#waves from outta the hammock

[iceclew]

100% my henry too.

me playing henry like WHERE'S MY FUCKING LORD

[rainychaoloveshack]

Suggestive Boom!Sonic one shot cause hes so flirty and so silly? ty!!!

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟ .  𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐠.

sonic likes relaxing with you. alone.

content (16+). boom!sonic x gn!reader, suggestive!!!, kinda needy sonic, teasing-like relationship, stupid idiot definitely loves flirting with you, bunch of kisses… and licks. 

☂︎ wc. around 900 ☂︎ a/n. i was feelin a bit… devilish this one 😈 (the post write clarity hit hard.) HAHAHA i hope i did your request justice anon! first time writing smth like this… i tried to keep it at least 16+ (as per my comfortability with writing spice), but mightve leaned more into rated M, my fault ^^’

likes, reblogs, and especially comments are extremely appreciated!!!

“Hey, you know everyone already left, right?” That familiar blue blur the village knows and loves comes through the doorway, crossing his arms and leaning against the sofa as he looks you up and down, obviously skeptical about your continued presence in the hut. “What’cha still doing here? I thought Sticks was really urging you to go.”

You shrug your shoulders, letting a yawn slip out as you wave him off, shutting your eyes as the hammock swings gently at your movement. A nice, sundown nap is in order.

“You didn’t feel like going with them?” You don’t bother opening your eyes, but give him a curt nod as you feel his presence beside you, hearing the tapping of his foot against the hard, wooden floor. “Well, why don’t you just come with me then? I’m about to run a couple laps to and back from the beach.” 

Booooringgg. You click your tongue in disapproval, but open up an eye to peek at him, curious about the fact that he invited you to hang out with him in the first place. Usually he’d just bug Tails about things like that, or challenge Knuckles to a couple rounds of golf. Well, maybe you’re just a last resort, considering the fact that you’re the only one here…

“That doesn’t interest you either, huh?” Sonic tilts his head, his ear twitching at your silent agreement with a nod. Words aren’t even necessary. No point in wasting your breath on them.

He pouts, staring at you silently putting his gloved hands right on his hips, cocking his head to the other side as his foot keeps on tapping on the floor. After a few beats of silence, he nudges you in an annoying manner, causing you to let a small curse slip between your lips as you gaze up at him.

“Alright, scoot over.”

What?

Sonic grins as he shakes the hammock, forcing a yelp through your lungs as he urges you to make way for him, climbing inside the hammock to snuggle against you before you can even utter a refusal. Idiot.

He chuckles, a cheeky, clearly amused grin on his face as he presses his cheek against yours, a soft purr rumbling from within his chest as his playful demeanor falters for a moment, enjoying the warmth emitting from your body. If you weren't so bugged out with him currently, you would’ve teased him for his animalistic behavior, but the thought slipped out of your mind the second it entered once you feel another purr ring from him. Lucky bastard.

You scowl, nudging him away from you. You were having a nice, relaxing time, and then all of a sudden he wants to butt in like this?

“Oh, what?” Sonic grins at you, relishing in your embarrassed expression. “You’re acting like you don’t like it. I know you do.” Your scowl doesn’t falter with his statement. And what brings him to that assumption?

“Cause if you didn’t, you could’ve pushed me outta here already.” Sonic murmurs, that stupid sly grin popping back on his face as he straddles over your figure, before you can utter a protest to his statement, and he leans down to kiss your neck, letting his tongue lap up the spot briefly, before leaning more towards the right to suck gently, nipping at it with his teeth.

Oh. 

You flinch at the wet feeling plastered on your neck, but soon settle down, stifling back a groan as he draws his tongue across your jawline, leaning so close to your face that your lips briefly touch against each other.

“You didn't need to go with the others anyway.” He says, a small growl behind his words. “It’s more fun with me, yeah?” Sonic groans at his own impatience, leaning in as soon as he finishes his sentence, running his tongue against the tip of your fang with a small growl following afterward, pleased at your reaction to his advance once you reach your hand over to hold his, intertwining your fingers with his as he pins it down to the hammock.

Suddenly, Sonic angrily nips at your bottom lip, almost begging for your tongue to make contact with his, and you comply with his begging as he whines softly in the kiss, clearly happy with your decision, though he’ll never say it out loud. His ego’s much too big for something like that, but displaying his affections for you in a hut where anyone from the group could walk in is just fine. Hmm.

The kiss is cut short as Sonic breaks away, panting softly above you and chuckling softly. “Sorry. I dunno what’s up with me today…” Maybe some self-evaluation would do him some good.

… Who’re you kidding? You know you don’t care.

Sonic’s soft breathing mixes with yours, along with his soft kisses against your cheek, shifting slightly on top of you as his leg straddles your body, cuddling and bringing you closer. 

What a loser.

You groan in a fake annoyed tone, muttering curses towards him as he laughs beside you, yet you snuggle closer to his chest and those curses turn into gentle kisses leading up his chest, tugging away his brown bandana with your teeth, and you relish in the sound of Sonic’s laughs cut short, and his breath hitching in his throat, his hand resting itself on your hips before making its way up your own torso, 

Eh. This isn’t so bad. You should stay back and just relax in Sonic’s Hut more often. Alone.

Yeah…

(i was actually gonna post this last night but tumblr was being bad >:[ its alright lol)

[deathworlders-of-e24]

Jane, Medical Technician

Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sorry I’m late doctor, this ship is huge.” Jane hadn’t realized until she got on board that her quarters were halfway across the ship and a full deck up from her work station in the Med Bay. She was going to have to fabricate some more sensible shoes at this rate. She wished she could have her own synthetic tree put into the med bay, just roll outta the hammock and get straight to work, but those perks belonged to the head doctor on the ship.

“It’s fine, it’s just day one,” said Doctor Huhuma, brushing it off with a wave of her furred hand. “I think I can trust these people to go at least a week without almost dying.”

While Jane Shaw was a doctor in her own right, the head physician on board the Noah was Doctor Huhuma, an Indoprime, something akin to the moneys on E24 in the Terran system, locally called Earth. They were so similar in fact that multiple ongoing studies were being conducted to see if they had any common genetic ancestry. Indoprimes stood just as tall as humans on two legs, with two arms that hung down to their torsos. The only real difference was the fur and semi prehensile tails.

“We’ve only left the station a few hours ago, what could have happened? I think today will be quiet at least,” Jane joked. As if the universe heard her and quietly whispered ‘bet’, the door to Med Bay hissed opened and in walked one of the engineers with a thin length of pipe all the way through their arm. Their green blood was a stark contrast to their gray skin and jumpsuit, and their face was turning ashen.

“Oh for- why?” Doctor Huhuma rushed over to the fresh patient. “Thanks for that, Jinxed Jane. Grab a kit, I’ll get him on the table. You had to say the Q-word, huh?”

God damnit, Jane thought. Hours into a first shift and the nickname has already come up. Jinxed Jane had followed her all throughout her residency on Earth and apparently it’d made its way into her GAIL file too.

You accidentally bump a few nurses during surgery and they never let you forget it, she thought miserly. There was a reason she was trying to get away from people who knew her. Jinxed Jane was one of them.

She grabbed a kit from the shelves and brought it to the table, handing the med scanner to the doctor.

“Thank you…sorry. For the-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jane didn’t want to think about it.

The little gray guy on the table was breathing hard. His life wasn’t in any danger, thankfully, but the pipe was only a half inch thinner than his arm. Jane recognized his species from the crew list, he was one of the Gally. Apparently they’d been to earth a ton of times in the past, abducting cattle and occasionally leaving crop circles as a joke. They’d actually shown up so often that the Gally were the default for ‘Alien’ in pop culture in the Terran System. Throughout the Galaxy and especially the GAIL member planets, the Gally were known to be obnoxious pranksters of the highest order.

“Oouuuch,” said the Gally, wincing at the pain.

“Get him a shot of something good for the pain, this’ll take a second.” The med scanner wasn’t done compiling.

“On it.” Jane grabbed a dose of multi-species painkiller from the kit, took the cap off with her teeth, and jabbed it into his thigh. Almost immediately the Gally relaxed.

“Laser wave scalpel, please,” Doctor Huhuma asked.

“Here.” Jane handed her the tool quickly, a short cylinder tapered on one end. The doctor clicked it on and a red beam several centimeters long sprouted from the tip.

“Cover his eyes for me, this might throw sparks.”

“Got it, Doc.”

Jane grabbed a surgical mask and slipped it on the Gally’s face, then took a stainless steel tray and used it to shield their eyes. Huhuma leaned down and with one hand covering her eyes, she used the laser saw to cut the pipe as close to the skin as possible. The Gally flinched at first so Jane put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him as best she could.

The pipe fell, one end red hot, and Huhuma caught it with her tail before it hit the floor.

“Okay,” the doctor said, “easy part is done, this is where it will probably be awful for you.”

“How?” The Gally asked, speaking for the first time other than slight groans of pain.

“Why don’t you tell us your name so we can get this filed away after we’re done?”

“I’m an engineer below decks, my name is Simms of the Gall-”

Huhuma pulled the pipe out the other side of his arm, causing Simms to break off his introduction for a yelp of pain. The doctor quickly took the tissue regenerator, commonly called a Patch Box, and started closing up the wound.

“Well, Simms of the Gally, my name is Doctor Huhuma, and this is Doctor Shaw. You’re our very first patient on this ship, and let me tell you, I wasn’t expecting anything to happen before we left the system, so while I go start the paperwork, Doctor Shaw is going to finish up for me.”

Huhuma handed over the device before walking calmly into her office. Jane wasn’t sure but she thought she heard a long sigh before the door closed, but that could’ve just been the door’s hydraulics.

“I don’t believe she likes me,” Simms said.

“Oh you’re fine, she’s just…settling into the ship, I suppose. So yeah, like she said, I’m Doctor Jane Shaw, and I suppose I’ll be your doctor now, so it’s nice to meet you, though I’m wondering how you got a pipe through your arm.”

“Oh, that.” Apparently it was possible for people with gray skin to blush. They just got a little darker in the cheeks.

“I kinda deserved it. One of the other humans in engineering, Thomas I think, was doing something weird with the drone he picked up, and we thought it’d be funny to prank him.”

“What was he doing?”

“Well it’s a service drone, it shouldn’t even be active right now right? He’s got one of the ones that crawls into maintenance channels and fixes the wiring, and he’s got it playing one of your human’s game things, and he’s just talking to it like a person, for hours!”

“And what did you do?”

“Well, we thought about cabling his shoes to the catwalk but I, uhh, slipped and fell into some exposed pipping.”

“Hence the arm.”

“Yes, hence my arm.”

“So you could say if you hadn’t been being a jerk, this could’ve been avoided. Can’t wait to tell your primary care giver that her crew are idiots and jerks. Leave the guy alone, if he’s not hurting anything then it doesn’t matter.”

“What, do you know the guy? He your friend or something?”

Jane didn’t particularly like the tone of the conversation anymore, but wanted to be professional.

“Never met the guy, but if you keep coming in here for pointless procedures like this, the chances of you getting the wrong doses are gonna get pretty high.”

Professional. Right.

“Look I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend the humans, we’ll leave him alone, okay?” Simms seemed way more afraid than Jane figured he should be, but rolled with it.

“Good. Now, how would you rate your care today?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aside from the rough start, the day in the Med Bay went by relatively easily. Jane met the nurses and other support staff she’d be working with, and they all seemed very nice. A couple of the senior officers came down to introduce themselves to Doctor Huhuma and herself, and the 3 other Indoprime came down to have lunch together in the office, primarily fruits and such. Jane went to the mess hall and enjoyed small talk with a delightful short haired alien that she almost immediately forgot the name of.

It wasn’t until she was coming back to the Med Bay that things took a turn. Rounding the corner, Jane saw the door to Med Bay open and a very suspicious looking Simms the Gally come out, looking both ways down the hall before practically jogging down to the corner and out of sight.

Jane sped up and ducked her head into the clinic. There was a giant string of crop circles on the wall drawn in what looked like an oil paint.

Now, she wasn’t sure when she started sprinting, but before she knew it, Jane was already within 20 yards of Simms the Gally.

“YOU LITTLE FUCKER!”

Simms spun around, eyes wide.

“Oh shit what the fu-”

That was as far as he got before she tackled him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doctor Huhuma watched the door while Doctor Jane Shaw watched the gray alien known as Simms the Gally sponge wash the crop circles off the Med Bay wall.

“So when in this big plan of yours did you think it was a good idea to piss off your doctors?” Jane asked, arms crossed.

“When I thought you’d still be in the mess hall for another 30 seconds.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Huhuma laughed, the sound coming from deep in her chest. Jane smiled at her. It was a good, hearty kind of laugh. It suited her.

“So are you guys gonna tell the captain about this?”

Jane thought for a second, then turned to Huhuma and shrugged.

“Your call boss.”

“I think if you just clean this place up…once a week, till we tell you otherwise, we could keep this to ourselves.”

Simms the Gally groaned, but kept scrubbing.

Jane the human laughed.

Huhuma the Indoprime smiled at her.

Liking the new job so far, Jane thought. This’ll be fun.

[fictionalmenxyn]

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Pairing: Rafe x Reader established relationship

Warnings: language, mentioned of blood/dried grazes

𖣔𖣔𖣔

Once again, summer rolled around. Having only to do your weekend job, you were free to do whatever.

So you woke up just around nine in the morning. You had a fresh and cooling shower to start your day. Drying your hair then doing your skincare. As you were doing your skincare Rafe started to FaceTime on your phone.

You accepted it and put your phone straight back on the counter. Making the view from your end, just the ceiling. Rafe spoke groggily “morning, baby.” You chuckle softly at his tired voice “good morning, Rafey…” you could hear him shuffle in bed a little. Most likely moving so he was sitting up against his headboard. He moved his phone close to his face. Only his eyes on the camera as he asked “why’re you finding that ever so pretty face of yours, babe?… you know I need to see it when I wake up…”

You had realised that your phone wasn’t resting against the mirror up against your wall. You answered “I forgot, sorry” you smile as you could see yourself in the camera view. You also see Rafe’s famous smirk plastered on his face “that’s more like it… what’re you doing? Your face wash shit?” You laugh “yep, I am, why?” He playfully groaned “why you always gotta do that shit?? Isn’t it like makeup or something? You know I don’t like makeup on that face of yours, sweetheart.” You playfully roll your eyes with a grin. You replied “Rafe I keep telling ya, it’s not makeup it’s healthy for your skin.”

𖣔𖣔𖣔

After your morning and going out with your friends for breakfast. You were driving your baby-blue bronco. The sunroof down and your shades on. Your music was cut short when your phone ringtone went through the speakers. You use your free hand to press the screen and you spoke “hello?”

Once again, the voice you love oh so much, replies. “Hey, baby, are you busy right now?…” you answered “not really, just getting back from breakfast with the girls, why?” He answered “me and the boys are out on the golf course… was wondering if you wanna join?… cause I know I’ll loose my head if they keep it up with all the shit that’s coming outta their mouths.” He says with zero venom behind. You laugh “sure, sure, I’ll be there in fifteen.

And soon enough, you arrived at the golf range.

You grab your keys and phone. Locking up the bronco you head through the building and out onto the range. Walking over to where the three guys were. You put your phone and keys into your one hand as you call out “hey guys!” You smile and wave as they turn.

After being greeted by Kelce and Topper. Rafe opens his arms “hey, pretty girl, you okay, babe?” Smiling as you nod you answered “yeah, thanks, how’re you?” You added a joke on “still got your head screwed on I see.” He lets out a chuckle as he keeps his arms wrapped around your waist. “Mhm, still have.”

As the guys swing their clubs. You stand in front of Rafe. His arm slung around your shoulder that looks like a very loose headlock. The hand by your shoulders playing with your hair. He moved to rest his chin on your head. He spoke “looking beautiful today, darlin’” you smiled softly “thanks, I only threw these together to go-” “babe, stop, let me compliment you, hush…” you chuckle softly as he pecks your temple. “So? What’s my pretty girl going to do today?… got plans?” You hummed in agreement. “Gotta babysit Ollie and Issac. Then I’ll probably sit in the hammock.” You smiled as recently your dad and older brother helped set up a hammock at these two trees in your backyard that overlooks the beach. A nice reading spot.

Rafe looks down, seeing your grazed knees and dry blood. He hated when you got hurt. But he knew you were okay as he knew the reason behind your somewhat battered knees. “How did roller blading with Issac go?” You chuckle at the memory. Lifting your one leg up showing him “great, can’t you tell?”

Rafe smiled softly, god you were so sweet. “Oh yeah? Glad to hear… Mind if I crash those plans?” You shrugged “I don’t mind, you know Ollie will be shy of you, but Issac couldn’t give a shit.” You both laugh. Rafe added “yeah, that’s true… I’ll help you babysit.” Topper added his own comment “Rafe Cameron, babysitting? Yeah nah, that’s true ain’t happening… what really is gonna happen is Y/n will be the one actually babysitting and Rafe will either drool over Y/n being an auntie or he’ll be play fighting with Issac again.” Rafe playfully clipped Topper at the side of his head with his free hand. As you laughed knowing what Topper said was 100% true.

𖣔𖣔𖣔

Later in the day, you sat in the backyard. Sitting at the indoor-outdoor dinning area. You had turned the chair to face the garden. Having Ollie (who’s two) sitting on your lap as you both watched Rafe and Issac (who’s nine) play fighting. Ollie wasn’t a play fighting type, hence the reason he’s sat on your lap. Ollie liked playing toys and going in the pool. While Issac was a play fighting and adventure type.

Rafe playfully yet gently tackled Issac into the soft grass. Cupping the back of Issac’s head so his hand would protect him. Rafe then stood up with Issac over his shoulder, laughing and squirming. Rafe patted his back “alright, buddy… time for a break… uncle Rafe needs a drink.” Issac kept laughing then as he was put down. Issac ran over and gulped his lemonade.

Rafe moved to sit next to you, grabbing his ice cold bottle of beer. Taking a few sips. He then placed the glass bottle down. Moving his arm to rest against the back of your chair.

Rafe looked down at the toddler in your lap. Seeing Ollie look up at Rafe with wide curious eyes. Rafe leaned down to Ollie’s level. He spoke in a soft yet playful like tone “hey buddy, having fun on auntie y/n/n lap?” Ollie nodded a little then looked down to his toy. Feeling shy again.

You rubbed your hand over the toddlers curls “hey, no need to be shy, bub. Races pretty much family.” Rafe nodded. He leaned over and pecked your lips. He playfully said “yeah, who knew you’d have such a smokin’ hot aunt-” “Rafe!” “What?! I’m stating the obvious??” “In front of the two years old, seriously?!” “True true… my bad?”

𖣔𖣔𖣔

As the sun sets, you hold your current read in your hands. Feeling Rafe’s chest against your back as you turn the page. The slight breeze licking up ever so slightly as the tide comes in then out.

Rafe plays with your hair, not caring about the book or the scenery. His focus elsewhere, you. He counties to play with your hair. Whispering a sweet nothing into your ear or kissing your cheek every so often. The hammock swaying slightly under both of your weight.

This was the life, you didn’t expect it to be this, maybe you did. But it was thee life.

Rafe started to gently massage your shoulder as you finished the chapter. Placing the bookmark with was an old piece of magazine. You place the bookmark in your lap. Tilting your head back enough to see Rafe’s face. He joked “finally finished that god awful romance book??” You playfully roll your eyes “Rafe, it’s a book about Achilles and Patroclus. It does mention love and grief… but it is also Greek mythology book.” He chuckled “I’m messing with ya..” he tilted his head down and give your lips a soft kiss. “I love you, sweetheart.” You smiled softly. Yes he did. Yes, the Rafe Cameron loved someone. And it was you.

“I love you too, Rafey.”

𖣔𖣔𖣔

And soon enough, the moon has shown itself. You brush your teeth. Wearing some random summer pjs you had from last year. You put your hair into some braids. While Rafe stood next to you, brushing his teeth, in just his boxers. As usual, he does it every time. You’ve gotten used to see his walk around in his boxers. He always liked to strut his stuff. He knew what he was doing and packing. So why not show it off to your amazing girlfriend? That’s exactly what he says when he catches you rolling your eyes with a smile.

The two of you eventually climb into bed. Rafe pulling you to his side as you get comfortable. Resting your head on his bare toned chest. You use your nail to gently trace shapes into his tanned skin. He smiled lazily. He rested his cheek against your head as you both chat about everything and anything. That’s a thing you’re grateful for. It never got boring with him.

Eventually you both say your good nights and hit the hay. Ready for another day to come. That’s a typical day of Y/n Y/l/n. Another great day done. What are you up to tomorrow? We’ll find out…

𖣔𖣔𖣔

[disintegratedfingers]

New Bandages

Optional: Before reading, get comfortable- adjust the temperature in your space to a warm degree, maybe putting on more layers, even. Sit/lay in a position that keeps you frozen. Listen to the song above while reading.

Pairing: Sero x reader. Content: Fluff, slight angst. Warnings: Light swearing. (Proofread ✅)

_______

Your whole arm was itchy, and the dampened cloth greased your skin achingly. Your doctor recommended a few more days of the bandages after you were discharged from the hospital.

"Why were you in there, anyways?" You sat in Sero's hammock while the boy laid back against his bedframe.

"Did no one tell you?" You asked, eyebrows furrowed as you rubbed at the wrapped cloth. Sero just shrugged. You sighed. "Some villian gave me a gash while we were running errands... jumped outta nowhere, challenged us to a fight."

"What was his quirk?"

"Really?"

"C'mon, don't be like that! Just curious."

"I'm not sure, alright?" You huffed. "Sato took care of the situation- I was in some sort of shock. Couldn't move, and I was bleeding real bad."

"You woulda passed out, huh?" He offered a smirk, receiving an annoyed look in return. "What?"

"Sero, I couldn't help stop a lower-rank villian!" you shot back. "Just some back alley drug dealer or something-"

"Hey keep it down, alright?" Sero waved his hands in the air, fretful. "Everyone else is sleeping." You glanced down in embarrassment, skin on fire from all the aggressive scratching.

"Here," Sero reached forward and slipped his hand under yours, delicately looking over the bandaging in dim light. "Oh, gross."

"No shit, Sherlock," you mumbled, other palm pressed against your mouth as you leaned against it. Sero huffed a small laugh before gently unwrapping the cloth.

"I can replace this with my tape," he suggested. "You won't be irritated anymore."

"I don't want something sticky on-"

"Oh hush," he snapped playfully. "I can wrap the non-sticky side onto your arm, them tape a sliver to the end..." He crumpled up the old wrapping and did just so, layering his tape around your arm.

"...then I'll plaster more tape over it to hide the stickiness, see?" He finished up the process skillfully, checking the tightness. You looked over his delicate work.

"Oh hey," you remarked. "That's a decent job. Thanks." The irritation was gone from your skin; you traced a finger over the overlapping parts.

"It's nothing," Sero sniffed. "Why don't the nurses give you extra bandages?"

"They do. I got some after my discharge," you replied. "But they accidently gave me the rougher ones- or maybe they meant to... plus, I hate applying them myself."

"You've got 19 classmates, two teachers, and your other family and friends," the boy crossed his arms. "Are you sure you just didn't want me to do it for yah?"

"Nah," you waved a hand, laying back in the hammock. "It wasn't itchy 'till now, anyways."

"Alright," Sero nodded, tilting his head slightly. "Well... we've got some intense training tomorrow so..." You turned over with a small, patterned pillow in your arms, ignoring him.

"You sure you don't wanna go back to your dorm...? We're cutting it kinda close with Mr. Aizawa."

"'Heard he's sleepin' hard tomorrow," you murmured. "Besides, he trusts our friendship. He'll assume we studied together or something."

"If you're wrong, I'm blocking you," Sero decided, growing comfortable in his own bed. "But, sure."

You hummed contently, sinking into sleep.

_______

[teratonasti]

I am extremely high as I write this and have almost fallen asleep three times but I needed to get this shit outta me. Very simple: shmokin w Eddie, just a lil smooching, gn!reader, one babydoll and one darling

Also uhhh @ringpop-poppy bc hello she's Eddie's gf ofc I'm gonna tag

TW: ouid/mary juana, stoner tings, gn!reader

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

You're three hits deep when you start to feel it. That warm, fuzzy feeling running down your skin in a soft layer. Like your body was lined in velvet and buzzing like a bee, and everything is a little slow to register in your mind after you look at it.

Eddie grins over the bowl he's heating up with his zippo, taking in deep puffs off it then blowing it out his nostrils like a smug dragon. You're curled up in his lap, taking deep breaths off the thick clouds that swirl around his head and tangle with his black hair. His jaw looks sharp in the lamp light as he leans his head back to blow out plumes of white smoke.

When you run your hand up the denim of his jeans, everything feels doubled and disorienting in the best way. Eddie laughs a bit, shuffling his legs further down the mattress you shared, and blows a smoke ring your way.

"Blasted, babydoll?" Eddie asks with a grin that tells you he already knows the answer.

You still nod dumbly, head empty and focus only on the way his skin wrinkled with his smile. And his jeans felt like heaven; the tickling, scratching feeling fills the nerves in your palm and you laugh happily as you rub up and down his thigh. He grins at your excitement, and tries to fight the low purr of pleasure in his belly.

You mumble something along the lines of "... y'so soft, eddie" as you let yourself roll through space right into his chest with a soft oomf. The impact makes you feel like you're bobbing in the ocean especially when your eyes are closed, and you relax into the feeling. Your shoulder buries into his lung before he can catch a breath, but Eddie is quick with the shifts so your ship is barely rocked. On your sea of leather, embroidered patches, and the smell of Eddie, there are no rocky waves.

He relaxes back and you're swaying in a hammock, adding even more to the zen state of your head. The ballroom song from Labyrinth plays in your brain as Eddie's swirling face is turned into a Bowie look a like, then back to normal.

Fuck, this was good.

Eddie just watches your eyes circle and unfocus in the area of his face, and smiles when you squeal Bowie's name. It's precious to him, seeing you relaxed and silly like this. He takes these moments and shoves them deep in his heart. Stockpiles them away for a rainy day. His heart melts when you seem to laser focus on him for a second, and your face melts into a warm, loving smile as a hand comes up to cup his cheek.

"You're the beat, Ed. Best Munster ever," you sigh. He's blinked his eyes closed when your skin meets his and he lights up like a fucking arena stage, so he misses the way you lean yourself upwards. Eddie opens his eyes to you almost nose to nose with him, eyes shut tight and waiting.

It's not the correct thing to do, he knows it. You're blazed and unable to think right, he would be taking advantage of you; every reason to not meet your lips comes to his mind in the moments between your breaths mixing.

But fuck it, he's high too. Can feel it from the static in his limbs and head. So, he takes a breath and leans in a half inch until his lips connect with yours.

It's soft, gentle. Everything a first kiss should be - at least in Eddie's mind. You kiss him again, then another time, before burying your face in his neck and letting out a relieved laugh.

"Thought you'd leave me hanging," you breathe, voice shaking slightly. Calloused, heavy hands tip your head up so his lips can press into your forehead and you can feel his smile against your brain.

"Would never leave my darling hanging," he murmurs, and you feel yourself melting.

[inkandpen22]

The Princess and The Pogue (pt. 4)

Pairing: JJ x Female!Reader / Topper x Female!Reader

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: swearing, angst

Part Summary: You wake up at the Chateau in JJ’s arms. When you receive a urgent call from Topper, you return to the Figure 8, much to JJ’s dismay. 

Masterlist

You wake up to the sound of a faint buzzing. A small groan leaves your throat as you attempt to stretch out your limbs, but are trapped beneath the weight of an arm. Your eyes flicker open and adjust to the golden rays pouring in from the window. JJ doesn't even shift, completely unaware of your moving. You recognize the sound of your phone buzzing and dig around the recliner. You two must've fallen asleep during the movie. Kiara and Pope remain on the floor, sprawled out like starfish. The couch is empty, John B and Sarah are probably in his room. You finally manage to find your phone beneath JJ's hip. You do your best to slide it out without waking him. Slowly, you climb out of the chair, placing JJ's arm down gently. 

“Hello?” You whisper, suppressing a yawn as you step out to the porch to not wake the others. 

“Hey, Princess," Topper's worried voice echoes through the device. "Did I wake you?”

 You settle down on the couch in a ball, shaking your head as if Topper can see you. “No, No, it’s okay," you lie for his sake. "Is everything alright?” 

“It’s Rafe..." he sighs. "He kinda got outta hand last night and he hasn’t been to bed yet. He keeps saying he’s going to go to your house. I don’t think your parents should see him like this.” 

“What?" Your brows scrunch together in confusion. Slowly, the events of last night are creeping back to you. You remember all of it, but some parts are only flashes like photographs. "I’m not even home.” 

“Wait, where are you then?” Topper questions, sounding just as confused as you. 

“I uh... I stayed at Sarah's," you conjure up on a whim. 

“Okay..." he replies, not sounding fully convinced. "well do you think you could stop by my place or something? Rafe won’t shut up until he sees you. Thank God my mom left for Atlanta this morning. I can pick you up if you need.” 

“No, it’s okay. I’ll uh... I’ll borrow Sarah’s car or something. I’ll text you when I’m on my way," you determine. 

“Okay, see you then," Topper agrees, hanging up the phone. 

You drop the device in your lap, resting your forehead against your knees. None of this feels real. What are you even doing here? One minute you and Topper are stumbling out of the locker room and the next you're making out with JJ in a hammock. Holy shit, you made out with JJ in a hammock! Topper is going to kill you! He can't know. No, he can never know. 

“Morning Baby," JJ greets as he steps out onto the porch. He rubs his eyes as he walks over to join you. 

“Morning, sorry that I woke you up,” you apologize. 

"Don't be." He plops down next to you, bringing his arm to rest between your tucked legs. His hand is warm against your exposed knee. A part of you wants to cling to him like a koala, but your mind is also on Topper. "Who was that?” He yawns. 

“Topper," you answer truthfully, though it was hesitant. "Apparently, Rafe is acting out and keeps asking for me. I’m gonna head over there to calm him down a little." 

“Wait, what!" JJ's eyes widen, processing what you said. "By yourself?” 

“JJ, it’s okay! It’s just Topper and Rafe,” you snicker at his dramatic reaction. 

“Yeah! Rafe!" He repeats, turning his body toward you. His arm between your legs moves to your back and is replaced with his free one. "The guy who gave you laced weed, Babe!" 

Your lower lip pouts slightly as you're appreciative of his concern though it's not necessary. Impulsively, you bring your hand to his cheek and he leans into your touch subtly. “It’ll be fine, we’re not going to do anything. I’m just helping out Top. Once we get Rafe to chill I’ll be out of there.” 

“I’m driving,” he names his terms sternly. 

Your lips part as worry starts to build up inside you. “JJ, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I-“ 

“I wasn’t asking," he cuts you off sharply, his lips pressed together. “Either I go with you and wait in the car or you don’t go at all," he offers an ultimatum. 

'Okay, that's hot,' you think to yourself. 

You sit stunned for a second. As much as you hate the name, you're still the Princess of the OBX, no one talks to you like that or gives you ultimatums. Yet, you can't help but be utterly compliant when it comes to JJ Maybank. 

“Okay," you nod, trying your hardest to not blush, but ultimately fail. "As long as there’s no Pogue vs. Kook fistfights," you add to the rules. 

JJ notices your eyes wandering to his lips and leans forward with a smirk. “I can’t make any promises.” 

You grin as JJ brushes his lips against yours, bringing you in for a kiss. When he woke up JJ was nervous that he fucked up last night and that you'd regretted everything. It's just JJ always assuming the worst to avoid disappointment. His arm on you was him testing the waters. After a second, once learning that you're not going to pull away, he deepens the kiss. Your fingers comb through his luscious hair and grip the roots slightly. His hand on your knee steadily glides down your skin, moving between your legs. 

"Oh no!" You gasp against his lips, realizing something. 

JJ jumps, breaking his lips from yours and flying his hands off. “Woah, what! Sorry!” He thought maybe his hand may have set you off or something. He’s not sure what your boundaries are or anything, everything is still so new. 

“I don’t have a change of clothes!" You tell him. 

“Jesus," he rolls his eyes, finally able to breathe again. "Wear my shirt you’re wearing,” he gestures to the black AC/DC shirt hanging on you. 

You raise your eyebrows. “And have them start a fight? No way! They'll know it’s not mine," you explain stressfully. 

"You're right, tell them it's your boyfriend's and to mind their own damn business," JJ determines with a carefree shrug. Only after a couple seconds does he process that he called himself your boyfriend, having not discussed that yet. 

You raise your brows at his remark. A faint laugh escapes you, as if that would go over well with the boys. “As much as I would love to, I don’t think that would go well considering Rafe is already losing his mind.” 

A rush of relief consumes JJ when you don’t reject him. In fact, he’s over the moon when you don’t deny that he’s indeed your boyfriend. 

“So..." JJ drags out, gliding your fingers up and down your thigh. "Did you give Topper a specific time?” 

“No, just that I’d be over as soon as possible." You smirk, already knowing what he's thinking. "Why?” 

"Because if I remember correctly," he purrs into your ear with a smirk. "We were rudely interrupted last night..."

 As much as you'd love to do what JJ has in mind, you owe it to Topper to show up at a decent time. "We have the rest of the day for that," you move back a little, much to JJ's disappointment. He groans, making you giggle. "If Rafe acts up any more than he already has and goes to my house I'm royally screwed." 

"Okay, fine! Fine!" He rises up from the couch and offering you a hand. "But I'm holding you to your word! I expect full tomfoolery later!" 

"Deal." You lean in and plant a peck to his lips, making him blush. 

JJ grabs the keys to the Twinkie while you wait outside. You go over the plan multiple times on the way over, mainly to ease your nerves. JJ will park a few yards down the road, hidden behind the hedges that line Topper's yard. You will tell Topper that Sarah dropped you off and that you'll walk home because you live a few blocks away. Checking on Rafe will only take twenty minutes tops, but you're aiming for fifteen. You've done this before, taking care of Rafe. Get sick, chug Pedialyte, have Mcdonald's delivered, and put him to bed. 

You text Topper as soon as you're on your side of the island. 

Heading over now! 

A minute later, you receive a response. 

Awesome! See you soon! Thanks again Y/N/N. Owe you one! 

JJ does exactly as planned, making sure the Twinkie can't be seen from Topper's house. Reluctantly, he lets you out without him. He warns though that if you don't text him or give him some sign that you're okay within the ten-minute time slot he's given that he'll come in after you. You promise that you'll text him a smiley face as soon as you get the chance. 

You knock on Topper's front door a few times and wait for the tall boy to answer. After a few minutes you call for your friends. "Top! Rafe!" 

"I don't want you! I want Y/N!" You hear from the backyard and make your way back. 

"She's on her way!" Topper shouts. 

"Dude! Just sit down!" You hear Kelce add. 

"Guys?" You pop your head around the corner and find Rafe standing on the edge of Topper's pool, fully clothed in his suit from the night before. 

"Y/N! Finally!" Rafe gleams, gripping a bottle of champagne in his hand. 

"Thank God," Topper grumbles to himself as he approaches you. "Thanks again for coming," he greets with a kiss to your temple. 

"Of course," you smile as you move toward Kelce. You give him a quick side hug as you greet everyone. "When did you get here?" 

"About five minutes ago," he answers, breathless from trying to keep Rafe from jumping in. "Apparently I'm not good enough because he keeps asking for you." 

"Hey, Rafe, what's up?" You call over to the boy as stumbles over to you. 

"Geez, you are the most gorgeous girl in the OBX," he grins. 

"Oh am I now? What have you been up to?" You asking, knowing the answer. He smells of weed, sweat, and stale alcohol. His suit will no doubt need some serious dry cleaning. 

"Eh, nothing too exciting," he waves his hand and places an arm over your shoulder. "After you disappeared from the party the boys and I went back to do a few more lines. It wasn't as fun without you. Where did you go anyway? We looked all over for you." 

JJ crosses his arms over his chest. "Yeah, where'd you go?" He repeats as if you didn't explain it before on the phone. 

You frown at your best friend. Why is he acting like that? "Sarah convinced her parents to give her the car and she took me to her house while her parents were are the party," you repeat the story you rehearsed with JJ. 

"But Sarah was still at the party after we lost you. She told your parents that you left..." Topper replies slowly, almost as though he's accusing you of something. 

"Yeah, I was waiting in the car," you answer without hesitation. 

"Right..." Topper nods with narrowed eyes. 

You roll your eyes at Topper and bring your arm around Rafe. "Let's get you inside." 

"I wanted to go for a swim," Rafe whines. 

"That sounds so fun," you pretend, silently begging him to go inside without any retaliation. "Sadly, I didn't bring my suit." 

"Come on, Y/N, it's not like I haven't seen you in your underwear before," Rafe chuckles as you cross the threshold of the sliding door. 

"Nice, Rafe," Topper sarcastically remarks. 

"Oh no, I think I'm gonna be sick," Rafe coughs, hutching over next to you. 

 "I got this one," Kelce shouts, moving to get his friend toward the bathroom. 

Now that Rafe is inside and in the "get sick" stage, you move on to ordering him McDonald's. Knowing Topper's house like the back of your hand, you walk into the kitchen, leaving the boy in the living room. You hop onto the counter, your legs dangle over the edge. As you tap through your phone, Topper enters the room. 

"Are you feeling better?" He checks on you with a smile, a complete 180 from the attitude he was giving you minutes before. "I was out of it but I vaguely remember us stumbling out of the locker room," he chuckles. 

"Yeah we kinda went a little too far last night," you giggle, recalling the memory. "But I feel much better." 

Topper nods, offering you a faint smirk. He parts your legs, resting his palms on your thighs. "I'm surprised Ward let you and Sarah take his new Porsche considering he won't even let Rose drive it." 

Your heart races, shit. You didn't realize Ward took the Porsche to the party. When Sarah got to John B's she was in a BMW. 

"He must've had a lot of whiskey or something," you ramble out. 

The boy nods, bringing his hands to your hips. "Interesting... and-" Topper scrunches his brows together, glancing down at your body. "What are you wearing right now?" 

Shit. 

"It's uh... Sarah's," you blurt out what JJ said before you can think it through. 

"Sarah owns a ripped-up AC/DC shirt?" Topper snickers, not believing you for a second. 

"What? You don't?" You try to play it off. 

"Did you end up borrowing Sarah's car?" He changes the subject quickly, making your furrow your brows. 

"She dropped me off," you stick to your story. 

"That's nice of her," Topper comments, stepping closer to you. Usually, you'd like having him so close, but there's an underlying tension between you that makes you anxious. 

"For sure," you mutter, avoiding his gaze. 

"So you need a ride home?" He offers. 

"Nah, it's okay. I'll walk," you rush out. 

Topper brings his hand to the collar of your shirt, his fingertips gliding across your collar bone to rest on the side of your neck. "I kinda needed to see your brother anyway." 

You swallow hard, trying to remain calm. "For what?" 

"We're supposed to go out to the course later," he matches your quiet tone. 

"Cool," you nod faintly, starring down at your lap. 

"You and that Pogue seemed friendly last night before I came over... " Topper insinuates. 

Your head snaps up, meeting Topper's burning gaze. "Pogue? What Pogue?" 

"The one bartending," he snickers mockingly. 

"The blonde kid? Oh, not really," your brows scrunch together, nervously fidgeting with your phone case. "I only met him last night, didn't even catch his name," you lie. 

Topper tilts his head to the side. "Isn't he friends with John B? He's been around the Cameron's place a few times." 

"I haven't noticed," you shrug.

You can't tell whether he believes you or not. His stern expression never wavering. You feel trapped with his hands gripping your hips. 

"He's certainly noticed you, hasn't he?" The boy remarks with a wicked smirk as he stares at your lips. 

You shift your head back, taken aback by his words. "What does that mean?" 

"Oh come on, Y/N," Topper mutters your name, not one of his usual nicknames. "You're telling me you didn't notice him looking you up and down? It's why I came over to the bar after your dance with Rafe. I already had a full whiskey on the table." 

You snicker at the information, utterly amazed by the lengths Topper will go. "You ordered a drink just because you thought JJ was "too friendly" with me?" 

Topper narrows his eyes at you curiously. "I thought you didn't know his name?" 

Chills course over your skin as your breath hitches in your throat. Now, you remember that you haven't texted JJ and you're not sure how long it's been. 

"You want to tell me what's really going on, Y/N?" Topper presses. 

"Nothing's happening! I've gotta go," you snap, pressing a hand to his chest to urge him off of you. 

Topper grabs your wrist, removing your hand from him. Abruptly, he slams his lips to yours. Desprately, he brings his free hand to the back of your neck, pulling you closer to him. 

"Get-" you mutter against his lips as you try to fight him off. Instinctively you punch him in the chest, causing him to break from you. "Get off of me!" You gasp, hopping down from the counter as Topper stumbles back. "What the hell Topper!" 

His eyes grow wide, comprehending what he's done. He reches for you, but you cower away. "Y/N, I-" 

"No!" Your voice cracks as tears threaten to fall from your eyes. "You don't just get to do that whenever you feel like it! I'm not at your disposal when you want me!" 

He nods frantically. "I know that! I didn't-" 

"Ugh, whatever Top. I'm tired of this interrogation! You and Kelce can babysit Rafe without me!" You wave your hands as your march out of the room toward the front door. 

"Y/N! Y/N, wait!" Topper calls after you. "Y/N!" 

He follows you out the front door to the driveway in a panic. He can't believe he just kissed you, the one thing he swore he'd never do without your permission. He was just so desperate. He could feel you moving away from him and was panicking that maybe you were keeping something from him. 

"Y/N!" Topper wraps his fingers around your wrist. 

You yank your arm free as you spin on your heels to face him. "Don't grab me!" 

"Don't walk out on me!" He barks, instantly regretting it. 

Topper knows this isn't the way to get to you, but he's just so worried that you're slipping away. This wouldn't be the first time you two have fought this way, having it out in front of one of your houses. Similar to an old married couple, you two fight as passionately as you love each other. 

"You don't own me, Topper!" You remind the boy. 

"I'm just looking out for you!" He reasons in a shot. 

"You're the one who's acting like my dad right now!" You scoff. 

"Oh!" He laughs mockingly. "Is that what being an overbearing friend is called now?" 

You huff, turning over your shoulder to continue down the driveway. 

Topper stays where he is, yelling at you as your march away. "You know what, fine! Don't tell me what's going on! I just thought we were closer than that! I must've misunderstood all of last year, all of those late-night conversations and that weekend in Bermuda or all of winter break!" 

"Oh, my lord!" You groan, tossing your head back as you stop in your tracks. "Stop being so dramatic!" 

"What's he doing here?" Topper questions, his volume at a normal level. 

You frown, following his eyes as they linger behind you. Turning over your shoulder, you spot JJ standing at the end of the driveway. 

You hide your face in your hands. "Oh, Jesus-" 

"You have to be kidding me!" Topper shouts with a chuckle of frustration. 

"JJ, can you give us a minute?" You request calmly, giving the blonde a weak smile. 

"You brought him! You bring a Pogue!" Topper can't help but laugh, shocked by how this day has gone to complete shit in a span of fifteen minutes. 

Nervously, you rush over to Topper, pressing your hands to his chest. "Top, just go inside, okay!" You try your best to keep the situation civil. "I'll be inside in a minute-" 

"You're on the wrong side of the island, Pogue!" He points to JJ over his shoulder. 

"Just stick a cork in it, Prince Charming," JJ bites back from his spot. 

You huff, using all your strength to push a stubborn Topper toward the front door. He towers over you and is much stronger than you, so it's a tall task. 

"Prince Charming? Really!" Topper laughs. "Wow, got a real smartass here, Princess," he tells you. 

"Just for the love of all that good and holy go inside!" You beg of him with a grunt as you continue to guide him inch by inch. 

"Not until you get this trailer park trash off my driveway!" Topper bitterly remarks, loud enough for JJ to hear. 

"JJ and I will go as soon as we're done here," you tell him calmly with a huff, giving up on moving him. 

You step back, preparing to leave, but Topper grips your forearms. "No way you're leaving with him! No, you're staying here with us!" 

When Topper grabs you, JJ loses all cool and storms toward your friend. "Touch her again and I'll kick your ass, Kook!" JJ likes to think he's been rather rational and on his best behavior up until this point considering Topper is treating you as his property. 

"JJ! Don't!" You intercept the boy and though he could easily move you aside, he remains in your arms. 

"As if I'd leave her with your tripped-out friend and cluster of misogynistic asshole!" He points at Topper aggressively. 

"You don't know a thing about us, Pogue!" Topper pushes. 

"Topper! Enough! JJ back off!" You instruct sharply. 

With a growl, JJ walks back down the driveway, refusing to turn his back on the Kook. Cooling down slowly, he takes your hand, squeezing it tightly as he leads you toward the sidewalk. 

"You leave with him now and we're done!" Topper declares, making you stop in your tracks. "I mean it! You leave now and you're a Pogue!" 

"You don't mean that," you shake your head in disbelief. 

He laughs wickedly, "I promise you I do! It's them or us! You can't have both, Y/N!" 

It feels as though Topper has sucked all life from you. The light that he's kept going inside of you for so long has burned out. He's been your reason to be happy since you were kids and now he's threatening to desert you forever. All because you're falling for a Pogue. 

Kelce and Rafe appear in the archway of the front door. Kelce frowns, "what's going on out here?" 

"What's that Pogue doing here?"  Rafe questions. He sees your grieving expression and his wild antics become a distant memory. "Y/N?" 

You swallow hard, clenching your jaw in disgust at the Kook you once called your best friend. "Ask Topper!" 

You yank your hand free of JJ's and run down the driveway in the direction of the Twinkie. JJ jogs after you worriedly. He unlocks the car and you rush to get in. As soon as you sit down, you hunch over in your seat, your head cradled in your hands. JJ climbs in next to you and starts the car. He glances over at you and a wave of guilt consumes. He can't help but think this is all his fault. If he hadn't gone to check on you, maybe Topper wouldn't have said what he did. You wouldn't be devastated and you'd acknowledge his presence. 

JJ places a hand on your back. "Baby-" 

Before JJ can finish you cower away from him, moving your body toward the window. His heart drops as a million worst-case scenarios start to play in his mind. You hate him. You hate him now because he cost you, Topper. Of course, he already thought about what it would mean if you had to choose between him or Topper. He just had a naive inkling of hope that maybe you'd choose him and be okay, be happier with him. Now, he realizes by your disgust of him that you would've chosen Topper if Topper didn't push you toward JJ. 

_________________________________

The ride back to John B's is painfully silent. JJ had to turn on the radio five minutes in to drown out the overwhelming self-deprecating thoughts ringing in his mind. As soon as JJ rolls up to the end of the gravel driveway, you see the Pogues and Sarah gathered around the old bonfire eating breakfast. Not wanting to see them, you hop out, the car not even in park yet. 

"Hey guys! Where have-" Sarah stops as she sees you run into the house. JJ climbs out of the van and slams the door shut, grumbling various cuss words to himself. "What's wrong with Y/N?" Sarah asks him once he's closer to the group. 

"Topper called her this morning," the boy answers, pressing his lips together as he sits on an empty log. "Your brother was acting up and wouldn't chill out until he saw her. Long story short, I fucked up and intervened when things got tense with her and Topper," JJ hisses, clasping his hands together. "Topper told her that if she left with me that they wouldn't talk to her again so we left..." 

The group is silent, exchanging worried glances. Sarah's jaw is nearly in the dirt. She never thought in a million years that Topper would ever say those words to you. JJ's knee shakes up and down as he hides his head above his knees.  He rises to his feet, picking up an empty can from last night, and chucks it into the words with all his strength. "Y/N won't even fucking look at me!"

"That's not your fault, JJ," Kiara assures her friend, breaking the silence. "You did the right thing! Topper is a jerk!" 

"She'll come around. It's probably for the best that she's cut off from them. Those guys aren't good for her," Sarah adds. 

JJ exhales deeply, facing Sarah. "Do you know what happened last year or in Bermuda and Topper said something about winter break?" 

"Oh..." the girl's face falls. 

"What is it? Is it bad?" John B asks from beside her. 

"Not exactly. Topper and Y/N... Well..." she struggles to come up with the right words. 

You and Topper struggle to navigate your way through the pitch-black bungalow. You two have just gotten dropped off from the cantina in town. Half an hour before, Topper was doing body shots off of you. The boy leads you through the house, his hand wrapped tightly around yours. Through the moonlight, you notice a pillar right in Topper's path. 

“Watch out!” You gasp, tugging Topper back. 

“Oh shit!” He stumbles into you, pinning you against the wall. 

“I told you to watch out!” You giggle and peek around the corner into the living room. “Oh my god!” Your hand flies up to your mouth. 

“What! What is it?” Topper rushes out. 

“Rafe and that girl from Brazil,” you whisper, suppressing your laughter. 

“No way! You’re kidding!” Through the darkness, you can see Topper's eye grow wide as he steps to the side to see around the corner. 

“On the couch!” You instruct drunkenly. 

“Did they?” He wonders. 

“I have no idea!” You giggle. 

“Holy shit!” Topper laughs as he returns to stand in front of you. 

“He was blasted tonight,” you remember. “Poor Kelce went to bed as soon as we got back." 

“I didn’t mind it,” Topper mutters, gliding his fingertips up and down your arm. “Kinda liked it being just us...” 

“Topper,” you whisper his name warningly, a smile on your lips. 

“What?” He chuckles lightly, leaning in closer to you. 

You shake your head, finding it hard not to blush. “We broke up almost a year ago. You and Sarah-“ 

“Are broken up," he finishes. 

“Yeah, and remember how devastated you were no more than two weeks ago?" You try to reason with him. "You still need to heel and figure out what you want.” 

“I want you," he whispers, brushing lips against yours. 

“Top, I don’t think-“ 

Before you can finish, he kisses you softly. It's not the first time and you know in the back of your mind it likely won't be the last. 

“You’re all I think about, Y/N,” he confesses against your lips. “I need to feel you again. I miss the way you taste.” 

“Top...” You mutter breathlessly. 

You shake your head, despite not stopping him. “We shouldn’t...” 

“We deserve to, don’t we? After everything?" He reasons, tucking his fingers over the band of your panties. "You like me and I like you, we’re both single, there’s history, why can’t we?” 

A million reasons cross your mind, the most important one, your friendship. You and Topper have always been complicated. Things get worse when you add sex to the mix, which is exactly why you two formed boundaries a while back. Then again, you two toss those boundaries out the window every time you drink too much. 

One hand remains on your waist as the other slips down to the hem of your dress. His warm fingertips glide under the fabric, against your thigh. “Don’t you miss it? How we used to be? When we couldn’t get enough of each other," he smirks as a memory pops into his head that he's certain will get to you. “Our ski trip over Christmas.” 

“Okay yeah, you win," you rush out, instantly pressing your lips to his desperately. 

Topper snickers against your lips as he tucks his hands behind your legs and picks you up. Your legs wrap around his waist he just so happens to know effortlessly the direction to his room now. Though he was completely lost minutes before. 

"They dated!" Pope's jaw nearly hits the gravel. 

"No way!" John B wears a similar expression. 

"Yes and no. It's more complicated than that," Sarah tries to explain 

Kiara struggles to piece together the picture. "But I thought you two-" 

"They were friends with benefits before we were dating. Then, when Topper and I started dating, they stopped. Topper and I took a break in the winter and they started up again but stopped after Y/N decided that she couldn't do it anymore. Finally, they all went to Bermuda for a week after Midsummers. They didn't plan on anything happening, according to Y/N, but it kinda just did. They've always had "a thing" for each other. It's only ever been a fling though," Sarah finally manages to lay out the hectic story. 

"And you're okay with that?" Kiara frowns, wondering how Sarah fits into all of that. 

"Nothing happened while we were together," she shrugs but is certain of her words. "I know without a doubt that Y/N would never do that to me. Plus, it was never dating-like... it was more hook-up-ish if that makes sense?" 

"This is insane!" JJ finally voices his perspective, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. 

"I need a diagram," Pope adds. 

"Wait, so Topper and Y/N are on-and-off again. Meanwhile, Rafe has a thing for Y/N. Does Kelce play a role in any of this?" John B brings up a good point. 

Sarah shakes her head. "Not that I know of." 

"That's one fucked up love triangle," Pope releases a pent-up sigh. 

"This is why we have the "no Pogue-on-Pogue macking" rule. That friend group is a mess!" Kiara reasons. 

"Topper and Y/N have always been super close," Sarah describes solemnly considering the recent turn of events. "She must be devastated! Even if he is an ass. He's only ever been good to Y/N. I was low-key jealous of her when I first started seeing Topper. He holds her up on this pedestal," she admits. 

Suddenly, the screendoor creaks, making everyone turn their attention toward the house. Y/N marches out, back in her dress from last night. 

John B breaks the silence. "Hey Y/N! Where are you-" 

"Sarah, can you drive me home?" You ignore the boy on your way to Sarah's car, unlocking it. 

Sarah stands slowly from her position. "Sure, but don't you-" 

"Thanks!" You cut her off, already climbing into the passenger seat and putting the keys into the ignition. 

"I'll... I'll be back later," Sarah stammers in confusion to her friends. 

Everyone watches as Sarah back out of the driveway then turns their focus to a devastated JJ. 

"I fucked it up. I fucked it up!" He screams, squeezes his hands into fists until his knuckles are white. 

"JJ, it's okay! She probably just needs a minute," Kiara rushes out. 

"I have her for two seconds!" He bursts, his face becoming red with frustration. "Two fucking seconds and I ruined it just like I ruin everything else!" 

"Just give it time!" Pope tries to reason with him calmly. 

"Goddammit!" JJ curses before bolting toward the driveway and out of sight. 

"JJ!" His friends all call for him. 

 "JJ come back!" John B shouts to receive no response. "Well this day is officially shit," the boy huffs as he settles back down onto his log. 

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Kiara worries. 

"Hope so," John B whispers. 

After Sarah drops you off, you hide away in your room for the rest of the day. All you do is cry. You already miss Topper more than anything. You need him. You'll always need him. Then, on top of that, you're torturing yourself for how you treated JJ. None of this is his fault, but you treated him like it was. You cowered from him to keep from crying. You didn't want to scare him away, but in the process, you pushed him away. While you're losing your mind, JJ is losing his outside his dad's house with a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam in his hand. He's looking to pick a fight. He figures that if he's in pain physically that the pain he's inflicting on himself mentally will go away. You started the day wrapped up in each other and in bliss. You're ending it both in pain and willing to do anything to make it go away. 

________________________________________________________

Masterlist

Tags: @starkeythinker @bethii1 @thegunnerkelly @cc13723things @hockeybabe87​ 

[yedlihmad]

| “childhood” - for Wondrous Tails of FFXIV event​

cw: crude language, mentions of death, violence, insects, gore

A home is a roof. In the vast, ancient jungles of Golmore there are many houses built between the trees by the Rava, a timeless people with thousands of tribes and names. Many tribes mean many tongues, so of course across this swallowing forest there are roads some call streets, hills some call mountains, towers which others have climbed to the peak and bellowed out to their fellows, loud as a lion, "I am ruler of this castle!" But go to the village of Eryut, where they worship the Gold Serpent. There they have a special word for ‘home,’ the same word for ‘roof.’ Caves, grottos, roosts, lofts, cabins, huts, tents: for a Viera, they may serve the same purpose, a place to live, eat, and sleep. But until you have thatched and blackened the ceilings–until you have mudded its slopes with an offering to the Serpent, one worthy of your children and blood–it is just a dwelling. Not a home. 

Uncle Skjol did not have a home. He preferred to sleep in a hammock slung between two trees. The triplets were astonished to learn this one summer when the warders were down from the canopies; they had crowded around the old Viera while he fletched new arrows on the forge pavilion. “I don’t like them,” said Skjol, his grim face shiny with sweat. “I never have.” 

“But why?” asked Hrudr, swatting an insect that buzzed by; to celebrate the warder’s reunion the children had been given candied mango, and were at the mercy of fruit-loving flies. “Why does Uncle not like homes?”

“Uncle just doesn’t,” said Hrafn, plumpest and most practical of the three. “Can we have a story now?” 

Refr gnawed on a cube of mango, grinning. “Was he thrown out of the last one?”  

Skjol cursed. He waved a broken arrow shaft. “Steel’s too soft,” he said. "A thousand hexes on the bones of Skatay! Three whole solstices come and gone since the summer of Black Arrows and those Leskreta thieves trade us bad metal for good wood. Disgrace! Ten jacks to get the shipment north of the Henne, six jacks return, four lost when overrun by diresaur outside of Bysnoe Minor. Two eaten, two bitten in half alive, by the time the Barkwalkers got down there nothing was left but the chewed-up hocks. Pfah!” He spat over his shoulder. “Leskreta have no honor. The snow sucks it outta them, the Serpentless fucks.”

The children goggled, savoring this rare delight of bad language. Every time there was a warder reunion, you could count on two things: candied fruit, and pestering their father’s brother. Skjol was ancient, irascible; he had survived over a hundred summers with one eye and less than half an right ear. The old hunter rambled about life in the canopies as frequently and colorfully as he swore. No one in Eryut–not even their mother or her new, bossy wife Laggi–used curse words like he did in a way that was so satisfying to repeat. 

“Is it because homes are hard to build?” asked Hrudr. 

“Because they’re hard to guard,” offered Refr, his mouth half-full. “Creatures can get in. They sneak through holes in the walls.” 

“Is it because they get dirty?” asked Hrafn. Filth was a novel dilemma in their lives; with no children of her own yet, Laggi cleaned often and complained loudly about funky smells. 

Skjol sat in silence, glowering at an arrowhead that would not properly attach. He began to ramble again. “All three are true,” he said finally. “Homes are hard to build. All must be guarded. You let a space go wild and the next day it’s full of bugs. Locust swarms, six moons after the summer of Red Comets. Sheets of wings and horned legs so thick you could wear them like the matron’s robe. Hells!” Without looking, he flung the useless steel into a nearby bucket full of other ruined arrowheads. “I said I don’t like them, I never have. I don’t want a home.”

“What do you want, Uncle?”

Skjol squinted down the hole of a hollowed-out arrow shaft with his lone eye. “Sauna,” he said. “A good knife. Volcano-glass, the star’s obsidian, a rare trade Tikko made back in summer of Ninety-Nine Hounds. Tikko, he grew the biggest gourds you’ve ever seen, big as the moon’s ass. Best kind are the red ones for aging the fern-wine, blood sausage, the Mother made it finely in little loops you could carry on a wrist. Not that the knife did him any good, sweet bastard–dead at sixty-two summers, devoured alive by mantids. Serpent keep  his heart.” He was eyeing Refr’s bag of mango. “You wolf it down that fast, it’ll block you up like a dam on a river.” 

Refr snorted, chewing noisily. “If there were bugs in my home, I’d just eat them.”

Nods of agreement, understanding. “Yeah, why not just eat them?” 

Skjol dug a claw into the arrow shaft, hollowing it further. “You three are already bugs.”

Hrafn looked thoughtfully into the pavilion canopy, considering. “Perhaps Uncle would want a home, if it was made just for Uncle.”

More nodding, this time with enthusiasm. “An Uncle home, for Uncle to like!”

“Nope,” said Skjol, pinching a strip of sinew between his teeth. “Do not waste air talking like that. This is fucking up my fucked-up arrows. Where was I–ah, yes. Tikko’s big gourds. So, Tikko was my father’s sister’s eighth son. Six and seventy summers ago, on the celebration of Two Ladies, the matriarchs conferred with Muscadet that all strangler vines should be culled...”

But the children ignored him; they carried on, talking over each other, clamoring. “If we pitched it up high for Uncle, thatched and tiled it with clay, it would be easier to guard.”

“So that when he came home he could sleep in peace. A protected home!”

“When I’m grown, I will build us a big one,” announced Hrudr, sitting back and upright, like the elders did when issuing final decrees at council meetings. “And we will all live there, with Uncle, too! We’ll have twenty windows, five doors, a room for you, and three big chests.”

“Four chests. An extra one, for Uncle.”

“And guard it day and night,” added Hrafn. “We’ll go up to those Leskreta thieves and kick their tails until they give us the best steel. Then it will be less work. Why do it alone? Why–”

Suddenly Skjol stamped, scaring them; his big, clawed foot came slamming down on the pavilion planks, heel-first. Thump!

“Enough!” he bellowed. “You rats! What do you know about work, about homes? About Leskreta, steel, anything? Pfah!” He stamped again, scattering them, their bags of fruit sent flying. “Get out of here! Go! Leave me be!”

Squealing, the triplets bolted away from the pavilion. They stopped when they passed the elder’s lodge, each of them panting; Refr was doubling over with pained laughter. 

Moments with Uncle Skjol always ended like this. For as long as they could remember, they could only push him so far. But later, when the laughter passed–when Hrudr went to wash and Refr went to demand more mango–it was Hrafn who crept back and peeked through the tree trunks by the forge. Skjol was still there; he had not moved from his bench. He looked small and narrow through the trees, his gnarled ear curled like an old woman’s finger, accusing. 

Hrafn slunk onto the pavilion. Around the bench lay chunks of candied mango spilled from their bags. Hrafn gathered up each chunk and sat beside Skjol, pushing them in a gold pile towards him. Wordlessly the old Viera reached out, scooped up the pile, and poured it into his fanged mouth. Chewing and rambling as he worked. 

“After the winter of Muscadet betrayal, the strangler vines returned and lay in wait. Fourteen jacks lost to vines, six more from culling. The Two Ladies dishonored, their sanctity forsaken, made the rains thick so the ticks came in swarms. The next summer we gave skysong and three strong hearts to the Serpent to make up for the lost blessing, but the ticks...” 

Silence settled over them. A fly danced around the black patch that covered Skjol’s missing eye; it landed, circled, and hummed away. Skjol did not notice. He was staring at the place where the pavilion met the cobbled path. 

“I like what I need,” he said. “Sauna. A good knife. Good steel arrowheads, gourds, Tikko. Not roofs.” His single dark eye fixed on Hrafn, glaring hard at the child’s face. As if to bore right through. “I don’t like them, child. I never have, and I never will.” 

[jiaraforeverr]

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Author's note: Hi everyone! This is my very first fanfic so I would love to hear your thoughts! @arcticaid requested this months ago, I'm so sorry it took so long! I started writing it in May, but honestly forgot about it until after I watched season 2.

You can also find it on Ao3 here!

Pairing: JJ Maybank/Kiara Carrera

Kiara lay awake in the spare bed of the Chateau, the heavy and humid air sticking to her skin and making her whole-body flush with warmth. She could blame her inability to sleep tonight on the typical end of summer North Carolina heat, but there was something else on her mind keeping her up. With all the windows propped open as wide as they would go, she could hear the creaking of the old hammock rocking slowly back and forth, keeping her mind from thinking of anything other than the person she knew was also pretending to be sleeping right now.

A couple hours earlier, Pope had said his final goodbye before getting on the ferry to the mainland, where he would be traveling to UNC Charlotte for his first semester of college. He was finally doing what he was meant to, to pursue the future that his friends have protected and encouraged the last few years. But now he was gone, not coming back to the island for at least a couple months.

And that left Kiara and JJ.

It had been almost two years since the gold summer. Two years since they had last seen John B or Sarah. The loss of their best friend had taken a toll on all of them, but especially JJ. John B had been his brother, the first person he really was able to call family, the first person he felt safe with. Losing him had sent JJ down a dark path filled with alcohol and drugs much stronger than weed. It had taken Kiara and Pope about three months to get him back on track, and luckily that included getting him out of his dad’s house and into the Heyward’s care.

The three of them held onto the Chateau though. No one ever came asking about it, and they never brought it up. Currently, JJ was saving up to officially own it so they would no longer have the constant fear of having the last part of their best friend ripped away from them.

With Pope leaving for college, Kiara was left with the impossible task of deciding what she should be doing now. Much to her parent’s dismay, she had already that college wasn’t what she wanted- at least not right now. She can see herself going in the future, maybe getting a degree in marine biology and opening a conservation center of her own. But that was for later. Now, she knew there were still things she had to do.

Giving up the fight with herself to fall asleep, Kiara sits up in bed, sighing deeply as she presses her hands to her eyes. She could help but think about JJ. She was terrified of what leaving him alone would look like. She couldn’t risk losing another friend. A part of her knew that deep down, she just really didn’t want to leave his side at all.

Things with JJ had always been different than it had been with Pope or John B, but even more so after John B’s disappearance. They had a bond stronger than ever before, and Kiara was unsure how to deal with the feelings that had come along with it. She thinks that they’ve probably always been there in the back of her mind. Every flirty comment or wink JJ had given her growing up had always been accompanied by a small tug in her stomach that she now has a sneaking suspicion wasn’t due to annoyance.

Walking through the empty, quiet house, she took no precautions to avoid the loud floorboards like she normally would, and with an ache in her heart realized it was because no one else was here. As she got closer to the back door, quiet music filled the air, confirming that JJ was most definitely not asleep.

She silently made her way towards the hammock where JJ lay with both eyes closed, but he still opened one eye knowingly as she stopped next to him.

“Couldn’t sleep?” JJ murmurs softly.

“No, I just willingly woke up in the middle of the night for fun,” she responds sarcastically, but with no real bite to it.

“Hmm,” JJ closes his eyes again, “I can’t imagine hating myself that much. What a horrible life you lead.”

“What about you, what’s got you up?” Kiara ignores his quip at her, wanting to get to what was on his mind.

He didn’t respond right away, the silence sitting comfortably between them for a few moments. Kiara reaches down and brushes her fingers softly through his blonde hair, prompting him to finally respond.

“What do we do now Kie?” His whispers, just loud enough so she can hear him.

“What do you mean?” She murmurs back, as if she was afraid speaking too loudly would cause him to retreat back into his mind and close up on her.

“Like, we’re not kids anymore. Pope’s gone, you’ll be outta here traveling the world or whatever soon enough. I just feel like I’ve got nothin’ going for me when everyone else does.”

JJ’s admission makes her heart stop, and her breath catch in her throat. It had been a while since John B’s death, but that in no way meant they were over it. And now JJ was facing the very real possibility that he could be losing his remaining friends as well.

Wordlessly, Kiara reaches down again and gently tugs on JJ’s hand, indicating that she wanted him to get up. Predictably, he groaned in protest, but still slowly pulled himself up from the hammock. They both knew he would do anything she asked of him. Kiara leaned over and slightly turned up the volume of the speaker JJ had set up at the base of the tree. The sound of soft reggae music filled the air making her smile. She didn’t think before stepping closer to JJ so they were chest to chest with their noses just about touching. She wound both arms slowly around his neck securing him to her.

“What are you doing?” JJ asks her, a small smile creeping up on his face as his arms automatically wrap around her waist, closing the small gap between them.

“Dancing,” she responds, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of the ocean, smoke, and a hint of sweat. She sways their bodies side to side, and feels him drop his head into the top of hers.

“Why are we dancing?” He mumbles, moving his body with hers.

She ignores his question, and just lets the two of them get lost in the soft music and the feeling of being close to one another. A warm breeze rustles the trees above them causing JJ to grip his arms tighter around her. The fairy lights twinkle in the branches, and Kiara thinks to herself ‘how could it get better than this?’

“JJ,” she whispers into his neck, “how could you ever think that I would leave you?”

“Because this isn’t where you belong, Kie. You should be exploring the world, saving the turtles and probably every other animal along the way.”

“I belong where you are,” she says, her voice just loud enough so that he could hear her. “And if I’m leaving the Outer Banks, so are you.”

“There’s nothing out there for me. I’d be dragging you down.”

“You’ve never been out there, how would you know? You could teach surfing lessons and fix boats in a new country every month. We could ride bikes and never have to worry about a car again. Imagine, me and you hitting every country that has an ocean, surfing every wave we can find around the world. John B would be so proud of us.”

Her voice trails off at the mention of their dead best friend, worried she hit a nerve. But JJ just pulls his head away from hers just enough so that he could press his lips softly to her forehead.

“He really would, wouldn’t he?” JJ says with his mouth against her neck now.

“We’ll make it work, J. We always do. I don’t want to do things like travel the world if I’m not doing it with you by my side.”

“When do we leave, captain?” JJ asks jokingly, but in a way that makes her believe he is serious.

“Planning starts bright and early tomorrow, and I think we’d be much more productive if we got some sleep.”

He says nothing in response and the silence sits between them again as they continue to hold each other.

“Can we do this? In every country all over the world?” JJ asks quietly.

“Do what? Dance?”

“No. I- yes. But I mean more like, just like- be together? Like this?”

Kiara didn’t even try to fight the smile that spread across her face at his words. She pressed a kiss on his neck, right below his ear. She knew what their relationship was right now was complicated, but in that moment, nothing made more sense. She was his and he was hers. Simple as that.

“We’ll always be together. We can be like this for the rest of our lives. On our surf trip to every country around the world, and after it and before. I said I’d never leave you, and I meant it.”

[writingsbychlo]

“Loving someone should not be a chore” Bucky

again, another short one, but.. yeah. it's good, I swear.

"Loving someone should not be a chore, man." Sam took a sip of his beer, swinging the hammock the three of them were slumped in, and Bucky was surprised it was even still holding up. Squashed uncomfortably between Steve on one side and Sam on the other, he was barely able to free his hand to raise a glass of whisky to his lips, taste slightly watered down by the melted ice in the heat of the summer evening, and he downed what was left, head twisting to Steve as the blond sighed.

"I know, but, it just is. I really do love her, but it's just such hard work, sometimes."

"That's called a toxic relationship. Red flag, or whatever." Bucky mumbled, wincing at the loud laugh Sam let out beside him, clapping him on the shoulder.

"It's not toxic. Sometimes we're really happy, but other times, I just hate her." His friend sighed, and Bucky couldn't help the roll of his eyes.

"You know, that's kinda' exactly what a toxic relationship is." The swinging stopped, and Sam leaned forwards, blocking his view of the shore, where you were, and he felt a frown curl at his lips as he stared at the side of Sam's face instead.

"Even when you're fighting, you should love her." He wasn't really sure where the words were coming from, and both of his friends' eyes were now on him, silence and tension hanging on the pause in his breath. "Even when she's annoying the shit out of you, and she's yelling at you about leaving the toilet seat up at 3am when you just want to sleep, or she's forcing you into a stupid costume for a party you don't even want to go to, or she's talkin' right over the game when you just want to watch. Even then, you should love the hell outta' her."

"Even when she forces you to wear a Hawaiian shirt to a BBQ and sit in a hammock all night just so you can watch sticky little six year olds blow out candles on a cake?" Sam teased, and Bucky actually grinned at that, finally getting a view of you once again as Sam sat back in his place, the seat rocking and creaking with his movements.

You were looking up the grassy bank to them now, the private edge of the large lake lapping at the shore to Sam's house. You had your jeans rolled up your calves, shoes in a pile with the other's as a group of you all waded on the edge of the shore, a few children holding onto miniature fishing rods as you chatted to the mothers and ladies around you. You waved to him, his fingers freeing from gripping his glass to wave back.

"Yeah, even then. Because when you wear the shirt, and wrap the gift, even though you can't wrap gifts for shit, she smiles at you. She smiles at you, and she smooths out the wrinkles on the shirt, and you think maybe she'll smooth out the wrinkles on your shirt on your wedding day too, and fix your tie. And she'll probably annoy you that day too, and every day for the rest of your life, but if you're happy even when you're mad, and you love her even when she's making you wanna' pull out your hair, that's when you know it's a good kinda' love."

[rudysrings]

Twin Pogues of the OBX - 1

A/N + Summary: SO I’m currently obsessed with the Outer Banks right now, and I had no idea that there was so much hype about it until I hit tumblr after watching the show. It kind of got me back into writing for a bit so I thought I would go ahead and publish something that’s been sitting in my drafts. It’s essentially a fanfic that goes through the entire show from the perspective of the reader, who is John B’s twin sister. Let me know if it piques anyone’s interest, because I don’t want to keep pushing out something that people hate lol. 

Warnings: Mentions of sex, cursing, slowburn

Word count: 3056

Masterlist

ON WITH IT!

You didn’t want to admit it, but you were tired of listening to the waves. It made you sick to your stomach. It didn’t help that the Chateau was so close to the water that it was all you could hear at night. The waves crashing on the shore. The waves colliding with each other. The waves fighting to topple boats that made the mistake of trying to take on a storm too big for them. 

You listened for your father in every wave. You hoped you’d at least hear the ghost of your father.

Unlike John B, you had no hope that your father was alive. At first, you didn’t bother voicing that thought, but as time went on, and John B continued to have delusions, you started getting more and more vocal about your opinion. Your dad was dead. Period. 

And it was time that John B accepted that, too. 

The two of you may have been twins, but you were as different as two people could get. John B was, for the most part, quiet, reserved and mild. You, on the other hand, had a fuse shorter than the short end of the stick you had pulled. You were hot headed and often misjudged situations too quickly. John B was the calm before your storm. You preferred to call yourself passionate. You smoked, John B did not. You slept around with far too many tourons. John B did not. John B was a dense motherfucker. You could read the room the moment you walked in. The only thing that really bonded the two of you was your love for surfing, your love for the pogues and your love for your dad.

Now that one of those things had died, or simply “vanished,” as John B would say, all that was keeping your two member family together were the pogues and surfing.

The last few months had been hell, and all you wanted this summer, was to have a good time, all the time.

Speaking of which, you and the pogues had decided to break in the summer with a little rule-breaking. Kiara wanted to check out one of Gary’s new beach-house developments, which was being built right over a turtle habitat. You all shrugged at the suggestion and agreed. 

You threw a can of beer up, JJ catching it instantly, wrinkling his nose when he looked at the label. “This is the shit stuff, Y/N,” he complained. 

You rolled your eyes. “Next time I’ll boot-leg champagne for ya, sweetheart,” you drawled.

JJ winked. “That’s more like it.”

Rolling your eyes, you tossed two beers to Pope, which he promptly dropped and bent down to grab, dusting himself off, embarrassed.

You rolled your eyes, watching as he threw one to John B, who was far too drunk to hold onto it, dropping it on the deck of the house, causing it to burst. 

Before you could comment on Kie’s overly concerned “Please don’t kill yourself,” to John B, you heard voices yelling “Hey! What are you kids doing up there?!”

“Shit,” You said, looking for your hat.

“I second that shit,” said Pope nervously.

John B swiftly made his way down, grabbing Kie’s hand and leading them out, Pope on their heels. 

“Guys, have you seen my-”

Suddenly, you felt something slip over your head, and you smiled up at JJ, who patted the top of your head and pushed you down the stairs and out of the house, all five of you laughing as Gary and his men chased after you.

As John B jumped the fence, he held his hand out to help Kie over, doing the same for you once she made it. You rolled your eyes, slapping his hand away and smoothly making it over yourself.

Pope, as expected, fell over onto the ground as he jumped, JJ shoving him further jokingly. You glared at the boy, and he held his hands up as you helped Pope up, pulling him by the hand into a sprint.

JJ held his hand out of John B’s beat up old van, pulling your laughing body in. Pope closed the door as John B gunned it, but you opened it again, teasing Gary, who was struggling to catch up with you guys. 

You tossed him a beer, which he tried to catch, but failed as he stopped running, his hands on his knees.

JJ laughed as he too leaned out of the van, “They don’t pay you enough, bro!” He yelled to Gary.

Your hair blew in the wind, strands of it tickling JJ’s cheeks. 

He spat overdramatically, coughing, “Hey, uh, Y/N? You mind not choking me with your hair?”

You simply gave him a playful punch in the gut, taking a seat in between Kie’s knees, who was sitting on the bench behind John B.

Kie took your long, wild hair in her hands, taming it into a french braid. JJ watched with a goofy smile on his face, his conversation with Pope getting too boring.

John B drove down to the docks, where you guys took out the HMS Pogue for the rest of the day. You tried to slap the book out of Kie’s hands, holding a freshly rolled blunt out for her to share with you, but she glared at you, turning back to her reading. You noticed Pope doing the same thing.

JJ grabbed the blunt from your hands, lighting it. 

You leaned an elbow on his shoulder, tutting. “Didn’t realize we ran with a bunch of nerds…”

Before Kie and Pope could retort, John B turned around, releasing a pile of freshly caught fish onto the deck of the boat and you cheered. “Nice, John B. We eatin’ good, today.”

“Yeah we are. You’re cooking.”

“I’m what?” 

John B smiled smugly, “I did the catching, you do the cooking.”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest, “Fine then I’ll also do more of the eating.”

“I never agreed to that,” John B argued.

You turned to him, “And that’s because you’re a greedy, cocksucking parasite and-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. We’re here to have fun, you guys,” said Kie, her hands out to the two of you.

“Man, I’d really like to go one day without you guys at each other’s goddamn throats,” Pope groaned.

“Forget the fish, there’s a party tonight. First summer party. We gotta be there,” said JJ.

“Hell yeah, I’ll take a touron dick appointment over fish and chips any day,” you put your hands on your hips, looking at the rest of the pogues.

John B rolled his eyes at your blunt words, while Pope and Kie shrugged, agreeing.

Everyone looked to John B and he sighed before saying, “Yeah, I’m down.”

You all cheered, running over and piling on top of him, laughing.

The party was one of the best you had been to yet. While Kiara got on her soapbox about plastic and the boys were looking for girls to flirt with, you were on the hunt for someone who could make your night count.

As you waited in line at the keg to fill up your cup, the guy behind you spoke up. “You look too good to be hanging around the cut.” He flirted.

Your blood boiled as you turned around to get in this guy’s face. You stopped short once you saw what a nice face it was. You weren’t shallow, just… horny. “Am I now?” You smiled slightly.

He nodded, “Oh yes, too good for North Carolina even. The likes of you belong in Hollywood, babe.”

He had neatly trimmed blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Guess you had a type, after all, you thought fleetingly. 

“Wow, can I get a name, kind stranger?” You flashed your teeth.

“It’s Asher ma’am, and you are?”

You shrugged, handing your cup to the guy near the keg, who handed it back within a second, full. You put your hand on Asher’s cheek, tapping it as one would a small child, “Oh, sweetheart, you gotta earn that.”

Asher’s eyebrows rose, walking with you down the beach. “How might I go about that?” He asked, suggestively.

You smirked. “It’s not how, honey, it’s where.”

And that was all you needed to let this guy rock your world that night.

You woke up alone the next morning in the hammock outside the Chateau, having crashed there after the party. Groaning, you rolled over until you fell on the ground, struggling to pick yourself up. John B appeared out of nowhere, helping you up.

He handed you some water, which you downed immediately, his hand on your back.

“You alright, kid?” He asked. You nodded, “Yeah, I just need a shower like yesterday,” You moaned. 

John B nodded, slapping your shoulder. “Next time don’t drink so much, eh?”

You rolled your eyes, flipping him off as you walked inside. You were heading to the bathroom when you passed John B’s bedroom. You noticed JJ, half-naked and leaning over some blonde on your brother’s bed, his forehead practically touching hers. He noticed you instantly. Some emotion flashed across his face before he glared. “Dude, come on. Get outta here,” he said and you smirked.

“Get some, JJ,” you encouraged, barely dodging the pillow he hurled at you as you shut the door.

As you walked into the bathroom, you couldn’t understand why your stomach lurched when you thought about what JJ was probably doing with that blonde in John B’s bed. You shrugged, it was probably just the alcohol.

That afternoon, you and John B had an appointment with social services, who basically confirmed that you two would be put in foster care after they confirmed that your uncle wasn’t home to look after you two tomorrow.

As John B expected, you didn’t take it well. To your credit, you kept it together in the social worker’s office, but you practically had a meltdown the moment you stepped foot outside.

“How can they just fucking take us away! What did we even do wrong? It’s not our fucking fault Uncle T decided to split! Can’t they see that we’re better off on our goddamn own, John B?!” 

John B shrugged. “Not much we can do, Y/N. It’s the law.” 

At that, your breaths came even faster, “But it’s not fair, John B! What if-What if they split us up?” You were almost hyperventilating now, pulling your own hair.

John B furrowed his eyebrows, pulling you into a hug. “They’re not going to do that. I’m not going to let that happen, Y/N, you hear me?”

You pushed him away from you, “We’ll see, John B.”

The two of you caught a break. Hurricane Agatha came in the same day DCS was supposed to do your assessment. Your mind immediately went to the sick waves that would be forming. You tugged on John B’s shirt, pulling him away from the TV, “Call DCS and call them to reschedule. And then grab your surfboard.” Your grin stretched across your whole face, your eyes probably wild.

John B looked confused, then concerned. “You can’t be serious. There’s a hurricane?”

“Dead serious.” You crossed your arms. “Like you can resist these waves.”

John B shrugged. “Yeah, I’m in.”

The two of you ran out to the ocean, the dark clouds and harsh winds not fazing you, Pope having bailed on you guys, claiming that these weren’t surfable waves. 

As you surfed the waves, constantly getting wiped out due to their sheer size and speed, you couldn’t help the thought: Did a wave like this kill Dad?

John B tried to surf a few waves, but he lacked not only your skill, but also your tenacity. He gave up and simply watched you from his seat on his board. 

When you noticed a clearly fancy boat being tossed around in the waves, you pointed it out to John B, who squinted, trying to make it out. He agreed that it was strange. Who would go out in a storm like this?

The next morning, after surveying the damage that Agatha had caused, John B suggested that you guys go fishing, given the likeliness that there would be a whole lot of fish to catch in the marsh today.

Happy to put off cleaning up for a day and high on the fact that DCS wouldn’t be able to catch a ferry down here for at least a couple of days, you agreed. 

After practically kidnapping Pope from his dad and picking up Kiara, the five of you drove down to the marsh, Pope steering. 

Giggling, you pulled JJ by the hand up to the bow of the HMS Pogue and handed him one of the beers that Kiara had brought. He smirked and held it up along with you as he shouted for Pope to go faster. Pope groaned. “We’ve tried this like six thousand times.”

You shook your head. “I’ve got this. It’s gonna work.”

And it did. Kind of. You and JJ were downing your beers, Kiara complaining that it was getting in your hair. You looked over at JJ from your peripheral and smiled slightly at his silly face, mouth open like a fish as he attempted to get all of the beer that was being hurled out of the bottle.

Until the boat lurched to a sudden stop, catapulting you and JJ into the air. You felt your entire body flip as you fell into the water with a loud crash, water surrounding your ears. You broke the surface immediately, blinking against the sunlight. “Fuuuck,” you groaned.

You felt JJ reach you, wrapping an arm around your waist. “You good?” You nodded at him, resting your hands on his shoulders as you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

John B called out, “You good, Y/N? JJ?”

“I think my heels touched the back of my head,” JJ groaned.

You swam back to the boat, JJ right behind you. “Pope, what did you do?” You asked.

Pope looked as confused as the rest of you guys. “Sandbar. Channel changed.”

As you made it onto the boat, JJ pulled himself up, too, saying, “No shit.”

As your clothes were soaked, you slid your shorts and t-shirt off, leaving you in your teal halter bikini. 

You didn’t miss how JJ’s eyes dragged up your figure, his ears turning pink when he reached your eyes and realized you noticed. 

Biting your lip to keep from laughing, you turned to Pope, who had his eyes on something in the water.

“Guys...I think there’s a boat down there,” He said.

John B scoffed, “Shut up.”

Kie smiled, “No way.”

But Pope didn’t let up, “No, no, guys. I’m serious. There’s a boat down there.”

You all leaned over the side of the boat and sure enough, there was a large shadow, vague, but obviously in the shape of the hull of a boat.

“Holy shit. He’s right; let’s go!” You said, jumping into the water. 

As you swam towards the shadow, you heard Pope muse, “You think there’s a dead body down there?”

You couldn’t stop your subconscious from immediately thinking Dad.

You almost threw up at the thought of stumbling across your own father’s drowned corpse.

But you knew that if that was the case, you would handle it far better than John B. You swam faster, trying to get down there before him.

The five of you made your way to the boat, your eyebrows raising against the water as you saw what kind of boat it was. This was a rich guy’s boat for sure. You recognized it as the boat from yesterday. You all took a peek inside, but couldn’t make out a body. You sighed aloud, bubbles releasing in the water. 

As you guys resurfaced, you all laughed. 

“That’s a Grady-White,” JJ laughed in shock, “A new one of those is like 500 Gs, easy.”

You guys climbed back into the boat. John B gave you a look. “That’s the boat we saw when we surfed the surge. Maybe it hit the jetty or something.”

Kie looked confused. “You surfed the surge.”

You smirked. “Well… I surfed the surge. John B mostly just watched.” Your brother rolled his eyes but he didn’t correct you.

JJ was getting on the boat when he heard you say that and his entire face lit up. “Yeah, that’s my girl, pogue style,” he said, giving you a high-five. 

You grinned back, your stomach involuntarily tumbling at the words my girl.

“Fuck,” you whispered to yourself. Kie noticed, shooting you a look.

You blushed, looking away.

Pope asked, “Wait, wait, do we know who’s boat that is?”

John B opened the hatch on the deck of the boat, looking for the anchor inside. “No. but we’re about to find out.”

JJ shook his head, “Dude, it’s too deep.”

“Only for the weak and feeble, JJ,” John B said.

“Well, I’m not resuscitating you. I’m just making that clear up front.”

You worried that there could still be a body down there. Your father’s body. John B couldn’t see that. Plus, something about the thought of diving felt like a challenge. You took the anchor from John B’s hands. “I’ll go,” You said.

“What the fuck, no Y/N,” said John B.

JJ grabbed your upper arm, “Yeah, not a good idea,” he said.

You shook him off lightly. “I’m doing it,” you insisted.

JJ shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t mind resuscitating you,” he joked.

You rolled your eyes, “You wouldn’t even know how.”

JJ smirked, “Yeah, but I have experience with-”

Pope interjected as you walked to the edge. “Diver down, fool,” he shook his head in slight disappointment. But then again, when was Pope not disappointed in you?”

JJ came over to you. Looking you hard in the eyes, he gave you a questioning look. You steeled your eyes. “I’m ready.”

He smirked, “You better be.” He gave you a shove on your shoulders, pushing you backwards off the bow of the boat and you could hardly hear him say “Diver down,” and John B say, “The fu-” before the water hit you, swallowing you whole as you quickly sunk with the weight of the anchor.

Masterlist

[maybebanks]

Where Did You Get That?

JJ Maybank x reader , rafe x platonic reader

pretty long - ur in for angst, fluff, and more!

⚠️:light sexual assault

“Rafe? I really don’t think we should be here,” you told him, reaching out to hold his hand.

“Relax, Y/n, we’ll be in and out fast. And I’m doing all the talking,” Rafe ensures.

He held your hand without intertwining your fingers, it wasn’t necessarily a gesture of affection, you just wanted him close in this environment.

You looked at the overgrown grass surrounding the populated shack-like home. There was a trailer to the left of it. Just low class homes you were not very used to seeing on the Eight.

You’d like to consider yourself half a pogue. But the fact that this was a drug dealer’s home gave you the heebejeebies.

When you arrived at the door, Rafe entered first. At the same time an older man walked out.

“You should pop that collar, bro,” said the husky man. He then turned to you, eying you up and down hungerly. You gulped visibly, making him smirk.

Rafe pulled you inside, there were couches with people you didn’t recognize either popping pills or drinking cheap beer.

Your nose scrunched at the unpleasant scent filling your nose.

Rafe looked around, nodding at a few people, leading you to a back room.

“Hey Barry, what’s up my man?”

“What’s good, country club!” Barry responded loudly.

“Shoulda worn my wife beater,” Rafe told Barry.

Barry chuckled, “you couldn’t beat nobody, Rafe,” he paused, and moved to look around Rafe, you were standing behind him, trying to be as small as possible.

“Who’s this?” He smiled, locking eyes with you. You tried to look away, but you didn’t want to be rude.

“Oh her? No one,” Rafe said bluntly.

“What’s your name, babydoll?” Barry asked you.

Before you could answer, Rafe begin talking.

“Just leave her alone. You got something for me right?” Rafe said.

“C’mon,” Barry said gesturing for you both to follow him farther, you walked closely behind Rafe. Everyone judging you as you walked past.

“A’ight, a’ight, a’ight. Let’s see what we got here,” Barry added. Reaching his bedroom and pulling out a duffel bag.

You involuntarily took in a deep breath. You grabbed the side of Rafe’s shirt, trying to tell him with your eyes that you were uncomfortable and wanted to leave.

“Shut up,” Rafe shrugged you off, causing you to fold your arms and retreat back.

“We got a problem or somethin’?” Barry looked at you with an eyebrow raised.

“Um..no-“ you answered.

“She’s fine, just ignore her,” Rafe tried.

“Nah..I can’t ignore a beauty like that. Get outta here and let the big boys talk, huh?” Barry said to you, jerking his head outwards.

You looked at Rafe for approval, “just wait right outside okay? You’ll only be alone for like 5 seconds,” he assured.

You looked down, feeling the nerves, “you don’t wanna be alone? I got someone for ya...Luke! Come here and keep this girl company!” Barry shouts, nearly making you flinch.

Rafe attempted to speak for you again, “Nah man, she’s okay-“

“It’s my place, bro, my rules,” Barry responded, shutting Rafe down.

You slowly walked out the door and down the hallway, running into an older man with nearly grey hair, his breath smelled like alcohol and he had a long chain around his neck with blue keys.

“Excuse me,” you said, trying to pass him.

“Come on with me, darlin’,” he ordered. He must be Luke. The one Barry was calling.

You followed him out to the couches, you didn’t want to deny him or else he might try something, so when he sat down, manspreading, you carefully followed.

“You look familiar! Have I seen you ‘round before?” Luke asks you, moving closer as he talks.

“I don’t..I don’t think so,” you answered softly.

Suddenly, he placed a calloused hand on your thigh, “you shouldn’t be in a place like this. But now that you are, I think it’s best we make it worth it,” he whispered.

“Um..” you immediately stood up, his hand falling from its position, “sorry! I just...I need to go...”

He stood up too, his key necklace jingling.

“You think you’re too good for me? What? Huh?” He shouted defensively, scaring you.

“No Sir...” you whimpered, too frozen to step away.

Saved just in time, you saw Rafe’s orange polo in the corner of your eye.

He grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards him, he caught you off guard so you stumbled into his chest.

“Let’s go, Y/n,” Rafe said shortly, holding a bag of coke in his hand.

You frowned, and bit your lip as you followed him out.

—

Like you said before, half a pogue.

Currently, you were sitting in a hammock with Kie. Who was droning on about how both of you need to start a club at kook academy next year.

John B was on an upside down garbage can fumbling with his dads compass. And JJ was trying to teach Pope how to hackey-sack.

“Pope no! You just need to have and eye-foot connection...”

“Do you mean coordination?”

“Yeah that,” JJ rolled his eyes. Making you laugh. It was the first time you laughed today. Maybe it was because after that man at Barry’s you were on edge.

“JJ...I have a question for you,” you began.

“Why not me? I’m better at answering questions,” Pope asked.

“Shut up Pope. She doesn’t need google, she needs JJ-google...wait...” JJ was trying to finish his insult, but then he couldn’t decide. Causing Pope to throw an empty plastic waterbottle in his face.

“Pope, really?” Kie scolded.

“What he was being an idiot,” Pope shrugged.

“Not that...the fact that it’s plastic!” Kie exclaimed, they went on bantering and JJ approached you. He sat down carefully in the hammock you were in, careful not to flip you out of it.

“What’s up?” He asks. Brushing some hair off his forehead.

“I just wanted to know how to take the edge off...you know like..rhetorically...if I was on edge,” you explained.

“Uh...well I mean drugs work for me,” JJ blurted, you stiffened, remembering what drugs indirectly put you through today.

JJ noticed you tense, so he responded, “not like drugs drugs...just like a blunt or two. Never take pills...I know I never will,”

“I know. I was thinking more like...surfing or something. Would you go with me?” You asked, pulling your legs into your chest.

JJ’s hand involuntarily touched his rib, remembering a bruise he got from pissing off his Dad. He hasn’t been able to have proper range of motion the whole day.

“Uhh I’m not really feeling up to it today, sorry Y/n,” he denies.

You look at his gesture, and concerned, you gently grab his shirt and lift it up to see his torso, a soft purple and blue bruise decorated there.

“Geez...” you sighed.

He didn’t want you to know. He barely ever mentioned his dad to you, so he let you assume differently.

“If you keep getting into these fights with kooks I’m going to have to confine you to The Cut,” you ordered.

“But then I won’t be able to see you? That’s the only reason I’m even on The Eight,” JJ noted.

He moved closer as if to tease you. And that’s when a wave of discomfort passed through you. It was just JJ, but that didn’t change it. You clenched your fist and looked away from him. Trying to ignore your uneven breathing.

JJ pulled back, starting to stand and lean against the tree, “What’s got you on edge, someone I need to take care of?”

“No...no. I said it was rhetorical!” You argued.

“Yeah but your super fidgety. Something happened today didn’t it?” JJ looked at you, his manner no longer joking.

You didn’t answer, just looked at Kie and the rest of the group. Finally winding down.

John B said, “So...you guys all understand the plan for tomorrow? Pope?”

Pope nodded, “yup my dads letting me use his boat,”

“I’m gonna get the Hms pogue. JJ you think you could get the Phantom?” John B asked.

John B was organizing a group boating thing. You didn’t really know much about boats so you didn’t really understand.

JJ nodded, “got the keys from my dad,” he answered. Now happily lounging in the hammock.

You were sharing it with him, his legs at your side and yours at his.

He nudged you, smirking and making a few jokes.

You kept a straight face. And he took this as a challenge.

“Don’t smile! Don’t smile!” He demanded.

“Don’t try to work your reverse physiology on me, mr,” you said, fighting the urge to mirror his cheery nature.

He continued and your lips curled up into a smile, to which he cheered. “yes!! I win!”

“Yeah... maybe you won this one but...” you trailed off, your eyes staring at his chest. You could practically feel the fear running through your veins when you saw what was around his neck.

“She loss for words!” JJ joked, telling the rest of the group he could make you happy even though you were very down.

“JJ...” you breathed, staring at the chain around his neck, it was long and had a blue key at the end.

“What?” He asked dumbfoundedly, maybe thinking you were worried about his bruise again.

Your eyes remained locked on the key as flashbacks went through your mind.

The man you saw today wearing it. What that man did to you.

“JJ...what...how do you have that?” You studdered, using your eyes to point to it.

JJ looked down at his chest and fondled the key in his hand, “this?” JJ asked.

You didn’t want to think, if you thought you would find a connection between JJ and that man Luke.

You decided to get up, maybe retreat to inside the Chateau.

“These are the keys to the Phantom...are you okay?” JJ asked, seeing you flustered.

“Uh I’m gonna head out...I just forgot I have to go meet Rafe somewhere,” you came up with an excuse.

“Uh hold up! You’re not getting away from me that easy,” JJ smirked pulling your waist into him.

You lost balance and fell into JJ’s chest. Your head was near his shoulder, and you looked up at him with frustration.

“Augh!” He grunted, “should’ve thought that through,” he said, you landed right on his bruise.

“Yeah...can um you let me go. Please?” You remembered you were still freaked out on why he had that key.

“Fine. But tell Rafe he can go fuck himself,” JJ shrugged.

After what he put you through today, gladly.

—

You felt surprisingly guilty for lying to the pogues. But that coupled with the nerves and discomfort you were feeling was nothing.

When you entered your house you went straight you your room. Collapsing on your bed.

—

“Wait why did she leave?” John B asked.

“What did you do to her, JJ?” Kie accused.

JJ didn’t know the answer to that either, “Nothing! I don’t know! She just freaked when she saw this,” JJ grabbed the key around his neck and held it up for the pogues.

“Why? It’s just a key. You think she’s seen it before?” Kie suggests, taking a hold of it and inspecting it.

JJ frowned, “the only way she would’ve seen it before is if...uh if she’s seen it on my dad. No...theres no way,” JJ doubted, but really he was just hoping.

“It’s possible...she had a negative connotation...” Pope trailed off. Watching JJ pace back and forth.

“Fuck...” JJ sighed, “you really think she...oh my god,”

“It’s okay JJ, you don’t need to protect her all the time-“ John B tried.

“From my dad I thought I could! She’s gonna hate me!”

“JJ, calm down. Y/n adores you,”

“You didn’t see her face, man! She was scared...and they way she looked at me...” JJ didn’t finish his sentence, he just grabbed his bag and headed to leave.

“Where are you going?!” John B called after JJ.

“I’m gonna go see her!” JJ answered, hopping into the van.

“Wait! Hey! What if she doesn’t want to see you!?” Pope called, but JJ wasn’t going to let anyone talk him out of it. He had to see you.

—

You heard a knock at your door. To which you ignored.

“Come on y/n I know you’re in there,” you heard a male voice muffled through the door.

You pulled a pillow over your head. Mumbling, “go away,”

“I just want to talk,” the voice began, you couldn’t quite hear him, so you accepted, opening the door slowly for him.

It was Rafe, his eyes were glossy and he was sniffing rapidly. He wasn’t about to cry infront of you, he just had been in a bad place.

“About what? I have nothing to say to you,” you said, adjusting the straps on your tank top nervously.

“Really? Me neither,”

“Then why did you come here,” you spit, anger only growing.

“Are you seriously mad at me?” Rafe accuses.

“Yes! Your coke addiction is ruining your life! And now mine,” you told him, frustrated.

“Don’t be so dramatic Y/n! You offered to come!” Rafe argued.

“Only because I was scared to say no!” You defended.

“Bullshit. I don’t even understand why your mad, it was barely a 10 minute trip!” he shouted.

“A lot can fucking happen in 10 minutes,” you blurted, your eyes starting to water.

He took notice and his expression fell, to which you responded, “fuck,”

“What are you talking about? What happened? Something when you were alone?” Rafe pressed, stepping closer.

“Look, just back off, okay? I don’t need..I don’t need this,”

“Tell me,” he demanded.

“No,” you answered.

He scoffed, “whatever Y/n. Maybe I could fucking help you-“

“Help me? Since when would you ever consider that?! You took me there Rafe! God I can’t even tell you what you did wrong because your so blinded by the drugs!”

“I’m not gonna quit coke...not for you, not for anyone,”

You felt a tear spill out, you couldn’t help but care about your oldest family friend, “Fuck. You.”

“Maybe you should!” He challenged, grabbing you shoulders. You emotions flipped like a switch. From mad to frightened.

He pushed you into your bed, you quickly sat upright.

“What the hell?” You asked softly.

He leaned closer, his hands on your legs and leaning over you, “coke makes me better baby...I feel better,”

You tried your best to shove him off and get up, but your arms were weaker.

He smiled, then got up, chuckling, “call me when your ready to talk,”

He gave you one last look before leaving your bedroom, closing the door behind him.

When he left, you started hyperventilating, gasping for air at the thought of what Rafe could have done, what Luke had done. How violated you felt. We’re you just a toy to everyone?

—

JJ stood outside her house, he was waiting near the bench on the side for about ten minutes. Trying to figure out what you already knew, and what to say.

You knew his dad, you met him. And he hurt you.

JJ’s head fell in his hands, he sighed. Wishing he could have chosen better parents.

Instantly, your front door creaked open and quickly slammed. JJ his behind the bench and watched Rafe Cameron walk out of your house.

His kook buddies pulled up in a black Jeep, shouting profanities at him.

“YO! You fuck her yet!!” They screamed. Clapping.

“Nah! Shut up bro! She’s right inside! She’s just a friend tho,” Rafe answered, hopping in the backseat.

“Yeah but we see that boner, you wanna pound her-“

“Kelce chill man, don’t talk about women like that,” Topper tried.

“Toppers becoming a feminist,”

“Just treat her right.”

“Yeah man she’s a bitch though, mad at me about something that happened today. Blaming ME! Like yo...it’s not my fault you’re hot!” Rafe added.

JJ didn’t hear anything after that. They drove away.

When they were out of sight, JJ opened your door and entered your house. You told him he was always welcome, so he decided to take you up on that.

He shifted nervously before knocking on your door. A gentle knock, unlike Rafe’s.

He heard you inside, you took a minute to open the door, expecting Rafe.

When you opened it, JJ could tell you were stressed, your eyes were slightly red from crying and your cheeks flushed.

“JJ? What...I- now isn’t a good time,” she said, still keeping him outside her room.

“I’m really sorry Y/n. I just want you to know that. Okay?” JJ blurted. He wasn’t the best at apologies.

“For what?” Deep down you knew why.

JJ brought his hands to his chest, where the key had been last time you saw him, “those keys...belong to my Dad. I never wanted you to meet him. That’s why I lied,” he admitted.

You opened the door a little wider, “JJ I’m fine,” you mustered.

“He’s on drugs, and uh...we don’t get along...that’s why I stay at John B’s so much. Look, just know you don’t have to talk about it. But it will help you forget,” JJ continued.

You almost cried, but you held it in for a moment longer, “JJ? Do you know?” You said each word slowly.

“I just assumed you met him. How you reacted when you saw his keys,” JJ answered.

You looked down at your hands, they were shaking.

“It’s not a big deal...” you tried to lie to yourself.

JJ looked at you, his heart dropped, he so badly wanted to know what his father did to you so he could help, JJ grabbed your hands and held them in his, “please know I’m not like him. I’ll never hurt you. Never ever.”

“JJ you shouldn’t have to know, you should just go,” she whispered. Almost pulling her hands away from JJ’s warm touch.

“No. I’m not going to leave you. I’ll be here for you to talk to me okay? Tell me why he did,” JJ’s jaw clenched at the thought.

You gasped one last time before you collapsed, you hand going over your mouth as your eyes quickly blurred with tears.

JJ’s eyes softened and he reached out to pull you in, you cried into his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat.

“I can’t go back,” you mumbled, gripping a portion of his shirt into a fist.

His hands moved up and down your back. As he muttered sweet nothings to calm you down.

“Don’t stay...don’t stay...” you cried, he shouldn’t have to see you as the mess you were.

“What did he do?, princess,” JJ asked, when you first met, he called you that because you were a kook. He meant it with as much love as he could.

You sniffled, then looked up at JJ, the blue in his eyes hard to see because his pupils were so dialated, “he mad a pass at me,” you whispered, I guess that sounds not as bad as it feels, but JJ knows it affected you.

His, high aggressive Dad, hits on a young girl like Y/n, what might she think of him?

“I’m not like that? Please know that,” JJ’s voice cracked. Your hand wrapped around his torso, pulling him closer.

“I know JJ.”

[jj-bxby]

Where Do We Go? |Chapter One| JJ Maybank x Reader

Summary - Y/N is a Mainlander who has just moved to The Cut. When she meets her new neighbor, she just may have found the family she’s been searching for, and more.

gif credit @toesure

Warnings - None

Word count - 1.8k

A/N - This is the first fanfic I’ve written in about 3 years, so I genuinely hope you all like it! Gimme all of the three C’s: comments, concerns... cuestions. This is only the first part of the series, so if you would like to be tagged, just ask!

It’s never easy to start something over, especially when that ‘something’ happens to be your entire life. 

If given the option, you would have left your home a long time ago, but there's only so much that a 17-year-old can do on her own. You smile drunkenly as you feel the summer sun shining on your skin, wind whipping your hair around your face wildly. The scent of the briny sea lingering in your nostrils as you pull into the road leading to your new home. 

Outer Banks is supposed to be Paradise On Earth, and you can see why. After only being here for a few hours, you have already decided that you wouldn't really mind if you never leave this island again. A life on your own is what you’d always dreamed of, and you’re still a little dazed at the fact that it's finally your reality. After all of the sleepless nights consisting of fights, double shifts at the hotel near your house, and what seemed like an entirety of planning, you can finally go off on your own adventure.

You pull your car into the drive of the new home. Your new home. Cutting the ignition, you hop out of the beat-up Jeep and begin unloading your suitcases to bring inside. Off in the distance, you spot a group of kids that seemed to be around your age, all dancing to a beat blaring from one of their speakers. Beer cans were seized in each of their hands, and a joint was fixed between the lips of one boy. They all were giggling and chanting as a brunette boy tried to chug his drink, the booze dribbling out of the sides of his mouth and onto the grass. The happy sight made you let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding. You were such a straight-edge compared to these teenagers, never having had more than a sip of your mother’s wine while she wasn’t looking. Seeing them all with broad smiles plastered on their faces made you anxious, but yet something within you yearned to join them. To spin and howl and beam with all of them until the day turned into night, and the night turned into dawn. Maybe you would be able to fit in here after all, even if it takes some smoothing of your rough edges.

The group all looked in your direction after the dark-haired girl pointed you out, all of them pausing their twirling and jumping to acknowledge the new girl. They all give you a look of friendliness once your eyes meet, but the blonde with the joint flashed you a big smile and waved his entire arm at you, clearly wanting to be the center of attention. You felt your cheeks turn a shade crimson when you realized they were looking at you, but you give them a grin as you wave back before returning to pull all of your bags up to the front porch. You turned back to get one last look at the teenagers before you had to set foot in your house. The set seemed to have realized that the new neighbor may not want to hear their noisiness, as they had pulled their speaker and cooler a little ways away to the dock near a house, which you assumed had to belong to at least one of them. 

Turning back to face your new front door, you took a deep breath to still your mind. This is it, this is your new beginning. 

•

Okay, so unpacking is pretty damn boring as it turns out. And honestly, with weather this nice, how can I be expected to stay focused on a task that’s just so dull? I, at least, got my bags inside and some clothes placed in drawers, but it didn’t take long before my mind wandered and I step out into the backyard. This house may have seen some better days, but the view is to die for. Living life on a lake may not be ideal for everyone, but it is for me. Fishing, hammocks, and laying on a boat on a sunny day are all I could ever ask for. Even though I may not have a boat yet, I do have a hammock, and I’ll be damned if those aren’t good for some afternoon and I-have-a-lot-of-shit-to-do naps! I spot a couple of trees a few yards away from my new home to set up my new napping spot. After I finish tying off the support ropes into sturdy(ish) knots, I crawl into the netted bed, only needing steadying myself by flinging my arms around once (which, might I add, is quite good by my standards). Finally being able to rest my body after all of the moving and anxiety of the day feels so lovely. With the glow of the soft evening sun warming my skin in small beams through the tree leaves, I hardly notice how heavy my eyelids become, and definitely don’t mind when I drift off into sleep. 

My dream is filled with the small party of teens from earlier today, but this time I’ve joined them. Now, I’m jumping and cackling with all of them while sneakily stealing the snapback off of one of the boy’s heads. I’m giggling as I toss my arm around the dark-haired girl and blonde boy, turning to give him a cheeky smile as he looks to me. Suddenly, his face is all I see. 

“Hi… Uh, hey? You awake?”

I rush to stand up and immediately regret it. As I try to get up, I end up flailing like a fish and tumbling out of the hammock, falling onto my back and groaning. I look up to see where the voice came from, and find blue eyes piercing into my own.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spook you like that. Here, can I help you up?” The boy asks, extending his hand to me. I gladly accept the help and get to my feet. I see that it’s now dark out and the stars are lighting up the night sky. “Again, I’m really sorry I scared you. But maybe be more careful next time getting outta that hammock, yeah? You kinda looked like a fish flopping out of water,” the boy chuckled, running his hand through his hair. Is it me being tired or… is he being extremely cute? 

I gave him a little smile as my cheeks flush with color. “It’s alright, I’m not broken or anything. But, I do think that the least you can do for so rudely interrupting my nap is telling me your name.”

“Oh right,” the blonde chuckles, ”I’m JJ. My friends and I are actually throwing a kegger tonight at the boneyard, and I was trying to be neighborly and invite you. You know, make friends and all? You seem about our age, sixteen or seventeen, right? Life here is much easier with friends, you know. Oh!” JJ exclaims, “Do you know where the boneyard is?” He questions. When I shake my head at him, he grins at me mischievously. “Shame. Guess I’ll have to drag you there so you can join in. But first, I’ve gotta get your name.” 

“Y/N,” I respond while smoothing down my hair and picking a few pieces of dirt from it. “But ‘The Boneyard’ sounds pretty ominous, what kinda place are you taking me to? And I don’t even know you or your friends, really. So how do I know you’re not just kidnapping me?”

JJ reaches over and pulls a small twig out of my hair. “Well, Y/N, I don’t know you. How do I know you aren’t some kind of axe murderer? Besides, do I look like I need to kidnap a girl just to get her attention?” JJ asks me with a smug look on his face.

“Touché, JJ. I guess I can come to this ‘boneyard’ with you.” JJ holds his hand out to me for a high-five, grinning wildly. I roll my eyes and slap his hand weakly.

“Wow, I literally just felt myself become depressed from that high-five.”

I give him a little shove on the shoulder and start to walk ahead of him. “So, ya gonna take me to this “Boneyard,” or what?”

“Yes, however, you are going the exact wrong way.”

“Oh.”

“C’mon, doll.” JJ takes my small hand into his and starts off towards the Boneyard. From being a few steps behind him, I can just make out the outlines of JJ’s shoulder blades peeking through the sides of his cut-off tee. The heat rose to my cheeks, realizing that this incredibly attractive boy is now taking me to meet his – likely – equally attractive friends, and he’s a major flirt. How in the hell am I going to keep up with this man? Figuratively and literally, his legs are way longer than mine, and I’m practically stumbling over my own two feet just trying to keep the same pace as him.

“So, Y/N, you’re from the mainland, yeah?” The boy questioned, looking over his shoulder to check on me as I nodded to him. “What in the hell made you move to The Cut?”

“Um, well, that’s a bit of a long story as to why I moved. But, what’s The Cut? Is that what you call it here?”

“Well, The Cut is the south side of the island, its where all of us who’re in the working class live, The Pogues, if you will. Figure Eight is where all of the Kooks come from. Y’know, the ones who sit around and play with Daddy’s Money all goddamned day,” JJ spat out the last part. “I’m just wondering why you would choose to move to our side, especially when you had a choice in the matter. I grew up in The Cut — All of the pogues did. Why not go full Kook?”

“Well, back on the mainland I was from a working-class family. I dunno, I wouldn’t have fit in with all of the mansions, and country clubs, and board shorts, I don’t think.” I shrugged my shoulders at him, “I wasn’t made for that kind of life.”

JJ nodded understandingly before beaming at me, “Well, I think you’re going to fit in quite well here, Y/N.” The boy stopped walking and I came to stand at his side, our shoulders brushing against each other. “Welcome to the Boneyard, babe.”

It truly was a sight to see. Teens were sat on fallen driftwood, all huddled around different bonfires, red solo cups in hands. Odd mixes of sunburned kids, girls dressed in oversized tees and jean shorts, preppy-clothed boys all mingled together, seeming to put aside any inequalities just for the night. People drifted from group to group, some gathered at the keg, and some simply standing and chatting as they drank. I grinned at the view ahead, knowing this was only the first of many parties to attend. I look to my side to see JJ’s blue eyes focused on me, and I tried to swallow down the fluttering feeling in my chest.

“Let’s go warm up, yeah?”

•

@midnightmagicmusings

[alun-ura]

Prompt #2: Sway ♪

"Horns."

The Xaela shifted in her sleep, still not even batting an eye on whoever called her.

It was an old nickname, one that now no one used to refer to her; and whoever that voice belonged to was most likely a dream or some strong illusion caused by her exhaustion. She let out a quiet groan before burying herself further within her hammock, whilst her tail coiled around her.

"Horns! Don't ye groan at me, girl."

And yet another grunt, this time as both her head and her tail rose in surprise with that tone, her eyelids barely working as one of her eyes were still struggling to open, and a frown was in place while she slowly started to recognize the source of that voice.

Awfully familiar, the hammock and planks, that stout Roegadyn as bald as he was tall, towering over her even though he was crouching; a man of the old crew. Now in the sea, still working on what he knew best, it was a sad reminder of different times — for but a second she truly believed to be just heavily hallucinating.

"We here, Horns. Get yer things 'fore we just throw it all an' you away." He spoke in a much more calm way, and it all clicked again in her mind as she finally rolled away from her comfort, another muffled complaint as she carelessly made her way through her leather boots, gently rubbing her eyes now and then when that croaky voice reached her yet again.

 "Look at ye, didn't even wear boots when we first met." There was a warmth in his voice despite the mild mockery, not harmful but still welcomed by a piercing glare as she sighed quietly, finally working through her belongings and getting ready to depart.

 "Yes Grein, m'sure you say that every time I need to cross." Her tone was somewhat dismissive, and even then, only her uttering his name was enough to make the Sea Wolf scoff under his breath, back in times where she wouldn't even dare to try his name in her tongue. Greinzant — something about teeth, and that's what she called him, in what felt like a decade ago. One would even assume that, considering how much that girl had changed. 

"An' still can't show any respect, Horns. S'a courtesy that I bother in even wakin' ye up." 

"This why m'keep traveling with ye, bloke. Sure m'gonna be bothering ye soon again." A toothy grin widened in her lips as she let out a scoff, finally waking up properly and just waving a hand as she departed from that cabin. 

Alun took a deep breath as soon as she reached the deck, her eyes still adjusting to the light whilst she fished through her belongings for some crumpled paper, two or three of them that she gently tried to straighten as best as she could, enough for her to read whatever her current marks were. Some were just monsters, while others were men and even items, the price always varying some.

She'd let her mind drift on those for but a moment until the sway of the ship awakened her once more, her golden eyes contemplated around herself. The ocean and this ship, it wasn't the same. Not the same crew or sky, and yet a couple of days in the sea was more than enough for something to sting inside her as she looked around, reflecting on a period that wasn't her own anymore. 

Alun got closer to the edge, letting a bandaged hand run over the polished wood - slowly sinking into her own memories as that voice called to her yet again.

"Horns! Still 'ere, girl?" It was Grein again, his tone was somewhat more worried this time.

"— Ah, see." She paused, looking for her words as she stuffed those bills back in her pockets, "M'forgot something in Kugane, aye? Can't go hunting without marks!" 

She cracked another devilish grin, offering a shrug of her shoulders to Grein who just shook his head, "M'guess I have to stay around a few days more, Teeth. M'gonna pays for it so don't worry ye bald head!"

Greinzant stared in silence as the Xaela went past him, his eyes falling on her back as he counted more scars than he could remember from before, that long braid was almost too hard to believe as well — just how much time had passed since then? 

"So much for keeping 'er outta trouble, huh..."

[blightarts]

PROLOGUE

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

Disclaimer: All Endless Summer and Choices rights belong to Pixelberry. Also, jokes here are not meant to offend anyone. 

MC x LI Pairings: Quinn x M!MC, Jake x F!MC

Word Count: 4799

Tags: @princessstellaris​, @mechaspirit​, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo​, @skyila​, @choicesyouplayandmore​, @i-miss-trr​, @mysteli​, @brightpinkpeppercorn​, @aquamarvel​, @marmolady​, @sceptilemasterr​, @endlessly-searching-for-you​, @ohmyeightpastlives​, @choiceslife​

Blue eyes open to a new day. A young man in his early 20′s wakes up on his bed, with ruffled black hair and drool near his lips. One thing keeps repeating in his mind as he blankly stares at the ceiling.

“Everything in its own time.”

The man sighs and sits up straight.

Casey: That’s the only thing I believe in… for about a week. But as of now, there is little progress in restoring my friends’ memories and helping them back up to who they used to be during our adventures in that isla—

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on his door which scared him. The door opens and in comes a young blonde woman, also in her early 20′s and with blue eyes. It’s Casey’s older twin sister, Emily Summers.

Emily: Hey, Casey! Breakfast is ready! We got a big day today!

She grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him out of bed, towards the dining room.

Casey: Forget what I said. My overly-ecstatic sister is always dragging me, literally and figuratively, back to optimism. But who can blame her? She wants to be with everyone again, especially Jake.

Emily: Stop talking like Deadpool.

Casey: What? The writer likes jokes that break the 4th Wall.

(Note: You guys will read a bunch of jokes that break the 4th Wall. 😆)

The young woman rolls her eyes and chuckles as she puts her little brother on his chair, next to their roommate, Zahra Namazi, who chuckles at their antics.

Zahra: You two should audition for a sitcom, cuz your everyday shenanigans is making even me laugh.

Casey: Thanks for the compliment? I guess?

Emily just sips her coffee and stares blankly, internally giggling. Casey notices the red tint in his sister’s eyes, realizing that she cried herself to sleep, thinking about Jake, then he sighs. Soon, after the three finish breakfast, the twins go to prepare for the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week. As they get dressed, they head for the door, but not before turning to Zahra.

Emily: Zahra, you not coming?

Zahra: Why would I go to a stupid event with stupid people attending?

Emily looks at her, unamused. She turns to Casey for help who gives his sister an “I got this” look.

Casey: You know… there could be some tech in there you could hack into and use it to mess with those stupid people.

Zahra looks at Casey with a raised eyebrow.

Zahra: You present a very compelling argument, Summers. Alright, I’ll go, but I will be sitting at a discreet location so people won’t easily know it was me messing their stuff.

Casey: Great!

Emily gives Casey a double thumbs up before the three leave their dorm. They arrive at the central campus, where the event is being held. The twins see some of their friends at different places, all except one. Emily sighs as Casey pats her shoulder.

Casey: Don’t worry. Wherever he is right now, he and Mike are alright.

Emily nods and gives her brother a weak smile.

Emily: You’re right…

She shakes her head and turns to a nearby smoothie stand.

Emily: Gimme a sec.

Emily runs to the stand to order a smoothie, trying to hide her obvious pain. Casey sighs at this and just stands there, waiting for his sister to come back while looking for their best friend, Diego Soto. Soon after, Emily returns and spots Diego already with Casey.  She grins.

Emily: Heyyo, Diego!

Diego: Heyyo, Emily….yo…

Casey: Close enough.

The three share laughs before being interrupted by a tapping sound from the stage’s microphone. The school dean is onstage, ready to give the opening speech for the event.

Dean: Greetings, students. Welcome to the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week.

As the dean is greeting the students and giving his speech, the twins start to feel a slight pain in their heads. Diego notices this and whispers to them.

Diego: You guys okay?

Casey: Yeah, it’s just… we haven’t felt this kind of headache since…

Diego: Since…?

Emily: …La Huerta…

Diego: “La Hoopla”?

The pain continues to hurt the twins as they look around, searching for the source. It wasn’t a success but they do spot their friends. Casey’s beloved, Quinn Kelly, is by the fountain, having a heated conversation on the phone, possibly with one of her parents. Estela Montoya is backstage, talking to someone the twins cannot see from their point of view. Sean Gayle is with Michelle Nguyen, arguing about something, while Craig Hsiao is in between them, trying to stop the fight. Raj Bhandarkar is at his food stand, selling snacks to fellow students. Zahra is on a bench, trying to hack into some of the tech present in the event. Grace Hall is at the back of the audience, twiddling her fingers and paranoid ever since her arrest. And Aleister Rourke is also at the back of the audience, arms crossed and annoyed at everything around him.

Casey: Everyone… is… here…

Emily: Almost…

The twins then feel their hearts suddenly sink, as if they’re sensing something ominous coming. Even with this pain, they can still hear the dean’s last lines for his speech.

Dean: And now, may I introduce to you, our sponsor for this event, our great Emperor. His Eminence, Mister Everett Rourke!

Most of the audience clap with joy. Some just clap normally or don’t clap at all. And very few glare at the man, including Casey, Emily and Aleister.

Emily: Great, as if we couldn’t get any more headaches…

Casey: Sshh…He’s looking right at us…

Everett spots the twins and gives them an evil smirk before starting his opening speech for the event.

Everett: Hello, students of Hartfeld University. You know? Knowledge is power, but only a few can wield this power, and even more so, only very few could utilize this power to its highest potential. With this power, you could become Gods… like who I am right now…

During the speech, Everett is being broadcasted by a news crew, showing the footage live around the world. Somewhere in Costa Rica, two familiar grown men, laying on their hammocks and sharing bottles of beer, watch the broadcast.

Jake: This news is boring. Change it.

Mike: Nah, too lazy too.

Jake: Jackass.

Mike: Nitwit.

As Everett continues his speech, the pain the twins are experiencing gets more intense as they start to hear a screeching sound. Emily drops her smoothie because of this as it spills all over the ground. Diego, confused with what to do, tries to ask for help but before he could do so, a loud bang is heard from afar. A sonic wave travels from the source of the bang and reaches the Hartfeld central campus, knocking down everyone and interrupting Everett’s speech. Quinn drops her phone on the fountain. Sean falls on Michelle. Estela falls along with the person she was talking to, revealed to be her mother, Olivia Montoya. Raj’s food stand falls apart and his snacks drop to the ground. Zahra drops her laptop and it gets broken. The rest of the gang falls over normally.

Michelle: Get off!

Sean: Wha… What was that?!

Craig: Well, whatever it is, it sure knows how to literally drop the bass.

Estela: Mom! You okay?

Quinn: My phone!

Raj: My snacks!

Zahra: My laptop!

Random Student: My leg!

The news-broadcasting camera falls on the ground. Jake and Mike notices this while watching their TV.

Mike: Woah. What do you think is going on out there?

Jake: I don’t know. But I’m having an unusual sensation right now… it’s like… this is all familiar to me…

Mike soon notices Jake glowing.

Mike: Jake!

Jake: Wha—

Jake takes notices of his situation and sees Mike glowing as well.

Jake: What the fuck is happening?!

Mike: This ain’t like any hangover I’ve experienced befo—

The two are then transported to the Hartfeld central campus, next to Casey, Emily and Diego, who immediately notices them.

Emily: J… Jake?!

Diego: Woah! Those are the wanted fugitives, Jake McKenzie and Mike Darwin!

Casey: What are they doing here…?

Jake quickly sees the American flag near the campus, realizing that he and Mike are in USA, a place they shouldn't be in.

Jake: Fuck, we shouldn't be here.

Mike: How did we even get here in the first place?

Jake: I dunno, kid. But we gotta get outta here fast.

Mike: We're not Sonic the Hedgehog!

Jake quickly keeps Mike quiet and they try to sneak away from the public. No one seems to notice this as Diego is more occupied looking after Casey and Emily while everyone else tries to get back up on their feet. But suddenly, a large crack in the sky appears, catching everyone’s attention.

Sean: Great, now what’s that?!

Aleister: That’s…

Aleister sort of realizes what is going on and goes onstage to confront his father. But before he could do so, the crack becomes larger and a large spirit entity comes out of it. It is Vaanu, or at least, what remains of it. Its presence releases a second sonic wave, which blasted Aleister away from Everett. Vaanu reaches and grabs Rourke in anger.

Vaanu: Everett Rourke! Do you not care for the consequences that come with your unforgivable sin?! You are not a god. You have tampered with the decision that decides the fate of this world. And now this world is falling apart because of you.

The masses panic and run away, pushing each other and only caring for their own safety. Casey stands up, despite his pain. He runs around, looking for Quinn.

Diego: Casey! Where are you going?!

Emily: He’s going for her…

Diego: “Her”?

Emily: Quinn Kelly…

Emily stands up and asks Diego for help.

Emily: Diego…

Diego: Yes?

Emily: I want you… to help me… reach him…

Emily points to Jake, also running away with Mike from danger, which shocks Diego.

Diego: You want me to help you get close to a wanted man?!

Emily: He’s… an innocent… and kind… man…

Diego looks into Emily’s eyes, as if she’s telepathically saying “Please” to him, and eventually, nods.

Diego: Alright, I trust you in this.

Diego helps Emily up and guides her to Jake and Mike. Meanwhile, Sean, along with Craig, tries to calm the panicking masses.

Sean: Everyone, please. Stay calm. Don’t push each other. In a single file line, please!

Craig: Listen to the man! Come on.

Michelle takes a more aggressive approach as she smacks people with her purse.

Michelle: Hey! The guys said no pushing, you idiots! In a single file line, now!

Some people nod and follow her orders, scared of her more than Vaanu’s presence.

Sean: Uhh… thanks?

Michelle: This doesn’t make us even. Now get your ass to safety while helping everyone.

Sean nods and continues helping people while Craig follows him. Michelle went a different direction to help other people. Meanwhile, Raj runs away, holding his snacks in his arms, but clumsily dropping some of them.

Raj: This is totally not the mushrooms I had this morning! This is all too real, dude!!

Grace runs along with him, scared for her life.

Grace: I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die…

On the other hand, Zahra, all alone and away from the majority of the people, runs to away from Vaanu and everyone.

Zahra: These punks can take care of themselves. I don’t give one single fu—

Suddenly, she spots a disabled student, struggling to get up with her crutches. Zahra groans in anger and runs towards the student.

Zahra: Damn you, whoever’s deciding my destiny!

She gives the disabled student a piggyback ride as she runs away from the danger.

Zahra: I blame you for not being near those goody-two-shoes football players, so they could help you instead.

Student: Umm… thanks?

Back near the stage, Aleister gets up after being blown back by Vaanu. He spots his father being grabbed by the entity and grits his teeth. He turns to see Estela and Olivia being helped by I.R.I.S. and Lila.

Aleister: Sister, everyone!

The four women spot Aleister.

Estela: Aleister? What are you doing here?

Aleister: Confronting our father about what he did.

Olivia: What he did?

Aleister: He must have done something. Knowing him and his ego, it must be meddling with time, space or reality itself.

Lila: Nonsense! His Eminence would never do that!

I.R.I.S. places a hand on her son’s shoulder.

I.R.I.S.: Aleister, come on. Let us get to safety.

Aleister nods and points to the running crowd.

Aleister: Let’s go with them.

The women nod and follow Aleister to the crowd. Meanwhile, Casey eventually finds Quinn. She is struggling to run away with lots of people running faster around her. Her breathing is slow and she is getting slower. Suddenly, a random student accidentally bumps into her and she falls to the ground.

Casey: Quinn!

Casey tries to help her but his headache gets worse, causing him to scream in pain and fall over, next to her. Even with this severe pain, he crawls towards his beloved, muttering her name. Quinn looks up, spotting Casey reaching to help her. She recognizes him during their first encounter after Casey and Emily wakes to Rourke’s world.

Quinn: You… I remember you…

Casey caresses Quinn’s cheeks with tears in his eyes. He gives her a hopeful smile.

Casey: Quinn, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. I’m here…

Quinn smiles back before falling unconscious. Casey holds Quinn’s hand before also falling unconscious. On the other hand, Emily and Diego reach Jake and Mike.

Emily: Wait!

Jake and Mike turn to Emily. Jake makes heavy eye contact with her, slowly familiarizing her. He stops in his tracks. Mike stops as well, right in front of him.

Mike: Jake, what’s wrong?

Jake: This lady… I feel like I’ve seen her before.

Emily collapses from Diego’s arms. 

Diego: Em!

Emily: I’m fine… Get to safety…

Diego: Not without you!

Jake and Mike rush to Emily’s aid.

Jake: Here, let me carry her for you.

Mike: Get to safety, buddy.

Diego pushes Jake and Mike away.

Diego: Why would I listen to criminals like you?!

There was a long silence between the three.

Diego: I don’t know why Emily has a fixation on you, but I’m not giving her to dangerous men like you!

Mike: Listen, we don’t have ti—

Jake stops Mike and steps forward.

Jake: Listen. We maybe criminals in the eyes of the public, but right now, your friend is in need and I don’t think you can carry her on your own and away from that thing. So, let me help, Short Stuff.

Diego glares at Jake’s eyes and exhales deeply.

Diego: Fine. But I’m only letting you save her. I’m not letting you near my best friend again after this.

Mike: That’s fine by us.

Jake carries Emily in his arms and runs away, with Diego and Mike right behind him. Emily, struggling not to fall unconscious, reaches to caress Jake’s cheek and smiles.

Emily: Nice to see you again… Top Gun…

Emily falls unconscious while Jake feels both relief and confusion after hearing what Emily said. As everyone runs further from Vaanu, it opens its other hand and shows Rourke what it has. Everett’s eyes widen to see the Crystal Heart of Vaanu on its palm.

Everett: It can’t be!

Vaanu: This time, you will not get in the way of this world’s destiny. 

Vaanu crushes the Crystal Heart and shatters it into three shards. It then opens three portals to three different timelines, before hurling each shard to each timeline. Rourke protests.

Everett: What did you do?!

Vaanu: I have sent my Heart’s shards into different timelines in order to keep this world intact long enough for the Catalysts to restore it into the way it’s supposed to be.

Everett: You insolent...!

Rourke grits his teeth in anger and activates something on his watch. Soon, the Omega Mech appears. Vaanu, prepared for the machine’s arrival, drops Rourke on the ground and grabs the robot, crushing it. This surprises Rourke, who starts to back away in fear. But before he could run away, Vaanu hurls the Omega Mech behind him and fires a celestial beam to it, causing an explosion. Broken shrapnel pierces Rourke’s back, heavily but not fatally wounding him. The explosion then blows him towards a pole and his body collides with it, knocking him unconscious. Vaanu looks onto the running crowd, spotting Casey, Emily and the rest of the Catalysts.

Vaanu: Everything else falls into your hands now… Catalysts…

Vaanu raises its arm and snaps its fingers. It then fades away as the crack in the sky and the portals disappear. The panicked masses notice this and have stopped running.

College Professor: Is… is it gone…?

Dean: I think it is…

Student: We… we’re safe now, right…?

Aleister’s group, noticing the disappearance of Vaanu, run back to look for Rourke and they eventually spot him on the ground, wounded and unconscious.

Olivia: Everett!

Lila: Your Eminence!

Aleister: Father!

Estela: No!

I.R.I.S.: Scanning vitals.

The group crouch around him.

Olivia: I.R.I.S., status!

I.R.I.S.: Vitals are stable but he’s still bleeding. We need to give him quick medical attention.

Lila: Alright, let me carry him to the—

Estela: Mom…?

The group turns to Estela, who is glowing and slowly fading away.

Estela: I don’t feel so good…

Olivia: What the... No, no, no…!

Olivia holds Estela close, as the latter clutches her mother, not wanting to let go.

Estela: I don’t wanna go, Mom… I don’t wanna go…

Olivia turns to the group for help.

Olivia: What is happening to my daughter?!

I.R.I.S.: It is as if she is being transported a different place… or a different time…

Lila: Like… she is being sent to either the past or the future.

Aleister: That is the case...

Olivia: Then help her!

I.R.I.S.: I am truly sorry, Olivia… but there’s nothing we can do here…

Olivia turns to Estela with tears in their eyes.

Olivia: It’s going to be alright, Dear. Look at me.

Estela nods, speechless as she completely fades away. Meanwhile, the people look to the sky, questioning if whatever just showed up is truly gone.

Sean: Where did it go…? What did it want…?

Craig: Uhh… Sean…?

Sean turns to Craig, who fades away like Estela. Sean is left speechless and sees himself fading away as well. His face shows both confusion and fear before he is completely gone.

Michelle: Sean! No!

Michelle tries to reach for the fading Sean but she fades away as well. Raj and Grace watch in horror but then soon realize that they are fading away too.

Grace: No, no, no—

Raj: This has to be some sort of tri—

The two are then silenced by their disappearances. Meanwhile, Zahra sees her hand fading then her entire self. She sighs and shakes her head in annoyance.

Zahra: Motherfu—

On the other hand, Casey and Quinn remain unconscious to each other. No words. Just Quinn fading away, leaving Casey alone. Meanwhile, Emily is laid on the bench with Diego comforting her. Jake and Mike discuss what just happened.

Mike: What do you think is going on here?

Jake: I don’t really know but I don’t wanna stick around to find out. We gotta find a way back to Costa Rica someho—

Diego: Woah!

Jake and Mike turn to Diego who starts to fade away. 

Diego: This is crazy! Like Infinity War cra—

Jake goes to help Diego but the latter disappears completely.

Jake: He's... gone...

Mike: Jake…?

Jake turns to Mike, who is looking at his own fading hand. They look at each other before Mike fades away entirely. Jake, in silence, also notices himself fading away. He turns to Emily, still unconscious, and crouches near her.

Jake: I don’t know who you are yet… but I promise… I will find you…

Jake smiles and pats Emily’s forehead gently before disappearing. After Mike and most of the Catalysts disappeared, a portal opens above Casey and Emily’s unconscious bodies and Vaanu’s hands carefully scoop them up and pull them in the other side of the portal. The people in the central campus of Hartfeld are left bewildered and traumatized by what they have just witnessed.

“Everything in its own time.” 

Two pairs of blue eyes open upon hearing these words. Casey and Emily wake up, no longer in pain. They look around and see nothing but a white void.

Casey: Whe… where are we?

Emily: I don’t know. I don’t even remember how we got here.

Casey: Last thing I remembered is seeing Quinn.

Emily: Mine was Jake.

The twins stand up and walk a few meters in the white void until it starts to take form into a familiar purplish dimension, with prismatic crystals laying around and a purple moon in the sky.

Casey: Looks like the dimension where we met Vaanu.

Emily: And before we made the choice of fucking up everyone’s lives.

The twins sigh, realizing their mistake of siding with Rourke and thinking that they might make their friends’ lives better.

Vaanu: That is not entirely true.

Vaanu appears in front of Casey and Emily.

Vaanu: You did choose to side with Rourke, but that is not the whole story.

Emily: What do you mean?

Vaanu: That truth is not mine to tell.

Casey: Well, what is the kind of truth that Em and I should know right now?

Vaanu taps the twins’ foreheads and shows them a vision of what it did to Rourke and the Crystal Heart.

Vaanu: Rourke did something that goes against what we all agreed upon. He messed with things that he should not have control over. And thus, with my remaining strength, I had to punish him and scatter my Crystal Heart into different timelines in order to keep this world from self-destruction. However, time is limited. I am tasking the two of you and your friends to collect the shards and make it whole again.

Casey: After that, we’re going to decide again, like last time?

Emily: Well, this time, we’re gonna choose the one where everyone is happy, except Rourke.

Vaanu: That is not entirely the case.

Emily: Huh?

Vaanu: When you chose to side with Rourke and had the Omega Mech utilized my power, stored within the Crystal Heart and you two, the both of you became completely human.

Casey: Like, Emily and I are no longer a part of you?

Vaanu nods in agreement. Casey and Emily look at each other for a moment, realizing that if they did manage to repair the Heart of Vaanu and restore things to how they are supposed to be, they can stay and be with the people they care about the most.

Vaanu: I suppose you two already know what I am implying.

Casey: Yeah. The three shards of your Crystal Heart each have a third of your full power.

Emily: And if we managed to put them back together, then you can be whole again, the world is saved and the two of us can stay here, with our friends and family.

Vaanu: Exactly. An ending befitting everyone’s needs.

Emily glares and points upwards.

Emily: Calling you out, Pixelberry!

Casey chuckles at what Emily is doing.

(Jk, love you, PB. Keep doing great on your books. 😆)

Vaanu then opens three portals, each leading to a timeline where it sent its Crystal Heart shards.

Vaanu: Behind these gateways are the timelines where I sent the shards. I have also separated your friends and sent them here to help you two in your quest.

Casey: Alright, simple enough.

Vaanu: However, once you enter either one of these gateways, you will be sent to a time one month after I have already sent the shard and your friends.

Emily: So, our friends get there on Day 1 and the two of us get there after a month?

Vaanu: The two of you are quite adaptable compared to your friends. Besides, it will be easier for you to find them once they have gotten familiar with the world they are currently living.

Casey: Makes sense.

Emily: Can you at least tell us which of our friends are in which timeline?

Vaanu: That is for me to know and for you two to find out on your own.

Emily: ….Cool!

Emily puffs her cheeks and cross her arms. Casey pats her back and gives her a motivational smile. Vaanu then guides the twins to each of the portals, giving them a background on the timelines they lead to.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Arcane Era; a time where technology is rare and magic is everywhere. Humans are able to use magic and wield spellbooks to better utilize this magic. The world is also split between the Natural Realm and Spirit Realm.

Casey: Sounds like something from an isekai-genre (Other world) anime.

The three then approach the second portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dragonic Era; a time where dragons, wyverns and large beasts roam the land, along with humans. They were once allies, however an unforgivable sin done by the humans sparked a war between them. That was their history. In the present, the descendants of the humans are studying these creatures and uncovering their past while the creatures are behaving like animals in your world.

Emily: Sounds like something out of a video game.

The three then approach the final portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dystopia Era; a time where I did not confront Rourke and sent away my Crystal Heart shards to the different timelines. In this timeline, an old enemy takes over and kills Rourke. This enemy then terrorizes the land and is planning to expand his control to the entire world. But a rebellion is standing in this enemy’s way.

Casey: Sounds like something from the Terminator film series.

Vaanu then gives each of the twins a special bracelet that contains the Hadean Zodiac signs of their friends.

Vaanu: This will help you find your friends. When one of the signs glows temporarily, it means they are nearby. The signs will permanently glow once your friends have their memories restored.

Emily: Thank you.

Emily smiles and admires her bracelet. Casey does the same.

Vaanu: Have you two decided on where to go first?

The twins nod.

Casey: I’m going to the Arcane Era.

Emily: I’m going to the Dragonic Era.

Vaanu nods back.

Vaanu: Excellent. Now once you two have reunited with your friends and reclaimed the two Crystal Heart shards in their respective Eras, you can tap your bracelets and you will be sent back here. You and your friends must go to the Dystopia Era together and reclaim the final shard before Rourke wakes from his slumber. He won’t be in a coma for too long, and his allies are making sure that you will not accomplish your goal.

Casey: Understood.

Emily: We won’t lose this time.

Vaanu then extends each of its hands towards the twins and gives them each an outfit, matching the Era they have chosen.

Vaanu: Now, it is time for you two to be equipped with the proper attire.

Casey receives a pair of matching silver and crimson gauntlets and boots, an Eastern waistcoat, arm-gloves to go with his gauntlets and a sleeveless crimson shirt with a cape-like bottom. Casey also gets his hair tied to a rising ponytail and his bangs dyed crimson. The young man grins at his new look.

Casey: Dang! I look smokin’!

Meanwhile, Emily receives a set of leather armor, including a black long-sleeve leather jacket, a brown leather vest, a pair of brown leather bracers, a pair of leather greaves, and black short leather trousers. She also receives a pair of goggles and a slingshot-like attachment to her left bracer. She delights on her new outfit.

Emily: Sweet! I look like a hunter!

Vaanu nods and slowly starts to fade away.

Vaanu: You two are ready. And now it is time for me leave the rest to you.

The twins notice Vaanu disappearing.

Emily: Vaanu!

Casey: Wait. We still have no idea what to do.

Vaanu points up, to the stars in the sky.

Vaanu: Worry not, Casey and Emily. The stars will guide you.

Soon after, Vaanu is completely gone, leaving the twins to their task. The two look at each other with determination in their faces.

Casey: Last one to get back here with our friends and the shard owes the winner a meal.

Emily: Oh, you are so on!

Casey and Emily bump their fists then go in for a handshake.

Emily: Take care out there.

Casey: You too.

They then face their respective portals with determined grins before letting go of each other’s hands and running towards their goal.

--- END OF PROLOGUE ---

[roseamongroses]

Winners Among the Losing: (1) The Last Game

Summary:It wasn’t a matter of whether or not they were worthy.It was a matter of who wanted it more. And now they were firmly on the wrong side of history. A history of unfathomable powers and all-knowing immortals, ancient forests and beasts, and a Stranger who wanted to challenge it all.

Vibes/ Tags:time is irrelevent, homophobia who?, magic and beasts, demigods

Warnings: Imprisonment, Mentions of execution, Mentions of past Death, repression, cursing

Characters: Deceit(Eden) Sanders, Remy Sanders

Ship: Roceit

Ao3

(1)  (2)  

---

"Punishment, " the air sang that night.

Even beyond the dingy bars of the small window, Eden could see the torches swing. The familiar cloth of the villagers--of his family--not too far behind. The cell itself, while bare, was packed with dirt. The shadows moving and scuttling alive with the humidity of the night.

The guard didn’t see him as much of a threat though. She’d left earlier to flirt with the baker’s daughter, careless, but it wasn't like he could do much now anyway. Hot metal pressed tight around his wrists and his mouth was bound with an unwashed rag.

His skin was slick an uncomfortable heat lingering around his form. His church clothes were shredded at the sleeves, the leather of his shoes split and peeling.

A quiet breeze blew through the stale night air and Eden eye throbbed. He looked up, seeing the same Stranger from earlier.

Said Stranger, seemed content. He leaned against the bolted door licking his ice-cream. His clothes were elaborately tucked and sewn, the white blouse and black slacks almost unnatural among the cell’s greys. The Stranger didn’t bother to tilt his sunglasses to reveal the pale blue eye that got Eden into this mess.

Instead, the Stranger licked his lips, ice-cream disappearing, “That was quite a show, little man.” he twirled a pair of bronze keys, which flickered before appearing in his other hand, “I was almost impressed.”

Hot rage pooled in Eden's stomach as he glowered at the man.

“What was that, hon?” The Stranger tilted his head, amused. He raised a hand to his glasses before he simply snapped. Eden's gag fluttered uselessly to the ground.

Eden spat at the Stranger's shoes.

“I know that I’m new around here, hon, but,” The Stranger tilted his head, watching Eden desperately thrash as the sick smell of burning of flesh filling the cell, “You should know how to use your manners.”

“Fuck off," Eden heaved.

“Perhaps but...that wouldn’t be fair, would it?” The Stranger said, “Afterall you went through all that trouble, your...friend? Went through all that trouble.”

“So what, you lied?” Eden said, defeated, “I lied…”

The Stranger scoffed, “He lied, you lied, we all lied,” he walked towards Eden, smiling sweetly, “You,” he jabbed a finger at Eden's chest, “Just came out on top.”

Removing his offending finger, Eden clattered to the ground. The Stranger loomed over him, a halo of moonlight around his hair, hand outreached.

Eden could've slapped it away, could've screamed, could've sworn, could've cried, but for what? For who?

So….

Eden took the Stranger’s hand.

----

“First lesson!” The Stranger called out slumped in his hammock, slacks, and blouse replaced with a dress dotted with pink flowers, “Find me a name, make it cute.”

Crouched over a nearby stream soaking his shirt, Eden didn’t bother to look up, “Asshat, rejected tooth-fairy, blue eyes white fuck-” he sputtered, falling into the stream as if pushed.

The Stranger stood over him, arms folded, “Those names are not cute.”

Eden flicked wet hair from his face, “Neither is being strung up like meat,” he grunted, throat tight, “--and being hated by everyone you’ll ever possibly know.”

The Stranger snorted, “That can’t possibly be the worst thing that’s happened.”

Eden's face was pained and he adverted his eyes, “...It wasn’t.”

“I know, ” the Stranger said, tapping his jaw consideringly, “Change of plans, tiny man.”

“Pardon me-”

“You’re pardoned,” The Stranger traced the strap of their dress, morphing it into a regular pair of slacks and shirt, “Get dressed, we're going into town for your real first lesson.” his lips pursed, “And... cover-up that eye situation as well, hon, no need for that getting out of hand again.”

Automatically Eden's hand flew to his eye. He traced the bumps peeking from his otherwise unblemished flesh, before willing the scales away with the impeccable ease that landed him here in the first place.

(bulging eyes, one blue, one blind, veins like ice, a pool of saliva gathered around their head. one lost the game, one broke a promise.)

Eden's eyes fluttered open, hands thumbing at the outline of the small corked bottle inside their pockets. Not a drop inside.

He took it out, the glass burning at his touch. He gripped the bottle tighter, biting his lip as it’s remaining energy seared his skin leaving a trail of pink in his palm. Swallowing, he pocketed the empty bottle, feet heavy as he left to catch up with the Stranger.

---

Eden huffed, emerging from a local shop, slamming the door behind him. He felt people's eyes zero on him. He covered his bruised cheek.

“Oh, my-” The Stranger snorted, drink spraying, “What did you do-” He sat at a cafe nearby, not bothering to move.

“It’s not funny,” Eden said, yanking back a chair to sit down as well. A couple in a nearby table shuffled back inside, eyeing him warily.

“-It’s very funny,” the Stranger said, “Lemme guess, lemme guess you called him a lazy cow?”

“You knew he was a lazy cow.”

“I know a lot of things 'bout the old man, sweet cheeks,” the Stranger stirred sugar into their drink, “I guess I overestimated you.”

Eden inhaled, “I am capable. I’ve already proved this-” His words died as the Stranger's glasses titled down, a singular pale blue eye steadied on him.

“I know. I know who you are better than you know yourself, ” the Stranger said with a lazy drawl, “Remember this opportunity is nothing but that, an opportunity,” He traced the edge of his glass, “Not a promise, not a guarantee, ‘kay?” He pushed up his frames, “So you might want to use this opportunity, properly. Pause your little grief session and try to get the information, okay?”

Eden's anger festered in waves, but he quieted it for now. “How so?”

“Girl, get creative. Get a bit nicer. More...sympathetic,” He hummed, “And surprise, surprise, don’t insult the informant-that-that’s a big one.”

“Fine,” Eden said, forcing himself back to the damn shop. With a few deep breaths and the knowledge, he plastered a smile on his face, pushing open the wooden door.

On cue, the bell jingled as the door clicked behind him. The shop was small but sizable. Herbs and flowers bottled in jars, some hanging from the ceiling stretching towards the dim light the windows provided. Those few slivers of light clearly showing how dust covered the walls, jars, and plants.

Eden internally gagged, maneuvering around the clutter to the back of the shop where the counter sat. Scattered across the counter were a few momentous. A vile of herbs and some growing plants, some photos of dusty faces, flowers tucked beside them almost like an afterthought He waited patiently for the man to remove his nose from the week-old newspaper.

“Oh,” The man shuffled the paper, “Is pretty boy here to apologize?”

“No-” Eden abruptly shut his mouth, hands flying to the back of his head wincing. Looking back the Stranger waved, before twiddling a dried rose between his fingers and disappearing.

“Look,” Eden tried again, “I’m...sorry... about earlier, it’s just,” He glanced at the pictures again, “Listen, I’m new in town and...and I got news my brother passed away.”

The man shoulders stiffened behind the papers and Eden knew he'd gotten their attention, “I guess I lashed out when I shouldn’t have. You’re just trying to enjoy your day… and I got impatient. ”

The man folded his newspaper, softly setting it down. His eyes hidden behind darkened frames, wrinkles heavily lining his face and lips pursed, contemplating.

“Well…” the man sighed, running a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry too, man. What brings you to town?”

A foul taste clung to Eden's throat, but he continued,” Well, my brother,” he forced a laugh, ignoring the sharp pain the vile brought in his pockets, “He was always a fan of reading. Romances, ghost stories, ” he dug his nails into his palms, “One of his favorite books was about this town and he always talked about wanting to visit…”

The man smiled, hands brushing across a picture, “My ...kid was a reader too,” He laughed, “ Never could drag them outta the house unless it was for a bookstore, always was a shy thing,” He frowned, “...What exactly was this book about?”

“Oh it’s about a cursed family...the Sanders Manor, do you know it?”

A light breeze brushed through the shop as the man sat contemplating, “Huh,” the old man blinked, “You know it's strange. You aren’t the first one to come asking that question,”

“It's a popular book,” Eden shrugged, forcing himself not to fill the lingering silence.

“That’s one way to describe him,” The old man muttered.