#warning that there are two different spook cats

[obislittleone]

Your Beauty Never Ever Scared Me

Dbf!Joel Miller x College!Reader

A/n: Listen… I don’t have any excuse for ditching my other three active series except for tiktok made me do it… That, and the CLM series by @macfrog has ascended me to a new level of crazy and I just needed an outlet for it somewhere. Another shoutout to @theatrelove3000 who keeps putting up with my dbf joel shenanigans, they are indeed insane.

Warnings: girl this whole concept should be a warning but anyways… age gap, some fluff, light smut, uncomfortable situations with readers father… probably some editing mistakes bc ya girl is tired ok its 2am

Please be kind to this chapter, I actually like it, despite the horrors.

Decided on the song ‘Mary On A Cross‘ by Ghost for this one bc it fits ig.

MASTERLIST

Age gap is approximately 15 years or so, reader is over 21 and joel is about 37

"I think I'd probably only slow'ya down," you chuckled, looking to Sarah who seemed to read the displeasure off your face from your dad's offer. "I'm studyin' to be an archeologist, dad. I don't know nothin' about framin' and all that house buildin'..."

Maybe it had been your dad's idea, but he wasn't the one who planted it into his own head. Joel subtly turned to you and cooly uttered a response.

"You could work on interior stuff with me."

It had been almost three days.

You looked out the window to the front of your house repeatedly to try and remember it clearly. The drive home, the kiss, and how abruptly it ended with a promise to see each other around. You thought about it so often you almost wondered if it happened the way you perceived it, if any details had been skewed in your mind simply because you wanted to keep it there, fresh, untouched. Maybe he thought of it differently... but maybe he didn't.

"Did you bring home the stuff I asked ya?" Your dad came into the kitchen with a smile, embracing you with a side hug and turning to help you unpack the groceries.

"Course' I did, Pa," you handed him the bag with the six-pack of bud and the other one full of snacks.

It was the first Rangers game night, and as per tradition, that meant the company of the next-door neighbors. It had been a while since you'd been around to enjoy it, but now that you were back, there were quite a few more reasons why you were on edge to now participate. It would look weird if you came up with an excuse not to be there, and you knew that. You also knrw that you'd gotten into a rather complicated entanglement with your father's closest friend, and weren't sure what the outcome really was.

Had that driveway light not spooked you both apart, and had that little black stray cat not made an appearance, how far would it have gone? Things were pretty heated, but even still. Would he have said something? Maybe along the lines of 'I've known you since you were sixteen, and this isn't appropriate at all.'

You didn't have time to think about it, you were set to work on helping your dad cook dinner for the soon-arriving neighbors. Dinner and a baseball game, once a relaxing and enjoyable time to bond with your dad, now turned into an anxiety fest where you were convinced you'd have to walk on pins and needles around every topic.

"So," your dad piped up from his silence at the stove, stirring the pot of chili he'd been prepping. "Joel told me he gave you a ride 'few nights back."

You knew it was harmless, and that he wasn't asking for any reason, other than that he was probably curious. You hadn't seen Joel in a while, not since two Christmases ago. Your dad had driven up to Dallas to spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas with you last year, and you didn't come home for summer break given an internship opportunity. You must have seemed different to the man in some way. All grown up.

"Yeah, gave me a ride n' saved me at the bar," you chuckled, trying to seem playful and unsuspicious about the encounter.

He seemed to be confused, his brows furrowed and a funny look on his face.

"Whad'ya mean he saved ya?" he of course was continuing to speak all the while dumping his favorite spices into the pot of chili, looking across here and now to keep engaged.

"Just scared off some weirdo who couldn't take no for an answer," you let a sweet and genuine smile fall across your features, but didn't let it get out of hand. Your relationship with your father was airtight, and he could read you pretty damn well. You weren't going to give anything away, not with what was potentially on the line.

"Glad he was there," he replied with a chuckle, sending you a soft glance. "Never thought you'd have grown up so fast, now I gotta carry a shotgun whenever we go places. Fend off the wild beasts."

His jokes were only so funny now, because in this situation, you knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot Joel if he found out what had happened. All in the nature of protecting you, but it made you sad to think of the situation that way. Joel wasn't just another weirdo following you around at a bar.

"It's only because I'm so pretty," you did your best to respond lightheartedly, making a quip that would soothe the silence. "And I believe that's yours and Mama's fault, givin' me the genes and what not."

You'd finished chopping a nice garden salad by the time the doorbell rang. You ran upstairs to change your shirt to the Jersey your dad bought you for your birthday, claiming it was good luck for the team. Truth be told, you didn't wanna be downstairs when Joel and Sarah got here.

Sarah was here, too. Her, you could easily handle. You were almost hoping that she would be in a rather talkative mood, that way the attention could be swayed to her inconspicuously. You doubted Joel would even try to talk to you, anyway.

"Lovebug, come on down, Millers are here!" Your dad shouted up, even though he saw you run upstairs right when the doorbell rang to change your shirt.

"I'm comin', hold on," you replied sassily while heading for the staircase.

You got to the bottom and had to take a breath before turning the corner into the entryway. Joel stood there with a sweet smile to you, and you tried your best to hold back the one you wore. It was too bright, too happy to see him. All despite your nerves.

You were quickly embraced by Sarah, whom you paid immediate attention to.

"My lordy, girl," you held up your hand by your shoulder to show the height difference, "last time I saw you, you must've been this tall."

"Dad tells me I'm growing like a weed," she tossed a finger over her shoulder to where he was standing, and you gave him a small glance and a smile.

"Us daughters do have a tendency to grow up," you laughed, slinging an arm around Sarah and pulling her along to the kitchen as your dad and Joel did the same behind you.

Why had you been so anxious? Joel is happy to see you. He makes causal conversation with your dad, but he catches your eye every chance he gets. His expression doesn't change, except for the tug of his lips in a smile that's barely there. Joel doesn't smile too often, except apparently when you and Sarah are around.

It doesn't take long for everyone to get situated with their food at the table, playful banter between Joel and your father filling the air as you made less rambunctious chatter with Sarah.

She's doing pretty well since last you saw her. She was always a bright girl, but as she grew it became more apparent that she would probably excel further than anyone in her graduating class. You were sitting across from a future valedictorian, you were sure.

You'd tried to ask her about her out of school interests before your dad interrupted with a question.

"How about you, lovebug?" He watched your eyes flick over to him with a turn of your head. He added context, given you hadn't been listening to them earlier. "Are you gonna look for a summer job?"

You really should, if you're being honest. There's not much work in your aspiring profession located here, but you weren't as lucrative as you used to be, given your educational expenses.

"I've thought about it," you tilted your head back and forth, and your dad seemed to need more from your answer. "I need to earn some cash before I get back to Dallas, but I'm not really sure where to apply."

Sarah seemed to know where this was going before you did. She'd been around the last time your dad was begging Joel to find some help for the contracting team they worked with. But surely your dad doesn't expect you to build houses, does he? Your dream job is to dig holes in the ground, not fill them in and put homes on top.

"We got some spaces to fill, you should come work with us 'few months. The pay's good and you don't have to stay on long, probably just till the end of July."

You gave him a look, and he instantly knew you weren't interested, but you figured you'd try and justify your reasoning. It was an argument either way.

"I think I'd probably only slow'ya down," you chuckled, looking to Sarah who seemed to read the displeasure off your face from your dad's offer. "I'm studyin' to be an archeologist, dad. I don't know nothin' about framin' and all that house buildin'..."

Maybe it had been your dad's idea, but he wasn't the one who planted it into his own head. Joel subtly turned to you and cooly uttered a response.

"You could work on interior stuff with me."

Did he just-?

"S'not much more fun than what your dad's been doin,' but at least it's out of the sun, and easier to learn."

You were almost dumbfounded. Your dad offering you a job that potentially could give you heat stroke with your lack of experience seemed like the worst idea in the world... but working on interior projects? With Joel of all people? Well, that didn't sound so bad.

You didn't want your dad to catch on, of course. Being so protestant of his suggestion, but then falling right into it as soon as Joel was the one to offer would be a dead giveaway to some sort of favoritism to his best buddy. It simply wouldn't look right.

"What kinda interior stuff?"

He smirked. The motherfucker was smirking. He knew you'd changed your mind, but couldn't exactly just come out with it. He understood, but it was still slightly amusing to him.

"Flooring, cabinets, countertops... 's things like that," he explained, knowing you really didn't care what all it entailed. He was still happy to play along. "S'not as fun as archeology, but it pays alright."

You nodded, acting as though you were turning the thoughts over in your head.

"Well, if you're sure I won't mess it up, I'd be happy to try it out," was your final response. You figured it left some leeway in case your father became suspicious, but gave a good enough answer to end the conversation on.

"That's my girl," your dad clapped a hand on your shoulder in excitement. Truth be told he would very much enjoy your presence on a work site. "I'll go ahead and call Eddie in the morning, let 'im know I found someone to replace Charlie for interiors."

It was said more to Joel, you figured, because you didn't really know who either of those people were. He'd nodded to your dad, taking a sip of his beer and then looking back to you. You smiled sweetly, nobody catching it but the one it was meant for.

"Game's gonna start soon," Joel spoke aloud, drawing everyone's eye to the clock over the stove.

Sarah cleared her throat before jumping in on the conversation.

"About that," she looked to her dad with the same puppy dog eyes she used to use against you. He was just as poor at saying no to her when she pulled those bad boys out. "Sammy texted me to ask if it's okay to stay over at her place tonight?"

Joel sighed. He knew that no matter the attempts he made for her to like baseball, it wasn't her thing. It was summer vacation, and he had no reason to say no, so he didn't.

"Is she coming to pick you up?" He began, fishing his keys out of his pocket to drive her if need be. The girl lived five minutes away, he'd be back only a few minutes after the game started, but he didn't really want to leave.

"I can ask her," she pulled her phone back out of her jeans, opened her screen, and checked her messages.

"No need, I can take you," your voice rang out, standing from the table and taking your bowl to the sink. It was a genuine offer, but it was also to get out of the house and process what just happened with the job situation.

Joel was the first one to stand up with you.

"You don't have to-"

"It's fine," you cut him off, leaving no room for discussion. It was lucky he liked you, otherwise, Joel Miller might have put up quite the argument for such a small dilemma. As was his way, of course. He huffed, but accepted he had been overruled.

"Thanks, then." It was mumbled, but there was gratitude in it.

"We gotta hop over to ours real quick and grab my stuff," Sarah told you, waiting for you to return from the kitchen before beginning to head out through the front door. You'd grabbed your keys off where they hung on the wall before going behind her.

"I'll be back soon," you called over your shoulder into the house, and got a chirped 'alright' reply from your dad.

You walked out passed your driveway, seeing the light flicker on as you both went passed the censor on the ground.

"Y'know, I didn't think you'd have caved so fast on that job thing." She had piped up once you were almost to her porch. You found it only slightly funny that she chose the exact topic which had been swirling in your mind since it happened.

"Not sure I really wanna do it, but your dad made it sound better than every time my dad's talked about it, guess he just convinced me," you chuckled, playing it off in a way that she absolutely was about to use against you.

"That's another thing," she turned to you as she backed into the house through the door, only turning once she was inside. "Since when are you friends with my dad?"

She said it in a joking tone, but having known a few things she didn't about interactions that occurred between you and her father, you felt constricted to answer seriously. Probably with a lie if need be.

"I've always gotten along with your dad," you gave her a confused look, accompanied after by a playful smile.

She grabbed her backpack and opened it, checking to make sure she'd taken all the school stuff out before starting to shove things in, her charger, headphones, etc.

"Yeah but... you're just all young and cool and stuff," she shrugged, turning around to walk towards the staircase. "My dad is all old and boring and only talks about baseball."

"Thirty-seven isn't old, babe. My dad is two years from fifty, and I don't even think he's old, yet. Boring? Maybe..." you reasoned, hearing her laugh before she sprinted up the stairs, giving you time to think of some answers before she asked any more questions. Had she really caught onto you that fast? You didn't think you'd acted noticeably. If Sarah was able to see it, then maybe your dad did, too. You needed to be more careful, in that case.

Sarah returned a few minutes later, her backpack now stuffed and her pillow under her arm. You nodded out the door and headed back to your driveway to open the door for her, seeing as though her hands were full.

-

The drive after Sarah had been dropped off felt so much longer. Maybe it was just your thoughts, or maybe you consciously drove slower to avoid getting home too quickly. Your dad was waiting, but above that, Joel was there, too. Probably sitting back on the leather couch, relaxing with his feet kicked out on the floor. He usually leaned onto the armrest with his elbow, and held his face against the hand it supported. You'd noticed it years ago. He only ever spoke up when your dad did, usually in reply to him.

He was content simply watching the game in the presence of a friend. It was endearing.

When you pulled into the driveway, you had come up with an excuse to not remain downstairs for the duration of the game. It was too risky, and you weren't apparently as good with self-control as you'd thought you were.

You went inside and hung up your keys on the hook, immediately passing the living room on the way to the stairs.

"Hey, lovebug, you missed the top of the first," your dad called. He knew you liked baseball, so if you were to lie and say you didn't want to watch, he'd know something was up.

"Y'know, pa, I think I'm just gonna watch it upstairs, I forgot I still got some stuff to unpack," you peaked your head into the room to respond, and saw that Joel, just as you had pictured, was sitting in his most usual position on the couch, feet out on the floor, arm up with a hand holding the side of his face.

"Can't you do it later?" Your dad pleaded, but you knew, seeing as how your father occupied the recliner, you would have no where else to sit but on the floor or next to Joel. You didn't trust yourself with that.

"I could, but I might fall asleep if I wait too long."

He sighed, throwing an arm in your direction and shooing you away. He wasn't annoyed, but he'd admit he missed watching these games with you. It had been like a tradition, but if Sarah wasn't here either, he wasn't gonna make you stick around.

"Sure you don't wanna stick around? We could use your lucky jersey down here," Joel piped up, lifting his face from his hand and giving you a pair of soft eyes. That was exactly the reason you would not be staying. He didn't even realize how much he affected you, but you'd make sure he did at some point. Maybe you could just tease him a little.

"You're right, it would be a shame to take the lucky jersey with me."

You walked behind your dad's chair, out of his sight, and tauntingly stripped the jersey over your head, revealing the tight black tank top beneath it, just like that night at the bar. Joel's jaw clenched and his eyes turned darker, even under the bright light of the flatscreen in the living room. You never took your eyes away from his as you slung him the jersey.

"Hey pa, can I get you anything from the kitchen before I go upstairs?" You leaned over the back of his recliner, looking at him upside down. He chuckled and shook his head, trying to move your hair from obstructing his vision.

"We're all good, lovebug," he spoke in addition to his physical response, his laughter dying down as you stood back up. "Come on down if you change your mind."

"I'll probably be down later," you spewed a half-lie. You weren't sure if you would be or not, especially if Joel was still lurking in the living room.

You gave those brown eyes one last look before heading straight upstairs.

You grabbed your remote and flicked on the TV. It was already on the right channel, so you tossed the remote aside onto your bed and flopped back into it. You didn’t actually have anything left to unpack, but they would never have known.

Your phone buzzed beside you, and you lifted the screen to your face to see a text from an unsaved number:

Missin you down here…

You’d never put Joel in your contacts, because in highschool, your friends thought it was weird to even text or call him regularly, but you had his number for years, always just as a backup. You’d known it by heart, now, and nearly had it memorized back then, too, for the times you needed his help.

I’d come back if there was an open seat.

A bit sassy of a response, maybe, but you were hoping he’d understand the hidden meaning behind it… Although, Joel didn’t usually pick up on those things very easily.

Open seat right next to me

Yeah, that’s why I’m up here…

You huffed, realizing it wouldn’t be that easy. The three little dots indicating his next response was on the way slightly nerved you. Maybe he took the last text you sent the wrong way. You didn’t mean it to sound badly.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Means that I can’t keep my hands to myself.

You quickly rectified the situation, although you might have gone too far. He was taking far too long to answer, now. The little dots that before nerved you would now be your saving grace if it meant he would just fucking respond, already. You dropped the phone on your chest, raising up and down in a scattered rhythm while you wiped your hands over your face. Your phone vibrated over your shirt and you immediately opened it.

I can’t either. Stay up there.

You breathed out a sigh of relief. He was thinking the same things you were, and likely was under more stress for it, given he sat right across from your dad, responding to his comments about the game here and there. Your dad had no idea what was happening right under his nose.

Wasn’t thinking about leavin.

This little back and forth went on, the majority of the game, in fact. It was more-so about the plays then on, because you didn’t have anyone to talk to up here.

Joel thought it a bit funny, your dad would say something oddly specific about one of the players, and then you’d text him right after saying the exact same thing. You’d been a product of watching baseball with your old man for just about ever.

“I’m thinking about gettin’ some tickets over the summer for a game or two. They’re always cheaper in them group packages, you n’ Sarah should come along,” your dad was barely paying any attention to the words he spoke, but they came flowing out anyway, clear and cool. “Could be fun.”

Joel knew that there was only so much group interaction he could handle with you, and you with him. It stands to why you’re upstairs, an he’s down here, fist wrapped tightly around your lucky jersey. All out of your father’s sight, of course.

“It could be. Don’t think Sarah’s much for baseball anymore, though.”

He’d hoped that your dad would drop it. Halfway through his third beer, he hoped the man was a little more than tipsy, and maybe didn’t even mean the words he was saying.

“Doesn’t mean you can’t still tag along,” your dad was definitely still sober enough to keep it up, although the way he spoke became slower. Maybe he was getting sleepy.

“I’ll think about it.”

His response was followed by a hum, then a lull of silence that endured the rest of the game. He sat all the while and thought about his predicament a bit more.

He couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was insane… like you’d leeched yourself to the inner workings of his mind and he wouldn’t be able to pull you off without hurting himself, too. You were just upstairs, and had been texting him. You were within his vicinity, and yet… so unreachable.

He’d wished for you to be down here, or for him to be up there with you. Obviously, that wouldn’t go too well with the man sitting next to him, but he’d be asleep soon. If he could just touch you again, just kiss you one more time, maybe his cravings would be satisfied and he could go about his days… but what would happen if he kept feeling the addictive urge to do more? What if he was never satiated enough to quit you?

The game was called, and you’d texted him a small ‘victory’ at seeing the Rangers had won.

It was wrong, and the presence of his friend beside him was a constant reminder that you were his kid, and he would have a final say. Even though you were an adult, he understood this was completely taboo, and you should be off with guys your own age... but he’s made up his mind about the thoughts spinning in his head.

He didn’t respond, though. Your dad stood up out of his chair, his arms stretching outwards with a loud yawn as he took a few steps forwards, clapping his hand down on Joel’s shoulder.

“I hate to kick you out…” your father joked, a low and tired chuckle under his words.

“It’s alright, I got some stuff to sort out anyway.”

They started making their way towards the door when light but fast footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.

Joel turned quickly, a smile on his lips and in his eyes when he saw you trying to catch your breath after sprinting down here.

“Leavin’ already?”

They both laughed heartily. As if Joel hadn’t been here almost three hours, most of which you spent upstairs. Your heart was beating far too fast for your liking, but there didn’t seem to be a way to stop it. Now that you were present again, in the room with him, you didn’t know what else to do.

“Your dad’s half asleep as it is, if I stay any longer I’ll send ‘im into hibernation,” Joel’s response made you giggle softly, although you withheld most of the laughter, because in all honestly, it wasn’t that funny, and you needed to learn to control yourself.

“He’ll be over next week, we’ll talk about gettin’ you into that job.”

You nodded, turning back to Joel as your dad opened the front door. What were you supposed to do? You couldn’t hug him, could you? That’s too much… maybe just wave, or maybe-

He held his hand out… for you to shake it. A hand-shake. Yeah, sure, fine.

You shook it, but he pulled you in half way, tapping your back once and then letting go.

He just bro hugged you. This man just-

He turned and did the same to your dad, giving you one last glimpse as he stepped out the door. Your dad closed it behind him and you were almost clean out of words to say. That had to have been the strangest interaction you’ve had.

“I’m beat, love-bug. I’m gonna head to bed,” he slung an arm around your neck and kissed the top of your head before turning and going down the hall to the stairs. “Don’t be up too late.”

“I won’t, just got a few things to do.”

You waited approximately ten more seconds before running to the garage door, going as quickly and as quietly as you could through to your front yard. Joel was still on his porch when you got out there, but was about to go inside.

You ran out to the sidewalk in font of his house and called out to him, all the while still barefoot.

“Hey Miller,” you crossed your arms, watching him turn around and lean in one direction. “Did you just bro-hug me? Or did I imagine that?”

He stepped closer to the edge of the porch, leaning against one of the wooden beams closest to him.

You slowly walked up to him, tilting your head to side as you observed his stance. he looked rather good. Hair tousled, body adorning a black t-shirt and some dark jeans. He was a sight, even in the dark light of the neighborhood.

“I reckon I oughta’ try again?”

"Seems like the fair thing to do."

“You’re takin’ your sweet time, baby,” he irked, grabbing gently under your elbow and pulling you up onto to porch once you were close enough.

You smiled to him, and wrapped your arms round his neck, over his broad shoulders. He pulled you close, tucking a head into your shoulder. The anxiousness you felt before fell apart, the rapid beating of your heart slowed, because you were comfortable. You felt immense peace in his arms like you’ve never felt before.

He backed away too soon, but still kept you relatively close to him.

“Was that better?”

“Yeah, I’d say so.”

There was a moment of silence, of contemplation, but it wasn’t stiff, and it wasn’t awkward. It was just there, a nice and pleasant quiet, and you standing still with Joel Miller on his porch.

“You wanna come inside a while?”

Sarah wasn’t home, and wouldn’t be till morning. Your dad was probably passed out in bed by now, leaving the opportunity completely open. You had nothing to lose, no risk to be had.

“Yeah, I think I will.”

He didn’t let you go, he just walked you both backwards until he was able to reach the door, reaching with one hand to open it before stepping slightly to the side to allow you entrance first.

“Ever the gentlemen,” you smiled, walking inside before he followed you in.

“Gotta make up for all that nonsense earlier,” he closed the door, taking your hand and walking to the kitchen. He pulled out a stool at his counter and let your hand fall to your side as he made his way to the fridge.

He pulled out two beers and uncapped them with the tool hanging on the side of his fridge. You think you remember your dad buying it for his birthday one year. You can remember sitting in this exact seat many times before, actually. Never alone, though. Never just you and Joel, and nobody else near.

He slid you one beer an you smiled at him in thanks, taking a sip.

“Last time you had one of these, I didn’t know if you liked it or not,” he gestured to his own bottle, drinking some and setting it down on the counter.

“I don’t know, I think it’s growing on me.”

He looked straight to you, leaning both hands on the edge of the counter. You leaned forward, mimicking his more stern face of features before he said anything else.

“I didn’t wanna say so with your dad around, but you look awful pretty tonight,” he spoke the compliment smoothly, but he had to drop his head after he said it. Seemed that giving you compliments alone in the night was something of a struggle for him, since he was blushing still even when he looked back to you.

“I seem to be feelin’ a lot prettier as of late whenever I’m around you. Think you’re just good for my self esteem,” you paused, leaning back onto the stool to take a drink of your beer. “That, or it's just nice to be complimented by a handsome guy like yourself.”

He didn’t seem to believe you. His scoff was loud and heard immediately after your compliment returned to him.

“You think I’m handsome?”

He’d always thought he was average. Maybe even slightly below. As he got older, that notion grew until he felt that maybe he was beyond trying for a woman on behalf of his looks. Perhaps there were women from time to time that would agree to a date, but there were none since Sarah’s mom who actually stuck around, not until you… but you were different as far as relationships go, because technically, you shouldn’t even be considering one with him.

“Absolutely, I do. Why wouldn’t I?” You were curious, because he was clearly attractive. Maybe you’d spent too much time around the more traditionally preferred young men in dallas, but something about Joel intrigued you that never did with anyone else. Maybe it was the forbidden aspect of what you two were doing, but before that, it was something else. He was rough and rugged, and good looking in a mature way that the boys your age couldn’t mimic if they tried. Those dark brown eyes with little crows feet at the edges every time he smiled were a dead give away to his age, but it was so appealing somehow.

“Don’t know. Guess I’m just old,” he spoke, trying to hide the insecurities that phrasing brought about. He was too old for you, he shouldn’t be sitting here with you you alone and calling you pretty, and yet…

“Maybe that’s a good thing. Too many boys my age are still very immature these days.” And it was very much true. Too young, too immature, and too stupid to see what’s in front of them and really appreciate it. Older men have a tendency to take care of the things they have, because they know that with time they can lose them.

“That so?”

“Mhm.”

“They don’t even realize what their missin’ out on, do they?”

You shook your head in reply. Nope. Not a single one of the younger guys you’ve dated has treated you with the care you know he could. He’s always treated you with care, before… why would that change now?

“They probably figure there’s a million girls linin’ up after me that they can take a shot at,” you raised your eyebrows and drank some more. Maybe it was just a thought of some past experiences, but this beer was tasting better and better to you.

“I pity them,” he said nonchalantly, without really thinking about it.

“Who, the girls? I mean, I kinda feel bad, but other times, I think we all know what we’re getting ourselves into n’ we just try to ignore the red flags.”

It was meant as a joke, but he was being genuinely serious.

“No, the guys. I pity ‘em.”

“Oh, do you?”

“I do,” he nodded, thinking of the right words to say. “They lost you, didn’t they? Biggest mistake of their lives and they didn’t even know. Pity ‘em just for that.”

You didn’t know what to say. You figured the wide smile you wore was doing a fine enough job, but he wasn’t looking like he had anything else to voice yet.

“You think I’m somethin’ special, Joel Miller?”

He set his bottle down on the counter and walked around it to stand right in front of your barstool. He took both your hands and pulled them to his chest, just holding them there and looking to you with the sweetest expression you’ve ever seen from him. He’s so different than what you remember in your earlier years. He used to be so stoic and serious. Sometimes even a little grumpy. Guess time changes things.

“I wouldn’t be gettin’ myself into sum’ this crazy if I thought anything else,” he mumbled it almost, but he definitely meant it. His words rang true in every aspect of the implications they made. This was crazy, it was very unlikely in the first place, but even still, it was happening. Neither of you backed down, neither of you said no.

“If it helps, I happen to think you’re pretty damn special, too.”

He didn’t respond, just leaned closer towards you, nudging his nose against yours, before letting your lips meet in a kiss. it washed rushed and hazy like the last time. It wasn’t forceful or fast or anything of that sort. It was gentle, and it was meaningful. All the years he’d known you, but never like this. You knew this attraction was new, but it was still real. You wondered how many women pined after him over the years, only for you to now gage his attention when clearly no one else did. The man’s been single since Sarah’s mom left, and otherwise, you didn’t know him to be much of a ‘dating around’ kinda guy. Standing here with him, now, you felt such excitement in knowing he’d pursue you, the off limits woman, over anyone else. It was a true victory, or at least you thought so, sitting on a stool in his kitchen while he kissed you softly, his thumbs going over the backs of your hands that still lingered in his.

When the kiss broke, you inhaled deeply, the scent of him so close to you, surrounding you. He was like a warm blanket you just pulled out of the dryer. He was comforting, and soft, and his skin was currently hot to the touch. You could only hope that you had something to do with that.

“Baby,” he breathed, hands letting go of yours and finding a new home at your waist. You left your hands on his chest, feeling his heart rate fluctuating. “Gotta know something before this goes any further…”

You hummed in response, still trying to even your breath intake. He backed away a few inches to be able to look you in the eyes correctly. He’d spent enough time with you in the past to know if you were telling the truth, and he was going to use it just this once to his advantage.

“What we’re doin’, you sure you’re okay with it?” He knew better than to jump into this without clarification. “Don’t want you feelin’ pressured if you’re not.”

“I want this,” you spoke softly, just loud enough that he could hear. “Promise.”

You had thought you’d been the instigator to this, if memory serves you correctly. Even still, you know now that whatever happens, he won’t take it somewhere you don’t want it to go. This show of good faith was something you could put trust in him over. He’s a good one, you always knew that.

And again his lips were on yours, differently this time. It was a bit more hasty and fervent like the first time, but there was still something different from then that you couldn’t quite decipher.

You absent-mindedly opened your legs and he instantly came between them, letting your bodies become flush with one another. His hands ran up and down your sides, every once and a while dipping to your hips and somewhere below on your thighs.

There was a heat between them that you didn’t realize was there until he came so close to touching it. He never actually did, though, and you were both endeared by and upset about it. He was the one making that heat spread, he can’t just leave it there… but he’s testing his limits, and you think it’s respectful that he is.

He doesn’t want to cross any lines… as if this entire entanglement has not already done that. This situation in every sense of the definition, has crossed the line. Him hugging you that tightly on his porch, him inviting you in after dark when it’s only you and him alone, having a beer with some very personal conversation, and now making out with you in his kitchen. They all crossed the line of what should happen between a man and his best friend’s daughter.

“Tell me to stop,” he mumbled against your mouth, almost as if reading your mind. His hand on your thigh drifted between your legs, just barely caressing the heated pool sitting there, waiting for him. It was still very reserved, and you had to buck against his hand for more friction, but at least it was something.

The taste of him somehow made it worse, the feeling growing inside you without an end in sight. The arousal was evident, but you weren’t sure he would be able to do anything about it, yet. You could tell it was weighing on his mind, what was okay for him to do, and what wasn’t. You would beg him if you had to, you just needed more.

He had an idea, one that could allow both of you to explore this dynamic easier, and one that could potentially keep him from overstepping like he was afraid to.

He removed his hands only for a minute, bringing yours up and over his shoulders before he settled his back down below your ass.

“Hold on,” he told you, lifting you from the seat and walking until he got to the living room. From there, he let the space guide him until the back of his knees hit the edge of the couch. He sat almost abruptly, and when you relaxed your weight onto him, you felt the stirring between his legs as well. You moaned into his mouth at the mere size and feeling of it, beginning to slowly grind down onto him. He encouraged your movements, and used his hands to guide your hips as you went, back and forth, getting into a rhythm.

“That’s it, baby,” he praised, tearing himself away for a moment to expel his breath from his lungs at the new feeling. Your head fell against his, and suddenly it was the movement of your lower half taking you over.

He let his hands move over your body a bit more freely, now, but still careful not to make any harsh movements, or grab in places he felt he shouldn’t linger too long. He knew you wanted this, but something inside him questioned how comfortable you really felt… that was until you started doing the same, roaming his body with your delicate touch, making him feel like the most important man in the world. You could have sworn you marked the exact moment he snapped, rolling his hips upwards into yours shamelessly. It was so deliciously addicting, the feeling of his body pleasing yours, and vice versa. His rough and sturdy hands, though still gentle, ravished any part of you available to him.

The air between you was hot and thick, and you could swear that by breathing it in, you were drawing even more arousal into your body.

The motions kept going until there was a quickening of pace brought on by you both simultaneously. You couldn’t mark a distinction of when it increased, you just knew that the speed you were going wasn’t where you started. All you could think of was that your spend was fast approaching, and you wondered if his was, too.

“Gettin’ close,” you murmured, barely able to get the words out for the moans that slipped passed your lips. “M’gonna…”

He heard you, and understood. Truth be told, he’d started getting hard since that moment on the porch, so this was just nothing but sweet relief to him. He kept on, trying to meet you at your finish.

“Let go , baby.”

You had no qualms about being told twice when it came to him. You gave it up easily, the muscles in your body contracting when you felt the wash of utter ease through every inch of you. He tensed beneath you, but relaxed with a groan of relief right after, and you could feel his length twitch in his jeans.

You just dry-humped Joel Miller on his couch. Like a horny teenager. What the fuck.

The dawn of realization was cut short by his hand softly coercing the back of your neck, bring your lips back for him to claim as he did earlier. Soft, and gentle, no rush, no heat. Just that feeling between you both that started this mess.… and it was indeed a mess.

“You wanna stay over?”

-

Tags (open):

@justanothersadperson93 @moonchild-warrior @hopplessilse @brittmd115 @michilandcof @untamedheart81 @just-someone-broken @joelalorian @xybil @yvonneeeee

If i tagged you wrong, or you want to be taken off at any time, just lmk!!

[arbiterlexultionis]

Danny and the Spooks Pt2

This is a continuation of my other post Here

More specifically, this is where I’m dumping my ideas for it that involve crossovers, mostly with DC, as I know that stuff isn’t some peoples cuppa tea, and wanted to make sure it could be viewed and enjoyed by all.

So, I’ve come up with two ways for Danny and the spooks to mix with other fandoms. 1) Danny’s a known entity and (somewhat) trusted ally who is super protective/secretive about the tiny ass town he micromanages and 2) Danny and the ghost issues of Amity are more less unknowns and the hero’s of the verse show up only to be met with a (somewhat) functional crime fighting organization.

I’ll do the first version in this post and the second probably in a different post.

Phantom was one of the founding members of the league, and one of the most mysterious members at that. Although most of them had known about each other and occasionally worked together long before they came together officially 3 years ago to fend of Darkseid and found the league Phatom himself had come out of left field so to speak. Appearing with no warning in his bulky Hazmat suit and barely saying a word for most of the crisis, they didn’t really have any choice but to accept his help regardless of their (Batman’s) skepticism, and that decision to trust him payed out in the end as Phantom, despite being a complete unknown that could stay under the radar at that point, was apparently strong enough to give Supes and Wonder Woman a run for their money. They threw around a lot of theories about the guy, Superman seemed convince he was some type of alien while others thought he was a meta. Batman’s theory of choice was that he was a time traveler form the future with advanced nano technology, using cave paintings and historical records from across the globe that duplicated him as evidence. Aquaman and Dr. Fate think he’s some type of lord of order or God, with a capital G, because there was apparently some strikingly similar being who fought a Chaos deity to try and stop Atlantis from sinking.

But every attempt to actually investigate has ended “inconclusively”, as after Batman finally tracked down which town Phantom watched over he only got a few steps in before he got gently grabbed buy the cape and flew several states away like a misbehaving kitten getting grabbed by the scruff. Flash got the farthest in of anyone, sprinting in and getting about a block in before just appearing in Canada with sticky note attached to his forehead reading “Please stop stalking my grandson. :-) -CW.”

So when they were all in a meeting discussing where to keep the young justice team they were all surprised, to say the least, when Phantom offered to take them in and look after them Inside of Amity. Apparently(supposedly) the main reason he keeps everyone so far away from his town is because no one in the league has the experience and skill set necessary to properly combat his rouges, and gaining the experience and skill would probably include several mind control/body snatching/cloning/imposters/potential world endangering events and that just wouldn’t be worth the risk, especially with all of that resulting in their own rouges getting into contact with his, a recipe for one shitty weekend as he put it. But a little less than a week ago Luther used an intermediary to hire one of phantoms rouges to hunt Superman, which explains the bandage on Superman’s side. So now that the cats out of the bag Phantom want to make the kitty purr and prepare the rest of the heroics community for “the complete and utter nonsensical shenanaganery that he’s stuck dealing with” and The Team seems like a good opportunity for it.

I envision this whole meeting probably being told from Flash’s point of view, as he’s smart and goofy enough for some good humor and exposition but I guess it works for anyone. The Young Justice team wind up in mount justice while the main base of the Spooks, called the Grave or something else suitably on brand, is prepared just long enough to get bored and go rescue Superboy. Then the whole team and some of the justice league step foot into Amity for the first time, and then get a whole PowerPoint presentation explaining the town and its BS and are just Shook when they find out that Phantoms not some meta or alien or time traveling genius inventor but just some dead dude.

The team essentially gets fast tracked through the training for Spooks to make sure there up to snuff and begin patrolling and stuff. At first Superboy just can’t handle working in the R.I.P.D. and then he finds a ghost who whole shtick is “I need to punch shit”, which bridges the gap between the fighting he knows and the negotiations he doesn’t and helps him learn more about diplomacy and chill out, can’t decided if I want the ghost in question to be a boxer, sumo wrestler or really over the top westler.

As practice living a double life and going under cover they all have to get jobs and be Normal, but they all suck at being Normal. It just straight up doesn’t cross Superboy mind that normal people can’t use motorcycles to beat up convenience store robbers. At first he goes for the car, stops and goes wait a second that’s not something normal people can do and I’m Normal, so he picks up a Harley like “Yep, this is completely average amount of strength.”

Wally’s working in the kitchen of a restaurant and keeps accidentally using his super speed. Not enough to glow or spark, but more than enough for people to freak out. But he’s doing the work of 4 people which means management need 3 less people to pay so they just let him do his thing.

Robins such a gremlin that people think he’s straight up a child ghost very poorly disguising himself as a human child, using rafters and vents as short cuts with the justification “it’s not weird if they don’t see me do it” which makes it seem like he’s using invisibility, intangibility and teleportation to get around. He’s so quite when he walks that people come to the conclusion that he’s forgetting to walk and just floating places and/or trying to look like he’s walking like a Perfectly Normal Human Child but not actually making contact with the ground on accident.

All the locals see all this stuff and just go “Kids are kids, ghost, human or ecto-contaminated to hell and back.” And all make a group effort to hide them from the Fentons and GIW. The team, which is actively trying to investigate both groups, becomes convinced that the people they work for are in cahoots with the GIW and hiding their activities, but every time they switch jobs it takes like, a week for the GIW to get to them again(for them to go “oh poor children” and try and keep them safe).

It doesn’t help that the first friend they made in town is a scrawny little black haired blue eyed twink that they saw beat a mothafucka with another mothafucka in an alleyway on the first day of class, constantly pulls off what should be nearly impossible acts and disappears without a trace, further twisting their idea of what is within normal human limits. (They saw Danny fighting Skulker in human form at 3am in the Nasty burger parking lot because he was to lazy to shift forms, and they use the fact that the kid that can nonchalantly throw hands with a nine foot tall T9000 knock off as an excuse to get away with stuff. “Mr. I-fight-death-bots-with-my-bare-hands is the weakling at the bottom of the food chain, so me being able to do this it Normal. Probably.”)

Just a few ideas I had for this, will probably post more later. Drink some water and chill, peace out.

[greensagephase]

Baking Halloween Cookies with Miguel

Miguel O'Hara x GeneralReader

Summary: Baking Halloween cookies with Miguel.

Word Count: 1,086

Warnings: Fluffy Miguel; mention of a specific movie that reader enjoys (not necessary to know about to read) Masterlist

🍂 🕯🍂 🕯🍂🕯 🍂🕯 🍂 🕯🍂

It’s your first year together, and in passing, you mentioned wanting to bake cookies like the sugar cookies that have the pumpkin on them. You saw some trend online in which people were layering those cookies over the regular chocolate chip ones and you want to try it out.

Miguel is instantly all over the idea. So much so that when you get home from work, you find Miguel at home already. He usually gets home much later but here he is, showered and dressed in his comfy clothes and greeting you with that smile that melts all your stress away.  

“So glad you’re home, mi vida. Look at what I got,” Miguel says, leading you to the kitchen after helping you take off your coat and placing your items away.

And that’s when you see the numerous packs of cookies on one of the counters. You stare in awe at him. You didn’t think he’d be so into this idea but suddenly he’s asking if you want to go shower while he makes dinner so the two of you can bake a few batches.

You smile and agree because seeing Miguel so excited over baking cookies is so heartwarming, you simply cannot say no to him.

And so, after eating dinner and cleaning up, the baking starts. But of course, the ambiance is set first. Your shared apartment decorated for Halloween and autumn, so there are pumpkins and spider webs, for obvious reasons, decorating your living room. You have string lights that look like corn candy hanging over the chimney and in other areas of the living room, along with flickering autumnal candles here and there that make the apartment smell amazing. And of course, you even set a Halloween playlist.

You preheat the oven while Miguel gets the baking sheets and then the two of you start. You show Miguel how the cookies need to go and he’s all smiles, loving every second of it. There’s no talk of work or other stressors in your life. The two of you focus on laying out the cookies while talking about childhood memories around Halloween. He tells you about the one time Gabriel insisted the two of them have costumes related to each other even though Miguel wanted to be a character from a different series. He also tells you about the time he and his friends went to some abandoned house as teenagers only to get spooked by a stray cat, which makes you laugh, earning yourself a playful glare. 

At last, you and Miguel put the trays into the oven once it’s done preheating. The two of you clean up any mess behind and continue to talk about your childhood memories but you eventually find yourself cornered in the kitchen resting against a counter with Miguel pressed against you. He can’t stop himself from peppering your face with kisses as you share one of your own experiences. You don’t mind the kisses at all and get into it until the oven interrupts. 

“We should leave them in there for a little longer,” Miguel whispers but you shake your head, chuckling. 

“They’re gonna burn,” you whisper back before you manage to slip out of his embrace to check on them. 

You take the cookies out and let them cool for a bit, still thinking about your Halloween and your childhood.

“I have an idea,” you tell Miguel, who raises an eyebrow, full of curiosity. “Wait here.”

You head to your living room and turn on the tv, before pulling up a streaming service. Talking about your childhood has reminded you of one of your favorite animated Halloween movies as a kid, so you decide to pull it up so you can watch it. 

You prepare the living room to watch the movie by getting blankets and pillows out before you lure Miguel into the living room with cookies and your choice of drink, settling on the couch under blankets. 

“What are we watching, mi vida?” Miguel asks before bringing a cookie to his mouth.  

“I used to watch this when I was a kid. It used to come on the cartoon channel. It’s called Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular.”

Miguel nods, already intrigued as he eats another cookie. The two of you start watching the movie as you eat. Miguel seems to enjoy the movie, loving the fact that you’re sharing this with him. At one point Miguel pulls you closer, wanting to be nearer to you. The proximity allows you to feel the vibrations of Miguel’s chest as he laughs at the funny parts and of course, you love his commentary throughout it. 

“Jimmy is being unnecessarily mean to everyone.”

“These kids are being so mean. Poor Hannah.”

You rest against Miguel under the blanket, enjoying his reactions and commentary until the end of the movie. 

“There’s a sequel,” you say as the credits roll. 

“Well, then let’s watch it,” Miguel says with a grin. 

“Really?”

“Yes! That was really fun to watch.”

You grin and put on the next movie. “I have to ask, who’s your favorite character?”

Miguel wraps his arms around you as the movie starts, thinking. “Well, Scary Godmother is very cool. I like the vampire family a lot but I also like Skully and Harry… You know what - Skully,” he says which makes you grin. 

“He’s my favorite,” you say referring to the skeleton in the movie. 

“So, I guessed correctly,” Miguel says with a smile as he kisses the side of your head. You smile and he pulls you closer, if that’s even possible. “Thank you for sharing this with me, mi vida,” Miguel whispers as his warm, large, and calloused hand gently holds your much smaller one. “And for baking cookies with me. It’s been a really long time since I’ve done something like this.”

Smiling, you nod and shift your body so you can face him. You press a kiss to his cheek. “I’m happy to. I love seeing you like this, you know? Relaxed, laughing, and having a good time. We should do this more often.”

Miguel kisses your forehead gently before he leans back, grinning. “We should. Once a week. How does that sound?” he asks as he caresses your face with his free hand. 

“That sounds perfect,” you whisper. 

“Then it’s settled. Oh - and cookies must be included, mi vida.”

You chuckle and nod. “Deal,” you reply, as you settle back into his chest to enjoy the sequel in your warm and cozy apartment. 

🍂 🕯🍂 🕯🍂🕯 🍂🕯 🍂 🕯🍂 Translation for Italicized words: Mi vida - My life

I had this sitting in my drafts and it's the last day of October, so I just decided to post it. Happy Halloween!

[bumblebugwrites]

chapter 1: nothing's new

Pairing: Victor!Treech x fem!Reader

Summary: After nearly two years of peace, you are called back to the Capitol only to find that the future they promised you was a lie.

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Cursing, Suggestive Themes, Use of Weapons, Mention of Injuries, Minor Character Death.

Word Count: 6.5k

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

Coriolanus Snow is many things, he thinks to himself, but incompetent is not one of them. So there had been the Lucy Gray hiccup. Helping her cheat the Games only for her to die at the hands of Dr. Gaul’s snakes after he failed to slip the handkerchief into their tank was inconvenient, to say the least. As was his brief stint as a Peacekeeper as punishment for his dishonest tactics following the discovery of a certain compact with her remains. Still, he had learned a valuable lesson. Love is no more than a disadvantage, a distraction lodging itself like an unfortunate bump in his flawless plan. And now, he is back, having traded Sejanus’s life for his own advancement. It was nothing personal, really. Personal is a luxury, the only one he can not afford.

Sure, the loss had hurt, but the District 7 boy made a fine victor and one he could control with a far greater degree of ease, given the detachment he felt in regard to the kid’s safety. New year, new him, new Games, and this time, things would be different. 

His proposals had gone through without much struggle, especially with Dr. Gaul practically eating out of the palm of his hand. He is the protege; his mentor is the kind of woman you do not cross without bearing the consequences. 

And so, on this fine morning, as he stands with the casual grace of a cat, elegantly perched on the corner of his desk, he can’t fight the grin that spreads across his face as he delivers the order he’s been waiting for weeks to give.

“Well? Go get them.”

It is a cold day in District 10, at least colder than most you think as you finish your daily sweep of the ranch and its expansive territory. You pull back lightly on the reins, bringing the horse to a slow stop.

“To name an animal, any animal, it’s counterproductive. Selfish even. Makes for a more difficult slaughter; always best to remain detached.” Your father’s words echo in your head as you dip your neck to whisper soft praise to the creature below, her hind branded with a string of three numbers: 039. Her label, to call it a name, would be to demean anyone granted the privilege of such a thing.

“That was good Bluebell, nice easy ride. Told you it would get better.” She is young. Young enough to spook with a fair amount of ease, but then so are you. Had been ever since your Games.

You dismount, hitting the ground with a soft thud before coming around to face the gentle giant and fishing a handful of sugar cubes out of your pocket. She nuzzles the food in your palm before beginning to eat, and you run a hand up and down the bridge of her nose. The world is quiet, dew still catching the light of the rising sun when you see it in the distance: the armored vehicle speeding towards the cabin housing the front office. It is not unusual for Peacekeepers to come and go from the building, but the night shift typically does not end until 8:00 am, and dawn’s colors still paint the lower half of the sky. Something is wrong.

Two men exit the vehicle, entering the small building before quickly reappearing at its entrance, a third companion in tow. He stands on the porch for one beat, two, a lazy hand draped over his eyes as he scans the field for something. Someone. And then he points. You. They are looking for you.

Your heart leaps into your throat, and your body screams at you to mount once more and ride as fast and as far away as you can, but you stay rooted. Frozen. You watch, helplessly still, as the car only comes closer, pulling to a stop on the other side of the fence, keeping the pastures separated from the open road. The Peacekeeper in the passenger seat steps out, boots scraping the gravel.

“Ms. L/N?” You only nod.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us; you’ve been called to the Capitol.” You feel like screaming, but your throat constricts, and all you can do is take slow, encumbered breaths as your body caves in on itself and you crumple to the ground.

“I– What?”

You do not mind the mud on your knees, and the slow chill that begins to spread from the places dampened by the wet grass is barely perceptible in your state of shock. Called to the Capitol. Your mind jumps back home, your brother and sister still tucked away, blankets to their chins. They would not rise for another thirty minutes at least. You picture your mother. Savoring a final moment of quiet in her busy day, sipping the coffee you’d left in the pot just for her. Your mind replays the goodbyes you had paid them this morning. Careless and quick, not like the day of the reaping. Just sloppy kisses pressed haphazardly to their foreheads and a gentle farewell on your way out the door.

“That’s not possible– It’s not– I haven’t…” There is an eerie stillness to the world at this time of day. One that only seems to press inwards, suffocating you. Distantly, you feel the soft pressure of Bluebell’s muzzle on your shoulder as though urging you to get up

Though the man in the driver’s seat seems annoyed by the inconvenience, his partner fails to shield the look of pity that flits across his face as he dips to pass through the fence, pulling you up and then back through the gap with him. He is not rough as he sets you in the backseat, not like the Peacekeepers you remember from your Games, or maybe he is; everything seems a blur as the car makes its way to the train station, and it is only as the compartment doors to close behind you that you think of Bluebell, left out in the pasture, probably licking fallen sugar cubes off the ground.

Treech releases a labored exhale as he tries once more to readjust his grip on the axe. It’s just a tree. He can sense the nearby Peacekeeper shuffling from foot to foot, anxious for him to get on with the process. This is not the arena. I am safe. I am home.

There is no time off granted to returning victors following their stint in the Games. Production is production, and there are quotas to be met, so Treech had arrived home, and the following morning, before the sun had kissed the hilltops with its light, he had risen to go to work. Only work didn’t come easy the way it used to, lulling him into a rhythmic sense of comfort with its repetitive motions, and each time he raised his axe, all he saw was them. The other tributes waiting to receive the killing blow.

Treech wipes the sweat from his brow in a single frustrated motion in spite of the cold, then, squaring his jaw, he takes a swing. Crunch. The axe lodges itself in Teslee’s head, and he stumbles back, eyes wide with fear. Only it is not Teslee. No. He blinks once, twice, and it is only a pine tree, and he is back in the forest, sinking under the weight of the Peacekeeper’s heavy glare. The man, stationed less than a yard away, begins to move towards him, and Treech prepares himself for another beating, the sharp threats from the last time still ringing in his ears.

“Officer,” a voice calls out in their direction as another man of higher rank, from what Treech can gauge, approaches the pair. The two men meet and begin to speak in hushed voices, eyes flitting in his direction every few sentences. They’re gonna fire me. Or worse, string me up in the square and use me as an example. His grip on the axe tightens. His axe. His father’s before him. He will not go down without a fight.

“Hey, you,” Treech keeps his eyes on the forest floor, silently praying to any higher power that will listen that he is not the you in question. 

“Hey! Hey, you!” He can hear the man approaching, but the sound of his footsteps is dulled by the pounding of Treech’s heart. He feels like a child in a bathtub, head halfway under the surface as the water beats at his eardrums, completely still and as loud as a tidal wave. A firm grasp settles around the fabric of his winter coat, far too thin for the cold but the best he can afford.

“Listen to me when I’m fucking speaking to you,” the Peacekeeper spits, and Treech’s mouth settles into a hard line, his hand curled into a tight fist, twitching by his side. The man before him huffs in frustration.

“Call came in from the Capitol; you’re on the next train out,” he moves as though he’s going to release Treech before yanking him back in, close enough to press his mouth to the boy’s ear. 

“You’re lucky the order came from above; if I had a say, I’d gun you down right here for the disrespect.” With that, he gives the kid before him a hard shove before beginning to stalk off.

“Let’s go.” But Treech feels as though the ground beneath him has disappeared. Back to the Capitol? Would they send him into the arena? He was done. Won his Games fair and square. He was supposed to be free. What more could they want?

The first thing you notice about the train is that it is the nicest thing you have ever set foot inside of. During your Games, and all those before and after, transport to the Capitol had been relegated to old cattle cars used to shuttle livestock across Panem, and the same had been true on your return trip. This is different. Every inch of the compartment is decorated with the lavish and ornate, all-cushioned seats and elaborate chandeliers.

The second thing you notice is the boy. He is older than you, you think, by several years. Five, maybe six. He seems out of place, tucked into the corner of one of the booths, sizing you up suspiciously. He looks familiar.

“I– Do I know you?”

“We’ve never met before,” he responds, cold and guarded. But there is something about him, his build, tall and broad, dark skin and brown eyes; you could almost imagine them looking soft and kind in a different environment. 

He keeps the sharp look on his face, and you have yet to move from the doors when it clicks.

“You won seven years ago; I remember you. District 11. Teff, right?”

“You’re the girl from 10,” he says, and his posture relaxes, if only by a fraction.

“Y/N.” You smile, and you mean it to be a comfort, but there’s a fear in your eyes that betrays the anxiety deep in your gut. Still, you move closer, sliding into the seat across from him and bringing your hands into a neat pile on your lap.

“What are we doing here?” It’s small and whispered as it escapes your lips, and your gaze refuses to meet Teff’s as you wait for an answer.

“I have no idea.”

It is several hours before the train stops again, and though they are mostly passed in silence, the occasional attempt is made at small talk. Whispered theories mingle among everyday questions. So, what do you do in District 11? Do you think they’re gonna kill us? There’s lots of horses back home, cows too. They can’t put us back in, right? Only once, that’s what they said. 

The next time the doors open, you are in 2, as indicated by the towering stone walls keeping it separate from neighboring Districts. Three people get on. One of the boys you recognize immediately: Octavian Blackwell, the first victor. His hair is dark, clipped short in a sort of military cut, and his eyes look as though they are carved from steel. Beside him is a girl, small and lithe, her posture relaxed and tense all at once. Antonia. The name echos out from some dark, cavernous corner of your mind. The first female victor, 3rd Hunger Games. The final boy is taller than both his counterparts, though leaner in build than Octavian; you wrack your brain, praying for some form of recollection, but he remains unfamiliar to you.

“More victors,” whispers Teff, and you watch as the three faces before you seem to come to the same realization.

“What the fuck is going on?” It’s the District 2 boy who breaks the silence, the one whose name continues to elude you. 

“Hector,” Antonia hisses, a warning lacing her tone, but her eyes betray a curiosity lingering beneath the surface. 

“They can’t put us back in, right? There’s not enough. Not to mention, half the districts wouldn’t even have tributes,” you sputter the words up, an involuntary torrent of concern spewing from your mouth. Your gaze flits nervously from face to face, and in spite of the many hardened exteriors, you can feel it beneath the surface, a brewing apprehension. Octavian breaks the silence.

“They won’t put us back in.” And he seems certain. He is old, you think. Not old in the way a grandparent is, but aged certainly. You had never taken the time to imagine a tribute outside childhood, escaping adolescence into fully formed adulthood, but here was Octavian, who must have been at least twenty-six, with several deep-set wrinkles beginning to mar his brow.

“Probably just rounding us all up to kill us, send a real message after those shitshow Games last year,” Hector grumbles, moving further into the compartment and thrusting himself into the booth across from you and Teff. “Just watch; I bet we’ll hit 4 next, then 7, and 1.”

The noise of uncomfortable shuffling seems to fill the compartment, and eventually, Octavian and Antonia settle into the booth beside Hector. You can’t help but allow the shell of a laugh to brush past your lips. A whole train car for the lot of you, and here you were, pressed into the two corner booths. Sure, the cage is bigger, but you still cower like animals. Like you’re back in those trucks ushering you from the train to the arena, gleaning a last moment of comfort as you brushed shoulders with the children you would watch die.

Hector was right. The train stopped at 4, though only one boy got on. Trawl, he’d won the 8th Games, just before yours. You remember distantly hearing of another victor from 4, a boy who was killed upon return. Murdered by the father of his district partner, who accused him of killing her. Stabbed him in the town square, they said. The Peacekeepers only watched.

The train grinds once more to a halt in 7, and quick glance outside the window reveals a station made entirely of wood, grand posts carved with ornate designs supporting the massive roof. You glance towards the door, waiting for him, the newest victor. You do not have to work hard to recall his name, Treech; the two syllables had echoed from every radio in your mother's house the day the 10th Games ended.

The doors open with a hiss, and he stumbles in as though pushed, a mop of curls obscuring his eyes. He seems dazed. As he lifts his head, you watch it happen. The same realization that had dawned on every victor to enter the compartment after you, but then his gaze only grows dull as though accepting some secret fate you had yet to be alerted of before he shuffles forward, taking a seat on a longer bench facing the door. Alone. 

It is several more hours before you reach 1, and although some hushed conversation continues to fill the train car, you sit in silence, casting worried glances at the quiet boy with his head in his hands. He is not crying, you think; his shoulders are too still, but his breathing remains too rapid to indicate sleep. Maybe he just likes to listen, you suppose, trying to grasp the newest direction of the chatter around you. Maybe he’s scared. As you turn once more to analyze his hunched shape, Trawl catches your line of sight, speaking up from beside you.

“Just leave him alone; if he wants to sit by himself sulking, that’s his problem,” he mutters close to your ear.

“For all we know, we could be walking into an ambush. Give him a break,” you say, moving to stand before making your way over to the place on the bench beside him. You are quiet for a time, unsure how to start, but as your lips begin to purse around a greeting, he interrupts you.

“I like your hat.” His voice is flat, a single eye visible from behind the curtain of his hair. You forgot you were wearing a hat. It was your father’s from his brief time on the ranch before transferring to the slaughterhouse, where he met your mom. Your hand darts up to trace the brim.

“Thanks, it was–” But then his tone registers, and you recognize the snark behind the compliment, “You don’t mean that, do you?”

“You some sort of cowgirl?”

“How do you know what a cowgirl is?” You ask, and your eyebrows draw together in surprise at the knowledge.

“Read about them in school once, before I dropped out.”

“I guess so. Usually, people just call me a ranch hand.” He lifts his head at this, and you realize he’s quite pretty on closer viewing.

“Doesn’t sound as cool.” The ghost of a smirk lights his face as he says it.

“No, I guess it doesn’t,” you say, grinning back. His smile is quick to fade, and he turns once more, fixing his gaze ahead, away from you.

“Why are we here?” He asks, his cocky demeanor gone in an instant. You ache to be able to provide him with an answer, but the same question has been clawing at you since the two men showed up on the ranch this morning. 

“I– I’m not sure.” He nods, and it is solemn, like a prayer, but he does not return his face to his hands, instead watching the miles of land roll by in a blur, no single thing occupying the space outside the window for longer than a second. You find yourself looking, too, imagining how it must feel to go 250 mph. You decide it's probably like flying.

By the time you reach 1 to collect its two victors, a searing silence has spread over the train, the atmosphere tense. The journey to the Capitol is so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and as the skyline appears over the barriers built to keep people like you out, you feel the apprehension shrouding the compartment begin to buzz. It is only then that Hector speaks, shattering the stillness with a single phrase.

“Welcome back to Hell.”

The sun is setting as the train pulls into the station, and you twitch nervously, scraping your nails against the pads of your fingertips. Beside you, Treech watches your movements with a fixed gaze as though pondering reaching out to still the repetitive motions himself. He does not, and you fail to notice his attention on you at all, eyes fixed ahead on the double doors. 

When they open, a swarm of Peacekeepers descends on the car within a matter of seconds, hoisting you from the seats, snatching at arms and shoulders in their attempts to muscle you out of the compartment. A startled yelp escapes your lips as the man with a harsh grasp on the collar of your shirt rips you forward and onto the platform, jostling your hat from your head. 

“No–” You lunge for the single remnant of your father, straining against the Peacekeeper working to wrangle you towards an awaiting vehicle, but it is no use. He wraps you in a firm pair of arms, lifting you, kicking and biting from the ground the remainder of the distance before tossing you onto the floor of the car. As you whip around to assail him once more, the doors fall closed with a thud, leaving you to pound futilely against them.

Eventually, your jabs lose their power, and you sink down, forehead pressed to the cool metal, biting your lip to prevent the oncoming tears from spilling over. A hand makes its presence known on your shoulder as the car begins to move, and you turn to glimpse Trawl, his face painted with concern. A quick once over of the vehicle reveals only half the victors had been loaded on: you, Trawl, and the two tributes from 1, Lux, who sits with both hands clasped primly in her lap, and Beau, whose only visible sign of distress is the repeated preening of his hair.

“My– My hat. It was my dad’s–” you stutter out as Trawl helps you onto the seat beside his, “I don’t– there’s nothing else left.” The concern in his eyes settles into pity, and you feel like shrinking under the weight of his compassion, tired of feeling helpless.

It is not long before the car pulls to a stop, and the doors come open once more. It is dark out now, and you can’t help but find it unusual, the feeling that you are being smuggled, rushed in under the cover of night. Typically everything is a display in the Capitol. If they are going to kill you, where are the cameras? You are ushered into an elevator, and one of the Peacekeepers extends an arm, scanning a card before pressing the button for the top floor. You think distantly this might be some sort of hotel. You have never been inside a hotel before. A simple ding alerts you to the fact that you have reached your destination, and you are jostled out and through the door directly before you following the swipe of another card.

It is a large room. You had always believed hotels came with the promise of a bed, but this seems more like a home: a kitchen with appliances you do not recognize, a luxurious lounge with a semicircular couch facing a large projection, and a man, his hair as white as snow.

“Please, let’s not manhandle our guests,” he calls out to the group of Peacekeepers herding you into the center of the room, and they back away, taking up posts on the surrounding walls. Their message is clear: you are not permitted to leave. 

You reach up to rub at the place where, only moments before, your arm had been kept in an iron grip when the door to the room flings open again, the remainder of the victors stumbling in. Teff comes first, ripping his bicep from the man beside him upon entrance, followed by Hector, Antonia, and Octavian, who seem more contained. Last is Treech, a newly formed bruise beginning to darken the area around his eye, and your father's hat held delicately in his hand, fingers pinched around the rim. He keeps his gaze fixed on the floor but lifts his head upon hearing your stifled gasp. 

“Come, make yourselves comfortable. I don’t bite, I promise.” The man at the front of the room speaks with a placating tone and words meant to dulcify, but he smiles like a wolf. No one moves.

“Let’s try this again. Sit down.” From behind you, you can hear the Peacekeepers beginning to shuffle from their stations, inching forward. Octavian is the first to budge. He takes a tentative step in the direction of the couch before nodding at Antonia and Hector, who follow close behind. You look to Teff and then to Treech, only a few feet away from him, still holding your father’s hat. The former surveys the room once before giving you a slow nod, and you move to sit. They file in behind you, Trawl quick on their heels, and the four of you occupy a single corner of the couch being sure to leave room for Lux and Beau. As he slides into the seat next to yours, Treech tenderly sets the hat atop your lap, and you mouth a subtle thank you that he leaves unacknowledged.

“Much better.” The man before you grins, and out of the corner of your eye, you see a look of recognition pass across Treech’s face.

“So glad you could all join us.” He claps his hands together before clearing his throat to begin.

“Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what you’re doing here, and I want to assure you that in spite of the worries you expressed on the train, we are not going to kill you.” A chill passes down your spine at his implication: they had been watching you.

“See, you represent a new beginning. The birth of a different kind of Games. A better kind of Games.” A wave of confusion seems to pass over the lot of you. Though it is more like anxiety, and you feel a bit like you are drowning in it.

“Now, last year, well, that was quite the mess,” he says, nodding to Treech as though they are in on some sort of joke together. Your stomach turns. 

“But the important thing is, we learned something: the people of the Capitol need someone to care about. To root for, if you will. Which means it’s time for a new way of thinking.” He pauses as though for dramatic effect, and you can’t help but think his speech feels practiced. Had he smiled this morning, delivering his death knell to the bathroom mirror?

“Right now, the Games, they make people sad, uncomfortable even. Too much humanity, not enough spectacle.” Beside you, Treech tenses. “There is nothing commodifiable about the current structure. But if, say, we were to place a higher value on the victors and make you celebrities of sorts, then this blight becomes an honor.” The nine faces before him appear as though they are sculpted from stone; he clears his throat before continuing.

“And how, you may ask, do we plan to do that? Well, starting this year, the past victors will be in charge of mentoring the children from your districts.” Here, there is some breakage. Anger, plain and simple, seeping through the masks. Antonia begins to speak.

“Fuck no–”

“I’m not finished, thank you. Now, this will come with an array of new challenges. There will, of course, be interviews to prepare them for, something you obviously have no experience with, as well as a tribute parade.” Your nose crinkles in disgust as the sole image your mind conjures is last year’s tributes chained to a flatbed truck, Brandy’s dead body swaying from a crane above them. Brandy, who you knew. Who was only one year younger than you. Who had a talent for soothing any creature with which she came in contact and who cried for three days the first time she killed a hog.

“And you will be in charge of organizing sponsorships once they are in the arena, networking, and such. But not to worry, each of you will be given an escort from the Capitol, someone to help you navigate the trickier aspects of the job. And you will not go unrewarded either. Starting this year, victors will be granted financial compensation as well as eventual housing in a Victor’s Village, which will be put up in each of your home districts. Still, we will need to begin with a sort of reintroduction to teach the public what your new role as a victor is, and–”

“That’s not fair,” you mumble, so quiet you think no one hears.

“Excuse me?” The man’s gaze is icy cold, like a knife to the chest.

“That’s– That’s not fair. What about the kids in 12? 8? 6 and 5? If you do this, the same people will win every year.” You stare back, and when your hands begin to shake, you hide them beneath your thighs.

“I don’t typically give lessons in power for free; you should be grateful.”

“You’re evil.” And it is not a question. You are certain.

“Not evil, just practical.”

“The Capitol hates us, they think we’re scum. They’ll never get behind this,” Treech offers from beside you, and you see it on him, the mark of last year's Games. The toll they took.

“If the citizens of the Capitol think we care, they will too. I’ll put you on television with the goddamned President if I have to. This will work.”

“What if we won’t do it?” Teff demands, his voice low, tinged with a warning.

“You have a family, do you not?” The man asks, and the threat pools in his eyes, but he voices it anyway. “Would you like to continue having a family?” It is quiet for a moment, and the weight of his words feels heavier than anything you’ve ever carried in your life.

“We were supposed to be done. We won our Games,” It is Hector who speaks this time, rising from his seat. He pauses for a moment, then raises his brow as though in a challenge. “Well, I don’t have any family. Not anymore. Not thanks to this bullshit fucking system, so you know what? I think I’ll pass.” From beside him, Antonia claws at his arm, a pleading look in her eyes. It is too late. The man with the white hair nods, and two of the Peacekeepers on the back wall step forward. 

“That’s too bad. He can go.” They are on Hector in a matter of seconds, but they do not make for the door; instead, they seize him, one on each arm, and turn towards the hallway, splitting off from the large central room. Several victors move to stand, with Trawl and Octavian making an attempt to follow, but they are swiftly restrained, and you sit in silent shock as the sounds of Hector’s struggle become distant. A door slams. Then, a gunshot. After that, it is quiet. Your limbs feel stiff, frozen even. From your other side, Lux releases a stifled sob. Somewhere in the distance, you hear Teff throw up.

“Anyone else have any concerns they wish to voice?” It’s as though you have all stopped breathing.

“Wonderful. We’ll begin in the morning. You’ll each have a team here to prepare you for the press tour. Your rooms are numbered by district. Be ready at 5:00 am sharp. I’d hate to have any more incidents.”

“So, we’re trapped here?” You speak again, though the sound of your own voice comes as a shock. The man only sighs.

“This is not a prison, no. Though we would prefer you not leave the premises–” You don’t give him time to finish, making a hasty exit through the door where you came in.

“Just make sure she doesn’t leave the building,” he sighs with a haphazard wave of his hand in your direction.

You are at the bar when Treech finds you, two glasses of Posca deep.

He hadn’t meant to go looking for you, really, only to clear his head and get away from that room. Shortly after your departure, two men had entered with a stretcher and left only minutes later with it full, the vague outline of a body visible beneath a white linen sheet. He had followed them out and then quickly abandoned their company at the prospect of sharing their elevator, instead descending the stairs. From the 32nd floor. And there you were, right as the door to the lobby opened, hat on the bar and your eyes fixed on something he wasn’t sure was really there.

“No hard liquor here. At least not for us,” you huff, slumping in your seat and crossing your arms over your chest. 

“And don’t bother asking for the bottle either. They’ll just give you one of these. Nothing more dignified than drowning my sorrows in a glass that costs more than my mother’s house,” you wave a limp hand at the ornate flute before you, doing little to disguise the biting sarcasm in your tone.

“I’ll take what she’s having,” Treech mutters to the man behind the bar, though he keeps his eyes fixed on the counter, unwilling to bear the weight of the curious gaze being pressed upon the pair of you.

“Do you remember them, the other tributes?” You ask suddenly, as though the thought had been clouding your mind for hours.

“The other victors?” You shake your head.

“No. The other kids in the arena.” Treech freezes for only a moment, caught off guard, but it’s enough time for the truth to plaster itself across his face. Every day.

“Sure.” You don’t say anything, only sit patiently, waiting for him to continue. “There was– There was Lamina; she was from home.” I watched her die. I sat by and did nothing. “And there was Coral and Mizzen; they were from 4. And the youngest. She was from 8. Had these hearts made of buttons on her pants. Wovey, I think. From 12, there was Lucy Gray, the girl who sang. Reaper, he was the last to die. I killed him. Killed the girl from 3, too. Teslee.”

He feels his voice begin to waver and opts to stop talking. You sit in silence for a moment, trading quiet nods with the bartender as he returns with Treech’s drink.

“Rye.”

“Sorry?” Treech asks, still lost in the memories of his fellow tributes.

“He was the youngest. He had these eyes just like my kid brother, big and sad. He just stood there, I remember, when the games started. The boy from 2 killed him; just walked up and broke his neck. Couldn’t have been that hard; he was so small. But he looked so surprised like he hadn’t known it was coming, even after he hit the ground.” Treech thinks he might be sick, and beside him, the color has drained from your face.

“Twenty-four kids every year, and we’ll have front-row seats to all of it. The people in the districts, in the Capitol, they’ll forget, let a name or two slip, but we’ll see them all. Watch them train, see their interviews, pick them apart in hopes of a weakness.” Treech downs his glass in one go before signaling to the bartender he needs a refill. You push your flute in the same direction, looking the District 7 boy up and down as though you’d never given him too much thought before.

“I never envied you. The way the Capitol dragged you through the streets for all those funerals, put you behind bars in a fuckin’ zoo, had you play nice and pleasant before sending you off to slaughter. At least ours was quick. Picked us all up on the train, threw us in the back of a truck, and then dumped us in the arena. Nobody knew who we were. Nobody wanted to.” You break off in a laugh that is brittle and unforgiving.

“Maybe it’ll be better this way. I’m in the market for a new job. Turns out you’re no good at chopping trees when you can barely hold an axe anymore,” Treech jokes, but the smile on his face does not reach his eyes.

“They–” but you are quick to pause, halting mid-sentence as though contemplating continuing. You exhale softly before clearing your throat and lifting your eyes once more to meet his. 

“They had to fire me.” Treech’s brows lurch forward in confusion, creating two dimples in the flesh just above his nose. 

“At the slaughterhouse,” you supply. “They had to fire me. I couldn’t– I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t kill anything. The Peacekeepers, they just wanted me gone. I’m pretty sure they would have just gotten rid of me too, you know, set an example, but I knew the guy who ran the place. I used to give his daughter art lessons. He made a call, and I got transferred. Started working as a ranch hand instead.” You stop, and for a moment, Treech thinks you’ve finished.

“I kept thinking they were him. I would pick up the knife, and suddenly, it was like I was back in the arena, watching him die.” The last part came out in a whisper.

“They say what I did to that kid; they say it was mercy. A mercy kill. But I still killed him, and he’s still dead. And I have never stopped thinking about it.” You clear your throat once more and cast your gaze down, hoping to disguise the tears collecting in your eyes. Treech takes notice. He remembers a conversation not two months prior with his mother. The way his voice shook as he spoke. About the games. About the other tributes. He recalls the twisted expression of discomfort she bore, the pity, and above all, his own anger at feeling helpless. Wounded.

“Art lessons? You paint?” Relief, instant and undisguised, etches itself across your features. 

“Draw, mostly. Charcoal, pencil, anything easy to come by. I was gonna be a veterinarian before– Well, you know. I was practicing for scientific sketches, but I just sort of fell in love with the way they moved– animals.”

“You have a favorite?”

“Horses are the hardest. Cows– they’re soft, like people. Some people, I guess. I saw a fox once, little gray thing, sleeping in the grass. I think maybe I liked that one the best. My mom used to say it was good luck, a fox crossing your path. Though, I can’t imagine how. That– That was the day before my reaping.”

You sit in silence for a moment before Treech speaks again.

“You lived. Maybe that was it: the good luck.”

“Sometimes I wish I hadn’t. Like maybe everyone else got out easy, and here we are still living in a nightmare.”

“It won’t be like this forever,” he whispers, but it’s as though he’s pleading with some higher power that it might be true. “It can’t be.”

“Wake up, Treech. This is it for us. They are gonna drag us out here every year to flounce around the capitol, parading new kids to their deaths– or worse, whatever this is, the horrible aftermath–”

“There’ll be new mentors. New winners–”

“Yeah, in 1 and 2 and maybe 4. Don’t you get it? We’re the runt districts. We’ll be lucky if we see another Victor in the next twenty-five years,” Treech swallows hard, willing his mouth to stop tasting so dry; he can feel his heart in the pit of his stomach. “Maybe you ran with the pack in your games, but things are gonna change. Look around. They already are.”

[annaraebananawriter]

Hello My Old Heart

Hello everyone!! I give you, as promised, Hello My Old Heart, the winner of the poll. This is based off that one ask Calcium_Cat got about what if OSD!Dream and OSDiff!Dream met. I was immediatly taken in my angst of it all and knew I had to write about it.

Now, it might not be entirely in character, as I did nothing more than skim the original sources to double check things, but I think it turned out well regardless. I did take some inspiration for Coraline and Alice Through the Looking Glass, which you will see. But that’s just more so as an explain for why these two are meeting in the first place.

I don’t really have much to say, really! So I guess this is it! Happy reading!!

Fandom: Undertale/UTMV

Characters: (One Small Dream) Dream (Who belongs to @calcium-cat), (One Small Difference) Dream, and background (One Small Difference) Nightmare and background (One Small Difference) Cross (Who belong to @warriorstale001)

Warnings: Very vague implied/referenced torture, and I think that’s it. Let me know!

Summary: “Based off of this post from Tumblr. Or: What happens when OSD!Dream and OSDiff!Dream meet? Let's find out. (UTMV, One Small Dream belongs to Calcium_Cat and One Small Difference belongs to Warriorstale001, Dream sans Centric)”

Word Count: 3382

~oOo~

Dream was playing hide and seek with Crossy and Kiki when he found the mirror.

He admits to breaking the rule of hiding in the dungeons. But he really wanted to up the playing field. Crossy and Kiki always seemed to find the most wild places to hide and he wanted to be the one with the best hiding place for once. They already knew every spot on the main floor, though, and upstairs were their bedrooms and it was boring to hide in bedrooms. There were only so many places there.

So, while there was a rule they followed about not hiding in the dungeons, it wasn’t really enforced too much. And they wouldn’t think to check there until they’ve run out of places to check. It’ll be fun. He’s sure of it. They’ll enjoy the challenge.

And it’s not like they wouldn’t find him. They always found him. It’ll just take longer than it has before, that’s all. It’ll be fine.

Of course, this was all before he found the mirror.

In the dungeons, there was a row of cells. They never got used much. Past them, there were a few rooms they used as storage. It was out of the way. Nobody really went down there unless they really needed something. It was perfect. Dream slips inside and has to pause for a minute as he disrupted the dust and choked on it. Once his breathing was back to normal, he looks around.

Nothing too exciting. Boxes and shelves and cobwebs in the corner. And dust.

And the mirror in front of him.

This mirror didn’t belong here. He knows that much. It was easy to tell. It was a nice mirror, with engraved details along the top and sides. It looks new. But he knows none of the others had bought a mirror, and if they had, they wouldn’t immediately put it down here to get ruined. No, this mirror was not brought here by anyone in the castle. But if it wasn’t, how did it get here? Who brought it? Surely it didn’t just…appear all on its own. That was impossible.

Dream steps closer, peering at his reflection. It seems like a normal mirror. Nothing special to it, just odd that it was here instead of upstairs. Maybe he should go and get Crossy and Kiki and they could check it out with him. Maybe they knew where it came from. If not, maybe Nighty would. If not…then it was a mystery. And everyone loves a mystery now and then, right? It would be cool to try and solve this one.

He reaches out to touch it.

Something scurries over his foot, spooking him, making him yelp, and he falls forward, his other hand flying forward, hoping to catch himself on the mirror.

Only, his hand goes through the mirror and he tumbles onto the floor.

Dream lay there for a moment. “Ow…”

He feels more winded from the fact that he just fell through a mirror than he did from falling on the floor. You’re not supposed to go through mirrors. That’s not what mirrors are for. They’re not doors. Why was it, then, that he just did the impossible? Was he magic? Well, yes, he was, technically, but was he fairy-tale magic? Did his dream finally come true?

Picking himself up, he wipes off his pants. He blinks at the room. Everything seems off. Wasn’t that shelf on the opposite wall when he walked in? And that box, wasn’t it over there? And that one over here? “That’s odd.” He stands there. Why is everything backward? “Um…” Turning, he stares at the spot where the mirror should be. It’s empty. “Well, that can’t be good.”

Where did the mirror go? Mirrors don’t just walk away. Where did it go?

Thoroughly unsettled and a bit frightened, he backs up. “I should head back. Nighty’s probably worried.”

In the hallway, everything’s backward too. Frowning, he tries to go in the direction he thinks the stairs will be. If everything’s backward, they’ll be on the opposite side. But he pauses a few steps in. He looks back distracted.

There’s negativity in the air. And it’s not coming from Nighty or any of the others.

It’s someone else.

But the only rooms down here are storage rooms and cells. Nobody else is here. Unless…someone was? But why would Nighty capture someone?

The negativity is steady. It tugs at him, almost pulling him toward where it's coming from. Should he let it? But Crossy and Kiki and Nighty…he should get back to them. He should tell them what just happened. They’ll know better. They usually do. And they’ll get more worried the longer he doesn’t return.

But this negativity…it feels familiar, somehow, for someone he doesn’t know. He’s the guardian of positivity. Shouldn’t he help this person? Or try to? He can always go back and get the others. Always. It won’t take too long to go and check.

Glancing back, he slowly turns, heading down the hall. “Just a quick check, Dream,” he says to himself, saying it over and over again in his head to make sure it sticks.

Following the negativity, he goes further into the dungeons, passing empty cells. It’s dark and cold down here. It makes him shiver just a bit. He pulls his cape around him. Getting closer, he slows down, coming to a stop in front of what he expects to be another empty cell.

It’s not.

The person inside flinches as he gasps. They look up, and their eyes widen. Their mouth opens a bit. Their negativity doesn’t leave, but it does fade, replaced with confusion and surprise.

But it’s none of this that made him gasp. It’s not what he expected, yes, and it is surprising, but he’s more so concerned with the person and what they’re wearing than anything. Their clothes are ripped and dirty, yellow vest stained with blood. They seem to be chained up, too, arms spread across the wall. They shift and the chains clank against the wall, but they don’t seem to notice, their focus all on him.

And Dream’s focus is on the crown they wear.

The golden crown that was, if he was seeing things correctly, given to them as a gift from their brother, way back before the villagers really settled down.

The golden crown that looks exactly like his.

Eyes wide, Dream looks at Future Him.

How was he here? This shouldn’t be possible. One of them should be gone if the other is here. What’s going on? And were those bandages? Was Future Him injured? Why? How? Nighty would never allow him to be injured. And this looks like a bad injury. Maybe Nighty couldn’t stop in time, or wasn’t around? But then surely Future Him wouldn’t be in a cell if Nighty knew he was injured and needed to heal.

Then…Nighty must be gone. Or they must be captured. Or something like that. Nighty was probably on his way here to rescue them. Yeah. Then it was a good thing Dream was here. He can help Future Him escape before Nighty finds them, making it easier to get out of there. Then they can get home and deal with this situation without any trouble.

“Woah.” Dream breathes, stepping closer. “You look awful.” He grabs one of the bars. “Are you okay? Do you need help? Don’t worry, I can help. We’re in the dungeons, right? The keys should be around here somewhere. I’ll find them. Stay here.”

Without giving Future Him time to say anything back, he moves down the hall in search of the keys. Humming to himself as quietly as he can to make his own soundtrack for this important mission, he peeks around the corner and finds another hallway of cells. But at the end of that one, when he peeks around this corner, he finds Crossy asleep in a chair. His arms are across his chest, head hanging. He seems to be sound asleep. But still, Dream tip toes as he comes closer.

For a moment, he’s confused. How is Crossy here when they were just playing hide and seek together? He couldn’t have gotten here that fast. It’s just impossible. And he’s asleep, too. That’s even more impossible. He would’ve had to be gone for hours for this to happen. Was he? No, no. He can’t have been. Something else was going on here.

Something really, really weird and wrong.

Looking around, he doesn’t see any keys. But remembering stories where the characters found keys on the guards and used them to escape, he eyes Crossy again. He feels guilty for having to do it, but it’s better he tries than gives up. And if the keys aren’t there, he’ll just have to keep searching.

He rummages through Crossy’s pockets and much to his surprise and delight, finds a ring of keys. He takes them out as silently as he can, barely keeping from saying anything in celebration. Somehow, he succeeds.

Smiling to himself, he rushes back. He’s a little out of breath by the time he arrives.

“I’m back!” Dream says, making Future Him look up in surprise. That’s a little hurtful. Of course he would come back! Why would Future Him think otherwise? “Let’s see…not that one…no, no—here!” The cell clicks and he slips inside, barely holding in a cheer—that would definitely wake Crossy up. He stands by Future Him, eyeing the chains. “Um, I don’t know if the key to the chains will be on this ring. There were two there. We’ll just have to try them all and see.”

Luckily, it was on there, and the chains around Future Him’s wrists click open. Dream quickly does the same with the ankles. Stepping back, he waits. Future Him doesn’t move. Concerned, he shifts in place, unsure what to do. Should he…help? But what would he be helping with? Before he needs to decide, though, Future Him’s legs buckle and he crashes to his knees, catching himself with his arm before he can fall on his face.

Yelping, Dream crouches beside him, hands hovering. What should he do? What should he do? Future Him blinks, slowly, and stares at him. His eyes are wide. Disbelieving. Slowly, he reaches up a hand—which is shaking, by the way, they should really find out how to stop that, it can’t be healthy—and rests it on Dream’s cheek.

Blinking, he lets Future Him do what he wants. Maybe it’ll make him feel better.

The other hand joins, resting on his other cheek, and Future Him’s expression breaks into one he can’t pin down. Swallowing, he speaks, voice raspy, as if he’s used it too long, or maybe not enough. “You’re…real?”

Dream blinks again, concern increasing. “Yeah.” Tilting his head, he frowns. “Did you think I wasn’t?”

Future Him doesn’t respond, still staring. Though his hands do drop, clasping together in his lap.

“Um.” Dream sits, crossing his legs like how he’s been taught. In any other situation, he might be getting a story read to him by one of Nighty’s boys. “So…what happened?”

Future Him looks confused. “What do you mean?”

Isn’t it obvious? Dream gestures around the cell. “Why were you chained up? How did you get here? How are you here in the first place? Because I’m here and you’re here and I’m pretty sure we’re the same person and I’m also pretty sure we’re not supposed to exist together.” Or at least, that’s what the movies always said. “And who wounded you? Why?”

The last question makes something in Future Him shudder, face darkening. Then, he shakes his head, a faint smile taking over. “I feel as though I should be asking you the questions.” Future Him turns his head, coughing into his shoulder. “Why are you here? How did you get here?”

“Well…” Dream says, “I was playing hide and seek with Crossy and Kiki. The bedrooms were off limits, of course, but they didn’t say the basement was off limits, so I decided to hide in one of the storage rooms—the ones past the dungeons, that way.” He points, knowing Future Him would get the idea.

Leaning back, he thinks, at the point where he’s not sure of the details. “And then I saw a mirror, which was odd because everything else was dusty and the mirror wasn’t. I tried to touch it because it must be magical if it wasn’t dusty like everything else. Only my hand went through the glass, which was weird, and then something—I think it was a rat—ran over my foot and I fell. When I got up, the whole room was, like, swapped around. If that makes sense? And when I looked back, the mirror was gone.” He is quiet for a moment as he remembers. Then he brightens. “And then I found you.”

Future Him’s brow furrows. He seems to be struggling to keep up. Dream doesn’t blame him. It does sound a little weird said out loud. “…Crossy and Kiki?” he says after some time, saying the names slowly. “Do you mean…Cross and Killer?”

Dream nods, happy that Future Him recognized them. “Yeah. Who else? There’s also Dusty, who was busy experimenting in his room, and Rory, who went out with Nighty for groceries—and you already know who Nighty is.” As he lists them, he gets to his feet in excitement. “Oh! There’s also Roro, but he’s not around as often as the others.”

“I…see.”

Seeing that Future Him was still worried, Dream smiles, trying to reassure him. “They take really good care of me, don’t worry.”

Future Him just looks at him for a moment before looking away, rubbing his wrists again.

If Dream thought he looked horrible from outside the cell, he’s even worse close up. Bandages wrap around him everywhere, even covering one of his eyes. His brow is still furrowed, heavy lines etched on his face. He seems to be lost somewhere, no longer in the present. Does he need help getting back? He’s not sure if he’ll be able to help. Future Him doesn’t seem to be in much harm, though, so it’s probably fine.

But his one eyelight is dim, and he seems to be weighed down by something. He looks exhausted. He looks sick, actually, with a faint seen of sweat on his forehead. They should really get back upstairs and get him to a bed. Of course, they might run into the others, but maybe they can get lucky and avoid them until Future Him is asleep and he’s sneaking out of the room to go and inform the others of what happened.

From the far end of the hall, a door thuds shut.

Dream freezes in place, feeling much like he’s about to be in trouble. But then he recognizes the aura that seems to be walking toward them. He relaxes. It’s just Nighty. That’s good. He might be worried he was away for so long and scold him for being down here without permission, but once he sees Future Him, they’ll have bigger things to worry about.

That’s if it even is his Nighty. He realizes it might not be. This might not even be his world—he remembers watching a few movies where the main characters went to an alternate world with different versions of themselves or their friends. This could be the same thing. Would answer a few questions. But that shouldn’t matter. It’s Nighty. It’s still his brother. He’s still the same person. Nighty will want to help, of course, because no matter his version or another one, Nighty is a big worrywart and Future Him needs someone to worry over him.

His brother is the perfect person for the job.

Beaming, he steps forward, already calling out “Nighty!” when he gets pulled from behind and tugged close to Future Him’s chest.

Blinking, it takes him a moment to catch up. He tries to wiggle out of his hold, but Future Him is apparently really strong and doesn’t budge an inch, tightening his grip and pulling him even closer. He’s facing his chest, nothing but his shirt and bandages in his vision, which is terrible because Nighty will need someone to explain to him what’s going on and Future Him is in no state to do that and he can’t explain tucked away like this.

Physically moving doesn’t seem to be getting him anywhere, so he tries to talk to Future Him. “Um, future me?” he says, turning his head. “It’s okay, it’s just Nighty—”

Above him, Future Him shushes him, repeating the motion more times than is necessary. “Just stay quiet.”

“But it’s Nighty.”

“Nightmare.” Future Him says, though it sounds like he’s talking more to himself than anything. Shuffling, he slowly moves back into a corner, bringing Dream with him. “You mean Nightmare.”

Dream frowns. What’s the difference? “I think I mean Nighty.”

“Just—” Voice breaking, Future Him seems to stop breathing for a moment, before remembering he has to breathe to stay alive. His breathing gets all funny, coming out fast and short. “Just trust me, okay? Stay silent, stay hidden.”

“But why?” He feels bad for whining like this, but what else can he do? This isn’t how it was supposed to go. They shouldn’t be hiding like something’s coming to get them.

It’s just Nighty.

Future Him still seems to be talking to himself, distant answers as he watches the door like it might spring to life and attack them. “He won’t be able to hurt you like this.”

“Why would he hurt me? It’s Nighty…” Dream gives one last struggle, Future Him’s arms tightening around him even more—honestly, how tight can he go? It feels unnatural. Safe, yes, very, but uncomfortable.

Glaring at the bandages in front of him, he huffs. He is so confused. And concerned. Who wouldn’t be? This was nothing like how his Nighty explained things. Nothing at all. Future Him wasn’t supposed to be injured and chained up. Future Him wasn’t supposed to be hiding him from their brother. Even with all of these pieces in front of him, this puzzle was so difficult to put together. He hated it. He wanted to go home. His home, not this weird backward place where Future Him was behind a cell and their brother seemed to have something to do with that.

It…was their brother, right? What is he even saying, of course it is! Future Him was just…he doesn’t know. Mistaken, maybe. Yeah. Mistaken. But Nighty would never imprison him, he knows Nighty, he would never do that. Maybe he was reading things wrong. Maybe Nighty didn’t do all of this, maybe he was here to rescue them! That would make more sense. That would be more like Nighty.

But if that was true… then why was Future Him acting like this? Why was his breath hitching, why was there the slightest tremor in his arms? Why was he hiding Dream? What was going on here?

As Nighty’s aura enclosed on them, the comforting feeling of safety and reassurance and everything his brother was, he leans forward, focusing. It’s easier to do this in such a close proximity. He focuses on Future Him and gently reaches out, trying to feel for his emotions and soul. It’s harder to hide that way. Maybe he can get some answers, at least something to go off of.

Immediately, he regrets it.

And surrounding both is a vicious mix of heartbreak and betrayal.

Bitterness pools in his mouth and he gasps in surprise. From Future Him, the emotions crowd around him, blocking out Nighty’s aura entirely. They’re rapidly switching, hovering in the air, going back and forth and back and forth between desperation, need to protect him, can’t let him be seen, need to protect him, and fear, why is he here, why is he here, it hasn’t been that long, please go away, I can’t handle any more pain.

…what? What?

That’s not right. This can’t be right.

Swallowing the bitterness, Dream automatically grips the back of Future Him’s shirt and he shifts, trying to look up at him as he whispers, “Why are you so afraid of him…?”

[rr311]

╭﹐❣︎﹕ Racer’s Desire ﹒〣 ﹕‹𝟹 － 𝖤𝖱𝖤𝖭 𝖸．

music rec!. Chill Bill- Rob $tone (Ft J. Davis & Spooks)

Sex, Drugs, Etc. - Beach Weather

cw/tw. , smoking, weed, cussing, miscarriage, angst, panic attack, racer!blackreader, racer!eren, eren is a dick

summary. - he left. no warning, no note, no phone call or text— he just left, without a word to anyone. Till one night he showed up to a race meet surprising you which causes some..conflict.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐃 instantly went through my nose as i lit the blunt that was placed between my lips, taking a big inhale moving my attention back to whatever the hell was going on. I was met up at a street meeting with some of my members waiting till the event begins, i averted my eyes through the crowd to see what the competition brought and honestly— It looked like easy wins compared to us. I silently scoffed to myself as I took another inhale from the blunt still eyeing the crowd, I must've been too deep into thought to realize Isiah was calling for my attention.

Breaking eye contact with the crowd I turned my head to face the dread head with a raised brow. “Finally, I've been calling you for like— the past 30 seconds!” I only rolled my eyes, placing the weed stick back between my lips, inhaling the smoke into my mouth before removing it, exhaling it as i spoke, “You got my attention now what do you want.” Isiah raised his hands in the air with a grin planted on his face, “Woah there doll, there’s no reason to get so feisty,” I only grumbled under my breathe rolling my eyes as he laughed, “You better watch it Siah, (Y/N) might beat your ass again.” Chuckled Kai, Isiah gasped offensively as he placed a hand on his heart like he was hurt by what he said, “She never even beat my ass to begin with! She got a cheap blow and she knows it.” He huffed I once again rolled my eyes as I now sat up from leaning against my car with a scoff, “We all know i won that fight Siah, stop tryna make it seem like I cheated. Just admit you’re a terrible fighter when it comes to me.” Isiah just grumbled under his breath rolling his eyes. “Man whatever. Back to what I was saying, tonight’s races are gonna be interesting.” I raised a brow, “How so? And it bet not be one of those cat fights again,” Isiah shook his head in an instant with a grin on his face, “Nope! It’s more than that.” That piqued all of our curiosity, I nodded my head a little. “Okay then, just spit it out Isiah we don’t have all goddamn night.” Marci grumbled out, “Okay okay! Let’s just say a certain brown head is entering a challenge race between Suki, Aj and (Y/N) later tonight.” I froze upon just hearing him say “brown head” instantly knowing who he meant.

There was only one brown head i know and that’s..

Eren fucking Jaeger.

A 24 year old cocky bastard that caused many problems with many different people. Including you, so hearing he was showing his face again after two long fucking years excited you but also angered you. You were excited to see him again but also pissed off that he has some nerve to come back acting like nothing happened when he straight up left you. “Ah, so the jackass Eren Jaeger is finally showing his face again?” Kai scoffed but instantly got interrupted when.“Ouch, Kai. That’s not a very nice thing to say now is it?” A deep voice occurred, the group turned around to face the familiar voice to be shown Eren standing with the rest of his group grinning towards them, Kai scoffed at him walking towards him but stopped when he felt a pair of hands grab him by his shoulders pushing him back a little, he looked to see who it was and it was no other than yourself walking in front of him towards Eren who had a raised brow.

You walked towards him as you took an inhale of your blunt feeling the warm smoke entered your mouth, stopping infront of him leaning forward blowing out the smoke in his face with a scowl, “Wassup Jaeger? Decided to finally show your face again after you practically just up and leave? Or did your little guard dog over there force you to come?.” You nodded towards Mikasa who had her hand clenched together glaring at you, she walked one step towards you before Jean held her back putting a hand on her shoulder. Eren hummed, shrugging his shoulders, “Mm, nah. I just decided to come because I heard you were racing again tonight. Plus i just missed my precious little (Y/N) and wanted to see if you still got it or..” He stopped leaning down towards your ear, “You’re gonna lose like the last time.” He chuckled, leaning back as he took the blunt out of your hand to place it between his lips, turning around to walk away leaving you standing there with a annoyed look on your face glaring at the back of his head.

“See me personally, I would never let that sli-'' Before Isiah had the chance to finish the sentence you side kicked him in the gut walking away towards your car to get ready for the race without saying a word to anyone. Marci walked towards him who was holding onto his stomach laughing at him. “What did we say Isiah? We told you to stop messin with her.” The dread head only rolled his eyes still whimpering from the harsh kick he received, as for you, you slammed closed your car door gripping the steering wheel glaring ahead of you. You have always been short tempered since you were a toddler so thinking of how easily Eren pissed you off and acted like how he didn’t just straight up leave you made you more mad than you already were, you shakily let go of the purple steering wheel leaning back into your seat running your hands down your face. You breathed in and out trying to relax yourself before you had to line up for the race to begin. Once you felt yourself relaxed you placed your hand back on the steering wheel starting your car hearing that satisfying roar, “Calm down (Y/N)..breathe and calm down. Just win this race.”

Just win this race.

Just win this race.

You repeated, you silently smiled to yourself as you finally relaxed. You looked down towards your stomach silently rubbing it, “I’ll win this for you baby..for you and i.” You sighed as you looked back up, pressing the gas pedal to go to the lineup for the race to start. When you pulled up to the start line everyone instantly started to cheer and shout seeing your car enter the crowd, guess everyone missed you that much to be only focused on you— I mean it has been a couple of months since the last time you appeared because of an incident.. You grinned as you heard your name being shouted as you stopped to get ready for the race to start, you reared your engine a few times having that satisfying roar leave its engine. You looked to the side to see Suki smirking towards you as you gave her a grin. You then turned to your left side to see the bastard himself already lined up next to you giving you a taunting wave, you practically growled under your breath tearing your eyes away from him to face the straight street ahead of you.

You faced the front as well, watching Queen taking her spot in the middle. She grinned as she looked over at Eren then me then Suki and Aj then the front where she can see all cars in view. "I want a nice, fair, and easy race! No interfering with your opponent, No cheating, No BULLSHIT!. This race contains the four racers on the startin line, your task is to go all the way down and back!. Winner takes the prize money!.” She raised the blue bandanna in the air as all the cars started rearing there engines, she grinned upon hearing the engines roar.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Go!”

You instantly pressed down on the gas pedal feeling the car jerk forward speeding down the street. You were so lost into trying to winning the race you didn’t realize Eren was inches away from speeding in front of you, you glanced to the side to see the dark green car lined up with yours, you furrowed your eyebrows glancing back to the road as you pressed more down on the gas pedal speeding in front of him. He raised his brow seeing your car speed past him, he grinned to himself as he pressed down on the gas pedal being side to side with you once again. He looked over to glance at you to see you were nothing but pure focused on winning the race. He knows that look like the back of his hand and once he sees that look planted on your face he knows you are not to be messed with when your head is in the game. It made him slightly smile at the memory when you once threw a stuffed animal his way when you were focused on making ideas for car parts for your car, it’s one of his favorite memories that always lingered in the back of his mind.

Oh how he missed you..

He turned his way back ahead to see the turn corner, he grunted as he placed his left hand on the lever getting ready to drift. When the turn appeared he pulled the lever up turning his wheel all the way to the right drifting back onto the straight road, when the road was in his vision he pulled down the lever turning his wheel straight taking off again. He swore he thought you were far behind but was proven wrong when he saw your black car speed past him, he felt his eyes widen seeing you speed off and towards the finish line. You smirked as you looked in your rear view to see him far behind, “Still got it.” You mumbled. When you saw the crowd of people enter your vision you crossed the finish line with Eren right behind you, you brake your car, turning off the engine and stepping out of the car with a cocky grin. You watched as Eren stepped out of his car with a scowl on his face, you knew he hated losing and by the look on his face he was pissed.

“Looky here, mister Jaeger came in second how cute that is huh?” You chuckled, he practically growled under his breath as he stared at you. “You’ve got some nerve sayin i came in second. You gotta admit (Y/N) i was close in coming first and you knew it.” You laughed rolling your eyes. “Yeah but who came in first?” You teased, but for Eren he was far too pissed off to even take teasing at the moment, he slowly walked over towards you, leaning down towards your height. “Yeah? But let’s not forget how you practically had a panic attack in a middle of a race causing you to crash, huh? Remember that?”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

You felt everything slow down, everything moved in slow motion.

You were going above the speed limit as you were panicking, you didn’t give a care at the moment as you were speeding off to go somewhere, anywhere that’s far away from him. You were so deep into thought you didn’t hear the honking of another car being targeted towards you, after the third honk you snapped out of it swerving your car to the right as the other car barely missed you. You felt the tears starting to blur your vision which caused you to immediately press the brake pedal, when you felt the car stop you gripped the steering wheel as your body started to violently shake.

Your breathing was uneven as you tried to calm yourself down. “F-Fuck..” Your body felt extremely hot as your face felt wet due to the non stop tears going down your face, you don’t why he said it but when he did you just snapped. All the emotions you had since you found out you lost your baby came back after so long of trying to heal yourself and keep them away.

When the day you got into that crash was the day you found out you were pregnant and you had miscarried.

“I’m sorry to say Ms. (Y/L/N), but due to many fractures of your body..unfortunately you had miscarried.” The nurse had said, as for you, you were confused and frozen as you were sat up in your bed. “Miscarried? W-What do you mean?.” The nurse bit down on her lip seeing as that you didn’t even know you were pregnant in the first place, she softly sighed walking towards your bed and crouching down towards your height taking your shaking bandaged hand into hers with a sad look. “(Y/N), you were 10 weeks pregnant. And due to you fracturing many parts of your body, it caused you to miscarry your child.” You felt your world grumble to the floor upon hearing that leave her mouth. You were pregnant and you didn’t even know? I mean you could say one morning you were feeling a little sick throwing up out of nowhere and just not feeling good at all but you just thought it was something you ate the other night brushing it off. But it came to realize..the reason why you were feeling sick and puking your guts out was because you were indeed pregnant. You had lost your baby..your sweet little angel that didn’t even get a chance to live.

You were feeling so many emotions you didn’t know what to do, after you heard the news you had stopped racing for awhile, smoking and even hanging out with the gang, they all grew suspicious of the act but just brushed it off not wanting to bother you while you were in the state you were in. After a while you decided to tell them what had been going on and what happened. “What’s been going on, (Y/N)? You’ve been ignoring us for the past month now. We’re worried about you..” Marci said sadly as she watched you nervously play with your fingers. “I- I’ve..uhm.” You couldn’t form the right sentence as you instantly felt the tears come down your cheek. This made the group widen their eyes to see you violently shaking and tears coming down your face fast, they all came over to you into a group hug, leaning your head into Kai’s shoulder just letting out the emotions that were in you.

Kai silently shushed you into your ear as he softly played with your braids knowing it would kinda help calm you down, as for Isiah and Marci they were whispering nothing but it’ll be okay or we’re here for you etc etc. You continued crying onto Kai’s shoulder feeling your whole body weaken, you were weak..you were mentally fucked, you were depressed, you were just going through a lot. As you began to calm down after a few minutes you decided to tell them what you’ve been hiding for so long, “When I had woken up in the hospital bed the nurse w-was already there to do whatever she needed to do. She had begun to tell me what had happened and said i badly fractured my body..t-then she mentioned that i..i had m-miscarried.”

You were afraid they would be disgusted with you but you were proven wrong when they all took care of you and helped you back up on your feet, you leaned your head against the steering wheel with faint breaths as you tried to calm down. You felt your grip on the wheel loosen as they went limp on your lap but soon rubbed your tummy with a small smile.

“I told you we would win..”

He just stood there frozen with wide eyes still feeling the sting you had left on his cheek. You had speeded off into the faint night leaving the crowd shocked and confused, as for the gang Isiah and the rest were pissed off. Kai had walked up towards him slightly shoving him back into Jean’s chest. “Fuck is your problem dawg? You just go out of your way to bring that shit up?!” He yelled walking towards him but got stopped when Isiah grabbed him by the shoulder. Eren furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the two males glare at him, “Oh, so it’s okay when she gets to tease him but when he does it-“ Jean started but got interrupted, “That wasn’t teasin are fuckin stupid?!. That’s bringing up trauma she had to face!” Marci yelled making the group go silent, Eren looked up making to look at her, “Trauma? What trauma?” He questioned, Marci rolled her eyes glaring towards the male, “She was fucking pregnant. With YOUR baby.”

Silence.

His eyes widened, “Pregnant?!”

The group furrowed their eyebrows as confusion started to linger, “Trauma? What are you talking about?.” Armin asked, Marci scoffed and rolled her eyes. “For god sake! When she crashed into that god damn race. She lost her baby, YOUR baby! She was fucking pregnant.” Everything went silent, the crowd had gasps leaving their mouths with whispers beginning as Eren widened his eyes.

“Pregnant?”

A/N : Pt 2 coming…NEVER 🤣.

👀

[imaginethezeldaverse]

The Champions (New & Old) meet your pet cat 🐱

My drabble-ish headcanons for the champs, new and old (with the addition of Tulin obvs) meeting your feline friend for the first time. ...Because we deserved kitties being BOTW/TOTK.

Revali is immediately on guard. The only creature he has to compare it to is a Lynel given the shape of its nose and pointed teeth. However, seeing how incredibly small it is in comparison does bring him some ease. You hold up your cat under its front paws to try and show Revali that he's relatively harmless, but the Rito turns his beak up a bit with a wary glare. It takes quite some time before Revali is used to your pet, but he eventually warms up to him. Even makes a toy out of a few of his molted feathers for your kitty.

Daruk has to compartmentalize that a cat is NOT the same thing as a dog, and thankfully when he sees your kitty cat, it becomes very clear that those two animals aren't even close in stature. This relaxes the Goron champion, who instead becomes intrigued by this "tiny lion". He waves his fingers over your pet's head, a gesture that your kitty finds playful and sits up right to try and catch the oversized digits. Daruk is immediately enamored by how small and lively it is that he dubs it his new buddy. Many times after that you will find your cat curled up in Daruk's arm - the latter of which couldn't stop it from climbing his back and housing itself there and he didn't have the heart to put him down after.

Mipha is about as curious as your kitty is when they meet one another. Your cat takes a few sniffs of her hand to try and identify her to which she giggles softly, finding it's little nose and whiskers adorable. She tucks her fingers under your pet's chin and gently scratches, mentioning that your kitty reminds her of the catfish her father used to raise when she was little. Though in your head you think of how vastly different catfish are from actual cats, you shrug and watch on fondly as your cat takes to Mipha fairly quickly. But it's Mipha and you honestly don't think there HASN'T been a person or creature that didn't love her anyway.

You were unsure how Urbosa would react to your pet cat, and it showed with how nervous you were to introduce the two to each other. However, Urbosa leaned over to inspect the fuzzy creature in your arms, only for a small paw press gently on her nose. The calm, cool nature of the Gerudo Chief was immediately broken, her emerald eyes softening at the tiny, meowing thing. Her nails scratch at its head and your cat purrs, eyes closing in complete delight from the attention. Urbosa feels her heart beat with a maternal thrum, suddenly feeling very protective of your pet. She looks up from petting it and warns you that if anything were to happen to him she would strike the perpetrator down with the biggest bolt of lightning she can summon.

The father & son duo of Teba and Tulin weren't exactly sure what to think. This tiny furry creature wasn't a being of flight like they were, and it required you to take care of it almost like a child - but clearly you two were not of the same kin. Teba has seen dogs before at the stables, but your feline friend was definitely not that. Upon meowing, Tulin immediately perked up, commenting on how cute that sound it made was. You held up your kitty and made its paw wave at your friends - Tulin taking its beaned hand for a little handshake. Teba on the other hand can't help but chuckle to himself, never thinking he'd find anything other than his son when he was a hatchling so cute.

Yunobo is immediately in love with your kitty cat! He's a very gentle soul himself, and all sort of animals have miraculously flocked to him in some way: birds, dogs, squirrels, etc. So seeing your pet, he wants to make friends with it right away. Because his stature might spook your little baby, he takes to kneeling, lending out his hand for your cat to take his scent in. Without missing a beat, his hand is instantly rubbed upon and before you know it, Yunobo is holding him in his arms the way one would hold a baby. You're almost dumbfounded at how swiftly your cat takes to him. But the Goron just gives you the sweetest of smiles, commenting on how relieved he is that your pet likes him.

Sidon has a bit of trouble getting along with your cat at first. His ludicrously tall build and pointed shark teeth intimidate your kitty in a way that makes him scared of the Zora royalty. This bruises Sidon's poor heart, he really does want to get to know your feline companion! It takes a little warming up (and a bit of fish treats from your finned friend), but eventually your cat does allow him petting rights. Delighted as ever, Sidon revels in the purring noises your cat lets out, comparing him to a tiny motor. You laugh at the childish wonder in Sidon's eyes as he waves his arm above your cat's head - the tiny paws swiping at the blue and yellow tinged forearm fin playfully.

Riju is ENAMORED with your adorable little cat! She's seen strays in the past in her diplomatic travels throughout Hyrule, but she's never had the opportunity to actually play with and pet one. The small mews and rascally nature of your cat has the Gerudo chief squealing with delight. So much so it draws the attention of some of her warriors who, despite their strong demeanors, cannot help but coo at the creature. To your unfortunate expense, the whole ordeal earns you an annoyed stare from Patricia - and you're mildly worried because you weren't aware that sand seals could glare...but she sure does.

[maleyanderecafe]

Hey there! Have you played Where the Two Flowers Meet? It's made by the same creator as Sweet Valentine and it's SO much fun. I'm pretty sure one of the main charas is a yandere even though there's no yandere tag. Really recommend it if you haven't tried it yet (do heed the TWs tho)

I will be honest, although I did see this in my itchio dashboard a long time ago, I didn't end up playing it because of my giant (and still giant) backlog of yandere games. I am glad that I got this ask for it because man, syllphana did it again with their seriously amazing story telling and characters, which is expected from the creator of Sweetest Valentine. Keep in mind there are a lot of warnings including suicide amongst other things, but Where the Two Flowers Meet is a great scifi style yandere story with some bittersweet endings. This game is rather long with about 10 different endings so the summary for this will be quite long as well.

The story starts with a man waking up in a hospital, having lost his right eye, right arm and has amnesia. While in this state, he is visited by a doctor who introduces himself as Caleb. He tell the man that his name is Aran and that the two of them are lovers. Aran is of course entirely surprised by this, having not remembered the 10 years of them being together and is worried about his current state. Caleb tells him that he tried to jump out of a building, thus the injuries and amnesia and that he's here to help me recall who he is and to take care of him as his injuries grow. Caleb starts to recount the two's history slowly as the days go by.

The history of Caleb and Aran are slowly drip fed throughout the first couple of chapters of the story as Aran tries to figure out what's gong on, but for the sake of not going back and forth I'll summarize most of it together here. All of this is done through Caleb's point of view.

Caleb first meets Aran while visiting his grandparent's old cottage one day to pay respects to him only to be spooked by a intruder. Caleb ends up meeting Aran who is trying to take care of the garden there. Aran seemed to have met Caleb's grandfather a ways back and became friends, basically becoming his gardener of sort. The two of them get closer afterwards with them even adopting a cat that wandered into the garden. Unfortunately, the cat ends up eating a poisonous flower and gets rushed to the hospital. The cat ends up dying due to consuming too much. After a while and burying the cat, we get to see Aran painting some things in the main room. Aran asks Caleb what he sees with the paintings, but when asked in response, Aran simply states that he paints without purpose, something that Caleb doesn't understand. While Caleb believes you have to earn the right to be born else be useless, Aran believes that life doesn't necessarily have a purpose or meaning. The two of their philosophies seem to contradict each other, with Caleb believing they exist to make the world a better place, where Aran believes that there isn't always a purpose to everything. We also get to learn more about Caleb's family life, that his biological father was an alcoholic and didn't take care of him, but that he is currently living with his adoptive parents and a better life. As the story goes on, the two of them get closer, understanding each others habits, learning from each other and taking care of each other. While Caleb is more stern and practical, it's obvious that he has a much better lifestyle than Aran, and he is working hard to get his medical degree. Meanwhile Aran is much more self destructive in his lifestyle because although he seems to be an artist (making music, paintings, etc) he lives life very day to day, eating junk food and not taking care of himself, something that Caleb often worries about. Aran also seems to have the habit of running away, either avoiding conversations or simply not meeting Caleb for long stretches of time. At a couple points in the story, we see Frida, one of Caleb's associates meet him in front of their house, wanting him to join a project of sorts despite Caleb heavily despising Frida. At some point, to loosen up, Aran invites Caleb to a bar to hang out. There, he meets a girl named Sarah who seems worried about both Aran and his brother, as she hasn't seen his brother in a while. Eventually Caleb has to bring Aran home after getting extremely drunk and Aran even attempts to sleep with Caleb. We see that Aran believes that he's ultimately useless as compared to his brother who is in the army, believing that the only good use he has is his body, something that Caleb shuts down as he tries to take care of him. The next day after taking care of each other, the two of them have fun at an amusement park to let go of their worries. Near the end as the two watch the sunset, they talk more about their issues, with Aran worried about Caleb's outview on life, relating to him stating that he doesn't have to work so hard to prove himself, that he's not useless. Similarly, Caleb talks to Aran about his self destructive life style and the previous life, worried that he's suicidal. At the end, the two of them end up dating happily, at least for a while. Caleb ends up learning that Aran's mother is slowly dying, and that Aran will start to sell his paintings and eventually his house to help take care of her. Caleb, worried about Aran decides to give some of his savings to him so that he can take care of his mom. However, upon returning home to get the money he's saved up, he finds it gone. He calls his adoptive mother, who replies that he gave the money to his biological father weeks ago, with Caleb never being able to get the money back, and not being able to pay for Aran's costs.

Aran in the hospital is visited by Julia, his nurse who he recognizes as Caleb's sister and seems to be trying to help him out of this situation, but is unable to tell him the truth about what is going on. After Caleb reveals that his mother is dying Aran freaks out, with Caleb stating that he is simply taking care of her and that she's fine.Aran is able to leave his room one day and finds that the place is heavily monitored, and that he's essentially trapped there unless he can get a keycard. Julia does end slipping him a keycard which he can then choose to use.

If he doesn't use it, Aran lives in bliss about what is about to happen. He is eventually discharged from the hospital by Caleb and given flowers, only to then be shot and killed by Caleb soon after.

If Aran does use it, he ends up finding out he is in a very specified part of the hospital and goes to the library. There he meets Frida, a coworker that Caleb despises due to her personality. She seems entertained by the prospect that he's escaped and even decides to help him by showing him where the archives are. There Aran finds out that he's part of an experiment and finds out that he might not actually be Aran. After returning to his room, Caleb apologizes to Aran for lying about his mother as she has died, and here Aran can decide to either call him out for lying or not say anything.

Calling him out for lying leads to Caleb sedating Aran, stating that the subject became unstable and wiping his memory again, thus starting the entire cycle of the game over again.

If Aran decides not to, he will notice that Caleb is monitoring his reactions and decides to calm down so that Caleb won't notice. He tries to convince Caleb to tell him the truth, with Caleb worried as Aran had tried to kill himself three times now. Julia comes in and tries to convince Aran to leave as soon as possible as he is an innocent bystander in this. However, Aran is determined to learn more about what is going on. He ends up going back to archives to get more information only to find the other experimentation. It seems like they are in a project called Project Metamorphosis where they are able to basically replace another person's brain with someone else's memories. The current Aran is the seventh version of this, with the other versions having died or otherwise were killed. He finds a video of Caleb interviewing him in a blank room. We find out the Aran we currently know is actually Aran's twin brother, Roy, who was a military man and gained the injuries after a fight. Roy initially is against the idea of the procedure, finding it cruel and unusual, but Caleb is able to convince him, stating that because of this procedure he'd be able to not only revive their mother but also Roy's child. Roy feels as if he doesn't have much to live for after and agrees to the procedure, something that Caleb is pleased about as it's expected that it would be easier to map Aran's brain onto Roy's since the two are twins.

From this point on the main character, has to decide if he still is Aran or if he is no longer him. This splits the path into two with their own endings.

If he does decide that he's Aran, where he essentially brainwashes himself into believing that he is and the point of view switches to Caleb. We get to see the flashback of Aran's last moments through Caleb's eyes. We see that Aran was not able to save his mother, not even able to sell the house after Caleb disappears, which Caleb feels immense guilt over, even though Aran attempts to reassure him. Aran asks Caleb to essentially leave him alone for a bit, something that Caleb feels worried about, but ultimately respects. After almost two weeks without contact, Aran finally picks up Caleb's calls, leading to a sad final call with Aran as he drunkenly drowns himself in the woods due to his depression and commits suicide. Caleb rushes to try to find Aran but it's too late, and finds his dead body floating in the river. He's about to give up when he remember project Metempsychosis, the project that Frida is a part of and plots to try to save Aran in this way.

Back in the present, we see that Aran is acting calmly, at least until Caleb decides to tell him that he'll be discharged from the hospital. Caleb seems pretty pissed that Aran is essentially faking being nice to him as he's basically lied and confined him to the hospital, but Aran doesn't seem to realize this at all. Caleb confronts Frida about this, realizing that he is now actually acting like Aran to which Frida seems confused and smug about as this is something that he wanted to have. We see another flashback of Caleb taking Aran's brain from when he was dead and find that current Aran is now clutching said brain in the storage room. Caleb is able to coerce him back to his room. From there, Caleb tells Aran that he no longer wants to contact with him when he is discharged from the hosptial, leading to Aran becoming outraged and angry, attempting to break down the door as Caleb leaves. When visiting him the next day, Caleb finds that Aran has pulled out the needle to his IV drip bag, and starts talking about paintings, similarly to how Aran did in the past. Caleb calms him down, stating that the two will be together forever, something that makes Caleb happy in some way. The next day, Aran attempts to pin Caleb down and coerce him into having sex with him, however, Caleb tries to push him away. Before he leaves, Aran threatens to sleep with others if he goes.

If Caleb stays with Aran, the two of them will end up sleeping together, as Caleb believes this is retribution for what he's done to Aran. The two will end up moving together in a toxic relationship.

If instead Caleb leaves, he finds the next day that Aran has hung himself with his IV drip line. He can then decide whether to stop continuing the project or to continue.

If he decides to stop, he will end up shooting himself, resulting in him finally being together with Aran in the afterlife while his dead body lay slumped next to the body of Aran.

If he decides to continue, he ends up converting the sixth trial, 06 into Aran. He is successfully able to implant Aran's memories onto him thus continuing the project and eventually adopting Roy's Metempsychosised daughter.

If however Aran decides that he isn't really Aran anymore, he eventually goes by 07 based on his designation number. As he wanders around, he ends up being caught by Caleb and brought back to an observation room. Caleb and 07 talk about what 07 has learned- how he's not Aran, but rather Aran's memories implanted onto Roy and takes the keycard amongst some other things in his pocket, while leaving Julia's number in his pocket. Julia comes in and tells 07 that they have to leave now, or else his memories will be erased once again.

If the two leave, they will be able to leave the life behind, running away from the experiments. The ending leaves the two mostly happy, though not aware of what happened to the rest of the facility and it's ongoing.

If he decides to stay, he will state that he wants to stop Caleb from continuing and find out more about what is going on, no longer running away from his past as he did before as well as worried about Caleb's new victim. Julia sympathizes and brings him to Frida, who has been working together with Julia to help him, at least for the time being. After bringing him to the lab, Julia warns 07 not to break anything before leaving. 07 is able to find documents on Roy's family, how he had a daughter and wife as well as general brain scans of Roy. He also sees pictures of Aran, and eventually finds his brain.

If he chooses to destroy it, Julia will come find him and get angry, as he basically has been refusing to listen to her the entire time. He is caught and wakes up as Caleb is sawing his head open, ready to get more information form him. He accepts Caleb's request of ending it quickly leading it to his death.

If 07 decides not to, he will feel in turmoil, though speaking with Julia lightens him up a bit, seeing that Caleb seems to care about 07 a lot more than the other experiments, which gives 07 some hope that he'll be able to convince Caleb of his wrongdoings. He is brought back to his room where he talks to Caleb the next day about how he joined project Metempsychosis to bring Aran back, even revealing that Frida herself is a product of this project, with Caleb even seeing the original Frida die before his eyes. We see that Caleb is using this project to atone for his misdeeds as he believes that it was his fault that Aran died in the first place. Caleb confirms that 07 will be brought into his brain being wiped and Aran has the choice to kill Caleb.

If he does, he will successfully kill Caleb by choking him, only to realize that he had a gun this entire time and could have killed him. This just leads to him getting caught by the others.

If he doesn't, he will find a key taped under his bowl, and has Julia come into the room by pretending to stab himself. Julia confirms that the key isn't actually from her and promises the next day to talk to him before he gets the procedure. Unfortunately, the next day when Julia comes in, she ends up dying in front of him, with Caleb confirming she was poisoned by the executives for helping 07. After this, Caleb essentially helps 07 escape and with the two of them fighting off scientists and security guards, they are able to leave the hospital. While they leave, Caleb tries to buy time for 07 by going back, in which here 07 has to convince Caleb.

If he convinces Caleb by asking what Aran would do, he will leave with 07 back to the cottage. However, upon sleeping, 07 finds a note thanking 07 before finding that Caleb has committed suicide to be with Aran again.

If he asks about himself, the two will end up meeting Frida, who desperately tries to get Caleb to come back. 07 tells Caleb also that he can't keep running away from his problems, as project Metempsychosis will continue even if Caleb dies, urging him to try to stop these experimentation. After shooting her, the two end up going their separate ways, with 07 buying a new prosthetic eye and arm and permanently changing his name to 07. The two meet up about a year later, with Caleb promising to turn himself in for his crimes and to allow the two of them to finally get some closure.

So first things first, I really like the story for this game and that's probably just because so far I do like Syllaphana's games for both being interesting and having cool twists and turns. In their devlog after this game, they were talking about how they didn't do that well on the worldbuilding, but honestly I thought it was pretty good. It's a solid and simple concept that makes sense in the world that it's in and it's not overly complicated but still explores a lot of different venues, which I think is a perfect match for it. The pacing in the story is also pretty good- I didn't really find any parts of it that dragged for long periods of time and I felt like mostly each part was concise enough to get from scene to scene without it feeling too weird (though it was a bit strange that 07 is able to get away with a lot, such as leaving his room like 3 times with little repercussion, but it's a nitpick). I like how most of the music is a piano motif of some sort as well (except for when they go to the club) which really brings a kind of softer vibe to the overall gameplay experience.

One of the things that I liked the most is seeing Aran and Caleb's relationships form. I actually do appreciate that they're not overly romantic for the most part because while it can be cute, it fits more of the theme for the game (and that I actually have a bias for relationships that aren't just... romanceish, I guess, though it depends on how they are written). It's nice that the pacing is fairly slow when they get together and we see how they mesh well together, with Aran being a bit more reactive to Caleb's teasing while also taking care of him, and Caleb a bit colder in some aspects but also deeply appreciative and caring of Aran. It's also nice to see the two's vices, with Aran being a lot more self destructive in his tendencies, as well as his tendency to run away from everything if given and Caleb's obsessiveness with having to prove himself to be useful, which leads to of course his involvement with Metaphychosis and guilt which he carries around in pretty much all endings. I think because these segments are much longer compared to Sweetest Valentine, we really get to see how they think and view the world as well as just how they are as people. It makes it much more unfortunate when everything starts to snowball, with Caleb not able to give Aran the money that he promised because of his adopted mother and Aran's mother dying after which just leads to Aran's death. It's a lot of unfortunate circumstances that continue to stack on top of each other until it's basically too late. Basically the point is, I like the way that the relationship was handled and that it was mostly in Caleb's point of view.

I actually surprisingly kind of like Frida too. She's a pretty awful person who constantly just plays around with both Caleb and 07 throughout the game, but she is, at least towards 07, relatively useful in his search for what's going on. I actually like the reveal that Frida is actually part of this project as well, that her current body is actually a successful attempt at transposing someone and that she can just continuously be duplicated over and over again. There's some kind of horror knowing that the current body you're in can just be replaced by a company to be exactly the same, and that the current Frida has actually died long ago. It makes me wonder if that's why she was so desperate to get Caleb to stay because otherwise her existence would be in jeopardy or if she had wished that there would be another like her.

For the endings, I normally usually like the "true" or happier endings for characters, but I actually have to side with my yandere lover side and say my favorite ending is the one where Caleb and Aran end in a basically abusive relationship, where Caleb takes the brunt of Aran's anger as a way to pay for what he's done and to satisfy his guilt. It's messed up but in a weird cathartic way, and I honestly do like it better than the true ending. All of the endings are rather bittersweet in one way or another though and it does fit the tone of the story.

But anyways, to the part most people actually care about which is the yandere section. Caleb for the most part is a replacement yandere, though he can be defined as a couple of different ones depending on which route you go down of. Normally replacement yanderes sort of just project their love onto someone who is similar to their love interest, which makes them a bit more iffy in terms of whether they're really yandere for the second person, but in thise case, Caleb is literally transplanting memories onto various people in the hope that one of them becomes Aran. We can see that it doesn't really matter who or what becomes Aran, so as long as Caleb can revive him to some degree, all of the pain and suffering is worth it, as we see in the ending where 07 dies and 06 is used as the replacement. It's also of note that Caleb also does this out of guilt for not being able to save Aran, which I can always appreciate when there's a deeper meaning to why someone becomes a yandere in the first place and he's also aware that what he's doing is wrong but refuses to stop in the hopes that he can one day get Aran back. It's interesting to see that if 07 tricks himself into believing he is Aran that Caleb always stays as a yandere, either accepting him or someone else as Aran, or even just straight up dying so that he can be with him. Ironic that when 07 tries to become Aran so that he won't take any other innocent bystanders away from the experiment that Caleb just gets worse and worse. 07 actually does also become a yandere in these endings too, killing himself when realizes that Caleb is trying to throw him away or even abusing him afterwards, possibly as a way to sate Caleb's guilt(and his own anger) so that he's exactly as he would want. In his true ending, Caleb becomes a redeemed yandere, realizing that he can't run away from his problems nor bring back Aran, and the two have a rather bittersweet reunion. I think it's a nice way for Caleb to realize the error of his ways, and is a good arc to when he finally is able to see 07 as a person and not as an experiment to bring Aran back. This is something even 07 calls out to him about, stating that it's messed up to do something like this and that Aran would never want this to happen, though if it actually gets through to Caleb depends on 07's choices. Caleb's life is intertwined with Aran to the point of suicide in many of the endings.

But anyways, I really like playing this game. It's impressively long compared to the various other demos I've been playing recently and it does a really good job of building this kind of scifiish like world relating to memory erasure. The characters were all pretty interesting (and I feel bad for Julia since she basically sacrifices herself in the best ending, with Caleb... reaction somehow less than 07 which seems strange) and it has an interesting yandere. It's good and I highly recommend playing it.

[sweeter-innocence-fics]

Summer Fic Week 2023 - Day 2: Tangled Up in You

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Work Summary:

You were supposed to have a tent to yourself, but unfortunately, Eddie snores.

Steve x Reader sharing a tent.

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 2192

Read on AO3.

Masterlists.

Summer Fics Masterlist.

Taglist: @mrs-kai-anderson @ang3l1te @missryerye

Taglist info.

Notes:

No Upside Down AU but Billy still beat the crap out of Steve that one time.

Warnings for reader being a bit of a scaredy cat, mentions of serial killers and strangulation, spooky stories, allusions to emotional abuse (steve's parents), the existential nightmare of your late teens/early twenties, implied ronance

---

You were the last one up.

That wasn’t strictly true. You’d gone to bed, and gotten up again. Alone in your tent, you’d spooked yourself, thinking that shadows were figures standing outside, or the branches whipping in the wind were animals coming to get you.

So you’d picked up your blanket and gone back outside. The campfire was little more than dying embers right now, but you were fine with that. It was oppressively hot and humid tonight.

The five of you had brought three tents with you: Steve was sharing with Eddie, Robin with Nancy, and you had the small one all to yourself.

Normally, you would’ve just squeezed three people into a two-person tent, but you got the feeling that Nancy and Robin had plans that didn’t involve you. Besides, it was far too hot to be squished in like that.

Somewhere behind you, you heard a twig snapping. You tensed.

It was probably nothing. It was probably just a branch, caught in the wind. Or a small animal.

Definitely not a serial killer. Definitely not a bear or a wolf or a mountain lion.

You strained your ears, not daring to turn around. It was stupid, but you felt you were safe if you stayed still.

Nothing. It was almost certainly-

Another twig snapped, and you whipped your head around. There was a dark figure standing between the boys’ tent and the girls’ tent. You twisted in your seat and lost your balance, falling into a heap on the ground.

“Woah, woah, hey.” A flashlight flickered on. It was Steve.

You exhaled. “What the fuck?” You rubbed your nose, trying to hide how fast you were breathing.

“I had to go pee,” he said. “You’re jumpy tonight. Can’t sleep?”

“The scary stories may have been a mistake.” Even so, it was hilarious to watch the way Eddie threw himself into storytelling. He was a real artiste.

Nancy, too, was a surprising one. She wasn’t a performer like Eddie was, but she knew how to tell a story. On her turn, she’d talked about a serial killer who broke into people’s houses to torture and kill them, and you had felt your skin crawling.

That had been where your mind had instinctively gone when Steve’s shadow had loomed over you.

“I can’t sleep either.” He flopped down on a rock beside you. “Eddie snores,” he complained, and you chuckled. “I was thinking I might just sleep out here. It’s hot enough.”

“All alone? And let the Hawkins Strangler get you?” you teased, jabbing him in the side.

“Shut up,” he said. He might’ve been good at hiding it, but you were pretty sure that Steve was just as shook up by the scary stories as you were.

“You wanna share with me, instead? I don’t wanna go back in there alone.”

“You sure?”

“I can’t have you sleeping out here. Come on.” You gathered up your blankets and got to your feet. Steve stared at you, still not sure if you were serious. “We’ve shared rooms, like, hundreds of times.”

“As kids.”

“What’s the difference?” There was a big difference, but neither of you were going to say that. You held out a hand to him. He took it, and you tugged him to his feet.

You didn’t speak as he followed you into your tent. He had left his sleeping bag in his own tent, but it was so hot out that you decided to spread yours on the ground and use it as a mat rather than a cover.

Your tent was just about big enough for two people to lie side by side without touching each other, but it was hard to get comfortable. You didn’t want to encroach into his space.

As you rolled away from him, tucking a pillow under your head, he said “Regretting inviting me in?” His tone was light.

“Nah, you’re good. If the Hawkins Strangler shows up, you’re closer to the door, so he’ll get you first.”

“No way.” You heard him shift slightly, so you rolled back over to face him. All you could see was his silhouette. He was leaning up on one elbow. “I used to run track. He’ll never catch me.”

“So you’d leave me to be strangled?”

“No, of course not!” He nudged your arm. “I’d lead him away, giving you time to escape.”

“How? I can’t drive Eddie’s van.”

“I’m assuming Eddie and Robs and Nancy have already fallen victim to the Strangler in this scenario?”

“Of course. Eddie’s alone so he’d be taken first. Robin and Nancy are… distracted, so he’d get them next. But you and me, we’re alert. We’d be ready for him.”

“I would be. I already told you. I ran track. I could draw him away from you if you could drive the van, but you can’t, so you’re on your own.”

“So you’d leave me to die.”

“In a heartbeat.”

You giggled. “I don’t believe you.” Steve chuckled quietly. “I think you’ve got a heroic streak, Steve-o. I don’t buy you leaving without me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, you did get the crap kicked out of you by Billy Hargrove when he was threatening Lucas that one time. That’s pretty heroic to me.”

Even in the darkness, you saw him wince. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Why? Do compliments make you uncomfortable?”

“Don’t,” he said.

You leant up on your elbow. Your eyes were adjusting to the dark now, and you could see that he was rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“You amaze me sometimes, you know that? You used to think you were hot shit, when all you were was a rich guy who was good at sports, and now you’re getting all bashful on me when you’re one of the coolest people I know.”

He exhaled hard. “There’s nothing cool about working for the company my dad owns.”

You picked up your pillow and dropped it between you, and then folded your hands on top of it. He hadn’t technically started the job yet, but you knew it was the plan, after the summer was over.

His dad had gotten to him. No son of mine is going to work in a video store in his twenties. You could practically hear his dad’s voice booming in your ears. Growing up, you had been witness to far too many shouting matches between Steve and his father.

You’d been friends with him since elementary school, so you’d seen each other at your highest and your lowest.

“Fuck working for your dad. You like Family Video!”

“It’s not a career.” Even then, you could hear the echo of his father’s voice in Steve’s.

“Well, we both know you’d be a great fireman, or a nurse, or a teacher-”

“Nobody wants me looking after their kids.”

“Are you kidding me?” You slapped his shoulder lightly with the back of your hand. “You’re great with kids. If I had kids, you’d be the first person I’d call to take care of them.”

‘Ideally, you’d be their dad’ was what you didn’t say.

You had always thought you would marry Steve, ever since you were little. He was sweet and kind and funny, and he was your best friend.

Then high school happened, and you became very different people. You never hung out at school, and eventually you stopped hanging out at weekends too. He always had a party to go to, or a date with some hot, popular girl. He didn’t have space in his life for you anymore.

During senior year, things changed again. Nancy had dumped him, Tommy and Carol had abandoned him to hang out with Billy instead, and he was alone.

You had wondered if he would come crawling back to you then, but he didn’t. You had your own friends by that point, and no desire to revisit the heartaches of the past.

He had graduated quietly, and started working at Scoops Ahoy. That was where you reconnected. Robin was a friend of yours, and for a while, they were attached at the hip. Hanging out with Robin meant hanging out with Steve.

You had been reticent at first, but it didn’t take long to realise that the little boy you had always loved was back. No more King Steve. Just Stevie. Just the boy who punched a kid twice his size in the face for making fun of your shoes.

Except now he was taller. More mature. Handsomer. You wondered if you would ever stop fantasising about spending the rest of your life with him. It didn’t seem like it was going to happen at any point soon.

“Are you still awake?” he whispered.

“Yeah.”

“Good. You went quiet.”

“You went quiet first.”

“Yeah… Well…” He took a deep breath. “Do you really think I could do it? Be a teacher, I mean?”

“Steve…” You chuckled softly. “I think you’d do it better than anyone. I think-”

Just outside the door of your tent, there was a loud crunch. You gasped, scrambling away from the noise. Unfortunately, ‘away’ in this case meant towards Steve.

The back of your head hit his shoulder, but instead of pushing you away, he sat up, putting an arm around you. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, and you weren’t sure if he was trying to reassure himself or you.

“Knock knock!”

You exhaled. Eddie.

“What do you want, Eds? It’s like, four in the morning,” you said.

“Have you seen Harrington? He wasn’t there when I woke up.”

You glanced at Steve, who huffed out a laugh. “I’m right here, Munson. Your snoring woke me up.”

Eddie made an offended noise. “I do not snore.”

You rolled your eyes. “Go back to bed, Eds. Stop sneaking around like some kind of ghoul. I nearly pissed myself.”

“And stop being so damn loud,” Steve added. “You’re gonna wake up Nancy and Robin.”

“Oh, I highly doubt they’re sleeping.”

“Get lost, Munson!”

“Alright, geez.” You could picture Eddie throwing his hands up in frustration. “If you’d have told me I was gonna be the fifth wheel on this trip, I wouldn’t have come.” It was a joke, but your heart felt like it had flipped over in your chest.

Eddie’s footsteps receded. It took far too long for you to realise that you were practically sitting in Steve’s lap.

“Sorry, am I crushing you?” You tried to shift off him, but Steve’s arm curled around your waist.

“Sometimes I think you’re the only person in the world who believes in me,” he said, sounding wistful. “You’re my best friend, you know that?”

“Don’t let Robin hear you say that,” you joked. He didn’t say anything. You realised, half a second too late, that he was trying to be sincere. You didn’t do well with sincere. It was easier to talk about your feelings if it was a joke. Still, you’d try. For Steve, you’d try. “You’re my best friend too. But you already know that. You’re like the other half of me.”

“Like my soulmate.”

“Exactly. Soulmates.”

Steve shifted, moving to lie back down. You felt yourself moving with him, until you were lying down with your head on his chest.

“Sometimes I get scared I’m gonna lose you,” he said. “’Cause you’re going off to college. You’re gonna meet some smart guy and get married and have babies and I’m gonna lose you forever.”

“Steve…”

“The ridiculous thing is…” He laughed mirthlessly. “That was half the reason I wanted to work for my dad in the first place. So I could travel around a lot. I could be close to you. And I might not be a smart guy, but I’d be a rich guy, and that’s almost as good.”

“Steve.” You leant up on his chest, forearm resting across his ribcage. You pretended that you couldn’t feel his heart thundering beneath you. “You don’t have to lose me. And you don’t have to work for your dad. I just want you to be happy.”

“You make me happy.” His fingertips brushed against your cheekbone.

“I’m not gonna run away to get married right out of college. Especially not if I have someone to come home to.”

“Someone like me?”

You swallowed. Your throat was dry. “If you want me.”

“Be mine?” He said it so quietly that if you hadn’t been holding your breath, you might not have heard him.

You pushed yourself up so that you could press your lips against his. His other arm came to wrap around you immediately. You splayed your hands across his collarbone, savouring the flavour of his lips. You could taste the marshmallows he’d been eating earlier.

He broke apart from you for a moment, and you rested your forehead against his.

“I wanna be a teacher,” he said, breathlessly, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“And I wanna come home to you every break. I want you to come see me at college. I wanna be yours, and I want you to be mine.”

“Baby…” His hands massaged at your waist, sending shivers down your spine. “I’ve always been yours.”

---

Notes:

Preview of tomorrow's fic: Set in the 'Even If It All Comes Crashing Down'-verse. You, Colin and the girls are moving house.

[k-s-morgan]

I absolutely love your writing - WHGTB was stunning and heartwrenching, while ATLWETD is darker, sharper, and filled with tension. I can't wait to see how the story develops. It gives me strong cat-and-mouse vibes (death note-esque), and I love it. I just have one question, and maybe I just missed it when reading: but why isn't Tom using legilimency to verify Harry's claims? I remember him using it at one point, but he hasn't after. Is it because it's a breach of trust, or because Harry has occulumency? I'm not sure haha. My second question is probably getting into spoilers, but who's going to fall first, Harry or Tom? Thank you for your work, and I can't wait for the next chapter to drop. 🩵🩵🩵

Thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed these two stories! I have a lot of fun writing ATLWETD, with all its differences. It's interesting to see how these rawer versions of Tom and Harry could fall in love.

As for your question, Harry issues this threat to Tom in the second chapter:

"About my memories: it’s in your best interests to stay away from them. You didn’t seem to enjoy them, and it will only get worse if you try again. I told you already, we can’t know how such a collision of two worlds can affect either of us. I came into your world; maybe seeing too much will drag you into mine for balance.”

So, there are two biggest things at play here. Tom was disturbed to see himself as Voldemort. This kind of future horrified him, and he's wary of the idea of seeing it again. He would have probably still succumbed to temptation, but Harry's warning about him seeing too much and getting sucked into another world worried him enough to keep him at bay. Tom has no idea how Harry got into his universe - Harry was very vague about it, so he cannot imagine what might happen. What if the force that pulled Harry here will decide to compensate and throw Tom into his first world with Voldemort? This is the nightmare Tom doesn't want to even consider.

Not that he buys into this possibility wholeheartedly, but even a small risk is too much for him, especially since the stakes aren't high, in his view. He's curious, but he trusts that Harry told him the truth. Nothing else occurs to him because of Harry's status as his Horcrux.

Wait until he starts worrying that Harry might be taken back from him :D

As for who is going to fall first, honestly, I don't know! I think Harry will acknowledge his feelings first, I have a specific scene of this in mind, but it's possible that Tom's attraction will appear even sooner, only he'll be too uncertain and spooked to act on it. We'll see, usually these things develop by themselves, I don't have much control here, lol.

[lollipencil]

SCP-3922 Test Log ???

Wanted to try this out, here's the page about this SCP for anyone who's confused. Minor spoilers for the whole series.

Enjoy and be gentle

---

Subject: Marvel's Moon Knight, Episode 1 "The Goldfish Problem", 2022, TV-14

Interference Point: Shortly after the two men open fire on Steven in the Alps.

Result: Runtime extended to total runtime of series. The two men fire off five shots each before being taken out by sniper fire. Still panicked, Steven runs in the same direction as canon, but is calmed by an SCP-3922-A instance before he could run into the village, and willingly follows them into a truck to be taken to a safe place. The truck drives off as several attack squads storm the village.

Harrow is shown being shot over 500 times, and his staff broken and melted down. Members of his cult are shown being arrested, while a scene at the Gallery shows Donna being warned about creating an hostile workplace. Also shown, is Elias Spector being arrested for enabling the abuse of a child.

Back in the truck, Steven hands over the scarab, much to Khonshu's displeasure. It is later shown having its magical properties removed, while Ammit's shabti is acquired and carefully coated in alternative layers of concrete and an unknown metal, and then being fused into a cell wall under rocket launcher-armed guards.

From here, the series' genre changes to Slice-Of-Life/Psychological Drama, but retains its focus on the system and their journey to self-acceptence of their condition. Interestingly, while all the scenes from this point are original, some seem to echo scenes that would have occured without interference:

Roughly around the time Steven would have shoved a cupcake into a goon's face, he is given an identical (but vegan) cupcake by SCP-3922-A as he is given a medical check-up.

Gus is returned to Steven alive at the same point when he could have noticed Not-Gus normally.

Khonshu still spooks Steven at the same point for EP1, but is detained by multiple SCP-3922-A instances using a bracelet that makes Khonshu visible and physical to mortals.

Steven is introduced to a therapist who resembles (and is later revealed to be) Dr Andrea Sterman at the point in EP2 when therapy is discussed.

Jake briefly fronts at the same time in EP3, but Marc instead wakes to having won a race in Mario Kart Tour as Cat Peach.

At the same time as the boat scene, Layla and Marc have a similar talk.

The Trial scene in EP3 is replaced by Khonshu being forced to take part in seminars about healthy workplaces and inclusivity.

Layla finds out about her father's death earlier than in EP4, but has a nightmare about Marc being killed at the same time as that event occured in the series (the footage used is of the unaltered event), leading to her seeking him out for reassurance.

Jake physically appears at the same point as his sarcophagus is seen in EP4, cautiously writing a reply to Steven in a journal they've been given.

Steven's negotiation with Khonshu occurs at the same time, but with all three alters present, and an SCP-3922-A instance noting that as Khonshu has different aspects, "it would only make sence to allow the system to employ them, should they continue their employment with you. After all, the traveller's wellbeing afterward should matter as well." They ultimately come to an agreement.

The final scene of EP6 plays out much the same way with minor dialogue differences to reference Jake, and showing three goldfish, one of which is the original Gus.

After the credits (which use a softer piano-focused version of the usual theme), there is a end-credits scene before the usual SCP-3922 card. An SCP-3922-A instance is talking with Steven (who is wearing his version of the suit) about the system joining the Triple Moons, but he declines, offering instead to help out if they ever wind up in the area again. 3922-A nods and opens the door to leave, pausing only to allow in a lady waiting on the other side before closing the door behind them.

The camera angle changes, showing a room identical to that of the office of the Midnight Mission seen in the 2021 comic run. The scene cuts to black after Steven says the following: "Hello. Welcome to the Midnight Mission. My name is Mr Knight. How can I help you?"

Note: Between this and Meet The Soldier, it would appear that SCP-3922 can obtain information about a character from non-filmed narratives should it exist. Weither it is exclusive to comics or not, would require further testing.

[whitleyschn33]

RWBY V9 E08 Liveblog

I’m early again and already spoiled by the thumbnail, thanks a lot Crunchyroll (using the free trial until my usual sites fix themselves.)

- Another vague content warning, content warning are only useful if they warn about the actual content, RT. (It’s suicide/sucidial actions AGAIN just say suicide for fuck’s sake)

- Little, when have you ever actually guided the girls anywhere?

- I like that Ruby is breaking, but I wish the tone wasn’t quite so... grumbly? Like, the tone of voice sounds more petulant than upset, if that makes sense.

- Well... I do hope Little does actually knows the way back to the village, otherwise Ruby just left them there to die acres away from their home.

- ...What is this transition? It’s so abrupt, Ruby just arrives at the house. No shots of her reaction to her surroundings, no real look at what this acre looks like, no reaction to the house “appearing” (I say that as if it wasn’t just there, like the camera didn’t just cut to it without any establishing shot). This moment just feels so rushed, why?

- Is that the Roman Holiday cover art? And I’m assuming the little girl is Neo, so is her hair and eyes not natural, or did she unlock her semblance incredibly young?

- Hi Roman, by the way

- And all that hesitation Ruby was showing about using her weapon before? Gone. Could just be instinct overriding the trauma, it’s different being spooked into a fight vs rushing into one, but whatever.

- Can Neo just make her illusions speak now? Why?

- Even dead, Roman steals the show. Man, I’ve missed him.

- Very generic “hey, maybe Ruby’s cracking under stress” talk

- She... apparently didn’t walk that far.

- Is this entire house made by Neo? The chandelier shattering seems to suggest that, but the house stays later in the episode implying that it’s not.

- And like... has Neo been around enough to know about all of this? About Pyrrha, Ozpin, Clover, Ironwood? This is an incredibly cathartic scene (and once again I wish we could have gotten to all of this earlier), I’m very much enjoy Penny’s and Ironwood’s lines, but I’m confused on just how Neo is doing it.

- ....Dead Oscar illusion is kinda sick, nice job animators, but this poor boy can’t catch a break even when not actually here.

- Hey, they remembered Qrow existed! 

- Good kitty with laser beams.

- ...Not good kitty. Darn it, Robbie Daymond. And “my maker”, is this how we’re going to tie this back to the main Remnant plot, because his maker can’t be Alyx or Lewis (I’m settling on this spelling because I finally got it through my dense skull that it’s a reference to Lewis Carroll, which makes me wonder if it was actually Lewis that made it out and Alyx that never came back, as the twist), so maybe it’s Ozma or the God of Light?

- Nice effort, Little - I do enjoy when they actually try to help in whatever ways they can, like with the doll at the auction.

-...So, will Little ascend, or because Neo killed them, are they dead dead?

-These reactions are so incredibly flat. If you’re going to do this, go all out with the team’s reactions, don’t just have them gasp and stare. They’d be doing so well with the facial expressions on Ruby, why cheap out here?

-Ew. Also, he’s alway gone in through the heart, why the mouth now?

-Oh yeah, wasn’t one of the theories of Neo’s fairy tale illusion the Cheshire Cat? Well, that’s confirmed now in horrific fashion.

Once again, I am asking why couldn’t we have cut out the fluff and gotten to this point sooner? It makes no sense that Neo is suddenly strong enough to do this, but at least it’s interesting and furthering Ruby’s character and arc along, and with only two episodes left and so much to deal with, this finale is going to feel rushed as all get out, I’m afraid.

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

Speckletail

Trigger warning: Suicide, starvation, miscarriage, and one VERY toxic relationship.

Speckletail was found as a kitten during The Great Hunger as a newborn when One-eye was 5 moons old. The story that Rooktail and Pinestar gave was that they had found her with no parents. They stuck to it so hard, that everyone believed it.

That is not what happened.

What the new leader and his companion found that day was a golden tabby molly kitten who was barely clinging to life, 2 ginger tom kittens, and a dark gray tabby molly. The 2 male kittens were already passed on, and the adult molly was found with a berry juice stained muzzle, and foam around her mouth. In the despair of losing 2 children, she left the other, taking her own life with deathberries. Pinestar and Rooktail gave the molly and her 2 sons a burial, and had actually been about to bury baby Speckle when she suddenly squeaked, spooking Pinestar so much he bigged up his tail.

They IMMEDIATELY rushed the tiny molly into camp, taking her into the nursery, Rooktail grabbing any Medicine Cat around who could help.

She was named Specklekit, and was taken in to Rainfur, as Harepounce was already dead by this point in time, the Great Hunger was in full swing, but Pinestar was not going to be his father. If Specklekit passed in the night, at least no one would be able to say they hadn't tried.

But to spare the grief, the dark thoughts that such a scene would cause, he and Rooktail agreed to take the secret of Speckletail's mother to the grave. Rooktail actually ended up forgetting completely before he eventually passed, and the secret ate Pinestar alive. Even as a kittypet, he thought about it.

Specklekit was raised by Rainfur, but she had to grow up QUICKLY. Thunderclan was starving, and Rainfur's milk was drying up fast. While Rainfur tried her best, she was caring for 5 kits, Specklekit ended up being a bit ignored, and started to realize something. If she got loud, she would get attention from others... She knew she was different, so she would make sure to be as loyal and protective of Thunderclan as possible.

Specklepaw was mentored by Littlestep, Smallear's father. He taught her to be very spirited. By the way, Littlestep is also now hard of hearing, mainly in his right ear, but he is so good at lip-reading that most cats forget he is at all. He wanted to be a mentor and father, so he had his 4 moon old son hang out with them a lot. Smallkit and Specklepaw spent a lot of time together.

Smallpaw's mentor is still Hollypelt, but when she dies during The Great Hunger, he is made a Warrior early due to his fighting skill. Specklepaw, who was a bit held back, was made a warrior at the same time.

Speckletail didn't have a lot of friends, as she was disconnected from her family majorly during her apprenticeship, her only real friend was Smallear. He was... Very much into Thunderclan Loyalty, for worse. He believed due to Hollypelt's attitude that the other Clans were inferior, especially Shadowclan, especially after a border fight nearly got his father killed.

They spent a LOT of time together, and we see through Goosefeather's eyes that something bad is going to come of it. It does.

Speckletail winds up pregnant. Littlestep and Rainfur, who has grown snappy with age, insist that the two should now be mates. Speckletail accepts, and feels mostly okay with this. After all, Smallear is so fiercely loyal to Thunderclan, and so strong, no one will look down on her or pass her over for opportunities!

But... It was not meant to be. After a long, difficult pregnancy, Speckletail awoke one night to the worst pain she had ever felt. It was still a few weeks early, too early...

Goosefeather did his best (she hopes), but he could not save their daughters. Mintkit, a ginger molly, and Pigeonkit, a black molly with white paws, born too early to be saved.

All that pressure and arguing for nothing. Forced to be mates with Smallear just to lose the babies anyways... It seemed like a sick joke to Speckletail, who was growing more and more jaded by the minute. At first, she agreed with Smallear's views to keep peace, but Speckletail could only fake saying yes for so long before it became more enthusiastic. Genuine agreement.

A week and a half later, JUST before Specketail's milk had completely dried up, 2 kittens were found by Adderfang and Sunfall. They were brought to the nursery, the 2 having cheerful looks on their faces. "Look!" They told her. "Just like you were found!"

Speckletail snapped at them, she hated whenever it was brought up, she hated the way Pinestar was always looking at her. Like he knew something she didn't. Her mother abandoned her in the woods, all alone. But she wouldn't let that happen to these 2, no sir.

She spoiled Lionkit and Goldenkit. She loved the 2 so much that she was able to ignore Smallear's whines that she never spoke to him anymore. That these loner kits were taking up all her time that she must not love him at all anymore. She swiped at him for that, leaving a scratch on his face, not a scar, but Goosefeather laughed at him when he demanded help. Now, she wasn't their only caregiver, but she was the most vocal one. They would always have the best care they could get. She would make sure they were paid attention to.

She was filled with pride when Lionheart and Goldenflower became warriors. She knew they didn't really need her anymore, they were always very independent cats. But she watched with joy as Lionheart became close with Frostfur, Goldenflower becoming mates with Tigerclaw. She sobbed with happiness when Goldenflower announced her first litter, helping her daughter give birth to Swiftkit and Lynxkit. When Frostfur had Brightkit and Thornkit, she helped out again, the 2 becoming very close friends in the process. Speckletail finally had the friends and support network she had always wanted, though agreeing with Smallear for so long had left her sassy and spicy.

During Into The Wild, when Lionheart is killed, things reach a boiling point. At his funeral, Smallear makes a very big point to blame Shadowclan, saying it would be better for them to be wiped out completely. Speckletail finally snaps. She dislikes the other Clans but talk like THAT is blasphemy and makes him no better than Brokenstar himself forcing Windclan out. She may be carrying his kits, but she and him are no longer mates, and he has no right to call himself Lionheart's father is he wants to use Lionheart's death to spout MORE shlock about the other Clans. That goes for Goldenflower too, which causes Smallear to lash out, eventually taking things out on Tawnypaw.

Speckletail fought hard for Mistlekit and Snowkit, and was quite involved in Snowpaw's education with Brackenfur. Mistlepaw didn't need it as much, but Speckletail made it a point to hunt with her daughter too, even as it made her realize how much her age was catching up with her.

When Firestar took up Thunderclan's Leadership, Speckletail told him that he would be doing another ceremony after her made the older apprentices into warriors. She voluntarily retired, going into the Elder's den that night, but shocked to find Snowpaw and Mistlepaw had snuck in to hang out for a while.

Snowpaw would request in his own strange sounding voice to be named after his mother, earning the Hunter name, Snowtail. He gave her great care, and made sure that she would come with Thunderclan when the Forest began to fall. She watches as he and Mistleberry fight off a young badger during the Badger Seige.

She passes at complete and utter peace from her age during Sunset. She finds friends and family waiting in Starclan, and realizes that she had been loved heavily all along.

She may have grown into the grumpy grandma who was snappy, and boisterous, but was never unloved.

[dontmindifidontt]

EARLY MORNINGS AND OVERTIME | Nanami Kento x Reader JJK fanfic | Chapter 14: At Last (FINAL CHAPTER)

Pairing: Nanami Kento x Reader (fem, first person pov) Word count: 5347 Fic Summary: A smutty fic in which Nanami Kento brightens up the mundane, flour-dusted life a college dropout working in a bakery.   Chapter Summary: After seemingly walking into a trap, our baker must find a way to get herself free. No smut warnings this chapter.

Read on AO3. Masterlist. | Previous Chapter  |

This isn’t good. This isn’t fucking good. I look around frantically, searching for the source of the noise but there’s nothing to be seen. Even with the help of my glasses I quickly threw on, I still can’t see whatever is steadily closing in on me.

How could I have led myself into a trap like this? I ended up doing the exact thing I was afraid of… I ended things with Nanami because I didn’t want this exact scenario to happen.

Then again, if he’s not here to witness what happens next, I guess I succeeded in at least part of my goal in separating myself from him. He may never know what happened to me but hopefully he’ll assume I just ghosted him and lived the rest of my life in safety - not that I met whatever terrible end I’m about to meet.

He can’t ever know I ended up like this… the thought of him being devastated brings me to the brink of sobs. I clutch my hand to my mouth instinctively, holding back tears or vomit or screams - at this point I could hardly tell.

But I have to focus if I want even the slimmest chance of walking out of here. Ever since I spent a week of training at the cabin with Nanami I’ve been keeping a small slicing knife from work sheathed on my leg. I’d normally use it for cutting precise layers of cake to carefully stack atop each other. Now, I can only hope it’ll be enough to thwart whatever intelligent cursed spirit has been stalking me in this alley. I know I need to exorcise it to make this cat-and-mouse game end once and for all, but I don’t know if I’m even capable of that right now. And without Nanami in the picture to help me learn… I try not to think about what that means for my likely short future.

Something crashes against a dumpster across the alley again, snapping me out of my daze. Three rodents quickly scurry out from underneath the heap of trash as if they’ve been spooked.

I need to remember every single piece of training Nanami taught me. We never made it to close combat, but hopefully I can prevent the curse from getting close enough to try.

Pulling the short but sharp slicing knife from its sheath with shaky hands, I raise it up chest-height in a protective stance. Elbow bent straight ahead, forearm parallel with my chest, palm facing down… I grip the hilt of it as hard as I can while my eyes desperately scan the street for a clear view of the circling cursed spirit.

I slowly turn in a tight circle, subconsciously stepping off the sidewalk and into the empty road. I’d rather be in an open road than stand too close to the nearby building and risk having my back to the wall without means to escape. I already feel vulnerable enough as it is, I don’t need to make myself an easier target.

A snuffling, gasping sound snaps my attention to another narrow alley down the desolate road. I’m officially not alone.

My eyes widen as I attempt to make out the figure peeking out from around the side of the building. The first thing I notice are the claw-tipped dark green hands covered in spores and scratch marks. The skin covering this being is scaly yet blemished with golf ball-sized lumps as if it’s filled with air bubbles vying to break the surface.

Just the upper half of its head is peeking out, but I can see all I need to see in order to know I should be very, very afraid. There are no recognizable features in any place you would expect them to be on a person’s head. Three rounded eyes dot its face in a triangle-shaped pattern: two spread apart on each side and one at the top. Each eye’s pupil is spinning in a different direction, yet I can somehow feel all of its attention on me. Even from this front-facing view I can see its neck protruding from its head. Instead of being located at the base, it sprouts upward from the back of its head. It seems to curve downward towards the rest of its body, as if the head and body are connected by a bent straw. There is no mouth or nose to be seen, but I don’t doubt there are terrifying rows of sharp teeth lining its gums.

A flicker of light catches my eye, and I quickly shoot my glance back to the space in front of me. I began shaking so much that the thin streak of sunlight peeking through the clouds reflected off my knife like a mirror. I give a half sigh of relief to know I caused the flicker myself and swiftly bring my eyes back to the alley to focus on the threat at hand.

It’s empty. There’s no hands, no glimpse of a head. No curse to be seen at the edge of the alley anymore.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit. How could I take my eyes off it for even a second?! Now I nee-

Pure panic takes over every cell of my body. In the brief second since I looked away, the curse quickly advanced in my direction and is now blocking my entire field of view. It’s so close I can smell the rancid odor leaking from its skin - a mixture of garbage and spoiled milk.

If I didn’t already know I was being hunted by a curse I would have never believed that this horrifying-looking creature is the same type of being as the flyhead. There are absolutely no similarities between the borderline innocent-looking flyheads and what appears before me.

I was right about the teeth: they’re razor-sharp and there’s rows upon rows of them. But I was wrong to expect they’d be found on its head. Instead, there’s a grinning, teeth-filled mouth on each long limb: towards the end of each forearm and ankle. They’re positioned as if made for kicking or striking its victim while simultaneously biting down on its flesh. It’s a design of nightmares.

Before I can gulp down my sheer terror, a shrill, cackling laugh begins to bubble up out of all four mouths of the cursed spirit. It’s ear-piercing and nearly causes me to drop my knife while reaching for my ears. I’m gripping the sides of my head when the laugh turns into a scream that unexpectedly launches me backward, as if blown by an invisible wind.

I hit the ground in an instant, landing with a backwards somersault. I thankfully avoid an injury to my head due to my hands still being tightly gripped to the sides of it. I shuffle backwards hastily, scuttling my palms and feet on the hard pavement.

After collecting my bearings, I reposition the knife in my hand into a throwing position - there’s no way this will do me any good up close. If I want to have any chance of making it out of here, it seems I’ll need to rely on my good aim to hit at least one eye on the terrifying creature and run.

Steadying my breathing, I rise up on my feet and lift my arm above my head, ready to launch the knife that’s already become slick with sweat in my palm.

The curse hasn’t even moved from the same spot in the road, although that terrifying and haunting cackle has begun to bubble up out of its mouths again.

I train my eyes to the mouth on its left ankle… it seems like the target I’m most likely to hit.

With a deep inhale, I remember the hours of practice I spent aiming my throwing knives at the cabin with Nanami. How he made me hit the same target on a far away tree trunk over and over again. Until I learned how to still hit my target even with distractions. With the way he distracted me.How he took his time slowly lifting his hand up my thigh until he cupped me aching between my legs.

The maniacal cackle of the curse snaps me out of my memory of Nanami. If this throw doesn’t work, if it doesn’t give me a chance to run and get away safely, I’m at least glad I got to spend just a second in my mind with a fond memory of Nanami. I don’t want to die without at least the briefest moment of peace that only he can bring me.

Flexing the muscles of my arm, I grip the knife even tighter and throw. It sails through the air faster than any practice throw I’ve done, and looks to be exactly on track to hit the ankle-mouth I aimed for. I ready myself to run once I see it hit its mark.

Still soaring, the knife is just inches away from the now eerily-silent curse when it suddenly darts away in a flash to dodge the weapon. Without warning the curse once again materializes beside me in an instant, this time on my left. Again, I see each of its mouths open wide and scream, blasting me off my feet in the process. I fly through the air for barely a second before hitting the wall of the building I previously stepped away from. The force knocks the air out of me and snaps my head to the side hard enough to see stars. I’m unable to break my fall to the ground and cry out at the pain of my legs folding as I hit the pavement.

Every fiber of my being feels unbearable with pain and shock, but I can’t let myself stay down and vulnerable to attack. I attempt to scramble back up to my feet as fast as possible so I can reorient myself and decide what to do next. Panting, my eyes dart around in search for the curse but it’s nowhere to be found.

If I was panicking before I’m absolutely frozen in fear now. The curse is nowhere to be seen and I’m now weapon-less. Shaking, my eyes continue to scan every inch of the road in front of me desperate to s-

Without warning I hear the third shriek and feel the blasting wind of the curse knocking me completely off my feet - this time landing further down the road. There’s no doubt in my mind I must have broken or at least dislocated one of my arms now. The pain is past the point of ignoring and tears are silently filling and falling out the corners of my eyes. I instinctively wipe one away and realize why the curse took me completely off guard - my glasses are gone.

Disoriented and confused, I look back to where I was first thrown against the hard exterior of the building. There on the ground, shattered and bent, are the one thing that allowed me to see curses and have a fighting chance out of getting here alive: my glasses.

A sob tears out of me at the sight of them completely destroyed and unusable. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms over the top of my head in a panicked fetal position. I’m done for. Absolutely done for. And I didn’t even stand a chance. Or save Nanami any of the heartbreak - I’ll still getting killed by this goddamn curse even after all the terrible things I said to break up with him. I should have known this plan would have never worked.

I hear the guttural cackling of the curse return and realize this must be the end for me. If this is how I go, I can’t do it cowering on the ground. Using my one good arm, I press my palm to the pavement and slowly begin to rise to my feet so I can at least prove to myself I’m still strong enough to die standing.

Each vertebrae in my back feels battered and bruised as I extend it to stand. Before I reach my full height, I’m nearly knocked back down for another reason. The curse hasn’t attacked, but it must have been aiming to, because before I can even hear a shriek I see the familiar, strong body I’ve come to love so goddamn much dive in front of me. Nanami found me. He came back to me. Even after all I said.

He shouts at me to run while winding up his arm to deal a strong blow to the now invisible curse with his weapon. I can hear the impact despite not having my glasses on to see the actual strike to the curse. I’m thankful to hear a horrific yelp from the curse after Nanami’s weapon makes contact, but Nanami doesn’t seem to be relieved or at ease from the looks of his body language. He’s immediately readying his weapon again, running to the side at an impossibly fast pace to strike his weapon again. This time, it looks to have been a defensive hit, as though the curse was already recovered from whatever damage his first hit did.

“I said RUN!” Nanami barks breathlessly without looking in my direction. I realize I’ve remained wide-eyed where I once stood, though now I’m back to a seated position since getting knocked over by Nanami’s defensive dive in front of me. The short but strong burst of energy that coursed through me to stand up earlier is now gone, and I’m afraid I don’t even have it in me to run at this point.

Just as I debate crawling in a desperate attempt to find cover, I see Nanami get thrown aside as if the curse just picked him up by the shoulder and tossed him like a doll. He’s able to land on his feet in crouch much more deftly than I did, but it’s still obvious he’s hurt.

I must have gasped aloud in the process because Nanami once again shouts at me to get out of here, this time barely getting the words out without a sputtering cough. I can tell he’s hurt - probably worse than he’s even letting show.

I’m in no condition to help him though, am I? No weapon, no strength, not to mention zero ability to even see the enemy we’re up against. All I have is myself. But I can’t fail him again today.

If this curse truly has the upper hand and I’m not able to escape my fate afterall, I have to at least use the last tool I have left: myself. I can distract this curse with myself. This way, I’m not failing Nanami by lying to him about wanting to break up or worse, by dying in a way he thinks is his fault. I can choose to get up and walk back towards Nanami and this invisible curse blindly, meeting my fate and showing Nanami its not his fault. Then, he’ll have the chance to use this distraction as opportunity to get away and save himself.

It doesn’t take me long to decide on what I have to do. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not really distraught at the fact I’m willing to sacrifice myself to a horrendous monster. Not the possible pain, or suffering. Rather, the only thing that’s upsetting me is knowing that this means my time with Nanami is really over for good.

I take a deep breath to muster the courage to stand just as Nanami is knocked to the ground again. He’s been striking the curse time and time again, and yet it isn’t preventing him from being overpowered.

He still hasn’t gotten up yet… I know it’s time for me to do what I have to do. And hopefully spare his life in the process. I hope he can forgive me.

“Here, over here!” I shout the words as loud as I can despite the cramped feeling in my lungs. I’m pushing myself off the ground and onto my feet as quickly as I can, though it feels like it takes me an entirety to get upright. As I stand at my full height, I raise my one good arm and flail it aimlessly - unsure where the curse is located but drawing attention to myself nonetheless.

I have to take one last look at Nanami, to tell him what he needs to do.

Swallowing air and fighting back tears, I turn my head to his direction and force out the words in one quick sentence: “I didn’t mean what I said.. You have the chance to get away now.. I’m sorry-”

Just as Nanami’s eyes widen and jaw drops in understanding, I feel a giant, scaly body tackle mine to the ground and everything goes black.

…….......................................………

The afterworld, or heaven, or wherever I am right now feels nice. Calm. It feels… serene. I’m not scared or nursing any broken bones back to health. I’m not even sad about leaving Nanami - because he’s here.

By “here” I mean the nondescript Parisian bakery Nanami was referring to when describing our imagined proposal story. I’m living out that day, here in the bakery and the park with him. The bread we pick out tastes more delicious than anything I’ve ever had, and the champagne he pops for us once I say yes and slip on the ring tastes like stars in a glass. All of my senses are heightened here in the most pleasurable way. And everything looks more beautiful - including Nanami. He looks happier than I’ve ever seen him, and so carefree. I’ve never seen him this at ease. Maybe it’s be-

The sense that my body is rolling uncontrollably is confusing at first but quickly shocks me with alertness. My ears are ringing, my clothes are tattered, and my lungs are burning from a lack of oxygen. I’m alive…? At least barely it seems.

Getting tackled by the cursed spirit must have knocked me out. I’ve never experienced any type of dream state like that before. I can’t waste time dwelling on it though since I’m now back in the fray. I expect to hear scuffling feet and heavy breathing and clashing of weapons, but there’s none of that. It’s totally silent.

I’m finally able to fully open my eyes and reorient myself to my surroundings. I’m still here on the same road since I was tackled, but that doesn’t help the confusion.

I’m on high alert in case the curse pounces on me once again, but I don’t hear its cackling laugh or pointed claws or anything. I don’t hear anything. Even Nanami…

A new level of fear sinks in as I spot Nanami. My voice is so hoarse that the shocked cry I involuntarily make doesn’t quite come out. I lurch forward on all four aching limbs, desperately trying to propel myself closer and get to the collapsed, non-moving body across the narrow roadway.

My brain and body barely feel connected or functional - all I can think and see and do and feel is try to get to him. In what feels like days I’m able to drag myself over to him and throw myself on top of him. He’s on his side with his back to me, so I have to drape myself over his shoulder to see his face and check to see if he’s breathing or conscious.

His eyes are open, his chest is repeatedly rising with shaky breaths, and he’s… alive. I garble out another cry at the relief and shock. He’s alive and yet he’s still here unmoving and probably gravely injured.

I lick my lips to attempt to speak, but before I can utter a word he slowly drags his eyes to the side and turns his head towards me. He looks almost catatonic without expression, but the moment he turns enough to see my face he’s overcome with a look of sheer relief and sadness.

“I thought… I thought…” the words are barely coming out, but I know exactly what Nanami means when he says it.

“I’m alright, I’m here,” I respond - trying to convince both him and myself I’m still alive. There’s so many things I need to tell him… but first, I need to know if we’re still in danger. I have no idea if the curse is still around or if he managed to exorcise it. Clearly he didn’t run away as I had planned. “Is… did you exorcise it?” I’m practically shaking with nerves at the prospect of having to continue facing this thing.

Nanami still can’t quite form any words, but I know things are going to be okay when I see him nod slowly. I practically collapse against him, wrapping him in my arms once again and sobbing into his chest to hear that we’re not being hunted anymore. I can tell he’s crying too because I feel the shake of his chest.

We continue to hold each other, exhausted, in this heap for a moment until all the words I need to say to him come flooding back.

“I’m sorry,” I start to spurt out while slowly raising myself to a seated position. “I’m sorry for everything. I thought I could fix things and save you by telling you we were done and then when that failed I thought I could save you by buying you time and sacrificing myself in the process and that didn’t-” I’m cut off when Nanami manages to pull himself up as well and promptly leans in to kiss me mid sentence. He envelops my mouth and slowly works his tongue past my lips and it feels like he’s kissing me like its the last time. It really almost was.

He only pulls back to say, “I didn’t mean what I said either. About not being able to picture us together for the long term. I can picture it, clear as day… and that’s why I was so scared. I said I couldn’t promise a lifelong commitment because I was scared a situation like this would interrupt that commitment. And it almost did-”

“Stop,” I cut him off, tears still brimming in my eyes as I hold his face. “It didn’t. I tried to do the same thing and predict the future but it didn’t work. Of course my plan didn’t work. I thought that whatever curse was threatening you with taunts to hurt me would see us break up and wouldn’t be able to use me as a pawn anymore. But of course that wouldn’t work. Abruptly breaking up doesn’t change the fact that you would still be devastated if I got hurt… The curse would still get its revenge against you, breakup or not…” How could I have been so clueless? I start to beat myself up but realize I did the same thing as Nanami - the fear prevented me from thinking clearly. Also, part of me starts to feel an overwhelming surge of heartbreaking love for Nanami. He still cares so deeply for me no matter what, even after all I said. I thought I could release him from the trap of my fate, but now I realize those fears weren’t my fate - no one else decides my fate but me. I’m strong enough, (I’ve been taught well,) and risks don’t scare me anymore.

“We can’t predict the future,” I continue on, “and I won’t let you sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of my perceived safety. And I won’t let myself do it either. We owe that to each other and ourselves. I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t want to be with you because your life and work is so risky - I only said that because I foolishly thought I’d be saving you the heartbreak.” If the situation wasn’t so dire I might even laugh at the irony of how we’ve nearly killed one another in our clueless attempts to save each other.

‘If you can’t promise me a future that has you safe in it, then I never want to see you again.’ My past words haunts me. How I thought hearing this would be easier on him than taking our chances getting hurt in the future is now a mystery to me. Now, I don’t care about a promised future, I just want to start my future with him at my side.

“We can’t control what dangerous, shitty situations are going to come our way whether we’re together or not - so why deny ourselves the chance to at least be happy in the meantime?”

Nanami looks at me with such genuine, emotional longing that I nearly start crying all over again. I can tell he has a million words to get out as well but is still so shocked by my near-death that it’s difficult to speak. “We… we can move away from here. Leave the city where cursed energy is higher and go further out of town.”

“Yes!” I completely agree without question. I can tell he never wants to experience this scenario again, and I don’t blame him. And, I want him to be safe. I want to see him be carefree and at ease the way I did in my dream. “What about the cabin? We can go there as soon as we get healed and figure it out from there. I’ll go anywhere with you.”

His eyes seem to spark back to life a bit at the suggestion. He starts to smile and nods in agreement before kissing me again. It feels impossible to pull myself away again, but making sure he’s physically okay is more important right now. I start to scan over his body, looking for broken bones or bloodstains. Apart from the same road rash I’m sporting, he doesn’t seem to be in as bad of shape as I thought. Still, we both will need help to heal. “We need to get to a hospital-”

He raises his hand to stop me and explain that he has a colleague who can help us. He’s able to reach for his phone and call them right away.

We continue to sit side by side, waiting for one of his jujutsu peers to pick us up so we can be healed. I’m not sure what that entails but I trust him.

Just as a black sedan begins to pull up to the curb, Nanami turns to me again before standing. “Seeing you hurt like that… and thinking you were gone, I…” he chokes up, unable to finish the sentence. He gulps and inhales before starting again, “I need to know I’m doing all I can to protect you and prevent that from happening ever again.” Another inhale. “I’ve always hated jujutsu sorcery, and now more so than ever. It can’t… it won’t be a part of my life again.”

I stare, confused, at his face. He looks determined and decided.

“I have the ability to see and sense curses still, that’s not going to change… but I’m choosing to distance myself from jujutsu.” We’re both standing now as the car pulls up, and he looks deep into my eyes as he reaches to open the door for me and says, “What’s important to me now is making a commitment to truly enjoy a restful life… with you.”

My response comes as easily as loving him does, “I like the sound of that.”

………….......................................................……….

Two Months Later

Packing up all our belongings from the cabin is an odd feeling. Not odd in a bad way, but odd in a too good way. Nanami and I have spent the time to heal our wounds physically and emotionally. Seeing me collapse took a toll on Nanami that was hard to shake. Thankfully, stepping away from the city and its overflow of cursed energy was the right move.

Now, we can spend the warm afternoons drinking tea on the small table in the backyard, and spend the chilly evenings snuggling in bed with the windows cracked. This is the first time we’ve really felt peaceful together.

The only reason we’re packing to leave is because Nanami bought us a place of our own! It’s even further out of town and on a bigger piece of land, so we really get the chance to tuck ourselves away in our own little world. I cannot wait to finish packing the car and making the drive over there this afternoon. I plan to surprise Nanami by growing a garden in the yard with all sorts of different herbs and veggies. That way I can experiment with cooking new types of savory breads and pastries for him to try.

With the last of my small bags in hand (Nanami wouldn’t let me carry out any of the heavier ones,) I pull the front door of the cabin shut behind me and walk out to the car. Nanami is there loading up the open trunk with the larger boxes, and smiles as soon as he catches sight of me.

I give him a quick kiss as soon as I step up close to him, and he puts his hand on my back before quickly moving it under the bag’s strap on my shoulder. He swiftly lifts the bag off my shoulder and places it gently in the trunk. I can’t help but smile at the simple kindness he shows me every day without even thinking twice about it.

“We’re just about ready to go,” he lets me know while shifting some of the boxes in the trunk to make room for the remainders. “I just need to move one more thing back here - can you hand me that container to your right?”

I look to the stack of boxes he’s referring to and grab the small open container from the top of the stack. There’s an envelope peeking out addressed to me. Holding it between my fingers, I turn back to Nanami and ask what it’s for.

“Open and take a look,” he replies with a sly yet innocent smile.

Curious, I pull open the envelope and reach inside for its contents: two small pieces of paper. I hold them in my hand and keep reading them over and over again, unable to believe my eyes.

Inside the envelope are two tickets for a flight to Paris.

....

After much deliberation I decided on making this a happily ever after afterall <3333 our fave worker bees deserve it fr :’( THNK U all for coming along this journey with me - it’s the first fic i’ve ever published and there were times i never thought i’d be able to finish it. writers block gets so real. but its my love for these characters and stories that motivates me to stay creative and i love them for that:)

Previous Chapter 

Join my taglist here.

Taglist: @hellonaomix @angelofthorr  @bloombb @hiyamaya72 @m4y554 

[reegahearth]

Since Halloweeen is coming up let me tell you the tale of the spirit of Halloween, Jinx!

Jinx was a kitten that my cousin adopted on Halloween, a black cat with orange eyes. She followed her home while trick or treating, my cousin was dressed up as a black cat. Jinx never looked old even at the age of 21, remaining a fat black cat with orange eyes. She passed away a few years ago, so keep an eye out for any spook cats, they are a blessing!

Reminder that black cats aren't scary and to keep your black cats inside during Halloween! Some people throw rocks or kick at black cats exclusively at this time of year, so protect your kitty friends.

[mirisss]

I Like The View Chapter 4

(pic edited by me)

Summary: Minho and Felix both want to get a cat to have in the dorm. Hyunjin and Seungmin want to get a dog. Jeongin, Changbin, and Jisung don’t really care, they just want a pet. Bang Chan isn’t sure about either idea as he doesn’t see them having the time to take care of a pet. However, can Bang Chan resist the idea of a pet, or well a hybrid, when the cute little bunny hybrid stands before him?

Warnings: Screaming, public shaming, threats, panic attack, slight violence

Word count ≈ 5.1k

Taglist: @ayoo-bangtan​, @lose-lose07​, @kingcarrot-thecarrotking, @starjane312​​

A not from Mirisss: Thank you for the patience with me publishing another chapter. I’ve had a lot to do and been quite tired so I haven’t had the energy to write but finally I have somewhat finished at the point that i had planned. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has shown any interest in this story. 

Please don’t mind any spelling mistakes :)

Please reblog if you like it!

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, 

Now, the adventures of tomorrow and every day after that await her. But all the cute bunny hybrid could think or dream of was how happy she was to have been found by such sweet and loving people. Her last thought before falling asleep was: I can’t wait to go clothes shopping with them tomorrow! 

Even though hours passed before the sun rose and morning arrived, (Y/n) believed only mere seconds passed. Perhaps it was because she for the first time in years could sleep for real without worrying about anything. The safety of the eight young men living in that dorm brought her a sense of comfort she had never felt before. (Y/n) woke up to faint voices and the light sounds of pots or something like it clinking in the kitchen. She slowly sat up and scratched her long ear before looking towards the bed where the oldest member of the band had slept during the night though unsurprisingly her eyes fell on an empty bed. She concluded that Chan must be one of the people in the kitchen as he wasn’t in his bed, even if she wasn’t aware of his daily schedule. (Y/n) stretched her arms and back out a little before she stood up, excitement filling her body as she thought of today’s awaiting adventure. Shopping with her new family. Family. Such a nice word. One she has never had the pleasure of believing in until now. The bunny hybrid sneakingly ventured out of the bedroom and walked towards the faint voices that were growing louder and louder the closer she came to them. Once right outside the kitchen (Y/n) came to recognize the voices of Lee Know and Jeongin, she could only hear two different voices and two different heartbeats meaning the other members were somewhere else in the dorm or perhaps outside of it. “Oh, (Y/n). Good morning!” A voice suddenly spoke behind her, spooking her, which caused her to flinch and start breathing a little heavier as she was caught sneaking around - something she was never allowed to do in previous homes. Once she had turned around and came face to face with Changbin she began calming down as she remembered that these men would never hurt her in any way. “I’m so sorry bunny. I didn’t mean to scare you, I’ll try thinking of that in the future,” (Y/n) shook her head, He has no reason to apologize I’m just being silly… “Don’t apologize Changbin, I shouldn’t be this frightened,” Changbin internally shook his head, anger rising within him as he thought of how the poor hybrid has had to live her life. “It’s okay to become scared when someone surprises you like this, it’s normal. Especially for someone of your background, having lived in such toxic environments isn’t right. You should never have to apologize for being scared,” Lee Know and I.N had heard the commotion from inside the kitchen but stayed dormant there in order to let Changbin and (Y/n) figure this out on their own. Lee Know and I.N knew that Changbin would probably explain this matter the best for the bunny. “I’m still sorry for reacting that way,” “It’s okay, you shouldn’t have to be but I understand why you are. (Y/n), if you ever want to talk about your past or anything at all you can always come to me. I’ll always listen to you, no matter how busy I am. Okay?” His smile was comforting and genuinely kind, Changbin’s personality felt like a soft and warm blanket that will protect you from any evil thing out to get you. Changbin felt like safety. “Okay. Changbin?” “Yeah, what is it bunny?” (Y/n) gave him a small smile, one that had grown from the night before. “Will you promise to come to talk with me if you ever need to say anything?” Changbin’s heart began beating faster, and his whole body felt warmer, such a sweet and loving soul this precious bunny has, and to think that there were people who have hurt her. “Of course, I will,” The two then both looked towards the kitchen door before looking back at each other, Changbin let out a little laugh at which a voice came flying through the door. “Come in here already, it’s not like we’re gonna eat you,” Lee Know. Of course, it was Lee Know. Even though his voice was harsh and sarcastic, it didn’t frighten the bunny, Minho was the man who saved her life so how could (Y/n) be afraid of him? (Y/n) and Changbin went into the kitchen to find Minho completely clean and composed while Jeongin was covered in what appeared to be flour. Minho looked over to the rapper and the bunny who just walked in only to find them staring with wide eyes at the maknae, he let out a laugh before explaining that Jeongin was going to try and throw some flour on Lee Know but managed to trip on air and throw it on himself instead. (Y/n) found herself holding back a little laughter at the image of I.N failing his prank, however, she quickly composed herself before she let it out - old memories surfacing back with countless people telling her she shouldn’t laugh as her laugh was ugly and undesirable. The maknae and the main chef ( yes I’m calling him that) caught the bunny hybrid's action but neither said anything. The boys had a discussion last night in their group chat about not pushing (Y/n)’s too much this early on, everything is different here but she needs time and space to find that out for herself. They won’t get anywhere forcing her to believe that because then she won’t actually believe it, but if she herself discovers that she can do anything here then she will understand that it really is that way. “Changin-ah set the table.” “But hyung-”  “No buts, you want to eat, right?” “Yes, hyung…” Changbin gave a fake pout at Minho before moving to pick up the plates Jeongin had already taken out of the cupboard and then proceeding to place them around the table. “Can I do anything to help?” The bunny shyly asked to which she was met with that wide welcoming foxy smile from Jeongin. “Yeah, you can help me stir these eggs while I get the other bowl from the cupboard… you see Changbin-hyung is too short to reach it so I’ll help him out” Jeongin ended his sentence with a playful smile, (Y/n) answered with a small smile of her own - a smile that keeps growing each time she dares smile in this household. “Okay!” (Y/n) cheerfully responded to the maknae before stepping closer to the pan and continuing carefully stirring the eggs so that they became scrambled.

A few minutes later all the other boys came into the kitchen after Minho sent a text saying breakfast was ready and anyone arriving later than within a minute would go without food. (Y/n) was worried when she heard this and was ready to say that whoever that was could have her food but Changbin explained that Minho didn’t actually mean it, it was rather a tactic to get the members to hurry up and come to the kitchen. Once all eight boys and the bunny hybrid were in the kitchen they began eating. Once everyone was finished, Hyunjin and Seungmin were given clean-up duty with Felix and Bang Chan helping them out to finish it quicker. (Y/n), Changbin, Lee Know, Han, and I.N all went to get ready. “Hey (Y/n), did you sleep well last night?” The friendly quokka-looking human - also known as Han Jisung, asked the hybrid as he caught up with her while they walked from the kitchen towards the bedrooms. “Yeah, it was a very comfortable bed. Thank you for buying that for me. How did you sleep?” “I slept really well, except woke up in the middle of the night and was really thirsty so I had to go to the kitchen and get some water but then I fell asleep the second I laid down in my bed again,” “Oh, maybe you should have brought a glass of water with you into your room last night - you should definitely do that today,” “You know the funniest thing?” “No?” “I had a glass of water in my room but I forgot about it” The bunny hybrid couldn’t hold back the giggle that escaped her. Han’s own smile just grew wider seeing the bunny enjoying his mishap and feeling comfortable enough to let out a giggle. Further down the corridor, the other members who were not in the kitchen heard the giggle and they all smiled to themselves at the beautiful sounds. Each and everything she does makes them all for more in love with her. They all hope that she will feel the same for them, eventually. Someday, she will be strong enough to do so. 

After 30 minutes everyone was ready to go out shopping. “Whatever you do (Y/n)... Do not take styling advice from Chan-hyung or Changbin-hyung… they only dress in black and while that can be stylish I think you should have more variation in your style so I recommend you take advice from myself, Jeonginnie and Seungminnie - And Felix for some things… Oh and if Han even dares to bring up anything about hats - just run, run in the other direction or you will end up with a hat bigger than you,” Hyunjin spoke sounding very serious but he kept a playful look on his face. “What about Minho-oppa?” “Hmmm, I guess his style is accepted,” And so they got in their cars and began driving towards the shopping center (let’s pretend that at least two of them have their driving licenses). The ride there was fairly calm. (Y/n) was bussing inside, she was so excited to finally experience the good in the world with her new family. Family. She would never grow tired of saying that word. “Excited?” Seungmin turned towards (Y/n) as he asked her his question. “Mm, very excited. A little nervous too. I haven’t been in large crowds before,” “Don’t worry, we’ll all be there and we won’t let anyone sweep you away. If you’re scared you can hold onto my hand while we walk, or anyone’s hand and we won’t let go unless you want us to,” The reassurance made her calm down and she was once again simply excited about going to the shopping center. The two designated drivers parked the cars and then the somewhat new-found family arrived at the shopping center. Once (Y/n) had gotten out of the car and the nine of them were about to walk into the shopping center she quickly walked up to Seungmin and carefully intertwined her small hand with his as she looked down at the ground, not daring to meet his eyes. He gave her a reassuring squeeze before he continued to walk. The other boys shared a proud look as their new family member warmed up to them step by step. 

They walked around for about 10 minutes before (Y/n) seemed to find a store that caught her eye. A clothing store (of any brand) that had a stuffed toy bunny in the window with some cute stylish clothing. Hyunjin gave an approving nod after examining the store a little quickly. “Do you want to go in there?” “Can we?” “Of course bunny. Let’s go!” Seungmin began walking, still holding (Y/n)’s hand in his and by that hand, he pulled her with him as she was a bit uncertain about whether she really could walk in there or not. “Come on (Y/n)! Let’s find some awesome clothes for you” Jeongin said as he once again gave her that smile that reminded her of a dessert fox hybrid she used to know. “Okay,” For the first time since they left the car she dared to let go of Seungmin’s hand, for now, the crowd wasn’t too big so she felt safe enough to just be close to the boys but not holding on to them. At least inside the store, once out there walking between stores again she would hold on to someone. “(Y/n)! (Y/n)! Come check out this dress!” Hyujin half-shouted for the hybrid who quickly walked over to him. Hyunjin held a knee-length dress in his hands that were casual but could be dressed up with the right accessories, it was a marine-blue color, with ¾ sleeves and a round neckline that went just below the collar bones so it wasn’t too revealing, with a bit of a flowing skirt that looked light enough to wear in summer but still warm enough for winter with the right jacket. “Do you like it?” “It’s beautiful” “They have it in more colors, I just picked this one because it’s quite a nice color. Do you have a favorite color?” “I don’t know, I like all colors I think,” “Okay, let’s try some different sizes in different colors than to find the best one!” Hyunjin chooses some different sizes among that dress picking out the marine-blue, a lighter blue shade, a baby pink one, and a grey one. “(Y/n), come look here!” This time it was Felix who was calling her name, (Y/n) looked over at Hyunjin who was still looking at the different colors on that one dress. “Can I go over to Felix or should I stay with you?” “Huh? Oh, go on. You can go to him and I’ll continue looking around. You can try these later on,” “Okay, thank you, Hyujin” Hyunjin’s heart skipped a beat as she spoke his name for the first time without whispering it. (Y/n) walked over to Felix who was looking at some t-shirts that were both neutral and some with prints of animals, flowers, texts, and much more. Felix was holding a t-shirt in his hands that was a soft brown color (if anyone wants to imagine the clothes in any other colors - go ahead) and had a bright orange-colored carrot on it, it was cute and honestly very fitting for the hybrid. “I thought of you when I saw it so I kind of had to have you look at it” “It’s cute, is it soft?” “Very! Here, feel it,” Felix extended his arm towards (Y/n) so she could feel the material of the shirt. It was very soft, she liked it. Felix observed the bunny’s reaction to the fabric, he noticed that she kept squeezing the shirt and he concluded that she did like it from the way she didn’t want to let go of it. “Do you like it?” “Yes. It’s so soft,” “Okay, do you want the shirt to have a tighter fit or to be looser?” “I don’t know, I’m sorry,” (Y/n) looked down at the floor in shame as she couldn’t answer his question. “Hey, no worries. We’ll just take some different sizes and you can try them all on and say which ones you like and don’t like,” “Are you sure? I feel like I’m bothering you guys by taking unnecessarily long to decide what I want…” (Y/n) looked down at the floor in shame. “You’re not bothering us, we wouldn’t do this unless we really wanted to” And so they continued picking out clothes until all eight boys couldn’t carry anymore. They went over to the dressing rooms in order for (Y/n) to try on all the clothes, it took about one and a half hours for her to try every single item but she eventually managed. After gaining approval from Hyunjin, I.N and Seungmin (Y/n) ended up with around 75% of all the clothes she tried on. Once the group left that store they saw that more people had come into the mall. The halls were now filled with people who were walking, chatting, window shopping and even some who were running. The noise level was immense for the bunny with her enhanced hearing, the boys barely thought of the volume or number of people. This time they were walking towards the restaurants with a hungry Han leading the group, (Y/n) was walking behind the boys in hope of being protected from any prying eyes and from accidentally touching anyone other than Stray Kids. Unfortunately, her plan was not working once they came closer to the food court. Closer to the food courts you could find a myriad of people standing, walking and running around. Even the sturdy group of idol singers were separated in the crowd which, of course, meant that the small hybrid too was separated from them. (Y/n) could feel her breathing increase, her heartbeat was going crazy, anxiety was taking over, panic and her flight-or-fight system was hijacking. She was frozen. Standing in the hall. She couldn’t see anything, she didn’t hear anything either. All she felt was her body frozen in panic, until. Until someone harshly bumped into her making both her and the person fall down to the floor. (Y/n) let out a whimper, not because she was injured but because she knew this would mean trouble. Across from her was a middle aged man who wore a mean and angry look on his face. He stood up and began screaming as loud as he could, he was shouting so much that (Y/n) could barely understand half of what he said. Although, she knew that most likely he’s saying how this was her fault, the stupid hybrid who caused him to fall down, who hurt him. When the commotion began the SKZ members rushed over to see if the poor hybrid being shamed by this man could be there beloved bunny. Unfortunately, it was their (Y/n).

Changbin was furious at the man but also at the people standing around them who did nothing but enjoy the show. He stepped closer to the man while Minho and Felix went to check on (Y/n). “YAH! Shut up!” “Heh,” the man arrogantly scoffed as he only saw Binnie’s short build, he did not pay attention to the bulging muscles on the rapper’s body. “What do we have here? A little boy about to play hero? Go home, this runt is going to be put down for being so wild and attacking me,” “She’s not a runt. She’s my hybrid and I would watch my mouth if I were you. I’ll give you one chance to apologize to her or I’ll sue your ass for more money then you will ever have,” Changbin was holding himself back from attacking the man, he quickly looked back to see that (Y/n) was safe within the comforting arms of Felix. He did notice that her body was shaking as if she was crying. Oh that man is going to pay, he made their sweet little (Y/n) cry. “And how are you going to do that? Huh? Ask your mommy to help you? You could maybe afford an ice cream if you’re lucky” “Seungmin-ah?” “Oh, yeah. What is it, hyung?” “Call the company. This man has damaged someone under their name, is threatening me and our hybrid. Call them and say that we need our lawyer sent out asap while I get this mans information,” “Sure thing,” Seungmin easily made his way out of the worst crowd as people began recognizing the boys to be more than just young men, they were important people. “Now, apologize,” Changbin said with a stern voice as he also gave the man his best death glare that literally could kill someone. “Why should I? The stupid thing was in my way,” “You could have walked around her or used your voice to say ‘excuse me’, but no, you choose brute force and violence,” “Whatever, I’m leaving,” “No you’re not,” As the man turned around to leave, he was met with the icy look of a pissed of Jeongin. Jeongin and the man was about the same height, I.N was a bit leaner but you could clearly make out strong muscles on the boy while the man seemed quite weak as he was trembling while looking at Jeongin’s bare flexing arm. “Move it, boy” “Hyung! Lawyer will be here in 5,” Changbin chuckled as the man’s face contorted into one with panic. “I’m not moving unless you turn around to apologize and while you are at it, you can give us all the information our lawyer’s going to need so we’ll save some time. You see, we are all quite hungry,” I.N ended his sentence with a cocky smirk. The man was speechless. Never had he been confronted by such young people no matter what he has done. He kept trying to walk away but whenever he turned someone stood in his way. I.N, Changbin and Bang Chan being the scariest in the man’s opinion but Hyunjin, Seungmin and Han were not far behind. And as promised, 5 minutes later SKZ’s private lawyer from JYP walked in through a door and came right over to the crowd. “Move, lawyer on the go here” The woman said with a clear and loud tone, one that screamed BUSINESS. Once the man saw the woman come in dressed in a suit, holding a briefcase and was followed by two police officers, he realized that he had lost. He turned around until he located where the scared hybrid was hiding, still in Felix’s embrace, “I’m sorry for walking into you and for screaming at you” Then the man walked over to the lawyer to give her his information. The man hoped that if he apologized the boys would let the suing go. Alas his hope was for nothing. Changbin would not let this go, not for a million years. Fortunately, they had already intertwined the company with this which meant even if he wanted to drop it they company wouldn’t.

Bang Chan gave Binnie a pat on the back. “Good job standing up for her, for all of us” “Thanks, hyung. But we shouldn’t have had to do that, I’m just glad the company backs us up with this,” The crowd returned to what they were doing prior to the commotion and so the SKZ members easily regrouped with the terrified - still crying, (Y/n) in the middle of them. “Hey, it’s okay. That man was mean but Binnie took care of him, no one messes with our family,” Lee Know tried to comfort her but she was so shaken up from the incident that she could not calm down. The members tried many things in order for her to stop crying but nothing seemed to work, eventually (Y/n) ran out of tears and she shakily managed to whisper one word. A word that warmed the hearts of all eight SKZ members. “Home”. Home. Home, she wanted to go home. To their home. “Let’s go home. We’ll order some food on the way so it will be there just after we arrive home,” Home. Feels good for all nine of them to say and think of that. Many people would say that they have a weird family but they love it. Eight idols and their bunny hybrid. When they get home they will have some work to do with (Y/n) who managed to fall asleep in the car as she was so exhausted from her hysteric crying and light panic-attack.

2 hours later (Y/n) finally woke up again, during the car ride she rested her head upon Han’s shoulder. Even if Han was starving and would have wanted to eat in the mall he appreciated her skinship. She was somewhat alright, that’s all that matters. No one is physically hurt. The SKZ boys ate the food they had ordered for themselves and let (Y/n) sleep, they would order food for her when she woke up and could tell them what she wanted. Changbin carried her from the car into the living room where he carefully laid her down on the couch and then Hyunjin gently laid a warm blanket over her as their apartment was slightly chilly at the moment. 

As previously stated, 2 hours later (Y/n) woke up from her slumber. A bit disoriented as she thought she would still be in the scary mall with that horrible man screaming at her but as she came to she realized that she was home. The feeling of still being in the mall was just a phantom feeling left by the nightmare that she had to be in as she slept. Small murmurs could be heard from some of the rooms and as she focused her hearing she could make out Felix, Seungmin, and I.N’s voices as they spoke and the clattering of three keyboards. They were probably playing some pc game together. From another room, she could hear hushed whispers and low music, most likely 3racha working on some new music for the group. That left Lee Know and Hyunjin. No matter how much she tried to focus she could not hear any of them, she wanted to speak with Hyunjin as she had not had the chance to interact with him that much yet. So the bunny set off from the living room on a hunt for the tall dancer. 

First, the kitchen. He might be eating, or cooking… Does he cook? I don’t know, I’ll find out eventually. But the kitchen was empty, not a single sign anyone had been in there for a while.  Secondly, his bedroom. (Y/n) walked down the hall to the room with a handpainted picture of a small dog with the writing Kkami on it, she remembered that Hyujin said he once had a dog called Kkami. Wonder if he can teach me to paint this well? The hybrid carefully knocked upon the wooden door and waited to hear Hyunjin’s smooth velvet voice from inside but to her surprise no sound came from the room. (Y/n) was daring and for a second forgot about all the rules she had ever been taught in previous homes - they don’t deserve to be called that… With her sudden confidence, she gently opened the door to peek inside, unfortunately, she found no handsome long-haired dancer inside. The room was empty. (Y/n) let out a disappointed sigh. She gave up on finding him by herself so she closed the door and dragged herself to Bang Chan’s room in which she had spent the night and knocked upon the door.

3racha all raised their heads at the sound, none of the members would knock on the door even if the producing members were working so all three knew who was on the other side of the door. (Y/n). “Come in!” Hannie said, seconds later the door opened, and (Y/n) stepped inside. “Hey bunny, how are you feeling?” “I’m okay Changbin-oppa. I was very shaken up but I think I’m fine now. Does anyone know where Hyunjin is?” At her question, the three 3racha members all smiled. “Yeah, Jinnie is at the company with Minho for a dance meeting, a special choreo thing the two are doing. They should be back in about 30 minutes or so,” “Oh, okay. Thank you. What are you guys doing?” “We are working on a song. We got some inspiration at the mall so we got right to it after eating. Right, about eating. You hungry?” Jisung explained and then he remembered that (Y/n) had not eaten any lunch and dinner time would be in a few hours. “A little but I don’t think I can eat a whole meal. After something like that I often struggle with eating,” “Okay, want me to make a smoothie for you? With berries, of course,” “Yeah, I’d like that Binnie. I’ve never tried one but they sound and look delicious.” Changbin’s heart skipped a beat at the nickname that so easily fell from (Y/n)’s lips. Chan and Han also noticed the nickname and shared a happy look as they both thought that (Y/n) was becoming very comfortable with them quickly so which they were happy about. They all wanted her to like them and feel comfortable, they wanted to give her a home she’ll never have to leave. Because in this short time, they have all grown to really like the sweet hybrid and they would hate to see her leave. So would (Y/n), she doesn’t want to leave these guys. They are like heaven, like a warm coat on a cold day, they are home. 

Binnie left the room to quickly make some smoothies for the bunny, himself, and his producing mates. (Y/n), Chan and Han made some small talk about the coming days while he was gone. Because soon they would have to get back to work with performing, practicing, and all that. Chan wanted (Y/n) to be prepared for how it would work before they actually went anywhere. (Y/n) was a little confused, as she had never seen an idol’s life before she couldn’t imagine how it would be but she was willing to fight to be able to stay with her new family. At that thought, Changbin returned with a tray that had 4 glasses filled with a pink-ish sort of firm liquid within them that (Y/n) concluded looked absolutely delicious. “Here we go, a smoothie for hyung, a smoothie for the squirrel, one for the adorable bunny, and one for myself!” “Thank you!” Chan, Jisung, and (Y/n) all said in unison before taking a glass each and taking a sip. (Y/n)’s eyes become wider as she tasted what must have been a gift from god as she had never in her life tasted something so delicious, so good before. “Woah! This is amazing!” “Careful (Y/n). Don’t drink it too quickly because you’ll end up with a brain freeze and a stomach-ache,” Bang Chan said with a firm but caring tone, one she had heard before from a loving father to his children and she imagined that Chan probably acted as a father to the rest being the leader and everything. “Sorry,” “No don’t apologize, I just don’t want you to give yourself those problems,” And so (Y/n) stayed sitting close by as she listened to 3racha working on the song, slowly sipping on her smoothie, waiting for the tall and lean dancer.

~ To be continued ~