#//And Lys is a Tol

[urrockstar-xe]

precious - j.m x fem!reader

posted nov 27th, 2023 8:14 am

anon asked: hello!! I’m a sucker for a little angst ending with fluff, so could you maybe write a jj maybank x girlfriend where they have a fight right before bed and he goes to sleep on the couch but they can’t sleep without each other/being mad at each other so one of them goes to the other to apologize?

sorry for the wait love :( I hope you enjoy it.

masterlist

wordcount: 0.9k

“It’s like you never learn JJ!” your voice rang in his ears in a similar fashion as his rang through yours

“Learn what, Y/n? That I’m gonna die young anyway? It wasn’t even that fucking bad!” and if this were a cartoon the words would be coming right back out as steam. 

“It’s not like I haven’t done worse alright?” JJ added, frustratedly running his fingers through his hair. “It’s not about that JJ! You could’ve died! I need you around!” It was as if he totally skipped over your last four words as he scoffed, “I get it, I’m an idiot who doesn’t know better are you fuckin done yet? Actually, fuck this, I’m sleeping at JB’s” JJ grabbed his backpack on his way out of your house, not missing your calls for him just ignoring them, as he hopped onto his bike and left your sight in what felt like seconds. 

You didn’t try to conceal the frustration and hurt you felt, all of it spilling out in angry sobs and violent strings of swear words. 

The same stupid argument always stumped you and JJ, no matter how many short apologies and tears you guys go through, the argument of how precious JJ’s life was always took the cake for the biggest challenge in your relationship. 

Yet you still worried about how high he’d get tonight or how much of John B’s beer he’d drink and how safe he’d be even if John B’s was merely a 7-minute walk from yours, you always worried about JJ.

How could you not when he was as reckless as he was? 

A few hours went by of pacing your room, checking your phone for “baby, I love you” apology texts, and pretending not to realize the worried gaze your older brother gave you whenever you left your room to use the restroom, before you realized it was 1 in the morning and you still hadn’t been able to go to sleep, despite having woken up at 6 am for work the previous day. 

With a heavy sigh and eye roll at the realization that you’d have the give in first, you got up, throwing on one of JJ’s old jackets he left and your shoes before leaving out your front door in a rush and practically running to John B’s having memorized the way there.

You accepted the curse of not being able to sleep without JJ by your side and when a half-asleep John B opened his door, you knew he had heard an earful as he let you inside wordlessly, “he’s out back” John B motioned towards the back door, giving you a nod as a silent good luck before moving back to his room. 

You made your way to the back door, hesitating momentarily before grabbing the doorknob and opening it, making your way back out into the cold. You were almost instantly met with the beautiful sight of your boyfriend, lying on the hammock and watching the stars, mindlessly playing with his lighter. 

You wordlessly made your way to him, both you and JJ ignoring the sound of the grass under your sneakers until you sat down on the edge of one of the old lawn chairs, hugging your legs to your chest in an attempt to find warmth. 

“Can’t sleep?” He asked barely above a whisper, a stark contrast to his usual tone. 

“Not without you” You responded, letting out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding when JJ finally looked in your direction. “Me too” 

“I know” he nodded at your words, of course, you knew. 

“C’mere, pretty baby,” JJ said, his voice quiet, tossing his lighter somewhere in the dirt, pretending he wouldn’t have to find it tomorrow. You stood up, almost too fast for your liking before settling into the hammock next to him, gravity pushing you into his side and his arm falling around you seamlessly, or at least you told yourself it was gravity. 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you” You whispered into his shoulder, pressing kisses into the fabric of his hoodie, all of your stubbornness flying out the window once his familiar scent filled your nose.

“I’m sorry I yelled back, and for being an idiot” JJ whispered, breathing as if he was trying to learn how. “You’re not an idiot, J” Your fingers instinctively played with the drawstrings of his neck, unknowingly bringing a sense of comfort to your boyfriend. 

“I just,” you sighed before continuing, cursing at yourself for how you teared up. “I just wish you realized how precious you are to me” You whispered, barely audible. 

But JJ heard it clear as day. 

“I’m sorry-” He started but you cut him off, “You can’t be sorry for something like that, you weren’t taught any better.” You choked out, not missing the way his lips found your hair when he realized you were crying, comforting kisses hitting your hairline. 

“If I could go back in time and teach you how much you were worth I would in a heartbeat” Your words made JJ pause his actions, his arm tightening ever so slightly around you. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, JJ” You shrugged as much as you could without disrupting the hug. 

“Can’t even sleep without you” You mumbled through a quiet laugh, earning one in return from JJ, alongside a few sniffles. 

“We’re good right?” he asked quietly, gently running his fingers up and down your arm. 

“As if this would be the thing that makes us break” I scoff, earning another laugh. 

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before JJ spoke once more, “Can we go inside? Freezin’ my balls off out here”

#jj maybank x pogue!reader #jj mayback x reader #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x you #jj mayback imagine #jj maybank imagines #obx fanfiction #outer banks x you #outer banks imagines #obx imagine #Spotify

[pabtsblueliving]

Dirty Laundry

Wasn't a request, but thought of this tonight! This is my first fic so please bear with me!

Warnings: Slightly suggestive

Description: Daryl and Fem!Reader have been secretly hooking up for a few weeks now. After a late-night rendezvous after a party Deanna throws, you two end up getting caught by a familiar face on all days, Laundry Day.

pabtsblueliving © 2023

    Daryl had rolled over in bed to see your nude figure lying flat on the bed on your stomach, arms tucked under the pillow, hair awry, face titled and facing him. Your eyes were still shut, as he grazed his hand over your shoulder. He felt the warmth that gathered under the covers over the night as the sun shined slightly through the window in his basement room.

   It was early in the morning, 6 am. He had planned on going on a solo hunt to get out before anyone was awake to join him. As he pulled his hand away and began to undo himself from the tangle of sheets that had billowed after your late night activities, he heard a low whine come from the warm figure beside him.

    You haven't even opened your eyes, only burrowed further into the pillows. You spoke while yawning, “Where you goin’ D?” you asked. He gave a gentle smirk to your sleepy demeanor and rubbed your hair out of your face. He kissed your cheek as he arose from the bed, “Goin’’ ou’ on a hunt, remember? Tol’ you last night.” He searched for his jeans. “You said lots of things last night” You spoke, implying to the behind-closed-doors activities you two got into when you managed to sneak away from everyone else. He gave you a look and scoffed lightheartedly as you peeked one eye open.

     You propped yourself up on your elbows, your nude back being revealed as you covered your chest with the sheet. “Want me to go?” You said shyly as he began to button up his shirt. He saunters over, you grow nervous, expecting him to say something you didn't wanna hear. He propped your chin up with his knuckle and planted a gentle kiss on your lips and cheek. “Sleep in. Stay as long as you wan’, just make sure you go out this door and not the front, don’ want anyone seein’ you leave and ruinin’ our peace.” You looked up at him and then lowered yourself into the mess of sheets, sleep not far. “See you later then?” You smiled, and he gave you a smirk and nodded.

       A few hours pass, its 9 am. Daryl is well into his hunt, and youre still enjoying the sweet slumber of a sunday morning. Carol is upstairs, already been up for an hour as she began her daily chores and responsibilities. “Laundry day.” she thought, and gathered her dirty clothes and a laundry basket. Before she walks out the door of the shared home, she thinks of just going into Daryl’s basement space and taking some of his laundry. She has an idea that it won't get done so she might as well gather the dirt caked clothes and get them fresh. She knocks on the door, not knowing Daryl was long gone, unsuspecting of the guest downstairs. “Daryl? Laundry. It's Sunday, let me take your clothes for you!” She yells behind the door. She listens for footsteps, nothing. She decides he's still sleeping and opens the door, and begins the descent.

       She turns the corner and sees a familiar face and hair in the sheets of Daryl’s bed. She gasps and turns around, flattening against the wall as if you were awake and could see her. She looked again to make sure she was not mistaken. Nope, it was 100% you. She tiptoed off the wall and got a closer look. “Oh my gosh everyone is going to die!” She thought to herself, lightly covering her lips with the tips of her fingers. She shook her head and quietly grabbed Daryl's dirty clothes off the floor and quickly made her way back upstairs, still in shock.

       Daryl returns from the hunt around noon. You had already been up, out of his room, and back at your porch drying out herbs before he returned. Carol stood on her porch looking at you. “How could she not say anything to me about him, she tells me everything.” She thought as her eyebrows furrowed. Daryl had parked the bike and walked up the stairs to an unsuspecting Carol. “Your face is gon’ get stuck in a scowl if you keep yer’ face like tha’ any longer.” Daryl gruffed, he squinted to see what she was looking at. “You're too talk…” Carol mumbled. “So what’s up why you got’ the face’?” Daryl asked. “Uhm…” Carol put on her best smile “I took your laundry from your room this morning, and uh, washed it” Her smile got more mischievous, trying to let Daryl know what she saw.

         He froze slightly, looked at you across the street, grimaced, and started to walk into the house. “You’re being weird today.” He grumbled. He placed the rabbits he caught, a crossbow, and a bag on the counter. He walked off and made his way across the street, Carol decided to prop next to the window to look on. Daryl sauntered over to you as you completed hanging herbs to dry on your porch railings.

         He comes and leans on the banister on his elbows looking at you. “Hi.” He said, “Hi” you smiled. He sniffed and squinted. “Carol knows,” he said. “What are you talking about?” You panicked. “She told me she did my laundry this morning.” He emphasized. “I slept in, she totally saw me.” You sighed and groaned. Daryl turned his head over his shoulder to his shared home, Carol fluttered her fingers hello to the both of you. “Oh yeah she knows.” You chuckled. Daryl waved back and gave you an awkward smile, you said “Is this ok?” You said, nervous for a possible rejection of some sorts. He bit his lip, smirked and looked at you. ‘Yeah, this is good.”

#daryl dixon x reader #daryl x reader #norman reedus #daryl Dixon fancfiction #The Walking Dead

[spiriteddreams]

when he realizes he loves you (part 3)

Characters: Cyno, Al-Haitham, Tighnari, Kamisato Ayato, Shikanoin Heizou Warnings: none A/N: tbh i think i've written some of my fav lines in these little blurbs so i hope you all enjoy!! Part 1, Part 2

cyno // lupus aureus just the title, “general mahamatra” is enough to instill fear into the hearts of the many scholars that study within the akademiya. he has a reputation, one that he gladly upholds, by upholding justice on the scales of justice. he is the weigher of souls and you are the eternal sun, two ends of the spectrum fated to meet in the middle through a clash of weapon and words. and yet when he takes off his head piece and runs his hand through tangled white hair, you are there waiting for him at the end of the day with open arms. you are featherlight touches and bubbling laughter, indulging in his terrible jokes with a fond smile. in the confines of your shared him, behind closed doors he finds his mask slipping as a triumphant and cocky grin crosses his features.

“you’re a cheater.” you scowl at him behind the cards you hide from his sight “there’s no way you’re winning this many times in a row. genius invokation tcg cards lay out on the table that separates the two of you and you have the urge to lunge over the table to pluck the card cyno’s been thumbing since the beginning of the match. he can’t help but grin and he opens his mouth to declare his ultimate victory but stops short when he takes in the expression on your face. there is discontent and irritation but no hint of malice. and when you meet his gaze he stops. how can someone, who dances in the sun with a vision at your side, every move precise and calculated, so in love with someone as dark and mysterious as him? he isn’t quite sure of the answer to his internal crisis just yet, so instead, he places down a card and claims victory. he decides he wants to kiss you silly when you let out a cry of defeat.

al-haitham // vultur volans he is a man with little free time on his hands, or so he claims. but on certain nights, one can find the grand scribe strolling through the streets of sumeru city with you holding onto his arm. he’s quiet, nodding along as you fill the open air with chatter. but unlike if he were listening to the pleads of other scholars, al-haitham is attentive to your every word, hanging onto them as if they might be the last he may ever hear. he hums in agreement, scoffs at your jokes, and smiles gently when you look over at him. he prefers to spend his days like this, away from the dull chatter of akademiya research as he listens to your stories of wonder.

“haitham, are you listening?” you stop walking outside of his home, body turning fully to face his. he would be lying if he said he was, having been distracted the last couple minutes in favour of tracing his eyes along your features in an attempt to memorize every little piece of you. he wants to ask how you have come to love him so, when rumours are cruel and sometimes his words even more so. but the words die on his tongue when you captivate him with that smile. the one so gentle and warm, paired with such understanding eyes that he wants to fall into your embrace and never let go. for once, the words refuse to come forth, so he rests his forehead against yours instead and seals unsaid words with a kiss.

tighnari // vulpes zerda the dangers of the avidya forest are very much real, sumeru isn’t a fairytale, as tighnari likes to say sarcastically after he helps another reckless adventurer who had found themself in trouble. he is curt with his words, straight to the point and daresay bland when he scolds others. but his words lose all edge when he’s with you. you are just as sharp as he is, bold where he is gentle, understanding where he is harsh, his perfect equal in all the ways he can think of. he hates to admit it, but he can feel his ears perk up when he hears your voice, his tail swishing slightly as he eagerly anticipates your entrance to his room. then—

“how many times have i told you to stop eating mushrooms!” ah yes, there it is. you look furious, but tighnari knows you really aren’t. despite your hands in the air and exasperation in your tone, he sees it immediately, the concern in your eyes. guilt creeps in his chest because he knows of the fears you have for him. he knows the risks he will take on a day to day basis, the same ones that you try to hide away but the expression on your face betrays it all. you care for him, tend for him, like the prettiest padisarah and he bends to your touch, relishing in the warmth of your hands and eyes until finally, you let him off with a scold and a kiss to his knuckles. 

kamisato ayato // cypressus custos the yashiro commissioner is a busy man. there are tasks to be delegated, papers to be signed, and meetings to be held. his days are often spent sitting at his desk, hand cramping and mind wandering as he risks a quick glance towards the open doors. this is the inazuma he has fought for, for so long, and he refuses to let anything crumble while he remains commissioner. still, he wants to apologize for the time spent away from you, locked up in his office while you tend to other tasks around inazuma. he feels like he has a silly crush on you with the way he watches from a distance, only to have you to himself in those quiet moments shrouded beneath the moonlit sheets.

“i brought boba.” you stand in the doorway and ayato swears you are his saviour. you take in his tired eyes and drooping shoulders, and yet he still has such a warm smile on painted across his features. he beckons you to sit by him and it’s then that the facade drops and his weight rests against yours. your arms wrap around him as he relishes in the comfort that only you can provide. he wishes he could pause this moment and let the world fade away as your bodies press together and your hand cards through his hair. your caress is soft, but the kiss you leave to linger on his head is even more so, and ayato makes a mental note to try to clear his schedule the next day to spend it all with you instead.

shikanoin heizou // cervus minor he has been called many a thing by the people of inazuma: a genius detective, a caring friend, an absolute troublemaker. the last being a courtesy of kujou sara, of course. he's all flirtatious jokes and bright smiles when he walks around inazuma, hunting down the next clue to his investigation. he's never really cared about the names he's been given, in fact, he takes pride over them all, relishing in the reputation he's accumulated. but his favourite title of all is the one that only you hold for him. he adores the way it sounds falling from your lips, followed by that bright grin that always greets him. he doesn't think he'll ever tire of that word, not when it's associated with you.

"you insufferable idiot!" the door to his office slams open but heizou's not startled in the slightest. he could hear your footsteps storming through the hallway, distinct as always, a habit he's picked up after months of indulging in your visits to his office. his signature grin stretches across his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling with delight. you’re quite adorable, he thinks to himself, and while he isn’t quite sure which prank you’re upset over, he knows you mean well. he can see it in your eyes, the way they light up at the sight of him, just as he knows his do the same. he’ll toy with you for a moment, indulge in teasing before offering an apology in the form of loving touches and kisses, relishing in such an exciting yet comforting love that only you can offer.

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #cyno x reader #alhaitham x reader #yaepublishinghouse #tighnari x reader #kamisato ayato x reader #shikanoin heizou x reader #genshin impact fluff #spiriteddreams writing #spiriteddreams

[barbiesdelicioustoes]

Ayato x Fem!Reader

Summary: Who knew that someone would fall in love with you doing your hobbies.. which was capturing frogs on a daily basis as a teen.

A/N: damn, I blame my sleep deprived state for this.

As the daughter of a prominent noble, participating in impolite behaviours such as sneaking out to capture frogs wouldn't be much trouble as long as you don't get caught, right?

Well, to be fair, you are only twelve after all. It is to be expected that a teen like you would go out and have fun instead of being dolled around.

You hastily jump into the bushes the second you see a frog leap into the pile, jar in hand to cage the animal. In the bushes hid a nest full of baby birds, a hatchling, barely out of the egg.

Silently and slowly, your bare hands reach to grab the drenched frog to give the babies a sweet time, away from disturbance.

A stick harshly pokes at your sides, and you silently cursed at the sting. The rays of sunlight peeking through the gaps of trees greet you once you get out, only then did you realize that the storm earlier had died down and it was time for you to go back as your maids might suspect your absence.

"I hope there's no guards outside." You mutter as you slip the damp frog into the jar, snickering when the frog attempts to escape. Your gaze turns to your dirtied dress, and suddenly it hits you.

'Crap! How am I supposed to change!?'

Your mind whirls into a jumble mess of plans on how to escape this situation you've gotten yourself again, not aware of another presence approaching you.

You were snapped out of your daze when you hear a branch crack behind you. Mentally preparing yourself to meet an annoyed guard, you abruptly whip your head towards the sound, also certain that you may have broken your neck with how fast you turned.

However, instead of being met with a figure you're so familiar with, a child that seemed to be younger looked at you with imperceptibly widened lavender eyes. And now you wondered just how far have you gone?

The child opens his mouth, but closes it again. Assuming he was a child of a higher noble, you turn your body towards him, hiding the jar behind you. "Hello there, do you need anything?" With the friendliest smile you could muster.

"What is a commoner like you doing here?"

The unexpected boldness of his words stumbles you, wavering your smile. Before you can reason yourself, the child points his finger at your clothing, directly at the spot where a huge splotch of mudwater stained your white dress.

Heat rushed to your cheeks, suddenly conscious of your appearance. An idea pops into your mind and you swallowed your shame, smiling impishly.

"Do you wanna see something?" You ask the child, your fingers fiddling around the jar. His silence gave you the moment to take in his appearance. Pale blue hair tied into a low ponytail, along with a formal attire. Also his eyes, you were sure you've seen it somewhere.

Instead of any signs of approval nor rejection, he calmly asks,

"What are you doing in the Kamisato Estate?"

His tone pointedly directed to the item behind you, presumably suspecting that you might have stolen from them. Little did they know, you only stole a frog. But you shrugged his hilarious accusation and panicked at your current location.

'How the heck did I get to the Kamisato Territory!? I was just in the forest..!'

"Tell me how you got here before I call the guards." How nice. Images of your mother's horror about your sudden appearance on the Kamisato Estate courses through your mind.

"Okay, okay. I was just in the forest and then I unknowingly got here."

"How can I know you're not lying?"

Somehow, you feel like you're being interrogated by an adult. As to prove your innocence, you display the jar in your palm infront of him, and he gazes at it with pure bewilderment. The frog gazes back and you had to stifle your laughter at the sight.

He breaks the gaze, conscious of how hilarious he looks, and locks eyes with you. You blink, he blinks, you blink again.

"...Told you." You bring your hand back to your side as you chuckle at him. His response throws you back to your current problem yet again, "You can leave."

Your eyes widen and you scramble to get to the forest, not even paying the child any glance for the last time you might see him.

~~

Karma greets you once you get home. Your beloved parents snatched all of your frogs as punishment for your absence, lecturing you how you shouldn't go out like that especially when the weather was gloomy.

But when you get to your bed, you silently wished the kid you had met earlier, a cold pillow.

"Mom, I already told you, I'm not interested in anyone!"

"Sweetheart, you're not going to get married, calm down."

She sighs for possibly the 20th time today at her daughter's persistence at refusing to go meet a playmate. Your 18th birthday was nearly coming, therefore there was absolutely no reason to even get a playmate.

It was clear that your mother wanted you to atleast be interested in a guy or some sort, but you refused. Trivialities like that had not even crossed your mind until your mother began to set you up men your age.

Although your mother was fully aware of how capable you are at handling your responsibilities as the next heir, she still insisted in selling marrying you off to men.

You, an independent woman, marrying someone solely for society's favor? Ridiculous, you can fully do that alone. Your parents were aware of it, your father had left you alone but your mother? Oh no, she wouldn't.

It's been 3 years since she's pestered you to go on with someone.

"Sweetie, just this once. Please?"

"Mom what if I'm gay?"

She sighs yet again, mentally facepalming herself at your inconsiderate excuses. Her lips opens to shrug your refusal but you cut her off.

You utter a single word. A single word, unaware that it will change your life, for the better or worst.

"Fine."

A pair of guards greets you at your carriage, wishing you good luck. You shoot them a grateful smile before entering the carriage.

Presently, your mother did not tell you what location you will end up meeting your.. playmate, as what she would call it. The curtain on the window flaps open, revealing a bunch of sakura trees.

After a while, the door to your carriage opens, a chilly breeze immediately hitting you once you step foot on the ground. Your curious gaze steers at the building infront of you, a proud symbol of their clan displayed on top of the building.

It only took you a few seconds to recognize the symbol.

'What the heck, don't tell me mom set me up with one of the Kamisato?'

Their parents were great friends with your own, and often met up with each other. Only the unfortunate passing of the Kamisato's head and his wife broke off any connections your family had with them, as you weren't acquainted with any of their children.

A call of your name breaks your train of thoughts as your gaze follows the source of sound, greeted by a lively figure which was your mom, of course.

"Now, now, come on. I'll introduce you."

~~

Frankly, you hadn't expected that most of their servants would be the ones you were greatly acquaintances with, outside of your social status as a noble.

They all greeted you with warm smiles, offering you tea and pastries as you wait for your "playmate", chattering about stories of their Head and his beautiful sister. You relished in your mother's shock when she saw how well you got along with their servants.

Soon enough, an hour had passed. As you chat away the time, a girl with a poise posture enters the room, catching everyone's attention. The servants calmly stands and bow, along with your mother. Their sudden movement makes you feel pressured enough to join them.

A few greetings were exchanged and you learned that this was your "playmate's" sister, that goes by the name of Ayaka. An elegant aura and a big heart was all you can describe her. Ever so kind and thoughtful, your mother says.

"Please excuse my late brother." You reassure her that it was fine, lying that you can wait when you already want to go home and get lost in books. Perhaps you can capture frogs aswell. She excuses the two of you to discuss a few matters about your current situation.

As you two walk towards the back of their estate, she excitedly chats all her tales with her brother, as you listen to all of her stories. The droplets of water catches your attention, there did you realize that this was their backyard.

A sense of deja vu crawls in your veins. A pile of memories settling in the corner of your mind as you squint your eyes in concentration. Ayaka glances at you before following your gaze.

"Are you alright?" She asks, smiling gently. "Ah, yes. I was simply in awe." You can see the way her eyes brightened with stars. "May I ask if your brother will–"

You were cut off by a tone similar to that of a fox.

"I have arrived." Your companion abruptly stands up, offering you a hand and strides towards the voice. Dusting off dirt in your clothes, you crane your head to glance at what was so interesting.

Lavender eyes lock onto yours, and all you could think of was how familiar this all felt. As if you had met those gaze before. He cocks an eyebrow as you blink at him, words at the tip of your tounge.

When Ayaka speaks, a flood of memories fills your brain. "[Name], this is my brother, Ayato."

'He was the kid I met 6 years ago..!' You bowed deeply at him, leaving your view at the wooden floor as you silently panicked. 'And he's the goddamn Kamisato Head. What did you do, mom!?'

"...And brother, this is [Name]." She finishes, as you muster the unwavering, friendly smile you gave him six years ago. His lips curl into a smirk.

"Ayaka, would you like to give us some alone time to chat?"

'No, please.' You pleaded in the comfort of your mind, smile still unwavering.

A pink blush adorns her face as she agrees and hurriedly rush to the door. Ayato turns to you with a sly smile, indicating that he's gonna do something you will definitely hate.

He breaks the silence, "I apologize for my late appearance." his words doesn't sound sincere at all. Still, you reluctantly hid your discomfort andf respond, "It is understandable, don't worry."

"...Are you still capturing frogs?" The question took you aback, not expecting he'd remember you too. Your breath hitches as you stare at him, pondering on how to perfectly escape your situation. "Yes. Is there perhaps a problem with it?"

"I didn't expect you to be a noble." He bluntly says, evading your not-so question. "I expected you to atleast consider your words before speaking." You counter, with a tone as sweet as sugar.

The silence stretches when the two of you merely stood to admire the serene scenery, not paying attention to his constant glances. His mouth opens,

"Would you agree if I asked you to marry me?"

Your eyes widen ever so slightly, and your mouth ajar at what he said, more surprised at his audacity. You could only hope your face is unreadable when you ask, "why?"

He narrows his eyes and explains, "Your mother pesters you to date, no? And I also have.. a few people who pesters me to date. We both have similar problems, so why not solve them together?" His feet takes a step infront of you.

You place your hand in your chin.

'If I accept his offer, mom wouldn't pester me any longer. And besides, this is Kamisato Ayato, anyways.' You smugly smile to yourself.

That night, your mother was shocked to learn that you and Ayato agreed to date. You couldn't blame her, you refused to cross the line of falling in love after all. Yet here you were, smiling way too proudly to be married off to a man who has high social status.

~~

Also that night, she wanted to discuss about what had happened. Bombarding you with questions on how he had captured your heart like you capture frogs. A relieved sligh slips from her when you reassure her numerous times.

"He didn't tell you?" Your mother suddenly asks.

"Tell me what?"

"He's the one who's been insisting on wanting to go on a date with you for three years," Your mother snickers at the picture of the Kamisato Head pleading her to let her daughter meet him, "After hearing that you capture frogs, which is a bit ridiculous by the way. But I thought he told you." She raises her brow at you, her eyes willing you an answer.

And yet, nothing came out of your mouth. The few signs that you were still alive was that you were breathing and blinking at her dumbfoundedly.

'But you could come up with one conclusion.'

'Ayato likes you because of frogs.'

"Milord, here are the reports." Thoma hands him a few paper. "Mhm, I've found her already." His servant blinks, and blinks again. Furrowing his eyebrows, he curiously asks, "So, she really was a noble, huh?" All he gets is a hum.

Thoma chuckles at his stupidly inlove lord, reminiscing the time where he had multiple guards look for you in the forest, and his parents throwing questions at him.

All those questions and all he says is, "I think I'm interested in someone."

The door opens with a click, and it reveals an excited Ayaka. "Brother! How are you?" She offers Thoma a quick wave of her hand before walking towards Ayato.

"I've been doing fairly well–"

"I told you, [Last name] is the girl! I was wondering why she kept squinting at the backyard." She giggles, "Though I gotta say, your patience is admirable, you waited for her for three years."

"I would love it if someone does that to me too.." it comes out as quietly as possible, but the two hears it. Ayato sends Thoma a knowing look to which Thoma glares at him to shut up.

Ayato sets his pen down and smiles softly at Ayaka, "Sister, you needn't worry about that, someone already has his eyes on you." The teasing lilt in his tone pointedly refers to Thoma stiffening beside him. His dear sister ever so oblivious lets out an 'oh' and blushes profusely.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin fluff #genshin fanfic #genshin #genshin impact #genshin imagines #kamisato ayato #ayato x reader #kamisato ayato x reader #kamisato ayato fluff #ayato fluff #why am i doing this again #i wanna sleep #genshin x reader

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Queen [E. M]

Eddie Munson x fem!reader

word count: 1.7k

summary: Eddie hates the sudden crush you're having for a celebrity and when you find out why it turns out to be the cutest thing in the world

A/N: okay I have to confess that this one shot it's pure self-indulgence because I have been so obsessed with Queen lately

I liked them a lot when I was a teenager and I think this love had only been dormant in me, lmao

Anyways this is short but I hope you like it!

Eddie walked around the cafeteria, looking around at you. When he found you, you were holding a magazine in your hands and as he walked towards you, he swore he heard a sigh of love.

"Hey, girl," he exclaimed as he plopped down next to you, watching you jump startled.

“Hi,” you said excitedly, as you closed the magazine and put it aside. Eddie took the opportunity to glance sideways and he couldn't contain an annoyed groan when he saw the cover. It had Queen, the group you've been obsessed with lately.

"Seeing that band again?"

"Yes!" you replied, not noticing the annoyed tone your friend had used "I found this magazine at Mitch's stand near my house, can you believe it?" you exclaimed, as you opened it to a certain page. Eddie rolled his eyes when he saw the photograph on it.

"That blond again?"

Roger Taylor.

Eddie vaguely knew the group, he had seen them on television and he didn't dislike them, he could even say that he liked some songs. But now it was different, because your fascination was directly proportional to the hatred he had for them. He didn't even have a valid reason, he just felt extremely angry that you liked them so much. It was difficult to understand and much more difficult to explain. But of all, the one he hated the most was Roger.

“He's not just a blonde, he's the most handsome man on earth. Just look at it!” you screeched, showing him the photo. "I'm in something like a fan club and they just sent me these pictures of them in Brazil, look at them," you continued, handing him three small polaroids. There were two groups and one with just the bassist and drummer “He looks so handsome in white. And he just looks at her hair and her smile and her eyes…”

"Isn't this guy like 40 years old?"

“36!” you corrected him, completely offended.

"Which means he could be your father."

"And what does that matter?" you insisted “If he were here right now, I would let him do with me what he wanted”

“Y/N!” Eddie exclaimed, suddenly modest, but you giggled.

“I could literally melt from how hot he is, have you seen him as a young man? With that long hair that looks so soft. I swear I could…”

"Hello!" Dustin greeted, arriving just in time to prevent you from saying another obscenity out loud. Eddie felt completely ashamed of your thoughts. Sure he knew what sex was and he had a couple of dirty magazines in his bedroom, but it felt so weird to hear you saying those things.

The matter faded as lunch progressed, but he still felt strange looking at the magazine and photos lying next to you, a feeling he tried to ignore.

The days passed, then the weeks, and Eddie felt calmer when you hardly even talked about the rock band. Only an occasional mention or when you took off your headphones and because of the volume so high he managed to hear a little of one of their songs.

Until one day he was waiting for you outside your house to go for a walk and you approached with the biggest smile you've ever had. Eddie thought you were excited to see him until he saw a cassette in your hand and he was oddly disappointed.

"Check out what I just bought!" you exclaimed euphorically, without even greeting him, while you showed him the little plastic box that had The Works written on it accompanied by an image of four men "I'm going to put it on your stereo"

“Hello to you too, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking,” he said wryly, but you just laughed softly. The first song started playing when Eddie was already driving down the street; It was something disco.

"Oh, this song was written by Roger," you told him excitedly. It was catchy and good, but Eddie wasn't going to admit it and decided to say something impolite instead.

"Didn't he also write a super weird fuck-a-car song?"

"What? Nope!" you laughed "It's called I'm in love with my car and it's like, huh, a metaphor"

"I repeat, it's weird and that guy is weird too," he snorted, but you didn't register his angry tone because you were too busy nodding your head to the beat of the music.

You had decided that you would go for ice cream and so you did. For most of the afternoon you were talking and talking, while Eddie just ate his ice cream and answered in monosyllables. You thought it was just a passing thing but he kept silent even on the way to your house, which if he was out of the ordinary.

"Why are you so quiet, Ed?" you asked, genuinely interested.

“It's nothing” he lied, even though you knew it wasn't. He reached for you and you thought he would hug you, but instead he opened the glove compartment and pulled out a cassette which he reluctantly tossed into your lap. “I recorded that song for you. I hope you still want to hear that kind of stuff now that you're a Queen fan,” he muttered without much encouragement. But you smiled when you realized what was happening.

“Is this why you are mad? Is it because I like Queen now?”

"I'm not mad," he defended himself, but his crossed arms and the pout on his lips said something else.

When you looked more closely at the cassette you realized that it was covered in purple foil and had both your name and his written in that boy's ragged handwriting.

So in a second everything seemed to click and you understood why Eddie was upset every time you listened to the band or talked about your crush. He wasn't angry, he was jealous.

"God, it can't be, are you worried that I'll stop listening to your music because I like Queen?" you said, trying not to sound mocking, but with a smile you couldn't hide.

"Again I don't know what you're talking about, please go now, it's late and your parents are going to be angry"

"Ed, you can't be serious," you insisted. The whole thing was so silly "Or is it that you're mad because I like Roger?"

“I already told you it's nothing! OK?" he muttered. He really looked upset and you felt bad for a moment, until you heard him speak again “I don't even understand what you see in that guy. He just plays drums and he's white, it's not a big deal” he said grumbling “And lately you just talk and talk about him and how handsome he is and all that shit and he's like 20 years older than you!”

If it had been someone else, you probably would have laughed and told him to go to hell. But it turns out that the one who was sick with jealousy at your crush on a rockstar was your best friend, the same guy who was trying to be a rockstar himself and didn't want to share the job with anyone else. That's why you found the whole thing totally cute.

“Eddie, what the hell are you talking about? I like him, yes, but it's not like he's my next-door neighbor to run away with. He's thousands of miles away from here because he's a fucking Brit who has a huge bunch of fans just like me. And besides, he's married and has kids,” you laughed, punctuating this last part.

And suddenly Eddie felt so dumb. He was being an idiot being jealous of someone you didn't even know and wouldn't know anytime soon and all because he had a bit of a crush on you and hated it when someone else stole your attention. He wanted you at band rehearsals, hearing and complimenting their songs, but that need for attention had gone too far. So he continued to fold his arms and fled from your gaze, but this time out of sheer embarrassment.

"Eddie, could you at least look at me?" said. You were very persistent and he knew it, so he had no choice but to turn to see you. You weren't the least bit upset, on the contrary, you looked the most amused "Does that calm your jealousy a bit?"

"I'm not jealous" he spat, as if you had just done him the worst offense in the world, but you kept talking with that smile on your face.

“Well, in case you were jealous, I have to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. I prefer guitarists, before drummers”

"Really?" he asked, oddly hopeful, but still feeling like an idiot.

"Of course! There is one in particular with very nice curls and brown eyes” you exclaimed. Eddie let go of that angry frown and smiled at this, almost blushing, “His name is Brian May, do you know him? He is part of the band Queen”

"Okay, now get out of the car and go home," he said suddenly, returning to that frown that made you laugh out loud.

"I'm kidding! Obviously I mean you” you exclaimed, approaching him and putting one of your hands on his arm to ease the tension “Corroded coffin will always be my favorite band and I'll be at every concert. And you will always be my favorite musician, I promise you,” you said sweetly, as you closed the distance further and hugged him. That's when he relented and wrapped both hands around you as he breathed in the scent of your hair. Even though it was already clear that it was nonsense, he felt calmer now “What do you say we listen to that song together, huh? I want to know what my pretty boy wrote,” you continued. Eddie wanted to die because you had called him yours and pretty in the same sentence.

Without waiting for an answer you took the cassette and placed it delicately in the player, still with your body leaning against his to assure him that you were serious.

TAG LIST: @sweetdayme4427 @smol-book-nerd @ilikewomendealwithit @harringt8ns @katsukis1wife @ilovereadingfanfics @tvserie-s-world

It wasn't metal, it was just Eddie playing the acoustic guitar from his room as he sang in a soft, husky voice. The song spoke of friendship, love, and joy. From a person who was lucky to have another and didn't want to lose them. As the words echoed through the car, your head rested on the boy's chest, and your arm wrapped around his body, a tender smile spread across your face. And so you stayed for a long time, just enjoying the warmth and affection that Eddie emanated.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #stranger things 4 #joseph quinn #queen #roger taylor #freddie mercury #john deacon #brian may

[aureentuluva70]

I'm not sure if this has been talked about before, but I'm gonna talk about it regardless because it has completely blown my mind. I first discovered it on a reddit post, which you can read here.

In the book The History of the Hobbit, John Rateliff suggests that the Wilderlands of The Hobbit is actually the Beleriand of Tolkien's early mythology as it was written during the 1930's, only taking place ages after the War of the Jewels, since the later ages and maps of middleearth hadn't been created by Tolkien yet. Keep in mind that at this point in Tolkien's writings, the breaking of Thangorodrim was nowhere near as bad as it would later turn out to be. Beleriand never sank into the sea, but it was still drastically changed.

Here are two maps drawn by Tolkien during the 1930's, one of Beleriand and the other of the Wilderlands found in the Hobbit:

In terms of similarities, one of the first things I noticed(and one of the most obvious) was the river Sirion and the Great River of the Wilderlands. The name Sirion literally translates to 'Great River'.

In the middle of the path of said river is the Carrock, which is where the Eagles set Bilbo and Company down after saving them, and the way it is described in the Hobbit reminds me a lot of this illustration Tolkien made of Tol-Sirion:

"But cropping out of the ground, right in the path of the stream which looped itself about it, was a great rock, almost a hill of stone, like a last outpost of the distant mountains, or a huge piece cast miles into the plain by some giant among giants."

-The Hobbit, Queer Lodgings.

AND it is also uses very similar wording to how the Lay of Leithian describes Tol-Sirion(Tolkien was working on the Leithian around the same time he was writing The Hobbit):

'An isled hill there stood alone/ amid the valley, like a stone/rolled from the distant mountains vast/when giants in tumult hurtled past'

-Lay of Leithian.

There's also the mention of "a little cave, (a wholesome one with a pebbly floor) at the foot of the steps" which the person in the reddit post suggests could be the remains of the very same dungeon where Finrod, Beren, and their companions were imprisoned by Sauron after their disguises were stripped away. The same place where all but one of them were slowly devoured one by one. The same place where Finrod died.

Above it at the top of the Carrock would be where Finrod was buried, and the "Ford of huge flat stones [that] led to the grass-land beyond the stream" could be the remains of the broken bridge that was destroyed by Luthien: "the hill trembled; the citadel/crumbled and all its towers fell/the rocks yawned and the bridge broke/and Sirion spurned in sudden smoke."

The "two Mirkwoods" is also a big one. I always found it odd that there were two completely different forests sharing the same name, but at the time Tolkien wrote it, they weren't seperate at all, but the exact same forest, just changed and grown over thousands of years in between the events of the Silmarillion and The Hobbit. The same forest that Sauron fled to after the fall of Tol-in-Guarhoth. The same one Beleg found Gwindor in after his escape from Angband.

If they really were intended to be the same forest at the time Tolkien wrote it, it also answers the question I had earlier regarding this part in the Leithian when Sauron flees Tol-in-Guarhoth:

A new stronghold? We never hear anything about this in the Silmarillion, of Sauron building a new stronghold in Taur-nu-fuin, and it puzzled me when I first read it. But that's when I realized that this "new throne and darker stronghold" was talking about none other than the fortress of Dol Guldur itself, Sauron's stronghold within Mirkwood.

(Not lying, I was pretty proud of myself for figuring that one out)

Oh, and the Lonely Mountain? While it doesnt appear on the 1930's Beleriand map, it would likely be Maedhros's fortress of Himring itself, or at least the mountain it was built on top of, as Himring is located east of Taur-nu-fuin just about in the same place where Erebor is located. Just the thought of the Dwarves' home being within the very mountain that once had Maedhros's citadel atop it has my brain going wild. (Oh, and the fact that the arkenstone was found within the ancient hills of what was once Himring, fortress of the elf lord who threw himself into a fiery chasm with a silmaril? Coincidence? I think NOT)

There are plenty of other similar locations between the two maps, and judging by them both Eriador would be Hithlum/Aryador, with the Misty Mountains being the Mountains of Shadow. The Withered Heath would be the Anfauglith, the Eagle Eyrie would be the Crissaegrim, and the Iron Hills are what's left of Nogrod and Belegost. I've even heard that Mavwin/Morwen's house could be the roots of Rivendell.

Overall, it's so, so cool and it has my mind running wild. It really makes me see The Hobbit in a whole new light. We all talk about the amazing stories that came out of the Hobbit aka Lord of the Rings, but seeing where the stories of the Hobbit came from just adds a whole other level of depth to it all. This is why I love Tolkien's works so much. It's all so incredibly deep and rich and it just gets better and richer the deeper you go, and there's so much of it. It's one of those things that you just rarely get tired of, and even if you do, you're bound to come back to it later and I love it.

#Tolkien #Silmarillion #Hobbit #Lay of Leithian #Beleriand #Wilderlands #Lotr #Erebor #Taur-nu-fuin #Mirkwood #Lonely Mountain #Sirion #Finrod #Beren #Luthien #Maedhros #Sauron #Tol-Sirion #Tol-in-Guarhoth

[ask-dogday-catnap]

also dogday catnap are you guys homosexual kicken just told me catnap was homo-

what dose that mean?

............ i know your lying because i havent tol...... i mean nvm

#poppy playtime dogday #ppt 3 #catnap #catnap x dogday #poppy playtime 3 #poppy playtime deep sleep #smiling critters poppy playtime #smiling critters #poppy playtime #dogday x catnap

[minervadashwood]

Daryl Dixon x NB!Reader (afab, plus-size) 🏹 Daryl x Reader x Rick 🛡️

The Cop and the Criminal - Chapter 22

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Series Masterlist | Masterlist | Taglist

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Summary: You and Rick face the consequences of spending the night together. Word count: 4K This chapter contains: Shane and kissing. The two are not related.

This was the best dream Rick Grimes had ever experienced. You, the most captivating and sweetest-smelling omega in the world, were lying right next to him, your round softness nestled in his own body. Even mixed with Daryl’s, your scent was intoxicating. He sighed and groaned, tightening his arms around you. You startled awake, but Rick, half-asleep, just soothed you with a low voice.

“Hush now, Bunny.”

“Mmm, it’s too early, Alpha.”

“That’s right, Omega,” Rick mumbled, letting himself get lost in the dream again.

He started dozing, but was awakened suddenly when you slipped out of his arms. Throwing the covers aside, you leaped out of bed, glancing around frantically.

“Daryl’s here!”

Fully awake now, Rick watched dumbly as you snatched up your glasses and ran out of the room. He sat on the bed, willing his body to calm the hell down and trying not to panic. The dream world was gone, but he’d still been holding you in his sleep, acting like your mate and wanting to be just that. His cock was straining in his too-tight briefs. It was like you’d been ripped away from him, taking with you his good sense and his will to live.

How was he going to explain this to his friend? His stomach knotted, as he slipped on his boots. Not knowing if he could even look Daryl in the eye, Rick also felt your loss so keenly, he couldn’t help chasing after you.

He followed your scent trail back to the main room, then down the hallway toward the entrance. There, he stood in the doorway of the fellowship hall, watching Daryl hug and kiss you. Rick dragged his hand through his unruly curls, blatantly staring as you gazed up at Daryl and whispered to him.

At that point, Rick realized just how wrong he’d been about everything.About sharing a room with you, about standing in for your true mate in every way but one. Instead of letting himself fall asleep, he should have stayed awake and gotten the hell out of that bed the moment you’d zonked out for the night. 

Honestly, though, his resistance to you had been shattered by then. You, scared and needy, tempted him like nothing else ever had. 

He recalled what you hinted at yesterday, about him smelling you despite the fact you wore your scent blockers. Maybe in another time, another place, he’d let himself believe you were his, but you weren’t. Daryl’s mark was emblazoned on your skin, and whatever Rick might want, or even need, didn’t matter.

While Rick stewed in his thoughts, Daryl started walking his way, with you in tow. Rick braced himself for the worst of Daryl’s rage, but all the man did was jut out his hand.

Shocked, Rick shook it.

”Thanks for everythin'.“ Daryl muttered, shuffling his feet and gazing down at the floor. ”Y/N tol' me all ‘bout what happened. Jus' wanna let ya know there's no hard feelin's.“

Rick's gaze flitted between the two of you. You told Daryl everything? And he was okay with it? How? Rick would have been feral if someone else touched his mate.

“Daryl, I'm sorry,” Rick began. “I should've let them stay alone—”

Daryl shook his head, still not meeting Rick's eyes. “They needed ya, and ya did what I couldn't.” He shrugged. “'s alrigh'.”

Rick saw you looking at Daryl, your brow furrowed with concern.

“You don’t have to be okay with it,” Rick said, taking a step toward his friend. “I know I messed up.”

“Horse shit!” Daryl snapped. “I fucked up an’--” he trembled and took a deep breath, “An’ while I was out there, you were here takin’ care of what I couldn’t.”

“Daryl,” you soothed, rubbing his arm. “Let’s go find somewhere private and talk. All three of us.” 

Suddenly, a small, pajama-clad body was sprinting down the hallway, screeching, “Daddy!”

All three of you turned your heads toward Carl running down the hall, with Ivan flopping around in his right hand. The pup threw himself at Rick. 

“Daddy, don’t leave!” he cried.

Every time Carl did this, it broke Rick’s heart to pieces, but at least this time, he was able to stop his son’s tears. He squatted and pulled him into a proper hug.

“Not going anywhere, Carl. Bunny’s mate just got here, and we came to meet him.”

“Can I meet him, too?”

“Carl!” Lori shouted, and Rick looked up to see Lori coming down the hallway, Shane only a step behind her.

“Bunny!” Carl exclaimed, twisting away from Rick and heading for you.

Shane growled, putting Rick on high alert. Daryl must have sensed it too, because he was right next to Rick in an instant, blocking you from Shane’s view.

*

Just as you were about to greet Carl, Daryl gently pushed you behind him and stood next to Rick, both men doing a pretty good impression of an impenetrable wall.  Instinctively, you took Rick’s pup by the hand and held him close to you. Whatever danger your alpha sensed, you were determined to keep it from getting to Carl.

“Lori, he’s fine,” Rick said.

“He’s my son, Rick!”

“Mine, too, Lori! And if I say he’s fine, then he’s fine.”

Daryl snarled, and you couldn’t ignore the musk of an unfamiliar alpha filling the room. It sickened you with its presence as it tried to dominate the large space.

In front of you, Daryl squared his shoulders. “Take ‘nother step, an’ you’ll regret it,” he warned.

“You really going to assault a police officer, buddy? You must be dumber than you look.”

You put your arm around Carl, not daring to move from where Daryl had put you.

“Cut it out, Shane,” Rick calmly said.

Carl tugged on your hand.  “Can we go back to the other place? I don’t like it when Shane yells.”

Was Shane in the habit of yelling around Carl? You hated the man already. Not only did he destroy Rick’s family, but he was upsetting Carl.

Your instincts told you to run and hide with Carl, but he wasn't your pup, no matter how fond you were of him.  You squatted down next to him.

“I think it’s best if you went back to your Mom. Your Daddy isn’t leaving anytime soon. Promise.”

“What about you?” he asked, holding Ivan to his chest.

“I’m not going anywhere, either.”

He nodded, then glumly walked away from you, back to his mother. 

You peered around Rick to see Lori scoop up the boy in her arms. 

“What did I tell you about running off like that, Carl?” Lori said, hugging him close.

Was it really running off if the kid just wanted to see his dad?

“That your new playmate?” Shane said, and you glanced up to find the dark-haired alpha glaring down at you.

Rick took you by the elbow and gently urged you behind him again, trying to block you from Shane’s view.  

“They’re mine,” Daryl growled, his barely contained rage so unlike Rick’s calm alertness.

Shane scoffed. “Somethin’ ain’t right about this guy, Rick. Looks like he walked in here off the trailer road. Carl shouldn’t be anywhere near him.”

Rick growled. “Carl’s my son, not yours. Just ‘cause you and Lori got something going on doesn’t change that. And it never will.”

Both of the alphas in front of you widened their stances, as if a fight might break out at any moment. But surely this wasn’t something worth fighting over. You stared at them, struck by how in sync they were, how they both tried to hide you from Shane, all without a word between them.

Something urged you to touch them both. Nothing in you wanted them to back down, but it felt like they needed you, especially Daryl. Though he might not admit it, Shane’s words could cut to the quick, bringing up memories that didn’t need to resurface.

If Rick was right about your soothing pheromones, you hoped Daryl felt them now. Maybe not enough to make him back away, but enough to make him brave and confident, like the person he was at home.

You detested Shane for judging your mate, for making Daryl doubt himself. You opened your bond to Daryl, keeping close your carefully guarded secret, but sharing the trust you had in him, the love.

Beneath your palms, Daryl relaxed somewhat, and so did Rick.

Rick cocked his head, turning toward  Daryl. “You can punch him if you want. Right in the nose. He’s broken it enough, so you can’t do much more damage.”

Daryl huffed.

Rick went on, “Guy comes in here, stares down your mate, and insults you at the same time.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Shane announced.

What an idiot this man was. You dared to look at Shane again, this time peeking around Daryl’s side. “Can’t you see it’s two against one? Even if you’re a cop, so is Rick. If you’re truly asking for it, and my Alpha hits you? It’s our word against yours, dumbass.”

“Bubbie,” Daryl warned, his voice low. 

Rick chuckled.

“Well, you heard ‘em Shane,” Rick said. “Besides, you already got what you want: the girl, my house, the treehouse I spent a year building.”

You looked on as Shane’s temper instantly deflated, his shoulders drooping with a long sigh. “Look, man, I’m sorry…it just…happened.”

Rick made a fist at his side, and for a moment you thought Rick would be the one to punch Shane instead. But Rick gradually loosened his fist, stretching out his fingers and sighing.  “You made your choice Shane, and now I have to live with it. 

Shane’s face fell, almost making you feel sorry for him. He turned and walked back down the hallway, a resigned man in place of the aggressive alpha he’d been minutes before.

Daryl scoffed. “Ya got weird taste in friends. That guy’s a goddamn asshole.”

Rick nodded. “One of the many reasons we’re not friends anymore.”

Absently, you rubbed soothing circles on each of their backs, and both men slowly turned around, staring down at you.

The hand that had been touching Rick fell to your side, and you made a fist of your own, missing the solid warmth of his back beneath your palm. Daryl wrapped his arm around you.

Rick grinned, “Hope we didn’t get you too spooked, Bunny.”

“Bunny?” Daryl mumbled, his eyebrow quirked.

Rick shrugged, his gaze still on you “Like you said, ‘bunny in a bear trap.’ That’s how they were yesterday morning, down on all fours in the rain, looking for their glasses.”

“I did not look like that until the thunder started,” you defended. “This is my first hurricane. I’ll do better next time.”

“Won’t be alone next time, neither,” Daryl told you.

You nodded, still sensing some of Daryl’s unease. You took his hand. “I wasn’t alone this time. And we need to talk about that, all three of us.”

“I don’t--”Rick said.

“Please, Rick. I have to tell you something. But first, Daryl needs to clean up and eat.  Can you get us a couple of meals and bring them back to the room?”

Rick’s eyes flitted from you to Daryl.

Your mate peered down at you. “Wha’s goin’ on, ‘Mega? Ya hurt? Scared?”

“No…well, I am scared, but not in the way you’re thinking. Can we just get some breakfast and talk? The three of us?”

*

Daryl had dressed in a set of Rick’s clothes, sans underwear and socks. Something about wearing another man’s skivvies just didn’t seem right. His belly was full, his mind was restless, as he leaned on the wall of the tiny room apportioned to you and Rick.

You, small and meek, perched on the corner of the bed, twisting your fingers in your lap, looking like--well, a skittish rabbit. The nickname fit you, he had to admit.

Rick didn’t appear much calmer; he sat on the little couch, his knee bouncing wildly as he stared out the small, ceiling level window. It let in a sliver of gray light, and showed the storm as it raged outside.

You took a deep breath and stared at your lap, and through the bond Daryl noticed your worry and fear. He took one step toward you, but you held up your hand, palm facing him. 

“Just give me a second,” you said, meeting his eyes.

He nodded and resumed his post, though he ached to provide comfort and ease away the trouble that plagued you.

You rubbed your hand on your forehead. “I don’t really know where to start. With what Ro said, or the first time I suspected, or start with what happened just now.”

“Jus’ take yer time, Bubbie,” Daryl told you, his belly in knots. “We ain't goin’ anywhere.”

“Nowhere to go,” Rick said. “Just start at the beginning. Don’t leave anything out, especially if you think it’s important.”

You nodded to Rick, and when you looked at Daryl, unshed tears formed in your eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” you sniffed. “I love you, but I have to tell you, and you may not like what I have to say.”

Daryl sprang off the wall, ignoring your earlier request. In a flash, he was next to you on the bed pulling you against him. “Whatever it is, ‘s alrigh’, ya hear? I feel it tearin’ ya up inside, an’ I can’t stand it.” He framed your face with his hands. “G’on, Bubbie.”

Your lower lip trembled , and you glanced at Rick. The deputy was sitting forward on the couch, forearms resting on his knees, his eyes locked on you.

You blinked and tears streamed down your cheeks. “I think that Rick is my mate.”

Daryl froze in place, shock and fear coursing through him.

But you went on. “I think you both are.”

“Both?” Daryl managed to say.

You nodded. “I’m sorry. Alpha.”

Daryl looked over to Rick, and his normally unflappable friend stared at you like a deer in headlights facing his tragic fate head-on, unable to stop it.

“I tried not to. I tried so hard. I don’t even know if you feel it, Rick, but I think you do. And out there, with Shane and everything, you both protecting me, and somehow I knew--I know--that I need you both.”

Rick shook his head. “We just wanted Shane to keep his distance.”

“No,” Daryl said, his voice low and gravelly. He clutched at you. “That ain’t it, is it ‘Mega?”

You shook your head and sighed, taking his hand and holding it. Whatever barrier you’d put up in your bond was gone now, and Daryl absorbed all the fear and longing you sent him. 

He felt your love for him, but he also realized how much you ached, too, for Rick. And the force of all that spurred him to fix this. To give you everything you needed, wanted, no matter what. You were his, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t be Rick’s too.

He studied Rick again, and it seemed as if Rick couldn’t take his eyes off you.

“You don’t need to--” Rick started.

“They do,” Daryl interrupted. “I can feel ‘em wantin’ ya, Rick, jus’ like they want me.” He let go of your hand and stroked your cheek. “That’s how it is, ain’t it? First time ya met ‘im it was like you an’ me all those months ago.”

“Yes,” you whimpered, leaning into his touch.

“An’ ya been keepin’ it bottled up to protec’ me?”

You nodded.

He glared at Rick. “Ya wan’ ‘em like that, too doncha? Like anytime ya ain’t near ‘em ‘s like part of ya’s missin’. An’ when ya touch ‘em ‘s like ya come alive.”

Rick shook his head. “Doesn’t matter what I want. I’m not coming between you. Not going to ruin what y’all have.”

“Nothin’s gettin’ ruined. Don’ ya wanna make ‘em happy? Stop ‘em from frettin’ and hurtin’ an’ worryin’?”

“Daryl,” you whispered, sniffing again. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“Oh, Bubbie,” he murmured, kissing your temple. He nibbled your ear then whispered, voice low and soft. “I wanna see ya kiss ‘im like ya mean it. Let me see ya take what you wan’. What ya need.”

He raised his head and  looked at Rick. “What do ya say? Ya gonna come take care of ‘em? Make ‘em stop hurtin’?”

Rick’s chest rose and fell, once, twice. Then he reached out a trembling hand to you. “Is this what you want, Bunny?”

You nodded, and Daryl gently pushed you toward Rick. The other man reminded Daryl of a wild bobcat ready to pounce and devour its prey, yet Rick   moved as if in slow motion, using only a small tug on your hand to urge you down on the couch with him. 

*

Rick was doing all he could to be calm. You were next to him again, and his disbelief gave way to hope. All those times he imagined sharing you with Daryl. All those nights he spent alone, mind wild with images of him knotting you, of you having his pups.

Could that all really come true? Was any of this possible?

From the corner of his eye, he saw Daryl sink down on the bed, lean back on one hand, and use the other hand to press against his crotch.

Maybe Daryl really was okay with this.

Rick turned to you once more, and he saw your pretty eyes blinking up at him, red-rimmed and uncertain. His hand wouldn’t stop shaking as it held yours, but he kept holding tightly to you anyway.

On your knees next to him, you said, “Do you really want this? You’ve never said anything. Maybe you don’t feel what I do, maybe you want an omega you don’t have to share, or one who’s a woman, or one who’s thinner.”

Sweet Jesus, help him. How could he want anything but you?

“Oh, Bunny,” he breathed. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted you. First time I smelled you I never wanted to smell anything else.”

He used his index finger and tilted your head up. “You’re perfect. Now c’mere.”

He pulled you toward him until you fell forward and landed against him. 

You pressed your hands to his chest to hold yourself up, but Rick hooked an arm around your waist and urged you closer. Your soft, heavy weight settled against him. How he loved the feel of you, every soft curve of you, the extra weight you had all over, the way you molded around him just right. With one arm still around your waist, he held  your jaw with his other hand, cupping your cheek.  Your skin was hot beneath his palm, your eyes shuttering as you tried to keep looking into his eyes.

He pressed his lips to your forehead, your nose. The hand on your cheek found its way to cradle the back of your head, and Rick held you in place as he continued to pepper you with light, fleeting kisses, all the while avoiding your mouth.

His body practically screamed at him to take you, to give in to all the desires and fantasies he’d pent up since meeting you. But Rick measured each moment carefully. You had all the time in the world now, you and him.  All that would come later, after he had proven himself to you, courted your properly as a mate should.

The room filled with the musk and perfume of all three of you. He spared a glance at Daryl, who was still leaning back on the bed palming himself over his jeans. He bit his lip and breathed heavily, staring at you cradled in Rick’s arms.

Rick never thought of himself as an exhibitionist, but he wanted to prove himself to Daryl too, show his friend that he could make you happy, satisfy you as you deserved.

“Alpha,” you whimpered. “Rick, please.”

Rick traced the shell of your ear with his tongue then spoke against your skin. “Look what you’re doing to him. To both of us.”

Your eyes flitted to Daryl then back to him, and you smiled, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. “I can’t believe this is happening,” you said. “That both of you want me.”

“Who wouldn’t want you, Bunny? So sweet and cute.”

You narrowed your eyes. “I don’t want to be sweet and cute, I want to be sexy. I want to be yours.”

“You will, Omega,” Rick soothed. “Just not today.”

“Why?”

“Because this is still new. And I want to do this right. Take my time with you.”

“Won’t you at least kiss me, Alpha?”

“I think I can kiss you. But that’s all.”

“Okay,” you nodded, licking your lips.

“Close your eyes.”

You obeyed, fluttering your eyes closed. Rick tightened his arm around you and finally pressed his lips to yours. Your hands grabbed at his shirt, trying to yank him into yourself. He kept his kisses slow, languid, gentle. You tried to breach the seam of his lips with your tongue, but he wouldn’t let you.

You let out a frustrated moan and became a squirrely thing in his arms, protesting his chaste kissing.

He never imagined you’d be this needy. Leaning back he held you away from him, but you tried to chase after his lips. A passive omega you were not, Rick realized, instead you were a desperate little thing, intent on taking all you wanted from him.

What fun it would be to tease you, to have  you sprawled out beneath him begging, crying for his knot. He’d keep denying you, just to see how much you wanted it, wanted him.

But that was for another day. After you trusted him in a way that went beyond biology and hormones, in the way that two people could trust each other, regardless of designation.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Daryl standing up, shirt unbuttoned, belt undone.

“Here, ‘mega,” he said, reaching for you. He scooped you up in his arms and carried you to the bed, where he sat you on his lap.

“I think it’s ‘bout time ya give Rick a break.”

You looked back and forth between them. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Omega,” Rick encouraged. “You’re doing everything just right.”

Daryl nuzzled his mark on your neck.  “He wants to take his time with ya, tha’s all. He’s a decent guy, ya know. Not some redneck who picked you up at a motel.”

“But Daryl, I love the way we met.” You let out a stuttered moan as he kissed his mark.

“Ain’t ya heard of courtin’, Bubbie?” he scolded you.

“Of course I have, but nobody does that anymore.”

“Mmm, I think Rick does.”

How Daryl knew his intention surprised Rick, but there was a lot that Daryl picked up on that most people wouldn’t.

Daryl kissed his way along your neck, and you looked up at Rick.

“But I don’t have a family you need to prove anything to.”

Rick squatted and kissed your forehead. “You have a pack, don’t you?” He caught your lips in another kiss, crowding into your space as Daryl held you still on his lap and laved your mark.

“I’m staying right here, Bunny, gonna watch Daryl give you his knot, help him take care of you after. You and me will figure out the rest later, okay?”

You nodded, breathlessly, losing yourself to Daryl’s ministrations. Rick sat himself on the bed, leaning his back against the wall. He’d let Daryl have his turn. 

For now. 

Next chapter.

==

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[bechloeislegit]

Secret Love?

Everybody knows Beca Mitchell and Chloe Beale have been best friends for years. Everybody knows they have won awards in their fields (Beca as a music producer, Chloe as an actress). Everybody knows they are always each other’s plus one to the awards show. Everybody knows they share a home in L.A. Everybody knows all these things, so they think they know everything about the best friends. But do they really?

Beca Mitchell walked the Grammys red carpet alone for the first time in four years. She felt a vulnerability she had never felt before without her constant companion, Chloe Beale, by her side. Chloe was an award-winning actress, and seeing one without the other at most awards events was rare.

Beca was worried because she had no idea where Chloe was; her texts and voicemail messages have gone unanswered. 

“Beca, over here!” one of the multitudes of photographers called out. 

Beca would stop and pose before moving on to one of the many media entertainment reporters set up along the red carpet.

“How are you feeling tonight?” the first reporter asked.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Beca responded. “It’s always exciting to be nominated.”

“Where’s your other half?” the reporter jokingly asked.

“I’m not sure,” Beca said with a chuckle. “Something came up, and she had hoped to be here, so we’ll see if she makes it.”

Beca was lying through her teeth, but she wasn’t going to let the reporter know that. After repeatedly stopping by several interview areas and being asked the same questions, Beca finally made it into the Staples Center.

Beca greeted her fellow musicians, most of whom also asked about Chloe. Of course, Beca gave them all the same spiel she gave the reporters. 

Beca reached her seat, and looked at the empty one beside her, knowing that some ‘seat filler’ would be sitting next to her for the night. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

Beca checked the time and saw they still had about thirty minutes before the show started. She got up, made her way to a quiet place near the back, and pulled out her phone. She was going to try calling Chloe again when she noticed an Instagram notification from Chloe’s acting account.

“I said YES!” was the caption under a picture of Chicago Walp holding a hand and showing off an engagement ring. The hand was the only part of Walp’s new fiancée that could be seen. Even if she hadn’t been on Chloe’s Instagram, Beca knew that hand almost as well as her own; it was Chloe’s.

Beca doesn’t know how long she stood staring at the ring. She was brought back to the present when Stacie came up to her.

“You saw?” Stacie asked quietly.

Beca nodded and asked, “It’s her, isn’t it?” 

Beca knew she was grasping at straws and was holding onto whatever hope might tell her this was all a bad dream.

“Yes, it’s her,” Stacie said. “Her agent, Gail, confirmed it on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. I’m sorry, Beca.”

“Great,” Beca said with a strained smile.

“Are you okay?” Stacie asked. She could see how pale Beca suddenly looked.

“I’m not feeling so great,” Beca said. “If I win anything, could you accept it on my behalf? I need to get out of here. I really don’t think I want to see a picture of me puking plastered all over the tabloids tomorrow.”

“I’ll get Emily to do it,” Stacie said with some concern. “That way, I can take you home.”

“No, stay. Enjoy the night,” Beca said. “I was already feeling a little sick. At first, I thought it was just nerves, but now I’m not so sure. I probably should have stayed home anyway.”

“If you’re sure?” Stacie said, and Beca nodded. “Okay. Text me to let me know you made it home and that everything’s okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thanks,” Beca said.

Beca made her way out of the Staples Center and grabbed a cab. Finally, she arrived home and stood at the front door, remembering when she first bought the house and all that had happened there.

Five years ago, Beca had recorded her first album and was able to afford what she called her mini-mansion. A year later, Chloe told Beca she was moving to L.A. to try her hand at acting, and it was a no-brainer that she would live with Beca. They had been sharing this home since Chloe moved to L.A. four years ago. She and Chloe were happy with the house, and although they could afford it, neither wanted to move.

They were BFFs as well as roommates and were always photographed out and about in L.A. Then, about a year ago, Chloe admitted she had some not-so-friend-like feelings for Beca, and Beca reciprocated those feelings. They were still BFFs, but now they were in a secret relationship, and nobody knew. Beca hated sneaking around but was on cloud nine because, duh, Chloe Beale was her girlfriend. The two were in love; at least, that’s what Beca was led to believe. Apparently, Chloe was as good an actress as her two Oscars said.

It was only because of Chloe’s career that they kept their romantic relationship a secret. Beca was okay with that until Chloe and some new actor on the scene named Chicago were cast as love interests in Chloe’s latest movie. For publicity to hype the film, they were seen out and about as if they were a couple in real life. Beca and Chloe weren’t going out as much together anymore, even as BFFs; Beca wasn’t happy about that. Chloe would smile and tell her that it was her job and just a publicity stunt. She also said it would only last until the movie came out. Besides, Chloe would tell her she would always come home to Beca.

Beca took a deep breath and walked into the house. She made her way upstairs to the room she shared with Chloe and changed out of her Grammys outfit. She then pulled out her suitcases, and without thinking about it, she started packing everything she could fit into them. She then found some boxes to put her personal belongings in. She left anything that Chloe had given her, plus all the photos that had Chloe in them, on the bed for Chloe to find. She left behind the hoodie she ‘borrowed’ from Chloe and always wore because Chloe said it looked better on her; Beca didn’t need it anymore. It was just another reminder of Chloe’s betrayal.

She carried everything to her car and made one last trip through the bedroom and the rest of the house. Then, she got into her car and drove off without looking back.

Beca was about five miles from the house before she broke down and pulled over to the curb. The tears started slowly, and she let them fall unabated.

~Secret Love?~

“Thank God,” Stacie said when she opened the door of Beca’s house to find Aubrey standing there.

Stacie had tears in her eyes and started pacing back and forth. Aubrey closed the door and walked over to sit on the sofa. As Chloe and Beca’s best friends, Stacie and Aubrey knew all about Beca and Chloe’s secret relationship.

“I should have insisted that I bring her home,” Stacie berated herself. “I knew she shouldn’t have been left by herself. She seemed way too calm when she saw the ring on Chloe’s finger.”

“And you’re sure she left?” Aubrey asked.

“All of her clothes and mixing equipment are gone,” Stacie said. “She left some things on the bed. It looks like stuff Chloe had given her over the years.”

“Where do you think she went?” Aubrey asked.

“As far away from Chloe as she possibly can,” Stacie said. “I swear to God I’m going to kill Chloe when I see her. How the fuck can she be with Beca and get engaged to Chicago? If anything happens to Beca-”

Stacie and Aubrey stopped and looked toward the front door when they heard keys jingling. The door opened.

“Beca?” Stacie called out as she moved toward the door. She stopped and glared when Chloe walked through the door.

“Beca isn’t home yet?” Chloe asked as Stacie stood with her arms crossed over her chest, still glaring at Chloe.

“No, Beca’s not here,” Aubrey said, coming to stand next to Stacie.

“Is she still at an after-party?” Chloe asked. “I really need to talk to her.”

“Where were you?” Stacie asked. “Beca waited for you at the Grammys.”

“I, um, had a meeting with some producers for my next movie,” Chloe stammered. “It went longer than I thought.” 

“Why didn’t you return Beca’s calls or texts?” Stacie asked.

“My phone’s battery died, and I didn’t have my charger,” Chloe said as she pulled out her phone. “Can I borrow yours to call Beca and see when she’ll be home?”

“Don’t bother,” Stacie spit out. “She’s not here, and she’s not coming back.”

“What do you mean she’s not coming back?” Chloe asked, confused.

“She packed up her stuff and left,” Stacie said.

Chloe’s eyes widened, and she ran upstairs to their room. Tears came to her eyes when she saw all of Beca’s stuff was gone except for what she left behind on the bed for Chloe.

“I don’t understand,” Chloe cried as she made her way back downstairs. “I thought things were going great with us. What happened?”

Stacie stood there fuming while Aubrey took Chloe in her arms and held her while she cried.

“Chloe,” Aubrey said gently. “She saw the Instagram post about your engagement with a picture of you and Chicago showing off your ring.”

“My engagement?” Chloe asked, pulling back to look at Aubrey. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play innocent with us,” Stacie said. “Gail confirmed it on Instagram and Twitter.”

Stacie pulled up Chloe’s Instagram account and shoved the phone in Chloe’s face. Chloe’s eyes widened when she saw the pictures and Gail’s comment about the happy couple.”

“These are photos from the movie,” Chloe said, barely containing her rage. “I’m not engaged to Chicago, nor do I want to be engaged to him. I’m going to kill that bitch.”

Chloe grabbed her phone and screamed in frustration when she saw it wasn’t working. 

“Chloe, take it easy,” Aubrey said. “Don’t do anything you’re going to regret.”

Chloe quickly plugged her phone into the charger and paced back and forth while waiting for it to have enough charge to make a call. Stacie and Aubrey stood by, watching her pace back and forth.

“The only thing I regret is letting the studio hire that bitch as my manager and publicist in the first place,” Chloe said, seething.

Chloe checked her phone and saw she had enough power to make a call. She first tried Beca’s number, and it went to voicemail. So Chloe started speaking when the beep sounded to leave a message.

“Baby, please call me as soon as you get this. That story isn’t true. I swear to you; it’s not true. Call me. Please?!”

She ended that call and wiped a tear from her eye. She then pulled up Gail’s contact name and hit send. “She’d better answer her-”

“Hello, Chloe,” Gail answered in a sweet voice. 

“Don’t hello me,” Chloe snarled into the phone. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing posting pics of Chicago and me and saying we’re engaged?”

Gail laughed. “Just more publicity for the movie.”

“Bullshit!” Chloe yelled at her.

“Chloe, calm down,” Aubrey said, trying to soothe the angry redhead.

“Chloe, look,” Gail said with an exasperated sigh. “The studio wants to hype this movie and told me to do whatever it takes to get more attention for it. This has garnered so much more attention-”

“I don’t give two fucks about how much attention this has garnered or what the studio wanted,” Chloe shouted. “You posted something on my Instagram account that I did not consent to. You will post a retraction on every social media account those pictures are on. You have ten minutes or else, so help me God, I will sic Aubrey Posen on your ass. Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, you’re fired!”

“You can’t fire me,” Gail sputtered.

“I just did,” Chloe said and ended the call.

Chloe tossed her phone on the counter. She gripped the counter's edge and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She wiped at a tear that had fallen down her face. 

“I need to find Beca.”

~ Secret Love? ~

While Stacie and Aubrey were with Chloe, Beca sat in their living room. She did not know where else to go so after driving around for a couple of hours, she went to Stacie and Aubrey’s.

Beca had only turned on one lamp when she arrived. She was now sitting in the semi-dark living room with dried tear tracks on her face. She needed to talk to someone and finally sent Stacie a text asking when she would be home.

Stacie’s phone pinged, and she grabbed it.

“It’s from Beca,” Stacie said. “She wants to know when I’ll be home.” She furrowed her brow and then said, “Oh, my God! She’s been at our house all this time.”

Stacie immediately texted Beca to stay put and that she’d be home in twenty minutes. Chloe grabbed her keys and headed for the door.

“Wait, Chloe,” Stacie said and grabbed her arm.

“I have to talk to her,” Chloe said with tears in her eyes. “I can’t just-”

“I know,” Stacie said, interrupting Chloe. “But, if she sees you, she’ll react badly before you can say anything. Let me go to her and tell her what’s going on. I promise to bring her back here as soon as I can.”

“Stacie’s right, Chlo,” Aubrey said. “Let her do this alone. I’ll stay with you.”

“Please, Chloe,” Stacie said. “You know this is the best way to handle this. She’ll listen to me. Please, let me do this alone.”

Chloe swallowed and dropped her keys on the table. 

“Okay,” she said and sat down on the sofa. “I’ll wait for you to bring her back to me.” Chloe let out a small sob. “Please bring her back to me.”

Stacie gave her a small smile and hurried out the door. Aubrey sat next to Chloe and put her arm around her shoulders.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Aubrey said. “I’ll make us some tea.”

As they walked into the kitchen, Chloe’s phone rang, and Gail’s name popped up on the caller ID. Chloe picked up the phone and answered the call.

“What!?” Chloe angrily answered.

“I did everything you said to do,” Gail said. “I’m sorry for posting it all without your permission. Now, can we talk about your next project?”

“Too little, too late,” Chloe said. “I meant it when I said you were fired. Now fuck off and lose my number.”

Chloe ended the call and checked Instagram. Gail had indeed printed a retraction and taken down all the photos. She pulled up her Instagram account and posted how the story was false and was put up without her permission by her EX-manager/publicist.

Chloe put her phone away. She wanted to shut it off because of all the new notifications she was receiving but didn’t in case Beca or Stacie tried to reach her. So instead, she sat anxiously waiting for Stacie to bring Beca home.

~ Secret Love? ~

Stacie walked in the door, and Beca looked up at her from the shadows.

“Oh, Beca,” Stacie said and hurried over to her friend. She pulled Beca to her, and Beca sat there, unmoving.

“Beca,” Stacie said as she pulled back to look at her. “Chloe came home just a while ago. She explained everything, and it’s not what you think.”

Beca stared blankly at Stacie. Stacie held Beca’s face in her hands.

“Listen to me, okay?” Stacie said. “Please respond so I know you can hear me.”

“I can hear you,” Beca mumbled.

“Good,” Stacie said. “Those pictures were fake. They were from the movie, and Gail put them up to try and get more publicity for it. Do you hear me? The pictures are from the movie. Chloe didn’t know they were out there until I showed them to her.”

“She is always checking social media,” Beca said. “I’m supposed to believe that she conveniently missed seeing those pics on her Instagram?”

“Her phone died,” Stacie said. “That’s why she didn’t call you or text you back.”

Stacie recounted what happened when Chloe got home. 

“Beca, she loves you with everything she has.”

“I read a lot of the comments,” Beca said, staring at the floor. “Chicago wrote happiest man alive.  Everyone else was congratulating her on getting engaged and how cute they were together. It was easy for everyone to believe the story because she hid our relationship. The only ones who knew about us were you and Aubrey.”

“I think you should talk to Chloe,” Stacie said. “Let her explain it all to you.”

“Why?” Beca asked, looking over at Stacie.

“What do you mean why?” Stacie asked.

“No one knows we’re together,” Beca said. “This can happen again, and it won’t be fake next time. I can’t bear feeling like this again. It’s too much. There’s nothing to explain, so I’m not going back.”

“You can’t believe that Chloe would allow this to happen again, do you?” Stacie asked.

“You said she didn’t allow it this time,” Beca said. “But it still happened. So I’m not waiting around for the next time.”

“Beca, don’t do this,” Stacie said. “Go talk to Chloe. Look, I believed everything at first. But, if you saw how she reacted when I showed her the post, you’d know she had no idea that Gail had done it. Please, Beca. I’m begging you. Don’t walk away from Chloe like this.”

Stacie and Beca’s phones both pinged with notifications. Stacie looked at hers, but Beca ignored her phone.

“Look, Beca,” Stacie said. “Gail posted a retraction saying it was false. Chloe approved it and put out her own message about firing Gail for going behind her back. See, it’s not real. She loves you, and you love her. Maybe it’s a good time to talk to her about making your relationship public.”

“I can’t,” Beca said sadly. “Her career means too much to her, and I’m not going to be the one to mess that up for her. So it’s best if we end it now.”

“Oh, Beca,” Stacie said sadly. “Her career doesn’t mean as much to her as you do. Can’t you see that?”

Beca stands and runs her hand down her face, wiping away the tears. 

“Do you think Aubrey would mind if I crash here for a couple of days?”

Stacie let out a frustrated sigh. 

“You know you’re welcome to stay anytime.”

Beca nodded her head and made her way to the guest bedroom.

~ Secret Love? ~

“Did you find Beca?” Aubrey asked as soon as she answered Stacie’s call.

“Yeah,” Stacie said and sighed. “She wants to end things with Chloe.”

“What? Why?”

“What’s Stacie saying?” Chloe asked.

“Put me on speaker, Brey,” Stacie said. “Chloe should hear this.”

Aubrey put the phone on speaker and held it out so Chloe could hear as well.

“Go ahead, Stacie,” Aubrey said.

“Chloe,” Stacie said and paused. “Beca’s inside her head right now and thinks it best if you end things.”

“What?” Chloe said, her voice quivering. “I’m coming over there.”

Chloe jumped up and hurried to the door, grabbing her purse and keys as she went.

“No, Chloe,” Stacie said. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Chloe, don’t!” Aubrey called out, but Chloe was already out the door. “Stacie, I’ll call you back.” Aubrey ended the call as she jumped up and went after Chloe. “Chloe, stop!”

Chloe stopped and turned to face Aubrey with tears streaming down her face.

“I need to fix this,” Chloe said, wiping her face.

“And you will,” Aubrey said. “Just not right now. You know Beca; her mind is made up, and if you go to her now, she’ll retreat farther away from you.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Chloe said. “But what else can I do?”

“Let’s go back inside and come up with a plan to keep you and Beca together.”

~ Secret Love? ~

It was just before six the next morning, and Aubrey was dozing lightly when her ringing phone woke her. She saw Stacie’s name on her caller ID and accepted the call, putting it on speaker and laying the phone on the coffee table near her head.

“Hey, babe,” Aubrey said.

“I was just checking in to see how you were holding up,” Stacie said.

“I’m okay, I guess,” Aubrey responded.

“How’s Chloe?” Stacie asked.

“I got her calmed down and in bed at around four,” Aubrey said. “And she hasn’t come downstairs, so I guess she’s sleeping. How’s Beca?”

“I don’t know,” Stacie said. “She went into the guest room a couple of hours ago. I was hoping she’d go to sleep, but I can hear her moving around. I don’t want to agitate her, so I’m leaving her alone.”

“What are we going to do?” Aubrey asked.

“I don’t think we can do anything,” Stacie said. “We both know Beca won’t make the first move,  so it’s up to Chloe at this point.”

“I hate this,” Aubrey said.

“So do I,” Stacie said.

“Brey, I have a plan,” Chloe said as she rushed into the living room. “I know how to fix this and need your help.”

“What can we do?” Stacie asked.

Chloe furrowed her brow and looked around for Stacie. Aubrey stood, picking the phone up as she did, and waved it at Chloe.

“Whatever you need, Chloe,” Aubrey said. “Stacie and I are here for you.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said. “Here’s what I want to do.”

Chloe spent the next 20 minutes telling Aubrey and Stacie her plan.

“What do you think?” Chloe asked as she finished explaining her plan.

“I think she’ll love it,” Stacie said.

“I have to agree,” Aubrey said. “I think Beca will love it.”

~ Secret Love? ~

It was almost nine when Stacie left her house and hurried over to Beca and Chloe’s house. Aubrey let Stacie in when she got there.

“Chloe’s getting dressed,” Aubrey said. “She’ll be down shortly.”

“Good morning, Stacie,” Chloe said as she came down the stairs.

“Are you ready for this?” Stacie asked.

“Absolutely,” Chloe said. “I need to let Beca know how much I love her, and this should do it.”

“Okay,” Aubrey said. “Sit on the sofa, Chloe. I’ll handle the camera, and Stacie will make sure everything looks okay as we go. Okay?”

“Okay,” Chloe said as she took her place on the sofa. “I’m ready.” 

Aubrey readied her phone and stood in front of Chloe. 

“I’ll count back from three, and then you start,” Aubrey said, holding her phone up, making sure Chloe can be fully seen onscreen. “Okay, here we go...3. 2. 1.”

“Surprise everyone,” Chloe said. “Chloe Beale here live streaming to all my followers. I just wanted to come on here and clear up a few things that happened yesterday. First, to make sure everyone has heard, I am not engaged to Chicago Walp. He’s a good guy and will make someone a great husband, but that someone is not me. Second, the engagement ruse was perpetuated by my former publicist to promote the upcoming movie that Chicago and I are in together. The studio told Gail to do whatever she needed to do to promote the film, and she took that to mean lying to my fans. That is unacceptable, and I did not give her permission to use my social media accounts to perpetuate the lie.”

Chloe paused and shifted in her seat.

“The second thing I need to do is apologize to you guys. I’ve been lying to you. Despite appearances, Chicago and I are not dating. And I don’t want to be involved with Chicago in a romantic capacity because I’ve been in a committed relationship...with a woman… for a little over a year. I can’t really say too much about her without her permission, but I can tell you that she has been my rock for a very long time. She kept our relationship a secret so it wouldn’t affect my career. It was wrong of me to let her do that because it made the lie of my getting engaged to a man so easy to believe. I love her so much, and she loves me; at least she did. But, after the news about my phony engagement, she left and told me she thinks we should part ways. And now-” Chloe sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. “And now, I don’t know how I will keep going without her.” 

Chloe put a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back a sob.

“Stop,” Chloe said, waving a hand at Aubrey. “I can’t do this. I need Beca.”

“I’m here,” Beca said, walking out from behind Aubrey.

Chloe gasped and ran to Beca; Beca wrapped Chloe in her arms.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Chloe said. “I missed you so much.”

“I’m sorry,” Beca said, pulling Chloe tighter to her. “I love you, and I’m sorry for saying we were over.”

“No,” Chloe said, pulling back to grab Beca’s head in her hands and look into her eyes. “I owe you an apology. I fired Gail, and I promise if it’s okay with you, I’ll tell the whole world about us. I never want to go through another day without you in it with me. I love you, Beca!”

“I love you, too, and I want the whole world to know about us because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. As a matter of fact-”

Beca stepped back from Chloe and got down on one knee. Chloe gasped and looked down at Beca.

“Oh, my God,” Stacie whispered. “She’s really going to do it.”

She moved to stand next to Aubrey and whispered, “Are you getting all this?”

“Yes,” Aubrey said. “I never turned off the camera.”

“Chloe, I love you,” Beca said, holding up a ring box. “Will you marry me?”

Chloe wiped the tears from her face and glanced up. Her eyes widened when she realized Aubrey was still live-streaming everything.

“Um, Beca,” Chloe said, reaching down to take Beca’s arms and pull her up. “We’re being live-streamed out to my fans right now.”

“I know,” Beca said, glancing over toward Aubrey. She waved and said, “Hi, everyone! I’m Beca Mitchell, Chloe’s girlfriend and hopefully soon-to-be fiancee.” Then, she turned back to Chloe. “I guess getting engaged during a live stream is one way of letting the world know about us. So, why don’t we ask your fans what they think you should do.”

Beca turned back to the camera. “So, what do you guys say? Should Chloe accept my proposal or not?”

Beca’s phone started pinging with notifications. She pulled it out to read them and smiled.

“Oh, look, SxyStacie says, Say YES!”

Chloe looked over at Stacie only to have her smile and wink back at Chloe. Chloe then looked at Aubrey; she was giving her a thumbs up.

“CBealesMama said you’d better say yes, or your dad and I will disown you,” Beca read. “Thanks, Mama Beale! And based on the number of thumbs up and heart emojis coming through, everyone thinks you should say yes. So, Chloe Beale, will you marry me? Or will you disappoint us all by saying no?”

Chloe stood there with her mouth agape.

“How did you-?” Chloe stammered, looking at Beca. “I’m so confused right now.”

Beca chuckled and pulled Chloe into a hug.

“Stacie told me your plan, and I told her I was ready to propose,” Beca said. “We decided we’d mess with you a bit before I did. So, I came over with Stacie and watched your live-stream on my phone outside. When you said you couldn’t do this without me, I knew it was time to come in and surprise you with the proposal.” Beca pulled back from the hug, saying, “Speaking of, you haven’t answered the question yet.”

“Yes!” Chloe squealed and kissed Beca.

Beca broke the kiss and looked at the camera. 

“You guys all heard her say yes, right?”

Beca’s phone started blowing up with more notifications. She laughed and kissed Chloe again.

“Put the ring on!” Chloe said, holding out her left hand.

Beca took the ring out of the box and placed it on Chloe’s finger. Chloe held her hand up toward the camera, showing off the ring.

“My girl has pretty good taste, huh?” Chloe said before pulling Beca into another kiss.

The kiss went on, and Stacie stepped in front of the camera.

“Hi, I’m Stacie Conrad, Beca’s best friend,” Stacie said, smiling into the camera. “Beca and Chloe are going to celebrate their engagement now. They both thank you for your kind words of congratulations and your support. Bye for now.”

Aubrey stopped recording, and she and Stacie raced over to grab Beca and Chloe into a four-way hug.

“We’re so happy for you, two,” Aubrey squealed.

“I knew it would work,” Stacie said. “And it didn’t take much convincing to have Beca come with me this morning.”

Stacie and Aubrey stepped back, smiling at their two best friends.

“I knew I screwed up, and I was coming home to apologize anyway,” Beca said, pulling Chloe to  her. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough. I love you, Chloe!”

“I love you, too,” Chloe said, pulling back from the hug to kiss Beca.

As the kiss continued, Aubrey grew uncomfortable, so she grabbed Stacie and dragged her out of the house.

#BeChloe Fluff #BeChloe #Beca Mitchell #Chloe Beale #Stace and Aubrey are the best friends ever #BeChloeIsLegit

[ruiniel]

Retouched an old version of Mairon sulking after Tol-in-Gaurhoth I had lying around in the cupboard.

HC under the cut

I imagine it took him a while to get back on track after 'batting' his way out of there, after being defeated and having his throat ripped out by Huan, and healing himself back into his 'fair form' took longer than usual (hence the cracks in his visage here). I imagine he was seething with rage and hatred and humiliation… didn’t last ofc, it’s Mairon we're talking about here. Anyway! Tried an alternate design with more muted colors.

If you think he looks like someone in particular no you don’t

#my doodles

[somethingsomeart]

"This one is mostly leather if you're generally quick in close quarters. It's dark, thigh-high boots, the carvings are delicate, and it's exquisite. There's plating on the shoulders and forearms." A few scribbles based on the interactive fiction work of Within Your Eyes @within-your-eyes-if by Alahria!

Been meaning to post these for aaaaaages but then I got busy and then I got sick, so I got busier, then I got sick again, so-- ANYWAY! Did y'all know that Zweihänder could be as tall, tip to pommel, as their users?? Tol bois!

The doodles of Ly, Gabby, Hestia and Lee I'm dropping under the cut o7

#Within Your Eyes fanart #fanart #IF fanart #sketch #doodle #Tahir Salit #Lyari de Le Wren #Gabriel Duarte #Hestia #Leese van Laere #The best characters will be coming in future posts! #By best I mean the horse and more raven ofc #Lee buddy ilu but god i have no idea how to draw your hair...... #Really happy with how Hestia came out tho think they look real cute!

[tanoraqui]

#nearly choked on my own spit reading that last part #tolkien# but also to make the crack sad #there's something poetic about Maglor the last Feanorian #his family destroyed by fire #feanor burns alive #Amrod (potentially) burns in Losgar #Maedhros casts himself into flame #and destroyed by darkness #the oath eating them alive #all of them being doomed to the void #and then Maglor the only Feanorian to escape the fire and the darkness #to instead haunt and be haunted by the sea #falling in love with a being of fire and darkness #looking his family's destruction in the eye and saying I forgive you I forgive you you can be more than what you were #and perhaps in the doing so he can learn to forgive himself #and have hope for his family

@erai-crabantaure​ is out here making my crackship in a crack au poetic and giving me feels, while I’m over here like, 

double-date where Dave (the Balrog) is determined to passive-aggressively show Gorthaur that he, Dave, is actually way better at finding and keeping a pet Fëanorian, and also he could totally take Gorthaur in a fight he’s just choosing not to right now; and Annatar is maintaining the pretense of still being Evil and pretending to be above such petty competition, but is 100% rising to the bait because a) nobody out-passive-aggressives the Lord of Gifts and b) his Fëanorian is FAR superior to that beach hobo who could barely even forge a dagger; BUT Annatar is also avoiding eye contact with Maglor because the last time they met was toward the end of the War of Wrath when Maglor technically, arguably, beat him in a Duel of Song (Sauron tried the Tol-in-Gaurhoth Special, ie, grief, guilt, and existential hopelessness, and Maglor was like, “Honey, I live here,” and then Maedhros stabbed Sauron and their backup arrived and Sauron GTFO’d until Eonwë found him.) Celebrimbor is getting increasingly annoyed at a) this whole “pretending to be evil(ly suborned)” gig as well as at Annatar bragging about him (it’s embarrassing and he does it far too much already), and keeps accidentally making eye contact with Maglor while seeking someone to be like, Maiar, amiright? with, then quickly looking away because Evil Uncle, then darting a glance back because he’s increasingly, against his will, a little concerned about Maglor. Maglor meanwhile is quietly eating while 100% convinced that he’s hallucinating; the only question is if it’s all a hallucination or if he really has been captured by a Balrog. Either way, his life is already so terrible that this might as well happen.

(This is like...1/3–1/2way through the 105-minute romcom. About 60% through, Maglor realizes that none of this is a hallucination and immediately tries to rescue Celebrimbor from his entirely content marriage bed what is obviously a fate worse than death. This is how Maglor finds out, though Celebrimbor yelling at him indignantly, about the marriage and also Sauron [allegedly] not being evil anymore, and shortly thereafter has a moment of, “wait, is that an option?” Possibly Dave is simultaneously having the knock-down drag-out brawl with the old Lieutenant of Angband that he’s been itching for, maybe finally incited because he figured out that Sauron was lying to him about still being evil, clearly he’s gone weak, etc etc. That fight definitely ends with Annatar pinned down but baring his teeth in a grin and saying something like, “Yes, you Úmaiar always had more power then I. But do you know what you still lack? The sense of where to apply it.” Then he like snaps a twig and the massive dam they’ve been fighting in front of, which Dave (and Annatar, but mostly Dave) have both been hitting, BURSTS and Dave gets totally quenched.)

...Oh my god at the end Dave has to run through the Grey Havens like they’re an airport to catch Maglor before he gets on a ship sailing West. 

(Will Dave join him on the ship, so that they may both seek healing together? Will Maglor stay, and they’ll both join Celebrimbor&Annatar’s ongoing mission to better mortal-occupied Arda through invention and fair-and-open global trade? Either way, it’ll be covered in the sequel: My Big Fat Fëanorian Wedding! please god let that already be a fic title somewhere)

(Original movie: When Dave Met Maglor? Pretty Balrog? Awake in Eriador? I’m just going through a Top 50 list of romcoms here and spitballing.)

#ficlet #my fic #the silmarillion #sauron #annatar #balrog #celebrimbor #maglor #silvergifting #second age shenaniganry #though technically third age by this point in a timeline #maiar #feanor and feanor's kin

[cloudcountry]

yk last night i genuinely believed you sbout ikefab 😞🙏 it’s like that one obey me arc all over again fr

JHSHDHJSDHJ IM SORRY I WAS FEELING DEVIOUS spreading misinformation is kidan fun but its okay because i tol dyou i was lying EVERYTHING IS FINE

#xen <3 #me when i gaslight a new otome into existence

[ebaeschnbliah]

'Alas!' said Legolas, coming to Aragorn's side. 'We have hunted and slain many Orcs in the woods, but we should have been of more use here. We came when we heard the horn-but too late, it seems. I fear you have taken deadly hurt.'

'Boromir is dead' ...

... said Aragorn. 'I am unscathed, for I was not here with him. He fell defending the hobbits, while I was away upon the hill.'

'The hobbits!' cried Gimli 'Where are they then? Where is Frodo?'

'I do not know,' answered Aragorn wearily. 'Before he died Boromir told me that the Orcs had bound them; he did not think that they were dead. I sent him to follow Merry and Pippin; but I did not ask him if Frodo or Sam were with him: not until it was too late. All that I have done today has gone amiss. What is to be done now?'

'First we must tend the fallen,' said Legolas. 'We cannot leave him lying like carrion among these foul Orcs.'

'Then let us lay him in a boat with his weapons, and the weapons of his vanquished foes,' said Aragorn. 'We will send him to the Falls of Rauros and give him to Anduin. The River of Gondor will take care at least that no evil creature dishonours his bones.'

Now they laid Boromir in the middle of the boat that was to bear him away. The grey hood and elven-cloak they folded and placed beneath his head. They combed his long dark hair and arrayed it upon his shoulders. The golden belt of Lórien gleamed about his waist. His helm they set beside him, and across his lap they laid the cloven horn and the hilts and shards of his sword; beneath his feet they put the swords of his enemies. Then fastening the prow to the stern of the other boat, they drew him out into the water. They rowed sadly along the shore, and turning into the swift-running channel they passed the green sward of Parth Galen. The steep sides of Tol Brandir were glowing: it was now mid-afternoon. As they went south the fume of Rauros rose and shimmered before them, a haze of gold. The rush and thunder of the falls shook the windless air.

Sorrowfully they cast loose the funeral boat: there Boromir lay, restful, peaceful, gliding upon the bosom of the flowing water. The stream took him while they held their own boat back with their paddles. He floated by them, and slowly his boat departed, waning to a dark spot against the golden light; and then suddenly it vanished. Rauros roared on unchanging. The River had taken Boromir son of Denethor, and he was not seen again in Minas Tirith, standing as he used to stand upon the White Tower in the morning. But in Gondor in after-days it long was said that the elven-boat rode the falls and the foaming pool, and bore him down through Osgiliath, and past the many mouths of Anduin, out into the Great Sea at night under the stars.

For a while the three companions remained silent, gazing after him. Then Aragorn spoke. 'They will look for him from the White Tower,' he said, 'but he will not return from mountain or from sea.' Then slowly he began to sing:

Through Rohan over fen and field where the long grass grows The West Wind comes walking, and about the walls it goes. ‘What news from the West, O wandering wind, do you bring to me tonight? Have you seen Boromir the Tall by moon or by starlight? ‘I saw him ride over seven streams, over waters wide and grey, I saw him walk in empty lands until he passed away Into the shadows of the North, I saw him then no more. The North Wind may have heard the horn of the son of Denethor, ‘O Boromir! From the high walls westward I looked afar, But you came not from the empty lands where no men are.’

Then Legolas sang:

From the mouths of the Sea the South Wind flies, from the sandhills and the stones, The wailing of the gulls it bears, and at the gate it moans. ‘What news from the South, O sighing wind, do you bring to me at eve? Where now is Boromir the Fair? He tarries and I grieve. ‘Ask not of me where he doth dwell – so many bones there lie, On the white shores and the dark shores under the stormy sky, So many have passed down Anduin to find the flowing Sea. Ask of the North Wind news of them the North Wind sends to me!’ ‘O Boromir! Beyond the gate the seaward road runs south, But you came not with the wailing gulls from the grey sea’s mouth’.

Then Aragorn sang again:

From the Gate of the Kings the North Wind rides, and past the roaring falls, And clear and cold about the tower its loud horn calls. ‘What news from the North, O mighty wind, do you bring to me today? What news of Boromir the bold? For he is long away.’ ‘Beneath Amon Hen I heard his cry. There many foes he fought, His cloven shield, his broken sword, they to the water brought. His head so proud, his face so fair, his limbs they laid to rest, And Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, bore him upon its breast. ‘O Boromir! The Tower of Guard shall ever northward gaze, To Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, until the end of days.

So they ended. Then they turned their boat and drove it with all the speed they could against the stream back to Parth Galen.

'You left the East Wind to me,' said Gimli, 'but I will say naught of it.'

'That is as it should be,' said Aragorn. 'In Minas Tirith they endure the East Wind, but they do not ask it for tidings. But now Boromir has taken his road. and we must make haste to choose our own.'

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers,  The Departure of Boromir 

Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Extended Edition

.

Lament for Boromir - performed by The Tolkien Ensemble

#the lord of the rings #the two towers #the departure of boromir #jrr tolkien #amon hen #rauros #boromir #aragorn #legolas #gimli #peter jackson #the fellowship of the ring #extended edition #movie pics #music #tolkien ensemble

[underforeversgrace]

healing the wounds we hid - 6

title: healing the wounds we hid

Finally, the sequel to broken trust and the wounds hidden behind! (Refresh here on AO3 or here on Tumblr)

Story Summary: Now that his father knows, Danny's life is changing for the better. Jack encourages him to let his friends and the rest of the family into his small word. Unbeknownst to Danny, Jack is secretly worried about how Maddie will react to the news upon her return to Amity - and how to confront Vlad once Jack learns his true identity. Amidst it all, an enemy lurks and plots their revenge.

Chapter 6 of 11: Lying to You

AO3

Tumblr Chapter One

Tumblr Chapter Seven

~~~~~~

Jack heard Sam’s laughter as he hung up the phone, before the trio joined him in the kitchen. She seemed to be teasing Danny and Tucker about something, though Jack had no idea what. He smiled anyway. The two had become commonplace figures again in the Fenton home over the past week and Jack loved seeing the changes it brought to Danny. He smiled more, laughed more, even when he wasn’t around them. Even as Phantom he had more quips and grins.

As much as it pained him to know his son had been practically suicidal less than three months ago, it gave him immense joy to see Danny recovering from his depression and isolation so easily.

Jack resisted the urge to touch the bruises aching around his neck from Vlad’s hands as he wondered if Vlad would ever be able to recover the way Danny had.

“You two staying for dinner?” Jack asked, banishing the thoughts of Vlad from his mind.

“Is it okay if we do?” Sam asked.

“I’d like them here, at least while I talk to Jazz.” Danny added.

“You two know you’re always welcome here!” Jack said boisterously.

The three grinned and settled into their seats. They passed a look between them and the mood sobered.

“Actually, Dad, I need to talk to you before Jazz gets home?” Danny said, fidgeting in his seat. Tucker wrapped his arm around Danny’s shoulders, giving him a comforting squeeze before letting go.

“Sure, kiddo,” Jack said, settling into the remaining empty seat. He’d have to remember to get one of their spare chairs when Jazz arrived.

“So, uh, we discovered something at school today,” Danny said. The tone of it left no doubt within Jack that it was related to ghosts and not at all with their classes.

“Are you alright?” Jack asked. That was always the first thing he always asked these days.

“I am. I’m just, uh… a bit more ghostly than I realized?”

Jack shrugged and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, letting Danny continue at his own pace. 

“Dude, you know he isn’t going to care, in like, a bad way,” Tucker said.

“Trust me, as someone who recently found out you’re half ghost - this is so low on the totem pole for us in terms of new things we’ve learned, it barely registers.” Sam agreed.

“I know! I’m not scared or anything. It’s just… it’s still hard to be open with ghost stuff, y’know?”

“Danno,” Jack said, keeping his voice soft. “Talk to me.”

“We realized I’m able to eat emotions.” Danny admitted.

“Oh. Uh, okay. I’m sure we can watch a lot of sad shows or those scientifically inaccurate shows that make me mad, to make sure you’re getting enough… sustenance? Jazz has always been easily spooked by horror movies, anyway.” Jack said, trying to think of all the ways to safely bring up emotions of fear, anger, and sadness.

“Huh?” Danny said.

“Positive emotions, Mr. Fenton,” Sam piped up, rolling her eyes at Danny. “We realized Danny’s been eating less human food since the three of us found out the truth. He’s spending more time with all of us - who feel positive emotions about him - and he’s been unknowingly absorbing it.”

“Oh!” Danny said, finally understanding the miscommunication. “I’m not like Spectra, who eats negative feelings. I’m the opposite. I guess I just never realized it because I was pushing everyone away.”

“Or it’s a new ghost ability,” Tucker added. When Sam and Danny looked at him in confusion, he shrugged. “Danny, you’ve already told us you’ve occasionally gained new ghost abilities. It might be new.”

“I hadn’t considered that,” Danny frowned. “I don’t know if -“

He was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming open. “Dad?!” Jazz called, a hint of panic to her voice. “I just saw your text, is everything okay?!” She asked, turning the corner out of breath, eyes wide as she took in the scene. She seemed to relax marginally when she saw Danny sitting there. “Sam! Tucker! It’s been so long!” She said, hugging the two of them and then Danny.

“Let me go grab one of the spare chairs,” Jack said, but Jazz stopped him before he got out of his chair.

“I’m fine standing, I’ve been sitting in class all day. So, family meeting?” She said, lingering behind Danny.

“Well, family plus Sam and Tuck.” Danny said, craning his neck slightly to look at her. “But I think you should sit down, Jazz. It’s kinda a big topic.” Danny was out of his seat before Jazz could protest, gently pushing her into the seat he’d abandoned.

“Okay?” Jazz asked hesitantly.

“Okay. Well. Uh…” Danny trailed off, sending a panicked glance to Jack.

Jack just shook his head slightly. “You’ve got this, son.”

"Is everything alright, Danny?" Jazz asked, turning in her seat to grab Danny's hand, concern painted across her face. She glanced over at Jack with an expression he couldn't read.

"So. Uh. Y’know, like, ghosts? How they're a thing?" Danny stumbled.

It took everything Jack had to not laugh at the 'are you serious right now?' look Jazz gave her brother.

Sam and Tucker, however, also saw the look and broke out in laughter.

"Hey, you try telling your sister you're half ghost! It's not easy!" Danny whined before going ramrod straight as Jazz's eyes widened. "I mean, uh, shit, uh, like… that isn't how I meant to tell you."

Jazz just smiled and stood, wrapping her arms around Danny, though she stepped off a little further to the side than necessary, completely blocking Danny from Jack’s view. A frown pulled to Jack’s face. Something about that felt… intentional?

He could only see Jazz’s back as she leaned down closer to her brother and whispered something too low for Jacks to hear, followed by Danny shouting, “You what?”

Jazz looked over her shoulder at her father, seeming to be gauging a reaction from him. He smiled at her, though he was sure she could see the confusion on his face.

“How long have you known?” Danny asked, pulling away from his sister, shocked.

Jazz shrugged, turning her attention back to Danny. “Since the Spectra incident.”

Danny groaned. “I swear to Clockwork, if Mom says she already knew when I tell her, I’m blowing something up!”

“You need an excuse to blow something up?” Tucker quipped.

“Wait,” Jack said. “Jazz, did you already know?”

Jazz sighed and turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. “Yeah. I found out by accident.”

“Dude, how in the hell do you still have a secret identity?” Tucker asked, laughing. Sam thwacked his arm, raising a finger to her lips in the universal sign of ‘shut up!’

“That’s a good question,” Danny grumbled. “Why didn’t you ever tell me you knew I was Phantom, Jazz?”

Again, Jazz watched Jack a moment before answering, and he finally realized why. Jazz had been - and still was - worried about how Jack would react. “At first, I wanted you to want to tell me. So I tried to give you space, help without it being obvious I was helping. After some time passed, though…” Jazz trailed off, biting at her lower lip. “I almost exposed your secret a few times. I’ve never been good at lying. Until this, I didn’t think anyone in this family was capable of keeping a secret. It’s why I haven’t been home a lot and signed up for all those extra classes and study groups.”

Sadness grew in Jack with Jazz’s every word. Had he and Maddie really made both of their children believe they’d hurt one of them for being a ghost? Made both of them afraid of their parents? So much so that Jazz, ever the level headed peacekeeper, who always worked to bring the family back together, decided that letting the family fracture further was the safest option?

Danny had pulled away to keep his secret safe. Jazz had pulled away because she wasn’t sure if she could keep her brother safe.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said hoarsely, staring at both of his kids - the two people he loved more than anything in this world, who he’d die for, who he’d protect until the ends of the Earth. They both looked at him in confusion, though Sam and Tucker looked at him with sympathy. They hadn’t been trusted with the truth either, so they probably understood some of what he felt.

But Jack hadn’t been trusted for much worse reasons. He hadn’t been trusted out of fear that he would torture and kill his son. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“Dad…” Danny said, moving around the table until he was behind Jack, patting him on the shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Jazz pressed her lips together into a thin line and said nothing. She didn’t contradict Danny, at least. They all knew this wasn’t okay, no matter how much Danny was trying to pretend it was.

“Thanks, son,” Jack said halfheartedly. “Well, now that Jazz knows, time to discuss telling the final Fenton.”

“Mom?” Jazz asked. “Are… are we sure that’s safe?”

He paused, staring at the wood grain of the table as he thought.

That had been one of the reasons he’d gone to see Vlad earlier. Maddie had to be told… and Jack needed a back up plan for if she took it poorly. To his immense relief, Vlad had agreed to help, though he had insisted the only reason he was willing to help was because he knew how brilliant Maddie was and she’d connect the dots between Danny’s accident and Vlad’s own.

If the worse came to pass, threats of child protective services being called on the Fenton home should work, and Jack would publically decimate their research as flawed and made up to discredit her or any crazy theories she may spread - including the possibility of her own son being half ghost, if she tried to go to the media with it.

Danny couldn’t leave Amity and Jack would always stay with his son. If it got too bad… Vlad was rich enough to make Maddie disappear and make it look like she left, abandoned their family and their ‘freak’ of a son.

Jack and Vlad had set several contingencies in place, and none of them would he ever admit to either of his kids. As much as it hurt him, as much as it made his heart stutter in grief, if he had to make a choice between his wife and his son, he’d choose Danny, every time.

“Everything will be fine,” Jack lied. “I was afraid at first, too, but I know Maddie, she loves you two. I have no doubt that she’ll accept you, Danno.”

A look passed between Jack and Jazz. The look in her eyes told him that she knew he was lying. The look she sent Danny after told him she’d lie and protect him too, no matter the cost.

Danny seemed to buy it, relaxing slightly at his side. “Guess we should plan how to tell her?”

“Do you want us there, Danny?” Sam asked.

“If nothing else, you can eat our good vibes!” Tucker grinned.

“I’m sorry, eat what?” Jazz asked.

“Oh, your brother recently learned he eats feelings.” Tucker said with a shrug, like it was the most uninteresting thing he'd ever heard. Despite the situation, despite learning that his daughter also feared he'd carve up Danny, Jack grinned, because his son's friends accepted him - and his secret - with open arms.

Jazz sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she took a few deep breaths. “Okay. Okay, that’s fine,” she said before grinning at Danny and ruffling his hair. Danny sent his sister a relieved grin before swatting her hand away, whining about ‘ew, sister cooties!’ and then returning his attention to his friends.

“I think I’d like you guys there for that one, too,” Danny said, his eyes lingering on Tucker and the two sharing a shy smile.

Well, Jack had always wondered which one of his friends Danny would end up dating (if not both of them), and he supposed he’d just gotten his answer.

“I’m thinking we tell her here,” Jack said, deciding he needed to give his son the talk later. Dating is dating and needs to have the talk! “Over dinner. I can disable all the ghost defenses like we did for the time we tested your powers, if you’re worried.”

Danny nodded. “That sounds like a good idea to me.”

Jack could see the fear in his son’s face and he tried to smile, tried to hide his own fear, reassuring himself that he and Vlad had a plan, had it worked out if the worst came to pass.

Danny eventually realized they needed the spare fifth seat and when Jack went to get it, said he would handle it. He was all smiles as he transformed into Phantom, flying intangibly to the other room and back, grabbing the chair. Jack was calmed by the display - his son, in front of people who accepted him, showing off his powers, showing off the thing that had made him so afraid for so long.

If anyone else besides him noticed that Danny’s ears remained slightly pointed when he reverted back to his human half, they kept it as quiet as Jack did.

The pizza finally arrived shortly thereafter and they all settled in to eat. Jack couldn’t help but smile, content as he watched the teens eat and chat. They joked around and goofed off, they talked about school. Danny’s chair was closer to Tucker’s and Jack didn’t miss the smiles the two shared as they discussed video games while Jazz and Sam discussed various activist organizations.

There was an ache deep in his bones as Jack prayed, beyond all hope, for this to become their new normal - his family restored, his son’s friends at his side. So, silently, quietly - Jack prayed.

~~~~~~

Agents Byte and Bit were ready when Operative O showed up, a week later as he’d said. Byte was O’s equivalent in the chain of command on the technological side.

“Byte. Bit.” Operative O greeted.

“O,” the two tech nerds greeted in unison.

“Judging by your presence, I am assuming Bit failed to restore any of the lost data?” O asked, cutting straight to the point as he scowled at Byte.

Bit shuffled slightly, moving slightly behind his boss.

“Unfortunately, when Phantom triggered an electrical surge, all electronics were fried and, as Bit has no doubt explained, we do not keep any offsite backups for security reasons. In layman’s terms - the information has essentially been burned to ash. There is nothing to be done for it,” Byte said, holding himself up straight, trying to look stern and intimidating despite being half a foot shorter than O was.

O growled. “This conversation could have been an email, then. Why did you request a meeting?”

The prosthetic hand clenched into a fist at his side as it sensed his rising anger and O tried to relax it subtly. The prosthesis was extremely experimental, fueled partially by mortal electricity and partially by ectoplasm. It was a genius construction of the two, but ectoplasm was well known for reacting to emotions - and it showed every time O had strong feelings.

Which was quite annoying in times, such as now, when O couldn’t get the fist to relax, which made him frustrated, which just caused the fist to clench tighter. This is all Phantom’s fault! O growled internally, his hatred rising as he gave up on trying to make his hand do what he wanted. He felt like he had no control over his own body, all because that stupid ghost kid had fought back.

“Because we found something else we think you might like,” Byte said, unaware of O’s internal struggle.

“Did you capture Phantom yourselves?” O asked sarcastically.

“No. But we may have an idea to help you catch it. Bit, show him,” Byte said, stepping out of the way.

“Uh, here, look, Operative O,” Bit said, sliding into his seat and pulling up… something with a lot of numbers and shorthand on it that O couldn’t interpret. “We’ve been studying Phantom since its escape. We’ve noticed some changes in the routine it follows in the weeks since the incident, and there have been a few notable ones that may benefit us.”

“Fascinating,” O drawled. “Point?”

“Well, to put it simply…” Bit said, pulling up another file, this one so simple even O could understand it, even if he couldn’t believe it. He didn’t even notice the self satisfied smirk on Bit’s face as he took in O’s shock.

“You’re sure?” O asked in disbelief, rereading the text. “How?”

“We’re not sure, but we’re guessing Phantom has enough intelligence to realize it needed help after escaping our facility and figured out how to get some.”

“And how is this supposed to help me recatch him - I mean, recatch it? This would just complicate things further.”

A devious grin crept onto Bit’s face. “Because we’re noticing Phantom’s been falling back onto this ‘support’ more frequently recently. But this help won’t be available in a few nights,” Bit explained, handing a piece of paper to O, smirking as though he’d just handed over the keys to the Ghost Zone.

And, while that wasn’t what he’d handed O, there was no denying it was a strong second prize. A rare smile crept onto Operative O’s face. “You’re sure?” He asked, glee in his voice. 

“Positive,” Byte confirmed for his agent, lips curved into a cocky smile.

“Perfect. I’ll go brief K and -“ O began, cutting himself off and grimacing at his error. “I mean. I’ll go brief M and get us ready to roll, when the time comes.”

Bit and Byte looked at him sympathetically, but he ignored it - he didn’t do pity, especially pity aimed at him. He was fine.

He wasn’t the one who bled to death under tons of concrete.

O took one final look at the paper before crumpling it in his good hand.

Phantom was about to learn - the hard way - that he should’ve killed O in that blast too. And this paper was going to help O teach the freak that lesson.

#grace writes #danny phantom

[criticalrolenpctournament]

ROUND 5: POLL 1

Propaganda

Gilmore: He's fabulous, he's powerful, he dueled the Cinder King and lived to tell the tale, he's fucking gorgeous, he had a really close relationship with Vox Machina that survived being rejected by Vax romantically, he held the barrier over Whitestone and smushed an assassin and over 30 years later he's still Glorious

Kima: Lady Kima dueled Thordak while he was being sealed into the Plane of Fire. She received equipment directly from Bahamut. She endured privation and torment at the hands of the duergar of Emberhold. And she married Allura Vysoren.

I love that her oath canonically changes from Devotion to Vengeance. Like Thordak came back and she took one look and was like omg fuck that one red dragon in particular and Bahamut went like yeah you go I got your back. Secondly, she is such a good spin on a class that is widely considered somewhat boring and stiff (rp wise, not mechanically)but I feel like the 'lawful good' aspect is usually very polarizing and there's a lot of prejudice towards it being uninteresting? and Kima is such a fresh fucking spin on the lawful good paladin trope? thirdly, Kima getting gifted a cool sword by Grog (a barbarian) in campaign one. Kima lending out that same cool sword to Yasha (a barbarian) in campaign two. I just love Kima and her soft spot for barbarians :D. fourth... ly? Kima is canonically taller than Scanlan, which is interesting because according to the PHB halflings are on average significantly smaller than gnomes, so even if we assume that Scanlan is somewhat short for a gnome, still means that Kima is a TALL halfling. so technically Allura & Kima are not tol & smol, but in fact both tall queens :D

#critical role #critical role npc tournament #critical role npcs #shaun gilmore #kima of vord #lady kima #kima