodcafe @butternutt613 for letting me use their mcs! (GO READ THEIR FICS!!!! THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY PEAK)

alright, the actual plot is finally kicking into action! I hope yall enjoy <3 Also, this is on ao3 as well.

___________________________

Ominis had learnt to identify when he was having a nightmare. They often settled on him during nights like these, when he had to make peace with the fact that he’d sent a man to his death.

His first warning signs were the hazy oranges and burning reds of the autumnal leaves, blurred and distorted by his subconscious. Second was Mira’s warped body, standing at the edge of the ravine, jutting out over the towering mountains. He knew how treacherous the cliffs were, and how beautiful, and that his mind was dragging him back into depths he had to fight his way out of, every single night.

It was always here, always in this corner of the woods. The trees were dense and forbidding at his back as he approached Miradevi carefully, hoping it would end differently, but knowing what this nightmare was doomed to be.

“Mira.” His voice echoed, wavering, too loud in his ears. “Step away from the edge, darling. Please.”

Her body was so wrong. Mangled and bloodied, each joint strangely crooked, and he wanted to burn the woods and its twisted secrets to ash at his feet. The smile on her face when she turned to face him was a sick imitation of the one she graced him with in his waking hours, and yet-

“Please.” He repeated, a hint of desperation in his voice. “Rara, please, don’t leave me. Come back.”

She laughed, a guttural, rattling sound as if her lungs were aching for oxygen and found nothing but blood. The sound echoed in his ears as his conscious mind ripped him away and jarred him back into the waking world.

Ominis choked on a gasp as his eyes flew open, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he breathed heavily through his nose, unable to so much as part his lips for air. His window was open, allowing a cold breeze in from the high mountains. Sheer curtains fluttered in the milky moonlight, spilling across mahogany chairs and his overly meticulous desk. Each joint was locked tight, almost painful, paralyzed in place as he tried, unsuccessfully, to screw his eyes shut.

He had no choice but to glare at the thing crouching on his chest, the ghost of his best friend’s uncanny smile tearing across its face.

Long-limbed and featureless, the familiar phantom gazed into his eyes, spindly fingers curled on his chest. Jaundice-yellow eyes glowed in the darkness of his bedroom, a wide, soulless smile running from one corner of its face to the other, teeth bared.

You’re not real. Ominis thought, jaw gritted, all his remaining focus on his pinkie finger, trying to persuade the muscles to move. You’re not fucking real, you’re a hallucintion.

Am I? Its grin didn’t falter. Ominis forced his focus onto his fingers, on moving, exerting his control over any part of his body that was willing to obey. The thing turned slowly and stared into a corner of his room, right where his closet began, and his eyes tracked the movement.

A strangled sound escaped his throat as Miradevi stared back at him, nothing but pure anguish on her face.

You lied to me. Her voice was high, her throat torn. You lied, knowing the consequences.

Guilt was a familiar friend at this point, and this time it was tearing Ominis apart.

“I’m sorry.” The words managed to force their way out of his lips, breaking the iron grip his sleep paralysis had on him. His heart hammered as he wrenched himself out of the chokehold of his mind, his hand flying to his throat as if to drag oxygen into his lungs. Ominis scrambled up on the bed, silken sheets tangling around his limbs as he drew in one ragged breath after another. He loathed the tears that pricked at his eyes, reining in his spiraling thoughts with one side of his brain, while the other focused on his now-lit phone, shakily searching for Mira’s contact.

His heart stuttered in his chest, trying and failing to stabilize-

“Do you know what goddamn time it is?”

The rapid hammering slowed ever so slightly, and Ominis took another deep breath. Despite her words, she sounded more amused than anything.

“Are you alright?”

“Am I-” Mira scoffed on the other end, the sound crackling through the speaker. “Sure, you could say so. I was having a wonderful night’s sleep until someone decided to call me at four in the morning.”

Ominis drew his knees up and leaned back against his pillows, relaxing further with each perpetually good-natured word that left her mouth. “I just had a bad feeling. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I’m sorry if I woke you, Rara.”

“Hey, no worries.” There was truly no annoyance in her tone, merely cheerful acceptance as he heard her rustling about on the other end. “What bad feeling? Were you having nightmares again?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t want to elaborate much. “You know how it is. I just- I had to hear your voice.”

“I get it. I’m right here, Ominis. Safe, in my bedroom- well, about to go into my kitchen, actually, for an early morning tea. I’m taking a bit of a detour on the way to work tomorrow to look for some Red Admiral butterflies. They’re swarming all over the woods, and I’m hoping to get some good pictures.”

Heaviness returned to Ominis’s lashes, disrupted sleep sticking like sand against his eyes as his mind began to come down from its nightmare-fueled rush. “Good luck with your butterflies. I hope you see enough to last you a lifetime.”

“You’re the sweetest.” Her tone was bright, and Ominis’s heart clenched at how genuinely she seemed to believe those words. “Don’t forget, tomorrow is Friday. It’s our Chinese takeout and horror movie night. Anyway, go back to bed, Niss. Hugs and kisses!”

“Ridiculous girl. How could I forget?” His voice dipped into something more affectionate. If he were more awake, he’d return her sugary sign off with a huff of mock annoyance and promise to see her soon, but his inhibitions were shot to high hell. “Hugs and kisses, my Rara.”

His heart twinged ever so slightly at the dial tone, but Ominis ignored it in favor of settling back in the sheets. Shadows cast by the shifting trees swayed across his ceiling, and Ominis kept his eyes on the silvery light of the moon instead of the darkness lurking in the corners of his room. Eventually, sleep came back to him, and he found a peaceful rest with Mira’s soft laughter lingering against his ears.

_________________________

Charlotte had been the first amongst the four girls to find out what was happening in the town, given her proclivity for eavesdropping. Evie was next, and Lorrain had been the last to be inducted into the horror that ate away at St. Ives. Pastor LeFay almost seemed to relish the way his daughter’s eyes widened in stark shock, the way she had fallen silent at the revelation when he told her.

Miradevi didn’t know. Mira would never know, Evie thought, as she shifted restlessly on her four-poster bed.

She didn’t like it. While Ominis’s judgement molded the town in ways nobody but a select few understood, she knew it could be wrong sometimes. Evie didn’t envy the man for the choices he had to make, but she sure could find them utterly ridiculous. She punched her pillow once, aggressively attempting to fluff it up. The Hornette home sat along the base of the high mountains, just at the edge of the town, and was often devastatingly quiet- the night silence broken only occasionally by a wolf’s howl.

And her phone ringing.

“Hello?” Evie rasped, blinking against the bright light of the video call, somewhat grateful for the distraction.

“Vivi.” Lorrain’s voice was soft but firm, giving no preamble. “We’re telling her. Tomorrow, we’re telling her.”

Charlotte nodded in her own little box on the phone screen, gesturing, her hands moving quicker than Evie’s sleep-addled mind to process. But she picked up words and letters. M-i-r-a. About time. Danger.

“Ominis said-” Evie began, but the concern in her voice was quickly waved away by Lorrain’s annoyed click of the tongue, and a series of dismissive sounds.

“If he has anything to say, he can say it to me. I’m tired of waking up each morning wondering if it’s going to be one of you girls dead in the woods- I don’t care what kind of control the Gaunts think they have in this situation, but I’m not hinging the life of our best friend on it.”

Charlotte nodded, and Evie hated the wrench in her stomach of being pulled in two different directions. Her loyalty was to her family, was it not? To the charge they’d carried out for generations, at the whim and service of the Gaunts and their divine duty to the Saints themselves. She had just one job- to sit quietly, and let it happen.

Evie met Charlotte’s gaze, then Lorrain’s. Piercing forest green met deep brown, and Evie sighed softly. For a sickening moment, the mental image of a newspaper with a body splashed across the pages flickered in her mind. It could be any of them. No matter what anyone said, it could be them next. And they could not let Mira continue in her blissful little bubble any longer.

“You’re right,” Evie whispered. “Tomorrow. We’ll tell her tomorrow.”

The weight of the decision hung in the air, and no one had the words to break it. Ominis shielded Mira from the darkness in the town like a dragon with its hoard, but his unwillingness to tell her anything was going to end badly. Like a premonition she didn’t want to acknowledge, the realization hung over her head and granted her nothing but a fitful night’s sleep.

_____________________

A tense afternoon was spent at the Fawley household. They sequestered themselves in Charlotte’s pastel-saturated room, photographs scattered on her walls from childhood through college, bits of their lives and moments of joy wrenched from the unwilling hands of St. Ives. Evie paused in front of a photograph of Ominis hoisting Mira on his shoulders, a bright laugh on his lips, a pair of dark sunglasses perched on his nose. She was giggling, her arms thrown around his neck as he managed to keep her upright.

He’d understand. Evie took in a shaky breath of air. He had to. He cared for Mira, loved her, even though he seemed adamant not to admit it. The friendship among the five of them was the only thing that had carried her through the 23 years she’d lived in the town, and while she trusted the bond that tied them together, she knew how quickly the woods took away things she loved. She only hoped they weren’t about to tear those bonds to shreds themselves.

Her mind wandered as Lorrain and Charlotte talked and gestured, figuring out the kindest way to crack the horrible truth of the town to Mira. Small tokens of broken dreams haunted their lives- diplomas and sashes from the town’s tiny university, scribbled dress designs collecting dust in Lorrain’s desk, half-written scripts stuffed in Evie’s closet for books she’d never get to write- a handful of texts on flowers and their meanings, of bouquet ideas swimming around in Charlotte’s mind for an imaginary flower shop.

Pipe dreams, really.

Evie knew, just as Lorrain, Charlotte, and Ominis did, that the only future they had was right there, nestled in the forests, shrouded in darkness.

Cold, grey clouds hung low over the forests as they trudged to the library, an uncharacteristic silence over the three of them. It didn’t take a genius to know that Miradevi would be upset, or angry, or- perhaps never want to speak to them again, which was an option none of them wanted to entertain. Muttered greetings to the other townspeople passed frozen lips as the first drifts of snow began to fall from the charcoal-grey sky, and Lorrain shivered slightly as they approached the library. Snow melted against the cold sidewalk and dark red brick of the squat little buildings along the main street. The mountains around them were already shrouded in mist and heavy clouds, promising more snowfall.

Evie tried hard not to look at the edge of the woods.

“Her shift ends in a few minutes.” Lorrain checked her watch, shivering slightly as she tucked her scarf tighter around her neck. “We can just wait out here and-”

“Well, hello. What trouble are you lot getting into now?”

Ominis arched a brow, instantly wary at the way the three girls whipped around to face him. He’d meant it as a jest as he approached, but Evie and Charlotte didn’t have Lorrain’s incredible poker face, and there was blatant worry scrawled across their features. He shut his car door and walked around the parking meter, tugging on his gloves as his gaze ran over each of their faces. They were hiding something, and doing an awful job of it.

What- Charlotte signed quickly, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold, her fingers too frozen to make the full sentence. You- doing- here?

“It’s Friday.” Ominis returned, somewhat amused. “I always spend Fridays with Mira after work, you all know that. What are you doing here?’

“We need to talk to her,” Lorrain said quietly, ignoring the startled glances from Evie and Charlotte. “About something important.”

“Right. And what exactly is this important thing you have to talk to her about?” Ominis’s words were light, but Evie’s alarm bells were already going off. A tension was creeping between them, sick and tight.

“You know what, Gaunt.” Lorrain returned. “It’s high time she knows the truth about this place.” She exhaled sharply. “About you.”

Evie didn’t dare breathe as Lorrain spoke. She gripped Charlotte’s hand tightly, watching Ominis as the smallest microexpressions flitted across his face, Lorrain’s unforgiving, true words striking where it hurt.

“You-” Ominis fell silent. He tried to take in a breath, force down the instant denial. He couldn’t, he could not have her find out what he-

You lied, knowing the consequences.

His eyes screwed shut as he tried to push the image of Mira’s mangled corpse standing in the corner of his room. The last thing he’d promised her mother- he’d sworn to her that he’d protect Miradevi with his life. It was instinct, it was duty and loyalty and love, and he could not breathe sometimes from the fear that froze him during nights like those. Nights when all he could think about was whether he was doing the right thing.

Ominis sighed, his gaze drifting to the steps leading up to the public library.

“You’re right. No need to look so damn shocked, I know I- I know I was hesitant to tell her-”

“You almost bit our heads off every time we tried.”

“Things are changing,” He faced Lorrain, and she was mildly surprised by how helpless he looked for a moment. “I need her to know.”

As much as the idea of her hating him for what he did and what he’d hidden from her was anathema, having her be one of the ‘missing’ because he didn’t keep her informed was so much worse. She could hate him for the rest of her life, but at least she’d be alive to do so.

Silence hung among the four of them for a moment. Shocked, disbelieving silence.

“I- well. That’s good. I was hoping to avoid the yelling match in the middle of the street, so I’m glad you agree. But- she’s going to be furious at you.” Lorrain pointed out quietly. “You know that.”

“I daresay I deserve every bit of it.” Ominis tucked his hands in his pockets, gazing at the double doors of the public library like his judgment was going to walk out of it. “I was going to tell her later tonight.”

“We’ll do it together,” Evie spoke up, and Charlotte nodded. “It’ll be easier for all of us, and-” she shivered slightly, her gaze darting to the edge of the woods. But whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the library doors swinging open.

“My goodness, I’ve never seen such a crowd outside my library.” Francis Lenore staggered down the steps, her cane obstructing her gait slightly as she peered amongst them. The woman clung to life like a raft in a choppy ocean, somehow still alive and kicking. “Is there anything I can help you with, dears?”

“We’re just waiting for Miradevi, Mrs. Lenore.” Evie said- and she didn’t like the puzzled frown that crossed the aged librarian’s face.

“Well, you’re not going to find her here. She’s usually quite good about giving me prior notice if she can’t make it to work, but I suppose it slipped her mind today. Well, you know, we all have our off days. I heard poor Vivianne Hockley’s husband, Charles, I believe, has gone missing. May the Saints preserve him and guide her. Tragic, really-”

“She didn’t come into work?”

Francis stilled, startled out of her train of thought by Ominis’s voice. Something about the way the young man spoke made her pause.

“No, she didn’t. If you see her, do let her know I’d like some warning next time.” Francis nodded quickly and made her way down the steps of the library, shuffling along the main street towards her car. “Take care, and be safe. In the name of the Saints.”

Ominis looked at the library doors, his vision tunneling, hands clenching into tight fists. Cold, sick dread flooded ice into his veins at Francis’s words. Like a sick prophecy coming to fruition, like every goddamn nightmare he’d had- it always started like this. Always, always- his breathing hitched, shallow, as the worst thoughts and images began to swarm his mind like bloodthirsty wasps. Mira, dead in the woods. An empty grave with her name on a headstone and her body nothing but scraps for the Saints to feast on-

“Calm down.” Lorrain’s voice echoed slightly in his ears. “She might just be at home, she might be sick-”

“Get in the car.” Ominis barely recognized his voice. Cold, low, and utterly devoid of anything natural. He was already moving, his hands shaking as he reached for the door of the driver’s seat. His ears were ringing, and a sick pit of pure dread was settling in his stomach. Charlotte and Evie quickly shuffled into the back seat, and not even the crisp scent of leather and lemongrass soothed the rapid fraying of their nerves. It was every worst-case scenario unfolding before them, everything they’d been afraid of rapidly unraveling.

Lorrain slid quickly into the passenger seat as Ominis turned the car on with more force than necessary, his hand white-knuckling the steering wheel. She looked up, her heart aching at the photograph of Ominis and Mira clipped to the sun visor mirror. She turned, the sick feeling in her stomach growing worse as she saw Charlotte and Evie gripping each other’s hands, pale.

“We’re going to check her house.” Ominis broke the heavy, tense silence as he peeled the Audi out of the parking spot and broke several traffic laws to pieces. “If she’s not there, I’m going to pull this goddamn town apart, brick by fucking brick.”

#ominis gaunt #ominis gaunt x oc #ominis gaunt x f!mc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #horror au #Im about to traumatize my poor baby #hogwarts legacy oc

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