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#i have injured my calf somehow.
mejomonster · 11 months
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What is it about internal pain that hurts so much more than external pain :c
#rant#asterisk here that i think some people find external pain hurts more#just like. man. i can walk off a tackle. i can limp away with a bruise the size of my head#i dont even feel a slice across my skin externally after a second#which is why i dont realize oh shit i have a cut till i shower later and find a 10 inch long cut down my calf oops#but. internal? god my internal pain SO bad a muscle relaxer. a nerve pain med#and max dose ibprofen and tylenol dont do SHIT#pain so bad that when the pain stops i literally fall s#asleep wherever i am cause the pain relief is so Nice my body is exhausted and just goes to sleep at the chance#i wish bodies let me TURN THE INTERNAL PAIN OFF#like YES body! you alerted me! i get it! im injured somewhere inside! stop telling me now!#its hard to treat it when simply existing hurts so fucking much!#anyway my backs been 8-9/10 pain for a month now and i did ab exercises yesterday#in a desperate attempt to relieve pain after lidocaine patch and muscle relaxer and ibprofen didnt help#and i woke up today at 6 am to period cramps.#and somehow. those period cramps hurt MORE then my back pain#to the point my body didnt even register the back pain. then i took ibprofen for the period#(and 800 mg worked eventually thank fuck) and now i feel the backpain nonstop again great -.-#(to be fair i have. excessively bad period cramps mormally. like make you wanna chainsaw off your abdomen#downward bad level cramps. scream for an hour in super hot bath water with 800 mg ibprofen and a muscle#relaxer pain levels. ToT
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cashmoneyyysstuff · 4 months
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lowkey..just lowkey.. thinkin about waking up one day and seeing dragon! bakugou in your house…accompanied by a giant hole in your wall.
you’re so confused you can barely process it. there’s a handsome man passed out on your floor and from what you can see (which is basically everything since his shirt is torn to shreds) he looks injured. you also live on the third floor so you have no idea how he landed here, but you think the huge sprawled out wings on his back, his tail and those huge reddish horns that scream “ i’m a mythical being !!” might be the reason.
but there is one thing you’re able to think about and that’s how much money will it cost to fix your damn wall??
you call off work. you call it a family emergency because you don’t think “a shirtless man i think might be a demon just blasted through my wall and he looks injured” is gonna fly over well with your boss.
he seems to be able to heal himself because his wounds look better than when you first laid eyes on him and you can see that his skin looks like it’s restitching itself almost, you decide to help him out a bit and at least dress his wounds up the best you can with the little you know about doctor..stuff.
when he comes to though, he acts like you’re the one who knocked him out. he’s snarling and scowling at you, sharp teeth on display while he growls at you from the comfort of your fucking couch. he spits out all types of curses at you, you’re shocked because they come out so naturally. you’d honestly expected him to speak like some type of caveman and for a second you think this is just a very rude man in very convincing cosplay.
he keeps insulting you and he’s a little too good at it, so much so that it actually hurts your feelings a little. he keeps yapping about how if you didn’t let him out this instant he’ll have you grilled and barbecued or how he’d make quick work of you and have you sold to some merchants for a good amount of gold, since you “look like you’re not worth that much.” you’re a little pissed now. you scowl at him and you feel silly for calling off work and not pushing this huge asshole out of your flat and leaving whatever knocked him out to deal with him.
“you’re the one who blasted a hole in my wall, you jerk ! i say i’m the one who should have you sold if you can’t reimburse me for this, asshole ! and if you wanna walk out without a shirt on and get arrested like a creep, the door’s right there.” you don’t care to see him, because you would’ve seen how his eyes widened to the size of saucers at your retorts. you’ve never been more irritated in your entire life when you stalk to your room to get some much needed rest and to fight off the headache you can already feel slamming against your skull. “even demon men are insufferable.” you mutter bitterly before slamming the door.
you somehow managed to fall back asleep because when you open your eyes again it’s about 10 am. you’re frantic for a moment because you think this was somehow just a very vivid dream and you’re so late for work now. you slam your door open wide eyed and your wall is intact.
shit, your boss was gonna let you have it—
you catch something from the corner of your eye. the insufferable demon man is staring..glaring(?) at you but it’s not as intense as earlier,though. and he’s very much still seated on your couch.
“m-my wall..” you trail off. he clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes at you “i fixed it” he gruffs out.
you like how his voice sounds when he isn’t screaming and threatening you, you immediately scold yourself for thinking like that. he stares and keeps staring at you and you can’t decipher what he’s thinking
“oh..” you gasp “thank you.” he clicks his tongue again and looks away from you. just as much of an ass, but you guessed he felt a little bad about your wall, enough to fix it..somehow. you won’t ask for details.
you can’t will yourself to move past your doorframe so you decide to lean on it a little bit, rubbing your fuzzy socked foot against your calf, you catch him staring at the sudden movement before he looks back up at you. “so are you…a demon or something?” he scoffs for what feels like the umpteenth time today “don’t insult me, human.” he snarls then his face relaxes just slightly “m’ a dragon.” he grumbles.
“oh, wow” the little amount of fantasy manga you’ve read could never have prepared you for this.
you thank him for fixing your wall and he glares at you like he’s mad about it. but then he says he owes it to you for healing him. pointing towards his bandage covered chest. you feel your cheeks burn a little and you’re waving him off, telling him it’s no big deal and somehow his brows furrow even harder. “..so ? what do you want from me?” he growls when you tilt your head at him in confusion “don’t play dumb with me, filthy human ! what do you want in exchange for saving me ?”
“ohh…” you moan. then you shrug “i mean, you already fixed my wall, so i don’t really need anything from you, unless you can make my boss give me a promotion.” you giggle at your own joke and you wave him off again when he looks at you questioningly “nevermind.” you giggle.
he ignores you “you don’t want anything..nothing ?” he speaks apprehensively like he expects you to trick him, you shake your head. he looks bothered by it. he lowers his head and his eyebrows furrow in frustration then he growls.
you think maybe, maybe, he’s the type to feel bad whenever they feel like they can’t repay some type of service. you hadn’t noticed he was apparently on death’s door when you bandaged him up before and it makes you sweat drop a little bit, you try your best to shake it off. he stands up to leave, but he glances at you and suddenly his feet have stopped moving like he’s stuck there and he stares. he doesn’t even look mad like you’ve gotten used to him being for the short amount of time you’ve known him, he just looks confused. he stares at you and you stare at him and for a reason that you cannot understand you don’t want him to leave.
“ um !” you shrink into yourself, embarrassed from his gaze and the fact you were suddenly so loud. “well..you can’t exactly go out like this, it’ll be bad for you i think..it might attract attention to see a wounded shirtless guy walking around, people might take you for..i dunno—” you stumble “a crazy, dangerous person ! yeah, and if that happens they might take you away..so..that’d be bad for you, right ?” you hope he doesn’t realize how much you’re bullshitting around for an excuse but he almost seems to humor you when he crosses his arms across his toned chest.
“what do you suggest i do then, human ?” he growls lowly. he stalks towards you slowly, never breaking eye contact. you will yourself to stay with your feet planted firmly to the ground and head held up somewhat high as you stare up at him, damn he’s tall.
“ you stay here until you’re fully healed, if you wanna make it up to me. it would honestly save me so much trouble” it’s the truth. you can’t help but feel bad when the thought of him getting captured or experimented on crosses your mind, even if he is an asshole, but you don’t say that. you hold out your hand for him to shake “deal ?”
he squints at you and stares and you stare back. usually he would’ve stayed true to his threat and burned you alive by now, the trivial lives of humans are none of his concern. and yet for some reason he himself doesn’t know the answer to he stayed, even fixed up your damn wall you were whining about and even considered apologizing to you..which he absolutely never does !
there’s something different about you and he wants to find out what that something is. so, not so begrudgingly he slowly grasps your hand and squeezes lightly. he ignores the tiny voice in his head that tells him how soft and perfect your hand feels in his.
“deal.”
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xxbimbobunnyxx · 3 months
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It was just a dream
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(Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader)
Summary: So this is based on This request that @taintedcigs got and she gave me permission to write it because it’s kind of heavy. The request is based on reader dreaming about crying at Eddie’s grave but I did change it to you having a dream about the day he almost died. That’s just the way it came to me personally. You have a dream about the day Eddie dies, but you wake him in his arms, and he comforts you in every way possible. WK: 3k.
Warnings: In beginning of the fic although it is a dream I do describe Eddie’s death so read with caution if that upsets you, unprotected p in v, love making, fingering, hurt/comfort, Eddie being the sweetest goofball, fluff. 18+MNDI!!
A/N: I’ve never written a single thing where I acknowledge “the scene” or Eddie dying, ever. Like I always write AU with no upside down. But after seeing those photos yesterday I’ve been feeling very emotional and I saw this request and idk it just kinda came to me. I did cry writing it, but it also comforted me a lot. But pls pls read with caution if this might be upsetting for you. Thank you to my lovely @babygorewhore & @bimbobaggins69 for beta reading for me. Sending everybody love.🖤
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The muscles in your legs are screaming and your lungs burn with each step you take. The grey particle filled air feels like it’s filling your organs with each intake of breath. But it’s nothing compared to the tearing feeling in your heart, the anxiety and fear coursing through you pushing your aching body to keep running. The massive bite shaped gash in your calf is a distant sensation as your eyes zero in on the swarm of bats, eagerly searching for any signs of him.
“God fucking damn it, Eddie. Fuck!”
Tears stream down your cheeks and your throat is raw from the curses and screams you’ve been letting out for the last few minutes. At least you think it’s been minutes. It truly felt like it’s been hours since you watched him cut that rope. You screamed so loud you felt like your ear drums were going to burst. You scrambled back through the gate, injured leg be damned.
The minute you hit the ground, you didn’t stop. Not when you heard something in your shoulder crack, not when you heard Dustin screaming after you. You didn’t stop when one of those bats flew directly at you, you just ran faster, jabbing your spear directly into its heart as you went. And you weren’t going to stop. Not until you reached Eddie. You couldn’t. They’d have to kill you first.
The adrenaline in your body continued to push you forward, only a few feet away from the swarm now. You tried your best to focus your eyes through the endless streams of tears falling from them, and it took a few seconds but you finally saw him. Your heart lurched when you saw he was still standing, his shield held above him. It somehow gave you the strength to run faster, your spear slashing through the air at the bats to get to him.
“EDDIE!!!!!!!!!”
His head whips in your direction at the sound of your voice, a shocked look on his face. In the same moment he looks away a bat lunges at his side, taking a large bite out of him, causing him to cry out in pain.
“EDDIE NO!!”
You shove your spear into the bat that’s latched onto him and it lets out a shriek as it dies. Your relief is short lived because there’s a sudden stabbing pain in your already stinging shoulder and another one in your bicep.
“BABY!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! FUCK!”
Eddie can’t believe you’re here, you weren’t supposed to follow him. He knew he wasn’t making it out of this, and now he was going to take you with him. He never should’ve cut that rope. He slams his spear against the bat on your shoulder, while you shove your nails into the one on your bicep. But it’s no use, you’re surrounded. Every time you get one off, two more are on you, and he’s starting to feel weak.
In that moment he does the only thing he can think to do, he wraps his arms around you, tackling you to the ground. His covers his body with yours, his arms on each side of your head, his face hovering above yours so your eyes can meet.
“I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” Tears fall from his eyes and onto your cheeks, pooling together with the ones leaving your own eyes.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” You soothe him, your bloodied hands reaching up to cradle his face. His eyes are shut now, his body tensing over and over as he uses it to shield yours against the bats attacks. “At least we are together, yeah? Kiss me.”
He obligees, his dirty sweat stained lips meeting yours in a desperate kiss. He kisses you over and over until he physically can’t anymore. His head lulling to the side against your chest. You hold onto him for dear life, barely even feeling the chunks you’re sure are being taken out of your forearms. You feel like it’s never going to end, until suddenly it does. The attacks all stop at once, a chorus of thuds sounding around you. Then you hear Dustin’s voice calling your names, it’s distant, but it’s there.
“Eddie, Eddie, they’re dead.” You shake him slightly and he groans. “You gotta get off me so I can take a look at you baby.”
“Oh my god!! Are you guys okay!?” You see Dustin’s panicked face standing over you and you wish you had it in you to make a sarcastic remark about how you’re obviously not, but you don’t.
“Dustin! Help me, help me roll him over, please.” You practically beg him, your sobs still haven’t stopped, the shallowness of Eddie’s breath taking away any relief you felt about the bats being gone.
Dustin bends down, rolling Eddie off you as carefully as he can. Eddie whimpers when his back hits the ground and you immediately shoot up right, leaning over him.
“Eddie, sweetie, can you look at me?”
“Bad, huh?” He groans, a slight smirk still somehow present on his face.
“No no, Eddie you’re gonna be okay.” Dustin is on his knees how, trying to access Eddie’s injuries through his panic.
“I didn’t run away this time, right?” Your heart breaks at the sound of his voice, this can’t be fucking happening.
“No, baby, you didn’t. But we’re gonna get you okay of here, okay?” You grab rub your thumbs over his temples, resting your forehead against his.
“Yeah, we just gotta get you to a hospital, come on, you guys gotta get up.” Dustin begs, tears fall from his eyes and it breaks your heart even more. You hate that he has to see this.
“I just… I need a second.” Eddie groans, his hand weakly reaches for your face, cupping it like he’s done a thousand times before, like you’re scared he will never do again. “I love you, I love you so much baby. You’re my everything, I’m so sorry.”
“I love you Eddie, I love you. It’s gonna be okay don’t apologize because it’s gonna be okay.” You rub your nose against his, he feels cold and his breathing is more shallow than ever.
“Dustin…” he turns to his young friend with a found smile. “You’re gonna have to look after those little sheep for me, okay?”
“No, no, you’re gonna do it yourself” Dustin’s sobs cause a new wave of your own to wrack through your body, shaking every bone.
“Nah man… you’re gonna do it for me…” Eddie smiles, patting Dustin’s cheek with all his strength. “Baby girl… you’re gonna be okay, okay? I’m … so sorry. I love you.”
His hands start to slip from both of your faces, his eyes falling shut.
“Eddie? Eddie!! No, no, no, no. Baby stay with me.” You shake his face, but this time you get no response. Your hands clutch onto his hair, your head falling to his chest. “NO!!! NO! NO NO NO NO!!! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!!! EDDIE NO!!!”
You feel like the world is shaking around you, you feel like your heart is being ripped from your chest. You can’t lose him. You feel warm hands on your shoulders shaking you as someone says your name over and over again. You push them off. You aren’t leaving him. They’ll have to leave you here.
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“Baby!!!! Wake up!!!! You’re dreaming, it’s a dream, I’m here.” Eddie’s voice finally gets through to you, and your dream hazed mind vaguely starts to recognize the feeling of his arms around you. You come back into your waking body slowly and then all at once, shooting straight up with a shriek.
You look around the room panting, it’s still dark, and you’re in bed. With Eddie. Eddie is alive. He didn’t die. The others got to you in time. You’re in your new fancier than you ever imagined, government tip off home. That you share with Eddie and Wayne. Eddie is alive. You start to repeat the mantra that’s become all to familiar to yourself in your mind as you feel strong arms wrap around you from behind.
“It’s okay baby, you’re okay, I’m here. It’s just a dream.” Eddie soothes you, pulling you into his lap so he can cradle you. He rocks back and forth, his hands running over every part of you, he makes sure to keep his grip strong, remembering that you said it makes you feel grounded. It makes you feel like he’s really here.
“Oh Eddie, it was so real. It was like I was really there again.” You sob into his bare chest as your hands desperately caress his skin. Some of it still has the same smooth texture you always remembered, most of it is rough from scars. But it’s just another thing that grounds you to reality, another reminder that he’s real and the dream wasn’t.
“I know sweetheart, I know. But it’s okay, I’m here, I’m always going to be here for you. I’m so sorry.” Eddie’s crying now, the guilt of leaving you, of putting you through this plagues him constantly. The dreams aren’t every night like they used to be, they’ve finally started to space out after almost a year. But it still pains him deeply that he put you through this. That on nights like this you scream out for him, because of him.
“It’s okay Eddie, it’s okay.” Your hands loop around his neck, pulling him close. You hate that he beats himself up, you understand why he did it and you’re just glad he’s alive, glad he’s here with you. But your unconscious mind couldn’t seem to get the memo. No matter how much you understood, no matter how much mental and physical healing you did in the waking hours, the dream always found its way back to you. “I love you. So much. I love you so much Eddie.”
“I love you baby, more than anything.” He wanted to apologize again, until his lungs gave out, but he knows you hate it when he does that. That you’ll just tell him there’s nothing to be sorry for, even though he will always feel like there is. So he does what he always does, he decides to show you how sorry he is without his words. To remind you how here he truly is.
He cups your face in his hands gently, like you’re porcine glass that could break at any moment. He rests his forehead against yours, just reveling in the feeling of being close to you. He takes deep breaths and you follow, you’re basically breathing each other's air but you don’t even care, you want it that way. He kisses you sweetly, once, twice, three times. The fourth kiss is more firm, but still so gentle. Your fingers lace through his hair as you shift your body so you're straddling him. His tongue softly licks across your bottom lip and you immediately grant him access, tangling it with your own.
He kisses you leisurely, his tongue exploring every inch of your mouth as his hands roam your body. Your thin tank top is the only thing separating your skin from his but it feels like the thickest winter coat right now so you break the kiss to quickly pull it over your head. You press your chest against his, his skin against yours feels like a breath of fresh air and you sigh at the feeling.
“My beautiful girl, you’re so beautiful, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” His brown eyes are soft and filled with love as they look into yours. He gives you a gentle kiss before his lips start to travel down your jaw and neck. Gentle caresses of his lips and flicks of his tongue pull breathy gasps and needy moans from you. “Let me show you how much I love you.”
“Yes Eddie, please.” It’s all you need right now, you need him as close to you as possible in every way. You need him.
“Lay back for me baby.”
You oblige, rolling off him and onto your back. You situate your head on the pillows and he climbs over you with a sweet smile on his face.
“Look at you, you think I’d ever leave someone as sexy as you? Not a chance baby.” He leans down and kisses you, his ringed hand caresses your inner thigh and you shiver. He brings it to your core, running his knuckles along your underwear covered slit. “I don’t think I could go a day without you.”
“You went like… almost two months without me when we were healing.”
“Shhh… that’s besides the point, that was like forced, doctor ordered, celibacy and it was almost more torture than the healing process. Don’t remind me of the dark times, babe.” You giggle at him, your heart warming at him just being Eddie. He stayed that way, laughing and joking, making D&D references through it all.
“You’re so dramatic. But, you’re not wrong. I missed you so bad when I couldn’t have you.”
“You can have me now babe, all the time, forever, whenever you want. I’m not going anywhere.” He smirks at you as he pulls your panties down your legs, you kick them off your ankles and spread your legs for him. He groans at the sight of your slick pussy, bringing two long fingers and running them through your lips. You moan and your back arches off the bed when he inserts them inside you, immediately curving them to hit that perfect spot.
“Fuck.” His fingers thrust in and out of you at the perfect pace, his thumb comes up to circle your clit and he leans down to place gentle wet kisses along your throat. “Oh god.”
“Yeah baby? Is that good? You gonna cum for me?” His fingers speed up and he gently nips at that spot on your neck that makes you crazy, his cock ruts against your thigh and it sends you over the edge. Your body tensing underneath him as moans rip out of you. “That’s it, good girl.”
He fucks you through your high, only pulling his fingers from you when he feels your body relax. He holds eye contact with you as he inserts the digits into his mouth, sucking your juices off them with a groan.
“Eddie… I need to feel you, please.” You reach for the band of his sweatpants, tugging at the material.
“No need to beg sweets, I’ve got you, I’m gonna take care of you.” He pushes his pants off, freeing his cock and taking it into his hand, stroking it a few times. He runs the tip through your slick folds, bringing it up to circle your clit before slowly pushing inside you. Once his hips are flush against yours he connects your lips again, kissing you passionately.
“Oh fuck, Eddie. Yes.” He starts to roll his hips, not pulling out of you, just reveling in the feeling of being inside you. You clutch onto his back, pulling him down fully on top of you, just wanting to feel his weight on you.
“Mmm you feel so good, so so good, pussy is always so good for me.” He’s kissing every inch of you he can reach, your cheeks, eyelids, neck, collar bones. He finally pulls his hips back, slowly pulling his cock almost all the way out of you before shoving it deep inside you again. He repeats this action a few times before thrusting into you deep and hard. He still has his weight on you, and he’s not fucking you fast, just taking his time feeling every single part of you. With his hands, his cock, his lips,
“Eddie, I love you, I love you, you feel so good.”
“I love you so much baby girl, more than anything, I love fucking you.” He picks up the pace a little, his hand snakes between your bodies so he can rub your clit.
“Oh fuuuuck, yes, Eddie I’m - I’m gonna cum soon.”
“Yeah, cum for me, I wanna see your beautiful face when you cum undone on my cock.”
His lips crash against yours, his tongue immediately licking into your mouth, he’s hitting that perfect spot over and over again and his fingers continue to circle your clit. It’s all so good, and it sends you over the edge. Your orgasm crashes over you, you let out needy moans and gasps against Eddie’s mouth as your pussy clenches around him. He pulls away so he can see your face, and the sight has him spilling inside of you. He falls forward, his face buried in your neck. He places gentle kisses there in between panting breaths.
The position reminds you of the dream, the memory really, but this time it doesn’t sting, because Eddie is alive. He’s alive and he’s panting on top of you for the best reason, instead of the worst.
“Thank you.” You sigh, wrapping your arms around him, squeezing him tight. “I’m sorry for waking you up.”
“Psh! Don’t be sorry, I got to be here for my girl and I got to have bomb sex? Seems like a win win to me.” You feel him smile against your neck and it makes you laugh.
He rolls off of you onto his back, and you have to push the thoughts of that day from your mind again but you don’t have long to think about it because he’s pulling you into his chest, running his hands down your back and placing a kiss on the top of your head before your mind can fully go there.
“But in all seriousness, don’t be sorry, okay? You know I’m always here for you. No matter what. Especially on nights like this. I’m all in, always. I fucking love you so much. I’m not going anywhere.” He puts his fingers under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. He smiles at you sweetly, placing a kiss on your nose, then your lips.
“I love you Eddie. I’m always here for you too. I’m never letting you go. Ever.”
You nuzzle into his chest, just happy to feel him. Just happy he’s alive. You might both be scarred, mentally and physically, and they might not ever fully heal. But at least you’ll always have each other.
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thecruellestmonth · 10 months
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Bruce & Jason fic recs: sweet and bittersweet
Some of the best sweet and sweet-and-sad fan fiction featuring the bond between a Good Batdad and his scrappy birdson.
>Sweet - light and fluffy, minimum hurt with maximum comfort
"Call Me Hopeless" by incogneat_oh - Bruce says good night to Jason and Dick.
"Alternative Means of Acquisition" by Imbecamiel - In which Bruce Wayne arm-wrestles Lex Luthor.
"home is such a lovely place" by evanescent - Jason's first time sneaking out to patrol doesn't go as planned. (He didn't mean to get sick, alright?)
"White Christmas" by LemonadeGarden - Jason's been in the manor for a few months now. Bruce is a pretty cool guy, sure, but he's not exactly sure what to expect from him. And then they go to Siberia in the winter on a case. It goes horribly wrong, and then pretty well.
"Not Guilty, Sir" by incogneat_oh - Robin smoked.
"Safe Space" by Cerusee - Turns out, Bruce and Jason aren’t quite on the same page about who’s parenting whom. Bruce is going to need to clear some things up.
"Sold to Wonder Woman (by my evil adoptive father Batman)" by JeanjacketCarf - Jason writes some fan fiction. It's totally not a self-insert.
"Mint Chocolate Chip" by LemonadeGarden - Summer vacations have been going on just long enough for Jason to start getting bored, when he gets an unexpected visitor. From the future.
"Cookies And The End of The World" by AnActualCrow - Jason has a bad day at school. Alfred and Bruce make him feel better.
"I Love You" by DetectivePrettyBoy - Jason wants to tell Bruce that he loves him.
"don't take your guns to town" by kreestar - batman comes home from a night patrolling to find a 10 year old jason todd waiting for him in his kitchen. across gotham, at the same time, red hood is stopped by a 25 year old bruce wayne.
"The legends and the myths" by orphan_account - Jason Todd is the best liar Bruce's ever met. Jason Todd is the worst liar Bruce's ever met.
"Growing Like A Breeze" by whaleofatime - April 27th isn't anyone's favourite date, but it's somehow worse than usual today when Bruce gets his car stolen. It's nice of Red Hood to come to his rescue. Nicer even that Jason keeps him company afterwards.
"Rise Up With The Sun" by blacklettered - His son came home on a Wednesday evening and Bruce did not call for the slaughter of the fattened calf but it was a close thing. Jason quietly decides to come home, and Bruce is quietly delighted. (Also there's a bunch of freaky Edgar Allan Poe shit happening in the background because lowkey Jason Todd is a revenant who walks the earth as if living and yet remains irrevocably connected to the forces of death and decay—but that's not as important.)
"Bet on it" by Lysical - Damian asks Jason for a favor.
"homerun" by someplacewarm - Bruce backs out from a baseball game with Jason last minute. They handle it just about as well as they handle anything else: bad, then better.
"the reflex" by TheResurrectionist - Jason takes a smoke break.
"Boof" by strikeyourcolors - When Bruce finds Jason turned into a dog in an alley, he tries to take care of him. He didn't plan on getting along so well with this canine form…or getting so emotional.
"Late Night Langoustining" by whaleofatime - Jason steals a live lobster from a supermarket.
"bred in decency and order" by OkayAristotle - Bruce cuddles his giant son. (Contains brief vomiting.)
"Sealing the deal" by orphan_account - In which Bruce Wayne is kidnapped and it’s somehow not the most difficult part of anyone’s day.Or, in which Jason Todd is a selkie.
"Plus-One" by Goldmonger - All the kids were permitted to bring a guest to the gala. Dick brought Barbara, Tim brought Bernard, Duke brought Ana, Cass brought Steph, Damian brought Jon, and Jason brought a forty-year-old 6’6” man with no sense of personal boundaries. Bruce is getting too old for this nonsense.
"the road home" by drakefeathers - Set during Lost Days. An injured and exhausted Jason succumbs to homesickness.
"the clay steals the clay" by zipadeea - Bruce discovers that Jason is alive in the sweetest, funniest way possible.
>Bittersweet - sweet mixed with melancholy, lots of hurt with some comfort; may contain mentions and depictions of child death
"Beneficiary" by sirsparklepants - The beneficiaries of the estate of Jason Todd.
"bird of winter" by knowsphere - Damian meets a ghost. Based on the short story "The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth" at the end of Batman: Gotham Knights #34.
"A Proper Goodbye" by ceemobster - The emergence of the Red Hood throws Bruce into disarray, and then Jason pays him a visit. The epilogue of the "Under the Red Hood" story... set after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
"this gun needs no bullets" by sacrr - A true Knight is made, not born. Or: the story of Jason Todd. [Batman: Arkham Knight]
"when you were young you used to dream about fires" by someplacewarm - Bruce travels back in time and finds himself in Jason's childhood home. Things aren't easy, but they were never this hard.
"through the valley of the shadow" by Goldmonger - Jason gets kidnapped and tortured. He rescues himself, partly.
"a little bit louder now" by mx_chrx99 - A mission gone awry, too many memories, too much blood, and not enough time. Bruce races to save a son he couldn't save before.
"Haunting" by the_authors_exploits - A child dies of neglect on the streets of Crime Alley; even then, the Batman won't give up on him.
"rip up the floorboards" by orphan_account - Content warning for non-graphic discussions of past CSA. When Jason was young and starved, he hid something like a corpse in his own body. Hurt/comfort.
"Wayward Birds" by LanternWisp - Featuring hilariously crunchy overbearing parent Bruce, who forbids his kid from consuming coffee or dairy.
"Moderation" by orphan_account - In which the Riddler accidentally saves the city a few years early by helping rescue Robin II from Joker’s clutches. Out of pure and vicious spite. [Arkhamverse]
"You're Just A Baby, You Can Not Fly" by BabblingBookends - Batman visits Jason's grave to say goodbye to his partner.
"To See the Stars" by lurkinglurkerwholurks - Jason and Bruce go for a hike.
"Younger Bruce, Older Jason - Shorter Fic" by whatomen
"Knock On Death's Door" by CastleGachi - Red Hood rescues a wounded Batman.
"here in our house, reminders of you" by jesamnelovelace - A Christmas present from Jason becomes Bruce's closest connection to his son after his death.
"a broken piece of what we used to be" by Cerusee - Bruce and Jason messily yet lovingly deal with the ramifications of Damian's resurrection and Nightwing's supposed death.
"Mask Of Blood" by Kieron_ODuibhir - When Jason is trapped in the past, Bruce turns to Jason Blood for help.
"By Any Other Name" by ManURonaldo - Jason thinks of Bruce and Batman as separate people.
"Someone That Hates To See Me Go" by AutumnHobbit - Or, how Jason realizes his family wants him to live, and how he realizes he does, too. (Oprah voice) Your fave gets hurt/comfort! And your fave gets hurt/comfort! They all get hurt/comfort!
"through death and time" by sparkycap - After a mission that takes Batman and Nightwing back twenty years in the past, they end up with time to kill. Bruce does what he does best: he finds a kid. Luckily this one is already his.
"Mighty" by Sparkypants - Five things Bruce taught Jason when he took him in, and one thing Jason taught Bruce.
"it's always sunny in coast city" and "the alignment of the planets, and of you and i" by atlasky - In which Uncle Hal Jordan loves Jason, but Bruce absolutely adores him with every fiber of his being.
"Trapped" by lurkinglurkerwholurks - Bruce and Jason end up trapped in a collapsed building. Jason really dislikes being buried alive.
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twigg96 · 9 months
Text
Into the Darkness, I become Stronger
Daryl X Injured! Reader
Time frame: The Prison (Slight Cannon Divergence)
Pronouns: She/her, You, Your, [Y/N]
Warnings: Blood, Gunshot, Kidnapping, Hostage situation, swearing, POV switching, Nonsexual intimacy, Sexual Intimacy,
Summary: When you and Phoenix go out to pick Elderberries for the Prison, a man from another group attacks you and knocks you out. Dragging you to a clearing in the woods he makes his demands. He wants to know about the prison and claims he and his people don't want to hurt anyone, but will in order to survive. He claims they need weapons and in order to get them... he's taking your daughter Phoenix as collateral.
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It was just supposed to be a simple foraging expedition. Nothing major so you had only brought your knife and a few buckets to carry the berries in. Nothing you've never done on your own before. Hell even before the turn you had done this. You and Hershel had noticed the Elder Berry bushes growing near a creek several days prior on your way back to the prison after a walk to clear some of the walkers that had piled against the fence. You were fairly certain you were still visible from those on watch at the prison… you never would have left by yourself if you hadn’t been sure. You most certainly would never have taken Phoenix with you if you had known what was about to happen. But now, bound and gagged you glared at the attacker who snuck up so easily on you both. Who hit you while your back was turned and slung you over his shoulder like you were a sack of potatoes. The same asshole who played and talked so easily to your too trusting four-year old daughter... You sat watching on wondering if and when the others would take notice of your absence. How long had it been now? 10 minutes? Four hours? God time felt like an eternity yet moving so fast you couldn’t comprehend it. “Why is my momma tied up and bleedin'?” Phoenix asked timidly, her voice dripping with a fear that broke through your thoughts and brought you back to reality. A bead of sweat dripped down your face mixing with the blood from your fresh wounds that stung the cut as you watched her with worried eyes. “Because…” the man muttered, pulling Phoenix’s attention back towards himself as he handed her a fully clothed Barbie with matted blonde hair. It was a toy she refused to part with after her father returned home with it several months ago. Poor Barbie somehow managed to end up naked with no hopes of getting dressed by herself or your daughter. It was always up to the adults to help her change the doll into her new more fashionable outfit Phoenix had stored in her pockets and backpack. Your captor… while patient with Phoenix, seemed to also be having fun at your expense. He was watching you intensely, grinning at the way your tears intermingled with the blood that flowed from the fresh wound at your temple. “You’re mommy doesn’t like to listen.” The man muttered standing to his full height. He was tall... taller than you had initially thought, putting to rest any ideas you had of simply taking him down from where you sat. He had a long scar covering the left side of his face that crawled down his throat and a tattoo of an anchor on his left calf. Walking around your daughter you watched him carefully as he glared hatefully into your eyes once he was hidden behind her back. “You see,” the man paused as if to think about his words, placing his hands on either one of Phoenix's shoulders before speaking again. “I really needed to know something important. But your mommy doesn’t want to talk. She tried to hurt me.” The man growled indicating to his limp and stab wound he bore in his right thigh that just missed his artery. Lucky bastard got off easy. “So…” the man muttered, pulling his pistol from his hostler he pointed the gun at the back of Phoenix’s head. “I thought a time out after a real long walk would help mommy want to talk. If not… there is always… incentive.”
The clicking of the hammer sent icy chills down your spine. Your eyes widened and it was as if time itself was at a standstill. Every dust particle that blew past your face, every leaf that tumbled in the wind, every hair that stuck to your skin, every bead of sweat that dripped from your face seemed to stop in time as you stared at the man holding the gun to your daughter's head. Phoenix was a ghostly pale color as she realized exactly what was going on. Her terrified gaze trained on you waiting for you to tell her what to do next. You could only hope that someone was nearby... that the unfamiliar area to you was only slightly off the beaten path of the normal route your husband took when out on a run and he would find you if no one else would. But the silence of the woods was deafening. Swallowing the thick lump in your throat you shook your head, letting the fat tears you were holding back fall to your thighs. "Awe come on now darlin'." God you hated the way that word fell so easily out of that bastard's mouth. "Don't cry over something that ain't happened yet. You can prevent this. Just think long and hard about how many people you got in your camp... How many people ya love there... Ya don't want them to get hurt. So when I come over to ya and remove your gag. I want ya to tell me just what all you got in your camp. How many weapons and bullets. How many people. How much food... water. And tell me the truth... Because if you lie... trust me... we'll find out about it." You nodded in compliance, the sick feeling of fearful shivers coursing through your body making you feel weak. As the man stepped towards you, the barrel of his gun remained trained on Phoenix's head. "Don't worry sweetheart. Just keep playin' with yer dolls." He muttered, softly turning his attention to you as he pulled the coarse material from your mouth. "Now talk." You wanted to scream... to fight back. To break the bonds that held you like the superhero your daughter believed you were and defeat the evil that currently held you. But you knew better. Any retaliation would result in her death. He had the advantage. So you lied. Strategically. "W-we don't have much..." You muttered, your voice gruff and cracking due to fear and thirst. "Well I want to know about what you do have not what you don't." The man growled. You nodded glancing at your daughter before continuing. "We have about eight people... and maybe a gun for each person..." You lied straight through your teeth. The prison was well fortified with weapons Rick and the others had found before the fall of Woodbury. There were lots of people now too. A whole community. Phoenix's uncle Merle. Her father, Daryl. Everyone you cared about. You weren't about to sacrifice them all when you had a chance to outwit this guy... And the man seemed to buy it. Nodding along with every word. "So only eight people and eight guns to clear out the entire prison?" He asked seriously. You shook your head no. Another lie. "No. We have just been living in one of the smaller cell blocks. It was too difficult to clear anything more. Too many walkers." The man hummed looking from you to the ground in thought as if he was considering your words carefully. "Alright... tell your people we want six of your weapons." He growled turning the barrel of his gun on you now. "We'll let you have two for self defense... living in a prison must be dangerous especially with a little one." He muttered looking back at Phoenix with a soft gaze. Stepping around you, the man pulled out a knife and cut the bonds that held your hands. Your wrists were red and raw as you held them in front of yourself, rubbing them gingerly. "Luckily for you, you won't need to worry about her tonight." The man's words cut deep and sent another wave of sick fear through you. Looking up you watched as he held a hand out to your daughter who looked frozen in place. "Come on sweetie. It's time to pack up and go. Mommy has business to attend to. She'll come get you in the morning. We get to have a sleep over."
It was instinctual. You moved to fast to your feet and stumbled, your body too weak from the blow it had taken earlier and your blood not ready to pump so fast. It made your vison falter and fade, darkening as if you were about to pass out. Pain. Pain was all you felt after the shockingly loud bang of the gunshot. Pain that radiated through your left leg and up into your core. Pain that was all consuming and powerful. You didn't even realize you were screaming until the ringing in your ears had subsided. "I really didn't want you to do that..." The man growled stepping up to where you laid, holding tightly to Phoenix's wrist as she tugged hard to get away. "But I guess we can say we're kind of even now... right?" He hissed pulling your daughter, your world out of sight, her screams echoing in your tired mind as your vison went in and out of focus until suddenly you were seeing and hearing nothing at all. Visons of your life played on repeat in your mind like flashes in a movie theater. Your first ever memory. Your favorite memory with a sibling. Your first pet. The first time you met your husband Daryl as a young teen in high school. Skipping behind the bleachers with him during prep rallies and school assemblies just to talk and share things with each other you couldn't with anyone else... which eventually evolved into sweet secretive kisses. The first time you touched each other sensually. The night he proposed under the light of the full moon near the lake you both more time at than your homes. The day you both eloped deciding that traditional marriage was too... well traditional for you both. The day you told him you were pregnant and the day you both realized how scared of the future you both were. The day you told Merle and the way your husband's brother's face lit up as he touched your tummy and felt Phoenix kick against his hand. The day you gave birth. The moment everything changed and you realized that you hadn't known real fear until the turn. Blinking awake you winced at the pain that still ebbed through your entire body. You had so much to live for. So much to fight for... You didn't know how long you were out but you refused to let yourself give up there. Crawling to your feet you stood on shaky legs and began to stumble in the direction of where you believed the road could be. The sun was falling low in the sky and you knew darkness would soon follow. You only hoped Daryl would be home when you got there.
Hours passed before you ever reached a paved road that looked vaguely familiar. But you were sure to use your knife to carve symbols on trees that you passed so that you could get back to the spot you were at when you left to make the trade the next morning. Trade... God the word made you sick and brought a vile taste to your mouth. Trade was a word for goods and services... not humans and children... The sky had just turned dark and the moon had risen in the sky by the time you reached the prison gates. The walkers that had piled up were taken care of in the beginning of the night so as you approached you simply waited for whoever was on duty to open the gates. It didn't take long for Carl to come running over. "[Y/N]!" He screamed pulling the chain with a small grunt letting you quite literally tumble into the prison grounds with a soft whine. You felt his warm hands on your shoulders then heard the boy curse for the first time. You wanted to laugh but the pain was simply overwhelming. "[Y/N] where's Phoenix?" He asked panic dripping from his voice. But you could only sob. "I- Daryl." You got out. "I need Daryl." You gasped, trying to stand as a disheveled Glenn and Maggie came sprinting from the guard tower. "Jesus what happened?!" Maggie screamed rushing to your side. Carl shook his head. "Don't know... I'm going to get Hershel and my dad." He muttered sprinting off to the prison door. "Where's Daryl? I need Daryl." You whined, doubling over on yourself and falling to your knees as you tried to walk up the steep incline to the prison. "[Y/N]! Please be careful!" Maggie cried trying to assess your wounds. "Daryl? He's inside right now, I can get him for you if you need me too." Glenn offered and with a small nod he sprinted up the hill.
Daryl's POV~~~
It was quiet inside the prison. Eerily so. Daryl couldn't get a wink of sleep without you and Phoenix by his side. So instead he focused on sharpening the points of his arrows as he sat on the mattress he shared with you and your daughter up in the loft. Merle perched himself on the top step leaning on the railing. He seemed busy sharpening his own knife but Daryl knew better. He knew Merle was keeping an eye on him. Making sure he was ok with you gone, with you missing for so long. "So ya say this place has a stocked kitchen?" Merle asked softly, adjusting the way his right foot rested against the opposite railway. Daryl hummed providing a swift nod in response. "Think that wife of yours will make us hotcakes like she used to when she gets back?" Daryl blinked looking up at Merle's shit eating grin. Shaking his head he couldn't help but chuckle. He knew Merle was joking but he could still tell Merle was worried about you. "I'm sure if you ask nicely she will." Daryl muttered, placing his arrow back in it's quiver. Merle nodded smiling brightly at Daryl. "Good... I missed havin' hotcakes."
The loud unexpected bang of the front door to the prison slamming open shook Daryl into action. Jumping to the edge of the loft he peered down at Carl who was trying to catch his breath. Walking through the hall of the prison he adjusted his hat on his head as he stuck his head in his dad's cell and a few words were uttered which Daryl couldn't quite catch. As Carl got closer now with Judith in his arms Daryl leaned down catching out of the corner of his eye as Merle hoisted himself up to stand along side him. He watched Carl pop into Hershel and Beth's cell and he thought... for a moment he was dropping the tike off for a while as he and Rick went to deal with something... but as Rick stepped out of the cell and bolted out of the prison and Carl followed suite with Hershel hot on his heels, Daryl got a sick uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Jogging down the steps of the loft, he heard Merle huff but knew he wouldn't say much in protest. Not when it was you and Phoenix out there... not when so much was at stake. Glenn met him at the bottom of the steps, a grim expression and blood covering his hands. "Daryl..." He muttered softly. Dread filled Daryl's soul as he shook his head. "Hey... Let me go first..." Merle muttered softly, placing his hand on Daryl's shoulder. In a strange way it was grounding to know Merle was there. To know that if... if what he thought could possibly be outside Merle would handle it. Because Daryl knew deep in his soul he couldn't do it. He wasn't Rick... He couldn't handle it alone. As Glenn glared at his older brother something snapped inside himself. "He doesn't need you, Merle." Glenn hissed. Merle huffed but backed off like a dog scolded. "Hey! Don't fuckin' tell him nothin'!" Daryl growled stepping into Glenn's face. He knew he was in the wrong. He knew he was out of line. But his emotions were high. He'd ask for forgiveness later. Letting Merle skirt past him he kept his face as stoic as he could hold it as he walked passed Glenn and he followed his elder brother out into the yard to face his fear. Light shined down on Hershel and Rick as they examined the crumpled body of a woman laying in the yard. Beaten... battered... bleeding and broken... With no child... no Phoenix. Daryl wanted to scream. To cry. To break. Not his little girl... not his Phoenix. Not their baby... Not when he fought so hard to get them here. Not after everything he's seen. Not after Sophia... He couldn't loose her. He felt himself freeze for a moment. Hoping... praying that maybe if it happened if she was bit, you took care of it. He couldn't do it. But as you screamed out the doctor pulling a bloody rag from your leg he knew now wasn't the time to freeze or break down. [Y/N] needed him. His fucking wife needed him right fucking now. Daryl ran to your side as fast as he could his heart shattering as he every whimper and scream you uttered.
Your POV~~~~
You watched as Maggie poured some of the water from her canteen onto an old rag she held. Gently she swiped the now dried blood from your face before ushering you to lay flat in the grass. "I need ta look at your leg." She said softly, lifting your leg onto her own folded ones as she sat cross legged. Her fingers skimmed the underside of your thigh and with a sigh she shook her head as Rick came into view. "How is she?" He asked kneeling beside you he lit an oil lamp that was much too bright for the headache you didn't realize you had until now. Maggie shook her head but didn't say a word simply holding pressure to your leg as looked over other parts of your bruised body. "Rick..." You tried to talk but he shushed you placing a cool wet cloth across your forehead and his knees under your head. "Just rest..." He whispered softly, his fingers rubbing circles into your temples and easing the migraine. Although he looked around, the question was never asked of where Phoenix was and it killed you. Carl and Hershel were by your side before you knew it, Merle and Daryl not far behind. Like the blink of an eye and you had to wonder if you passed out or if they really were just fast. You couldn't hold back your emotions anymore at the sight of your husband. He looked like he was holding on by a thread. "Good evening [Y/N]." Hershel muttered, squeezing your free hand softly, letting Daryl take it from him as your husband took his place beside Rick. "How is she?" Hershel asked Maggie as he slowly knelt to the ground beside you. God that question was really starting to get old... Maggie shook her head once more. "She's got a lot of superficial cuts and nicks. But she was shot in the leg... it's still bleeding and didn't go the whole way through." She said confidently. "Holy... who the fuck shot ya?" Merle growled. You couldn't see him from over everyone else's head's but from the sound of it, he was pacing in frustration. A Dixon trait. "I-I don't know." You said softly finally letting the tears fall and sobs let loose. Covering your face with your arm you let yourself sob openly. "[Y/N]. You need to calm down." Maggie instructed pressing down on your leg harder to stop the flow of new blood. You could feel Daryl squeezing your hand and leaving soft wet kisses as his own tears met the back of your hand with fears that went unsaid. "Daryl I-I'm so sorry." You managed to whisper, pulling back your arm to meet his blue eyes. You felt your husband tense in your grasp but kept speaking. You had to let him know... "He took her. He took her before I could do anything-" Rick shuffled beneath you and you watched as he and Daryl shared a look. "He? What do ya mean he? The Governor?" Merle asked in rapid fire succession. You softly shook your head. "No... I- I don't know. He came at us from behind. Says he's in a group but I didn't get a name from him... I don't think their big. And I don't think they know about the prison." You said looking up at Rick. "He wanted to know about what we had. What weaponry... food... people." Meeting Daryl's worried eyes you continued. "He never hurt Phoenix. Not that I could see... He's using her as a bargaining chip. He wants six guns, I told him we only had eight. So he said we can keep two. He wants to... trade for her at the same spot he held her and I today." Daryl seemed to relax only slightly, taking a deep breath he leaned close to you, kissing your forehead gently and caressing your cheek softly. "Ya did good, Sunshine. Ya got home. Now let me take care of bringin' our baby home." His breath was but a whisper on your skin but it felt so soft and comforting all the same.
Hershel sighed pulling his kit closer to himself. "Do you think it hit bone?" He asked seriously. "Maybe." Maggie hummed moving her body up to take your hand down. "Ok. [Y/N]. I'm not gonna lie... this is gonna hurt like the dickens." Hershel muttered, lifting a pair of long and thin clamps. Handing a piece of leather to Maggie he sighed. "Put it in her mouth so she doesn't break her teeth." He murmured, pulling out a small metal dish to put the pieces of the bullet into. You had thought childbirth was bad. It was. But maybe only marginally worse than this. Hershel poured alcohol into the bullet wound to clean it out, fishing little bits of debris he found with the extra long clamps. You had thought when it all began that there would be a few pieces of bullet shrapnel in your leg. But now you understood that there was dirt, wood, and grass from your hike as well as the shrapnel. Worst of all the shrapnel refused to simply be pulled away from your wound, being melded with you either in your bone and having to be picked out one by one, or was so deep that Hershel nicked nerve every time he moved. You screamed and begged for a break, tears streaming down your face but he couldn't stop and risk loosing a piece in you, risk giving you lead poisoning, a lethal infection, or allow the metals in the bullet to seep in and give you cancer over time. As the moon rose to its position to it's peak in the sky, Hershel pulled the last piece of metal, holding it high in the air. "Ah... there it is." He said loudly to the relief of your family who had gathered. Maggie wiped the sweat that gathered on your brow. Rick, Daryl, and Merle had long since left your side. They hadn't strayed far. Just a few feet away to talk in peace about what you could only assume was the fate of Phoenix. Rick was looking forlornly at you as Carl, Glenn and Maggie all did their best to hoist you to your feet without making you sick.
Wrapping an arm around Glenn's shoulder's you pointed to your husband's direction. "I need ta talk to them before we go in." You muttered. Slowly the two of you made your way over to the group of men. Daryl was the first to turn to you both taking you from Glenn's arms into his own he hoisted you princess style despite your protests that you could in fact stand. "Bull shit... shouldn't be walkin' on that leg." He muttered laying a kiss on your temple. "[Y/N]." Rick said softly stepping forward. "We need ta know where ya were at when he attacked you... and where he took ya." You nodded and pointed in the direction of the elderberry grove you had been foraging earlier. "He attacked me over next to the creek in the elderberries." You stated watching as Rick grow serious and cock a brow. 'That's impossible... whoever was on guard duty should have seen you." He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. Staring back you shrugged. "Rick... I'm just telling you what happened. I don't know who all was on duty today but they didn't see us. So maybe that's a blind spot we didn't know existed until now or-" Rick shook his head glaring at no one in particular. "It's not a blind spot I can see that area on duty all the time..." You tilted your head, repositioning your hold on your husband's shoulders. "So what are you saying Rick?" You asked not trying to piss off the ex-cop further than you had to. Rick shrugged shaking his head, that wild faraway look coming back into his eyes. That one that just screamed that he wasn't all there. "I-I don't know... maybe someone in here is planning something with someone... out there." He hissed pointing exaggeratedly to the D Block then to the Elderberry bushes. Daryl shuffled you in his arms a worried look falling on his face as he looked between you and Merle who simply seemed far too understanding for the situation. "We ain't sain' that ain't a possibility... but [Y/N] said-" Daryl tried to explain once more. But Rick had shut down. It was clear in his eyes. "Hey! What we all need is rest... In the mornin' [Y/N] can lead us back to where ever we need ta be with six guns and a hell of a lot more with a group of us hidden in the bushes. Shit goes south we blow 'em away." Merle suggested. Rick sighed running a hand through his hair. "Yeah... lets just sleep on it and talk in the morning."
Daryl carried you slowly up the hill to the prison. The lamp and medical supplies were all cleaned by Maggie, Hershel, and Glenn. You made a mental note to thank them in the morning after you got Phoenix back. Merle walked side by side with Daryl. His gaze was firmly on your wounded form, scanning you for anything the doctor and his daughter could have missed. "Ya know this doesn't excuse you from makin' Daryl, Nix and I hotcakes right?" He teased smirking at you. The rumble in Daryl's chest was contagious as you both laughed, pressing your face into his neck. "Damn, Merle... you're right... if we make a pit stop on the way home tomorrow from picking Phoenix up, I'll even make elderberry hotcakes. How's that sound?" Merle smiled so contently and you couldn't blame him. Even though you knew this conversation was all a joke... that you didn't really have all the ingredients for your famous hotcakes... it was nice to pretend for a moment that in the midst of hell there was a moment of normalcy. "I think we can make that happen, little sister." Merle hummed reaching over with his good hand to squeeze your shoulder lightly.
The three of you stopped outside of the door to the prison, Daryl leaned against the concrete walls having placed you down, for the moment to smoke a cigarette before going in. He placed you gently in between his legs as he leaned against the brick wall of the prison, letting you lean your body against his own. You almost felt like you were highschoolers again... almost. Daryl combed through your hair with his free hand glancing down at your injured leg once in a while to make sure you were keeping it propped or up as he instructed. The smell of his cigarette wafted in the wind as he took a shaky breath listening to the first birds of early dawn sing their songs. Merle however. Merle paced back and forth out of sight of the metal door. He looked agitated and anxious. "Daryl I'm telling you..." He muttered, his voice a mere whisper. "I think Rick is to blame for this." You shifted uncomfortably against your husband's chest, not really appreciating the outfield accusation. But you had your suspicions too. Daryl however... Daryl was silent. The hand that was combing through your hair moved to wrap protectively around your waist, pulling you tight to his chest. There was a tenseness you could feel in his actions. He trusted Rick and was still loyal to him. And you knew he didn't want to risk that trust and loyalty for anything... but that was his little girl out there... not Judith or Carl. Not that it would have changed things if it were... for Daryl. As if on instinct Daryl caressed your tummy with his thumb missing the baby that was once there. You felt him shift nervously behind you pulling your body with him so that you didn't fall. "Dunno..." Daryl muttered finally taking an extra long drag of his cigarette. "Think it's horse shit that we aint out there right now lookin' fer her though." Daryl growled. Merle sighed running his hand through his thinning hair. "Nix can kick some ass if she needs... she's strong like her daddy and momma. She can make it through the night." He muttered holding his prosthetic out in the moonlight. "And if there's a single scratch on that girl I swear none of them men will have any balls left to show for it..." Nodding you glared hatefully at the elderberry bushes as if they had done you wrong themselves. "I think we should ride out once light breaks and try to get a leg up on the situation..." You muttered. You could feel the low rumble in Daryl's chest as he hummed lovingly squeezing you before laying a sweet kiss to the top of your head then your lips. "Nah... You're gonna stay here, sunshine. Get yer rest. We'll need ya later in the day." The taste of his his cigarette permeated the kiss. But you didn't mind... you never did. "That bein' said..." He muttered, flicking his cigarette off to the side before hoisting you into his arms once more. "Lets get you to bed."
Daryl had been kind enough to carry you to the shower room to help clean you up and with a little assistance he helped you take a shower, being sure to keep your new sutures and gunshot wound as dry as he physically could as the two of you bathed together. As weird as it was... it was oddly romantic standing in the prison shower stall alone together with Daryl. The full moonlight cascading on both of your wet bodies detailing every detail of each of you. Even in the darkness of the night you could clearly see the shampoo suds sliding from the top of Daryl's crown, down his toned body as he rinsed his head under the water, letting you hold the button down to release more hot water for him. He softly massaged your back with one of the many clean washcloths and helped to clean your body of any dry blood that Maggie may have missed, being extra delicate when touching upon one of your wounds. "Damn, baby." His whispered voice echoed through the large bathroom. "Bastard really clocked you good." Daryl hummed softly, worry dripping into every word as he massaged shampoo into your own hair, being extra gentle with the newly formed knot that he found that made you hiss and pull away. His worried blue eyes followed you as you leaned back to rinse your hair in the stream of water. "It'll heal." You muttered softly closing your eyes to keep the suds from falling into your eyes. The feeling of his fingers intertwining with your hair relaxed you under the stream of the water. The scratching of his nails on your scalp was welcome and inviting on a day like today. "Tell me if I hurt ya." He muttered. He was always so sweet and soft with you. Sitting up when your hair ran clear you wrapped your arms around Daryl's neck and shoulders kissing him fully, lovingly, completely. Pulling you into his lap Daryl deepened the kiss. Sliding your uninjured leg across his body you straddled his hips getting comfortable with him between your legs. Kissing down the length of your neck Daryl left sweet possessive hickies, his hands traveling from your waist to your back before landing on your chest. You don't know if it was because another man had laid hands on you, if it was a distraction from the fact Phoenix was still out there, or if it was because you were hurt. But Daryl had never been more gentle with you in your relationship when it came to sex before. Bouncing you gently he insisted that you allow him to do most of the work, his breathing hitched as you clenched around him when he found your most sensitive parts. Holding you close to his chest he let your foreheads rest against one another's as you rocked against him, your nails digging into his shoulders as your moans echoed across the bathroom walls. Even as your emotions overflowed and tears fell during, Daryl wiped them away with calloused thumbs, taking the time to insure that you were ok before he continued, kissing your shoulders, your neck, your cheek just to let you know how loved you were and that everything would be ok. His fingers ghosted across your skin feeling the goose pimples that rose there, letting you scratch his biceps as you reached your climax, watching as your head lulled and fell into his shoulder to hide your screams of pleasure only allowing himself to finish inside you once he was certain you had finished yours.
You had thought after having the day you just had, having to take two showers and having mind blowing sex you would have fallen to sleep immediately. But that was the farthest from the truth. That night was the longest of your life. Neither of you slept a single wink. Instead when Daryl laid you down in your shared loft bed, fully clothed and mostly dried you two simply stared at the window. Holding each other as tight as the other could stand you both angled yourselves to watch the sunrise literally counting the minutes until you both could run out in search of your daughter. Daryl's finger's skated along your back and through your hair as yours traveled the length of his chest and abs. "Do you remember when we took Phoenix to the pool for the first time?" Daryl suddenly asked. Looking up into his eyes you noticed they looked far away and distant. You nodded smiling as you allowed yourself to lay your head on your husband's chest. "Yeah. She was so perplexed by her little swimsuit and swimming diaper." You giggled thinking about how when Merle held her for the picture she peed all over him. "Yeah... we put her little feet in the pool and she screamed so loud I thought for sure the chemicals had burned her." Daryl chuckled his hand now combing through your wet hair. "She was always a little drama llama." You giggled kissing Daryl's chest. "Yeah... but once we put her in her Minnie Mouse floaties she took off and no one could catch her... she lived in the water." Daryl laughed, physically having to cover his mouth to stifle the laugh and keep from waking the others. You nodded feeling a sick unidentifiable dread fill your chest as you wrapped your arms around him. Tears slipped down your cheeks and although you tried your damnedest to keep it down a sob escaped your lips. "Yeah... she always loved to swim." You hiccupped through the sobs. Daryl was silent, but the way his body shook you could tell he was crying too. "We'll make a pool here... so she can swim here one day..." Daryl huffed out through a strangled sob and you couldn't help but curl tighter into his chest, burying your face in his shirt. Bawling harder than you can remember you grasped at his shirt gasping his shirt you tried to keep silent, and for the most part you were successful. Even when Daryl urged you to cry openly, to fuck them all and their sleep. But it was your sleep that won over in the end after all of your emotions drained you dry.
The sun was high in the sky when you woke and instantly you wanted to throw up with fear and anxiety. Jolting out of bed you cried out in pain, nearly falling down the stairs, catching yourself on the rail with a clash. "[Y/N]?!" Carol cried out rushing up the stairs to help you down. Tears rolled down your cheeks as sobs ripped through you. "Where's Daryl? Did they-" You tried asking but Carol cut you off pulling you into a tight hug once she got you down the stairs. "He's outside. They didn't leave yet... He just wanted you to get your rest before you all went out later." You nodded resting back against the wall. "I know you may not feel hungry... but you should eat." Carol muttered sliding a bowl of oatmeal in your direction. To be honest just looking at the food made you feel sick. But as you picked up the spoon with a shaky hand and took a bite you suddenly realized just how hungry you were. Pulling the plastic bowl closer you took large bites. "Thank you. I didn't realize I was hungry." You muttered once you had finished the entire bowl. Carol nodded smiling somberly. "I... felt similarly when Soph was missing." She confided leave it at that you didn't dare pry or let yourself dwell of any possibilities too much. The sliding of the metal door drew your attention away from dark and depressing as Daryl and Merle stepped in. "Good. Sleeping beauty is awake." Merle teased winking at you. Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed walking over to lift you into his arms. "Ya ready, sunshine?" he asked. With an uncertain nod he carried you outside. Daryl sat you in the passenger seat of the car as everyone grouped up to chat. "So are you sure he said to meet for this time?" Hershel asked you, pointing to the sky you had indicated when telling them earlier. The question merely made you doubt yourself and the placement the sun was in the sky when you were attacked. But you nodded and pointed to where it was based on what you could see before you passed out. "Alright..." Rick muttered running his hands through his hair. "We got an hour before we gotta be there... [Y/N] said she marked the trail. We look for the marks on the side of the road and go from there." Rick muttered watching Glenn and Carl pack the six "guns" into the car for transfer. "Daryl you ride with [Y/N], Merle, and Glenn to the trade site. Carl, Hershel, Carol, Maggie, and I will be in another car parked on the road we'll watch you all enter the trade site and make sure there are no unwanted followers. Maggie and Carol will follow first to set up. I will be close behind Hershel and Carl will stay in the car as back up in case we need them... Make sense?" He asked looking between everyone making eye contact before nodding sternly. "Alright... lets get Phoenix back.
The ride to the place you were held was absolute hell. Merle would not leave Glenn alone. Glenn would not stop fanning the flames and making Merle want to tease and pick more. Every time you yelled at either one of them you felt like the bad guy. You felt like the mom to two rowdy teens on a long road trip... except you couldn't threaten to turn this car around. No this road trip was too important. As you pulled up to the first of your visible markings you pointed it out to Daryl then reached out the window with your indicator flag you all made out of a florescent orange hunting vest and waved it once to indicate this was the spot. Daryl pulled to the side of the road. The trail was too small for the car to go down, Loading up with as many guns as they each could hold you lead them down the makeshift trail you created. It was so much shorter than you remembered, but the blood from the day before still laid in the field, unchanged and unmoved. Standing at one end of the field you began to feel antsy as you watched the sky. Ten minutes... glancing around you didn't see anything. Not a person scouting the area before hand. Not an animal peeking through the brush. The silence was palpable. Taking Daryls hand in your own you kept your wits about you. You didn't want to seem too vulnerable with Phoenix's captors... but you neither of you could do this alone. Looking up at the sky they were now officially late. You stood stock still. Listening for any sign of movement. Had you gotten the place wrong? The time? Anxiety washed over you as the silence continued to prevail only interupted by the small snapping of twigs as Rick settled in his place nearby. There were now twenty minutes late... despite Glenn's constant pleas to stay optimistic. "Maybe they hit traffic... or they had an emergency." You never felt more nervous and sick in your life. The bickering between Merle and Glenn slowly but surely started once more and the tenseness that your husband held in his body the night before slowly returned. Twenty minutes turned to thirty which turned to fifty as Carl came out to find his dad. You had gone to the corner of the field and vomited twice in this time and were just starting to begin to give up hope when an hour and a half rolled around. "Maybe... we should come up with a plan B..." Rick's voice tore through the silence and through your emotions. Taking what felt like the first breath since you arrived you began to hyperventilate shaking your head. "N-No..." you whispered running your hands through your hair. You had seen enough 48 hours before to know you didn't have time to come up with another plan... This was your plan...
Just as you felt you might melt into oblivion a sudden loud crash through the brush caught everyone's attention. Within a second everyone had their weapon's drawn and pointed at the noise. The brush on the side where the man was to bring Phoenix shook and swayed. "Come out slowly and we won't shoot!" Rick ordered cocking his pistol. The bush suddenly stopped shaking and a small whimper came from within it. "Wait. I'm stuck Uncle Rick." You thought for a moment, you were going to pass out. Lowering your gun you holstered it limping forward. "Phoenix?!" You cried out desperately. "I'm here momma!" She cried stumbling out of the briars with a little whimper. To your horror and awe, Phoenix was covered in blood. Standing midway in the field you stared at your little girl. Her body painted in blood. Slowly she looked up at you, her blue eyes meeting yours as a twisted grin reached her face. "I used the knife daddy gave me." She said proudly holding out the small pocket knife Daryl had given her to use in dire emergencies. "I used it just like Aunt Carol taught me and I remembered how to get here... I was hoping you'd still be here!" She squealed happily running up to you. The horrific realization that, your daughter had most likely killed men and faced the undead hit you like a brick in the stomach. But as you knelt down in the dry puddle of your own blood swiping away any of the blood that was still damp looking for wounds, scratches and bites. "Did you make sure they wouldn't come back?" You asked seriously, hiding your shaking hands behind her back as you pulled her close to you, holding her close catching Daryl out of the corner of your eye as he moved to kneel beside you both. Your husband's own face was ashen pale as if he himself had seen a ghost. "I did. I stuck them in the head just like aunt Carol said to." Phoenix said handing her little knife over to Daryl to close before hugging him tightly. "Aren't ya proud of me daddy?" She asked excitedly. You watched as Daryl's face morphed from disbelief to stunned shock, rageful hate filled anger at the world for making his little girl experience this, before it landed on acceptance... at least for now. "O-Of course I am baby girl... so, so proud of you. But, I don't want ya to have do this again unless-" She nodded pulling away with a smile. "It's an emergency. I know." She said. "Can we go home now? I feel sticky."
It had been two days since the incident... Daryl refused to go out on runs certain his family wasn't safe unless he was there despite Merle's promise's to keep you and Phoenix safe. You currently sat outside in the courtyard with Carl, Judith, Phoenix and Merle listening to Daryl and Rick's fight. "My daughter had to learn how to put people down damn it!" Your husband screamed. You could hear both Carol and Rick muttering something to him but... Daryl wanted to hear none of it. "I don't give a shit that you were trainin' them Carol!" He bellowed pulling Merle's attention. "Ain't never seen him so pissed." Merle sighed tinkering with his blade. "I did..." You replied, glancing at your brother-in-law. "The day we lost you. He nearly killed Rick then." Merle blinked seeming to think on this as if it were the first time he ever imagined that possibility. "What we should be focusing on is that whoever was on watch didn't see the whole fucking attack that happened just over the god damned gate!" You heard something metal clang against the concrete floor, only assuming that Daryl had resorted to pitching things or clearing the tables with a single swipe. "Sounds like he's about ready to do it again..." Merle joked, swiping a stray piece of hair from your daughter's face. You sighed looking longingly at Phoenix. "We were lucky... I think Daryl realizes that. But the chances of us being lucky again. They're slim Merle." You hummed meeting his gaze. He nodded meeting your gaze from the corner of his eyes. "I know." There was another loud crash that made all of you jump an Judith to cry out. Carl was quick to pick her up and start soothing her. He was best at it, and despite the shit he gave you all, he still was a kid at heart. "Damn it Daryl!" Rick finally yelled back. "I get you're pissed! I do! But throwin' shit around ain't gonna fix the problem!" With a sigh you slowly stood. "I better go stop Daryl before he really looses it." You sigh.
You could hear the fight more clearly as you painfully climbed the hill to the prison block. "Ya can't know there's not more out there Rick! I want to be sure there's no one out there right now lookin' for us." Daryl hissed. Rick sighed nodding. "We can look while we're out on runs but we need you for that Daryl." Your husband shook his head, pacing back and forth. "Nah... not til I know who was on watch when they went missin'. I want to know they can't go on watch no more." Rick shuffled his feet and shook his head. "Look we need all the help we can get..." Daryl seemed to only get more aggravated at that growling before flipping a metal chair... or another chair... you found the reason of the last major crash. Looks like the first chair went through some old wooden creates the prison had. "Bull shit!" Daryl growled pointing at Rick. "Tell me it wasn't you then... you said there's no blind spots there so tell me why it wouldn't be you." He accused walking over to where Rick stood. You watched in horror as Daryl got in Rick's face just like he was in high school itching for a fight. "Guys!" You screamed limping over to the two, catching their attention just before they threw fists. "That's enough!" Daryl huffed backing off but not down. "Well?" He hissed. Rick seemed to be juggling his words carefully before he nodded. "I-I was on duty when it happened..." He admitted. "But I don't remember it at all." You sighed frowning deeply. It was as you feared. "Rick... could you have been on the other side of the prison?" Rick shook his head as Daryl paced back and forth running his hands through his hair a new wave of axiety rushing through him. "So anything could have gotten through or been peeking in while you had an episode?" He growled. Rick sighed obviously frustrated with the way the question was worded so you rephrased it. "So you just go blank for a little while... or is it like something else?" You asked seriously. Rick relaxed a bit. "It's not as bad as when I was... seeing her all the time... I still do... but it's different. I-It's hard to explain." You nodded looking to Daryl. "Maybe we should delegate the patrol duty for a little while... train the newbies? And you can... take a break." You suggested. Hershel nodded, picking up one of the chairs Daryl threw. "You'll still be head just... with less to do." He murmured. Rick sighed. "I always wanted to farm..."
A few hours passed by. You couldn't seem to keep your eyes off of Phoenix. It was still so miraculous to you that she made it back to you at all. That she defied all odds and made it home. You wondered what fresh hell she went through then decided that maybe it was better if you didn't know for now... she would tell you in her own time. Daryl was laying beside her in the bed. You both watched her little sleeping form as if she were the newborn you both brought home from the hospital again. You rubbed sweet circles into her back before curling tight against the two of them. "Our baby is home Daryl." You whispered kissing his lips sweetly. Daryl nodded kissing your forehead. "Went through hell an' back again... but the little demon looks like she thrived there... she looks stronger for it. That normal?" You giggled softly and shrugged. "Dunno... I think so nowadays... Look at Carl." You teased loving the chuckle that tore from your husband's throat. "Yeah I suppose so..." He muttered, pulling you down for another kiss. "I love ya, sunshine. Get some rest."
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kywaslost · 8 months
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ciel x reader, she’s on the ship and ends up getting separated from the others. ciel the entire time is honestly panicking and nervous about her well-being.
she ends up getting bit by one of the Bizzare dolls, on the ship but manages to get away. she fights them off to the best of her abilities despite her injures, getting another bit in her leg.
maybe she passes out and is found by someone, who takes to one of the lifeboats.
she then reunites with ciel and he almost cries, she takes the place of Elizabeth and lunges at him crying happy to see him again and alright
Together Again - Ciel Phantomhive
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A/N: Hi! I hope you like this one because I loved this idea so much! Thank you for your request! Also, some of the details may not be 100% accurate because I can’t remember the exact order of events, so some characters may be in the wrong scene (like Snake or Y/N), and I think I mixed up some scenes in general but hey, it’s fanfiction. Anyway, enjoy!
Adrenaline coursed through your veins, giving you strength and energy you didn’t even know you could possess. There was nowhere to go but up. You were surrounded on all sides by strange zombie-like creatures, and based on events you had just witnessed in the main ballroom, they were out to kill. You could feel your heart attempting to beat out of your chest, all of the air leaving your lungs and your panic increased drastically as you searched for an escape route. You had a sword, but it wouldn’t do much against the sheer amount of monsters surrounding you. 
In the midst of your panicked head-turning, you caught a glimpse of an air vent above your head. If you were quick you could jump and pull yourself up the wall, using lamps and other decor as leverage. Deciding it was your only hope, you jumped. You gripped a light fixture, lifting yourself up and scrambling your legs to catch them on anything to give you leverage. A scream ripped through you as you felt a sharp pain in your right calf, looking down to see one of the bizarre dolls gripping your leg, jaw clenched around your calf. Swinging your sword, you got it off of you.
You managed to climb up to the air vent, shoving your sword between the roof and vent, prying off the metal and watching it fall on the mass of dolls below you. You wasted no time in climbing into the vent, falling onto your stomach and laying there a moment. Pain coursed through your leg, and you could feel your blood dripping from the wound. Tears spilled from your eyes as you crawled through the vent, seeking some form of shelter.
If Ciel didn’t have such a stone-cold reputation, he’d be in tears. His lover was missing, and had been for quite a while now. Ciel fully regretted leaving you behind at the party, and once he saw that Snake was no longer with you, he was 100% in worry mode. Sebastian strongly urged him to snap out of it and finish the job, even going as far as smacking the young lord across the face to catch his attention.
“Sebastian,” Ciel said sharply once he was out of harm’s way. They had just run from the reapers, Ciel being carried by Sebastian as they ran. Snake was close behind, somehow keeping up with Sebastian’s supernatural speed. “I need you to find Y/N,” he said, grabbing Sebastian’s face to force him to look at him. 
“My lord, I have faith in Lady Y/N,” Sebastian answered. “I assure you, she will survive.” Grunting with pain, blood seeped through the butler’s clothing and into Ciel’s. “I do not know if I possess the ability to find her,” Sebastian whispered to Ciel. 
“We’ll find her, says Wordsworth,” Snake says from his spot beside the two. “I can track herscent, says Emily.”
“Go!” Ciel commands, watching as Snake nods and changes his path. Ciel briefly watches as a snake enters the air vent before Sebastian rounded a corner. 
“She better be alright,” Ciel says, allowing his bottom lip to tremble slightly before fixing his composure. “Or I’ll kill her myself.”
Chilly, nearly unbearably cold water crashed around you, shocking your senses and making it difficult to move. You gasped, eyes shooting open as you came too. Your memory was foggy, and you didn’t know where you were. You could barely move, limbs frozen stiff due to the chilly water. Your chest burned, and you could only assume saltwater had entered your lungs at some point. 
“She’s awake, exclaims Emily.” Your brows furrowed in confusion.
“Snake?” your voice was raspy. You blinked a few times, fully registering where you were. You could see the night sky above you, billions of stars twinkling down to you. There was a slight breeze, causing you to shiver harshly. You felt like you were being rocked from side to side, as if you were on a small boat.
“Yes, it’s us, says Wordsworth.” You attempted to sit upright, muscles stiff and noncompliant. You felt warm hands on your shoulders, helping you into a sitting position. When you failed to support yourself, you saw legs move to the sides of your hips, a chest pressed against your back. A snake peaked around your shoulder.
You whimpered, the lasting effects of adrenaline fading as the night’s events replayed in your mind finally. “ ‘M cold.”
You felt Snake move, then his suit jacket was wrapped around you. You pulled your knees to your chest, suddenly feeling pain in your leg again. Looking down, you saw fabric soaked in blood, tied tightly around your bite wound.
“We used your dress, says Wordsworth. To try and stop the bleeding, Emily concludes.”
You turned your head to look up at Snake, tears streaming down your face. “Where is CIel? Is he ok?” You cried harder as you buried your face into your friend’s chest. “Oh, Snake, tell me he’s ok!”
“Last we saw, he was with Sebastian, says Wordsworth.” Snake says softly. “We were ordered to find you, continues Emily. You had fallen out of the vents, barely able to fight off those bizarre dolls. Snake saved you! You passed out when he got to you though, says Wordsworth. We were worried!”
“Thank you,” you sobbed into your knees. “I was so scared. Thank you.”
You were asleep when the rescue ship arrived, and Snake shook you awake as gently as possible. He carried you to the edge of the lifeboat, passing you to one of the rescue workers to be brought to the new ship. Upon the new boat, he took great care to carry you without causing you any further pain. The sun was rising now, casting the endless waters with beautiful colors, barely masking the massive amounts of blood in the water.
Snake sat you down only when you assured him that you were alright and able to walk. Still, he insisted that you hold on to his arm, and you complied. He led you over to the railing on the deck of the ship, overlooking where your ship had gone down. Bodies were everywhere, a mix of dolls and deceased passengers. You scanned the bodies as best you could for signs of Ciel or Sebastian, but you were too far away to see.
You stepped away from the railing and towards the center of the deck, Snake following close behind. You stood there, people watching as you tried to avoid the overcrowding thoughts of Sebastian and Ciel’s dead bodies floating around you. You began to tear up again at the thought. As your gaze drifted across the significantly low number of survivors, you caught a glimpse of a tall, slender man dressed in black. You took off running in his direction, ignoring the pain in your leg and Snape yelling after you. The closer you got the clearer you could see Sebastian standing with Ciel at his side, the boy’s eyes laced with worry.
“Ciel!” you screamed, now within a few feet from him. He was barely able to turn around fully before you tackled him to the ground in a hug. You were sobbing hysterically into his chest, burying your face against him and babbling on about how you thought he was dead. You felt his arms wrap around you just as tightly, then one of his hands moved to run through your hair. You pulled away slightly to see Ciel crying, bottom lip trembling ever so slightly.
“I thought you were dead,” he whispered, cupping your face in his hands to fully look you in the eyes. 
“I thought you were dead.” The two of you lay there, limbs tangled in each other as you both cried, thanking the universe that you were together again.
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finn-m-corvex · 5 months
Text
Whumptober 2023 Day 15 - Makeshift Bandages
FINAL ONE OF THE BATCH! Congrats folks, if you've read every single one of these you have officially read 30k words worth of my work in a matter of hours. If you want to be included in the taglist for the next batch please let me know so I can put you on the list!
@splinnters final tag until the next batch because I already know you're going to want to be there!
Words: 2.1k
Jay felt it as soon as he tried to move his leg.
It took everything in him to not scream as the wooden plank shifted, and he grit his teeth when he pushed himself up on his elbows. There was unfamiliar sand piled under him; it must’ve been what cushioned their fall from the sky.
Where were they, exactly?
He spit out a mouthful of sand, finally turning back to see what was wrong with his leg.
And had to quickly look away because the sight almost made him sick.
“Gotta fix it, Jay,” he said to himself, steeling his nerves and looking again. He saw the plank that was pinning the limb in place, noticing that it was one of the destroyed Bounty’s floorboards. With shaking hands, he reached out to grab the end of it, his back twinging in protest and the cuts on his arms stinging. It took a firm yank to dislodge it, and this time he couldn’t contain a small scream as the wood left large splinters behind, buried in his skin.
Definitely wasn’t the worst injury his leg had ever suffered, but damn it was up there.
With another pull, his leg was technically free, and Jay took a proper look at it. It was scraped to high heaven, leaking fresh blood onto the sand and staining it a dark brown. There were large patches of skin missing, and Jay could feel every grain of sand settle itself into the injury, almost like they were burrowing into his muscles. He felt nauseous watching the exposed muscles flex when he tried to move it, and suddenly his vision was tunneling and his air supply was running out as his chest turned inside out.
Oh, he could not afford to start panicking right now.
“Guys!” he shouted, leaning against one of the ship walls that he happened to land near. He hated the way his voice cracked, but there was nothing he could do. “Guys! Anybody?!”
Now that he was paying attention he could feel all of the scrapes along his chest, his back ripped open like he was dragged along a cheese grater. Somehow his gi was almost completely intact despite the damage to his body, and Jay would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little bitter about the fact that his clothing seemed to be more durable than him.
“Jay?” he heard Kai yell, but as soon as he tried to answer back his leg twitched hard; it felt like someone had lit it on fire. Instead of calling out Jay screamed, hand going to clutch at his leg in desperation for the pain to stop.
That was a bad idea. Jay’s head was swimming, and he swayed dangerously from the bolt of pain shooting up from his calf where his hand had landed. The feeling of blood coating his hand was far too familiar in the worst of ways, and Jay hurried to pull it back and scrub it on his gi.
Except it wasn’t coming off.
Why wasn’t it coming off?!
“Cole, Zane, I found him!” Kai shouted, rocketing around the corner of the wall. He slipped on the sand, stumbling, catching himself and paling as he took in Jay’s condition. “Shit, holy shit. Get some bandages! We got a man down!”
He would’ve laughed if he had the oxygen. Why were Kai’s zingers always so terrible?
Kneeling down next to the blue ninja, Kai looked him over, and Jay could feel his warm hands ghosting up and down his back as he tried to guage how injured Jay was. “Jay, Jay can you talk to me? Say something, please, I gotta know if you hit your head or not.”
Jay clumsily nodded his head, shutting his eyes and trying to control his dizziness. Panic threatened to overtake him, but he kept running. The world needed to stop spinning before he did anything else. “You got water?”
Looking relieved, Kai pushed some of his curls out of his face. “Yeah, yeah I think we found some. It’s on the way.”
“I know I hit my head,” Jay said, reaching up with a shaky hand to massage his sore jaw. It clicked softly, but the pressure rocked Jay’s vision like it was on a ratchet joint. “But I dunno how hard.”
“I’ll check for a bump,” and Kai did just that, running a single hand over Jay’s scalp. He didn’t find anything, but he was startled when Jay threw his own hand away from his face. Jay’s face lost its color, breathing turning stuttery as the blood ran down his cheek where his hand had been pressed against his skin.
There was blood on his face.
His blood on his face.
“Kai,” Jay said breathlessly, groping around and latching into the fire ninja’s knee, “Kai-”
But Kai already knew what he was going to say. He took a corner of his red gi and wiped Jay’s face as gently as he could, making soft shushing noises as Jay whimpered. “I got it, Jay, don’t worry.”
Zane finally showed his face around the corner, and the nindroid’s look of alarm only made Jay even dizzier. “What happened?” he demanded, sinking down in the sand next to Kai. He started analyzing the debris stacked around the three of them, and Jay cried out when Zane tried to move one of the large pieces of metal his leg happened to be leaning on.
The cry attracted Cole, who was hauling a large and mostly intact crate filled with various bits and bobs that Jay could not be bothered to identify right now. “Jay!” his best friend cried, dropping the crate and rushing to Kai’s side. Jay should’ve been relieved to see all of his brothers alive and well, but there was only the impending feeling of vomit coming up his throat as he watched his leg glisten with fresh blood. Anxiety tended to have that effect when left unattended.
“Move,” he gasped, shoving Kai to the side, “move-”
And not even a second later and he was emptying his guts into the sand, watching it turn from a fine gold to a disgusting mustard. Kai thumped his back, and Jay could hear garbled words from Zane even if he didn’t know what the nindroid was saying. Too much effort.
“-find bandages. We cannot leave his leg like this,” Zane said firmly.
“Yeah, no shit Sherlock,” Jay spat out another glob of gross body stuff, Kai being the only thing holding him up after the red ninja had moved to sit behind his back. “Hurts like a bitch, though.”
“I bet,” Cole said sympathetically, face pallid from looking at Jay’s injury for too long. “At least you still have it.”
“Did you want me to lose it?!”
“No! I’m just saying it could be worse!”
“If his leg becomes infected,” Zane popped in, “and gets any worse, then we may have to consider amputation. Jay could still very well lose his leg.”
“What I’m going to lose is my fucking lunch if you keep talking about cutting my leg off,” because for as brave of a face as Jay was putting on, the idea of amputation terrified him. He was sure that they would build him a prosthetic, but would he still be able to be a ninja? Could he still save people? Would he even be able to work properly? Amputation and anxiety were not a good mix, what a no-brainer.
Kai snorted. “I think you already lost it, bro.”
“Amputation is the last possible option,” Zane assured, patting Jay’s uninjured knee and squeezing lightly. “Cole, did we find anything that can work as a bandage?”
The earth ninja started rummaging through the crate, looking for any sort of anything that they could patch Jay up with, but Jay was suddenly tilting to the side as his vision went topsy-turvy, and Kai was the only thing keeping him from dropping like a stone into the vomit-soaked sand.
Blood loss, his brain supplied helpfully, and Jay groaned from the dizziness that overwhelmed him. Everything was moving in circles, and he barely recognized Kai snapping his fingers right in front of his face. He was trying to get Jay’s attention.
“Shit,” Kai muttered from behind him after seeing how unresponsive the blue ninja was, and he thought quickly. “Zane, give me your sleeve.”
“What?”
“Just trust me,” Kai reached for his own gi sleeve, tearing it off at the seams. He quickly ripped the sleeve open so that it was completely flat, and while normally Kai would’ve done anything to keep his gi intact this situation was an emergency. Zane mirrored his actions on his own sleeve and handed it to Kai, who quickly tied them together. Jay’s head thunked against his chest, and Kai started panicking upon seeing his brother’s closed eyes.
He shook Jay harshly, eliciting a pained groan. “Jay, stay awake. We need to keep an eye on you.”
Frowning, Jay squinted up at Kai’s face. “I am awake, just dizzy. I don’t want to see everything spinning.”
Kai startled when Cole took the makeshift bandages out of his hands, adding his own black piece to the mix. Cole didn’t have sleeves, but he still tore off a large chunk from the strap over his shoulder, letting the front of his gi fall down and expose a couple scratches across his chest; they were nothing compared to Jay’s wound.
Handing it over to Zane, Cole reached for Jay’s limp hand, lacing their fingers together. “Squeeze if you need to, Sparky. This is gonna hurt.”
“Huh? What’s gonna- '' Jay didn’t finish his sentence before he screamed, and Kai was suddenly very hyperaware of the fact that they were in the open. They didn’t know what was in this realm, dangerous or otherwise, and they were sitting ducks with Jay downed like this. Any sort of sound alerting others to their weakness needed to be shut down.
Fumbling around, Kai’s hand eventually closed around a good-sized stick, and he hastily shoved it into Jay’s mouth and told him to bite down on it. Jay whined but did as he was told, strangling the life out of Cole’s hand while Zane wrapped his leg as quickly as he could. It was one of the longest five minutes of Kai’s life, watching as his little brother squirmed and sobbed and knowing that there was nothing he could do to make it better.
“Where’s Wu?” Kai asked as Zane finished, tying the makeshift bandage off with a tight knot and checking it over once more. Cole reached up to take the stick out of Jay’s mouth, grimacing at the splinters that it left behind and the drool leaking down his chin. He wiped away the drool and Jay’s tears as gently as he could.
Zane kept rubbing Jay’s knee to try and comfort him. “He is safe, don’t worry. Cole and I left him in the shelter.”
“Should we try to move Jay to the shelter?” Kai asked, smoothing his hands over his smaller brother’s sides and kissing the back of his head. Jay’s hair was covered in sand but Kai didn’t care; his brother needed the comfort.
“Give him a minute,” Cole said quietly, noticing the way Jay’s chest was heaving, sweat dripping down his brow and the collar of his shirt. He tugged out all of the splinters that he could find, aided by Zane, until there were none left that he could see. Kai kept Jay still, rocking them back and forth as gently as he could.
They heard a roar in the distance, and Kai’s grip tightened out of fear. “We need to move. Cole, get him up, but be careful.”
He and Zane kept a careful watch while Cole took Jay from Kai, debating the best way to carry the blue ninja to safety. Eventually deciding on just a simple carry, he hooked his arm under Jay’s back and the other under his knees, lifting. Jay’s head flopped onto Cole’s shoulder, and Cole could feel his brother’s eyelashes against his skin as his eyes blinked open.
“We’re going somewhere?” he mumbled, hand latching onto Cole’s shirt out of pure instinct.
“Yeah, bud. There’s a shelter nearby that we’re taking you to,” Cole said, starting the brisk walk across the desert sands to the Bounty’s cabin where they had left little Wu, “so just work with me, okay? It’ll be over soon.”
“Okay,” Jay said, and Cole could tell that he was trying to be quiet despite every movement of his leg eliciting a small whimper; it wasn’t long before Jay had his buried in the crook of Cole’s neck, and Cole did his best to ignore the blood leaking through the makeshift bandages and onto the sand below. 
He just hoped that dragons or Oni or whatever else lived in this realm couldn’t smell the blood to track them.
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sleepy-moons · 1 year
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idk I just thought about this one night and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I dont usually write fluff so this is probably very bad !
synopsis: just some fluff :). bkg kinda proposes. reader is a pro hero & gender neutral (no pronouns used). barely proof read- pls enjoy <3
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there was a special place in your heart for days like this. days in which neither you or katsuki had to work, where you had what felt like all the time in the world to do whatever you absolutely wanted. many couples, pro hero or otherwise, plan dates or run a few errands. you both did the next best thing;
nothing.
it was a hard habit for your boyfriend to form, never really one to do nothing. he slowly learned that days off are days off, and that he deserved to relax.
it was almost 11 o'clock now, since dinner had been put away about an hour ago and the both of you found your way back to the same couch you'd been lounging on all day. you had your feet nestled in bakugo's lap, and he absentmindedly massaged them as he watched whatever movie was on at this hour.
not too interested in what the tv had to offer this late, you’ve resigned to scrolling through your phone, quietly giggling every so often at a silly post. about 15 uneventful minutes had passed since either of you spoke, until-
"you know," your boyfriend started, hands still working at any tension in the muscle. he paused for a moment, and it made you look up from your phone. you could tell he was thinking of the right words to say, gears turning in his head as his thumb applied a gentle pressure to the arch of your foot.
"yes?" still, you half expected him to say something silly, something deserving of a particular black couch pillow thrown directly at his head. he tends to get a bit slaphappy as he winds down for the night, so it wasn’t too crazy of an expectation.
"you know...I've. I've never felt like this before, with anyone else. I've never..." he cleared his throat, hands moving up your calf. he still hasn't looked at you.
"I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
you had opened your mouth to speak, though you're not exactly sure what to say yet. nerves began to creep up your spine, started to prick underneath your skin as you waited for something to happen to next. you’re not really sure what to expect, but you’re positive the sound of your heart beating against your ribs can be heard from miles away.
"I never want to love anyone the way I love you. I don't think I can."
a brief silence filled the room, though you're sure he could hear the fluttering of butterfly wings in your stomach.
"is this your way of proposing?" your question came off as more jokey than serious, though your intent was anything but.
Katsuki finally looked at you. the look in his eyes, deep red and simmering in what seemed like a million different emotions. you’ve seen it before, like when he first said i love you, or when you first got seriously injured on the job. this time, though, it felt different. heavier. and with each emotion that swam along his irises, it was clear that pure love was following right after.
"Yes." his answer was quick, as if you’d simply asked him if the sky were blue. “well, no. I’ll do it properly, swear. But I have every intention of keeping you in my life, for as long as I live.” he had always been a man of his word, but you're not sure you'd ever heard him sound so sincere.
today wasn't anything particularly special. it started just like the rest of your shared days off, and somehow ended being a day you’d never forget.
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blu-joons · 1 year
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When They Notice That You’ve Injured Yourself ~ Red Velvet Reaction
Irene:
A gasp came from Joohyun as she watched you walk across the room, calling out your name as she noticed the mark along the back of your arm.
“You’re bleeding!” Joohyun yelled out as you turned back to look at her in confusion. “What’ve you done to suddenly get a cut that bad on your arm?”
You tried to get a look for yourself, surprised by the trickle that ran down your arm. “I’ve got no idea, all I did was sit on the sofa, nothing else happened.”
“Come here,” Joohyun told you, grabbing a tissue from the tissue box and placing it against your arm to try and help you tidy it up, “it doesn’t look too painful.”
“I don’t know what I could’ve done to get something like this.”
Joohyun’s head shook as you looked back at her innocently. “We might have to wrap you in cotton wool to stop these things happening.”
“Somehow I’m finding a way to be a danger even in the least dangerous positions,” you chuckled, watching Joohyun closely.
“You’re just too much trouble sometimes.”
Seulgi:
Her eyes watched you closely as you walked around the bedroom, with something not quite looking as it usually did from where Seulgi was.
“Why are you hobbling?” She asked you after a few moments to make sure that she was right, “have you injured your leg or something at work?”
You froze as Seulgi spoke, looking down at your leg before shaking your head. “My leg feels completely fine, I didn’t even realise I was hobbling.”
“Sit down for a second,” she told you, patting the foot of the bed. “Let me just have a look at you to make absolutely sure that you’re alright, you never know.”
“Surely I’d know if something was hurting to hobble though.”
Seulgi shrugged as she began to take a look at your leg, “maybe if it’s been hurting for so long you’ve switched off to it a little bit.”
“Y-yeah,” you stuttered before hissing as she ran her hand along the back of your calf, “maybe I have done something.”
“See, I told you, it’s not quite right.”
Wendy:
You felt two hands grab onto your waist as you went to stand up from the sofa, only to lose your balance and almost go toppling back down again.
“Are you alright?” Seungwan asked you in a panic as she helped you down, her eyes studying you closely to check how your condition was.
Your head nodded, trying your best to ignore how dizzy you suddenly felt. “Sorry, I don’t really know what happened there, I just lost control.”
“Do you remember when you hit your head on the beam at the cafe earlier?” Seungwan asked you, “maybe you hit your head a little bit harder than you realised you did.”
“You think that I could be concussed or something?”
Seungwan’s expression was all that you needed to know what she was thinking. “It might explain why you just lost your balance, right?”
“Perhaps that’s a good point,” you sighed, laying back on the sofa, “you’ll just have to look after me if I’m concussed then.”
“Don’t smile too widely at that bit.”
Joy:
A gasp came from Sooyoung as she watched you lift your top over your head, struck by the bruise that was on your hip, looking rather painful too.
“What on earth happened to you?” She asked once you had your top off, pointing directly at the purple mark that you had against your side.
A hum came from you as you looked down and noticed the bruise for the first time, “I must’ve bumped into something and not realised.”
“How do you not realise?” Sooyoung asked you in confusion. “Look at the colour of that Y/N, how could you have possibly got through the day and not noticed that there?”
“I honestly had no idea, maybe I did it through the night.”
Sooyoung’s head shook as you put your pyjama top on, “we need to look after that, maybe I could get you a cushion to sleep on tonight?”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” you tried your best to insist, “I’ve got through the day with it, sleeping should be no bother.”
“No way, I’m not risking anything Y/N.”
Yeri:
Your head snapped around as Yerim took a hold of your arm, the smile on her face disappearing as she looked down at the cut that you had on your leg.
“Look,” she told you as you looked cluelessly across at her, unsure what was going on. “How’ve you managed to cut your leg like that, what did you do?”
Your shoulders shrugged as you knelt down to get a closer look. “I did have a cut there before, maybe I caught it and made it start bleeding again.”
“Let me take care of it,” Yerim smiled across to you, grabbing a tissue and wiping it down, being careful to tidy everything up and not risk hurting you anymore.”
“There’s got to be a plaster lying around here somewhere too.”
Yerim nodded in agreement with you, “the only downside to that is the plasters we have aren’t exactly on the grown up side right now.”
“I’ll take anything,” you assured her. “Plus, you’re never too old for a funky plaster, the stupider the plaster the better.”
“Prepare to be super embarrassed now.”
---
Masterlist
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whumpsday · 2 years
Text
Lost at Sea #1
~ Whumpmas in July Day 3: Lost ~
Masterlist
content: tiny whump, mer caretaker(?), starvation, broken bones, begging, rescue, language barrier, pet whump
damn it’s been literally 3 months since i wrote something unrelated to my main series. this was originally gonna be a oneshot but i decided to make a miniseries so look forward to more at some point!!
-
Lyscla peered curiously at the human vessel.
Such things were usually a bountiful feast: humans were sizeable compared to most prey, with a unique taste. The closest she could describe it to was seal or sea-lion, but that was still a ways off. If one avoided their weaponry, one would eat well.
Humans were an intelligent kind, she knew. Some avoided hunting them due to this, the concept making them squeamish, but Lyscla knew better. A human vessel this far out to sea was not here to do anything but kill. It was simply the course of nature. She would not blame the humans for their hunts either, whether they killed suitable prey-fish or her own kind.
But this was not the typical human vessel. It could hardly even be called a vessel anymore, truly. More a ruin of what once was.
Usually, when she approached a pod of humans, they reacted with commotion, but there was none this time. Most of the humans lay lifeless in the water, many missing their tastiest bits: she was far from the first inhabitant of the ocean to happen upon the wreckage, though likely the first of her kind. Those that were left were bloated and decayed with expiration. Unappetizing.
Only one tiny human face stared up at her, eyes full of unbounded fear.
The sole living human was unwell; this was apparent. Some of its little bones bent in awkward directions, dried blood marked the rips in its false coat, and its skin was red with sun-burn.
It sat huddled in the corner of the largest intact piece of the vessel, shaking. Water shed from its eyes, a trait Lyscla knew to be unique to humans. A sign of distress.
The human said something, its voice small and hoarse, but she could not understand its tongue. Its trembling increased. Though she could not parse the words, it was not hard for Lyscla to recognize them for what they were: an expression of fear.
It was all skin-and-bones. It had been there for many days, judging by the state of its fallen pod. Were it not for the rainy season providing fresh-water, it would have surely joined them. Such a slight thing would not make for a good meal.
And even if it would... Lyscla found herself reluctant. There was no honor in this hunt, no barbed spears to dodge, no quick and darting fish to catch. Just a lost, starving human faced with certain doom.
I could save it.
The thought was senseless. She had never been one for such sentimentalities. She would blame it on an instinctive desire to care for a calf, were the season right for it. Being that it was not, she had no such excuse.
Yet, the desire remained. Lyscla recalled an old flame who kept dolphins as pets. It had started with an injured one, she’d said, that she felt compelled to nurse back to health. She had never understood at the time: why would one waste energy on that?
But looking at the terrified little thing, she understood now.
Pity.
She could take it back to her cave. Part of it came above the water, with soft sand for the injured human to rest its battered body. The human was barely bigger than a tuna; it wouldn’t require much to eat. She could easily catch some fish for it each day and bring it fresh-water.
Lyscla made up her mind. She would care for the human as a pet.
-
Digory couldn’t believe how shit his luck was.
First, the shipwreck. Wrecks weren’t that common, were they? He didn’t know too much about seafaring, hadn’t been a deckhand longer than a week. He was still in training, for God’s sake.
He’d supposed at the time that his luck wasn’t all bad. Among all the crew, only Digory had somehow survived due to his placement on the ship, though not without a number of injuries. And the fact that it had been raining enough for him to get water was nothing short of a miracle, though the rain left him shivering in the nights.
But all of that was meaningless now, because he was staring up at the most terrifying creature in the ocean: a mermaid.
She was gigantic, even bigger than he’d thought one would be, easily the size of a five-story building. The pictures didn’t do the sight justice. The small knife on his belt felt extraordinarily useless in the face of such a beast. It likely wouldn’t even pierce her scales.
It was unlikely anyone had gotten this close to a mermaid and lived. He sincerely fucking doubted that he would be the first.
Digory couldn’t help but cry. He’d been holding out hope that he would be found, even as the starvation made him feel like his insides were eating him alive, even as his injuries pained him with every movement. Now he was going to be eaten.
He wondered if it would hurt.
“Please, I don’t want to die!” Digory begged. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like the monster would be able to understand him.
The monster paused for a long moment, as if deep in thought. And then, to his utter horror, though he knew it was coming...
She reached for him.
Digory screamed. He tried to scramble backward, but his broken legs immediately reminded him of their state with a flash of sudden agony, making him suck in a sharp gasp.
The monster plucked him from the piece of hull. His legs jostled again as she moved him, earning another cry of pain. He lay in her enormous hand, shaking, as she raised him up further. He knew this was it. He was going to die.
But the monster did not stop him at her razor-sharp teeth as he’d expected. She continued raising him up to dizzying height, to the top of her head, where she placed him with surprising gentleness. He immediately grabbed onto her hair: he could not fall from here.
She swam, keeping the top of her head above water. As he became soaked with sea-spray, Digory realized what was happening: she wanted to take him home to eat.
At least he wouldn’t die near that stupid boat.
At long last, she stopped inside a cave. Digory flinched back as she took him from her head and placed him on the sand inside, crying out again at the aggravation of his injuries. The sand clung to his wet skin and clothes, but at least it was soft.
The monster brought up her other hand and dumped something at his feet.
Fish.
Three of them, each the size of his arm, flopping around on the sand. Digory didn’t know what kind, and he didn’t care. It was food.
He pulled the knife from his belt and dispatched one, not even properly preparing it before he dug in face-first. Digory had lost count of the days, but he knew it had been more than a week since he’d eaten. The raw fish was the best thing he’d ever tasted in his life.
The monster watched him, head tilted to the side.
Digory shuddered under her gaze. He didn’t know why she hadn’t killed him yet, but he was glad he was able to feel full one more time.
-
(edit: digory is normal human sized, lyscla is about 60 feet tall. tuna are bigger than u think lol. my bad)
here’s some picrews of our new caretaker(?) & whumpee! (picrew used)
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gonna put the banner at the bottom for writing-based WIJ days! this prompt really inspired me.
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@whumpmasinjuly​
taglist:
@lilac-and-lemon-whumps​
@whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump​
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Text
The summer of 1942 - Tom Riddle x reader - P9
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content warning; dog trapped in a foothold trap, slight blood and gore mention, injured dog and mention of poachers. mention of dog bites and scars from dog bites
=
-August 13th 1942-
Tom was startled awake by something busting open his door-a slowly growing heavier form jumping on him and making him let out a noise he didn’t know he could make. “incoming!” (y/n) laughed as she stepped into his room, Navi already pulling off Tom’s blanket as he rapidly blinked himself awake, grabbing the blanket from Navi and tugging back.
“oh, my merlin-Navi! Stop!” Tom grunted, his voice deep from sleep as he attempted to get his blanket back, eventually giving up as Navi bounced as she tugged-looking so proud of herself as she jumped back onto the bed and barreled into Tom. “Oof! Gods-its barely seven Navi, let a man sleep in on his day off,” Tom groaned, not bothering to move anymore as Navi lay on top of him, panting happily as (y/n) giggled.
“She was demanding to see you, straight up screaming her head off until I let her out, you sure you don’t wanna take her to school?” (y/n) teased walking into the room and sitting down next to Tom’s legs, patting Navi’s butt as she stood and whipped around Tom’s blankets-getting Tom in the face.
“Ow! Navi.” Tom hissed, rubbing his face as Navi jumped off the bed and proceeded to continue whipping around the blanket. “yeah, sure, let me just write Dippet up and ask ‘hey Headmaster? Mind if a bring a dog that’s gotten emotionally attached to me to school? She has no manners and is still learning how to dog’ I’m sure that will bode well,” Tom joked, really wanting to take Navi but knew it wasn’t the best choice for either Navi or Tom.
“Learning how to dog,” (y/n) muttered quietly to herself, giggling as Tom smacked her shoulder and she shook her head. “you never know sugar cube, anyway-there’s breakfast downstairs, and I was wondering if you wanted to go into town with me today? Mom needs some stuff from the market,” Tom shrugged, watching as Navi planted her butt on his blanket and panted happily-just staring at him.
“Sure, why not, we taking the car?” Tom asked and (y/n) let out a snort, waving her hand as if the notion was ridiculous. “Walking then?” (y/n) just grinned and Tom narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly very suspicious. “What are you planning?”
“Nothing, the town is four miles down and I have to get too much to walk and carry that far. We’re taking horses,” Tom just stared, and (y/n) grinned, very clearly knowing he didn’t know how to ride a horse. “Don’t worry, I’ll put you on a starter horse, like the ones we have my nephew ride,” Tom slowly nodded, he could deal with a starter horse. “he’s two.”
Tom rolled his eyes with a hardly hidden pout and pushed (y/n) off his bed, who just kept laughing as Navi barked and walked over to her, sniffing (y/n)’s hair as she kicked Tom’s calf. With a snort, he pulled his leg off the edge of the bed and tossed one of his smaller books at (y/n), which Navi caught and then got into a play bow while Tom abruptly stood and held his hands out-his eyes wide.
“Navi-drop it,” Tom said carefully, slowly moving off the bed and walking towards Navi-who just wagged her tail like mad. “Navi, drop it-drop it-shit!” Navi, as Tom took one step closer and reached out to grab the book, zoomed off and around the room-making a mess of Tom’s bed as (y/n) just cackled, screaming as Navi ran over her. “Navi! Stop! Navi!”
Somehow, Tom eventually got the book back and he sighed, looking at the drool-covered binding and going into the bathroom to clean it while (y/n) continued to laugh her ass off, Navi laying on top of her like nothing had happened.
“I'm not going to town with you anymore,” Tom grumbled as he stepped back into his room-tossing his book onto the bed and crossing his arms with a barely concealed pout while (y/n) just snorted and sat up, gently moving Navi off of her.
“uh-huh, go eat breakfast and then meet me at the barn, I’ll teach you how to saddle up a horse.” With that, (y/n) got to her feet and walked out of the room, Navi staying behind on the floor, smiling up at Tom who stared back at her.
“You’re a menace,” Tom muttered, closing his eyes as Navi barked-her tail going miles a minute. “uh-huh, one day you’re going to knock me out with that thing,” Tom said, gesturing to Navi’s whip for a tail and she barked again, jumping on Tom’s bed while he moved to get dressed. “no-off!”
-
Navi followed Tom to the barn after he finished breakfast, hands in his pockets as Navi sniffed around. “There you are,” (y/n) said as she finished setting up two horses for her and Tom, one pitch black and the other white and spotted. “ready to learn how to ride?”
Tom slowly shrugged, staring at the black horse that was just-staring into his soul. “This is Rumor, you won't be riding her, she's feisty but strong.” Tom nodded, hiding his relief because…Rumor looked like she had some personal demons. “and this is soup,” Tom recognized Soup-Soup was chaos incarnate.
“You really want me to ride the horse that gets stuck in the water trough?” Tom asked, chuckling lightly as Soup attempted to find the treats (y/n) had in her pocket, pushing her over slightly. (y/n) snorted and shook her head.
“He might be a clumsy one, but he’s really good for new riders, once he has a saddle on it’s like he gains sentience.” Tom snorted and climbed over the fence to join (y/n) and caught the brush and angled pick she tossed at him. “Before we do anything, we gotta brush them and clean their hooves, now, as a rule of thumb-always keep a hand on them, just so they know where you are-you don’t wanna be kicked by a spooked horse.”
Tom slowly nodded, following (y/n)’s lead as she showed him how to clean Soap’s hooves and then brushed him through-struggling as he attempted to get the saddle onto the horse. Soup was no help-puffing up while Tom and (y/n) strapped the saddle down. “oh stop you dunce,” (y/n) grumbled, poking Soup’s belly and then handing him a treat when he stopped and let Tom finish saddling him up.
“Up you go,” (y/n) said as they finished up and held Tom’s foot as he climbed onto Soup, looking very stiff and unsure of himself. “loosen up Tom, but not too much-“ Tom just gave her a look of ‘make up your mind!’ and (y/n) laughed, patting Tom’s knee. “loose hips, stiff legs, it’s easier to give pointers once we start, let’s go~!”
(y/n) ended up holding Soup’s lead while Tom got the handle of just-riding. “Let your hips move with the stride sugar cube!” (y/n) said from ahead as she watched Tom hold onto the saddle horn, his ears a nice pink. “I have very different anatomy from you (y/n), I’m sorry if doing that hurts me,” Tom hissed, pouting while (y/n) giggled and shook her head, turning her head to the front while Tom tried to copy her posture.
They eventually got to town and (y/n) led Tom and Soup over to some fencing that had a water trough and tied the horses down, holding a list in her hand as she waited for Tom to finish climbing off Soup. “All right, we’ll need to go to the butcher for some beef and lamb, and the main market for…” Tom zoned out on (y/n)’s talking, looking about the town they had arrived in. He had only seen it once before but it had been pitch black so Tom hadn’t exactly gotten the chance to look at it properly.
It was a quaint and clearly tight-knit community, nearly everyone they passed by greeted (y/n) with a wave and a call of her name. She would smile and nod back, continuing through the town as Tom followed her, his arms soon being occupied by groceries and other things.
“C’mon, there's one more thing I wanna get,” (y/n) said as she and Tom walked towards a building that had a heavenly smell coming from it. Tom raised his brow, his eyes widening with delight that he couldn’t hide as he and (y/n) stepped into the shop. It was a bakery, thanks to the war certain items that were regularly served weren’t available-but there was still enough to make Tom stare.
(y/n) just chuckled at him and stepped further into the shop, greeting the owner with a beaming smile. “Hi, Ms. Abbey!” (y/n) said with a cheer, the older black woman behind the counter greeting (y/n) with a matching smile.
“Good morning (y/n), oh, and is this the young man you’ve been talking about?” Ms. Abbey asked, inclining her head at Tom who was just-staring at the baked goods on display. Tom perked up and bowed his head a little. “Hello ma’am, I’m Tom, Tom Riddle, it’s nice to meet you, Ms. Abbey.” he said quietly, smiling slightly as Ms. Abbey grinned back with a nod.
“Oh what a gentleman~ don’t corrupt him (y/n),” Tom snorted while (y/n) let out a noise that could be akin to a toad, looking absolutely offended. “How you wound me Ms. Abbey! I am the perfect role model!” (y/n) said with a grin that clearly meant she was absolutely going to cause chaos.
Tom snorted again and (y/n) just looked happy to hear him laugh. Though she did give him a mean side eye that he stuck his tongue out at, which made them both laugh.
“You two are adorable, but really (y/n), darling-no corrupting him, he seems like a nice boy,” Ms. Abbey said sternly and Tom raised his brows as (y/n) gave an exaggerated groan but nodded. “Fine fine, I won't teach him how to blow stuff up, but that first time was an accident! Promise!” (y/n) said and Tom wondered how many times (y/n) had blown something up-on purpose-because considering her words, only the first time was an accident, every time after that was deliberate.
Ms. Abbey just hummed knowingly and turned when something rang sharply from behind the door in the corner. “Ah, That’ll be the timer-one moment please.” And she disappeared into the back and Tom went back to looking at all the treats and sweets on display-there was also regular bread and other stuff but-Tom was pinpointed on the cookies staring back at him.
“Is this where you got those beignet things?” Tom asked and (y/n) nodded, counting the money she had in her hand. “…can we get more?”
“Why do you think we came in here sugar cube?” (y/n) teased and Tom rolled his eyes, perking up as Ms. Abbey came back out with a paper bag filled with something warm and steaming. “There you go dears, fresh beignets, hot from the fryer.” Tom took the bag and felt his mouth fill with drool as he looked inside. “is there anything else you would like?”
“Yes, can I get a few squares of the brownies? Dad asked for them,” (y/n) said, handing some money to Ms. Abbey and she nodded, disappearing into the back again and reappearing with another bag with a solid bottom, handing it to Tom-who was still mostly distracted with the beignets. “There you go, will that be all dear?”
(y/n) nodded and grabbed Tom’s arm, forcing him out of the shop he wouldn’t mind staying in forever. “Yes, thank you Ms. Abbey!” Tom waved the older woman goodbye and she chuckled, watching through the window as (y/n) pulled Tom back over to the horses and had him help put the groceries in the bags attached to Rumor’s saddle.
“That boy is doomed,” Ms. Abbey said to herself fondly, chuckling as (y/n) pushed Tom’s butt as he climbed onto Soup, and he turned bright red as he whipped around to glare at her, only for (y/n) to laugh and hold her hands up in surrender and climbed onto Rumor.
With a pat to Soup’s hind, (y/n) and Tom were back off to the house with their groceries in tow; only to be stopped by a younger girl who seemed panicked. “(y/n), (y/n)! There's a dog by the river! It’s trapped!” the girl said and (y/n) quickly tossed her reins into a proper grip and reared Rumor around, looking towards the place the girl was pointing at.
“where exactly, and does it look injured?” (y/n) asked while Tom made Soup turn with Rumor, shifting in his seat-fully preparing for Soup to bolt off with (y/n) and rumor. The girl nodded and explained where exactly the dog was, saying it looked like a poacher trap, and (y/n) let out a hiss, her usually grinning face turning to a glare that made Tom lean back.
He mentally made a note to never piss (y/n) off.
“damn-poachers-c’mon Tom!” with that, (y/n) snapped the reigns and Rumor took off, Soup easily following after as Tom kicked his heel into Soup’s side and flicked the reigns with a small ‘ya’ like (y/n) had told him to do on the way into town.
It took mere minutes to reach the river and (y/n) quickly pulled the reigns back on Rumor to slow her to a stop-easily leaping off the saddle and grabbing a lead from the bag, her face forming into a heartbroken pout as she and Tom spotted what looked to be a collie by the riverbed, its tail and leg caught in a foothold trap.
“oh-god,” Tom whispered, clicking his teeth together at the sight of blood soaking its once-white fur. The injured dog growled at them when it saw them-its ears pinned back and back hunched, clearly in a lot of pain and ready to attack.
 “Okay, this could be dangerous, be careful and approach slowly,” (y/n) said quietly and Tom nodded, taking a moment to tie down the horses before he followed (y/n) down the small hill into the riverbed. His heart was beating out his chest-knowing this injured dog could either run and injure itself further or bite them and then run.
(y/n) seemed confident though and that made Tom feel slightly calmer. “you’ve done this before?” Tom asked quietly and (y/n) nodded, holding up two hands to show exactly how many. Seven. Wow.
“I want you to circle around her front, but don’t get too close-I don’t want her to run and hurt herself further, I’ll go up to her and try to calm her down,” (y/n) explained and Tom nodded, doing as told, his hand going into the cold river water as he knelt down a few feet away from the collie-who growled at him-her neck fur raised and eyes wide.
“Back up Tom,” (y/n) said and Tom did just that, watching as (y/n) crept closer, whispering and cooing softly at the terrified and hurt Collie. After a moment (y/n) gasped, her eyes widening with recognition. “oh poor Tilly,” Tom rose his brow as the collie, Tilly, seemed to calm down at the mention of her name(?)
“you know her?” Tom asked and (y/n) nodded, reaching out slowly and letting Tilly get a sniff-and the dog relaxed practically instantly, her body language curling in on herself and crawling towards (y/n). “yeah, she’s my neighbor's collie, a pet, poor thing-you must’ve gotten out and got caught by a trap.” (y/n) said, carefully pulling the now crying Tilly into her arms and gently putting the lead around her neck, holding her close. “we have to get that trap off; Tom help me-let her sniff you first.”
Tom got to his feet, his shoes and hands now covered in mud, and walked slowly over to (y/n) and Tilly, kneeling next to them and letting Tilly sniff him, her eyes a bit apprehensive but trusting (y/n) enough to let Tom touch her. “Good girl, okay, Tom-you see that mechanic there?” (y/n) tipped her chin at the trap and Tom saw what she meant and nodded, moving to get a better look. “we should wait to take it off but-I can’t let Tilly be in this kinda pain for much longer-so-try to use your weight to pry the teeth apart-“
Tom put his hands on the levers on each side and leaned down with all his weight-flinching back as Tilly yelped and (y/n) quickly wrapped her mouth before she could bite either (y/n) or Tom. “I know, I know baby-shit-I wish we had a tranquilizer or something-“
Tom licked his lips, looking down at the trap and then at Tilly, biting the inside of his mouth as he put his hands on Tilly’s leg and then close his eyes-hoping something like this wasn’t going to get him expelled-and willed Tilly into a painless sleep.
Tilly, after a few moments, did just that-her body going limp in (y/n)’s arms and she panicked for a moment before she caught Tom’s slight tilt as he opened his eyes-suddenly looking very exhausted. “Did you just?” (y/n) muttered and Tom gave her a meaningful look and (y/n) smiled weakly. “as I said, miracle worker-now get that off her.” Tom did as asked, using his palms and upper body to pry the trap apart, his cheeks turning red and getting dizzy as the stupidly strong mechanic attempted to snap itself back together while (y/n) quickly and carefully pulled Tilly off the trap.
(A/n; do not ever pull off a trap of any animal unless they are sedated-it could cause further injury to both the animal and you. Please go to a vet to help an injured animal unless you have no other choice)
Tom leaped back and crashed into the mud as the trap snapped shut like a dragons maw-panting as (y/n) held Tilly close, a few tears rolling down her cheeks as Tilly whined in her sleep. “oh gods, you poor baby,” Tom got to his feet and helped (y/n) up, his arms around her while she carried Tilly up the hill and back to the horses. “we need to get her to the vet immediately, hold her-“ Tom took Tilly while (y/n) jumped onto Rumor and he quickly and carefully put Tilly back in (y/n)’s arms, untying both the horses and climbing onto Soup-the two rushing back into town and running into the vet’s office, (y/n) being escorted to the back while Tom stood in the lobby covered in mud and his hands stained with blood.
He was given a few towels to clean himself and paced the lobby while he waited for (y/n) to come back out, pausing as an older woman-maybe only 25-came running in, looking panicked and in tears.
“Tilly! Where’s Tilly!” she cried and Tom bit the inside of her lip as the receptionist Told Tilly’s owner of her condition and what had happened, a pit forming in Tom’s chest as Tilly’s owner broke into tears and sobbed. At that moment (y/n) walked out and was rushed into a hug by Tilly’s owner, thanking her for saving Tilly and taking her to the vet.
“you’re welcome, but I didn’t do all the work-this is Tom, a friend of mine, he’s the one who really helped Tilly, got the trap off and everything.” Tom waved awkwardly from where he stood, letting out a cough as Tilly’s owner slammed into him and held him tight-babbling her thanks and offering to pay the two.
“This is what I do, but I’m sure you and Tilly will need the money to get her back to her usual grumpy self,” (y/n) said, deciding the money and then telling her the shelter would help pay for Tilly’s recovery, which would be long-and her tail would need to be amputated-but her leg was luckily able to be saved.
Tilly’s owner cried again and hugged both Tom and (y/n), who shrugged at Tom while he blinked rapidly-not used to being hugged this much-by a stranger no less.
They returned to the house tired, very dirty, and emotionally exhausted-but they were both happy knowing Tilly was safe-they had made sure to head back to the river bed and grab the trap-reporting it to the local police and hoping for the best.
Tom took a shower as soon as he could, nearly falling asleep on his feet. While he had meant to do it-preforming such a feat of wandless magic had taken it out of him, and the anxiety of the ministry expelling him for using magic weighed heavily on his mind.
But it had been to save an animal, that had to mean something-right?
-
“Are you going to ever be in the yard bean pole?” Justin asked Tom over lunch a few days later and Tom paused over his sandwich-shrugging a bit and then leaning back as Navi sniffled wildly at his food.
“Didn’t know I could, thought I was cursed to clean forever,” Tom said, chuckling as (y/n) shoved him over the last bit of his sentence. “You’re the one who never asked sugar cube, but if you wanna be in the yard with all the dogs where its loud as shit and you gotta pick up poop every five minutes, be my guest~” (y/n) teased and Tom hummed for a moment, and then shrugged with a shake of his head, grinning slightly as (y/n) snorted and punched his shoulder gently.
“I’ll just keep cleaning, I’ve seen the bruises you all get from being in there,” Tom muttered, nodding to prove his point as everyone started to look at the bruises on their arms and leg-wincing as (y/n) showed off the bite scar on her inner wrist. “merlin what is that from?” “Prince, a dachshund from a year back, he’s been adopted since but he wasn’t happy being put back in the yard and bit me for it,” (y/n) said with a chuckle and then told Tom about a bite she got about two years back from a shepherd that left her with a bruise down her forearm that was black for two days straight.
“Ouch! I remember that, Westley, right?” Elton asked, almost looking green at the memory and (y/n) nodded, leaning back on her hands.
“yeah, he loved to bite to get his way, did it to my thigh too. Glad he’s gone honestly,” Tom rose his brow-assuming she meant gone as in dead but (y/n) quickly resolved that thought. “do you guys remember who adopted him? Happened while I was at school.”
“Some woman who wanted protection for her farm, from what I hear Westley’s doing great,” Maggie said from next to Savanna, who nodded along-her yellow lab sleeping between her legs.
“So, you wanna try out the yard?” (y/n) asked Tom and he shrugged. “Why not, wouldn’t hurt to try…well It could-but-you know,” Tom fumbled with his words, rolling his eyes as (y/n) and the others laughed.
“The shirts are here~!” Mr. Prothero said as he stepped out of the car with a big box in the back seat, pulling it out and opening it on the porch. Everyone cheered and (y/n) made grabby hands as her father pulled out a stack of blue shirts.
“Elton, Justin, Maggie, Savanna, Emily, Colin, Jordon, (y/n), Alex, April aaaand Tom!” Tom perked up, slowly taking the shirt Mr. Prothero was handing him with wide eyes. “I-what?” Tom coughed, having accidentally inhaled his lemonade. Mr. Prothero just smiled and patted Tom’s shoulder, taking the box with the extra shirts inside.
“What? You really thought you weren’t going to get a shirt? You’ve been working since halfway through July sugar cube, you were going to get a shirt whether or not you wanted it or not.” (y/n) said with a grin, smacking Tom’s shoulder as he stared down at the shirt. He glanced up at her and her face softened, giggling a bit as Tom sniffed, attempting to hide how he felt. She scooted closer and tipped him into her side-squeezing his shoulder with her arm. “I’m gonna start calling you marshmallow.”
“Don’t.”
-end of part 9-
@slytherinboysappreciation
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negrowhat · 1 year
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I had this dream of BossNoeul that I'd thought you'd appreciate.
It took place in some kind of old abandoned facility of questionable science. Most of the power is gone and the buildings have been started to be overtaken by nature. There's one place where power is still be kept.
Boss is a mercenary/treasure hunter of some kind tasked to explore the place - to see if there's anything worth salvaging or worth something. Most of it is just science results and failed experiments. But he does find the room where power is still being used. It's actually an artificial field with real grass and flowers but an artificial sky and sunlight. Boss can see white rabbits bounding peacefully around. But the truly interesting thing about this whole room is the huddled form a boy in white just resting in the centre of the field.
Curious, Boss approaches the boy. It's Noeul, and he's a bit feral. Once Boss gets too close, he's blasted back what seems like a strong gust of wind. Confused, he stands up and tries to get closer to the boy again. This time Noeul actually snarls and Boss can see his eyes glow a little before being blasted back. (Here I don't know if dream brain picked telekinesis or wind manipulation as his powers.)
While a boy with powers is a miraculous found - Boss doesn't trade or deal with people as prizes, he won't be telling his employer about finding him. Instead Boss spends the next couple of weeks trying to befriend the boy. Noeul is again a bit feral and wary and probably had been experimented on while the facility had been running, so it takes time before Boss stops getting blasted. Instead, Boss works on befriending the rabbits Noeul very clearly loves. He brings them leafy greens and other rabbit friendly food - he also brings carrots and other more people friendly food in the hopes that Noeul will eat too. (He's small and thin and probably has been living on what the field can provide.)
Eventually he does gain enough trust that he rarely gets more than a little nudge to move away. As long as he doesn't make any sudden movements, Boss can sit almost 4ft without issue. Then one day he lies down and falls asleep in the warm sunlight. When he wakes up, Noeul has rested his head on Boss' calf - though he immediately runs away once he realizes Boss is awake. It's progress.
But then, other mercenaries come. They somehow caught wind of Noeul and have come to take him - violently. They're the shoot first ask questions later and Boss gets injured while being caught in the cross fire. Noeul goes berserk and destroys them all. How dare they hurt what's now his. Boss is in awe of his power. Rightfully afraid, but he realizes Noeul won't hurt him after watching the boy destroy a squad of highly trained and weaponized men - for him. Once the carnage is over, Noeul comes over, his white clothing splattered with blood as he fusses over Boss' wounds.
The dream ended there, but they definitely fall in love.
Basically my subconsciousness is telling me I want another BossNoeul series! xD
Hello Anon! That was quite a vivid dream you had! Maybe you should turn it into a fic. Do you write? But also, we definitely need a new BossNoeul series ASAP!
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pastelwitchling · 2 years
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Your writing is fantastic and always brightens my day to see a new fic! Thank you for all the wonderful stories you have written and continue to write! If you're still taking prompts could you write something where Alex has to take care of Michael because he is somehow sick or injured and Kyle comes by to reassure Alex that everything will be okay.
***
Michael should’ve been annoyed. Max and Isobel had insisted on him staying in bed after the battle against Tezca, with Kyle Valenti looking after him, no less. He should’ve been frustrated and roughly pulling off the bandages that wrapped around his waist. He should’ve dismissed the doctor’s orders the second he got them.
Except he couldn’t, because Alex agreed with Kyle. Michael needed to stay in bed, he needed to be looked after, and apparently, as his boyfriend, it meant that Alex was the one to do it.
So no, Michael couldn’t be angry. He couldn’t roll his eyes or scoff or get the least bit exasperated. Not when Alex was changing his bandages and washing his hair for him and making him meals and – best of all – holding his hand as they lay in bed all day, just for Michael to fall asleep curled up against him.
“You feel so good,” Michael moaned one afternoon as he woke from a nap to Alex’s soft humming in his ear, his hand running down the length of Alex’s body. His boyfriend’s chest rumbled as he chuckled under his breath.
“You feeling any better?” Alex asked, and Michael lost all sense of coherent thought as Alex’s fingers raked back his curls and tugged ever so slightly on his roots, as if he couldn’t help but do it, even now.
He groaned, pulling Alex in tighter against him, which should’ve been impossible since Michael was already lying halfway on top of him. “I told you I’ve been feeling better since last week.”
“Yeah?” Alex sounded like he was about to laugh. “You want me to stop then?”
Without opening his eyes, Michael buried his face in Alex’s chest. “Screw you, you bastard, you know I don’t.”
Alex actually did laugh this time. “Well, I’m going to have to.”
And very suddenly, Alex wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders, the other around his hip, and turned them over.
“Damn,” Michael breathed, instinctively wrapping his legs around Alex’s waist. “They teach you that in the military?”
Alex tilted his head at him. “Do you really want to know where I learned to do that?”
Michael tightened his legs around him, slipping a hand into his hair and gripping. “That’s not funny, Manes.”
Alex grinned and kissed Michael’s lips, the jealousy burning away just as Alex pulled back and patted his hip. “’Kay, you’re really going to have to let me go now.”
“What for?” Michael demanded.
“I have to make dinner, remember?”
“I don’t want dinner,” Michael said, slipping his hands under Alex’s shirt. “I want you.”
Alex bit his lower lip and his eyes darkened, and he leaned in until their brows were pressed together. Michael whispered his name as he tilted his chin up, eager to catch Alex’s lips in another kiss. But then Alex groaned and pushed himself up, unhooking Michael’s legs from around him and kissing his calf.
“You’re still recovering,” Alex told him. “You need to eat.”
“Alex,” Michael sat up, taking Alex’s face in his hands. “I’m fine, I don’t heal as slowly as humans do, remember?” As he spoke, his thumb brushed the cut on Alex’s lower lip that Tezca had left. Michael had been nearly blinded by rage then, only Alex’s voice and arms around him enough to keep him from killing the woman. Even now, the memory brought his powers to just below the surface. The nightstand and lampshade and even the glass on the windows rattled.
Alex’s expression was wary as he looked around, but then his jaw clenched in determination and understanding. He moved to straddle Michael’s legs, put Michael’s hands on his waist, held Michael’s face in his hands, and locked their gazes.
“Breathe, baby,” he said softly, and pressed a gentle kiss to Michael’s lips. “I’m right here.”
He kissed Michael again, even as Michael clawed down his waist and hips, needing to make sure that Alex was actually here and safe. Another kiss. Then another. Alex kept kissing him until he was able to unclench his jaw, the memory and anger along with it melting away until there was only Alex.
The kisses turned rougher. Michael groaned, tilting his head to slot their mouths together and deepen the kiss. He pulled Alex in closer by his hips and moaned into his mouth. That seemed to be the thing to wake Alex up.
“No no no,” he pulled back with a breath, turning his head away so that Michael was kissing his jaw instead. He didn’t care.
He didn’t stop.
At least, he didn’t want to. But Alex had his hands on Michael’s shoulders and was pushing him away, gently but firmly.
“You’re – you’re hurt,” he shook his head, moving off Michael’s lap. “You’re hurt, we should – we can’t – not until you’re healed.”
“I am healed,” Michael told him, wrapping an arm around his waist and trying to pull him back onto his thighs. “I was healed an hour after the attack. C’mon,” he encouraged, cupping Alex’s jaw, “come on, baby, kiss me.”
Alex swallowed as he started to nod, his eyes all but glazed over as they fell to Michael’s mouth. But he stopped, visibly shaking himself out of his daze, and pushed himself off the bed completely, despite Michael’s groans.
“Oh, Alex, come on –”
“No, Guerin,” Alex said shakily, nudging Michael back until he was rested against the pillows, thoroughly put out. “I’m not risking anything until those bandages come off – the right way,” he added pointedly as Michael reached for the end of the bandages to rip them off himself.
He watched with a heavy sigh as Alex kissed his forehead instead and went to make dinner. He sat there a moment, shaking his head, his patience serving him for about ten seconds before he gave in. And he did something he hadn’t thought he would or could ever do. He called Kyle.
 Kyle was late. He only showed up just as Alex was taking his and Michael’s bowls to the sink, his medical bag slung over his shoulder.
“I was doing my shifts,” he panted, hurrying into the kitchen. “I just got your text, what happened?”
“Once again,” Michael said with a humorless smile at Alex. “So glad you gave him a key.”
“Yeah,” Alex raised a brow as he wiped his hands on a rag. “For emergencies.”
Kyle looked accusingly at Michael, his shoulders slumped as he seemed to realize that no one else was panicking. “Guerin told me it was a matter of life or death!”
“It is,” Michael said tightly, and held up his shirt to reveal the thick bandages. “Take these off please.”
Alex stared. “Are you kidding me?”
“You said someone could die!”
“And yet you still showed up an entire hour late,” Michael shrugged a shoulder. “Who’s the real disappointment here?”
“Guerin,” Kyle said through gritted teeth, “I swear to God –”
“Alex has been playing nurse since you put these damn things on me,” Michael said, and Kyle faltered. “He’s barely been sleeping or eating – yeah, don’t think I haven’t noticed,” he told Alex at the slight surprise on his face. Had he honestly not thought that Michael was always looking after him, too?
“So,” he went on to a stunned Kyle, “me wanting to screw Alex’s brains out aside –”
“This can’t be what my Friday nights look like now,” Kyle muttered, shaking his head.
“—Alex won’t stop worrying until the bandages comes off,” Michael finished. “And when Alex worries, I worry.” He shrugged. “I can take them off myself, but he wants a professional to do it. For him – and believe me, it’s only for him – I called you. Whenever you’re ready, doc.”
Kyle looked to Alex who was staring at Michael with pursed his lips, and he sighed, setting his medical bag down. “Fine. For Alex. Next time you bring me over for false pretenses, Guerin, I’ll stab you myself on my way out.”
Michael smirked as Kyle rolled up his sleeves. “I’d expect nothing less.”
                 Kyle finished with a sigh barely five minutes later, Alex watching with knit brows as he leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his arms crossed.
               “There,” he huffed, washing his hands. “All done.”
               “And he’s really healed?”
               “Looks like the acetone worked,” he said, tossing the towel aside and picking up his bag. “The scar should be gone in a few weeks. Perks of alien healing powers, I guess.”
               “Told you,” Michael said, smiling when Alex’s shoulders finally dropped, his relief palpable, even as he was unwilling to show too much of it.
               “Okay?” Kyle said sarcastically to Michael. “Am I done? Can I go now?”
               “Thank you, Kyle,” Alex said, and Kyle’s expression softened.
               “You got it, buddy,” he said, patting Alex’s shoulder on his way past him. They heard the front door close, and Michael raised a brow.
               “You believe me now?”
               Alex wasn’t smiling or laughing or kissing Michael senseless with relief, or doing any of the things Michael hoped he’d do. He faltered, pushing himself off the stool.
               “You okay?”
               Alex looked down, and Michael only now noticed his nails were digging into his arms.
               “Alex,” he wanted to reach out, but didn’t know if his touch would be welcome.
               Alex caught the hesitance, and the corner of his lips rose in half a sad smile. “I’m kind of used to crying where no one would see me,” he confessed quietly, and Michael stilled. It was only for a second before his need took over, and he closed the distance between them, taking hold of Alex’s elbows.
               “Didn’t you think I’d notice?” he demanded in a whisper, because he had to know.
               Alex seemed to think about that for a second, then, as if just realizing it himself, he said, “No one else ever has before.”
               Michael exhaled shakily, and pulled Alex in, hugging his waist tight enough that it hurt. “That freaks me out, Alex. Don’t . . . don’t ever talk like that. Like it’s okay that nobody notices. I notice. I always notice.”
               Alex huffed a soft chuckle, barely a breath, and not until he wrapped his arms tightly around Michael’s shoulders was Michael able to breathe again. He buried his face in the crook of Alex’s neck, and Alex pressed his lips to the shell of his ear.
               “I love you,” he murmured, and gently kissed Michael’s ear. Michael instinctively squeezed his waist, and it made him laugh. He groaned into Alex’s neck. What he would do to bottle that sound and keep it with him forever.
               “I love you more,” he promised in a whisper.
               Alex’s hold on him tightened with need and desire and desperation and love all at once.
               “Okay,” he said slowly, dragging his hands down Alex’s waist, his hips, and pulling him in closer. “I’m healed, I’m good to go, are you?”
               Alex bit his lower lip as his grin widened, dragging his hands up from Michael’s shoulders, his neck, to cup his jaw, leaving Michael’s mouth hanging open. Alex leaned in, and as he whispered, his lips brushed Michael’s in an almost-kiss. A taste of what was to come.
               “Kyle’s been gone for two whole minutes,” he said. “I’m kind of shocked you restrained yourself this long.”
               Michael groaned. “Can we not talk about him while my hand’s up your shirt?”
               Alex grinned. “Jealous?”
               Michael clawed down Alex’s back, making him gasp, his body instinctively pressing against Michael’s own. His promise for what was to come. “Yes, Private. I’m jealous.”
               Alex moaned, his mouth hanging open against Michael’s, his grip finally hard enough to bruise after a week of careful distance. Michael was going to die at the rough touch, and was happy for it.
               Then Alex smiled. “Good.”
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alfalcone · 2 years
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Prompt: Bruce/Selina, “For your own good”
Content warnings: Well, um, as requested, Bruce kidnaps and brainwashes Selina. I shouldn't have written this. There is no sex, but there is implied dubcon and, uh, you know, the whole kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome thing. Slight twist at the end.
For @raxiethetrue 💕 I know you tried to be tame, but I am feral. I hope you still like it, and won't alert the authorities. Under the cut!
Selina wakes up in a cave. It is a familiar cave, at least, but damp, dark, and disconcerting nonetheless. She isn’t bound, she finds, as she lifts herself onto her unsteady legs. Her calf and thigh muscles feel weak, trembling with the effort of holding her upright. She braces herself against the nearest thing, which is the edge of a desk that holds a tech setup, replete with several monitors and various gadgets she recognizes from the Bat's utility belt. Her vision is blurry, so she blinks until the world comes into sharper focus, braced against this desk, legs shaking. 
It is a minor miracle that she doesn’t have a headache; she refuses to downplay the importance of that. She knows she could feel much, much worse right now. As her vision finally clears, she tries to look around, carefully maneuvering her body on her unsteady legs. “B?” She asks, looking for him. 
“Selina,” his calm voice is behind her at once, almost as if he was actively avoiding her line of sight. The thought annoys her, which, she realizes, is also a minor miracle. She feels normal, mentally, if a bit confused. But her body … her legs finally fold under her and Batman catches her, easily. She relaxes against his body, into his arms, and allows her head to fall onto his shoulder. There, she closes her eyes and tries to regain a measure of composure, listening to him breathe. 
“What happened?” She finally manages, gingerly untangling herself from him to stand on her own (well, almost on her own—her ass is braced against the desk, helping to support her weight). His face is grim as he watches her, mouth set in a hard line. The Bat’s cowl is in position, of course, so it isn’t as if he can betray too much emotion, but she can still read him. She hopes. Selina doesn’t know who he is, despite them sleeping together, on and off, for more than a year now. That annoys her, too, but she pushes the feeling aside. He has his shit to work through, and Lord knows she has hers. She licks her lips. "Is it my spine? Was I injured?"
The Batman smirks at her and cocks his head, as if she's done something particularly foolish. “Selina, if it was your spine you wouldn’t be able to stand. You had a significant dose of muscle relaxant.” He closes the distance between them, until he is physically pressing her into a sitting position on the desk. “It doesn’t hurt, right? You should be feeling pretty good, I'd think. I’d say I am surprised you’re standing, with the amount they gave you, but nothing you do surprises me anymore.” He sounds proud and, somehow, disappointed at the same time. Amazed, perhaps.
Selina’s heart catches in her throat at the unexpected tone. “I—what—" 
He interrupts her with a hand on the back of her slender neck. “You’re safe.” And all at once, she’s in his arms, and everything fades back to black. 
~~
When Selina wakes up for the second time that day—or the next? or the next? how long has it been?—she is in an unfamiliar bed. It is a nice bed, and the sheets smell like nothing in particular, not even her. That’s the first thing she notices. The second thing she notices is that she’s wearing clothes that don’t belong to her. Her hands scramble down to her lower half and she feels the thick cotton of good-quality sweatpants between her fingers. She dips a hand beneath the loose waistband and is met with the soft curls of her pubic hair. No underwear. No bra, either—just a huge, boxy black t-shirt. 
Immediately, her nerves are alight. She slides out of the bed and is relieved to find that her muscles are, for the most part, under her control once more. Selina hugs the wall as she sneaks around the small, minimally-furnished apartment and looks into the kitchenette, living room, closets, and tiny bathroom. When she is satisfied that she’s alone, she tries the door, which won’t open. She knows she could pick it, if only she had her tools, but—
Selina is struck by a thought, and runs to the window in the living room. She opens the heavy, opaque black curtains. The view that greets her is of Gotham, many dozens of stories high in the rain. As she looks out onto the bleak, dark landscape, she hears the door open behind her. She doesn’t even have to look, because she knows the sound of his footfalls. The Bat. 
“Where am I?” Selina asks. She isn't able to keep the wonder out of her voice.
“Home,” comes the answer.  She turns to look at him, and he’s there, huge and intimidating to some—to her, at times—but a great comfort, despite the circumstances. It's a reaction not particularly under her control, the way she trusts him instinctively. “Selina, they won’t stop until they find you. I don’t know how else to keep you safe,” he begins, setting a covered dish of food on the little island that separates the living room from the kitchenette. 
“Who?” The word hangs heavy in the air. Something has undoubtedly changed between them, but the tenderness she feels toward him remains. She trusts him, still. Even when she shouldn’t. Even when she’s losing time, waking up in strange locations, in strange clothes, confused. Selina takes a seat at the island, and waits for her food. She’s hungrier than she’s been in a long time. 
“The drugs should be at least 90% out of your system by now,” comes the non-response. She doesn’t press any further, instead watching him ready her meal. The food is all she can think about, and to say that the Batman preparing a plate of food is a comical sight undersells the absurdity of it all. It makes her smile, despite herself.
He fluffs the rice with a fork, and slides the heaping plate over to her. It's her favorite Thai fried rice; the smell is unmistakable. She digs in, and she’s so hungry that it hurts to fill her belly, but she does it. Then she drinks glass after glass of water until she’s certain she’s going to be sick. Why is she so hungry?
When she's done, she rests her cheek on the cool wood of the island and closes her eyes, exhausted. The Bat carries her to the bedroom, and she doesn’t protest. 
The Batman stays with her that night and explains to her everything that has transpired—how the Penguin has become consumed with revenge, how he no longer wishes to settle for making her his girl, but he instead wants her dead. How he saved her from the Penguin's goons—something she does remember, she thinks—but only after they had already given her a muscle relaxer that almost killed her.
The Bat is in shadow as he recounts having to save her life and keep her body hydrated with an IV drip as she slept and the medicine worked its way out of system. There is a depth of emotion in his voice that moves her, makes her lower her guard to him despite knowing better. He apologizes for undressing her, for the sweats she's now wearing, but assures her that her catsuit, her gear, is safe in the cave. He apologizes, again, for what happened to her phone:
“Destroyed. I’ll get you a new one.”
She believes him, but she’s furious at the situation, at feeling like a cat tied to a stick. Frantic. She argues with him, tries to escape, threatens, wears herself out with her soft fists on his hard armor. Eventually, she gives up so he’ll leave. Once he does, she schemes, attempts to pick the lock on the door, but she can’t.
She thinks about breaking the windows, but what good would that do? She has no way to scale the building. And she doesn't want to die. It hasn't come to that. It won't. This is all a misunderstanding, as usual, the Bat being overprotective. A bridge too far, perhaps, but nothing unusual.
Right?
Selina waits until he comes back the next day, a full cycle of sunrise to sundown. She watches television, skims the books on the little bookshelf (classics, all, nothing she particularly cares for). She fixes herself food from the pantry and fridge, bangs on the walls and shouts, she takes a shower (all her favorite toiletries and cosmetics are here, which makes her sick and paranoid in a way she can’t describe), and she waits.
He arrives late, long past midnight, and she pounces on him, immediately, from her crouching spot by the door.  She’s able to make it past him, out into the hallway, but she’s immediately disoriented by what she sees. She’s in some kind of huge home, a gothic mansion, which she can see open up in the distance. The hallway is long and stretches both ways, and before she can decide where to bolt, she is being dragged back inside and tossed onto the sofa.
The Bat’s green eyes are wild with something. Anger? Fear? Selina recoils, pushing herself into the cushions. “Where the fuck am I?” She demands, at the very top of her voice. “You sick fuck. You—let me go. Let me go, or I’ll—'
~~
The same routine, for two weeks. Waiting, pouncing, fighting, screaming, losing time. Eventually, she gives that up, switches tactics. She tries to talk to him, to coax the man she thought she knew to the forefront. And talk they do. For hours, sometimes. About the the danger she’s in. It isn’t just the Penguin, he reveals; it’s so much more. A web of deceit, her partners all betraying her. A bonafide conspiracy, happening right under her nose.
The Bat talks to her about the crimes being committed by the madmen attempting to capture her, which she corroborates by watching the nightly news. There is, apparently, serial killer on the loose, murdering women who look like her (from what she can tell of the photos they show on the news. Pretty, petite, brown.) The full scope of the horror is difficult for her to grasp, and she has to lean on him a few times. People she knew, people she trusted ...
Selina begs him to let her help, but he refuses, promising only to find the men behind the murders. The mastermind, especially, he obsesses over. “I need to understand him, Selina,” the Batman pleads. “Tell me about you. Why is he obsessed with you?”
So they talk about her, her, her. And it feels good, to do that. For the first time ever, to really talk about herself.
Selina comes to know herself better, through his eyes. How naive she had been, how cavalier with her own safety. And as she speaks of herself, he listens and shares his own heart, too. Just enough to make her love him. Just enough for her to know him without knowing anything at all. They make love, and it is sweet and tender, or filthy and rough, whatever she needs that night. Sometimes he's inside her until she falls asleep, because she trusts him. Skin to skin. Two as one, no boundaries.
And then the nature of their relationship changes once more. She comes to idolize him after he brings down the murderer who had been stalking her. Just some man. Some nobody. She hates him. She's so relieved when he's gone that she erupts in primal sobs, a sound she didn't even know she could make. And he is beside her, comforting her through her shock and catharsis. All those women, dead, just because they looked like her, to him, to this sick, woman-hating, obsessive monster who thought he deserved her when he didn't even know her. She is wracked with grief, and he encourages to let it out. She's grateful for that.
Not a month later, the Batman also takes care of the Penguin. Both Oz and the serial killer are in Arkham, by the end of the year, so much more quickly than the police could have hoped. She watches the stories on the nightly news and hisses at the screen when some dumb pig comes on and calls the Bat a "dangerous vigilante". Fools. No better than the psychos in Arkham. Feeding on misery.
Selina comes to love her penthouse, furnished to her liking over time. She revels in how safe she is while the men who tried to hurt her are in Arkham, being treated like the sick fucks they are. It's like this: the Bat in his cave at night, then in Selina’s little hideaway after his patrol, smelling like blood and leather and sweat and everything she likes and misses and craves. He blindfolds her and takes her down to the cave a several times a week, where she exercises and spars with him to stay sharp. He tells her about his cases, and she helps him crack a few. Selina gets really good at patching him up, and even better at not looking at his face, even when she could. She doesn’t want to know. She can’t. 
~~
When Selina leaves her little room tonight, she is hand-in-hand with the Batman, a blindfold on her eyes. She is in uniform, but it’s not her catsuit. The blind path to the Batcave elevator is second nature to her now and she arrives there with him, waiting for the lift, counting the seconds until she hears that familiar creak.
Once she’s downstairs, the blindfold is off her eyes and she takes a moment to study her reflection in the mirror he has mounted to the back of one of the doors. She thinks that maybe—
“Robin, come. Patrol time.” 
Selina wastes no time rushing over to the car and sliding into the passenger seat. “Sorry, B,” she says, smiling over at him. “Let’s roll.”
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bloodlustcas · 8 months
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hi love!!! 3, 24, 45 for the ask game? <333
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dhdgshajksk CATTTTT ahhhhhh adorableeeeeeeeee
3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
of snow. The cemetery welcomed me like a friend, and soon,
24: Do you have a collection of anything?
yessssss i love collecting things. I have a rock collection which is very fun, also for ages i had a stamp collection BUT WHEN WE MOVED I LOST IT, truly heartbreaking. I also have a record collection and i love themmmm.
45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
ummm it's a tie between two. first was was when I was like 7 and I was on these things:
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and my arms were too short to reach the next thing and i did like a full loop and twisted weirdly and then fell and landed on my arm and fractured it.
The other one was like 2 years ago maybe 3, I used to do fucking competitive fencing (it was a time i started it when I was like 13 because ooooh swords thats fun and oh my god the people there were so serious about it and massive wankers I Did Not enjoy it especially all the competitions and having to talk to the people from the other clubs they were ten times more shitty lol) and I injured my calf somehow and I couldn't fence for like 3 months and then after I started again I injured it for a second time which was lovelyyyyy
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clethos · 5 months
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day 3 of @mcyt-yuri-week! prompt was hurt/comfort, so i wrote pearl getting injured while fighting mobs and cleo, releuctantly, taking care of her.
fic under cut!
Cleo shouldn't be here.
They're just doing a bit of mining and grinding, waiting for Scott to sleep off his post-respawn slump, and this cave just below them looks promising but it's filled with monsters. Creepers, skeletons, those freaky blue spiders- and Pearl.
Knees bent, hair tied back, she stands in the middle of a decent-sized cave, clutching an iron sword in one hand and a shield in the other. As the small circle of mobs begins to close in on her, she springs into action, expertly dodging a creeper, whirling around to slam her shield into a stray skeleton's ribcage. 
Cleo watches from above, reluctantly impressed. Pearl's a good fighter- they know this, somehow, in the part of their brain that's starting to collect dust. Certainly better than Cleo, in any case. She makes it look easy; like a dance, like something smiling and romantic instead of the sweaty, blood-and-guts affair it is. They can't seem to look away.
And then, in the space of an instant: things start to go wrong.
Pearl, light glinting off her sword as she slashes at a spider, doesn't notice the creeper in the shadows behind her- not until she's sprawled on her back in a crater, momentarily stunned, her sword blown clear across the cave. The sleeve of her hoodie smolders and burns out. The monsters descend upon her.
She's fending them off pretty well with just her shield, but even from here Cleo can see her growing tired, her movements more frantic and less in control. They have to squint to see her, behind the cluster of mobs converging on her like rabid dogs. 
All at once her whole body flashes red, briefly lighting up the ravine.
She's taking damage . Cleo, not quite thinking, leaps down from their ledge, throws down a water bucket as a quick afterthought. Their knees crack weirdly when they land, the sound echoing off the stone walls.
Pearl turns to stare at them. Unfortunately, so does every hostile mob in a twenty-metre radius.
Forgetting their initial plan, Cleo darts forward, grabs Pearl's hand, and starts to run .
---
"Fuck," Pearl wheezes, when they're back on the surface and have a moment to sit down. "Fuck. That little bugger got me, see?" She tugs up the hem of her jeans, revealing a deep gouge in her calf. Blood trickles down and into her left sneaker. Cleo winces.
"A zombie bite? You should get that checked out." As soon as the words leave their mouth they realize how stupid they sound. There's no doctors here. No nurses, no ambulances. No one to save them if nature decided to fuck them over.
"I got vaccinated, actually. I think a couple months ago? So it won't kill me or infect me or anything."
"Sure," Cleo allows, "but you'll be mighty sore come morning. I bet that tower'll be a real pain to climb now, huh?"
Pearl grimaces. "Don't even remind me." And then, quieter: "Thanks. You really saved my butt back there."
"I barely even did anything."
"Well, at least you didn't just leave me there to become zombie food. I think some other people on the server would've."
Her voice cracks on the last word. Cleo doesn't know what to make of any of this. Their head hurts.
"It was just... Because of Scott, you know? He just died, I can't have him already going red."
"Sure," Pearl says, sounding hurt. Cleo almost feels bad. "I guess I better get going now." She stands up abruptly, wincing as her leg almost gives out underneath her.
"Wait," Cleo says. They're surprised to have said it, actually, to hear it out loud in their own voice, but they forge on anyways. "That- that bite's pretty bad. You should bandage it before you go."
---
"You've got to wash it first," Cleo chides. Their not-quite-a-heart is not quite pounding at the proximity, but it comes pretty close. "Did you not know that?"
Pearl's face has gone pale and tightly drawn with pain, but she doesn't flinch as Cleo cleans her wound. "I thought that was one of the steps you could skip."
"It is absolutely not one of the steps you can skip," they say, pulling a roll of gauze out of their inventory. They begin dressing the cut, winding the gauze tightly around Pearl's leg. "Are you seriously going to go back to your Rapunzel tower after this? I was joking earlier, but that really is going to be a pain if you can hardly even walk straight."
Pearl just shrugs. She's sitting up, fingers burrowing into the dirt, her injured leg stretched out across Cleo's lap and the other tucked underneath her body. "Don't have anywhere else to go, do I?"
"What about Martyn? You two seemed pretty chummy on your first day."
"More like my first hour. Did you miss the part where he left me all alone in the woods?"
Cleo, again, doesn't know what to do with the bitterness in Pearl's tone. With Pearl just- here, so close to Cleo, her sword abandoned in the mines and Cleo's own blade resting in its hilt between them. With the longing written on her face, and the hurt bubbling up to the surface.
"Maybe," they say, faux-casually, "you could come up to the ravine with me. Just until your leg heals. It'd annoy Scott," they add, almost panicked, as Pearl's big shining puppy eyes stare unblinking into their own. "It'd annoy the shit out of Scott."
"Yeah." Pearl smiles wide; her sharp teeth flash in the low light. Cleo suppresses a shiver. "I'm down with that."
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