#tyler rust imagine

[spikedfearn]

I Said Just a Little Bit, Then I Got a Taste of It

Chapter I

bjorn x fem!reader

summary: After being transferred to another sector of Jackson's Star you reluctantly befriend a ragtag group of people with the exception of one cocky asshole who knows just how to get under your skin.

On the surface, you hate each other, but after experiencing a particularly harrowing event together, the two of you grow closer than anyone else could ever imagine.

a/n: a few things to note: 1. I expanded the colony’s population from 2781 inhabitants to just under 20,000 for the different sectors to make sense/work. 2. Jackson’s Star remains a mining colony but it’s set up to be a little bit closer to a dystopian society so I can play around with different settings

warnings/tags: secret friends with benefits, enemies to lovers, angst, alcohol/drug use, sexual themes, non-linear narrative, trauma bonding, more tags to be added

wc: 2.6k

Masterlist Next Chapter

It's incredibly warm tonight.

Made warmer by the fire burning in the rusted out steel drum in front of you and the others sitting around it, a glass beer bottle held loosely in your grip keeping your palm cool, the condensation clinging to it feeling nice against your skin.

The sizzling pop of the kindling wood has you distracted, tracking the embers trailing off the flames dancing in the stifled air, smoke feeding up into the dense cloud cover overhead.

It's become a tradition of sorts. Drinking around a bonfire in the rock quarry with the people you've grown fond of, far and away from the other colonists residing in sector six, all flocking to the bars to take the edge off after another rough work week.

Well—with the exception of one cocksure asshole.

You can't help but look over as your thoughts wander to him, watching as said asshole takes another long swig of his beer, eyes drawn down to the prominent bob of his Adam's apple then up to his tongue, poking out to lick over his lips and mop up any stray drops.

Laughter breaks out around you in response to a joke Tyler cracks, not that you hear any of it, too busy quietly simmering in your lawn chair. He hasn't even done anything so far tonight, still—you know it's only a matter of time before something erupts between the two of you, something always erupts between the two of you.

Sure enough, he catches you staring before you have the chance to look the other way, his features rearranging into something familiar, something smug, eyes alight with the fire your chairs are circled around and a particularly annoying brand of haughtiness he carries himself with.

Your fingers tighten around the bottle, already knowing what's about to happen. Just when you thought you could get through one night without him royally pissing you off, he proves otherwise. He's as predictable as he is frustrating.

“Take a picture love, it'll last longer,” he smirks, the stupid kiss he blows in your direction and the cocky little tilt of his head causing anger to flare through you as a result.

“How do you manage to get around with your head shoved so far up your own ass,” you bite, cutting through the good natured chatter around you, everyone groaning their displeasure in response.

They've gotten used to it, you and Bjorn being constantly at each other's throats whenever you're forced to interact through hangouts with your mutual group of friends. You don't know how they put up with him, even if he is family with half the people here, you've known him for just shy of six months and you wanna throttle him every time he opens his big fucking mouth.

You hear Navarro mutter something like, “god, here we go again,” under her breath, already sounding exasperated by your increasingly heated exchange. They all are, having put up with it since the night the two of you first met, when he said something stupid and snotty enough to make you bite his head off in front of everyone, setting the tone for your dynamic going forward.

“If you wanna sit on it you just hafta’ ask nicely, princess,” he says, words punctuated by an arrogant chuckle, canines gleaming broadly in the concentrated light.

"How about I chop it off instead, hmm? Do the world a favor and stop you from procreating?"

"Then you'd have nothing to drool over, now would you?" He fires back, running the flat of his tongue over his teeth.

“You know what,” you announce, feeling your blood begin to boil just beneath the surface, draining the rest of your beer before tossing it into the bushes with the others, “I think I'm gonna call it a night.”

It's not worth it, getting into it with Bjorn for the umpteenth time. It's been another rough week for everyone down in the mines, hands cracked and calloused, a residual cough still clogging all your diaphragms from inhaling the fumes permeating through the underground tunnel system.

That and you don't want to be liable for ruining everyone else's good time with your petty grudge, no matter how justified you might feel.

Besides—it's pointless, talking to Bjorn, your conversations (if you can call them that) are never constructive, typically involve him saying something intentionally rude or brash that has you exploding in anger, like it's his entire aim to piss you off.

Kay tugs lightly on your wrist in an attempt to convince you to sit back down and stay for just a little longer but the night’s been soured and your mind already made.

So you wish everyone apart from Bjorn to have a good rest of their night before swiftly turning around and leaving the quarry, the voices of your friends fading away in the shortly crossed distance, hearing Tyler reprimand his cousin for being “a right knob.”

They've all tried playing mediator at one point or another, hoping to get to the root of the problem, because that's what they're all good at, what they've been trained to do since they were big enough to harness a mining drill, to excavate all paths for valuable material.

And you appreciate their concern, you really do, having almost forgotten what that felt like—having someone care, but there isn't anything deeper to it, your mutual hostility for one another, Bjorn’s just an asshole and you don't tolerate anyone's bullshit.

Nothing more, nothing less.

You hear the rapid crunch of gravel approaching behind you, looking over your shoulder to see Kay jogging to catch up with you. You cease walking, allowing her to reach you, a buzz circulating through your veins.

“Hey,” Kay greets, a little breathless, coming to a halt once she's standing right in front of you, baby bump prominent beneath the overalls she's wearing, “don't let my asshole cousin get to you.”

“Too late,” you snort, sufficiently bothered by everything that's occurred over the last twenty minutes. You can't help it, how quick to anger you are when it comes to him, he just has this way of getting under your skin in a way no else can.

“I still don't get how you and Tyler are related to him. You're both so sweet and Bjorn is—Bjorn.”

She echoes your snort, eyes drifting back towards the bonfire, glowing like the lit end of a cigarette from this far away, “I know I know, trust me. He can be a bit…abrasive.”

You're powerless to stop the scoff that leaves you, gaze following Kay’s, "a bit?"

“Okay, he's really abrasive, but he means well. Usually.”

Maybe it's out of familial obligation that Kay—and to a greater extent Tyler, feel the need to excuse Bjorn’s shitty behavior, but it's really starting to wear on you.

“Does he? Because I sure as fuck don't feel that way. I think he just gets off on being a massive dickhead and I'm the only one who’ll call him out on it.”

Kay reaches out to you, letting her take hold of your hand, giving it a light squeeze, “I get it, I do. It's just—Bjorn’s been through a lot and keeping people at arm’s length is how he copes with everything. He's not all bad.”

You hate that she's right. He isn't all bad. You've witnessed it, how tender he can be with the people he cares about most, how protective he is of them. Like picking up Tyler's obligatory shifts when he came down with a bad case of the flu or getting into bar fights whenever some rando makes an unwanted pass at Rain or Kay or how he naturally steps into the big brother role even though he's younger than Navarro.

But the thing is—“we've all been through a lot.”

It’s true. You've all been born into the same shitty circumstances, forced to work in the mines until you inevitably die from black lung or some other variant of respiratory disease, that is if a mining collapse doesn't kill you first.

“We have,” Kay agrees, coughing into the crease of her elbow as if to prove your point, “all of us. But I think you two especially, and that's why you guys butt heads all the time. You're both super alike.”

“That's a really, really low blow,” you remark dryly, your eyes finding Kay’s again.

“No, I'm serious,” she laughs, her giggles tapering off into a small, winded smile. "You both have your walls up and you're both stubborn as fuck," parroting your earlier emphasis.

Which is also frustratingly true. You know everyone's story, all having opened up to you over time, as they integrated you into their little patchwork family.

Although—most of them can't say the same about you, having buried most of your trauma way down deep, further than any of them could reach. They know you don't have a family, that you've spent most of your life alone prior to your transfer but that's the extent of it, all you've been willing to share.

And they never push for more, letting you divulge personal information at your own pace, no matter how limited or vague it is, something you're immensely grateful for, more than they could ever know. It's a big reason why you've allowed yourself to get close to them despite your trepidation, forging emotional attachments even after promising yourself you never would again.

“You're right,” you concede, rolling your eyes playfully when Kay hums back, “always am.”

“Listen. I’ll do my best not to let him get to me—next time, but I really am tired, tired and sore, so. See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” she affirms, squeezing your hand one last time before letting you go, cautioning you to “be safe!” as you resume walking.

The streets are empty as you move through them, navigating your way back to your shoebox of an apartment, half the streetlights lining the residential sidewalks flickering or out entirely. Which isn't unusual, like the higher-ups governing Jackson's Star would ever care for the upkeep of anything outside the mines.

Trudging through the door and relocking it behind you, you make your way down the tiny corridor leading into your bedroom, shoulders sagging in relief.

It's the only place you can ever truly relax, always looking forward to being able to pop some sleeping pills before crawling into bed immediately after, a short reprieve—the only reprieve—from the grueling sixteen hour work days you're subjected to.

You unscrew the cap on the pill bottle left on the nightstand by your bed and dry swallow two of them, too lazy and too tired to grab a glass of water in the little kitchenette in the next room over.

Thank god you have tomorrow off, planning to sleep in till noon if you're able to, what with your internal body clock having grown incredibly accustomed to getting up at the same time the other six days of the week.

You look out the sole window in your room, blinds drawn wide, everything around you bathed in red from the neighboring neon ‘BAR’ sign bleeding in through the glass because of it. It's strangely comforting in its familiarity, like a beacon of light welcoming you back every time you return, a reminder that you're still here, still breathing.

The window is small and high up enough that you're not concerned about anyone seeing you undress, grabbing at the hem of your thin cotton t-shirt to drag it up over your head before removing your hair tie next, slightly shaking your hair out with your fingers.

Maybe it's the exhaustion coupled with the drone of the generator funneling power into your apartment but you miss the sound of your door opening and the footsteps that move down the hall toward you.

It's not until you're pulling the metal prong of your belt buckle out of the last notch that you hear a low whistle, causing you to jump, shoulders curling inwards to try and cover yourself up, one of your bra straps falling down your arm.

“Well don't stop on account of me babes.”

Your eyes narrow seeing him leaning in your doorway, arms crossed over his chest with the sole of one boot planted against the doorframe, emphasizing the toned muscle hiding under his loose work shirt.

“I knew I'd regret giving you my door code.”

Bjorn chuckles back, that cocky little head tilt returning, “but then I'd miss out on this lovely little strip-tease.”

You feel your face grow warm in response, grateful for the red bar lighting masking your blush. “What are you doing here anyways? The others are gonna start noticing if we're always disappearing around the same time.”

“Relax,” he says, crossing the room to reach you, hands coming up to latch onto your shoulders while his thumbs press in between your shoulder blades, rubbing tight circles into your skin to loosen the tension gathered there, “everyone called it a night after your little hissy fit.”

A scowl etches itself onto your face, though you do nothing to stop him from massaging your shoulders, “shut up, I'm still mad at you.”

“Hmm, are you now?” He asks, leaning in close, until his plush lips are brushing your ear, “is that why you were giving me them fuck me eyes, love? All I said was you just needa ask nicely.”

“That's what I'm talking about! You're making it too obvious. The last thing I want is everyone else finding out about this. About us.”

It's still so new, hooking up with Bjorn behind everyone's back, a recent development that's entirely altered the course of your dynamic.

He still goes out of his way to piss you off whenever he can, but there's something more there now, a teasing edge that implies an inside joke only the two of you are in on.

And, despite knowing the others wouldn't care, you want it to stay that way. After all, this thing you two have going on now, whatever it is, is casual. Meaningless. You see no point in telling them about something that'll most likely run its course soon, once you've gotten the overwhelming urge to touch each other out of your systems, whenever that'll be.

“And why’s that?” He whispers, drawing a fingertip over your stomach, from the elastic of your underwear up to your navel, causing you to shudder on reflex. “Embarrassed they'll know I don't just get under your skin but in your pants too?”

“You're such a jackass,” you groan, feeling the solid mass of his body press up against you, his growing excitement poking you in the back. As you suspected, that's why he's here.

“Keep talking dirty to me babes,” he jokes, kissing a line down your neck, his fingers grabbing your chin to cock your head to one side, giving him more ground to cover, stubble scratching over your skin.

A soft moan escapes your lips, going pliant in his hands, Bjorn having mapped out all the sensitive spots that leave you weak-kneed and trembling, weaponizing his intel every chance he gets.

Your head falls back against his shoulder, letting him slide his hand down under the denim of your jeans, still in disbelief as to how you got here. Not that you would ever forget, the memory of that night still fresh in your mind.

[sciderman]

Pray tell… how does Wade sound in your head?

i imagine something very hoarse and scratchy - think demi moore or bonnie tyler

it's a bit of of a running joke that 9319 wade's voice cast is mike from rust valley restorers - right down to the rural canadian accent

but i imagine wade as more soft-spoken than you'd expect - quiet, and hoarse - almost the sort of throaty hoarseness you get after crying a whole lot. like it's a strain to force the sound out, sometimes.

[pangborns]

SKIN DEEP.

tyler durden x fem!reader

in which Tyler shows you the feel of a lye-burned kiss.

maybe a few fight club spoilers, very in-character tyler which is def a warning, so- dark!tyler technically, chemical burns, talks of religion, mentions of fighting/wounds/blood lmk if I missed anything else!

this is self indulgent, I need more fight club fics. we’re gonna pretend the last 20 mins of the movie aren’t canon for this fic lollll.

“Thanks,” You spoke softly as Tyler held the decaying door open for you. Stepping into the deteriorating house, your breath hitched. The walls were peeling, rust stains were evident on the ceiling, and the wood floors splintered with each step you took forward. “I didn’t realize you lived here..”

“Home sweet home,” He chuckled with a side smirk, letting the door fall closed. Tyler stepped around you, walking confidently through the halls of the house. You followed, shyly peaking into the rooms you passed. “What happened to your lip?”

Tyler didn’t look back as he asked the question, only continuing to lead you through the house. “Uh,” You paused to touch the split with your tongue. “Some asshole was looking for some spare cash, I guess.”

“Did you hit him?” The man inquired, he turned toward you as you entered the kitchen, leaning his back against the island.

You furrowed your eyebrows and pursed your lips, “No,” you stated simply. You didn’t know Tyler well, sure, he bought you a drink at Lou’s Tavern a few nights back and you two just got to talking. You considered him a friend, though he easily made you nervous with the way he talked about violence so nonchalantly. “Was- am I supposed to?”

He chuckled, puffing air out of his mouth as his head lolled back. “You gotta learn how to hold your own. Now you’re twenty dollars out and sporting a busted lip.” Tyler rolled his eyes and tongued the inside of his cheek. “I’ll kill him, you know I’d kill him for you.”

Your eyes widened at the confession, “No, I’m not asking you to do that.” You stuttered, holding your hands out to wave him off. “I’ll survive, it’s just some blood, I’ll make the money back anyway.”

You watched as Tyler swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “That’s not the point,” His words were pointed, “look, I can help you.”

You tilted your head in confusion. “Help me how?”

Tyler quirked his eyebrows, turning his body toward the items splayed across the island. “I’ve got some work to do, but just humor me, sit with me and I’ll give you some tips.” He shed his red leather jacket and pulled up two stools, putting them on opposite sides of the counter.

When you didn’t move, he nodded his head in the direction of your seat. You played with your fingers, glancing around the room nervously before taking a seat.

“‘Atta girl.”

“What are you- are those chemicals?” You cut yourself off with the hurried question, worrying about both his safety and your own. He took a seat on his stool and cracked his knuckles.

Tyler’s shoulders shook as he silently laughed at your question, “Why of course, this is quality soap. Can’t make it any other way.”

You knew your newfound friend had an interest in soap making of all things, but you never could’ve imagined the work that went into it. You opened your mouth to ask another question, but were cut off by the blonde across from you.

“Can you throw a punch?”

Again, you furrowed your eyebrows at the man. “I think? I’ve never really done it before..” you looked down at your hands. Your skin was soft, no dry blood, no bruising, no scars or anything that would prove that you could hold your own.

He snorted, “Curl your fingers in tight, thumb on the outside. Let me see.” You did what you were told, showing him your fist. “Good, you twist with your hips, plant your feet and follow through with your dominant arm.”

You nodded as you took in the information, trying to picture what he was telling you. Inside, you knew you’d still be too afraid to even consider starting a fight, but you wanted to make Tyler happy. “And what happens when I get hit? I don’t think I’d be able to get back up.”

Tyler bit his lip, chewing it in thought. “Pain tolerance…” he chuckled. “Give me your hand.”

You hesitantly gave the man your hand, shuffling in your seat. Tyler’s calloused palm nearly grounded you as he gently held yours. You watched as Tyler’s gaze left your hand and traveled to the doorway. He slowly dropped it as he looked at the figure.

A man, lanky and tall, silently watched the interaction between the two of you. He squeezed his mouth shut and let out an audible sigh as he held Tyler’s eye. You looked between the two, watching as a silent conversation was taking place. The man’s bottom jaw jutted out as he seemed to hold his tongue and looked to you. You held his stare, one that seemed to both convey so much emotion and hide it all just the same. In his eyes, you could make out a foreign pain. Was he worried? For you? He pivoted on his foot and started his trek toward the stairs before you could dwell too much on it.

When you looked back toward Tyler, he was already staring right at you. “Who was that?” He put some protective goggles and gloves on before grabbing your hand again.

“Roommate,” was all he said, hoping to get on with his science experiment as he pursed his lips, bringing your hand to his face. He held a long kiss to the skin on top of your hand, keeping eye contact throughout the entire ordeal.

Your breath hitched at the action, eyebrows drawing in as you quickly became confused. Your cheeks flushed a bit at the strange behavior, opening your mouth to speak as he withdrew his lips. “Why- what is this?”

“This is a chemical burn,” He smirked, grabbing the container of flaked lye and pouring a good amount on the shiny saliva spot on your hand.

It all happened so fast, you had no time to react as your body jolted in pain. Tears immediately jumped onto your waterline as Tyler’s grip on your hand tightened. Your face grew white as the pain registered in your head. Standing up quickly, the stool you were sitting on fell over backwards as you struggled to hold your weight on your shaky legs.

You screamed, a wet shriek leaving your mouth as you tried to tug your arm out of his tough grip. Your face was now soaked, veins popping out of your forehead as you watched the flesh on your hand start to bubble.

“Oh my god, oh my god!”

Tyler laughed at the word, quickly containing it after you continued to scream. He held his tongue, trying not to speak ill of the father.

“It will hurt more than you’ve ever been burned and you will have a scar.” He spoke softly, trying to calm your hysterics.

It was getting hard to breath with the ever noticeable pain. The skin started to smoke as the chemical ate away at it. Closing your eyes, you tried desperately to think of a happier place.

An image of nature, animals, and peaceful lullabies popped in your head as you tried to block out the unbearable pain.

“— stay with the pain, don’t block this out.” Tyler’s rough voice shook you out of your daydream as he ran his thumb over your index finger, trying to keep you from passing out.

“No, I can’t. It hurts.” You sobbed, hoping that the man upstairs can hear the distress and come stop this. You looked toward the ceiling.

“Look at your hand. The first soap was made from the ashes of heroes. Like the first monkeys shot into space. Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing!” Tyler became more passionate as he spoke, excitement invading his tone.

You screamed again as the pain grew deeper, “make it stop!” At this point you had run out of tears, shaking so hard you thought the floor would give out. You closed your eyes again, hoping Tyler wouldn’t bring you back out of your happy place.

As you were transported back to that rainforest, you felt another jolt as he pulled on your arm. “Stop. This is your pain, this is your burning hand. It’s right here!”

You thought you were going to be sick, your entire body heated up like a candle. “This is premature enlightenment!” Tyler continued to encourage.

“You’re insane!” You screeched, the walls reverberating as your voice echoes throughout the entire house. You couldn’t figure out why the man upstairs didn’t come down to check on the situation.

Tyler grabbed your chin, pulling you in close to his face. “This is the greatest moment of your life and you’re off somewhere missing it! You’re shutting me out!”

Your vision grew blurry as you continued to scream: “oh my god!” Voice now hoarse.

“Shut up. Our fathers were our models for God. And, if our fathers bailed, what does that tell us about God?” His words bounced off your ear drums, starting to distort as black spots danced in your vision. “Listen to me. You have to consider the possibility that God doesn't like you, he never wanted you. In all probability, He hates you. This is not the worst thing that can happen...”

You swallowed, trying to blink. You weren’t sure if you wanted to stay awake at this point, maybe the pain would be more bearable if you were unconscious. “It- it is..?”

“We don’t need him. Fuck damnation. Fuck redemption. We are God's unwanted children? So be it!” His voice grew louder, the pain came back ten times worse as you looked at the wound. You started to tug away from him again, knocking more ingredients off of the counter.

Your eyes landed on the sink, the thought of the cold water washing away the harsh lye was one so soothing. You shuffled your body toward the rusty sink, only making it about a foot before Tyler tugged you back.

“Listen. You can run water over your hand and make it worse, or -- look at me, -- or you can use vinegar and neutralize the burn.” He put a hand on the side of your face, gently rubbing his thumb along your cheekbone. “First you have to give up. First you have to know, not fear, know that some day you’re gonna die.”

You nodded hurriedly, willing to agree to anything in order to get this foreign substance off of your soft skin. “It hurts, you don’t understand!”

Tyler slowly revealed his own hand, watching as your eyes played over a scar that you will soon match. Your shuddering breaths only grew louder at the reveal. “You’re insane! You’re crazy!”

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” He simply spoke, reaching for the vinegar. The cold sweat on your skin made your hair stand up on end. What if this only makes it worse? You’ve learned that you can’t trust Tyler with your well being.

He poured the liquid over your wound, successfully washing away the unwelcomed chemical and putting your pain at ease. The sizzling noise of your skin being eaten away died down and so did your shaking. The room felt eerily silent as the pain dissipated.

“Congratulations. You’re one step closer to hitting the bottom.”

[whoficky]

Until Morning - Chapter 6

Rating: T (for now)

Pairing: 10th Doctor X Rose Tyler

Work Summary: As a weary Doctor, Martha Jones and Jack Harkness prepare to take on the Master, they find their hideout isn't as secure as they thought.

In a burst of blue light, a dimension hopping Rose Tyler finally finds the Doctor, but time is still not on their side.

What if you only had one night to spend with the love of your life?

Chapter summary: About a thousand different thoughts were vying for her attention, but she pushed them back, trying to hold on to the peace she’d just found up on the roof.

Chapter 6

Up on the roof, Rose had drifted into something like a trance.  She leaned into the Doctor’s chest with his arms tight around her, and basked in the sensation of finally feeling safe.  For the first time in years, her mind was blissfully blank.  She could have stayed with him like that for hours.  For forever.  

But eventually even the Doctor’s embrace wasn’t enough to ward off the damp chill.  She cursed her traitorous body when it shivered.

“C’mon.  Lets get inside,” the Doctor said softly, loosening his arms from around her.  

“Not ready to,” she mumbled, digging her fingers into his coat.  But after another gust of wind left her teeth chattering, she relented, letting him take her hand and lead her back towards the steps.  She didn’t want to join the others, didn’t want to have to share him just yet, but hypothermia didn’t sound particularly appealing either.  Rose sighed and followed him down the stairs.  

About a thousand different thoughts were vying for her attention, but she pushed them back, trying to hold on to the peace she’d just found up on the roof.  The effort must be teaming up with the fatigue and chill because she was caught completely off guard when the Doctor stopped on the first landing.   

“Oi missed the brake lights,” she laughed as she stumbled into him.  

“Sorry,” he chuckled, turning to steady her.  “Saw this when I was securing the building.” He soniced open a door she hadn’t noticed before. “Should be warmer in here out of the breeze.”  

Rose looked between the dark interior and the Doctor, biting her lip.  They had been alone up on the roof just now, but this, a secluded spot with a door they could close on the rest of the world?  Now that was something altogether different.  Something she’d wished for many times in the past couple hours.  She studied the Doctor, wondering if this was just about accommodating her human temperature needs, or if he was imagining the same sorts of possibilities that were bringing a slight flush to her cheeks despite the chill.  Of course, he was giving nothing away.  The git.  With a sense of nerves and anticipation, she paused just a second before stepping into the small room.      

Rose rubbed her arms as she glanced around the space.  Dim moonlight streamed in through the windows and illuminated a small rusted stove, a row of stained cupboards, and stacks of battered cardboard boxes that took up a good third of the room.        

  “Lovely,” Rose snorted, joking to hide the nervous butterflies that tickled just below her stomach, “You really do take me to the most amazing places.”

“Oh, hang on, you,” the Doctor said, rolling his eyes.  “Been wondering what kind of factory this was?” 

“Mmmm, had other things on my mind, actually.”  

When he smirked at her, it was her turn to roll her eyes, “Shut up!”

The Doctor smacked a kiss to her temple and ran a hand across her back before loping over to the boxes, “If my deductions from previous reconnaissance are correct, I’d wager that it’s…” he let the sentence hang as he soniced through the packing tape on one of the boxes, “Ha!” He said triumphantly, “Jackets!”

“Jackets?” Rose laughed.  

“Jackets!” He repeated as he tore through some plastic wrap and threw a handful of them at her.  “We’ll get you warm in a jiffy, Rose Tyler,” he said, continuing to throw clothes at her even though her arms were already full.  The puffy, down-filled garments started to overflow her arms and pool around her feet until finally one hit her smack in the face. 

“Oi!” She dropped all but one of the coats which she wadded up and threw back at him.    

“How dare -” the Doctor sputtered, “You are grumpy when you’re tired!  Rose Tyler, you just declared WAR!” 

She squealed and dove behind a row of boxes as he came after her with a barrage of fluffy projectiles.  She armed herself with a few that had dropped on the floor and then charged back at him, throwing and dodging and tripping over trampled fabric. 

Over the next several minutes the two of them tore through the rest of the boxes, throwing the jackets at each other and making a mess of the room all while laughing like maniacs.  Mock insults and challenges were exchanged as feathers from the manhandled garments swirled around them.  

Sooner than she would have liked, her arms grew heavy as this long day, god, these long bloody years, caught up with her.  When she didn’t think she could manage one more throw, she sprawled out on one of the piles they’d made, still laughing hysterically.  

“Do I detect a surrender?” The Doctor asked, standing over her, poised to throw another jacket.  

“Never,” Rose laughed breathlessly, “But perhaps…a peace treaty?”

“Oh, I suppose,” he sighed.  He dropped the coat and plopped down next to her, sending a fresh wave of feathers puffing up into the air.

They amused themselves for a few minutes trying and utterly failing to make snow angels in the fabric and loose down.  When she stopped to catch her breath, Rose was surprised to find the little nest she’d made herself was rather comfortable.  Well that wouldn’t do.  Fearing she’d fall asleep if she remained laying down, Rose pushed up to a sitting position and took stock of the complete mess they’d made of the space.

“Hope no one is going to need to use this room anytime soon.”

“Nah,” the Doctor assured her, “This whole block will be demolished to make room for condos next year.  My seventh self will help a lovely family of Terthen assimilate to Earth in one of the units while their planet is undergoing atmospheric renovation.  Assuming the continuity of time remains in tact and there is a next year, of course.”

“Of course,” she agreed mildly.  They shared a tired smile.   

“Come here, you,” he entreated scooting back to rest against the far wall.  She clamored over a few small mountains of jackets to snuggle into his open arms.  He covered their legs with a few of the discarded garments.    

“Warming up?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her torso.

She hummed and nodded, playing with one of his buttons.  At some point during their mad jacket war, he’s shucked his damp coat.  She took her time tracing her fingers over the sleeves of his pinstriped suit, trying to re-familiarize herself with each stitch and wrinkle.

For a time neither of them spoke.  All she heard was the distant sounds of the city and the breeze blowing against the windows.  With his arms snug around her and his legs bracketing hers, it was easy to feel like they were in their own bubble isolated from the rest of time and space.  The feathers still making their lazy way to the floor made her think of a snow globe.  Their own little snow globe.  She smiled.  

But as the silence stretched on, what started as contentment changed into something else.  Without any distractions, Rose was finding it harder and harder to stay in the moment.  Her smile slipped as her thoughts turned on her.                

“It’s mad,” she said when she couldn’t stand the silence any longer, “being here with you now, after so long, and knowing I have to leave again.”

“I’m sorry,” he said in a tone that told her his thoughts had been going a similar direction as her own.  His grip on her tightened, taking on an edge of desperation.    

“Yeah, me too,” she sighed.  Oh and she was sorry.  Sorry she had to leave, sorry that he felt the need to apologize for something they’d both agreed on, sorry that she’d brought tomorrow into the room.   She thought about how much thinner the Doctor was, the frightening look in his eyes when he’d thought she was an imposter, the almost careful way Jack had treated the Time Lord earlier…They may have been snogging and romping about a few minutes ago, but what would happen later?  What would happen after the sun rose on tomorrow? 

“Doctor,” she asked softly, “will you be ok?”

She expected him to deflect, to reassure her that he was always alright, to jump up and start throwing jackets at her to bring back the silly joy from minutes before.  Instead he rested his chin on her shoulder for a few breaths before replying in a rough voice, “It’s been…hard without you.  It will be again.” 

Before she could respond he returned, “What about you Rose Tyler?  Will you be alright, defending the multiverse back in Pete’s World?”  Multiverse, huh?  He’d given her a promotion.  She’s much rather just have him. 

She thought over the last few years - the sleepless nights, the things she’d seen walking through dead and dying worlds, the terrible ache of loneliness, and her hand, always missing his.  She thought about having to do it all over again, a kind of endless running with none of the joy and only the relentless exertion.  When Rose opened her mouth to answer, she found her throat was too tight.  She took a few deep breaths trying to steady herself but the edge of tears was still in her voice when she replied.

 “It’s been hard without you,” she parroted, “It will be again.”  She hoped that it wasn’t as big of an understatement for him as it was for her.  She suspected it might be.

Rose suddenly felt the weight of time pressing in on her, could feel each second ticking down to when they had to go their separate ways.  Was this what the Doctor felt all the time - This horrible sensitivity to the passage of time, the inexorable pull towards endings and goodbyes?  How did it not drive him mad?  She supposed maybe it did, a bit.  

Rose wanted to make it better, make it hurt just a little bit less for him.  If their parting was a fixed event, she was desperate to give him something to take with him after she left.  Something more than just a memory drive filled with the next wave of impending doom he’d have to deal with.  Her mind whirred and stuttered but her lips found the words before she had formed any concrete idea of what that could be.

“I love you,” she said.  She wondered if she’d ever be able to say that when it didn’t come out so tearstained, when it didn’t shatter her heart to say it.

“Rose,” he breathed her name and it was easy, so easy to tilt her face up to brush her lips against his jaw.  He turned his head and she shifted slightly so that he could capture her lips in a kiss that she felt down to her curling toes.  

“I’ll find you again.  I promise I’ll find you again,” she whispered against his lips.

“I know,” he soothed, brushing her wet cheek with his thumb. “I know you will.”

“Doctor…” she didn’t know what was going to come after his name, but it didn’t matter anyway.  His lips were back on hers and suddenly the most important thing, the only thing on her mind was him and more.  

[martyryo]

how do you pick out such cool colors and outfits?!? :000 i love your art :3

HIII, THANKS KNOWING YOU ENJOY JT MAKES ME SO HAPPY AWAWAWAWAW😭❤️❤️

Also, I'm sorry if answers will disappoint you but I don't have a thought behind color picking. Truth is lately I've been just using colors I like, trying to make them fit to the overall vibe of the drawing.

For example, in the vamp marla drawings I used a dark moldy orange cause it reminded me of rust and decay, and with that I added some tilted bright magenta lines to contrast it and make it pop. That's it. And to figure them out I just kept modifying the hue until I liked the combination. So I guess, play around with colors, be silly :3

Oh also lines and halftones play a big role in my drawings. I don't like having many elements of the same value one next to the other, cause they don't make each other stand out. (imagine a plain outfit with EVERYTHING black. Nothing else. Kinda boring).

I try in fact to put dark areas next to brighter ones so their shapes are more distinct to the sight (the eyes in the drawing for example wouldn't be so visible if there wasn't the dark eyeshadow to drag your eyes towards them. The hair has subtle black lines as texture while the skin has halftones, this makes the brain perceive them as different).

Now for the outfits...well, since the past months I've been drawing the same 3 blorbos in their canon fits, soooo use reference I would say... referencing things is always the best thing you can do, from fits and especially colors if you're trying to obtain a certain mood or atmosphere (and I be forgetting cause I'm lazy but don't be like me 💥).

I did design the following fits out of raw imagination, but I needed some reference for cowboy and pirate fits on pinterest.

In these cases I tried to add some recurring patters for each of them.

Narrator has many horizontal lines going on on the pants (design and the dangly things on the side) while also having like two belts and a string. More lines yippie!

With marla I went with earrings matching the necklace, while also adding lace (is that how it's called??) on the rims of her top, glove things and collar. For her top and skirt I went with vertical lines that are also present on her stockings while cloak/scarf has those repeating things at the end (me when I don't know clothing vocabulary).

Tyler has kinda the more boring fit cause I was getting tired. I was trying to go with items of the upper body being tighter while having large pants with bug boots, kinda triangle shaped, but ehh I need to work more on that. Reoccurring would be the flowy clothes folds cause I view them as soft materials contrasted with a more rough vest. I tried to add on that soap bubbles patterns but it's kind of a weak effect so fnenrne.

Again. Reference. And taking breaks between designs cause your brain at some point has enough of your ideas.

Uhmm idk if all this yapping in an okay answer for you, I spent all afternoon trying to analyze my drawings and I was going insane. But I thank you for asking cause you made me realize I should adapt to a stable technique huehue =w=

Also for school work, when I need to pick colors, the website I linked below is the tool I always use. You can search for an already existing palette or generate a random one u.u

Lmk if you wanna know anything else, I'll try my best to answer. Have a great day <3

[inastrangerskiss]

stitches

Tyler Rust x Reader

content warning: simply just fluff literally nothing else besides maybe 2% angst

summary: tyler comes home with a wound from a match

a/n: i wrote this before he was released no I will not be changing his name

Tyler laid with his head across your lap. His eyes were focused on the television but you could tell he was barely clinging to consciousness. His golden hair was sprawled out behind him, creating delicate waves against your body. As you ran your fingers through the tawny locks he leaned into your touch like a contented cat.

There was a deep, burgundy and violet wound just below his eye, running down the length of his cheekbone. Black stitches were roughly sewn along the injury. You hadn’t expected him to come home like that.

You understood his job and the career path he had chosen. You understood it meant sometimes he got injured and sometimes he would bleed. He had come home with broken legs and ankles. Not very often but often enough that it wasn’t really anything more than a nuisance for you. But occasionally it would take you by surprise. He always tried to call you after the matches, to let you know how it went, to let you know if something had happened but sometimes he forgot. Sometimes he’d come home with a black eye or a laceration or a brace attached to a joint and it would catch you off guard.

That’s what happened yesterday.

The evening had crept along as you waited for him to return home. You tried to forget the nightmare of a day you had endured by losing yourself in the pasta sauce bubbling on the stove. You knew Tyler would be home soon and the tension would truly melt away the moment he had his arms wrapped around you.

The door opened and closed. A bag hit the floor.

“Hey, darling. I’m home.” He called out into the house.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

You could hear his footfalls approaching, his arms wrapping around your waist. He buried his head in the crook of your neck and took a deep breath before pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You smiled. He was home. Home and safe. Sharing the same space, breathing the same air as you.

“I’m gonna need you to sew my trunks. They got a little torn on the side last night.”

You nodded. You hadn’t gotten to see the match but mending his gear was commonplace for you. You could feel him relax against you and it gave you a sense of peace. Gently, you brought a hand behind you and ruffled his hair. You ran that hand down his cheek and felt him wince. The rough texture was strange and not at all what you had expected to encounter.

This caused you to turn. And there it was. The stitches. The bruising.

“What happened?” You had asked, a hand falling to your hip.

“Nothing. Just took a kick wrong.”

It wasn’t nothing. It was a massive wound that had clearly required the help of doctors to ensure its proper healing. A massive wound that had probably bled a lot. A massive wound that you weren’t there to worry about in the moment. And there was something about that that hurt you.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“It was late. I didn’t want to wake you up when I figured I could tell you about it now.” His voice was gentle but it still upset you. He took your hand in his and he held it with the utmost care. “It’s fine though. Just a little cut, that’s all.”

It sat with you though. It was difficult to spend so much time apart and it was even more difficult to know there might be times where he got hurt and you wouldn’t know.

You weren’t able to enjoy dinner with the stitches staring back at you and you felt horrible that you couldn’t look past them to enjoy the night. You became withdrawn and decided against laying on the couch with him, opting to go to bed early instead. He found you curled up on your side, your eyes open and scrolling through social media. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. You were acting like a child but he still had a patient smile curling the corners of his mouth.

“Not gonna talk to me?” He asked.

“I’m just tired.” It was a lie and you knew it was and he knew it was but he tolerated it.

“I guess I’m tired too, then.” He shrugged, crawling in beside you.

You didn’t make a move, disinterested in breaking down the frustrated and begrudging wall you had built. But it meant nothing to him, his arms reaching around your side, pulling you closer. He peppered your shoulder with kisses, running them up your neck, to your cheek and back down again. You had to force yourself not to smile.

“Why’re you upset with me?” His voice was calm and kind.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got hit like that?”

“I told you. I figured I’d tell you when I got back here. No reason to make you worry when it was just a silly bump.”

“The guy could’ve taken your eye out.” You muttered into the pillow, your phone now down by your side.

Tyler brought the arm that originally lay against your waist, up and across your chest, as if it were a seatbelt holding you safely for the ride.

“But he didn’t.”

You didn’t say anything. He was also silent, the only sound between the two of you being rhythmic breathing. Finally, he let out a small sigh and relented in a way that was almost unnoticeable. You couldn’t feel it in his body or his arms but in his presence itself.

“Listen.” He turned you towards him and you unhappily felt your body roll accordingly to face the man you loved. “Sometimes this stuff happens. But it's okay. I’m safe. Nothing bad will happen to me.”

“It might one day.” You blurted out, your true feelings suddenly on display.

“It won’t.” His voice was firm and resolute. “As long as I’ve got you waiting for me at home I’ll always be coming back to you in one piece.”

He found your hands mixed in with the sheets and the duvet and laced his fingers through yours. He didn’t look you in the eyes right away, more focused on this moment of touch than anything else. When he did bring his gaze to meet yours it was clear, in spite of the darkness. His eyes were a gentle plea with you, asking you to understand he meant everything he said.

“I won’t let anything hurt me.” He murmured. “Only I can control that and I will for you.”

You waited a moment before allowing a small nod. A small acceptance of him, stitches and all.

So, there you sat. An evening removed from his return to the home you shared, his head on your lap, your hand in his hair. Occasionally, you took breaks from combing your hand through his locks to focus on finishing sewing the tear in his trunks.

With each movement of your needle, you brought them back together, into one whole piece. Back into one contiguous cloth, one unbroken garment.

Tyler looked up at you and sleepily smiled. You smiled back.

Back into one whole piece.

[sweetdreamhellofanight]

New Kid (part 2)

Timothy Thatcher x Reader x Tyler Rust Warnings: Smut (18+) Word Count: 2,353 Summary: Part 2 because I got too excited and couldn’t wait to post it later

“You made it!” Tyler greeted you as you entered. You smiled, but looked around him at the others. Most everyone from the locker rooms were there, but you still hadn’t found Tim. 

He had agreed to meet you there separately. No one knew about you two, and neither of you were sure you wanted anyone to just yet. 

“Course I did,” you finally said, “thanks for the invite.” 

He nodded, handing you a drink. You followed him back to where the others were, mostly from your training sessions. 

Marcel stopped by, if only to flirt with you for a few minutes while you ignored him, watching as he floundered after getting no response from you. It was only then that you smiled at him, his cue to leave. 

But as the night went on, Tyler moved closer to you, his voice softening as the conversation moved from the group to just you two, until it was just the two of you at the big table, talking quietly with one another. 

“Did Thatcher give you a lot of shit for class yesterday?” he asked, finally. 

It was the first time you two had spoken about work since you’d arrived, and it caught you off guard. 

“No, why? Did he say something to you?” you asked. 

He rolled his eyes, but smiled, 

“Just that I was slowing you down,” he said. 

You frowned, but tried to play it off. You opened your mouth to speak when you felt a hand on your shoulder, and the chair beside you screeching as it was pulled out, 

“Been looking for you, doll,” Tim’s voice came, his arm settling around you. “Rust,” he greeted. 

“Thatcher,” he replied. 

“I was looking for you, I thought you weren’t going to come,” you said, turning to him. He smiled wide, 

“Saw Marcel sulking and followed the direction of his tears,” he said. You rolled your eyes, 

“You’d think ten times without a response and he’d get the hint,” you said. Tim kissed you on the cheek and made you blush. You two hadn’t had very many public dates, and even fewer public moments of affection, and part of you knew it was because Tyler was already sitting close to you, but you secretly loved it. 

Tyler moved back in his seat, focusing on his drink in hand, 

“You two were good yesterday,” Tim said, finally, looking at Tyler. 

“Too slow, apparently,” he mumbled. 

“No, she was still getting used to you,” he said. 

Color rose in Tyler’s cheeks, but you watched Tim, confused at his tactic here. 

“A few more sessions and I’ll be as good with her as you are,” he said, pointedly. 

Tim laughed, louder than he needed to, 

“Yeah I bet you will,” he said. 

“I should go,” Tyler mumbled, getting ready to stand up, 

“No!” you said, reaching out for him. 

He looked between you and Tim, just as confused now, 

“You should stay,” you said. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said, eyes on Tim, now. 

“Why not?” Tim asked. 

Now he really didn’t know what to say, 

“Stay, Tyler,” you said, softly, resting a hand on his arm. He sat down, watching you through narrowed eyes, and you didn’t blame him. Even you weren’t sure what Tim was trying to do here. 

“I didn’t realize you two were...you know…” he started, pointing at you both. Tim’s arm around you tightened a little bit and you almost hated how turned on you were. 

“Only a little while now,” Tim said. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“Don’t be. You’ve obviously got her attention,” Tim said, taking another swig of his drink before setting it down, loudly. 

You eyed him and Tim only winked at you. Next to you, Tyler’s cheeks turned bright red. 

“Let’s see you try and keep it,” Tim added, pulling you by your chin to kiss you. 

The shock of how public it was, and how deeply he kissed you wore off as you felt his hand slide into your hair. 

He tugged on it and you had to stop yourself from moaning right there in the middle of the bar, but Tim pulled back before you could go any further. 

“I’ll be in the car,” he said quietly, his hand still gripping your chin, turning it towards Tyler who sat there, his face hard to read. 

You swallowed hard, staring at Tyler now. Behind him, you could see Marcel watching you from the other side of the bar, shock coloring his face, and you smiled at him. At least he’d noticed how Tim had kissed you. 

And now you knew exactly what to do. 

You leaned forward and kissed him softly, relieved when he kissed you back, and surprised at how enthusiastic he was, at that. 

“Come with me,” you whispered against his lips, taking him by the hand. 

***

Tim made you drive back. 

Which was a mistake he realized only when you practically sped through the streets. But it wasn’t your fault because all you could think about was getting home, and getting them both inside with you. 

Your head was spinning, even in the elevator ride up as Tim held you tight by the waist, standing between you and Tyler, the tension seemingly only rising in you given the way Tim was whistling. 

He was enjoying this too much and it was driving you mad. 

Finally, inside your apartment, only after Tim took the keys from you since your hands were shaking too much, you slammed the door shut and stared at the two of them. 

Tim was calm, hands in his pockets, making himself comfortable on your couch, like most evenings. 

Tyler was trying to stay cool in front of you two, hands folded behind his back, 

You took a deep breath and got ready to speak but Tim spoke first, 

“I’ve got all night, doll,” he said, “start with him.” 

It seemed, for a moment, Tyler stopped breathing, but he straightened his posture even more, somehow, and nodded.

You smiled at Tim first. There was something new about him tonight, the way he was so ready to share you with someone else, to just watch you. He was being cockier than usual, more commanding, and all of it washed away the worry you’d been holding onto since the bar. 

You took a step towards Tyler and extended a hand to him, 

“Come here,” you said, quietly, leading him to the couch. 

You sat with your back to Tim, and with Tyler in front of you, you had to get on your knees to reach him. 

You were gentle with him. The last thing you wanted to do was scare him, so you were soft with a hand on his cheek, with your lips ghosting over his, 

“Ready?” you whispered. 

His eyes closed and he nodded, sighing into you.

You kissed him first, again, but this time he was rougher. 

Back at the bar he had been hesitant, almost scared to kiss you back but now, he cupped your cheeks and kissed you harder. It caught you by surprise how rough he was that you nearly fell on top of him. His hands moved down your sides, hands on your hips, pulling you closer to him. You brought a hand in his hair, pulling it out of the loose bun, running a hand through his soft, silky hair. 

Behind you, you could feel Tim’s hands on your waist, pulling you back, 

“My turn,” he whispered, pulling you towards him. Tyler gasped at the sudden movement, while your moans were muffled by Tim’s mouth, his hand snaking its way up your shirt. 

Tim bit your bottom lip and sucked on it, but you pulled back just long enough to say,

“Shirts off, both of you.” 

It was as though they were both competing with each other now, taking their shirts off quickly and tossing them aside. 

You stood and led both of them to the bedroom, Tim in front of you, while Tyler tried to get your shirt off. 

Tim pulled you in first, kissing you just as hard as before, with Tyler brushing your hair to the side and kissing your neck, unhooking your bra in the process. 

You made quick work of your clothes, tossing them aside as you got their jeans off. 

“Here,” Tim said, tossing a condom at you, “don’t want him thinking this is gonna be a regular thing.” 

You pouted at him, but Tim only kissed you before pushing you down onto the bed. 

“Rules are rules, darling,” he whispered. 

You nodded and handed it wordlessly to Tyler. 

Tim positioned you in front of him on the bed, on your knees as he palmed himself over his boxers, 

“Is this what you wanted?” he asked, grabbing you by the chin again, “You wanted to make me jealous with him?” 

You shook your head but his grip only tightened, 

“You’re lucky I love you,” he whispered, leaning down to you. Behind you, you felt Tyler press himself against you, kissing down your back as he rubbed his length against you. 

You didn’t even have time to process the fact that this was the first time Tim had ever told you he loved you, because all you could focus on was his cock in your mouth and Tyler’s mouth on your cunt. 

Tim gripped your hair tight as he thrusted in you, Tyler’s tongue dragging over you slowly. 

The mixing sensations made you lose all coherent thought. You shut your eyes and all you could focus on was the two men on either side of you, already pushing you to your limits. 

Tim pushed himself deeper inside you, until your nose was pressed up against him, making you choke, tears running down your cheek. 

Behind you, Tyler finally pushed inside you, slowly filling you up more than you’d imagined. He stayed like that for a moment, letting you adjust to him before pulling out. Before he was completely out, he pushed back inside you, hard, making you moan against Tim’s cock. 

“Fuck,” Tim groaned, his hand tightening in your hair. “That’s it, sweetheart, just like that,” he said, dropping his head back. 

It wasn’t long before they’d both built up a rhythm over you, moving almost in sync. You found part of it funny, as mad as he made Tim, there was no denying how similar they were. 

But you didn’t think about it for long because that was a door you didn’t need to open right now. Instead, you let them both fill you up. 

You pulled back just long enough to moan Tyler’s name, but looking up at Tim you knew he didn’t like that. He leaned down to kiss you again, but this time, he pulled you towards him. 

“Does he make you feel good?” Tim asked. 

You nodded, one hand reaching out for Tyler. He pressed himself against you, again, kissing the base of your neck. 

“Did he make you cum?” he asked. 

You nodded again, having lost track of your orgasms at this point. 

Tim looked at Tyler over your shoulders, and smiled at you, 

“Then it’s time to remind him that you’re mine,” he said. He motioned for Tyler to move back, and he did so. 

Tim laid you on your back, climbing on top of you, lining the tip of his cock at your entrance, teasing you for a moment. 

You closed your eyes, a small whine escaping you as Tim moved over you, pinning your hands above your head, 

“God you’re beautiful,” he whispered, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your chest. Finally, he pushed inside you, but moved slower than you expected. 

You and Tim knew each other too well. 

He knew where to kiss you to make you moan, he knew where to hold you so you stayed down, and he knew how to fuck you just right. 

All it took was a few full, deep strokes from him until you came for him, but even then he wasn’t done. With another push, you felt him come inside you, hot and thick, making you cry out for him, arching your back up into him, your toes curling as he kissed you hard. 

He pulled back as you dropped back against the bed, breathing heavy. 

Tim untangled himself from you and slipped into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. 

Next to you, you took Tyler’s hand in yours, tugging at it until he looked at you, 

“That was…” Tyler started, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You smiled and pulled him down for a kiss, , 

“You were very good,” you said into his lips. 

He smiled against you, 

“Thanks for the invite,” he replied. 

“My pleasure.” 

“I should…” he started, eyes flickering between you and the bathroom door, “I should get going.” 

Your smile fell, but you nodded, 

“Yeah,” you said. “Do you need a ride?” you asked. He shook his head, 

“I’m not far,” he replied, kissing you again as he got off the bed.  

“Another time, then?” you asked. 

He laughed, and you were still struck by how sweet he was. 

“Maybe,” he said, pulling his clothes back on. “Thanks again, sunshine, you were wonderful.” 

You felt your cheeks grow warm as he winked at you, watching him until he was out of the apartment. 

When the front door shut, the bathroom door opened, and Tim leaned against the doorframe, watching you, the two of you bared in front of each other. 

He smiled softly at you, 

“New kid gone?” he asked. 

You rolled your eyes, 

“His name is Tyler,” you corrected, “and yes. He just left.” 

“Good, now I’ve got you all to myself again,” he said, coming to lay beside you. He wrapped his arms around you and kissed your shoulder.

You curled into him, and closed your eyes. 

“Tim?” you asked, after a moment. 

“Hm?” he replied. 

“I love you, too,” you whispered. 

He lifted your head up to look at him, gently this time, and kissed you. 

“You’re mine, doll,” he whispered. 

“And you’re mine,” you replied, wrapping your arms tighter around him. 

[vanosslirious]

Ask #65?

Vanoss 14

Nogla 1

Wildcat 4

Whoever the last human was 8, please

Sorry that it took a few days to write. :/

Vanoss: Holy shit, Panda, how did you make it?

Nogla: What was Panda doing that whole time?

Wildcat: That’s a real bitch move, Brock, if you ask me.

Basically: The last person I saw was Brock next to the dead body.

Fandom: Banana Bus Squad.

Ch(s): VanossGaming. BigJigglyPanda. Daithi De Nogla. BasicallyIDoWrk. I Am Wildcat. Moo Snuckel.

WC: 1.8k

Disclaimer: Kind of a mind fuck. Somewhat edited. Friendships. Maze like scenario. Swearing. Mild blood. Illusions. Deception. Implied murder. Eldritch. Somewhat inspired by the game, Control (Ashtray Maze.)

. . .

He spent almost a few hours running through endless halls, past heavy doors, others were so cold, or hot, or some without doorknobs, but he was able to get through about…maybe forty-eight before taking a deep breath.

“I fucking hate this,” he said, leaning back against the wall.

The reason why he was spending so much time here is that he and a few of his friends found a weird door. It sounds strange, and isn’t meant to be a joke, but now that he’s alone in some odd fun house, he hardly thinks this is a good time to start laughing.

“Let me out you fucker!” Vanoss banged his fists against the wall. The sound echoed inside the small room before he slumped down. The worse thing about this is that if he doesn’t keep on moving, the lights in the halls he had come from, including the room he’s in right now, will fall into complete darkness.

That’s also the last thing he wants is to linger in the dark. He needs light, he needs to know where the fuck he is going. He didn’t want to stay like this, so Vanoss pushed himself to his feet and continued his venture through the many similar halls and rooms.

He thinks maybe another hour has gone by when he heard familiar voice up ahead. As he drew closer, his heart racing, he shoved open another door and unfortunately tripped over his own feet and landed hard on the uneven wooden floor.

“Evan?”

He peered up and spotted one of his friends in a completely different and strange room. It wasn’t as fancy with the red, black, and white striped wallpaper, the walls here were stripped completely and revealed rotting wood underneath, all of it barely hanging completely together with the rusted nails. The smell here was stagnant, and something akin to burnt paper.

“Holy shit,” Vanoss said under his breath as his friend came to help him up from the floor, “Panda, how did you make it?”

It seemed all a hopeless endeavor, but his friend looked as close as he did. Sweat on his brow, dry mouth, exhaustion in the eyes, and a tiredness too real for the both of them to consider in such a place.

“I don’t know, to be honest,” Panda said, letting out a short awkward laugh. 

Vanoss wasn’t so sure either how he survived. He looked back at the door that was left open, and grimaced at the halls and rooms he had just escaped from. Panda closed it, while Vanoss pushed back his sweaty strands of hair from his face. They were so sore from what they both had gone through. He noticed it in the way Panda shifted, unable to look at Vanoss.

“Have you seen the others?” Vanoss asked, rubbing his arms, then his shoulders. He was so tired, and he spotted a bruise on the sides of his hands whenever he banged them hard on the walls. Within those walls, he made no dent, but it surely made itself known upon him.

He was human, and this place was a nightmare, eating them alive.

Panda shook his head. “I only just got here right before you.”

Ah, that doesn’t help. They’ll have too—

The same door that Vanoss had shoved open slammed against the wall, dust sprinkled around them as another figure tripped and hit the floor.

They grunted loudly, gasping, then scrambling away from the door as the three of them watched it slam shut on its own.

Vanoss caught the second before the door closed that the halls and rooms he had come from were no longer the same. This person who he recognized completely appeared from another area from his own, maybe even Panda.

“Nogla, Nogla,” Panda was knelt down before their fidgeting friend while Vanoss had been too occupied on the door. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

“Fuck, fuck this place!” Nogla’s voice echoed throughout the small dilapidated room.

“What happened?” Vanoss asked, helping Panda lift Nogla to his feet. The man was tall and thin, but he was weak from the ordeal he had gone through. Vanoss wouldn’t ignore the dried blood splot on his hem.

“Carnival, or some bullshit,” Nogla said, wiping off the dust that had sprinkled on his clothes. He was bruised upon his brow, and along the side of his face. All faint, darkening by the hour. “Chased by a stupid clown.”

“Is that how you got your bruises?” Panda remarked.

Nogla nodded, scowling as he pressed his hand to his face. His knuckles were also bruised, he had cut near his wrist, and an odd mark on the side of his hand.

“What is that?” Vanoss asked, pointing the mark out.

Nogla turned his hand. “I had to get in somehow, right?”

“They marked you just to get into a carnival.”

“That’s how it is, instead of those stupid stamps you can wash off, this one’s permanent, and it wasn’t consensual,” Nogla said, growling at the end as he hid the mark from their view with his sleeve.

Well, that’s just wonderful. “Have you seen the others?”

Nogla shook his head. “I thought I spotted Basically, but I’m pretty sure that’s the last place he’d want to find himself in.”

“And...how did you end up here?”

“Funhouse,” Nogla rubbed his hands together and frowned at the door behind him. “I entered a funhouse, mirrors all over the place, then boom...a clown showed up, and I found myself here.”

Vanoss nodded slowly. “I was in an endless corridor...for maybe the past five hours or so.”

Nogla grimaced. “Ah, sorry...that sucks, you want to switch next time?”

“I guess.”

“We should find the others,” said Panda.

Vanoss and Nogla agreed. It would be so much better if they seeked out the others and see if they were okay. Nogla was hesitant to go near the door, so when Vanoss took the handle and twisted it, the metal scraping along metal was all too familiar as he pulled the door open.

The room on the other side was completely different from what Vanoss would’ve expected. He imagined a carnival that Nogla had been in, and the long endless corridors that he was cruelly subjected too. All the colors oddly blending together in a nauseating stream, but they weren’t met with that. Instead, they stood before another room, square and wide, and it wasn’t empty.

“Marcel,” Nogla breathed, stepping past Vanoss and into the room.

Vanoss glanced over at Panda, then blinked, heart pounding, and he closed the door behind him. He followed Nogla over to Marcel who was sitting on the ground, his knees brought to his chest.

“Is he?” Vanoss asked cautiously.

Nogla shook his head, kneeling down beside Basically and nudging him in the shoulder. “Marcel, wake up.”

He woke with a jolt, gasping in air, while his eyes widened at the sight of them. He even moved away, trembling, until he got a hold of himself.

“Holy shit…” he covered his face with his hands. “Where were you guys?”

“In the next room?” Nogla said, scowling, not at Basically, but at the idea that the rooms shifted around so much and they couldn’t find their way. “So to speak.”

He was nodding, then settling, yet unable to stop the trembling as he gave Vanoss a smile. “I’m happy to see you’re both okay.”

“Same.” Vanoss rubbed his arms again. “Have you seen the others?”

“The last person I saw was Brock next to a dead body,” Basically said bitterly.

“What do you mean by ‘dead body’?” Nogla asked.

“Like I said, it was dead, unmoving, Moo was in one of those fucking trances, so I didn’t want to stick around,” Basically shook his head. “Tyler showed up not too long after, so I’m sure he’s with him somewhere.”

“Well, we all showed up together…” Nogla glanced back, then Vanoss nudged him with his knee.

He didn’t really want to confront it, and watching Nogla’s expression twist into both realization and distress was not helping. He turned back to Basically.

“We saw Panda not too long ago,” Vanoss said.

“I’m more interested in what was Panda doing that whole time,” said Nogla, he was tense, but nothing else.

“Where is he?” Basically asked.

“We don’t know,” Vanoss told him. “We got separated.”

They were quiet until they heard thumping from a door they hadn’t noticed to their far left. Nogla helped Basically to his feet while Vanoss stared at the door, and when no one was coming out of it, they closed in on the door and the noise.

He reached for the door, and when he pulled it open, they weren’t in the same halls and corridors, nothing old and ruined, but a street with a dark sky, and one streetlight with two figures underneath.

“Are we out?” Basically asked, stepping closer to it as Vanoss and Nogla followed after.

“I don’t think it’d be that fucking easy,” said Nogla.

Yet Vanoss stared at the two figures once they walked out of the door. He glanced back. There was no door. Where were they now?

“That’s a real bitch move, Brock, if you ask me.”

“Tyler!” Basically called, waving his hand.

The both of them looked to the trio, and Wildcat seemed to be the only one who was happy to see them. Moo was knelt on the asphalt, hands pressed down as well. There was something dark around his mouth, and he spit more out onto the ground.

Vanoss shivered at the cold autumn air. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Asshole, what’d you do with the dead body?” Basically asked to Moo who was still coughing up blood.

Wildcat sighed, stepping forward to stop Basically. “Hey, he didn’t kill anyone.”

“I saw him, Tyler,” Basically said, backing up and glaring down at Moo.

“I didn’t kill anyone…” Moo said, voice weak.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Nogla asked. Vanoss wanted to know that too since he rarely seen Moo looked this distressed, and covered in blood.

“We escaped from a room, and let me tell you...Brock barely had much fun when he was surrounded by weirdly sculped body parts that came to life, he took one out when he disappeared, Basically” Wildcat said, shrugging. “I came out unscathed, which is hardly unexpected.”

Vanoss glanced around the street. “Do you know where we are?”

“I’m thinking we’re at the end,” said Basically.

Nogla was nodding. “Same. It’s the only other reason we don’t see any walls or doors anymore.”

“Unless we end up finding one,” said Wildcat.

Moo was getting to his feet, wiping off the blood. “Which way do we go?” he panted.

There were three directions. The one behind them, and two on either side.

“I don’t see how it matters,” Vanoss said with a sigh. He just wanted all of this to end. He turned to the left and started walking, unsure if his friends would follow, and when they did, he was relieved because walking down this long endless road, dark and treacherous without being able to fully see his way made it oddly impossible for him to do this alone.

“Have you seen the others?” Wildcat asked.

“No,” Nogla said softly. “I’m sure we’ll find them soon.”

[placetobenation]

Holy WarGames Batman!

You can never say that you don’t get your money’s worth when it comes to a NXT:TakeOver PPV and WarGames was no exception!

Whether it be Io Shirai flying off the top of the cage with a garbage can over her head or Pat McAfee doing a swanton bomb from the heavens, this one was another classic from NXT. Plus, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher put together one brutal war for themselves too. Johnny Gargano became the first 3-time North American Champion, uncovering his new Scream partner in Austin Theory. You know it’s a really good PPV when an above average strap match between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes is probably the low man on the totem pole. Grimes continues to get better each and every week with his versatility and strange personality. He reminds me of a bigger Buzz Sawyer.

Injuries? Sure, got them too! Candice LeRae’s broken wrist and Gargano’s split mouth complete with stitches top the charts.

At the end of the day, Raquel Gonzalez gets elevated into the NXT Women’s Championship picture by pinning Shirai. The Undisputed Era remain kings of the WarGames cage. McAfee proves he’s one tough SOB too!

In the end, WarGames is your Star of the Week!

LET THE PARAMEDICS SORT EM OUT #WarGames #NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/XTCAwmXZVo

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 7, 2020

NXT: TakeOver WarGames

WarGames: The Undisputed Era defeated The Kings of NXT

WarGames: Candice LeRae, Toni Storm, Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai defeated Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai

NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Johnny Gargano defeated Damian Priest & Leon Ruff to win the title

Strap Match: Dexter Lumis defeated Cameron Grimes

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Dexter Lumis

RAW

RESULTS

RAW Women’s Non-Title Championship Match: Asuka defeated Shayna Baszler

Ricochet & Dana Brooke defeated SLAPJACK & RECKONING

Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin

Cedric Alexander defeated Kofi Kingston

3-on-2 Handicap Match: AJ Styles, The Miz & John Morrison defeated Drew McIntyre & Sheamus

United State Non-Title Championship Match: Bobby Lashley defeated Jeff Hardy

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton ends in no-contest

Some quick hits for RAW this week:

It’s only a matter of time before we get two-straps Asuka!

"Imagine: Jeff Hardy teams with Riddle, and we become The Hardy Bros!" — @SuperKingofBros #WWERaw @JEFFHARDYBRAND pic.twitter.com/DtSVNnzERB

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

The Hardy Bros? Hilarious! Riddle’s growing on me. His in-ring work is unquestioned. His antics outside it are becoming funnier each week.

The only RECKONING in RETRIBUTION should be taking the masks off and clearing them of the silly names. It’s Mia Yim. It’s Mia Yim. It’s Mia Yim already!

And like that, business is back in motion! @CedricAlexander picks up the win, and leaves #TheNewDay with a statement. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/tCPwbwufIJ

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Cedric Alexander is playing The Hurt Business perfectly. He’s a main event player and is proving it each and every week with back-to-back singles victories over The New Day. How long is it before he says I want a shot at Bobby Lashley’s US Title too?

Is it me or are we headed for a screwjob by The Miz and Morrison on AJ Styles in his upcoming WWE Championship match with Drew McIntyre? Just a gut feeling here.

Things have EXPLODED backstage between @DMcIntyreWWE & @WWESheamus on #WWERaw!!! … Or have they? pic.twitter.com/Kkvj1NBR6N

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Having Drew McIntyre and Sheamus fight it out in the back after an inadvertent brogue kick to the WWE Champion led to a loss in the ring was beautiful. Fight each other. Beat up an unsuspecting bystander. Go get a pint.

Really missed Alexa Bliss this week. Sure, Bray Wyatt, it’s for her own safety. But it’s definitely not as much fun without Miss Bliss.

𝐻𝐸's here… #WWERaw #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/phjY9qI9Du

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2020

Didn’t love the no-contest ending with Wyatt and Randy Orton. We get it, The Fiend is different but the ending just fell flat for me.

NXT

RESULTS

Jake Atlas defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

Triple Threat Match: Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Imperium & Ever-Rise

Tommaso Ciampa defeated Cameron Grimes

Pete Dunne defeated Killian Dain

Raquel Gonzalez defeated Ember Moon

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 #𝑾𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑿𝑻 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉����𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕.@WWEKarrionKross & @Lady_Scarlett13 are here! pic.twitter.com/bUpujMXGrI

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

It’s a week of returns for NXT. And that’s bad news (sorry Wade Barrett) for the men’s roster as Karrion Kross leads the list of returning superstars. I give credit to Damian Priest for stepping up to the challenge, but that’s a challenge with Kross and Scarlett that he’s going to lose. Kross and his NXT Championship that he gave up due to injury will meet again soon I’m sure.

Back too is Drake Maverick, Malcolm Bivens with Tyler Rust, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Austin Theory and the NXT Champion Finn Balor. It remains to be seen who will face Balor at New Year’s Evil on January 6th, but it seems everyone from Pete Dunne to Kross to Priest to a whole host of others are in the mix.

“The Way” in-ring promo just went on too long and was too forced I thought. Theory and Indie Hartwell just felt like 3rd and 4th wheels out there as they just can’t match LeRae and Gargano on the mic.

Sunday, she pins #WWENXT #WomensChampion @shirai_io to win #WarGames for her team. Wednesday, she defeats @WWEEmberMoon in the main event on @WWENXT.@RaquelWWE is UNSTOPPABLE! pic.twitter.com/LBZpJhXPD4

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Raquel Gonzalez looks the part of a big-time player and is finding her way into the spotlight. Funny that just one year ago, we were saying the same things about Rhea Ripley and then the pandemic hit. I’m not sure if Gonzalez is ready for the NXT Women’s Title just yet, but it would be intriguing to see her as champ and how LeRae would react to it.

"Toni, I don't have problem with you. I just don't like you." – #WWENXT #WomensChampion @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/cpP9DBL0nk

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Anytime Toni Storm is near a ring, it’s a win for us. Whether it be taking on Io Shirai for the title or Ember Moon to continue their feud, I’m all in.

WHAT…did we just witness? 𝑷𝑨𝑰𝑵.#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/880LZBNuD0

— WWE (@WWE) December 10, 2020

Speaking of all in, holy *$#& Xia Li and Boa! I have NO CLUE where it’s going and I don’t care that I don’t know. I am absolutely loving it! Give me more! NOW!

Suddenly, the tag team division is very competive and we haven’t seen Breezango lately. Kudos to the Grizzled Young Veterans and Imperium for stepping it up a notch.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Dolph Ziggler defeated Montez Ford

Non-title Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn defeated Big E by countout

Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott defeated Billie Kay & Natalya

Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Chad Gable & Otis

SmackDown Championship Match: Carmella defeated Sasha Banks by DQ

It's official. It's @CarmellaWWE vs. @SashaBanksWWE for the SmackDown Women's Championship TONIGHT on FOX! pic.twitter.com/k9mp3SuP8C

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Loved that the contract signing between Sasha Banks and Carmella to open the show DIDN’T take place in the ring. Something a little different was a bit refreshing having Carmella backstage. Plus, we get a main event title match out of it too! Poor Sommelier!

No surprise that we’re getting a tag team title defense for The Street Profits against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode after Ziggler pinned Montez Ford Friday night. Good match to advance the feud and set up the title match coming up this Friday night.

Hated the countout victory by Sami Zayn over Big E in a non-title Intercontinental Championship Match. It did nothing for either guy. I like Zayn but here’s hoping this is the start of something big for Big E, pun intended. If you’re going to break him away from The New Day, there has to be a point. First, the I-C Title? Then, maybe a challenge for the Universal Championship down the road too?

.@BiancaBelairWWE brought the *literal* receipts! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/SKtCTajPkK

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Check the receipts! LOL! Well played Bianca Belair!

An ode to #WWETLC by @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/hsAGYn2Lae

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

"Kids, If you don't talk some sense into daddy, I am going to be the guy that takes the food off the table." – @WWERomanReigns to @FightOwensFight's family.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/jHK6MM2LEm

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 12, 2020

Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns is going to be one insane TLC match. Owens promo was one of his best. Surrounded by his “friends” chair, table and ladder, KO hit hard on his family and just how good Reigns is but that he still vows to get back his Universal Championship. Reigns is so good, just being backstage looking so smug while Jey Uso attacks Owens is priceless. Having Paul Heyman remind him that everything is done on his time instead of running into the ring to fight KO reminds us that less is more. Then, it all turns personal when Reigns finds Owens in the back, beats him down and reminds the Owens family that he’s the one that puts food on the table and that he could take it off theirs. Delicious and well placed right in the middle of the show while the ladies take the main event.

Natalya & Billie Kay. What a waste! We will, though, take a Riott Squad victory anytime we can get it.

Chad Gable is sounding more and more like Kurt Angle and I dig it! I’m hoping Otis is not the only one to join Gable’s training group. Not a bad first pairing either, even in defeat to Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura.

𝒰 𝒩 𝒯 𝒪 𝒰 𝒞 𝐻 𝒜 𝐵 𝐿 𝐸 #SmackDown @CarmellaWWE pic.twitter.com/IKLtCXFLOJ

— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2020

Carmella’s entrance – absolute smoke show! WOW! The trash talk during the match brought back a little old school feel to it. Carmella was pretty good before but she’s taking it to another level with this latest reincarnation. That was a really good match before the DQ ending. The WWE is relying too much on the DQ finish these days. The aftermath of the match – OMG! Smashing bottles over Banks while sipping champagne – very heelish! Looks like we’ll get round 2 at TLC as scheduled.

#SmackDown @CarmellaWWE @SashaBanksWWE pic.twitter.com/CPDLEMUjgU

— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2020

SmackDown hands down with the best show of the week!

Parting shots:

Having the WWE ThunderDome travel from Orlando to Tampa had little effect on SmackDown. Moving from the basketball arena to the spacious home of the Tampa Bay Rays, I thought the WWE would use some of that space to its advantage. There may be more screens, but maybe down the road we’ll see some additions but it’s first show in Tampa didn’t look a whole lot different than the last show in Orlando.

TLC PPV – Updated Card

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles

Universal Championship TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Carmella

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka & Lana

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin

Coming up this week:

RAW: Firefly Fun House at WWE ThunderDome

NXT: KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory

SMACKDOWN (on FS1): SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode Bianca Belair vs. Bayley

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[mcrcvtios]

jeon jungkook. cis male. he/him. one. * / oh , i just saw mecurtio choi coming out of apt. #1603 if you were looking for them! the twenty-three year old is a college student + music store clerk and i heard they’re a scorpio which makes total sense. if you can’t find their room , just listen for boredom by tyler the creator ; i heard they’re obsessed. \ * saoirse. 22. she/her. est.

my names saoirse and im an absolute pro at late intos love that for me (: anyway.. this is mercutio, everyone’s problematic least-fave and heres his intro and also click HERE for wanted connections! ALSO if u prefer dscord for plotting (understandable) u can hit me up at horny emoji#2013

so mercutio choi: a whole mess of a man if im being completely honest here

son of multi million hotel conglomerate father and household name actress mother, so mercutio grew up without want of anything (except like genuine love and affection but like whatever)… basically boy had a silver spoon stuck in his mouth before he knew his own name

middle child of 3 boys, therefore has ultimate middle child syndrome- aka the forgotten child, who didnt get the praise of the eldest nor the adoration of the youngest and was simply just there.

his mother always said that he took after his father the most out of all the boys, which he at one point took as a compliment, when he was a young boy who wanted nothing more to be exactly like his father, because, in his eyes, the man was nothing short of a god. as mercutio got older and his rose coloured glasses rusted and cracked, he realized his mother meant nothing positive by the comment. whereas his brothers had their mother’s soft handedness, patience, kind eyes and even her slight air-headedness, mercutio burned like his father; angry, volatile, impulsive, and with both a superiority complex and inferiority complex all rolled into one.

this meant while growing up, the biggest conflict in the household- besides what mercutio saw as his parents’ sham of a loveless marriage- was the clashing of his and his father’s egos, as his father continuously expected him to uphold the family name and mercutio continued to make a mockery of it by landing his name in tabloids for a new scandal every other week

he’ll say he’s always hated the lavish lifestyle, the needless spending but that’s a goddamn lie - he fucking loved it. he loves having a leg up on other people who dont have the same luxuries as him. 

is now a music production major and officially cut off from the choi family fortune! he kept all his lavish goods, save for the car he got gifted by his mom on his seventeenth birthday. he’s just thankful he got to keep his high end clothes and still pretend he’s better than you in that regard

mercutio really loves pretending hes an all around aloof, unfeeling, asshole, because he figures that’s easier, and what people expect from him anyways at this point but really he’s passionate abt a lot of things! like art he’s a mf musician he has secret lyric notebooks dating back to when he was thirteen and was only doing super edgy/cringey punk rock bullshit and also feeding the homeless cat that lives in the alley way next to his apartment building and fashion and jogging every morning as the sun comes up and showing up drunk and/or hungover for classes and uh idk dumber things, like being elitist about what cigarettes he smokes and what booze he drinks!

*insert love is a neurochemical con job meme here* i really cant imagine him in a healthy, genuine relationship rn jdshkfs if he is in a relationship  u know it’s gonna be toxic, messy, and manipulative on both sides. also hmu for some ex connections bc u know hes fucked over a number of people in the past!

this is ): short but if u have q’s abt him i\ll be happy to answer!!! uwu also plot w me >:(

[supremeuppityone]

Klaroline fanfic update: A Pregnant Pause

Working on my next KC chapter for A Pregnant Pause!

Here’s a quick peek:

Chapter 3: Don’t Expect Too Much

              How was it possible for a car to be judgy? As Caroline watched the sleek red sports car pull into the space next to her, she snorted at how completely out of place it appeared in the crumbling parking lot of her apartment complex. As Rebekah gracefully slid out of the driver’s seat and tossed back her blonde hair, Caroline immediately burst into giggles. “So, are you required to do the Charlie’s Angel’s hair flip every time you get out of your James Bond car?”  

           She arched an eyebrow. “While I’m not fond of dry martinis, I do enjoy 007’s car.” She lovingly patted the sensual curve of the fender and added, “I saw this at the dealership and it just begged me to take it home.”

           Caroline felt herself flush slightly as she glanced at her trusty old Beetle. The back bumper was mostly rust and it had enough miles that she crossed her fingers every time she drove it further than school and work. She couldn’t imagine impulsively taking home a new car because it ‘begged her to take it home’. “Um...right, so just uh don’t expect too much. I mean, it seems like my place might not be what you’re used to,” she mumbled awkwardly.

           “I’m sure it will be lovely,” Rebekah told her, a slight hitch in her voice as she confessed, “I’ve never been on my own — it wasn’t considered proper. I’m envious that you’re so independent.”

           Wow, Rebekah must come from a really uptight family if they sheltered her that much. Probably one of those old money types obsessed with club memberships and throwing fancy parties and looking down on people who didn’t fit neatly in their little social group. Like the Lockwoods. She hated the bitter, cold feeling that settled in her heart at that thought. The things Tyler had said to her.

[sciderman]

If you were to have ask-spiderpool be turned into an animation or motion comic who would you imagine voicing your versions of the characters?

one day... mark my words i'll make that animatic that long lives in my head to this song ... they are the voices that live in my head for 9319 wade and pete and they echo in my brain ad infinitum

god... it's so funny, it's so funny - yesterday i was browsing netflix and there's this movie with some kid with the MOST annoying voice on the planet ever - and mi padre is like "why on earth would anyone put that kid in a movie. he has the most annoying voice in the world ever", and all i'm thinking is this is exactly how peter parker sounds in my head. this is exactly how peter parker sounds in my head.

i think this guy is kind of a dead-ringer for how peter sounds in my head - just superimpose a queens accent over the top of it.

as for wade - we've always joked about mike from rust valley restorers is a dead-ringer - but, like, try to picture that rural canadian rasp but with all the frenetic energy of robin williams, maybe. as another point of reference for that itchy rasp - bonnie tyler, my beloved!

[gingerteaonthetardis]

eight people i’d like to know better!

i was tagged by blessed angels @anatheggma and @imogen-theimaginedcat cat. thank you for wanting to know me?? boggles the mind.

name/alias: my name is abigail, but most people call me abbey. (i say most as if people speak to me!!! they do not!!! i am a recluse!!!) (no, actually. the people in my town fear me, because i have real bad resting bitch face.) (it serves me well.)

birthday: april 27th (just like rose tyler. so blessed.)

zodiac: taurus sun, cancer moon, virgo rising 

height: smaller than paul mcgann. probably tall enough to put him in a backpack and carry him around, though.

hobbies: writing, crocheting lots and lots of scarves, listening to tremendous amounts of sad music, staying hydrated, getting acupuncture and pretending that's the same as going to therapy!!

favorite color: mmmm, changes with the season! in spring, i favor lilac. in autumn, rust. in winter, evergreen. in summer, sunshine yellow. i'm basic, okay.

favorite books: ooooh, so many!!! this is gonna be a long list, sorry.

i am one of those people™ who really loves and defends wuthering heights, and i will die on that hill, i'm not even sorry. i'll die for toxic romance between two assholes.

i'm a big fan of name of the wind, by patrick rothfuss, because his prose is... unwaveringly beautiful. (warning: don’t read if you care about three-dimensional female representation! you will not find it!!)

more recent/transient faves are the power by naomi alderman; the lies of locke lamora by scott lynch (hella rich universe); dune by frank herbert (shut up); circe by madeline miller (i literally have galatea just sitting in my digital library and i cannot wait to read it, only i can only read one thing at a time!! read madeline miller, ladies!!!); and travel light by naomi mitchison (oh my god, she proofread for tolkien and was publishing fantasy around the same time, read that shit!!!).

i also read a lot of poetry books!! recently been enjoying mary oliver, and i highly, highly, oh-so-highly recommend reading her book of poetry called dog songs if you love dogs and want to feel something.

last song i listened to: hands by the incomparable sharon van etten (it’s off of her new album and is sooooo good.)

last film i watched: pride and prejudice (2005) because i needed to purge suspiria (2018) from my eyes before bedtime. oof.

inspiration or muse: can i say... all women??? no, okay. rose tyler, for sure. pretty much any fic i write is designed to get rose tyler what she deserves. when i write poetry, i'm very inspired by nature and the world around me.

dream job: poet. author. novelist. father. husband. pastor. (sorry, that’s a joke.) spectre who wanders the moors at dusk. (that’s not a joke.)

meaning behind your url: it's sorta inspired my instagram handle, where i was (once upon a time) posting poetry pretty regularly. ginger tea was part of it. and i'm a ginger, too. and then, i went into this blog knowing this was gonna be basically entirely dedicated to rose tyler. so, tardis. doctor-who adjacent. you get it. also, ginger tea helps with nausea and i imagine traveling through space and time would make me a bit queasy. so. the moral of all this is that i like tea.

wow, congratulations and making it through this rambling mess! i’m tagging @creativebec, @galaxiesandmoons, @ialwayscomewhenyoucall, @kallianeira, @lotsofthinkythoughts, @paigenotblank, @jefflion (who i miss, how are you, dear?) and @untemperedwolf though, of course, nobody is obligated!

[dyde21]

Infiltration

This if the first time I’ve posted a serious chunk of their story. It touches on some more elements of their world, and kind of hints at what they do without revealing my hand yet. Some of you requested like, like @tinnyhi so I hope you all enjoy this! I love writing for these two so much! :D Warning, it’s kinda long.

XxXxXxXxX

Tyler did his best to ignore the rancid smell emitting from the dumpster as he huddled next to it next to Ashe. It was rank, but judging by the scrunched up expression his partner was sporting, she wasn't enjoying it much more than he was.

Tyler watched carefully as Ashe's shoulders rose and fell as she took a few deep breaths. It was starting to get later in the day, and as the sun set it got harder and harder to see her. Ashe was decked out in black cargo pants and a black sleeveless hoodie. Her right arm was covered by an archer's guard and a bow was strung over her shoulder and across her chest. Tyler also could see various tools latched across her, that Tyler could only imagine were added during her lifetime of missions. The combat knife strapped on the back of her belt particularly stood out to him, and he knew she definitely knew how to use it. Her sister was scary with a knife, and Ashe didn't seem to be that far behind her. They had recently begun teaching him to use one, but Tyler preferred a bigger blade to that. Despite the increasing amount of danger they were currently getting into, seeing Ashe's determined face set him at ease and gave him the impression that they could deal with whatever came their way.

Taking a deep breath, Ashe figured it was time they moved. It was dark enough to provide them cover and based off the tip they had gotten, it was about time. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at her partner one last time to make sure he had everything he needed. It wasn't his first mission, but he was still new enough to them that exposing him to danger had her nerves on overdrive.

Tyler was wearing, at her suggestion, black pants and a black hoodie, and his messy hair was tucked up under a black beanie. A sheath was strung across his back, holding the sword he was borrowing from Ali and he seemed to have taken her advice about bringing a knife, a coil of rope, and thankfully a bag of canisters she had prepared just in case. Honestly, she expected to see him shaking far more than he was, but instead he looked ready and determined. That focused look was in his eyes, and she had a feeling he was at the top of his game today. That helped ease her nerves, at least a little.

“Ready?” She asked quietly as she motioned above them.

Nodding, Tyler quickly climbed onto the trashcan, before linking his hands together and crouching down. Hopping up, Ashe stepped on his hands before he managed to lift her upwards so she could grab the fire escape. It seemed the ladder had been ripped off so they had to improvise. Pulling herself up, she made sure her quiver was sealed shut before she knelt down and offered a hand to Tyler.

Taking her hand, Tyler heard his partner grunt with effort before she managed to help hoist him up enough to get a hand on the metal before she gave him room to climb up as well.

Seeing him pause, Ashe quirked an eyebrow at him.

“It's... kinda hot how strong you are.” He muttered after a moment, pulling the hoodie on his sweatshirt a little tighter around his face.

Rolling her eyes, Ashe just smirked and continued to climb the fire escape. They could finish their flirting after the mission. She was just glad he was relaxed enough to joke. Tyler was too serious of a person to let his guard down in a situation like this, but staying calm meant he wouldn't jump at every little thing and was less likely to make a mistake.

Leading the way up the escape, they reached the top level. Carefully, she stepped onto the railing, and managed to reach up and grab the roof, before hoisting herself onto it. Turning around to offer a helping hand, she found her partner already pulling himself up. Grinning in approval, she instead went to scout out the windows. They just needed to find a good entrance point. Carefully examining a few of them, she found one that was rusted over enough. Pulling out her knife, she quickly jammed it against the metal a few times, digging it in behind it before she managed to pry it up enough for the busted metal to break. Removing the window, she set it down gently. Sharing one last glance with Tyler, she climbed through it and landed on the metal walkway inside. The inside of the building was a large warehouse, with a catwalk along the upper part. Inside of the warehouse was mostly empty, a few large containers scattered around. Hearing the new silent thud of Tyler landing next to her, she began to sneak around to get a better view of the one part of the building lit up with a few flood lights.

Not daring to get any closer, she hid behind the railing.

Kneeling next to Ashe, Tyler tapped her on the shoulder. “What do you see?” He tried looking over the railing at the lit up spot, but it was useless for him. They were too far away to make out any details. At least he was. Ashe had astonishingly good vision, far beyond what could be considered “normal”.

Focusing, Ashe managed to make out the details of the situation. There were three guys currently loading duffle bags with some packages of... something. If their intel was right, it was some sort of drug. “We found them.” She offered to her partner quietly. “Not really sure just how much is there, but it's a lot. Definitely what we were tipped off about. They're loading it up to transport it looks like.” She muttered, pausing. Their mission was just to scout out the place, figure out the plan, then retreat and regroup to form a new plan with the rest of them. Ami had given them very specific orders not to engage.

“So are we leaving?” Tyler asked, confused by Ashe's expression. They should just slip back out, right? They'd go back and engage later with proper reinforcements to ensure no one got hurt.

“We won't make it.” Ashe muttered to herself, her hand fiddling with her knife. “If we go back, they'll be long gone by the time we can report back. We only have a few minutes by the look of it, then they'll be no way to track them down.” She continued, frustration building. She wanted to jump down there and settle the situation, but she knew that there was too much riding on it to blow their chance. Plus it wasn't just her life in danger, Tyler was also at risk if things went south.

Biting her lip, she knew she had to play it safe. Maybe Ami could tra-

“HEY!”

In an instant Ashe had her bow drawn and an arrow notched as she aimed it at the man at the end of the catwalk. She had been careless! How could she have failed to notice him? Of course they'd have patrols while they worked.

The man at the end of the catwalk pulled out a gun, aiming it at them. “Lower your weapon. One move and you two are dead.” His voice was gruff, but serious.

Ashe paused as she looked at him, frowning. He had gotten the jump on them, she had no way to escape without activating her powers, and there was no going back from that once she started it.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Tyler staring at her with a worried, yet determined expression. It was clear what he was thinking.

“Let's do this.”

Smirking, Ashe was reminded once again why she had the best partner in the world. Even in a dangerous situation like this, Tyler knew just what she needed to hear.

“Fine.” Ashe said to he man, lowering her bow. As it was about to reach the ground, she felt the familiar rush of a battleground erupting around them.

The wave of energy rushed over the area, transporting them to an exact copy of the area they had been in a minute ago. She felt the rush of superhuman strength filling her body, as all the fetters were released and Ashe felt her fire powers returning to her control.

The man wasted no time in entering the battleground as well, but before he could properly react a massive wall of ice crept along the walkway and erupted the ceiling, providing them some cover.

Looking behind her, she saw Tyler with one hand on the walk way as the ice extended from his hand. He looked at her carefully. “Looks like we're in this now. There's no way the others wont notice this battleground, they'll be here in minutes. We just need to buy ti- LOOK OUT!” Tyler shouted as he slammed his other hand down behind him, erupting another wall of ice to block an arrow that had been fired at them from behind from someone else that snuck up to them.

Looking down over the railing, Ashe saw the guys loading up the bags started moving faster, still on the other side of the battleground. It seems they were intent on not joining in the fun and just looking to run.

“We need to pull them in.” Ashe muttered, wincing at the sound of gunfire from the first guy who was still firing at the walls of ice. She hated guns. They were just the lazy person's weapon.

Glancing over, she saw Tyler pulling out his sword as a shield of ice formed on his other hand. “I'll go low, you go high?” He asked.

After a moment Ashe nodded. “Fine, but be careful. I'll cover you from up here.”

Nodding, Tyler focused for a moment as he held his hands together. A flash of cold later and he handed five daggers made of ice to Ashe. “Ready?”

Ashe took a deep breath, before nodding. Running, she lept over the railing as she turned mid air, throwing the daggers with extreme precision.

Meanwhile Tyler had hopped the railing, landing on the ground with a soft thud in a pile of snow. He sprinted towards the distorted images of the guys loading up the bags.

Throwing her last dagger, Ashe was satisfied as she saw it connect to the arm of the guy with the gun. Letting out a whistle, she landed on roof of one of the containers.

At her cue, Tyler let the energy he had carefully stored in the daggers exploded without focusing on them too much. Judging by the surprised screams, their usual plan had worked.

The men dropped their guns to the ground as they continued to freeze solid, the explosion of ice from the daggers wreaking havoc on machinery and rendering it useless.

Tyler rushed forward as he held his hand out towards the faint forms of the guys who were rushing to finish loading the drugs into the bag.

Upstairs, Ashe hopped back onto the railing and rushed towards the man who had the gun. Not wanting to give him a chance to either use his powers or come up with another weapon, Ashe ducked a punch from him as she slid past him with her momentum, spinning around and landing a solid punch into the guy's side. Ashe heard him let out a groan as he doubled over. He tried to swing back with an elbow, but Ashe ducked him again, before grabbing his arm and slamming him over her shoulder and onto the walkway. Satisfied that he wouldn't be moving for a moment, Ashe took off back sprinting down the walkway as she pulled her gloves onto her hands properly again. Letting out a whistle, she let flames engulf her hands. Sure enough at her sign, Tyler got the message and the ice walls he had made before shattered harmlessly into dust as she rushed towards the other guard. Throwing a ball of fire, it exploded against the mans chest and knocked him back a foot. Before he could regain his balance, Ashe slammed her foot into his chest and knocked him back further.

Unfortunately the man managed to regain his balance, and pulled out a knife cause Ashe to falter for a moment. But she couldn't afford to lose momentum. As she ran, she waited for the right moment before she jumped onto the railing with one foot as the man stabbed forward with the knife. Careful with her moment, she jumped off railing, and flipped over him, landing on the other side gracefully. Without looking, she spun around and planted her foot into the man's back and sent him tumbling forward.

Standing up, she wiped some sweat from her brow. She was about to call out to Tyler when a knife whizzed past her face, she just barely leaned back in time. Narrowing her eyes, she rushed towards him again as fire slowly spread from one hand, up her arm to her shoulder, than down her other hand. It seemed there were more people who wanted to play.

Downstairs, Tyler had finally managed to get a hand on the last drug packer. Focusing his grip on the man's shoulder, he managed to pull him into the battleground and slam him into the ground. Luckily it seemed all of them had powers otherwise he would have been screwed to stop them.

Feeling a sense of danger screaming in his head, Tyler ducked right as a foot soared over his head. It seemed the guys he had pulled in from earlier were ready to fight. Letting that tight ball of ice he could always feel in his chest expand ever so slightly, he let a sword and shield form from his hands. Raising his shield, be blocked a thrown knife as he sliced out with his sword towards the other guy. The blade wasn't sharp enough to to seriously risk their life, but based off the groan the guy let out Tyler figured it would do enough damage. Backing up, Tyler tried to make sure he had a good position to face the group of them without being surrounded. Seeing them rush him, he smirked and stabbed his sword into the ground. A wave of ice erupted from it, pulsing outwards as waves of ice shot upwards and sent the group flying backwards. Pressing the opening he made, he struck out with his sword. A clean cut on one of the guy's chest left a trail of ice that quickly began to creep across it, beginning to freeze him enough to take him out of the fight.

“BEHIND YOU!” Ashe's voice cut through the sounds of combat. Trusting her, Tyler waved his shield behind him and felt a heavy blow connect to it. Grunting with effort, he turned around and kicked forward to make the guy back up. Tyler stepped forward to continue forward with a strike when the table collided into his side and sent him flying off. Sliding along the ground to a stop, he grunted and struggled to get back to his feet quickly.

Watching her partner go flying, Ashe's eyes widened. She felt her heart start to pound, and the fire deep within her was aching to be set free. Knowing she still had to keep things under control, she just narrowed her eyes. The large man currently trying to maim her swung out with another punch that seemed like it was in slow motion to her. He was far too slow to land a hit on her. Dropping down, for the briefest moment she let her control over her powers slip as she slammed her hands onto the railing below him. The metal blasted downwards and the guy dropped like a rock, collapsing into a heap on the ground as bits of the railing fell on him. Hardly sparing him a glance, Ashe figured that would knock him out of the fight for a while. Drawing her bow, she quickly grabbed two arrows before firing them off and striking two of them. One through the leg, and one grazed the guys arm. Both of them flinched and it gave Tyler the time he needed to get back to his feet.

Vaulting the railing, she landed on the ground and sprinted towards one of them. Another table was thrown at by she guessed some form of magnetism, but she vaulted over it, landing into a front hand spring as she pushed off and twisted mid air to kick the guy with perhaps more force than was needed, as he then went flying off to the side and hit one of the trucks with a satisfying thud.

Turning towards her partner, she saw him slam the hilt of his sword into the back of some guys head who dropped like a rock unconscious.

“Good j- whoa!” She jumped back as a someone lunged towards her with a sword. Ashe was a bit too slow though, and the sword left a gash on her side. Dropping to her knees, she clutched her side wincing. It wasn't as bad as it could be, but it still hurt and was bleeding. Luckily she healed abnormally fast, but the pain was blurring her vision a bit. Still, despite the pain that was burning in her side, her concern shifted towards her partner who was staring at her with a horrified expression. She could still take care of herself, but she needed him to stay cal-

“ASHE!” Tyler's horrified scream ripped from his throat. She saw his eyes widen, and ice begin to creep over his skin. Instantly she knew what was about to happen. “Tyler it's okay!” She tried to reassure him, taking a shaky step towards him.

In a matter of seconds, it felt like all the heat in the entire building had been rushed out. A chill went down her spine, and suddenly she could see her breath. It was coming.

Two large pairs of white white wings sprouted from Tyler's back as he stared at her, a furious expression on his face.

Instantly the rest of the group still standing rushed towards Tyler, knowing something bad was about to happen.

Drawing her knife, Ashe managed to throw it into the calf of one of them, but her wound was still stabilizing. If Tyler got hurt because of her...

Tyler's gaze shifted towards the rest of them, an expression that scared Ashe was etched on his face.

“EVERYONE FREEZE.” He roared out as he slammed both hands onto the ground.

Ashe closed her eyes and looked away to shield it from the sudden frosty smoke the was kicked up as she felt the temperature plummet even lower. It felt like she had been punched in the gut as she sudden sucked in a chilling breath of air. Looking back, Ashe's jaw dropped at what she saw.

The entire building had been coated in a layer of ice. All the men who had been rushing towards him were trapped in a mountain of ice that held them all in place A table which had been thrown at him was suspended in place as a pillar of ice had caught it.

Tyler was left kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath as fragments of ice coated his body. He was shivering violently as he looked up at her.

Looking down, Ashe saw the frozen carnage had avoided her. There was a clear row of ground that remained completely untouched by his outburst, just where she was.

Tyler crawled a step towards her before he gasped in pain and clutched his chest.

Feeling a renewed sense of urgency, Ashe forced herself to feet. She felt her wound at least somewhat closed already thankfully.

Before she could reach him, one last guy stepped out from behind one of the trucks he had taken shelter behind. He raised a knife, causing Ashe's heart to jump to her throat. Ignoring the protest in her side, she lunged forward as her anger got the better of her. Her glowing hand slammed into the man's chest, and there was a fiery pulse that sent him rocketing backwards. Her force had been unrestrained, so she was confident that guy wouldn't get up any time soon.

Kneeling down next to Tyler, Ashe helped him sit up. His eyes were glued to to her side, his lips slightly parted in that way he had the habit of doing when he was worried.

“Tyler, I'm fine. I'm already almost healed.” She offered, showing him her side. It was true, her wound had been reduced to a freshly healed wound. Far from fully healed, but enough that it had stopped bleeding already.

Tyler opened his mouth to say something but broke down into coughing as he shivered violently in her arms.

“Here.” Ashe cooed gently as she wrapped one arm around him to support him, and the other she placed against his chest. Focusing on the warmth she felt in her heart whenever she saw him, a gentle, more restrained heat began to flood from her palm as she focused on warming up his chest. Slowly but surely color returned to Tyler's face and his shivering slowed. Biting her lip, she took another glance at the warehouse. Tyler had just unloaded a lot of power. She knew overusing his power plummeted his body temperature, no matter how many times she warned him not to.

“Are you okay?” Was all he said once his voice was stable again.

Ashe rolled her eyes and couldn't help but laugh. “I told you I was. I heal stupidly fast, remember?”

Tyler just frowned, but nodded. “If you say so.” He said, still clearly doubting her. Not that she could blame him, there weren't many others who could heal as quickly as she did out there.

There was suddenly some protest from the large metal door that had been frozen over, before it was suddenly blown open. A large man was standing there, a massive clay more in his hands as he stomped forward.

Quickly scrambling to her feet, Ashe threw herself between Tyler and him. She knew Tyler would still be down for a few more minutes while Tyler returned back to normal, so she'd buy him time, injured or not. She drew her bow, firing off another few arrows that were all just sent off to the side by one massive gust of wind from a slice of his sword. Ashe narrowed her eyes as a dangerous level of heat started to leak from her. Her wings formed behind her, and after a flash of fire she was in her personal set of armor. This guy was a cut above the chumps they had just dealt with, and if he showed up as reinforcements, more were surely on the way. Tyler had practically sent up a danger beacon with that last attack. Letting the fire within her lose, she leaned forward as flames began to dance across her and on the floor near her. The kiddie gloves were off. This was now a fight of life and death, and to hell with the idea of anything even scratching Tyler again.

The man just stomped forward as he swung his sword ready for a fight clearly.

Ashe felt Tyler stagger to his feet next to her as she saw a sword and shield form in his hand again. Ice began to leak from him as he clearly let his limits go. His wings appeared, but he still couldn't properly form his armor yet. It looked like just forming his wings was taking all he had, but Ashe was going to destroy this guy. They had come too far to lose now.

Stomping forward, another row of ice shot up from the ground towards the guy, but with a massive swing of his sword the ice shattered.

Ashe didn't waste her chance though. Before the man could ready himself for another strike, she had already blasted forward, in a mighty round house kick. She let loose a powerful fiery blast , unrestrained. Luckily it seemed to work as the man was launched backwards a few feet. He was definitely a cut above the rest though, as he merely landed back on his feet, reading his sword again. Tyler took a defensive stance in front of Ashe, and before either of them could react, the man raised his sword.

“Here it comes.” Ashe warned, watching him intently. Danger was radiating from him, but suddenly there were two presence that dwarfed him and made him feel like a small pup. Every instinct in Ashe's body told her they were walking death, but they were familiar.

There was the distinct sound of metal striking metal, and the man's great-sword was slice cleanly near the base as it fell to the ground broken. He just looked up at it in confusion, but before he could choose a course of action, his body was suddenly lifted airborne.

The woman that was standing where he had been, her foot extended upwards just stared up at him with a murderous expression. Crouching, she literally vanished from her spot, reappearing above the large man. She brought her leg down into an ax kick, and the man spiked downwards with enough for that the ground shattered into a crater around him. The woman continued to spin downwards as she followed through with one last kick. The crater deepened, and only the woman emerged from it. As she approached them, the other woman walked up, sheathing her sword casually.

Ashe's eyes widened. “Ali! Ami!” She let out a sigh of relief, letting her wings and armor disappear. She rushed forward to great them, relieved from the bottom of her soul to see her sisters here. That meant it was over, there was no one left that could stand against them.

Ami opened her arms for a hug, before her eyes widened and she vanished from her spot.

Ashe looked around confused, until she saw Ami holding up Tyler who had passed out.

“Is he...?” Ashed asked, scanning him over as carefully as she could looking for any injury she might have missed.

Ami just hoisted him to get a better grip on him as she smiled. “It's okay. He just passed out from exhaustion again.”

“But you Missy.” Ali interrupted as she walked over, and Ashe felt the hem of her shirt being lifted as her sister examined her side.

Ali stared at it for a moment, before sighing. “You're lucky you heal like a freak. It still needs to actually heal properly though. But you should be fine for now.”

Ashe pouted, pulling her shirt back down. “I'm fine. We need to finish up here though. No one escaped, we pulled them all in here. But some might get back up soon. “

Ali just fixed her ponytail. “Don't worry about that. We took care of all the reinforcements when we felt the fight start, and called for back up. Our cops will be here soon, they'll bring them in.”

Nodding, Ashe felt a sigh of relief. This truly was finally over. She took a step towards Tyler before she felt her world spin and her sense of balance was suddenly gone. Why...?

Ali caught her sister with a sigh, brushing her bangs behind one ear to get a better look at her. “He's not the only one who overdid it.” She muttered.

Ashe was going to protest, but felt the creeping darkness being too heavy and soon she passed out.

XxXxXxXxX

The next time Ashe woke up, they had just been pulling up towards their mansion again. She was in the backseat of their van, and Tyler was resting his head on her shoulder as he breathed slowly. Regrettably she gently nudged him to wake him up. She didn't have a choice, they needed to get cleaned up after that last fight.

He just looked at her with that adorable sleepy expression Ashe was way too fond of. She smiled and kissed his forehead. “We gotta get cleaned up then we can sleep properly.

He looked around, confused to be in such a different environment. “What happened.”

Ashe just nestled her head against his. “It's okay. We did our job. It's over. We can debrief later.”

Tyler seemed to accept that before he nodded.

A little while later and Ashe found herself padding through the house towards Tyler's room. They had been welcomed back, and while she had sent Tyler off to shower and get cleaned up, Gabriel had brushed her off saying that “debriefing could surely wait till the morning, no?” Now she just needed to see one last time that Tyler was indeed safe.

Ashe found her boyfriend sitting on his bed, yawning as he ran a head through his hair sleepily. When he saw her, he grinned and held out a hand for her.

Ashe returned the smile and took his hand, letting him her towards his bed and onto his lap as they just hugged for a moment. “We did it. We're safe.”

Tyler nodded. “That was scary for a minute there.” He said, his hang ghosting up the hem of her shirt to rest over her wound gently.

Ashe just smiled and kissed his nose. “You know I heal fast, and I drank one of Jackie's healing potions. It's like it never happened.”

Tyler just grunted a mild disapproval. “Healing fast isn't a good excuse for you getting hurt.

Ashe quirked an eyebrow. “You were hit with a table.” She muttered, smirking at the defeated expression Tyler got.

“Touche.”

Ashe just laughed. “We're fine. That's all that matters.”

Tyler nodded. “Now we can sleep.”

Agreeing with her partner, Ashe went to stand up but felt his arms turn into a vice around her. She laughed gently. “I cant sleep unless I go back to my bed.” Ashe explained, still amused by the pout on her boyfriend's face. After a moment he let her go after another brief kiss with her.

“Or you could spend the night here.” Tyler offered a voice almost too quiet for her to hear.

Ashe flushed red as she turned to look at him, surprised.

Tyler's eyes widened as he waved his hands back and forth. “Not like that! I just meant... sorry... never mind. You're just... a comfy pillow.” He muttered, his face turning increasingly red as he looked like he regretted learning to talk.

Ashe tried to calm her own blush. “I know what you meant.” She muttered reassuringly. Even if they were in a relationship, they had both agreed they were waiting till marriage before they got too... physical. No matter how difficult it was at times, it was important to them to wait.

Hesitating for just a moment, weighing the chance to cuddle with Tyler with dealing with the gossip and teasing she was sure to hear tomorrow. Rolling her eyes, she closed Tyler's door before walking back towards his bed.

“Only because you are also an amazing pillow.” She offered. Tyler just grinned and scooted over, giving her plenty of space.

Ashe paused, glancing down at her clothes. She had just grabbed the first pair of clean clothes to change into when she showered meaning she was in one of Tyler's larger T-shirts she had taken a liking to and sweatpants over her underwear.

A yawn escaped her as she debated going back to her room for a comfier pair of shorts.

“I'm too tired to go back to room. Can we pretend like it wont be super awkward if I take off my sweats so I can be comfy tonight.”

Tyler flushed a deep red, but nodded after a moment. “Yeah.” He said, though his voice seemed a bit hoarser than usual.

Trying not to dwell on it, Ashe quickly pulled off her sweats and climbed under the covers quickly to save them both some embarrassment.

Tyler just pulled her close, wrapping an arm over her stomach as she nestled against him. Falling asleep in her arms, Ashe couldn't have felt safer, or happier. She knew that no mattered what was ahead of them, with Tyler at her side they could handle it. Soon she was out in a peaceful sleep.

As Tyler was drifting off with Ashe in his arms, he knew that he would continue to work to get stronger. Ashe was his partner in every way, and they could overcome any challenge together. He hugged her a little bit closer as sleep finally overtook him, dreaming of their happy future.

[sixmorningsafter]

SMA Flashback, Maroline

Hey guys, I posted this flashback a while ago on ff.net but just in case anyone missed it or skipped it, it’s going to be pretty relevant to the next chapter, so I’m posting it here, too.

Summary: A surprise visit from Matt leaves Caroline reeling, and Bonnie gets a glimpse of what's been going on behind closed doors. TW: implications of domestic abuse.

Emory University Spring Semester, 2012

It was her fault.

He'd driven all the way from Texas to surprise her. Twelve hours in his rattling rust bucket of a 1982 Ford Pickup, windows down, stereo busted, likely listening to nothing but intermittent flares of talk radio between long, mind-numbing stretches of static. Twelve hours of no air conditioning in the southern humidity, of swampy Louisiana, muddy Mississippi, and balmy Alabama whizzing past him in a russet blur of not-quite-summer.

He'd stopped in Houston to get her favorite tacos from Ultimo's Taco Truck—extra guac, no sour cream—and they'd braved the heat in a dingy little cooler in the backseat. He'd even picked up a bottle of her favorite champagne, a bottle she knew he couldn't afford, because he'd wanted to celebrate: he'd been promoted to manager at the Grill. He could finally make a decent salary, enough to chip in for Vicky's rehab—maybe even enough to get a decent place in a year or two.

So really, it was her fault. Most of it, anyway. Maybe all of it.

She hadn't meant to seem unhappy to see him. She just wasn't expecting it. She'd been in the middle of cramming for her microeconomics final, brow furrowed, highlighter a citrine blur in her fingers, when she heard the knock on the door. Seeing Matt standing there with his crinkly-eyed smile, taco bag in one hand and champagne bottle in the other, made her giddily, soaringly, stupidly happy.

It always did.

But it also stressed her out. Her final was on Monday. She needed an absolute knockout performance to pull off a decent grade in the class, and she hadn't budgeted in Matt time. The tension began creeping in about thirty minutes after he got there, right as the rush of surprise began to fade, and like all of her emotions, it shone bright and obvious on her face.

He'd never been big on school, so the concept of caring about grades wasn't something he really sympathized with. She understood where he was coming from—he was only there for the weekend, she could probably just study Sunday night after he left, what did one stupid class matter in the big scheme of things, in the scheme of them, of their heady, hungry, songs-written-about-it kind of story—but obviously not enough, because it started a fight.

The first one, anyway.

The second fight was different, but also her fault. They were twined in her bed, lolling and lazy, naked skin auroral in the fading glow of the Georgia sunset, and even though they'd just made up, even though their last fight had ended a mere orgasm ago, she pushed a bit. About the job, about his goals, about Wimberley and whether he had any plans of getting out of their tiny Texan hometown.

She hadn't meant to sound pushy, she'd just meant to open up a realistic dialogue about their future and how they might navigate it together, but he immediately went on the defensive. He took it as her belittling his promotion, as her patronizing him and being a snob, and maybe there was a bit of truth in that, really, because Matt was smart as hell and it was hard for her to watch him sell himself so short, but at the same time, if that's what made him happy, she needed to support it, right?

The second fight was worse. A lot worse. It had all its own fire plus the embers of the first one, and it spread far beyond the bounds of its starting point. It spread to old resentments, past fights—to her signing him up for the SAT four years ago when he'd said he wasn't interested in college, to him being high more and more often when they talked on the phone, to Tyler and the time she'd accidentally passed out next to him while studying on her bed, on and on and nastier and louder until their throats were raw.

The sex that followed was different, too. Less 'make-up' and more 'make-a-point'. Bruising grips replaced meandering caresses. Sweet, whispered nothings became possessive growls, demeaning growls, growls of 'you think Tyler can make you moan like that?'. He didn't walk the line between pain and pleasure so much as zigzag it—one second she was on the brink of climax, the next she was wincing and trying to slow him down.

He'd chalk it up to rough sex. He always did, always gave her that baffled look of his, the one that made her feel like a moron for even saying anything. 'Since when is rough an issue for you?' She could never find the words to explain what was different about it, what made it feel like there was spite in his movements, like a part of him was trying to hurt her, trying to show her he could do whatever he wanted to her. So she'd flounder, and with a flare of amusement that screamed of humoring her, he'd concede that maybe he'd still been a little worked up from the fight, maybe he'd lost himself a bit in the leftover adrenaline.

Before he left, he told her, like he always did, that all the shit in his life was worth it if the trade-off was her. That he was sorry about the argument, that he'd start looking into the future, and that ultimately, the only thing that mattered to him was having her in it. She couldn't help but think that it was all said with a glint, though—the smug glint of the benevolent victor, of the person who knew he'd emerged in effortless control of a situation but wanted to seem gracious. It was an apology that had nothing to lose because it'd already won.

But then he pressed his forehead against hers and breathed her in, fingers gentle against her chin, angling her mouth up so he could brush her lips in light, nipping kisses, and she felt herself backtracking. Maybe he hadjust been a little too riled up from the fight—after all, how could someone holding her the way he was now, like she was the most delicate thing in the world, ever want to hurt her? It didn't make sense. Matt would die over hurting her. He was right, she was just being stupid.

He'd driven all the way here.

He'd brought her favorite tacos.

He'd splurged on her favorite champagne.

And she'd started two fights in exchange.

It was obviously her fault.

So why was she sitting alone in her bathtub, nauseated and trembling, unable to stop staring at the marks on her skin? Why couldn't she stop imagining the brief, terrifying flash of satisfaction she swore sometimes crossed his face whenever his mercurial fingers shifted her gasps into grimaces? Why did she feel like her bones were dissolving, like she was slowly caving in on herself one shaky breath at a time? Why did she feel so pathetically, inconsequentially, crushingly small?

The sound of the front door swinging open made her stiffen. "Sorry, guys!" she heard Bonnie's wry voice call out from the living room, and she immediately abandoned the bottle of wine in her hand, straightening up and scrubbing a hand over her face. "I don't want to interrupt the love nest, I just need to grab my—" Bonnie halted in the bathroom door, face crumpling at the sight of Caroline huddled in the bathtub in her underwear, "…curling iron."

Caroline's face broke into a fiercely bright smile. "Hey, girl!"

"Hey." The reply was puzzled, hesitant—Bonnie knew her well enough to know the bathtub never meant anything good. She blinked for a second before casting a glance over her shoulder. "Where's Matt?"

"Oh, you just missed him—he left about an hour ago." Her stare slowly shifted back to her, and Caroline felt her lips struggling to hold her smile. "He said have a safe flight."

Bonnie gave a slow nod, eyes fixed below her face, and it took Caroline a second to remember he'd grabbed her by the neck. Hard. She shot an instinctive hand up to her throat, blocking it from view, and Bonnie's stare flickered. "Care…"

Tears pricked at her eyes and she averted them. "It's nothing."

Bonnie dropped her bag on the floor and approached the tub, and Caroline wrapped her arms around her body to try and hide it, hot with shame, bracing for the inevitable reaction. It came in the form of a sharp intake of breath. "Caroline," Bonnie gasped, stopping about a foot from the tub in shock, and Caroline shoved a nervous hand through her hair.

"It's not what it looks like."

"Like hell it isn't," Bonnie replied, stare raking over the constellation of deep, burgundy bruises spanning her upper thigh in horror, and before Caroline could give another instinctive negation, could throw out a tinny 'I bruise really easily!', could invent some kind of accident that shifted the blame, her phone began buzzing against the sink. Even from a distance, she saw the name 'Matt' flashing on the screen.

Furious, Bonnie surged over to the sink and swiped it up, and Caroline felt her veins flood with panic. "Bonnie, no!"

"Matt," Bonnie hissed in greeting, voice wavering with rage, and she whirled around to look at Caroline. Upon catching sight of her desperate face, however, she froze.

"Please," Caroline whispered, shaking her head no, tears hot against her cheeks. "Just… just not yet." Bonnie held her stare for a long, heart-breaking beat before drawing in a tight breath.

"Hey," she said over the phone, pushing a stiff hand through her hair. "Yeah, I'm okay, I just…" she closed her eyes, running her hand over her face, and Caroline felt her heart racing in her chest, "I actually just got some really shitty news about my mom, and I'm not really sure how to deal with it, and I really need my best friend right now, so I was wondering if you could just talk to her tomorrow."

Her chest loosened in a wave of relief.

Bonnie's stare sharpened slightly, jaw locking. "Yeah, I know she has a test tomorrow." Her lips pressed into a humorless line, fingers tight around the phone. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it." A long beat. "She's in the shower right now, but I'll let he—" she let out a sharp sigh at what was likely an interruption, hand closing into a fist. "Matt. I need my fucking friend, alright? Just give me tonight. You'll survive."

She hung up without waiting for a response and proceeded to shut the phone off. Caroline stared at her hands, unable to bring herself to look her in the eye. Bonnie had always known Matt could be intense—she'd overheard enough of their fights to have a sense for that—but Caroline knew she'd never seen her quite like this. No one had.

She didn't know what to expect. Her skin burned with a paradoxical mixture of denial and shame. Was Bonnie mad at her? Was she mad at herself? Was she responsible for letting it happen, for letting it get to this point? She simultaneously wanted to convince her that it was all a misunderstanding and cry out all of the pent up emotions she'd been hiding, but before she could make a call, Bonnie's arms were around her, pulling her into a quiet, gentle hug.

And that was all it took for her to crack. She didn't know how long she cried. Minutes, hours—time blurred, dusk faded into night, and Bonnie merely sat with her in the tub, stroking her hair and occasionally murmuring that it was going to be okay. When Caroline finally managed to ease her sobs into the occasional hitched breath, she shot Bonnie a watery look.

"I'm s-so sorry."

Bonnie shook her head. "Care, you have nothing to be sorry about."

"No, no, I…" she swallowed, slowly pushing herself up to a full sitting position and letting out a strained little laugh. "This is my stupid melodrama and I dragged you into it and—"

"Caroline," Bonnie said firmly, pushing herself up along the side of the tub with a serious expression, "I don't know what you're going through right now, and I'm not going to pressure you to talk about anything you don't want to talk about. But please, please know," she reached forward to take light hold of her shoulders, giving her a loaded stare, "this isn't stupid. This is the antithesis of stupid. This is completely, heartbreakingly serious, and if he's somehow made you feel like any part of this is a joke, he's lying. The last thing this is is a joke."

Caroline merely stared at her, struggling not to start crying again—God, she was so sick of fucking crying—and before she could crack, she gave a quick nod and cleared her throat. "Can we talk about something else?"

Bonnie's expression softened. "Whatever you want." Caroline kept her bleary eyes on her trembling hands, struggling to come up with a topic, and after a long beat of silence, Bonnie slowly leaned forward. "Did you see yesterday's Real Housewives?"

Caroline slipped into a hoarse laugh. Bonnie hated The Real Housewives. "Orange County or Atlanta?"

Bonnie scoffed. "You know Hotlanta is the only way I roll."

Caroline's lips took on a weak smile. "No, I missed yesterday's." She waved a tired hand, smile straining. "Matt and all." Bonnie nodded, biting her bottom lip, and Caroline let out a shaky sigh. "I mean, I was supposed to be studying all weekend anyway, so… wouldn't have seen them either way."

Bonnie's brow furrowed. "Right, your final's tomorrow."

Caroline sighed, dropping her head against her knees. "I'm going to bomb it, Bon."

"You don't know that."

"Oh, but I do," Caroline said with a weak laugh. "I have twelve chapters left to cover and three of them are brand new."

Bonnie straightened up and checked her watch. "What time's your test?"

Her shoulders lifted into a vague shrug. "Nine."

"Nine," Bonnie repeated, eyes narrowing in brief calculation before she reached back and pushed herself up to her feet. Caroline's brow furrowed.

"What are you doing?"

"Switching my flight," Bonnie replied, stepping out of the tub and heading over to her abandoned bag, and Caroline lifted her head off her knees in alarm.

"What?"

"It's 8:30 now, which means that factoring in the time it'll take to get to campus, we have exactly twelve hours to get you ready to kick this final's ass."

Caroline merely blinked. "Bon, no, you're—" she shook her head as Bonnie fished out her phone and began typing away, baffled, "—you're done with the semester, people are expecting you back home, I can't—"

"Too late—done," she said, lips quirking at the corners, though her brow promptly furrowed. "Actually, should I fly out tomorrow night, or are we going to want to go out to celebrate your slayage?" At Caroline's dumbfounded silence, she nodded, lifting a finger. "You're right—figure that out later. Let's start with reinforcements."

She tapped her phone and brought it up to her ear, chewing her lip. "Lockwood," she said after a beat, "I need you to peace out of whatever party you're terrorizing freshman at and pick up literally every source of caffeine you can find from the 7-Eleven. Yep. Caroline's got a final tomorrow." Her brow furrowed after a second. "Obviously. And sour worms, too. And twizzlers." Her eyes flashed with attitude. "Do not snack shame me." She shot Caroline a 'can you believe this guy' look before turning around and waltzing out of the bathroom. "Oh, and see if the Delts have one of those study bibles for Micro…"

Caroline merely stared at the empty doorway, thoroughly overwhelmed, chest tight, tears once again pricking at her eyes, but this time they were from an entirely different emotion. She was so grateful she could burst. She'd been convinced her night would be her alone in their apartment, dreading the break of day, drinking cheap wine till she finally managed to pass out and forget for a while.

Instead, her night was Bonnie acting out vocab terms through overzealous interpretive dance, Tyler coming up with wildly inappropriate mnemonic devices for all the different laws, a constantly brewing pot of coffee, sixteen different heart-attack-waiting-to-happen snack options, and more five-hour-energy shots than should've been survivable. Tyler passed out on the armchair at about 5 AM, drooling on a stack of flashcards, but Bonnie somehow stuck it out till the bitter end, even going so far as to make her a 'healthy breakfast!' of pop tarts and runny eggs.

Caroline managed to survive the class with a B+.

A few months later, she would manage to survive Matt, too.

What she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to survive, wasn't sure she'd ever want to survive, was a life where her best friend and knight in 5-foot armor wasn't Bonnie high-kick-means-appreciating-asset-droppin'-it-low-means-depreciating-asset Bennett.

[inastrangerskiss]

boots

Tyler Rust x OFC

content warning: none just a good old fashioned hiking shop

summary: mel just wanted her day to end. then tyler showed up.

a/n: i wrote this before he was released and became taylor and i am too lazy to change all of the names

It was a normal Tuesday in the shop. The space was quiet, a few customers milling around, browsing the selection of hiking boots and carabiners. Locals hustled down the sidewalk outside, rushing through their lunch breaks, oblivious to the way the sun broke through the clouds, the way the light cast itself over the sides of the mountain in the distance.

Mel leaned over the checkout counter staring longingly towards those mountains, wishing the day would end and afford her the time to go for just one hike. Just one stroll through the trees, past the lake and into the hills.

By all accounts, it was a normal Tuesday.

And then he walked in.

He was unassuming, dressed just the same as any other customer. But there was something different about him, something intriguing. His hair was a shade of glittering blonde, half pulled back into a tiny bun. His shoulders were broad, his entire body sculpted by muscles. His glowing aura sucked Mel in, but she quickly shook herself free from its hold. She didn't have time to fall in love with every handsome nature bro that walked through the front doors.

He walked slowly towards her, a sense of confidence in his gait. Despite her better intuition, her heart began to beat wildly against her chest.

“Where might I find hiking boots?” He asked, leaning one arm against the countertop.

Without so much as a word, she pointed towards the racks of shoes against the far wall. The man stared at her for just a second too long and she felt sparks of electricity travelling down her spine. He looked to the shoes and then back at her before letting a gentle smile unwind across his face.

As he walked away and the distance between them grew she finally felt capable of taking a deep breath. She made a dedicated effort to keep her eyes focused on the computer in front of her as she checked on upcoming shipments and e-mail inquiries.

If she couldn’t see the man she couldn’t fall madly in love with him.

But the man had other ideas.

“Can I ask you a question?” He called over to her.

With a small sigh, Mel turned towards him. He was holding a shoe box in his hands but his face looked utterly confused.

“I hate to be that guy but I was wondering if you had the Salomon Xs in a size 11?”

His voice was soft and fully aware that his question was the bane of every retail worker’s existence. The gentleness in his tone was, in a word, disarming. Mel found herself forgetting the mental wall she had built so hastily upon first glance and warming up to him as she walked towards where he stood.

With her thumb pressed to her lower lip she studied the display of identical boots, quickly scanning over the boxes but not finding what he was looking for. She then browsed the surrounding displays, still coming up empty handed.

“It doesn’t look like it. What we have is what’s out here so we must’ve sold out.” She offered an apologetic frown.

“I get it. This is the third store I’ve tried today with no luck.”

They stood together silently for a moment before Mel pointed to a different stack of boxes. “You could try the new La Sportiva’s. They’re similarly priced and have a lot of the same features as the Salomons.”

The man walked towards the boots, picking one up in his hand and examining it from its different angles. Then he sat on a nearby bench, removed his current shoe, and tried the new one on. He stood and walked a few paces all while Mel watched on, blissfully unaware of any other customer in the store.

“How do I look?” The man asked, a goofy grin taking him over. “Think I could outrun a bear in these?”

Mel unleashed a sharp laugh before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. The man looked at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“I don’t know if you’d outrun a bear but I’m sure you’d be a very handsome dinner.”

Blush crawled over the man’s cheeks but Mel couldn’t see as she looked down at her feet, embarrassed by the words that had spilled free of her. A comfortable tension built itself up around them - the kind that appears when there’s an inkling within the back of the mind’s of two strangers that something special has just begun.

“Eh, I don’t know. I think I’ll keep looking for the Salomon’s.” The man finally spoke as he sat down to unlace the shoes.

Mel wandered back to her computer, reluctant to separate from his intoxicating presence.

“Y’know,” She called over to him as she scrolled through her invoices. “I could order them for you. If you don’t mind waiting a week or so, that is.”

The man looked up to her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem.”

He stood from the bench and approached her. The tension returned and an unfailing smile permanently etched itself over his face. He studied her face for a moment before giving a playful shrug.

“That’d be awesome actually.”

Mel nodded, tearing a piece of receipt tape from its machine. “If you don’t mind, write your number here and I can call you when they come in. I’ll order them now and I imagine they’ll arrive this time next week, give or take.”

The man did as told, writing out a series of numbers, in what could only be described as chicken scratch, and then writing the name Tyler at the top.

“Tyler?” Mel read it out slowly, trying to make sense of the impossibly bad penmanship.

Tyler nodded.

Mel then ripped off another piece of receipt tape and scribbled the shop’s number down under her name before sliding it towards him.

“Mel?” He read just as slowly as she had, mocking her inability to read his scribbles.

Mel laughed quietly. “Yes. You can use that number to check in on the order if I forget to call you or something.”

Tyler paused for a moment, staring at the paper. “And what if I wanted to call to ask you to get a cup of coffee with me? Is there a number for that or am I allowed to use this one?”

The pounding of Mel’s heart returned at a rate that threatened to crack a rib. Once more, sentence structure was at war with the signal overload in her brain. She tried to form something coherent but her bashful smile was working against her.

“Uh, I- I think it’d be the same number.” She finally murmured.

“Great.” He tucked his head down in an attempt to hide his own shy elation. Carefully, he folded the piece of paper and slid it into the pocket of his shorts. “It was nice meeting you, Mel.”

As he walked towards the front door, Mel found her voice. “It was nice to meet you too, Tyler.” He threw a smile over his shoulder before exiting, back into the open outdoors.

Mel watched as he walked up the sidewalk, stopping at the windows that resided beside the cash register, stopping so he was nearly right next to her once more. His back faced her though and she assumed he hadn’t realized how he had positioned himself. He pulled the paper free of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before pulling his phone out.

Before she knew it, the shop phone was ringing.

She picked it up, giving the standard greeting, unaware as to the person on the other line.

“Hey, uh, this really cute girl that works at this shop gave me this number to call in case I needed to get in touch.” The voice coming through the receiver spoke with a tiny shake, nervous excitement betraying its stability.

Mel turned towards the windows to see Tyler now turned around, looking at her, beaming like a golden retriever.

“Did she now?” She teased.

“Yeah and she said if I wanted to ask her out for a cup of coffee I could use this number as well.”

“Mhm.”

“I kind of want to ask her out for a cup of coffee.” He spoke with finality, sighing quietly as though he were finally free of a mounting burden.

Mel gained her composure, never breaking eye contact with Tyler through the windows. “She’d be happy to accept.”

“Cool, cool. Let her know that I’m really excited and I’ll come in tomorrow to figure out the logistics of this date.”

“I absolutely will.”

There was a significant pause as the two gazed out to one another, enraptured by the others' existence.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mel.”

Tyler’s voice was a warm comfort, a new reality that she was more than happy to sink into. She no longer wanted to quell the way she felt about him. Today was meant to be different.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tyler.”