#whumpril2024

[whumpril]

Whumpril 2024 approaches!

Rules:

Anyone can participate.

Any media form is allowed (art, fic, gifs, music, whatever).

You can participate however much or as little as you want, no pressure to complete every single day.

You can post your work anywhere on the internet, Tumblr, Ao3, etc.

Tag potential triggers and NSFW accordingly.

If you want to be counted as an official participant and have the chance to be featured on the blog, post your content during the month of April. You can still use the prompt list after April ends.

I can’t guarantee that every single work will be featured but I’ll try to reblog as many as I can.

To increase your chances of being featured here, tag your post with the event name and the prompt of the day that you used (For example: #whumpril2024, #whumprilday1, #limp) 

You can also @ the blog, @whumpril.

Full write-up of the prompts can be found under the cut!

Whumpril 2024 Prompts:

Limp

Sweat  

Shame

Swaying  

Reckless

Dizziness

Hesitation

Bloodshot  

Self-Doubt

Adrenaline  

Can’t Sleep

Weak Pulse

Angry Tears  

Urgent Care  

Mind Games

Coughing Fit

Hallucination

Broken Glass

 “I need you.”

Touch Starved

“Just hold on.”

Stoicism Breaks

Presumed Dead  

No Time to Rest

“Brace yourself.”

“How could you?”

“Please don’t go.”

Fight/Flight/Freeze

Reluctant Caretaker

“We’re out of time.”

Alternative Prompts:

If there’s a prompt above you don’t feel inspired or comfortable doing, you can switch it out with one of these alternatives!

Crutch

Brain Fog

Contagious

No Appetite

Reassurance

Blanket Nest

Eyes Rolled Back

Allergic Reaction

“You’re pathetic.”

Reluctant Whumper

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Caretaker Makes it Worse

“You brought this on yourself.”

[whump-about-it]

Can I Stay Here Tonight?

@whumpril Day 8: Bloodshot

CW: injuries, implied beating, implied torture, implied captivity, exhaustion, implication that Whumpee may be in hiding and/or unhoused

It wasn't unusual for Whumpee to go missing for days or even weeks at a time. No one ever really knew where they went when they disappeared, But they always came back, and usually in one piece. So everyone had long since stopped worrying.

Caretaker had barely even noticed Whumpee was missing again. Only just realizing they hadn't seen them in nearly a week the same night Whumpee showed up again.

It had been raining cats and dogs all day, and Carertaker was having a pleasent evening in, watching trash tv with their roommate and playing a game of cards when the window that lead onto their fire escape eeked open and Whumpee came tumbling in.

"We have a door you know." Roommate told them, barely fazed by Whumpee's random appearance. Whumpee had a talent for slipping in and out of places unnoticed. And considering the late hour, they had probably assumed the roommates would be a sleep.

Whumpee stood up and closed the window again behind them before so much as acknowledging the apartment owners, who stayed on the couch watching them curiously. They were soaking wet. Unsurprising considering they had just climbed three stories on an outdoor stairway. Their usually baggy clothing clung to their skin, reminding Caretaker nauseatingly of just how small Whumpee actually was. It also didn't escape Caretaker's notice that Whumpee was wearing the same clothing that they had been in the last time the two had seen each other; some five days before.

"Sorry to intrude." Whumpee said in a dead pan voice when they finally turned to look at Caretaker and Roommate. They had dark circles under their eyes and a cut next to their left ear. Caretaker thought they looked paler than usual, but it could have just been the way their water-darkened hair stuck to their face.

"I just need to borrow your bathroom."

It was the only explanation Whumpee gave before they walked past Caretaker and Roommate towards their bathroom down the hall, water dripping them their sopping clothes as they went. Caretaker's eyes followed Whumpee as they disappeared. There was a tired slump to their shoulders and an unevenness to their gait that made Caretaker think they were concealing a limp.

"First aid kit's under the sink!" Caretaker called after them, but Whumpee gave no indication of having heard. As soon as Caretaker heard the sound of the bathroom door click shut they turned back to Roommate and frowned. Roommate didn't look too pleased about Whumpee's sudden appearance in their apartment. Those two were not each others biggest fans, but they put up with one another for Caretaker's sake, so Roommate seemed to have decided to keep their mouth shut for now.

"I should go check on them."

Roommate nodded in agreement.

"I'll put a kettle on."

Caretaker went to their room and grabbed a clean pair of sweat pants and a fresh t-shirt they didn't think would be too baggy on Whumpee before giving the bathroom door a courteous knock and entering. They knew Whumpee would have preferred their privacy, and probably would have locked the door if they could. But as it was, the lock on the bathroom door had been broken as long as Caretaker and Roommate had been lived in the place, and it was Caretaker's place after all, so they refused to feel bad about inviting themselves in.

Inside the bathroom Whumpee had stripped down to their underwear and was sitting perched on the edge of the bathtub, the first aid kit sitting open on the lowered toilet lid next to them. Mostly nude, it was obvious Whumpee had been in some kind of trouble. They had bruises all up their torso and arms. There was another scabbing over cut on their collar bone similar to the one by their ear, and shredded up skin on the outside of their left leg from mid-calf to upper thigh that looked like they had lost a fight with a cheese grater. Their knuckles were scabbed and bruised and there were concerningly dark purple bruises around their wrists. The worst of their injuries however seemed to be a series of deep gashes on their forearm that Whumpee was currently picking glass out of with a pair of tweezers.

"I'm fine." Whumpee said defensively, barely looking up at Caretaker as they walked in.

"Yeah, you look fantastic." Caretaker set the clothes down on the vanity and went to crouch next to Whumpee. It was by no means the worst condition Whumpee had ever stumbled into their apartment in, but they didn't look good either. Up close, Caretaker could tell that Whumpee was indeed paler than usual. And their eyes were deeply bloodshot. In fact their whole body language screamed at exhaustion, and Caretaker wondered if they had slept at all since they'd last seen them.

Caretaker knew better than to ask what had happened. Or where Whumpee had disappeared to. Whumpee had never lied to Caretaker, but they would down right refuse to answer such questions. The two had spent days worth of time arguing about it. Caretaker wanted to help. Of course they did, and they'd rather prevent Whumpee from getting hurt than patch them up after the fact. But Whumpee had their secrets, and as they often liked to point out during their fights, Caretaker had known that when their lives had first become intertwined with one another. Caretaker knew Whumpee thought they were protecting them by keeping so many secrets from them. But they also knew Whumpee could disappear and Caretaker would never see or hear from them again if they tried to dig to deep. So they resigned themselves, as they always had, to helping Whumpee where they were permitted too, and praying they knew their limits otherwise.

They watched Whumpee for a few seconds as they tried to pick the pieces of dark colored glass out of their own weeping arm. They weren't doing a very good job of it. Their hands were shaking violently. Whether from cold, or pain, or tiredness, Caretaker didn't know.

"Here, let me." They finally said and plucked the tweezers from Whumpee's trembling hands before they could refuse. It was a testament to just how awful Whumpee must have been feeling that they in fact didn't refuse Caretaker's help, and even turned their arm to give Caretaker a better angle on their wound.

They didn't flinch as Caretaker plucked the tiny pieces of glass from their skin. They almost never did. Caretaker did however pretend not to notice the way their eyes were getting waterier and more bloodshot as they worked. Soon enough all the glass was out of the wound and Caretaker was cleaning it with an alcohol swab and taping a gauze pad over it. Whumpee gave an audible hiss when the alcohol made contact with heir broken skin, but still didn't move. Afterwards, Caretaker insisted that they be aloud to clean the road rash on Whumpee's leg as well before they put clothes back on. Whumpee gave in oddly easily and leaned their head against the wall as Caretaker worked, their red eyes slipping closed slowly.

It must have been the exhaustion that was making them so malleable. Whumpee was never this easy.

"You were hoping Roommate and I wouldn't catch you breaking in didn't you?" Caretaker poked gently as they worked, wondering if Whumpee may just be tired enough to let something slip.

Whumpee hummed in response and nodded vaguely, still not opening their eyes.

"Done it before." They mumbled after a second. The only surprising thing about that was that they admit it.

"Were you in handcuffs?" Caretaker decided to poke a little deeper. They were almost finished with Whumpee's leg, and those bruises on their wrists did look very painful. Even half asleep though Whumpee knew better than to let their guard slip, and the two remained in silence with the unanswered question hanging between them, until Caretaker was finished working and the kettle was whistling in the kitchen.

"There," Caretaker said resolutely when they'd finished. "Now put on the dry clothes, and where ever you want to disappear too tonight, you're at least staying for a cup of tea first."

Caretaker stood to leave, considering where they should situate themselves outside the bathroom to make sure Whumpee didn't slip out any windows without making it look like they were hovering. Before they could make it more than two steps however, Whumpee had reached out a hand and weakly grabbed Caretakers wrist.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Whumpee asked in a meek tired voice. They looked up at Caretaker with what they could have only describe as puppy eyes. If puppies eyes were usually glassed over and bloodshot that is. It was still enough to crumble any resolve Caretaker might have had about the situation, if there had ever been any in the first place. Whumpee rarely asked Caretaker for anything, and they had never asked to spend the night. Whatever had happened to them this time, it must have been worse their physical injuries let on.

"Of Course you can. You never have to ask that. You're always welcome here."

[whumpster-dumpster]

Not gonna lie, seeing my username as part of an official Ao3 tag is completely surreal but super cool and I have all of you and your Whumpril participation to thank 💕 I hope you've been enjoying it as much as I have. We're in the home stretch!

[cuddlepilefics]

HI! I love your stories and I don't know if you've already done it (if so sorry in advance) but you could do a story with Felix who is sick (migraine, stomach cramps whatever you want) but stubborn and only admits it when he hurts himself due to a fall during training and others (specific;chan and hyunjin pls) take care of him??? pls and thank you ❤️

Dizziness

Fandom: Stray Kids

Sickie: Felix

Caregivers: Chan & Hyunjin

Prompt @whumpril

No one’s POV.:

Felix had already felt a little odd when he had gone to bed the previous night, muscles achy with exhaustion that didn’t even feel justified considering their schedule for the day hadn’t been that draining. Though he had gotten a decent amount of sleep, the exhaustion hadn’t improved at all and it took all his willpower to get out of bed. At least he was lucky enough to not run late, unlike Minho, Seungmin and Jeongin, who completely missed their friend’s struggle in their rush to get ready and out of the dorm on time. With how tired he was, Felix would’ve almost fallen asleep on the drive to the company building if it wasn’t for the weird swimmy feeling in his head. Every time the car took a turn, the Aussie’s head was sent spinning and watching the buildings pass by did little to anchor him. Since looking out the window barely helped at all, Felix eventually gave up and closed his eyes, resting his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder.

Thinking the younger was falling asleep, Hyunjin gently rubbed Felix’ knee, which earned him a low hum of acknowledgement. In reality, the Aussie was trying his best not to get carsick but his stomach was starting to feel a little fluttery by the time they arrived at the company building. “You good?”, Hyunjin whispered as he helped his dongsaeng out of the car. Still a little unsteady on his feet, Felix yawned: “’m tired.” - “Maybe you can nap between the recordings”, the older chuckled as they made their way to the studio. Luckily, their schedule was starting off with a recording session and they’d have dance practice after lunch, so Felix still had some time to properly wake up and get into the groove. He could only hope it’d be enough because he doubted he’d be able to dance well anytime soon.

The mood in the studio was a little tense because adrenaline was still running high in Minho, Seungmin and Jeongin after the hectic morning they had had, so Felix didn’t dare ask if it was okay for him to lie down for a bit. His head was beginning to hurt as he read over his lyrics, the words blurring in front of his eyes. At least, the nausea he had experienced during the drive was slowly dissipating but he still didn’t have an appetite when Chan asked if they should get anything for breakfast.

Thinking that having something in his stomach might quell the remaining queasiness, Felix figured he could just have some fruit and crackers and he even volunteered to go to the store with Jeongin to get breakfast for everyone. His main intention was to get out of the stuffy studio, hoping the fresh morning air would settle his stomach and maybe wake him up. It did turn out to be a mistake though because he still felt far from steady on his feet but he didn’t want to worry Jeongin when the maknae was still reeling from that morning’s events. Pretending to just be in a bit of a cuddly mood, Felix linked their arms and held onto Jeongin’s arm to steady himself.

The trip to the store had taken more out of Felix than he would have expected but he was glad that he had been able to get out of the studio for a bit because the tension and chaos had almost driven him mad. Once they had sorted out everyone’s food orders, Felix plopped down in his seat and suppressed a groan. Nobody seemed to notice how quiet the Aussie was as he slowly nibbled his crackers. The crackers settled alright but by the time Felix finished his banana, his stomach was in knots. He had been determined to finish both though because he really wanted to take something for his worsening headache and knew he shouldn’t do so on an empty stomach.

“Are you okay, Lixxie?”, Chan asked softly, “You’re so quiet today, mate. Like, something about your energy just feels off.” – “I’m tired”, Felix chuckled, though the little, forced laugh aggravated his headache. He didn’t want to worry Chan, so he wouldn’t let the older know that he wasn’t feeling well at the moment. Especially because he didn’t think he was sick, just having a bit of an off day. Ruffling his dongsaeng’s hair, Chan smiled: “Alright, speak up if you need anything though. Had you said something earlier, you could have taken a nap here but now we’re short on time and need to leave for dance practice soon.” – “Hyung, it’s nothing really”, Felix insisted, too stubborn to crack now because he could’ve asked about taking a nap earlier. It was his own fault that he hadn’t. Poking Chan’s side, he reminded: “I’m tired, not dying. We’ve all been tired before.” – “I guess so”, Chan sighed, getting back to work.

Felix was feeling more miserable by the minute but he decided that he had missed his chances to speak up. That didn’t mean that he would turn down the painkillers Seungmin offered him. The vocalist had noticed how Felix flinched whenever there was a loud noise and pressed long enough for the Aussie to admit to having a headache. Felix could only hope that his stomach too would settle once the pain improved or else he had no idea how he’d get through their dance practice session.

Luckily, his headache did improve and though his stomach still felt funny, he was only the slightest bit queasy. What Felix hadn’t considered though, was the intense vertigo that hit him the moment he got to his feet to head down to the practice rooms. Squeezing his eyes shut, he clutched Hyunjin’s arm for support and was grateful that the older wrapped his arms around his waist to steady him. “Woah, you good?”, Hyunjin frowned worriedly, hesitant to step back even after his dongsaeng had found his balance. Felix nodded but it was barely convincing, still, he muttered: “Got up too fast. We’ve been sitting for too long.” – “Well, guess it’s a good thing we’ll be moving for the next couple of hours”, Hyunjin hummed, patting the Aussie’s shoulder. And boy were they moving.

Felix didn’t know how he did it but he had made it through the first two hours of dance practice with only minor slip ups. Sure, his moves weren’t as sharp as they usually were but hey, that was still pretty good considering that he felt like he was dancing aboard a wonky ship that was tossed about a stormy sea by relentless waves crashing against its hall. His stomach was churning once again, almost as if he was getting motion sick from his own dance moves. Still, he had only gagged into his mouth once and had been able to turn away from his group, so that nobody noticed. When Minho eventually called a ten minute break, Felix didn’t take a single step more, shakily sitting down on the floor right where he had stood.

Chan seemed worried about Felix despite the younger’s best efforts to hide his struggle. By now, the boy was too out of it to notice Chan’s concern though. Felix’ stomach cramped horribly and it was almost impossible to move but somehow, he still managed to get to his feet and resume practice once the short break was over. How he was able to stay on his feet, the dancer didn’t know because his head spun and his vision blurred. Felix wasn’t even sure if his moves were on beat, not hearing the music over the ringing in his ears, and he also didn’t notice how he lost his balance, realizing a moment to late that the blurry picture was tipping sideways.

Without as much as an attempt at catching himself, Felix crumpled to the floor, the impact sending shock waves through his body and making his head pound. “Shit, you alright, mate?”, Chan frowned as he crouched next to his dongsaeng. Felix’ eyes seemed out of focus despite the leader being pretty sure that the boy hadn’t hit his head, which confused and worried the older greatly. Dazedly sitting up, Felix slurred: “Gonna be s-“ Before choking up his meager breakfast over his lap. He almost slumped over, had it not been for Chan catching him by the shoulders, steadying him as he retched. Hyunjin was by their side in an instant, carefully brushing Felix’ hair out of his face, impressed by how long it had gotten. Tugging the hair tie out of his hair, Hyunjin tied his dongsaeng’s hair into a messy ponytail and gently rubbed the younger’s back.

A few unproductive heaves later, Felix collapsed backwards and Chan slowly lowered him to the ground, so he wouldn’t hit his head. “You with us, Lix?”, the leader asked softly, taking the other’s hand and lifting up his arm to examine it. Humming in confirmation, Felix squeezed his eyes shut and tried to fight off the unbearable dizziness that threatened to send his stomach over the edge again. It was only now that he was taking stock of his body that he felt warm liquid running down his arm and the moist warmth that soaked through the fabric of his pants. Realizing that his stomach contents were currently seeping through his pants, Felix tried to roll onto his side and gagged emptily. He couldn’t even really prop himself up because Chan was still holding onto his arm. Felix tugged in the arm in Chan’s grasp, whining hoarsely.

There were a few muffled voices in the background but Felix couldn’t decipher what anyone was saying until Chan’s calm voice right next to him promised: “It’s okay. Your elbow is bleeding though, so don’t put it on the floor. We wouldn’t want you getting any dirt into that wound.” Or vomit but Chan didn’t say that out loud. “His knee’s bleeding too, hyung”, Hyunjin mumbled and Felix could feel him tug on his soiled pants. Barely even lifting his head, the younger winced: “Could you stop, please?” The skin on his knee stung already and Hyunjin’s fussing was making it worse. “I’m sorry, do you think you can sit up and change into some clean shorts though?”, the older hummed, “If not, at least keep your eyes open, so we know you’re still conscious.” – “Dizzy”, Felix breathed but shakily sat up to wriggle out of his pants.

Taking a seat behind Felix, so his dongsaeng could lean against his chest, Chan whispered: “Did you hit your head or have you been dizzy before?” – “Been dizzy for a while. Wouldn’t have toppled over that easily if I hadn’t”, the dancer muttered but relaxed into his hyung’s arms. Minho had handed Chan a towel, so the eldest could wipe the sweat from Felix’ pale face, while Hyunjin had removed the younger’s vomit stained pants and was making quick work of cleaning the mess of his thighs, so he could patch up his knee. “Can you tell us how you’re feeling now?”, Chan hummed as he cupped Felix’ cheek, “And the truth please, no more, I’m-fine-just-tired-BS.” Drawing a deep breath, the other shuddered: “Dizzy an’ my head hurts. Stomach really doesn’t this merry-go-round.” – “Can I have your arm, please?”, Hyunjin asked softly once he had finished patching up Felix’ knee.

“How long have you felt like that?”, Chan continued, feeling his dongsaeng’s forehead, “You feel pretty warm and I don’t think that’s just because you’ve been dancing.” Leaning into the leader’s touch, Felix yawned: “Went to bed exhausted as hell and woke up feeling odd. Didn’t think I was sick though.” – “Well, I think you’re sick though”, the eldest countered with Hyunjin adding: “Same here.” The were quiet sounds of confirmation from the other members, making Felix sigh: “I guess. Just really wanna go home.” – “We’ll take you home”, Chan promised, “Could you sip some water first?” Weakly shaking his head, the younger admitted: “Wouldn’t stay down.” – “Okay, we’ll try later. Would you like some gum?”, Hyunjin offered, handing Felix a strip of gum when the boy nodded. He really wanted to get this awful taste off his tongue.

Minho lent Felix his spare pair of shorts and they hoisted the boy to his feet afterwards. Felix hadn’t been kidding when he said he was dizzy, almost tumbling down again if it hadn��t been for Chan and Hyunjin steadying him. “Easy there”, Chan shushed, rubbing Felix’ back when the younger slumped against his chest with a tired whimper. He really didn’t feel good at all and why was he still so dizzy? Clutching the leader’s shirt, Felix sniffled: “I really want my bed and not to get up anytime soon.” – “That sounds like a great plan actually”, Chan smiled. With how stubborn his dongsaeng had been earlier, he had already feared how difficult it would be to get him to rest but it seemed the young dancer was done putting up a fight. “Come on, let’s get you home and to bed”, Hyunjin whispered, taking Felix’ arm to guide him on their way.

[onlythegoodpretzels]

Faelbar isn't quite sure how sleep works, but he watched Shiro fight in and out of it many times before they could speak properly. He tries to help smooth the transition when he can.

______________________________________________________________

I named all the lions for my Roots/Routes AU. Faelbar = Black! He's also quite traumatized and he and Shiro try to take care of each other.

I'm trying to learn how to color faster! This was an experiment that went really well.

Late for the prompt day, but for @whumpril prompt day 10: Adrenaline.

[rinkje]

Title: Nurse at a Sickbed

Artist: Werner Zehme

Year: 1897

Medium: oil on board

Poster’s note:

Your vote doesn’t matter because I’m giving you everything mwahahahah

Source:

[its-my-whump]

Whumpril 2024 - Day 2

Sweat

@whumpril

Tw: illness, fever, unconsciousness

They told him, he had a fever. They told him, that's why he was freezing. But that didn't make any sense. A fever means burning up, but he was feeling like his body was numbing from the cold all around.

His arms and legs were thrembling. He was so cold. Even his teeth were chattering.

His vision was blurry, his fingers actually were tingling with numbness as he tried to store them under his armpits. He needed another blanket or he would freeze to death. The sweat on his body made him believe, he broke through the ice and was certainly dying from the cold.

He was trapped in a daze. His head wasn't able to keep him in the present.

A hand, out of nowhere found its way on his forehead. It was heavenly cool. That was making no sense at all. He was lifted, his extremities were so heavy. Yet, he wouldn't have been able to move by himself, he realised, when he tried to lift his head from the shoulder it was tucked against. His feet just dangling... somewhere. A moan slipped out of his lips, he believed.

The body right there was cool. He got aware of his own sweat soaked self through the difference to dry clothes and cool skin from the other body.

Maybe, he was really burning up. But he wasn't sure. The awareness slipped away. The smoke in his head too thick.

The realisation, that he was carried somewhere was gone, until suddenly he was ripped from his daze and pulled back to a painful reality.

He wasn't aware, that his burning body was gently set into a bath tub filled with cold water. Yes, his boxers became wet, but actually he wasn't sure, if he may had wet himself. But he was too weak to care anyway.

The shirt, that was already clinging to his body through wetness seemed to lift away from his chest. Breathing had been difficult, but suddenly it was impossible.

Suddenly, he was trapped in ice. For a second there, he realised, that his body was on fire from the fever and then it was drowned. Not his head, but his body. The heaviness on his whole was suddenly something touchable, but it wasn't something bearable.

His eyes flew open, a desperate inhale, the air kept stuck somewhere in his throat. His hands and feet exploded away and water splashed everywhere. Big hands on his shoulders kept him where he was.

"You're all right, buddy." The calm voice slowly came through, as his sudden fight ebbed away with the last of his strength. The realisation, that he was sitting in a bath tub to bring down the fever, that was eating him alive, slipped through for a brief moment, just to vanish into darkness again.

Everything was still so uncomfortable, but just too straining. His eyes fluttered close and the tension left his shivering body.

A hand from his shoulder went to his jaw, that it wouldn't slip under the surface and dipped his head back carefully against the rim. Than it gently brushed through his sweaty hair.

"You're alright, buddy. I got you."

My masterlist

[pandoramoments]

Cobb fell to the ground as the citizens of Freetown looked on with fear in their eyes.

The Duros turned coolly and walked away, despite the midday heat as Jo made her way over to their Sheriff.

"Still breathing." She acknowledged under her breath, but her fears weren't exactly alleviated; Cobb had a weak pulse as his body dropped into shock from the injury.

She lifted her head to see her own fear reflected back in the eyes of Taanti. "Alive, but..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence as she shifted back. Beside her, the town's medic took over, but her grim expression failed to provide any hope.

"We fightin'?" Taanti asked, in a voice that clearly stated that it wasn't really a question.

She nodded silently, forcing herself to stand and leave Cobb on the ground. Cobb had wanted to fight, always easily charmed by the Mandalorian, so she would take up his fight. The effects of any instability in Mos Espa would billow out towards their little oasis too.

If Cobb died, she didn't want it to be for nothing.

[lingeringmirth]

no son of mine

Written for @whumpril day 26 using the alternative prompt "blanket nest".

Stranger Things | Rating: T | Steve Harrington centric | Omegaverse, nesting, Steve has bad parents, angst, self-hatred, Omega Steve Harrington.

cw: pejorative language.

Also here on AO3.

-

Steve is twelve when he makes his first blanket nest. His parents aren’t home so he gets to keep it for a glorious two months, but the moment his mother sees it she’s already dismantling it, hissing at him to never mention it to his father, or else. He can only look at her with wide eyes and nod, never having seen his mother this scared, even when she’s doing her best to hide it behind anger.

The impulse, the need, to make a nest doesn’t go away but rather intensifies as time goes on and he can’t ignore what it likely means.

In the next two years he makes several nests, always trying to dismantle them when his parents come home, but there comes a point where he’s afraid to have them any longer because his parents are suddenly at home more and his father keeps talking about how he’s happy he won’t have an omega for a son when the time comes, how Steve is independent and will do him proud, talking as if Steve will have any control over his biology, that words will make any difference to what his body’s gearing towards.

So, of course Steve panics when he presents, even when he’d been expecting the outcome.

He’s been nesting all week, unable to make himself take his nest down, it was always gone when he got home from school and he and his mother avoided each other’s eyes, he saw the fear in them, could almost smell it on her, that sourness people always talked about.

His father explodes when he comes home, Steve’s tucked himself into a corner in his bedroom, making himself small, crying for his nest as his father throws things and yells downstairs. He hears no son of mine and I knew you wouldn’t be any good and what good will it be besides spreading its legs?

It’s the first time he wishes he hadn’t presented as an omega and won’t be the last.

[whumpril]

Better watch out, Whumpril's sneaking up on you fast! Are you ready to face it or is it going to bonk you over the head? 😦

[cuddlepilefics]

Can’t Sleep

Fandom: Stray Kids

Sickie: Chan

Caregivers: Stray Kids

Prompts: Can’t sleep, eyes rolled back, weak pulse, urgent care, no time to rest

@whumpril

No one’s POV.:

Chan had been nursing a cold for the past week. It hadn’t been more than a scratchy throat at first but that was soon joined by a persistent, pounding headache. Since they were preparing for a comeback, Chan didn’t allow himself time to rest. There were things that needed to be done and even if he lay down and tried to sleep, his thoughts would be racing, circling everything that was still left on his to-do list and keeping him awake. If he couldn’t sleep anyway because there were so many tasks left to be completed, might as well go about completing those tasks. At least, that was the leader’s reasoning. His dongsaeng’s had told him to rest and recover from his cold first but they hadn’t been successful and not even the reminder that he would end up making himself a lot sicker wasn’t enough to keep Chan from working.

They had seen it coming, well, everyone except for Chan had seen it coming. The other members weren’t all too surprised when their hyung’s health took a turn for the worse. Changbin and Jisung were sweating while working at the studio despite wearing short sleeve but Chan, bundled up in a thick hoodie, was still trembling with chills, so they had to keep the air conditioning off. It was obvious that the Aussie was running a fever. If the chills hadn’t given that away, the flush in his cheeks, that stood out against the sickly pallor of his face, and the glossy shine in his eyes surely would have. His eyes watered from looking at his laptop screen and no matter how many times he dabbed away the tears with the cuff of his sleeves, they were always replaced by fresh ones. The light not only made his eyes water, it also sent stabs of pain through his already aching skull but it couldn’t be helped.

Changbin and Jisung had repeatedly asked Chan to lay down and sleep. He could even take the studio couch if he didn’t want to go back to the dorm but no, the eldest still insisted he couldn’t sleep, so what use was there in laying down? “Hyung, for fucks sake, just rest your eyes or something. There’s no way you can actually see through all those tears. Even if you don’t sleep, your eyes need a break. You need a break”, Jisung argued, frustrated with his hyung for not listening and destroying himself for absolutely no other reason than being stubborn. Nodding along, Changbin hummed: “We’re perfectly on time with our schedules and you can easily afford taking a break. You’ve already made yourself sicker than you would’ve needed to be. Jeonginnie had this cold too but he rested and took care of himself, so it was little more than the sniffles. You on the other hand refuse to do any of that and already managed to start running a fever. Maybe listen to your body’s signal now or how far are you intending to push it?” The rapper just barely refrained from reminding Chan how bad his immune system was due to his usual sleep deprivation but the implication was there.

Jisung was impressed that Chan actually let them drag him back to the dorm when Changbin announced they were done for the day. He would’ve fully expected Chan to argue and insist on staying back at the studio on his own. Little did he know that the leader didn’t find the energy to argue back because his throat hurt too badly to speak and his fever was rising. Sluggishly throwing his belongings into his bag, Chan winced because every move, no matter how careful, made his head thump and he could feel his heart beat pulsating inside his skull. He weakly nudged his sleeve against his septum and gave a wet sniffle, eyes tearing up even more when the pressure in his sinuses increased. Yeah, maybe his bed didn’t sound so awful in the end.

Chan’s vision darkened as he got out of his seat, forcing him to tightly hold onto the edge of the desk. Alarmed by the leader’s quick and ragged breaths, Changbin spun around and cursed when he saw the faraway look in his hyung’s eyes before they rolled back. Wrapping his arm around Chan’s chest, he pushed the leader backwards into his seat and held him there, so he couldn’t fall. “Hey, you with us, hyung?”, the rapper asked but received no reply. Chan’s head had dropped onto his chest, no muscle tension left in his body. Worriedly fanning the older with a stack of lyrics sheets, Jisung muttered: “We should’ve taken him home a very long time ago.” Changbin hummed in agreement, lightly patting Chan’s burning cheeks. He sighed in relief when the Aussie finally came to.

It was safe to say that they took Chan straight home, arms linked because he still looked a little wobbly on his feet. “I’m fine, really”, the leader rasped tiredly, “My blood pressure just dropped for a moment when I got up.” – “Yeah, and your blood pressure regulation would work a lot better if you weren’t feverish as hell and got an adequate amount of sleep”, Changbin shot back and tightened his grip on the leader’s arm when he tripped himself. Jisung rushed to unlock the door and then headed to the kitchen to make some tea for Chan while Changbin guided the leader to his room. Chan was glad to already be wearing sweatpants because the way home had zapped his energy and he simply flopped onto his bed, coughing into the pillow.

When Jisung joined him, he was carrying not only a steaming cup of tea but also an icepack. Shuddering, Chan wrapped his hands around the cup and thanked the younger quietly. Though the steam made his nose run, the warmth and the sweet honey soothed the pain in his throat and the Aussie sipped it slowly, giving watery sniffles in between. It was funny in a way, how his heart could race as though he was running a marathon when all he really did was sip his tea and bury himself under his covers. Was it really that straining? Perhaps he could try sleeping again even if the chances of him succeeding were slim.

Satisfied that their hyung was settled, Changbin and Jisung left the older to get some rest, hoping he’d feel a little better when he woke up. Chan groaned as he tried to get comfortable in his bed. His muscles ached and he couldn’t really find a position that made the pain better but he had to. There was no way he could fall asleep while he was hurting like this. It wasn’t even like he could afford to take a break in the middle of the day. There were still so many things that needed to be taken care of for their upcoming comeback. How could Changbin and Jisung be so stupid to keep him from working? Didn’t they realize how things would get out of hand and their schedules messed up if he didn’t keep track of everything? There was no time to rest.

Feeling his heart race, Chan threw off the blanket and scrambled out of bed only to be hit by a wave of intense dizziness. Right, his low blood pressure…. Chan took a few deep breaths to brace himself for the walk to the door but barely managed to take a few steps before his knees buckled and he could feel himself fall. He had also lost his vision on the way down and groaned when he found himself sitting on the floor, the light assaulting his already sensitive eyes as soon as his vision returned. Chan’s ears were still ringing when he struggled back to his feet and shuffled out of his room.

Changbin and Jisung had holed themselves up in one of their rooms to keep working at the dorm within shouting distance from Chan in case the leader needed anything. In his fever muddled brain, the eldest was convinced to be home alone though. Maybe even hoping his dongsaengs had returned to the studio to keep working. He almost tumbled when he slipped on his shoes but managed to get to the front door, already calling a driver to take him to the company building. Knowing his fellow 3racha members wouldn’t be pleased to know that he returned to work, Chan made up his mind. He’d simply have to use a different studio.

The dance racha was still working on a new choreography to go with their comeback track when Chan arrived at the company building. They almost ran into each other because Chan passed the dance rooms mere seconds before Felix exited to go to the restroom. It was impressive really how the leader’s determination kept him going despite the high fever he was running. He even found himself an empty studio but needed multiple attempts to punch in the code because his hands trembled from the exertion and his vision blurred. Chan heaved a shaky sigh of relief when he finally succeeded and stepped into the studio, shutting the door behind him. His head was spinning once again and he didn’t even get a chance to sit down before his eyes rolled back.

Changbin was satisfied that he hadn’t heard the slightest noise from Chan’s room in a very long time, convinced the older was sleeping deeply. Chan would get frustratingly restless whenever he ran the slightest temperature, so not hearing him toss and turn and fuss with his comforter was a pleasant change because it meant he was too knocked out to move, right? Jisung contemplated checking on his hyung when he needed to use the restroom but decided against it, afraid he’d wake him by accident. Eventually, Changbin deiced to go check on Chan, if only to replace the water bottle by his bed in case it was empty to make sure the leader would stay hydrated. It was safe to say that the rapper was dumbfounded when he realized Chan’s room was empty, comforter balled up at the foot of the bed.

It took a few seconds for the realization to sink in before Changbin started to panic, calling Chan’s name. The leader didn’t answer though, instead Jisung came running, worried that something had happened. A quick check of the dorm proved that their hyung wasn’t anywhere near and he also didn’t pick up his phone when Changbin gave him a call, so the two rappers texted their group chat, asking if any of the members had seen Chan but nobody had. Jisung couldn’t help beating himself up for not checking on his hyung earlier. Chan’s fever had been pretty high after all, so what if he had gotten delirious and wandered off somewhere?

Within minutes, the entire group was on high alert, spreading out to search for their leader. The dance racha was searching different studios on the floor, wondering if Chan’s workaholic self would be self-destructive enough to return to work in such a rough condition. Minho’s head shot up when he heard Felix yell a little further down the hallway. The younger had finally come across Chan’s crumpled form, panicking as he checked for a pulse. Feeling Chan’s wrist, Felix was relieved to find a pulse even though it was fast and weak. Minho was by their side in an instant, elevating Chan’s legs and shaking his shoulders. Eventually, he got a weak groan from his hyung.

Chan tried to sit up despite the lingering dizziness but there were hands on his shoulders, keeping him down. “Take it easy”, Felix warned, brushing the unruly curls out of Chan’s face to get a better look at his glossy eyes. Feeling the leader’s pulse, Minho frowned: “Do you remember what happened?” – “Hm, Bin an’ Han took me home but…”, Chan muttered, rubbing his face, “That was wrong. I got no time to rest.” – “Yes, you do”, Minho scolded and felt the other’s forehead, “You were supposed to sleep.” The leader only rolled his eyes at him and tried to sit up again. This time they let him.

“Why are you so stubborn?”, Felix asked sadly, still shaken up from having found his friend unconscious, “We talked to Changbin-hyung and Sungie. You’re perfectly on schedule, maybe even a bit ahead of it, so no ‘I got no time to rest’. You do, you just refuse to. Why? You need sleep, you got the opportunity to sleep, yet you come back here to work. Why?” Chan’s eyes flooded with tears as his chest tightened. The younger immediately felt guilty for being so stern only moments after Chan regained consciousness. Scrubbing at his tears, the leader tried to keep his voice from cracking as he mumbled: “Can’t sleep.” Felix pulled the eldest into a hug, heart breaking. “I try and- try b-but. I jus’ can’t”, Chan hiccupped, resting his pounding head on Felix shoulder.

Chan could hear his dongsaengs talk quietly but his mind was too hazy to keep up with their conversation, besides, he was content where he was. Felix was comfy. At some point, Minho left so it was only the two Aussies at the studio. “Chan, we’re going to take you to urgent care”, Felix hummed, tracing his nails down the leader’s back, “You fainted multiple times today, your fever is bad and we can’t even trust you to stay put if we tell you to rest, so taking you home to sleep it off seems pretty useless.” – “No”, Chan whined, almost too exhausted to really argue, “I promise I’ll stay put this time. You could just give me my laptop and I promise- I promise I’ll only get up to use the restroom.” – “Nuh-uh, too late for that”, the dancer denied, gently nudging Chan off of him before getting up and offering him a hand.

Getting back to his feet was a struggle for Chan and he swayed for a moment, leaning heavily into Felix. “Come on”, the younger smiled sympathetically, “Maybe you can get something for your insomnia too at urgent care. At least temporarily till you’re over this cold. I know fevers always make you restless.” Minho had already informed the other members, him and Hyunjin arranging a ride to take Chan to urgent care. Since the dance racha was already with their leader, they decided that Hyunjin and Felix would accompany the eldest, while Minho would meet up with Changbin to talk to their managers together.

Considering how stubborn Chan had been earlier, he put up close to no fight now. Probably because the headache truly made him miserable or simply because he knew that with how lightheaded he was. There was no point in running from Hyunjin and Felix if their arms were the only thing keeping him on his feet…. He was glad that he didn’t have to go alone though. Already not being in a clear state of mind, Chan would’ve felt too vulnerable to accept the mild sedative the doctor offered him if he didn’t have his friends with him. It made him drowsy as he lay on the bed and waited for the IV with fluids and fever reducers to finish, knowing he’d be allowed to leave and sleep off his illness in the comfort of his own bed. How he’d get there, he didn’t know yet, but knew he could rely on his dongsaengs to figure something out.

“How’re you feeling now, hyung”, Hyunjin hummed softly, stroking the hair iut of Chan’s face. Blearily blinking up at the dancer, Chan yawned: “I was hurting all over, that’s better now. Really tired though. Might fall asleep.” – “Please do”, Felix muttered under his breath before smiling: “That’s good to hear. Wouldn’t it be great if you fell asleep? You’d wake up feeling so much better because that’s exactly what your body needs. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to get yiu home safely. Sleep, hyung.”

[isamajor]

Whumpril 2024 : days 26 to 30

The last days of @whumpril !

26 . �� How could you ? »

Ever since they came upon Boethiah's altar, the Dragonborn had been acting strangely. Falsely. It was almost too late that they realized that the Daedric Prince was speaking to thir soul, leading them to the abyss of betrayal.

They have almost sacrificed the trusting Lydia, their thane, their unwavering support since the beginning. She had been narrowly saved and was staring, shocked, at her thane who had betrayed her.

“How could you?” Auri spat. "How could you even think about that? She is one of us!"

Kaidan just slapped them, his eyes filled with anger. The Dragonborn looked away, a tear rolling down their sore cheek. (105)

•

27 . « Please don't go. »

They have their hand on this new Black Book, ready to open it. Lucien grabbed their wrist, his face betraying his concern.

“Please don’t go.”, he begged, his voice sharp with anguish. Lucien stared at the Dragonborn who seemed determined to open it. Lucien's blue eyes grew wet and bright. He added :

"This is a Daedric kingdom and its Prince is a devious being. There is no certainty that you will be able to return intact... Please..."

Lucien knew that, there would be no guarantee that Hermaeus Mora would not lock them away in his world, as he had done to Miraak before. (104)

•

28 . Fight/Flight/Freeze

They saw some webs but they did not expect the monstrous size of the frostbite spider that descended on them. Inigo welcomed the sight of this spider with joy, ready to face the creature head-on. Nebarra's heart raced as he caught sight of the arachnid's menacing form. Under his helmet were hidden his features distorted by terror. His breathing had spontaneously stopped. His legs gave out, causing him to collapse to his knees. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, unable to grab his sword or cast a ward. While the others attacked the threat, he remained frozen, unable to defend himself or even flee. (105)

•

29 . Reluctant Caretaker

It was his turn on duty at Lucifer's bedside. Xelzaz was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. Reluctantly he sat at the injured man's bedside. The wound was badly infected and Lucifer was layig motionless, his breath shallow and labored, a feverish sheen coating his scales. Xelzaz had concocted a medicine for him which everyone hoped would work quickly. The Altmer sighed.

“And I’m the one being asked to babysit you, Lute.”

He placed a cloth soaked in cool water on the Argonian's forehead without much care.

“You better not die under my watch, now.”, he threatened. (100)

•

30 . « We're out of time. »

As the Dragonborn and his companions moved deeper into the Dwemer ruin of Arkngthamz, sinister rumblings were heard. Remiel and Lucien, both fascinated by Dwemer complex mechanisms and architecture, had lingered to examine a particularly intriguing tonal mechanism. The ground trembled beneath their feet, creaks echoed through the halls and walls began to crumble here and there. Both were so absorbed that they had become oblivious of the imminent danger and deaf to the calls of their companions. It was only when they were forcibly taken away by the latter who shouted "We're out of time!", that they realized the danger of their situation. (105)

You can find all the drabbles written for Whumpril 2024 here (in addition to other whump drabbles on Skyrim Custom-voiced Followers written for various challenges).

Remember to leave me a little comment, it’s always nice ;)

[crimsonlyinglilly]

Day 24 No Time to Rest

Days late for day 24 of whumpril

and a return to the Soulmark Au, which I need a better name for it, any ideas?

Pretty much just JacksonXElijah as Hayley off to yell at Klaus, took me far longer to write this than I planned, also this was the one that started off for 'Touch staved Day 20'.

---

Jackson had fallen asleep the night before with both soulmates in his arms, it wasn't perfect with Hope not with them and as Elijah had been suffering through their combined venom to settle the new bond that would protect them and the pack from ever suffering the Crescent curse again but it was almost there.

So he wasn't that happy when he woke up to the sound of Hayley getting out of the shower, alone in Elijah's bed.

They had convinced Elijah not to deal with the side effects of the venom alone. And being on the other side of the river was the least amount of distance from Niklaus Mikealson that Jackson could be happy with; he knew that would be shrinking sooner than he’d like.

Like it or not they shared a daughter, because while Hope wasn’t his blood he loved that little girl, she was family, and Klaus’s reaction to them taking her somewhere safe but away from her was to curse the entire pack, so they would settled close enough that Klaus could see and hear his daughter, and with Elijah staying with them he would have even less to complain about.

He was going to miss living in the Bayou but living across from the Mikaelsons would ensure he could keep track of the threats they happen to lure to the city which means he could use it to help protect his pack. 

Elijah had already arranged the apartment across from the abattoir into Jackson’s name during the month since he had been discovered as their third mark while also working to create the spell to free them.

“What are you doing out here?” Hayley's voice carried to the bedroom, the reply came softer forcing Jackson to rely on his supernatural hearing. 

“I had to get a drink.” Elijah sounded better than the night before letting Jackson release the last bit of tension he had been holding since the vampire had revealed his plan to suffer thought to effects of their bites after they had bitten him.

At the reminder one of his hands reached up to trace the small scars left by Elijah's fangs, set in place to match where his name appeared in Elijah's neck.

The anchors for the magic that had joined them all, Hayley had a matching set while Elijah had two larger scars, his bite on the other man's forearm and Hayley’s just above his hip, where they had both had grown up with the strange symbols they had learned were the runes of Elijah's name.

Four scars to bind Elijah to them and the pack and Hayley and himself to Elijah. It had appealed to Jackson when they had explained, an escape from the curse, future protection and Elijah becoming part of the pack in a way no one could argue.

Then Jackson had witnessed as Elijah suffered through the venom and realised Elijah had just added them to the list of people he would harm himself to help and Jackson didn’t like the idea he was now stuck watching as someone who was meant to be important to him care nothing for himself.

Jackson understood loyalty but Elijah took it to another level, he had little to none for himself, which was something he and Hayley would need to change.

“And couldn't make it back?” Hayley’s quip called him from his thoughts, he could see her expression, the slight smile, silent judgement and arched eyebrow.

“I didn't want to disturb either of you.” Elijah excused.

“Waking up to you missing disturbed me more than anything else you could have done returning to bed.” Hayley managed to explain his own thoughts as well.

“Are you going to pick up Hope?” Elijah ignored the clear reprimand in Hayley’s tone to ask.

“Yes.”

“I’ll-” Elijah started,

“No,” she cut him off quickly, “you stay here and recover.”

“I'm fine.” Elijah tried to argue but against Hayley and after they had spent most of last night watching as he suffered from the venom and his nightmares he was going to lose. Jackson’s pretty sure if Elijah hadn’t woken up before them Hayley would have found a way to keep him in it all day.

“Still, Freya is going to be there and you said you already arranged for the place next to the abattoir.” Hayley refreshed the plan, Elijah had only managed to tell them before the impromptu bonding ritual and had too quickly fallen to the venom to explain after, however Hayley had been texting Freya for details.

“I have.” 

“Then I'll explain the plan, Klaus can deal with having her out of his sight for the night and we’ll move in tomorrow.” 

“Are you sure?” Elijah asked.

“Yes, maybe while I deal with your brother, you and Jackson can start packing.” Hayley told Elijah and Jackson listened as she walked further away towards the door, before she called back “Oh and we're taking your bed, large enough for the rest three of us and it may be the months I've spent as a wolf but that was one of the most comfortable things I've slept on.”

Jackson agreed with that as he stretched out on it but it was better with two other bodies beside him though.

“Of course.” Elijah replied just before the door shut.

Jackson forces himself up from the bed as the quiet grows, there was no point being alone in the bed no matter how comfortable, when Elijah was in the living room, it wasn’t like he could get back to sleep, .

He finds Elijah draped across the couch in the sun. Long and lean, for once out of a suit and in looser fitted clothes, Jackson had to drag his eyes away from the bare strip of skin shown from where his shirt had ridden up.

He hadn’t really allowed himself to admire the other man before, only seeing him as competition and since discovering he was their third mark he was mostly dealing with trying not to lose control of his wolf instincts that wanted nothing more than to cover the man in his scent.

Something the other had listened to since Jackson had found more than a few pieces of his clothes in the other man's bedroom, mostly his flannel shirts and Jackson wished he could see the man in them, it would at least help him with the fact he still wanted to drown the man in his scent.

He’s not sure if it easier on Hayley due to her past with Elijah or as a hybrid the wolves instinct weren’t as loud but Jackson is deeply aware that his desire of cover the other is a remnant of his recent time trapped in the body of a wolf full time, it still isn't enough to stop him.

Elijah tensed as he drew closer but he doesn't ask him what he was doing or even open his eyes, Jackson kept watching carefully for any sign that Elijah couldn't remove him, he still wasn’t happy that the pack inbuilt protection for their mates had left Elijah helpless even if it had forced him to stop hiding.

Still he didn't open his eyes as Jackson placed a hand on the back of the couch, his shadow falling over the other making it clear what his plan was, he stayed almost frozen, Jackson noted as he kept watch while he carefully positioned himself over the other.

Slowly so the other could tell him to stop if he wanted.

Once he had settled he moved the hand he had placed on the back of the couch and slipped it under Elijah’s lower back, Elijah reacted only to lift himself up to make it easier.

Jackson was careful with his hand as he realised it had settled just above where Hayley had left her mark, while marvelling that he could wrap his arm around his wrist, the man was slimmer when free of his layer of fabric and suits.

Mentally he sighs, setting his head on the other man’s chest, with his awareness spread out through his body where they touched it was a constant reminder of the freedom from the curse.

Two legs, two arms, fingers, human.

The heart beating under his ear is slower than a humans but still a soothing rhythm.

“You're cooler than you were last night.” he said to fill the silence and to get the other to speak.

“Side effects of the venom,” Elijah explained and Jackson smothered the urge curled around the other tighter from the sheer apathy in his voice as he talks about the thing that had left him crying in his sleep the night before he should care more about something like that, “it caused a fever as my body had to fight it off.”

“So it's more like an infection than venom,” he questions instead of giving into his instinct, “This your normal temperature?”

“Yes.”

“Well that explains how you can walk around in suits in the height of summer.” he said to led them away from the more sober topic, he was pretty sure Elijah wouldn’t want to know why both he and Hayley want to kill his mother again.

“Yes, I suppose it does spare me needing to change all my wardrobe every season.” Elijah replies and Jackson has a small moment wondering about his wardrobe filled with suits that cost more than Jackson could ever imagine, some likely older than New Orleans itself.

“You're colder than Hayley.” he says instead, he thinks bringing up the cost of Elijah clothes might make him a little ill if he thinks too much on it, how much did the suit he ruined last month cost? the one he remembers chewing on as a wolf.

“Hayley’s a hybrid,” he explained ”we're both cooler than you.”

“Then I will be sleeping on you during the summer.” he smirks at the idea, it might be nice to have a cool body to rest on during the height of the humid nights, while watching the other’s face for any reaction.

“You prefer a cool pad over a soulmate.” Elijah opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow to look up at him with an almost expressionless face, Jackson looked down to meet the dark eyes.

“Why pick, when I have both in you.” he told him, softening his smirk to a smile he normally only shared with his family and Hayley.

Jackson watched as Elijah slowly grinned.

Jackson starred as he noticed Elijah’s grin was crooked, he hadn’t really noticed before, Elijah Mikaelson was a flawless immortal, near untouchable and unchanging, like a cold marble statue.

Yet he was, flawed, touchable, warm underneath Jackson, he stared more even as Elijah noticed his inspection, smile vanishing to be replaced by once again the cool look and a raised eyebrow.

It's the sheer contentment he feels, free of the curse, his pack safely returned to their families, his missing soulmate now known and in reach and Hayley to return with Hope today to start a new life tomorrow with all of them, that leads him to speak.

“Your smile’s adorable.” he grinned himself at the other man taking even more pleasure at the open shock and almost shy way Elijah looked away from a moment.

It was a shame he couldn’t blush, Jackson thought.

They settled back into quiet and Jackson let his eyes close, he could rest for a while before they had to plan for the move.

It was the surprise, which he blamed as he didn’t stop himself from letting out the almost moan of pleasure as strong fingers carded though his hair, he opened his eyes to look at Elijah.

The vampire once again had his eyes closed but Jackson knew this was a sign of trust and besides the soft smile of his face was one he had only seen being directed at Hayley or Hope, it seemed he was going to be getting the chance to see beyond the mask the vampire normally allowed the rest of the world to see.

His eyes followed the arm up until he had turned his head slightly to catch sight of the new scar on Elijah's forearm.

He smothered the urge to press a kiss to it, to trace the mark with his tongue, he and Hayley had agreed while Elijah was lost in the delirium to take it slower with their soulmate, besides they both knew Elijah would be more receptive from Hayley.

He was still struggling to deal with the idea that Elijah had known for a year and never admitted to it, had pushed Hayley to marry him while knowing he belonged with them, had tried to convince them to forget it after they discovered the truth.

He blamed the witch Celeste for hiding them from him first and then Elijah's family for somehow convincing him that his soulmates would be better off without him.

That was the first thing he and Hayley were going to unteach him.

He was blaming the soulmarks, to explain his own softening feeling to the formally cold manipulative bastard, so now he could see why Hayley was in love with the man besides the fact he looked pretty in the suits.

Not that he was any less cold and manipulating now, it was just that Jackson also knew what he looked like when he was crying out for his mother to stop or wide eyed as his lies were seen though and lost for words. 

He was reminded of that after about half an hour as Elijah’s fingers vanished from his hair and he felt him freeze beneath him. It was strange to realise how relaxed the other man had been before as he was faced with a throwback to the stone faced man who he first met as he opened his eyes to find a flat eyed expressively vampire staring back at him.

“Two of your pack arrived outside.” Elijah explained shifting himself up on his elbows, Jackson already missed the soft half smile.

“Yes,” he nodded, sliding his arm free from Elijah’s waist to place his hand on the arm rest behind Elijah’s head, he ignored the fact he was clearly straddling the other and Hayley would complain if she returned to find them like this, Jackson was meant to wait but he really didn’t want to let the other move to far from him now, ”they wanted to talk.” he explained, he had gotten the call while Hayley had been trying to get Elijah to drink and keep it down last night to he had been short with them, annoyed at their concern over the trust worthiness of his mate while the man in question suffered a room away..

“About?” Elijah asked as Jackson settled other hand on the other side of Elijah’s head, framing him.

“You.” he answered without moving, Elijah could move him by force he was stronger, he could ask him to move instead Elijah hummed in response.

“More of a reason for us to move.” he implied but made no attempt to escape.

 “I’m comfortable here.” he smirked, his weight resting basically on the others thighs.

“Jackson.“ Elijah sighed, and he realised he wasn’t the only one who had missed intimacy, he and Hayley had been trapped as wolves most of the time, Elijah was alone dealing with Klaus, looking after Hope and mourning his lover, the one Jackson had heard Klaus had made kill herself in front of him.

“I’m comfortable here,” he repeated, leaning closer to the other’s face.

“They won’t be comfortable speaking while I'm here.” Elijah reasoned instead of showing any true want to move himself.

“They speak their objections or they forget them.” Jackson shot back, soulmates were part of a pack the moment they accepted the bond, the names marked down in their pack’s book the moment they appeared on the skin. Elijah’s runes had been written in the book before Jackson had officially had his own name.

Besides Elijah was part of the pack, not just because of his marks but for the hours Jackson had watched him suffer from the venom to free them and protect them from the curse. Sure his family, mostly Klaus were a problem but not one they could remove so what were they expecting any of them to do about it.

“It’s not like you won’t hear them in the other room.” he added after a moment.

“I do have noise cancelling headphones.” Elijah replied.

Jackson blinked at a dozen mental images from the strangeness of a big pair of headphones clashing against the crisp cut of his suits to wondering if the vampire had the same oversensitivity that heightened senses caused freshly triggered wolves.

He knew the older the vampires the stronger they got, did that include their senses? Or had the Originals always been the same strengths?

His life was a lot easier when he didn’t need to care about these things.

“You're the reason, we’re back on two legs.” he tried instead,

“I don't need any appreciation for my deeds.” Elijah sighed

“Proof in that after a thousand years of watching Klaus” he snapped back before he could stop himself, there was a flicker of pain in the other’s face before it vanished as if never there, Jackson reacted without thinking, letting his forehead rest on the other man in silent apology before adding “Your part of the pack now, they need to get used to you.”

There was no noise in the apartment as they're eyes stayed locked inches from each other, Jackson smiled when the other gave in as Elijah sighed and dropped back from his elbows.

“Must I get involved in their little fights?” Elijah asked, his head rating on the arm rest, hair a finger breath from his hand, it itched to reach out and touch the surprisingly silky strands as he had the night before when Elijah was too out of it to remember.

“It would help once but i’m sure you’ll wipe the floor with them,” he grinned down before adding seriously  “just no teeth, for anyone, i've seen enough of you sick.”

“You were such kind nurses.” Elijah smiled, only a hint of mocking it his tone, before Jackson could stop himself he started leaning forward.

A knock at the door stopped him before he kissed the other and broke his promise to Hayley so much for needing to go slow.

“No time to rest.” Elijah spoke and Jackson had to swallow as he almost felt the words on his lips. 

“Doors open.” he called, sitting up slightly but not removing himself from Elijah.

He grinned at the pair of men that entered when he caught the reaction, the moment they recognized the shorter brown hair of the body beneath him wasn’t Hayley.

“Afternoon gentlemen.” Elijah greeted them as if he hadn’t just been arguing against his own inclusion, and that his place laying on the couch under Jackson was completely normal for them.  

Jackson wouldn’t mind if it became that.

[its-my-whump]

Whumpril 2024 - Day 21

Just hold on

@whumpril

Tw: medical whump, blood, surgery, cpr, unknown fate, absolutely no medical accuracy, sorry!

"Just hold on." Was the last thing he heard before everything turned black.

The words echoed in his mind. 'Just hold on.' Like a bodyless voice was encouraging him to keep fighting. The hectic beeping of his struggling heart was filling the room. The rhythm chaotic and too fast, about to break.

He just woke up during surgery. Pain and panic had him captured, before his mind even got a chance to realise what happened, than everything exploded into white searing agony.

Strong gloved hands on his shoulders, as his body went from completely slack, to instand muscle tension and into a spasm. Every muscle constricting and releaving over and over. His eyes fluttered and hands and feet started bouncing uncontrollably on the metal surface. Blood was pumped out of the wounds in his shaking body in waves.

"Diazepam. Now!" The head surgeon yelled. A nurse already emptying the syringe into the port in his arm, while another nurse was pressing it down.

More helping hands on his trembling legs. The surgeon's eyes darting from the heart monitor to the pale face coated in blood and the gapping hole in his stomach, his own bloody gloves, still holding his instruments, risen from the convulsing body.

"Come on! You can do it!"

Tense seconds passed, the seizure slowed and than stopped completely, the body on the operation table limp again, despite his chest, slightly shaken by the struggling heartbeat.

The choatic pounding overturned 200pbm. The man in charge, hands free again, leaned forward, arms straigthened and began a round of compressions. "Get the aed ready." He barked. His gloves slick from fresh blood. The rips of his patient carved in almost violently and hands and feet started to leave the table again. This time in the rhythm of the surgeon bending the young man's rip cage in. Something shifted under his interlocked fingers and a rip broke, but he kept going, face expressionless and professional.

After about 20 compressions the nurse to his right, announced the aed as ready. "Status?" Bloody gloves risen into the air again.

"He's in v-fib." The same nurse stated, already handing the paddles over. Blood was smeared all over the handles, when the surgeon took them. "Clear?" He merely waited a second as his staff got away from the patient. "Shocking!"

The lifeless body flopped, arms and legs leaving the surface again for a moment just to fall back limply.

Bloody paddles risen above the body and given back to the nurse. The surgeon pressed two fingers against the young man's neck, as everybody else had their eyes on the monitor.

My masterlist

[pandoramoments]

Hunter dropped heavily into a seat, ignoring his brothers as they buzzed around behind him... his remaining brothers, that was.

Thoughts of Tech flickered through his mind, his quirky little brother who had worked his way into Hunter's heart not long after he had joined their little group. The members of their group had changed a fair few times in the early months, but the health of the fluctuating members had kept failing. He wasn't sure if Lama Su had been trying to build her own division of defective clones, or if the plan had always been for a smaller force, but once Tech and Wrecker had joined himself and Crosshair, then they had been complete (Echo had joined later, but they'd learnt to work together as though he'd always been one of them... Kriff, Hunter missed having everyone together).

Maybe Omega would know, he mused, his heart lurching as he thought of their little big sister. Finally, a tear began to form in his eye as he allowed himself a moment to acknowledge his grief... everything had fallen apart, and the only good thing was that he had gotten Crosshair back.

Stoicism breaks, he thought bitterly as that one tear began to fall, breaking the dam of his emotions as his breath began to catch and he covered his face with his hands, trying to hide the evidence.

They needed to get Omega back because he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

[lingeringmirth]

don't talk me out of this

Stranger Things | Platonic Stobin | Rating: T | Words: 674 | Angst, Omegaverse, Self-sacrifice, Emotional hurt.

Written for @whumpril day 5. reckless | Also here on AO3.

Steve’s movements were jerky, his voice clipped as he spoke. ‘You can’t talk me out of it, Robbie, so don’t even bother trying.’ He flung his backpack over his back, his trusty nail bat sticking out of it, visible over his back.

Robin hated seeing him like this, shut off and determined to just push on because he thought no-one else couldn’t possibly achieve what he was setting out to do. He often acted almost like he was expendable, taking the beating (and worse) from the Russians so she didn’t need to, always protecting everyone at his own expense.

Why he wasn’t doing it now frightened her, because it meant that he was lost to his instincts, that his need to go back and find Eddie was clouding his judgment. Because right now Steve’s instincts should have been screaming at him to keep himself safe, to keep them safe.

She’d heard what he’d said loud and clear, but she couldn’t not say something, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself afterwards if something did happen, and something likely would, because she had lost her belief in happy endings. Nothing good could come from going back to the Upside Down, they should leave well enough alone unless something came out of there. But she had to try and make Steve see sense first, no matter what he’d said. So she faced him, hands crossed and face serious.

‘Would Eddie want you to risk yourself like this?’

Steve snarled at her, more than half feral, his scent so mixed her nose couldn’t make heads nor tails out of it, it had been like that ever since...

‘He’s my mate and he’s alive down there!’ Steve’s scent spiked acrid with distress, through everything else. ‘We--- I left him there. He was alive and I left him there, Robs.’ His hand settled on his midsection, rubbing over the roundness there restlessly.

Robin didn’t think he’d ever heard him sound so broken. She knew that what he was saying was the absolute truth, Eddie’s mating mark was still clearly visible on Steve’s neck as the day he’d put it there and she knew he’d sense if he was gone. But he was also pregnant and more than a little bit hormonal, with the anxiety of Eddie being lost somewhere in the Upside Down it wasn’t a good combination.

‘But you can’t, you’re…’ she gestured her hand over all of him. She didn’t say that it was because of it all that Eddie had gotten left behind, because they’d needed to get Steve away, injured as he’d been, that Eddie had screamed at them to go, that he’d hold the demobats off. Steve had screamed harder as they’d dragged him away from his alpha, had snarled and raved and fought to get back to him… had needed to be sedated for his stay at the hospital just so they didn’t need to physically restrain him.

‘I know I am and it doesn’t…’ Steve looked away from her face and down, rubbed at his pregnant stomach, the contrast of it and the nailbat at his back was stark. He looked back up and at her, his face set, she knew there was no convincing him otherwise. ‘I’d rather we all die in the attempt than having to live without him knowing that I might have been able to save him.’

She swallowed, hoping her face didn’t give anything away. It was last resort time. ‘Alright. I don’t agree with you, but I guess I can’t stop you.’ She was pressing down the talk-button on the walkie in her hands, hoping that this worked. ‘I’m coming with you and we can try and get him.’

Steve didn’t notice her deception, just fussed with the rest of his preparations as she hoped it worked and that Steve would forgive her, eventually.

His eyes as he turned to look at her when Dustin jabbed the sedative into his neck once they were walking out the door would haunt Robin for years to come.