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#since it's impossible to tell with that diving gear
gwinverarrouz · 9 months
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My object head OCs whomst I almost never draw, haha. I like them! They just... don't really have stories, so I don't think about them a lot compared to some of my other characters.
The last three were art pieces I made for past editions of the Object Head Zine (these ones are free for all, you can download them!), and the dates written on the first set actually correspond to when these were finished. So 2017, 2019 and 2021. ^^
The middle row is from last year's inktober, thought it'd be fun to include them too. Different styles~
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rougepancake · 10 months
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Ship in a bottle
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Ft. Merman!Yoshikage Kira x F!Reader
Please you guys I love this idea so much you have no idea. I will defend merman Yoshikage with my life 😩. I was also terrified to post this but YOLO AHAHA SELF INDULGENCE 😔
Warnings: slight gore, mentions of killing, interspecies relationship (???), MONSTER FUCKING RAHHH (implied rahhhh), Kira’s hand fetish (also rahhhh), mating??. He’s a beautiful merman leave him be 😭
Summary: You and your fellow researcher Jotaro Kujo are out on the hunt for merfolk, legendary and beautiful creatures that have been believed to be nothing more than a legend. But they are in fact real. And they are twice as beautiful as the stories say.
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It was gloomy, as to be expected whilst out on the open ocean. The wind whipped around you, howling softly as you observed the waves rocking against your cabin cruiser. Your fellow researcher, Jotaro Kujo, was standing beside you, his eyes transfixed on the radar screen in his hands.
So far there had been no sign of any large fish, which bummed you out to no avail. You had all day out here, which meant there was definitely bound to be something. Even if you didn’t catch a glimpse of what you were looking for, you might get to see a humpback whale or something.
That would make up for it… right?
Wrong. Even if the sight of the whales was beautiful on its own, you were out here looking for something specific. Something so specific that it made searching for it nearly impossible.
Especially since most people didn’t believe in mermaids.
“Hey do you see that?” Jotaro’s voice pulled you from your trance, forcing you to look over at the radar monitor. “I wonder if it’s a school or something.”
“No way.” You rushed over to him, doing your best to contain your excitement. “Do you want to get the diving gear?”
“No thanks.” He shrugged, shaking his head as he put away the monitor. “Just look at this weather. Plus there’s a chance that it’s not even them.” He sighed and looked at you, challenging your will. “Are you really willing to risk it? What if it is them and they’re hostile? What would you do then? Die?”
“I suppose I would.” You crossed your arms. “It’s in the name of science, so I wouldn’t mind dying if it meant that some of our questions would be answered.”
Jotaro opened his mouth to argue with you further, but stopped himself when he caught a glimpse of a uniquely patterned purple fishtail.
“Holy shit.” He rushed over to the side and you followed him.
“Don’t just stand there! Get the camera!” You grabbed his arm and shook him, only to be pushed to the side with a huff from him. You couldn’t believe your eyes.
A lavender colored tail, winding across the surface of the ocean. It looked to have some markings on it, but you were unable to tell what they formed due to how far away it was.
“Place your bets Kujo.” You breathed out, still in awe at the sight of the tail. “Maid or man?” You held out your hand and Jotaro immediately slapped 2,836 yen (equivalent to $20 usd) on it.
“Maid. Just look how elegant that tail is.” He paused, lowering the camera and staring out at the ocean in awe. “It’s too beautiful to belong to a man.” You scoffed and pulled out the same amount of yen, turning around and placing it underneath a nearby cup.
“I think it’s a man.” You sighed and leaned against the railing, watching as it faded out of sight slowly. “I mean did you see those markings? And the sheer size of it too. In the legends it’s said that mermaids are more delicate, as if to seduce the sailors. So it just makes more sense for it to be a man.”
“This isn’t some fantasy novel, L/n. They’re real, and we’ve officially spotted one. Forget everything you’ve ever read about them. We are now rewriting that, got it?” He scoffed and walked past you into the cruiser. You could hear your cat meow as the door opened, a signal that he was scared of the weather. Poor thing.
“Fine. It’s getting late anyways.” You sighed and followed after Jotaro. “I’ll take you back to shore since I know you’re not too fond of boats.”
“Gee you’re too kind.” He said sarcastically and lay down on the couch, his arms resting behind his head as he propped up his feet. Your cat, Killer Queen, eyed him warily before hopping up onto his chest. “It’s that I don’t like them, it’s just that I don’t come out on the water often.” Reluctantly, he pet KQ. “I’m based on the shore, you know that.”
“Yeah yeah.” You rolled your eyes and set things to head back to the shore. It was only about fifty miles back, which was roughly a two and a half hour ride. You looked over your shoulder once you finished programming the location into the gps system. “Be gentle with KQ.” You warned. “He’s a bit of a biter.”
“Yeah.” Jotaro scoffed in response and used his hat to cover his face as he drifted off to sleep.
You went back to the deck and continued to watch the surface, hoping to catch another glimpse of the tail from earlier. Not even that. You just wanted to see at least one of the creatures you had been looking so long for.
Then you saw it.
The same tail from before, which was surprisingly close to your boat. It was surprising, since most sea creatures were scared by the churning water, but this one seemed to not care.
You watched it closely, pulled into a trance by the way it swirled around as it swam. It was beautiful.
And of course, this one was a killer.
Blood tainted the water’s surface, and the tail wriggled back into the water, disappearing from your sight entirely.
“Shit! Come back!!” You swore and leaned over the side, and right as you did the boat rocked and you fell over and into the water. You let out a scream, internally fearful of the beautiful beast that had just vanished from sight.
The harsh waves forced your head under, and you struggled against the current. Occasionally you’d resurface, and each time your boat was farther away.
You struggled and kicked violently, doing your best to fight against the strength of the current. But you were just pushed back under again.
However, this time you were met the face of a merman, who was staring at you rather intently.
He was even more beautiful than his tail, his blueish purple eyes staring deep into yours as you held onto him for dear life. His hands rested on your waist, his tail swirling around you as you began to feel lightheaded.
It was like he was able to sense that you were in need of air, and he took you up to the surface, holding you tightly so you wouldn’t be washed away by the current.
With a frantic gasp for air, you looked around for your boat, which appeared to be miles away now, just barely a spec in the distance. You felt your heart sink as you turned back to the creature that was holding you.
His eyes were focused on your hands, observing them as if they were the best thing he had ever laid his eyes on.
“Thank you!” You shouted, your voice being whisked away by the harsh winds. It was about to storm, and that scared you even more. You patted his shoulder so he would look at you, and once you made eye contact, you pointed at the boat in the distance. “I need your help getting to the boat!” You made sure to speak slowly and clearly, but he just stared at you with wide eyes.
Shit. Did he not understand you??
“Boat…” He repeated you, his voice deep and raspy. Your eyes lit up and you began to nod enthusiastically.
“Yes! Yes! Boat! I need to get back to my boat!” Thunder roared in the distance and you shivered, wincing at the sound. “Can you help me?”
His eyes had trailed down to your hands once again, his own hands meeting yours. You wriggled your fingers and he snapped back to reality, his expression unreadable.
“Please…” Your voice was weak, and you felt yourself getting lightheaded once again.
Then- everything faded to black. The last thing you remembered was the salty cold water washing over you as you clung to your inhuman savior.
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“L/n what the hell?” Jotaro grumbled as he picked you off of the deck, stumbling slightly as the boat rocked harshly. The shore was in sight now, and you were only about fifteen minutes away from the base, which meant that Jotaro would be getting off and you’d be heading right back out to sea. “Don’t tell me you tried to swim in these conditions.”
“Oh fuck off.” You rolled your eyes and pushed past him, shakily walking into the cabin of the boat. “I fell in. And you owe me 2,876 yen.” You grabbed a towel and began to dry yourself off, turning your back to him to give yourself some privacy.
“What? Why-“ He stopped. “You saw the merperson from earlier??” His tone changed entirely, seemingly more excited now. “Wow. I can’t believe-“ Jotaro shook his head and sighed. “Never mind that. Your dumbass fell into the water during a storm. How did you even get back to the boat??”
“Pay up.” You looked over your shoulder with a smirk, sticking out your hand expectantly. “I fell in while observing him, and he saved me. Simple as that.”
“No. It’s not that simple.” He argued, handing you the money with a sigh. “Merfolk tend to make promises, something similar to a contract.” He paused and sat down on the couch, petting KQ gently as he spoke. “That merman you ran into will expect something from you in return, especially since he saved your life.”
“Aren’t you the one who told me to forget everything I’ve ever read about merfolk?” You turned around, giving him a glare. The boat rocked, a sign that you were now back at the base. “Whatever. We’re at the dock, so get off and log our information.” You waved him away.
“I’m serious L/n. You’d better be careful.” He began to pack up his things. “Just don’t die. You’re the only field operator that I can tolerate.” He grumbled and headed off the boat.
You sighed and began to strip yourself of your wet clothes, tossing them into the hamper as you made your way to your room. Once you pulled out a dry change of clothes and got changed, you programmed the location you were at earlier back into the navigational system and waited.
KQ seemed restless, but you couldn’t blame him. The wind was howling outside, forcing your boat to rock against the violent waves as you sailed back to where you had seen that merman.
You had some music playing in the background to ease your mind, but you just couldn’t stop thinking about what Jotaro had warned you about.
Merfolk wanting something in return? It was odd but you weren’t overly surprised. You just wanted to know if it was true.
Just then, something hit the side of the boat, resulting in a hiss from KQ. You hopped up from your seat and ran out to the deck, searching for what had just hit your boat, and sure enough, you were met with the face of your mer-savior.
“Well hello.” You let out a slight sigh of relief and walked over to where he was laying, his tail draped over the side and floating atop the water. Now you were allowed a better look at him, and oh boy was he a looker.
You debated on helping him onto the deck, but he seemed content sitting there, staring at your hands as if they were his next meal.
“Can you understand me?” You leaned down to his eye level, bracing yourself just in case the boat were to rock again. If he couldn’t understand you right now, then that’d be fine since you were bilingual.
However if he spoke his own language then you’d be fucked in terms of trying to understand his species.
Thankfully, he nodded, his gaze returning to your hands.
“Great! Oh uh…” You trailed off and put your hands in your pockets, hoping he would then be able to focus on your words. But as soon as you did so, he glared at you. “S-Sorry! I just want to as you a couple of things! That’s all..!” You stammered and brought your hands to your sides.
And like clockwork, his eyes returned to them.
You watched as he slowly reached out and took one of your hands in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing the top of his softly. Then, he moved to kiss your fingertips, closing his eyes with a sigh as he allowed his tongue to graze your skin.
“H-Hey.” You tried to pull your hand away but he stopped you, crawling up further onto the deck and looking you in your eyes.
“Quiet.” He spoke, seemingly annoyed by your response to his actions. You huffed and shut your mouth, watching in slight fear as he ran his tongue along your fingers.
His eyes met yours once again as he sucked on your fingers, letting out a pleased hun as he removed them from his mouth. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but struggled to find the right word to do so.
“Is this about you helping me earlier..?” You asked slowly, inching away from him slightly. He gave you a ‘how did you know’ type of look and nodded slowly, pulling himself closer to you. “U-Uh… so you like my hands..?”
He nodded enthusiastically, his eyes shining at the mention of your hands.
“What’s your name?” You paused and searched his eyes. “Do you have a name?”
He nodded again and made some form of clicking noise, as if trying to communicate with you in his own language. He then realized you couldn’t understand him and stopped halfway.
“Yoshikage.” He sounded unsure of his human pronunciation, but felt relieved when you nodded in understanding.
“Well Yoshikage, my name is Y/n-“ You brought your hand to your chest to emphasize your name belonged to your face- something similar to what a mother would do to a learning child.
But he stopped paying attention at the movement of your hand. And to your surprise, he reached out and grabbed your wrist, pulling you closer to him without a second thought. He brought your hand to his face and forced you to caress his cheek, relishing in the warmth of your touch.
“You see Yoshikage, I have some questions about your kind.” You began to go along with him, your thumb gently rubbing against his cold skin. “Would you be willing to answer them for me?”
He ignored you.
“Yoshikage?” You stopped moving your thumb and he gave you an annoyed huff. “Fine, fine.” You continued to pet him, your hand moving up to his damp hair, your fingers running through it in a calming manner. Yoshikage let out a pleased sigh and leaned into your touch, his eyes fluttering shut.
You opened your mouth to speak again, but you were interrupted by him pushing you to the floor of the deck. And naturally, it was wet, which meant your fresh change of clothes was too.
“Quiet.” He repeated the same word from earlier and began to strip you of your clothes.
“H-Hey wait if this is about you saving my life and all then maybe we can talk about this-“ You put your hands on his chest and pushed him back, but he resumed his position and stared into your eyes.
“Quiet.” He repeated, and this time it sounded like he was trying to… comfort you..? Either way it was odd, but you couldn’t help but shiver as his cold hand met your bare stomach, slowly trailing up to your breasts.
“Well I’ll admit you are quite handsome.” You sighed and relaxed slightly. “But I have to ask- do merfolk go out before they get busy or do they just get right to business?” You teased and brought your hand up to his cheek, watching his face flush with a smirk.
“Quiet…” his voice was softer, but still stern, as if his resolve was slowly slipping away. It was as if he didn’t know what to do as far as your body. He really only seemed to want your hands, but hey, if he was willing to take more then you’d let him.
It’s in the name of science, of course, so you don’t mind it one bit.
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springdandelixn · 1 year
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Against the Tide  - Part I
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Summary: Your life takes an unexpected turn as the leader of the biker gang that took over your town sets his eyes on you.
Warnings: unwanted touching, power imbalance, abusive undertones, more to be added as the series progresses.
Characters: Dark!Biker!James Conrad x F!Reader, Michael from Legion and Billy Lee from Bad Times at the El Royale (biker au)
A/N: I have taken a dive into newer territory and it’s such a thrilling experience. It’s a first I’m writing for James Conrad so please be gentle. I do dedicate this piece to one of my babies, @michelleleewise​ 💙 Belated Happy Birthday, dear. Also a belated happy birthday to @coldnique​!!
As always, your feedback is highly appreciated and reblogs would be amazing. And of course, I hope you guys enjoy! 💙
Against the Tide Masterlist
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You turn your head to face the back of the bar when you hear the commotion coming from the kitchen, the din of Melody’s angry voice mixing in with the clack of the pool balls from the other side of the bar and the music playing from the speakers. Luis, the new hire, must have messed up another customer’s order, probably burning the burger patties like he did last night. 
You feel your phone buzz from your back pocket and pull off the simple black apron tied around your waist. Turning off your alarm, you peek from the kitchen window and tap your hand against the metal surface, a chuckle leaving your lips as you see Melody’s fuming face. 
“What?!” She snarls and you only roll your eyes playfully at her rage.
“I’m taking my break.” You tell her, holding out your hand after. “Cigs.” 
She pulls a pack from the back of her pocket and slaps it on your hand, giving her a playful wave with your fingers before looking at Luis and laughing at the way he frowns when Melody goes back to scolding him. 
The summer night breeze is a welcome sensation when you step out of the bar and walk over to the side of the building where the cars and motorcycles of the patrons are parked. Tapping the pack against your palm you take the nicotine stick that slides free and tuck it between your lips. 
Shaking the lighter, you flick your thumb against the small metal gear, watching the flame come to life and lighting the tip of the cigarette. You take a long drag, watching the embers eat at the roll of tobacco before huffing the smoke up into the air. A small sigh leaves your lips as you can’t help but contemplate what your life has become while watching the smoke form clouds around the full moon that shines in contrast to the dark sky. 
All your life you’ve only been in Westmoor, never once venturing away from the small town, even if it’s just to visit the next one over. You once had plans of leaving the place you call home when you were a teenager, to abandon the miserable and abusive life you’ve come to know since you were born—your alcoholic father seeing you as a burden and your mother too afraid to fight back once he cracks his hand against your cheek. 
You were free once your mother died from illness, running away from home and finding solace at Ol’ Sammy’s place. The old man treated you like you were his own, his wife, Eleanor, showering you with the love and affection you’ve never known. They’d even ward off your deadbeat father when he would storm up to their porch, demanding money you owed him for raising you. 
You felt like you had a family in their presence but even so, your desire to leave just drew stronger. For there was truly nothing but hardship in this town. Yet no matter how hard you tried, saving every penny you can from years of working at Nick’s, leaving just seemed impossible. 
Especially now with the gang of bikers that have seemingly taken over just about a year ago. Coming into town and claiming it as their own, with every resident scared for their lives as they shamelessly flaunt their power. They made it their job to make their presence known, terrorizing businesses and taking money for protection that isn’t needed. For no one comes to Westmoor to cause havoc, the only visitors being passersby and hunters during the fall. 
The roar of a motorcycle pulls you from your thoughts and you stand rigid against the wall when you see the gang parking their bikes in front of you. You feel a chill run up your spine at their sudden appearance. It’s Wednesday and you know they’re not supposed to be here, Nick telling everyone at the bar when they’re scheduled to collect.
“Hey there, sugar,” Billy calls as soon as their engines die, the burly man getting off his bike and casually striding over to where you stand. 
You do your best to keep your guard up, you know better than to face them alone. Rolling your eyes at Billy’s greeting, you drop your cigarette to the ground and stomp your foot on it to kill the embers before walking away. But a yelp of surprise leaves your lips when your pulled back, the air punching out of your lungs when your back hits the wall, eyes growing wide as Billy presses his hand against the concrete surface, trapping you. 
“Leaving so soon?” He teases, the hair sitting over his lip moving in waves as he juts out his lips. “We just got here.” 
“I’m done my break.” You say in annoyance, pressing your fists against his chest, trying to push him away. “Melody will be furious if I’m late.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you taking a couple more minutes if she knew you were with me.” His breath already reeks of alcohol, making your stomach turn as he leans closer to your face.
“That’s enough, Billy.” 
Your spine tingles in fear when you hear James’ voice, Billy giving you another smirk, turning your head away when his fingers rub against your cheek when he pulls away from the wall.
Out of all the bikers, James is the one people fear the most. His calm demeanor is nothing but a front to his hidden rage. You’ve witnessed first hand when Richard, one of the bar patrons, beat him in a game of pool, the man never coming back to Nick’s after he was bedridden for almost a month. 
He’s stopped drinking, his wife, Ingrid, said when you went over to their place to drop off a pie Eleanor made. But the brace around his neck and the bruises you saw decorating his face when Ingrid opened the door a little too wide said otherwise.
“You got a light?” James asks as he stands in front of you. You reach into your pocket and hold out the lighter, keeping your expression stoic when he cups your hand with both his, flicking the flame to life before lighting his nicotine stick. 
You pull your hand back when he finishes, tucking the lighter back in your pocket and standing still as he takes a drag and huffs out the smoke, his blue eyes never leaving you. 
“What are you doing out here all alone, dove?” He asks, his gaze lingering down your body before he meets your eyes again. 
“I was on break.” You respond in a monotone voice. “Was just about to head back.”
“Is Nick in?”
“He called out. Said his wife is sick.” 
“Is that so?” He chuckles, taking another puff of the cigarette, cringing when he blows the smoke at your chest. “I guess we came here for nothing, boys. Unless you can make it worth my while?” He asks and you quickly slip away when he leans in closer, your heart pounding hard against your chest when he grabs you all of a sudden. “And who gave you permission to leave?” You shiver at his tone, hushed yet menacing.
“I have to go back to work.” You reason, wincing as he tightens his hold on your wrist when you try to pull away. “You guys come in and have a drink, so your trip isn’t wasted.” You say in a rush, your voice shaking as you speak. “On the house, as much as you want. I’m sure Nick won’t mind.” 
“C’mon, boss.” Billy interjects, his voice sounding like an excited little kid about to get a ice cream from the shop. “I also want to challenge Mikey to a game of pool.” 
A grunt echoes at the side and you see James’ right hand man, Michael, standing and watching you impassively at the side. His tattoo-covered arms are crossed over his chest, his finger leisurely rubbing the base of the gun that hangs on his holster as if waiting for the opportunity to use it.
“Very well.” James groans and drops the half finished cigarette on the ground, releasing your hand all the same. “But you’ll be the one to serve us. No one else. Understood?” He demands. 
You nod and quickly scurry away from him, your annoyance instantly flaring when Billy slaps his hand against your ass when you pass him. 
The stuffy atmosphere is a welcome distraction as you walk back into the building. Melody stands behind the bar, the anger from earlier replaced with a smile. But as soon as she sees you, her lips slant and you know that she knows something isn’t right. 
“What’s wrong?” She asks.
“Conrad and his minions are here.” You quickly tell Melody as you make your way at the back of the bar, the smile on her face quickly fading at your announcement. 
“What are they doing here?” She whispers, turning her back when the boys enter the bar, helping you grab their drinks from the fridge. 
“They’re looking for Nick.”
“Did you tell them he isn’t here?” 
“I did but they won’t leave me alone.” You bite back, popping the caps of the bottles before setting them atop a round tray. “I told them they can have drinks, on the house.”
“What?! Are you stupid? Nick will be—”
“He’ll be happy that we kept them happy. You know how Conrad is.” You hiss, taking the tray. “And the last thing we need is for him to burn down the bar.”
“Fine.” She says in defeat. “I’ll try to call Nick, maybe he can make them go away.” 
You don’t say anything. You already know as well as she and the whole town of Westmoor that it’s impossible to get rid of James and his men. 
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A.P.U Comfort
Summary - Part 18 in the Comfort series
Pairing - Dean Winchester x Reader, Reader x Sam (platonic), Reader x Bobby (father-figure)
Warnings - mentions of miscarriage
Series Masterlist | Masterlist
A/N - G’day guys, I just wanna start by thanking you for all the likes, reblogs and follows since my last post, I really appreciate it. I hope you like this one too. Beware though, this one is a little longer than usual – I got a little carried away as I had a particular episode in mind that I wanted to rewrite for this situation. The GIF below is a major hint at what we're diving into. Until next week, enjoy! 
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Meanwhile in Sioux Falls…
“I don’t know what to do, Bobby. I don’t know how to help her feel better when I don’t know how to shut off the pain myself. She’s a shell of herself…I just want to see her smile again. She would’ve been an amazing mother, you know.”
“For a start, you don’t shut it off. You share it. You confide in your girl. Let her confide in you. ‘Cause you’re no better. Sam said it’s like living in a morgue and now I can see for myself what he means. You will both be great parents when the time is right. Neither of you is the type to give up on anything when it comes to helping others, you just need to apply that same passion to yourselves and each other.”
“How?”
“You love her and you let her love you. In the meantime though let’s go see what Jody claims is so urgent.”
They gear up and get into the Impala and drive 20 minutes to a cafe in Hartford, where Jody had said to meet her. 
“Howdy boys, thanks for meeting me.”
“Anything for you, Sheriff,” Bobby says as he exits the car. 
“Hey, Jody.”
“Hey Dean, glad to see you’re holding up okay. If you and Y/N ever need a home-cooked meal or company be sure to drop in. I’m here for both of you.”
“Thanks, I’ll be sure to let her know when I get home. So, what’s the case?”
“This is a small town. Only crime to speak of being the occasional cow tipping. Then last week...four people go missing.”
“All right, so, what makes you think this is our kind of weird?” Dean asks
“I've got a witness who says he saw someone lift an S.U.V. to nab a girl last night. Now, normally, if somebody would tell me that one guy lifted an S.U.V., I'd tell him to take a flying leap, but after what I've seen…”
“Nothing's impossible,” Bobby says.
“Uh-huh.”
“And this matches up with the other missing how?” Dean asks.
“Well, four abductions, strong evidence left at every scene -- literally,” Jody says as she pulls out a folder full of photos and case reports and spreads them out on the table between them.
“So, the first vic was a pastor?” Bobby confirms.
“Yeah. The door of his study was punched in. And then, the next two…an engaged couple.”
“Locked bedroom window was ripped open,” Dean reads out.
“Mm-hmm. And then we have our waitress here with the topsy-turvy ride.”
“Any other connection among them?” Bobby asks.
“Yeah. They were all members of Good Faith church here. My, uh, my church group back in Sioux Falls was in a tizzy over it.”
Dean gives her an inquisitive look and says, “I didn't peg you for churchy.”
“Yeah. You know… all this stuff I’ve seen recently kind of makes a higher power seem relevant.”
“Okay, so, we have, uh, missing church folk and super strength. Maybe angels harvesting vessels? Could be a Buddy Boyle type thing,” Bobby says.
“Wh-- angels? You're joking.”
“Don't get your pants on fire. They suck,” Dean says, “you said there was a witness?”
“Yeah, well...more or less.”
“We’ll be needing to meet him,” Bobby states.
Jody scribbles an address down on a napkin and slides it across the table to Bobby, “This is where you’ll find him. Not sure how reliable he’ll be. Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work. Good luck, and keep me updated,” she says as she gets up and makes her way out of the cafe.
Dean and Bobby tidy up the files and head back out to the Impala and drive to the address Jody gave them. They walk up to an alley filled with makeshift tents and trolleys full. They walk around the back of a restaurant and find a messy-looking man sitting on the ground leaning against the brick wall. They clear their throat and flash their fake FBI badges at him.
Dean takes a seat on the couch the man led them to and says, “So, tell us about this missing girl you reported.”
“Honor. Her name was Honor. Nice girl. Always left me meatloaf.”
“Why don't you tell us what you saw that night?” Dean says.
“I heard a big noise, got woke, and there's somebody over there lifting a car up.”
“And did you happen to see who it was?” Dean asks.
“I was too far. But I saw a light go off.”
“A white light?” Bobby asks
“Blue. Blue like fire. But not. Then she was…she wasn't there.”
“Could you think of anything else?” Bobby asks.
“No.”
“Okay. Well...thank you for your time,” they both say as they stand up and see themselves out. 
As they get into the Impala Bobby says, “Okay. So, no white light.”
“No angel. So Jody said that they were all part of the same church?”
“Yeah.”
“Ready to get your worship on?” With that, Dean pulls out into the street and speeds off towards Good Faith Church in the centre of town. He pulls into a park in front of the large religious building. They take in the multicoloured stained glass windows showcasing stories of the bible as they walk through the heavy wooden doors. A short lady with shoulder-length blonde hair welcomes them.
“Welcome to Good Faith Church, I haven’t seen you at our services. Are you new to town?”
“Something like that,” Bobby says as he shakes her hand.
“Well then, can I interest you in a tour?”
“Sure,” Dean says with a nod.
They follow her around the halls of the chapel and listen as she tells them stories of their faith. At the end of the tour, she leads them into an office and offers them to take a seat. “We hope you enjoyed the tour. Any questions before we get you boys registered?”
“Uh, yeah, look, Ms Futchko,” Bobby says.
“Oh, please... Bonnie will do just fine.”
“Bonnie. Okay, we...love the church. We do. But...Well, we've heard that a few members have gone missing, and, to be honest...that kind of scares us.”
“Let me assure you, with our increased security, Good Faith has never been safer. And those people who have gone missing, well, they are front and centre in our prayers.”
“What a relief. Now, you must have been, uh, close to them,” Dean cuts in.
“Well, we do share the A.P.U. bond.”
“The A.P.U.?” Dean asks.
“Our chastity group...‘Abstinence Purifies Us.’”
“Oh. W-wow. You mind if we sit in on that, maybe see if it's for us?” Bobby asks.
“I'm afraid it's members only. I'm sorry, but it can get pretty personal.”
“Then count us in,” Bobby says.
“Well. I'll be a squirrel in a skirt. I'll be back in a jiff with the papers.” Bonnie walks out of the office to collect the papers, leaving Dean and Bobby sitting alone.
“A chastity group?” Dean asks.
“Dean, listen, if all the members were in A.P.U., then maybe whatever took them is stalking virgins.”
“And that Slim guy said he thought he saw fire. So, what are you thinking, dragons?”
Bonnie returns with two clipboards interrupting them. “All righty. You can just sign there, and your purification can begin.”
“Purity pledge?” Bobby reads out.
“It's a commitment to your virginity.”
“I don't think we can really un-ring that bell. You know what I mean?” Dean states with a smirk.
“Oh. I see. Well... If you just ask for God's forgiveness for your sins and make a new vow of chastity, well, then, you'll be born again as a virgin in his eyes.”
“So, you just hit the "virginity do-over" button, and all is good with the man upstairs?” Dean asks.
“It's not a button. And...this isn't just a piece of paper. I mean, this is your clean slate, your chance to be a virgin until marriage.”
“You know what, I’ve had my shot. Been married and all that, so I’m out. But you’re recently engaged, might be the perfect time for you. Sure your girl would be thrilled with the prospect of a pure white wedding,” Bobby says handing back the clipboard unsigned.
“Well, you had me at clean slate. Let's do this,” Dean says as he signs his name and hands back the clipboard.
“Congratulations, Dean Winchester. You are now a virgin.”
Dean gives her a tight smile and glances at Bobby. Bonnie takes the clipboards and leaves to start setting up the session. 
“You think Y/N will forgive me for this?”
“Depends…you planning on honouring your pledge?”
“As you said, it might be just what we need right now. Gives me more incentive to get her in that white dress already. Clean slate, new plan, the start of a happy future for us.”
“Alright. Well, you go get pure. I’m gonna hit the library.”
Dean hands Bobby the keys to the Impala and makes his way to the room Bonnie had shown them earlier where the meetings are held. When he enters the room he sees a group of women setting up folding chairs in a circle and laying out trays of food and coolers on a couple of folding tables along one wall. He helps set up the chairs before they all take a seat.
One of the ladies claps her hands and looks around the circle smiling. “Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Suzy. I thought we'd begin with a silent prayer for our missing friends.”
Everyone closes their eyes in a silent prayer except for Dean who is still watching everyone. After a moment he joins in and ducks his head quietly.
“Amen. Now, does anyone have anything that they would like to share?” Suzy asks. “Why don't we hear from our new friend? Dean, what brought you here to reclaim your virginity?”
“Uh, hard to say, exactly. Yeah. Sex has always felt, I don't know, good, you know? I mean, really, really good. But, uh...Sometimes, it just makes you feel bad, you know? But, you know, when you get down to it, what's the big deal, right? I mean, sure, there's the touching and the feeling all of each other, my hands everywhere, tracing every inch of her body, the two of us moving together, pressing and pulling...Grinding. Then you hit that sweet spot, and everything just builds and builds and builds until it all just...Yeah. Uh...But the whole thing was just a little too, uh...sticky. So, uh, I got my V card back. The end.”
The meeting continues with an air of discomfort after Dean’s confession. Dean watches everyone intently for the rest of the meeting. Once it’s over he helps tidy up the chairs and create small talk with some of the ladies to search for leads. 
He makes his way over to the leader, Suzy and says, “Hey, Suzy right? Great meeting. But I uh, I gotta say you look so familiar.”
“Yeah, I-I'm pretty sure we've never met, Dean.”
“Alright.”
“Wait, you're new in town, right?”
“Uh, yeah. New to town. New to this whole chastity thing.”
“Well, I provide individual counselling. If you ever need to talk.”
“So, everybody in the group, they dish to you?”
“They confide. Abstinence is – it's really rough without support and education. Hey, you know what? I have some great books on the vow that really helped me. I-I live close. I'll just go grab them.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. With a, uh, with a kidnapper on the loose?”
“No, I'll be fine.”
“Tell you what, why don't I walk with you just to be safe, okay?”
“Alright, if you insist.”
They walk side-by-side back to her apartment. When she opens the door for them she says, “Make yourself comfortable.”
Dean watches as she takes off her hoodie leaving her just wearing a camisole. She sits down on her couch with her back to Dean. His cell phone rings, but he declines it quickly. He approaches Suzy on the couch and notices that she is crying.
“I can't stop thinking about my friends. I'm so scared for them. Will you pray with me, Dean?”
“Sure.” She takes his hand in her own and bows her head. Dean lightly squeezes her hand and awkwardly bows his head in response. 
After a while, she gains her composure and stands up abruptly. “Well, I’ll get you those books. Just give me one minute.”
Dean gives her a soft, awkward smile and stands up. He looks around the room. He sees a drawer slightly cracked open. He opens the drawer wider and in shock pulls out two Casa Erotica DVDs. His phone rings again, and when he sees the caller ID he’s quick to answer.
“Hey, sorry I left without saying anything, I had to come help Bobby with something.”
“I know, it’s fine. I just need to ask you something,” Y/N says over the phone.
“Shoot,” Dean says as he places the DVDs on the cabinet and makes his way into the hall.
“Is there more to our relationship than sex?”
“What makes you ask that?”
“Just tell me the truth, Dean.”
“Of course. You make me feel safe, happy, and hopeful. All feelings I haven’t felt since I was four. You make me want to be a better man. You give me a reason to live and fight harder to get to the other side of this dangerous, messy life we lead. You make me believe there is a way out. I don’t tell you every day, even though I should, but I love you.” He looks back at the door briefly, the images from the DVDs filtering through his mind distracting him. “I just…since you lost the baby…I guess I’ve felt lost. Like maybe there isn’t a way out or a future for us.”
“Dean…don’t say that.”
“You wanted the truth…I knew I never should have got my hopes up. You let me believe and then you let me down, again.”
“Don’t you dare blame me! I wasn’t sure either, and you’re the one that convinced me! You’re the one that told me it would be okay. I know you’re hurting, Dean, but so am I.”
“Hunters just aren’t meant to have relationships or families or futures.”
“Dean, baby, please. That’s not true.”
“Look around, sweetheart, it is.”
When the line goes silent he puts his phone away and goes back into Suzy’s apartment.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Tag list: (Leave a like or comment on this post or let me know below if you want to be added to the tag list for this series)
@bitchwitch1981, @muhahaha303, @justrealizedimmascifygurl, @mcdowell-123, @leigh70, @marvelsmarauder, @losa12308, @tapedeck-hearts, @luvjaida, @peachtxa, @ambearsstuff, @shadow-of-a-cloud, @slut-for-buck, @iprobablyshipit91, @sassy-pelican
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lostsoulaltair · 1 year
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OnS Analysis & Theory - Shinoa’s character & the Forgotten Depth of the Root Problem (Chapter 118 & 120)
Hello everyone, after slacking for quite a time and pondering whenever to continue or not, @black-sapphire57​ (thank you for always giving me that push to continue!) Let’s talk about one thing the fandom, or rather part of the fandom that is more focused on two characters got triggered about.
P.S: Theories are held within a neutral view and ships are excluded
Shinoa as a character has been popping less in terms of how right now the screen time has been focused for quite several chapters about the past of Mika and Yuu; and of course, there are two things I’d love to discuss.
1. The oh so called love confession
Under the most popular insight, we have chapter 118 on which after a long battle between Asuramaru and Yuu; ultimately Yuu wins, of course, in the outside world, it seems more akin that he’s dying and we have that famous panel on which Shinoa cries and begs for Yuu to stop.
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Image taken from Chapter 118
One of the things many people gave insight was that ShInoa was confessing her love to him, that she was pouring her emotions to see what he’d say; but, is that really the case? Is that a fact?
In fact it’s not. Why? Is it a delusion? Is it a denial?
The answer is actually more simple that what it seems like and it retorts to something more primal and common which in fact, we tent to experience a lot as human beings in general, what could it be?
Correct, the fear of losing someone we love and care about.
This is something the manga portrays so much, everyone fights to protect what they hold dear even if they have to do wrongs or even if they have to go towards a path of self destruction but, the thing all characters fear is losing someone forever.
The connotation here or rather the scene that takes place is that Shinoa finally found a place she could call home and a group of persons she could label as family, and of course, the one who taught her that was Yuu no less. But why did she tell him to leave without her?
Shinoa knows pretty well that Yuu’s destiny right now is sealed in stone; she knows that the further he dives into the abyss, the further he’ll ever reach the light of the sun. This means, she’s aware that Yuu’s life is a stake and this is well known since chapter 72:
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Image taken from chapter 72
And that is something certain, Shinoa is aware that the constant abuse of power only fractures Yuu’s body; the issue with chapter 118 reflected the fear of seeing someone she cares about to fade forever.
But why do I refer this to something primal or normal among humans?
When the bonds forged with time shatter due to the unexpected death, the first thing that comes is denial, pain, sadness, grief and ultimately pleading for the person to not go. A wish for a miracle is the factor that people seek. In Shinoa’s case, despite her being in love with Yuu, her wish is to see him alive instead of dead.
But now, let’s talk about another interesting point that triggered the fandom.
2. Shinoa’s resort of killing Mikaela
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Image taken from Chapter 120
Something rather doubtful to some extent considering that Mika is a demon, The only way Shinoa could actually kill Mikaela would be literally taking away Yuu’s cursed gear which, considering the huge gap of power between both, it’s close to impossible that this scenario happens. 
Therefore, why did she state that? Is it as how the fandom says that she’s angry Yuu rejected her?
No, this doesn’t even involve sentimentalism or romantic feelings, 
What do I mean? 
For that, let’s make some memories, who is Shikama trying to resurrect? Who is Yuu trying to resurrect mainly?
Of course, Mikaela.
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Image taken from Chapter 113
Chronologically speaking, this takes place way before the vampires were a thing; it was a moment on which it was only Yuu, Shikama and the corpse. How can I say that? Do I have proof? I do.
One of the small details that the chapter gave insight of, is that the time the conversation took place was back when vampires weren’t even a thing; it was a time on which the journey was only about Shikama and Yuu trying to resurrect the corpse of Mikaela. It is the first path on which Shikama finds out he needs “SACRIFICES”.
Eventually population would rise and he’d have his apostles who would later see Yuu as the “sacrifice” to bring back Mikaela back to life:
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Image taken from Chapter 106
Indeed, in order to bring Mikaela back to life, Yuu must be the sacrifice. 
Though, there’s one big issue and detail that many might have forgotten, what could it be?
Correct. Shikama’s plans have changed ever since chapter 103:
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Image taken from chapter 103
Therefore, what’s Shinoa actually trying to say with “even if I have to kill Mikaela”?
If Mikaela’s resurrection were bound to happen; first of all:
-Humanity would be further punished, which is something confirmed by the Progenitors for sure
-Second, all this “planning out something from Yuu for the greater end or killing and we’ll revive them later sounds quite interesting that he is so confident that his idea will happen” but, there’s just a tiny huge detail that seems to elude everything and that is him of course:
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Image taken from chapter 117
Despite Yuu being free of the supposed shackles from the First Progenitor and to some extent having his own authonomy, Shikama found it ironic and funny:
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Image taken from chapter 117
In the ultimate case Yuu manages to resurrect Mikaela, there are two questions that linger in the air since there’s nothing certain towards Yuu’s fate.
1. Once Mikaela is brought back, who’ll be the one waking up?
2. Will you die or will he become a source of power? After all Shikama’s plan does involve keeping them together for such goal.
In the ultimate case Yuu’s life would be endangered to be used and Mikaela Hyakuya would disappear and the one being brought back was the Son of Shikama, then it would be logic for her to say that saving Yuu is a priority even if it means killing Mikaela.
Another theory awaits, hope you enjoyed this analysis and theory dear readers, feel free to share your thoughts, after all, there are topics to discuss.
The lostsoul is back.
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Yours ~ Part 16
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My Blurb: Hi, sorry it’s been twenty years since i posted. There’s been a lot going on and it felt like every time I opened a doc to write I got interrupted. I am going to try really hard to get back into a regular rhythm. As always if you didn’t write it don’t post it anywhere. And if someone else is interested in being added to my lil tag list feel free to message me!
Disclaimer: No T-Bar, no Retribution, doesn’t exist here.
Summary: Skye Simmons is all set to start her new career and join her boyfriend in Florida. Until she finds out her boyfriend is in a feud with her soulmate. But does she even believe in soulmates? And will she choose to stay with what’s familiar and safe or take a chance?
Pairing: Dominik Dijakovic x Skye Simmons
Warnings: Arm grabbing
Tagging: @pioched​​  @sirhunterwalker​  @snarkandsarcasmftw​  @miss-tipton-is-beautiful​​ @pikapuff316​​  @jumbledmindofmonet​​  @aura-ravenora77​​ @imperiumdumptruck​​  ​  @kyrathegreat985​​  @nightelf230​  @ms-novel​  @allelitedevils  @rocca09​  @kurtisdefender​
Read First: Yours Masterlist
Also Check Out: Main Masterlist
“Dominik put me down this second!” Skye squealed as he headed towards the water with her thrown over his shoulder. 
He replied with a laugh and a squeeze to her butt, “You are in ocean water all the time at work.”
“That is temperature controlled ocean water!” She grumbled, switching tactics from trying to get out of his arms to trying to climb him to stay out of the cold water splashing against his legs. 
They had chosen to have a beach day after a stressful week for both of them. Skye had lost a sea turtle that was brought in injured and another altercation with Damian had caused some trouble for Dominik.
Skye screeched but managed to hold on to Dominik to bring him in with her when he went to dunk her in a wave. They came up laughing and sputtering. Skye jumped back into his arms using her legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck to anchor herself to him. 
“You’re going to pay for that later.” She promised, glaring at him playfully. 
Using his arms to hoist her closer to him, Dominik kissed her on the forehead. “I look forward to it.”
Skye blushed at the knowing look in his eye and felt herself respond to him. She had never considered herself someone who craved sex, but since meeting Dominik that had changed. She had admitted that to him once, causing him to laugh and tell her it was because she hadn’t been having sex with him, before proceeding to prove it to her until her legs felt like jello. 
She leaned her head against his shoulder while they floated in the water, watching a group of seagulls diving in and out in pursuit of lunch and Skye sighed happily. The three months since meeting her family and becoming an official couple had been some of the happiest of Skye’s life. Dominik was a supportive and caring partner. He sought out her opinions on things as small as changes to his ring gear and what colors he should paint the spare bedroom now that she slept with him. He asked her thoughts on big things as well including his career, something Damian had simply done and informed her about later. He listened when she was frustrated about work and cheered wholeheartedly when they were able to do something good, taking a concentrated interest when she explained how things worked. 
Dominik squeezed her in a hug, feeling the joy flowing from her and the thoughts she didn’t bother hiding, despite learning how to do it several weeks ago. “You put a new heartbeat inside of me, Skye. I love you because I was made to, and you make it impossible not to.”
Grinning at the look of shock on her face at his confession, he tossed her into another wave, laughing when she came up spluttering and pushing her hair from her face. 
“You can’t tell me you love me and then throw me into a wave!” Skye squealed before splashing him and jumping on him when he turned to shield himself. The momentum was enough to knock him under as another wave swept over them. 
They both came up laughing and Skye escaped his arms to run to shore with him right behind her. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist with the look on your face.” Dominik grabbed her and turned her to face him, lifting her face to his. “I do love you Skye, you don’t have to say it until you are ready but I can’t spend another minute keeping it in.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Skye’s phone started ringing with Dominik’s tone as she pulled into the arena. It was a takeover tonight and he had originally been scheduled for a match against Roderick Strong but an injury had pulled Roderick at the last minute and Dominik wasn’t sure if he would still have a match on the show. 
“Hey babe, I just got parked and am heading your way.” Skye answered, grabbing her purse and locking the car behind her. 
“Thank God, Vince is here, he’s changing most of the show. Rumor has it he’s scouting for the next round of call-ups.” Dominik’s voice was hushed and the closer she got to the building the more she could feel his nervousness. 
Skye picked up her pace, showing her pass to the security guard at the door who let her in with a wave. “Holy crap, that’s a big deal! I’ll be at your locker room in just a minute.” She hung up and tossed her phone in her bag, waving to the people she knew before coming up short as a familiar shadow loomed in front of her. She looked up at him with a small smile, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “Hello Damian” 
He looked rougher than the last time she had seen him, darker circles under his eyes and his normal olive tone looking pale. She had tried not to keep tabs on him but he was frequently on the same shows as Dominik and she had noticed he had turned to a party, rock star lifestyle. A warning from Hunter after yet another altercation had kept him away from Dominik for the most part. She sniffed at the faint smell of alcohol on him already. 
“Skye, you look great…” he trailed off when she took a step away from him, smoothing her dress down nervously. 
“Don’t do this, you never liked my flowery dresses. Don’t pretend now.” Skye went to step around him but he grabbed her arm as she passed, pulling her when she tried to pull away. “Let me go Damian.”
“Baby, can we just talk? I..I miss you.” Damian pulled her towards him despite the people staring at them.” 
“Get your hands off her now.” The near growl from behind her caused Skye to sigh in relief as Dominik appeared at her side pulling her arm from Damian’s grasp and wrapping an arm around her. She curled instantly into him, her racing heart calming in his presence.  
A murmur from the parting crowd caught Skye’s attention as Damian and Dominik glared at each other, her eyes widening and she squeezed Dominik’s side as Vince appeared looking between the two men. 
“Ah there you two are, and already looking ready!” Vince’s voice boomed. “I heard there was some animosity between you two and you’re going to settle it on the show tonight. We need another match!” He disappeared as quickly as he came, turning and walking back through the crowd barking orders. 
“Thirty minutes to show time” a timid looking backstage manager announced, breaking the tension that was left. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“It doesn’t matter to me you know?” Skye whispered as Dominik prepared to leave his locker room and head to gorilla. He had been tense and quiet since Vince’s announcement. His arm hadn’t left her when they headed to his locker room but once safely inside he had changed and started warming up in silence. He had blocked his thoughts from her and by the time they had announced his match was on deck Skye was about to explode from the tension. “If you beat him or not. I still choose you, I…I love you.” she continued, her voice grew firmer when he froze. 
She rose from her seat and crossed the room to him, turning his body so he was facing her. “I love you”, she poked his chest and he grabbed her hand, “Whatever happens tonight, tomorrow, ten years from now. I want to spend it with you.” she smiled when he brought the hand to his mouth for a kiss.
Dominik sighed and relaxed his body at her words. “I’m sorry, I’ve been in my own head.” Smiling, he pulled her body close to his. “You don’t know how badly I have wanted to hear you say those words.” Skye smiled, reaching up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’m still going to beat his ass for touching you.” 
“My hero” Skye sighed dramatically, “I would expect nothing less.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The match wasn’t as bad as Skye had expected. Dominik’s fury at Damian for scaring her quickly overcame the pitiful defense Damian put up. She was quick to cheer when Dominik’s hand was raised, she blushed when he pointed to her with a wink. She was blowing him a kiss when Vince’s music hit and he appeared at the top of the ramp. 
He cleared his voice before announcing, “And the new recruit joining us on RAW monday night, the decisive winner Dominik Dijakovic!”
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punemy-spotted · 3 years
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The Price You Pay Chapter 3: Counteroffer
Pairing: Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader, Senator!Andy Barber x Reader
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con elements, Dub-Con, Dark!Fic, Abuse of Legal System, Murder, Character Death (minor, possibly major), Love Triangle, Political AU, Mafia AU, Workplace Sexual Harassment, Abuse Mentions, Possessive/Obsessive Characters, Other Chapter-Specific Warnings May Apply, Possible Dead Dove: Would Not Eat
Chapter Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Elements Continue; Dub-Con; Angst; Politics; Possessive/Manipulative Behavior; Spanking; Choking; Crying; The Dove is Probably Dead: Do Not Eat
Chapter Summary: The return of an old friend brings back the ghosts of old memories.
Chapter 1; Chapter 2
Notes: Shorter chapters my ass, these outlines are getting unreal. Andy Barber has arrived, Steve Rogers does not approve, the Reader bears the consequences. Things are going to be angstier from here on out and I can feel it in my bones. Please don’t yell at me — or do, your feedback is well-loved and appreciated even if it’s yelly.
Not beta-read, these sins belong to me and me alone.
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You met Andy Barber fresh from the ashes of his divorce, escaping the gossip and scandal and pain of his past life only to dive into the gossip and scandal and pain of politics. Senatorial campaign, in need of an aide and a law student desperate to do more for the people than hours in clinics and mock trials. Hungry for something grassroots, angling for the impossible.
A match. Whether made in Heaven or Hell feels irrelevant now, long ago as it was.
It was then. This… is now.
Hey Sunshine, didn’t think you’d be able to make it.
He looks the same. Keeps the same beard. Same hair. It’s uncanny and familiar and safe all at once and you slide into the booth with your purse by your side and feel genuinely smiley for the first time in a long time.
It’s been a while since I heard that name.
Yeah? It’s been a while since I got to use it.
The silence is heavy, unwelcome, unwieldy, a reminder of the space between what was and what is.
How’re you doing? Last I heard you were making a name for yourself taking down the…
He trails off, eyes fixed on the slide of your gaze, the sudden interest in a drink menu you wouldn’t normally touch, the tremor of your lips. A man doesn’t serve as Assistant District Attorney for the many years he has without picking up tells.
Sunshine.
Andy…
It’s a warning, a plea, a… confession, all at once, and all the dogged determination in the world can’t hold against the break in your voice, in your control. You’ve cried more in the past few weeks than you can recall and now here he is, soulful eyes and a worried expression and he’s never hugged you really, but suddenly you might want it just that much more.
Don’t be an idiot.
It’s dangerous, your stress, and you know it.
Dangerous enough to send you into the arms of the next safe thing — this is why you don’t do this, isn’t it, this reaching out bit, but no advocacy group on the planet is going to save you from yourself today.
I saw… I saw you win that case. Pretty brutal, standing up to the Syndicate, and getting what you did. He steamrolls past the way you wince, his thumb on that metaphorical bruise and pressing, the Prosecutor’s dogged determination demanding answers, I have a friend in the office, he was convinced you’d be climbing the ranks.
Every word is a twist of the knife, couched in quiet concern, gentle admonition, a warm hug in a smoky tenor and you want to tell him everything, you want to break down in his arms and tell him every word, every buried piece of you he never learned, everything that’s led you to this.
You don’t.
You know better than to trust him too. No one’s going to take care of you but you so instead you shake your head and wave it off and Decided going into the private sector was the better option — one big win doesn’t really make up for the stress, you know.
Private sector. That’s what you’re calling the SHIELD Syndicate now? C’mon, Sunshine…
Look. It’s the Syndicate’s New York, when he made the offer it was… safer than saying no. It’s a cushy position anyway, and I didn’t want anyth—
He doesn’t believe you. He doesn’t believe you and you’re digging a hole trying to explain your way out of it so you just… shut up, shaking your head, It’s not important. I’m fine. I’m more curious about you — what year is it now, your fourth? What are you doing in New York?
The deflection works, but the look on his face is obvious — you’re not getting out of this so easily. He gives in for now, just for now, for you.
Almost fifth, gearing up for re-election. Had a meeting up here… about the organized crime situation for both states, and I remembered you were in the area.
Oh. You… it’s been a while since we talked, you remembered?
You expect me to forget you, Sunshine?
That stops you in your tracks, or whatever road your mind had been racing on, thoroughly not enjoying the defensive you’ve been on since you met with Steve, constantly under watch and waiting for yet one more shoe to fall on you.
That’s fear, sweetness.
Andy…?
You were the best campaign aide I had — I told you then too, I would have made you Chief of Staff if you’d let me.
It’s a good save. A clever save, and you want to believe it more than anything, want to believe it was all business and no pleasure because the alternative makes your nails bite into the table and want to turn tail before he can say another word and he… sees that panic flicker over your face so keenly it’s almost embarrassing.
You’re not used to this.
You’re not used to the warmth of his eyes when he searches your face for the answers you can’t give voice to. You’re not used to the way he reaches for your hand and rests it over your fingers, curling around your palm like he might actually keep you close and keep you safe and keep you free of the demons you made a part of yourself too.
Sunshine, why does his voice have to be so soft, why does it have to sound like molten honey on your senses, why does he have to say your name like it’s the very definition of the word hope, If you’re not safe…
No. No you’re not, tell him tell him the truth, tell him you’re atoning for the girl you could not protect tell him you aren’t worth it tell him this is your penance tell him you signed a death warrant tell him tell him tell him.
Andy, really. I’m fine. It’s a good job.
It’s a shit lie.
He drops it. Drops it just long enough for a waiter to finally come by, for his hand to leave yours while he talks through the wine menu. Drops it long enough for you to check your phone, realizing with horror that you must have silenced it absentmindedly sometime on your way here.
Ten missed calls.
All from Steve.
And one text, stamped from just five minutes ago.
[SMS] Either you pick up your phone or I pick you up, Counsel.
The next one comes right before your eyes, a picture of a map and a GPS pin. Your location.
You glance up at Andy, still talking to the waiter about the small plates options, feign a smile and Go ahead and choose, you have better taste than me, and return to staring at the picture and the three dots at the bottom of your screen, waiting to see his next message.
[SMS] Make your choice.
The haptic feedback of your keyboard feels like an electric shock with every letter, hurried fingers until you manage to tap out something that won’t immediately put the man in front of you in the crosshairs of the most dangerous organization in New York.
You can’t do that to him. You can’t.
[SMS] I’m at a dinner with a friend.
[SMS] And since I know there’s no emergencies pressing, I’d like my time, thank you.
You have the good sense to set it next to you this time, watching your screen light up with whatever furious response he sends next, glancing over only occasionally every time another one comes through. Don’t let him control you. Don’t let him think you’re at his beck and call.
You’re not.
You’re free, you’re free and you’re going to prove it.
Sunshine? What’s going on?
His voice cuts through the haze of panic like a knife and you swear you don’t mean to jump but you do and there’s no denying what he notices, eyes narrow and lips turned down in a sharp scowl, Sunshine…?
You are not that girl. You cannot be that girl, never again.
Steel. Steel yourself, flash him a smile, take a sip of the ice water left in front of you while you’d been checking your phone, reset yourself. Steady. Steady on.
Don’t let them know.
Nothing, nothing, just the boss — let him know I was busy.
Why is he texting you after hours? The Syndicate can’t be that busy.
He’s too watchful for your own good. Probably just making sure I’m staying out of trouble.
Are you?
Are you calling yourself trouble, Senator?
You like this. You can handle this, the trading of jokes, the crooked way he smiles. His eyes are a little more distant than you remember but you can still see them sparkle softly when he suppresses a laugh, lighting up properly when the joy reflects in them.
Briefly, you wonder when the last time he really laughed was.
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By the time dinner is over, his hand, warm and steady, is back on yours as you talk — and for a moment you almost enjoy the way he runs his thumb over your knuckles absently, like he’s making careful appraisal of each one. Could use your skills for the re-election campaign, you know.
Really? You’ve got a gorgeous approval rating, what are you afraid of?
Not having my good luck charm on the staff.
Andy…
I’m dead serious, Sunshine, you ran that ship. You were what, a 2L? Rising 3? You had canvassing down to a science. We need that energy down on the Hill.
The curve of his fingers is a little tighter now, squeezing yours, like proof of his earnestness and oh, you want to keep believing him. You need to keep believing him.
There’s so much in New York I have to get done first. And besides, you know me. I want a life on the bench.
Justice Sunshine, and it sounds absurd when he uses your nickname and it sounds so real when he uses your nickname and in the warm smoke of his voice those contradictions can live together all at once.
That’s the one. Closest you’ll see me to Washington is when I’m appointed to the Supreme Court. It’s a dumb, arrogant, silly joke but it’s the same one you used to make with him over drinks, teasing him about his political goals and making him promise to “go easy on you” at your eventual Senate confirmation hearing.
It’s the one that makes him crack that too-beautiful crooked smile while he takes a sip of his drink — hiding the curve of his lips behind the rim of a heavy glass.
Well. If you ever decide to ditch—
Ever decide to ditch what?
The world moves in slow motion: hearing the low growl from behind you; Andy Barber looking up and rising to his feet, his hand slipping from yours with just the ghost of his comfortable touch to assure you; Steve Rogers coming into view as you turn, flanked by the not-entirely-unfamiliar faces of two of his enforcers — it looked like Wilson and Banner had been selected this evening — and the sudden pressure of knowing you’ve done something terribly, terribly wrong.
You stood me up, Counsel. Steve’s voice is a threat, a half-drawl as you stand up and face him, Andy right behind you, Something wrong with taking my phone calls?
She was busy, the sound of Andy’s voice is a balm to your soul and fuel to Steve’s fire, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he grits his teeth and resists the temptation to throw the first punch — you can see the fingers of his right hand curling into a fist, can’t you? The slow curve, the watching, wondering if you’ll make the right choice now that someone has chosen to try to lead you astray.
And who the fuck are you? If he can’t get you to respond, he’ll get something from the man talking for you, eyes trained on him like he’s debating whether his own frustration will make this interloper turn to nothingness and return you to his arms where you rightfullybelong.
Do you? Rightfully belong?
Senator Andy Barber. The title practically knocks the wind out of Steve’s sails and you can see it — he may be the Captain here, King of New York, ruler of his domain but he’s not stupid enough to openly attack a man with connections beyond the Syndicate’s web of influence. It’s a comfort and it’s not, all at once.
The room is still, vibrating with tension, the two men staring daggers at one another and you caught in the middle. I worked on Senator Barber’s campaign when he first ran for election, you manage out in some vain hope it might explain and mollify, only to be thoroughly disappointed — and judging by the way Banner winces, only to dig your grave further.
We’re talking about this later, Counsel. You’re coming home.
And what gives you the right to give her orders? You really are going to have to look back at Andy and beg him to not make this worse. You really are going to have to let him see your face, see that you’re afraid, sweetness. He’s not going to let you go easy and this should not terrify you as much as it does.
Senator Barber. It’s fine. Something must have come up,turning to face his burning eyes, until his face softens like he’s seeing you for the first time. And is he? Is he seeing how you just need him to let it go, let you go, drop the protectiveness and step back?
He has to, because he does, nodding before he grabs his coat and glances to the host station. If you say so, Sunshine. Take care of yourself. He doesn’t press, not knowing when he’s beat but knowing when you don’t want him to. When you’re not safe.
And Steve Rogers offers you his hand to walk you out.
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And just what the hell did you think you were doing!?
Oh, and you control my time off the clock now too?
He dragged you back home.
No. Not to your apartment, that sanctuary away from all this you’d been allowed to keep as part of the “deal.” His home, the bedroom where you signed yourself away, the space he unraveled you and left you tangled in your new life.
He dragged you back home, in the grim silence of the backseat of his car and you waited. Waited for the inevitable explosion, the one prefaced by Wilson’s nervous looks and Banner’s cautious stare.
This explosion, where he rounds in on you, where livid is still too tame a term.
Meeting with a Senator? Ignoring my calls? I told you, you were mine tonight.
And I told you I had plans.
After I told you that you were mine, Counsel.
Okay. That’s true, even if you’re loathe to admit it.
Plans adjust. Andy wanted to—
Oh, Andy now? I thought it was Senator Barber? You’re really familiar with him, aren’t you, Counsel?
Just what the fuck are you implying?
Maybe you need a reminder of who you belong to.
He loves to do this. Wrap his big hand around your throat, remind you just how easily he can impose his power onto you, watch your protests die behind your eyes when you realize how useless words are in the face of his violence.
The furious look in your eyes is something to behold, the way you embed your nails into his wrist to try and drag him off you, all soft snarls and indignant huffs, You fucking asshole…
You’re mine, Counsel, and don’t you forget it. You gave yourself to me, remember?
Like I… like I had much of a choice, breathy, furious, and clawing at him.
Doesn’t matter. You’re mine, and clearly I need to make sure you know it…
Steve—!
Captain, sweetness, Captain, and don’t you forget it.
There’s a moment, when anger becomes transcendental, when it turns into something cold and calculating and prepared, when a plan forms behind his eyes and you watch as he looks down at you, so full of fury and fear all at once and you watch as he leans in so close and you feel his hand slide until he has you by the back of the neck, until his thumb is the thing pressing under your chin to keep your eyes on him, until the heel of his hand is the thing keeping you from shouting at him further. Such a stubborn little bitch…
You can almost see the words forming in his mind, the ones his mouth won’t say, I could be so good to you, but he doesn’t say them, sliding his lips over yours instead and it is… soft. A capturing of your mouth with his, not caring that you protest, only insistent on leaving you breathless and hazy-eyed from each tug of his lips on yours and there stokes the warmth of more than your rage, a different fire rising in your core, unbidden and unwelcome but yours to own and his to play with.
He can sense it, practically feel it, that mad serum racing through his veins and making his nostrils flare as he pulls back and watches you, lets the scent of your perfume fill his senses like a drug he can’t get enough of and, I should hate you too, for this, whispered low and hushed and you barely catch it, don’t you? Barely, but enough, enough to remember it was said just before he pulls you down with him into the depths of his own lust.
And into his lap, it seems, as he drags you down, sitting on the bed with you draped over his lap, an effortless shift in his skillful hands. You can protest, and you do, even daring to try to pull away with a kick of your legs and an indignant, What the hell do you think you’re doing?But you know it’s all futile, useless as he places one heavy hand on your back and lets the other slide over the smooth chiffon of your blouse, tracing a line along your spine with careful, practiced ease.
Would have preferred this with a little more… circumstance, sweetness, but you need to learn a lesson now and drastic times call for drastic measures.
You can turn your head slightly, to look at him, that wild-eyed fury so sweet on your face and you are still a wild creature he needs to tame but he is patient and he can do this for as long as it takes.
But you’re a sight like this, draped over his lap in a pencil skirt and blouse, so put together and proper and now so prone to him, helpless under the appraisal of his hands and the way he takes no time in hiking your skirt up around your waist. Captain! Your protest is met with a low chuckle, especially as he lets his palm curve around the round swell of your ass, before leaving a light swat on the soft flesh, to draw a yelp from your furious mouth.
If that’s all it takes to get you shouting, sweetness, you’re going to hate what comes next, smug and cruel, as you try to hold yourself up enough to look at him, met with his smirk and the simmering fury still bubbling in his eyes. To say you’re in danger still is an understatement, no doubt, and you know it.
I won’t make you count this time, but piss me off again, sweetness, and we’ll just see how much you can take, you hear me?
Oh you loathe him, really and truly loathe him, hissing with anger and embarrassment, so close to twisting in his arms and clawing at him but remembering his size and just how much worse it could get — but then there lies the undercurrent.
The one you loathe too, more than you hated him, that warmth. Seeping into your core, a low heat kindled by the sly softness of his lips on yours and the sure tenor of his voice, low and soothing even as he promised damnation. The one that — just like now — leaves you flushed and writhing while he purrs threats to you, massaging the soft skin and sliding the lace of your panties down to remove all barriers to the sex he owns so surely.
You open your mouth to argue with him but as you do, you feel his hand lift from your flesh and then the resounding SMACK of palm on skin, turning words into nothing but a sharp cry of pain, surprise, and lust. The heat rises just as your body tenses, reacting to the sudden attack on your delicate form, cheeks flushed. Even as your eyes well with tears your sex strives to betray you and — Oh do you like that, sweetness? — damn him for noticing.
Let me go, Captain, the threat is shaky, your voice wavering with something like want and panic all at once, and all it does is draw another laugh as he soothes the stinging mark left on your cheek, gentle as a lover and four times as cruel.
Do you know what I think, sweetness? And another raise of his palm, to strike you once more, listening to the way that cry of pain and surprise turns into a soft, involuntary moan the moment he begins to soothe the ache, I think you need this. Always so uptight, trying to be the head bitch in charge, aren’t you? Just looking for someone to take over, take control, remind you where your place is.
His fingers slip further, more interested in exploring the soft slickness of your sex, listening to your protests die in your throat with every press of his fingers into your plush folds. That’s why I’m here, to keep you in my lap, all fucked and soft, sweetness. Don’t you worry, I’m going to take care of you. Even if I have to teach you just like this.
You should hate the way he talks, hates how he finds your center with effortless ease, like he’s known your body for years. Holding you down in his lap still as he draws mewling moans from you with every curl of his fingers, finding the proof of his accusations in the slick need coating your thighs, soaking his fingers, You’re making such a mess of me, sweetness. Are you going to be good?
Hiss at him. Snarl at him, buck your hips and twist in his arms, push him away. Do something more than what you are now, with red-rimmed eyes and tears staining your face, do more than listen to him talk, feel his cock pressing against you as you lay in his lap, I’m going to ask it one more time, sweetness. Are. You. Going. To. Be. Good?
He punctuates each word of his question with a harsh smackagainst your ass, leaving little time for you to do more than cry out, until the last spank draws something like a moan from your perfect lips and therein lies your surrender for tonight, that soft mewl of pleasure born of pain and he soothes you again with soft shushes and gentle touches, back to inspecting the renewed slickness of your cunt, back to enjoying that plump tightness wrapped around his fingers and back to trying to control the shift of his own hips and you can feel him, hard against you, needing you as much as he is compelling your body to need him.
Captain… a low, desperate sort of mewl, the squirm of your body less to escape and more to enticeand he notices. Notices the way your fingers try to cling to him, notices how you look so very sweet when you’re so very desperate and in some way this is your own game of control, a push and pull and the curl of his fingers is suddenly so much angrier, driving you to the precipice of the fall and you are tumbling, tumbling down into a darkness of want you may never recover from.
Say it again. Tell me you need me, sweetness, tell me you need me and I’ll give you everything, and there’s an edge to the way he says everything, like he might meanit, like he might give you the world if you just gave in and you hate him, sweetness, you hate him but you need the things you hate once in a while and you can’t keep bearing his fury on your body and so you sob out your surrender and whine—
I need you, Captain, please…
And that is enough.
Let him believe you.
354 notes · View notes
itsbeenahellofayear · 3 years
Text
what we got, it don't come easy
Summary: Some things are easy, some things aren't. It can take time to learn what is important.
Warnings: Smut. Maybe not as much as you'd expect from a story thats pretty much only about sex. Some feelings. Language.
Author's Note: It took a while to get this one across the line. The first segment has been written for weeks, but I lacked inspiration, motivation, and was a little burnt out on anything Leaf related for a little bit there. RIP 2021 season....
Thanks to all of you who kept checking in and were enthusiastic about the little snippet I posted. Kind of kicked my writing into gear today!
I crave your feedback - this is weird and disjointed and very personal in a lot of ways, so I'd love to hear what you think!
---
Sex with Auston is easy - that's never been the issue between you.
This thing started with sex - you connected on tinder, got to talking for a couple of days, then went out for drinks.... That wound up with him in your bed, having arguably the best sex of your life.
That first night, lying hot and sweaty and completely satiated, you'd be lying if the thought didn't cross your mind that you could do this for the rest of your life.
It was that good.
-
You don't keep a list of things to try, but you kind of keep a list of things to try.
-
Some things that make the sex with Auston so good:
He's the first guy to encourage you to use your vibrator on your clit while he's fucking you - it's not every single time - sometimes coordination isn't possible when he's fucking into you so good but those times when he's pressing deep into you, hands on your breasts, grip firm just the way you like, and you've just got your vibe pressed to your clit on a low setting and you just shake apart.... Those are good times.
His dick is huge. Like he's big to start, but then he grows. It honestly took a bit of work to find angles that didn't have him ramming your cervix each time, but once you did... He fills you up so good.
He loves to eat you out. You've had your fair share of mediocre oral, but there's something about the way he just goes for it, lets you twist your fingers in his too long hair, makes these little noises into you, that just really does it for you. He'll open you up with his thumbs and just dive his tongue deep inside of you, then move up and basically caress your clit with his tongue. If you're honest you can't even fathom what he's actually doing, it just feels insane.
He lets you ride his face. Now, it's not an every time thing, mostly because if you're going to expend energy on riding him, really what you want is his cock buried inside your aching slit. But sometimes, he'll settle himself on the bed, and you'll just climb on top of him, grip the headboard, and just ride.
-
You might love him.
(Maybe that's why it's good)
-
So the sex has never been the problem.
The problem lies in the in between bits.
In the moments when you're feeling insecure about his fame, and his looks, and the company he keeps. You're not a party girl - you'll go out to the bar once in a while, but people, everywhere, is not really your scene. You know he likes to go out, especially after wins. You know he likes to drink. And sure, sometimes he'll text you, and he'll end up at your place late at night. But sometimes he won't. And so you wonder.
It's also the moments where he just shuts down, internalizes, and won't communicate. You're not one for talking about your feelings, but you do believe in communicating when it's about things that affect someone else! Case in point: you send him a message in the morning on what you know is his off day - he doesn't even read it let alone respond until 8pm. You had asked him if he wanted to meet up for afternoon drinks.
It's also the moments when he says stupid immature shit, when you realize that, no matter how great a family he comes from, he's still a rich, entitled man-child that doesn't really understand the value of a dollar. And that irks you.
A lot.
-
But.
You're just fooling around - keeping it casual.
But.
-
He takes you out to the cottage with some of his boys. The season ended in heartbreak, they're splitting up for the summer, they want to blow off some steam.
You spend the days lazing by the lake, lying in hammocks in the yard, sneaking off for a "picnic" in the woods. And by picnic you mean Auston laid you out on a blanket and ate you out until you couldn't take it.
You spend the nights getting high sitting out by the fire, leaving unsubtly to go back inside to fuck.
It's probably around day 3 when you realize you're legitimately, 100% in love with this guy.
Day 5 you head back to the city, and haven't really talked to him about how you feel.
He leaves for Arizona the next morning.
-
He's not your boyfriend.
He doesn't know you fell for him.
-
The first night you had sex with him – the first night of the rest of your life – you remember thinking you've never felt this full.
Now, months later, you feel like you're empty.
Anytime you think of him, it's like your pussy just clenches involuntarily around what it thinks should be there, inside of you.
You want him so badly, so deeply, and you don't even have a real claim to him because you couldn't open up and tell him that something had changed.
You catch yourself scrolling insta late at night, looking to see if he's posted something that might hint he's out with someone else.
You hate that you're like this.
-
(You never see anything, for the record)
-
He comes back to Toronto in August.
That honestly catches you by surprise.
More so because you're just home on a Saturday afternoon, watching TV when he knocks on your door. Pretty much the last person you were expecting to see, but you can't deny that your heart ends up in your throat at the sight of him, tanned, bulked up, and looking at you like THAT.
"What..." you start.
"Faith" he breathes out.
You don't understand.
He walks forward into your apartment, crowding you back against the other wall of your tiny entryway.
You're still so caught up in him being here. The way he said your name...
You look up at him.
He just presses himself against you and crushes you to him in a hug. You feel him everywhere. The faint spicy scent of his cologne, the heat of his body, the puff of his breath against your neck where his head is pressing.
Engulfed - your brain provides.
"I missed you" he mutters into your neck.
-
Your brain is going a mile a minute.
How is he here? Why didn't he tell you he was coming back? He doesn't need to be back for weeks. Why is he here? What is happening?
You push him back a little. Not off of you entirely, just enough to give you some space to breathe.
"Auston, what?" You try again.
He looks down at you.
Swallows.
"I..." He starts.
Swallows again.
"I needed to see you, Faith."
He looks... Nervous?
"Aus... What's going on?" You ask him, heart racing out of your chest.
He swears.
"I might be reading this thing wrong, this thing we have, but... I want you to be mine."
You feel like you've been hit with a brick.
All you can do is stare at him as your mind struggles to keep up. You feel yourself reaching for him.
"Aus. Yes. Of course."
He blinks. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
You reach for his hand and pull him to the bedroom.
-
Sex is easy, with you and Auston.
You've never been afraid to ask for what you want. He's never been shy to ask for what he wants. And usually that lines up.
But for the first time since all this started, you feel almost shy with him.
Without discussing it, you both get naked pretty damn quickly. There's a second or twenty where you're just looking at him, drinking in his broad shoulders, his stomach muscles, his trim hips and his thick thighs. God, do you want him.
You might say that last part out loud, from the way he laughs and just picks you up and tosses you on the bed.
You've been soaked since you opened your door, and you're impatient to feel him again. He looks at you and you just whimper his name and he smiles, hitches up your legs, and slides slowly, so slowly, inside you
“Fuck, Aus" you hear yourself.
"You feel so good, baby" he groans out, letting you get used to him stretching you out, leaning down to press a filthy open-mouthed kiss to your lips. He bites at your lips as he starts to move, driving into you in a rhythm that makes you feel so good, hitting you just right.
It’s not enough.
But before you can say anything, Auston pulls back, and changes the angle that your hips are lined up with his and suddenly he’s impossibly deeper, and you just can’t breathe with how good he feels and his hands are on your breasts, and he’s pinching your nipples just right, and you are moaning his name almost like a prayer, and it just slips out.
“Aus, I love you.”
You don’t even realize what you said until he stills for a moment, eyes snapping to yours, and he makes this noise.
“Do you mean it,” he asks.
Its not the time for it, but you’re never going to be his open another time so… “Yeah.”
“God, baby. Yes. I love you too. It’s why I came back. I just wasn’t sure…”
He moves back so he can kiss you, deep and filthy. You feel him, deep inside you, and you just… cling to him. He starts fucking into you in earnest - hard and fast, kissing you the whole time, though it ends up being more like just panting into each others mouths but you can’t get enough of him.
“I’m so close,” you manage to get out.
Auston gets a hand between you and presses his thumb to your clit and you just hear yourself keening.
“I love how you feel around me,” he groans out. “Come for me.”
It doesn’t take long.
You shake apart underneath him, and you feel him pulse inside you and it’s just so much and you can feel tears leaking out from the corner of your eyes, and you just feel so much in that moment.
It’s so much.
-
So sex has never been an issue.
But now it is so much more.
180 notes · View notes
ahoge-fish · 3 years
Note
AU where Alex is a marine biologist and the Crusaders are a pod of mermen who save her from drowning and eventually befriend her. also Iggy is a seal
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To the rescue!
Alexandra's team was on the boat getting ready for their last dive in that territory, checking their equipment to make sure that there wouldn't be any problems.
Their ask was to check on some corals that were under control. Easy, right?
Well, at first yes. It all went well.
They dive down to the corals, the water was pretty deep and it was even deeper where there weren't any other corals that they had to check.
Alex and her dive buddy were... not so friendly towards each other in that period. But for being young adults, they were mature and they knew that if something went wrong, they had to collab to not end up dead in the ocean.
So they made this agreement and they were all good.
Or at least that's what she thought.
They stayed under the water for a pretty long time, noting everything on their waterproof notepads. They also saw some fish swimming in that zone.
When everyone was low on air, it was time they had to go up.
Alex's dive buddy makes her a thumbs up, telling her to get on the boat.
The young woman being distracted with the wonderful world underwater didn't even notice that it was time to go. So she checked her air on her divecomputer and it was a little bit low.
But Alexandra was not done finishing her work, so she pointed at him and then made a thumbs up to tell him to go without her.
And that was her biggest mistake. It was even her buddy's mistake because instead of insisting to go up together, he just shrugged and leaved her.
Then the current started to increase. Strange, when they checked if there was to be any current they saw that the sea was supposed to be calm that day...
So after that, Alex decided to go up. She saw from afar that her teammates were doing the same, while others where already at the top doing some decompression safety stop. Near them was her dive buddy.
But when she took her last glance at the coral reef, she saw a turtle that was struggling to swim. So Alex started swimming towards it.
She saw that a fishing net was around its fin and now also around some corals, making the turtle unable to move.
The young woman took her diving knife and then started to cut first the net around the turtle's fin. She had to be very careful since the net was tightly wrapped around it. That must be feeling painful, poor guy.
After the turtle was free, it swimmed happly away and Alex waved slightly at it; putting the net in her little bag. She then looked at the coral and started carefully cutting the net from it.
In the mean time, the current started to increase by a lot, making it difficult to stay in place.
But Alex didn't want to go up after she cut all the net from the coral. It was difficult, because the current kept moving her to the side.
She tried her best not to kick with her fins on the corals under her and by doing that, she failed in remaining still.
The current increased enormously and Alex was trying her best not to go too far from the boat.
Then when she tried to swim up, she notices that it was very difficult to do so. And then she realized:
She was cought in a down current.
Water kept pushing her far and down while she tried to swim against it. It was exhausting.
She tried to keep her breath steady to not consume any more air, but it was nearly impossible since she was doing so much work with her legs and she also started to panick a bit.
She couldn't even hold her breath to avoid using more air, because doing so was very dangerous. She must continue to breath underwater no matter what.
While she was kicking hard to try going against the current, she checked her divecomputer and she was dangerously low on air.
She snapped her head towards her dive buddy that now, was very far from her. That bastard! He didn't even bother checking if his dive buddy was coming up. And she couldn't even see her other teammates!
So she understood that she had to go through this alone.
She tried to hold herself by grabbing some corals and rocks, but she kept slipping from them and also sadly breaking some of the fragile and sick corals.
She thought to put more air in her BC, but then it would've costed her some precious air. And as said before, she couldn't even hold her breath under that depth.
She then thought to put just a little bit of air in her BC and then taking off her weight belt, but even that would've been dangerous. She could've popped out from the water like a ball after you forcefully put it underwater! And she wouldn't even be able to do a decompression safety stop, causing her decompression sickness.
While she thought of that, her legs started to slow down for exhaustion and the very strong current kept dragging her far and deep from the boat; into the depht of the ocean.
She was officially panicking, favoring to the fact of her breathing faster and consuming more and more air.
She checked one more time her dive computer and saw that the tank was almost empty.
Tears of fear started creating in her eyes. She was starting to feel dizzy from the panicking and the exhaustion.
When her head started spinning, she thought 'fuck it' and decided to put some air in her BC. With the little air that remained, she took one last short breath and put the rest in her BC.
This situation was extremely dangerous.
Her vision started to black out when she tried to reach for her weight belt.
Before she could've even do it, all of her strenght leaved her body and all she saw was black.
She let the current dragging her far and deep.
It was the end for her. She fucked up really bad this time, but no one could've scold her after hearing from her this absurd story.
Because dead men tell no tales. (See what I did there? R e f e r e n c e)
----
Alexandra had still her eyes closed, but she felt weird. Like she was out of the water and she felt... warm?
Is this what the afterlife was like? Weird and warm?
Alex then tried to process if she was standing up in front of the heaven's door or laying on the ground. Or perhaps... sand?
She even heard the waves crushing on the shore. So she felt warm, sand under her hands and waves. Huh. Heaven must take in your favourite place to go apparently.
She then heared some voices, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Maybe they were the angles.
Alex's vision slowly went from black to red, due to the light passing through her eyelids. She squeezed them and managed to move her head a little.
Then she heard like something was dragged on the sand, and then heard a voice saying something.
Alex heard some other dragging on the sand and other noises coming towards her, before slowly opening her eyes, regretting instantly doing so for the strong light.
Before shutting them again, she saw some strange figures towering on her. Damn those angels were massive.
She fluttered again her eyes open, weakly bringing her hand towards her face to rubbing one of them.
When she finally decided to give them a better look, that's when she realized that maybe those weren't angels.
They were mermans.
She widened her eyes and slowly moved from a laying position to a sitting one. But she then started coughing.
While she was doing that, the red-headed merman patted her back to help her cough out all of the water.
In the mean time, the others speaked to her telling their names and what happened.
There was even a seal!
And those mermans where huge. Like, okay she had a little body in the first place, but damn these guys were big.
They told Alex that they saw her sinking to the bottom, so they picked her up and brought her there.
They didn't brought her to her crew, because it was too risky for them, but hey at least she was alive!
She was alive...
At the thought, Alex started crying from happiness. The silver-haired merman named Polnareff approached her and hugged her.
But then she asked why they saved her. The older merman simply said that they saw how she treated the marine life in these days that she was here. She was so kind a gentle. Man that day she even risked her life for saving that turtle and remove the fishing net from the corals!
They understood that she was part of that little slice of "good humans", so letting her die when they could've saved her seemed a waste.
She thought that no one deserved to die, especially in a scary way that she experienced. But at least she was glad that she was still alive.
They asked her what happened, and even if she doubted that they knew how the diving gear worked, she told them anyways about what she experienced.
But then it clicked: where the hell was she and how she'll get home? The mermans at that reassured her that she wasn't so far from the land lived by people.
Of course her crew would've be panicking, but they couldn't go dive again and search for her that same day. Following that, they might've have thought that she was dead or that the strong current brought her away.
Either way, someone had to search for her. But how much time could've that take? Maybe tomorrow she'll be home? Will it take some days, weeks? Will they even find her? Would her crew even report that she was missing?
The young woman started to worry and she slighty breathed heavier than before. The ravenette merman named Jotaro noticed that and said to her to stop worring. He reminded her that they weren't so far from land, so sooner or later someone that fished in that zone would've spotted her and helped her.
Polnareff then suggested to take her directly where the other humans lived, but the dark skinned merman named Abdul responded saying that it was too dangerous; he then said that waiting was the best option. He finally said that they could've helped her by bringing her food while she waited for someone to come and rescue her.
After some other arguments, they sticked up to Jotaro and Abdul's plan.
Since Alex started her dive early in the morning, it was just late afternoon in that moment. The sun was close to setting, but it was still there making light and making warmth.
And since it was hot, she decided to take off her wetsuit and to remain just in her bikini. Polnareff was immediately fascinated by her smooth legs, and so he started being his flirty self; making the other sigh and laugh.
Their time together on that island passed with talking, laughing and knowing eachother. All good memories.
She slept on the sand and even if she told the mermans that she will be alright during the night, they insisted on taking turns to stay with her while she rested and recovered.
The next evening, fortunately, Alex was rescued and brought to her crew.
The young woman and her dive buddy made peace with eachother and they promised to not make any other mistakes in the future.
But it wasn't a goodbye for Alex and the mermans, since they promised to see eachother again.
And as it said, it happened.
★★★★
Idk about you guys, but the draw that I've made + knowing that they looking at Alex layed on the sand kinda reminds me of this photo
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And I've said everything. Have a good day >;)
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lovely-necromancy · 3 years
Text
A Cure for Insomnia CH 1.
This is a reader insert I originally started posting on AO3. I’m cross posting here because I know some of the fandom still lives here.
Quick Disclaimer:
This is a fic I'm writing for my own comfort.
I was inspired by RaeBees (you can check out their works over on Quotev and AO3), and how they characterize the "proxies". Having always seen the characters different than most of the fandom I've interacted with I never really shared my thoughts until now. This work is only placed in the Creepypasta tag so it reaches its demographic. However, I am fully aware of the fact that no main character is considered a Pasta.
It may also appear to lean more Toby X Protag in the beginning but end goal is protag with all three, and Brian and Tim already in a relationship. How I picture it now is a slowburn but Toby and Protag will be in a friends with benefits relationship before either has any feelings, so I think that counts. Some may be confused by the asexual protag tag but it'll be explained in story, as an Ace myself I get frustrated with media that only show one version and say it goes for us all. That being said I don't represent the whole Ace community but I hope to provide a bit more representation for some others out there.
Protag will be depicted as agender, and will have a few tics that stem from their Autism. Again I don't speak for any others with Autism but I hope to provide some representation for those in similar positions.
Tags will be updated as the story progresses. Canon-Typical violence and mental health issues are to be expected if you feel uncomfortable with those aspects I advise you to not engage. This story will also have a lot of NSFW themes and scenes so I highly discourage anyone under the age of 18 from viewing this work. You will get warnings on chapters with NSFW and I will make it skippable as well.
I'm also very nitpicky and gave the main characters birthdays just because it irritates me when it gets mentioned once and you have to do the math or imagine your own conversation when a birthday was too close to a character's.
Tim January 1st, home state Alabama
Toby April 28th, home state Virginia (saw this years ago no clue if it's accurate)
Protag May 13th, home state Virginia
Brian May 23rd, home state Alabama
Connor the service dog July 18th, home state Kentucky
I've referred to Protag as Protag here but in story they're referred to as YN.
Everything felt impossibly dull; your senses, the dark room you're currently in, the noise coming from the fan just to the left of the bed on which you laid. Turning to the window beside your head you stare out into that weird midnight summer sky. More of a gray than a true dark blue night, cast in an orange glow that made the night seem closer to day than it truly was. While the time was just half past twelve, you felt it may have been more accurate to say it was closer to four in the morning.
You're exhausted but that true sort of exhaustion where whatever energy you have left buzzes all around. It consumes your entire being, dances between being deafeningly loud in your ears to giving you twitches in your legs. You'd laid down hours ago thinking you'd be tired enough to sleep once your tics started to spasm in closer intervals, but to no avail were you able to rest. That buzzing preventing you from dreamland. Maybe the hum of your body was right, you didn't really need to sleep, you just wanted it to feel normal.
Knowing the battle had already been lost you push yourself off the bed and grab a pair of shorts off the floor. Slipping them on you contemplate your options for the night. Going into town was out since it was Sunday...well Monday now, but there would be nothing but bars open and you were never one for drinking. And as fun as a drive sounds right now, you feel the buzzing in your bones grow stronger, you need to move. A late night hike should keep you occupied, with it being so quiet and the middle of the night you wouldn't even have to take your headphones to cancel out the sounds of other people, you aren't likely to run into many people tonight.
Deciding on a hike you grab a mask and car keys and make your way to your yellow Kia Soul. A going away present from your parents that they gave you the moment you got your driver's license after your 24th birthday. Having anxiety throughout your life you'd never been in the head space to start driving till later on, and while you still don't enjoy driving you are pretty good at it even with your “late” start. Surfing through radio stations as you let the car warm up you find your latest obsession, it's a conspiracy theory podcast that someone in Kepler managed to blast through the limited air ways of the town. Impressive considering Kepler was in a radio quiet zone and even cell phones couldn't work in the small town, luckily you lived just outside of the zone so you could send texts and call your parents every weekend.
It seemed today's episode was a rerun, Mothman: Murderer, Man, or Myth. It was actually one of your favorites, the paranormal stories tended to be more entertaining than hearing about how a man could murder sixteen people while working as a cop ruining evidence to lead the others off his trail. Humans could be more vial and cruel than any little gray alien from the future or tall Fresno Nightcrawler could ever be. And they weren't as entertaining to hear about, nor were their exploits as impressive. You could always see patterns, either connecting clues first or finding connections no one else saw, it was never hard to tell where a certain case would lead so you'd always end up disappointed in humanity when they overlooked such obvious clues. Though that often led you down a path of deep diving for information to see just how obvious it was, more often than not you'd find that the most logical conclusion was shady public officers. After investigating so many cold cases you're sure if you're ever in trouble you'll never involve the police, in the end they'd probably just ignore you and rule your case closed if anything ever did happen to you.
'I'd haunt them if they did.' You decide and you shift gears and begin driving to the Monongahela National Forest, as the timeline of Mothman sightings and events play out before for your ears.
Instead of going through town and possibly loosing the signal of the show, you drive on the old dirt road that runs along the very edge of the town, partially covered in trees. This over grown road is the main reason Kepler doesn't see many visitors, the second someone makes their way onto it coming off the interstate they floor it until they see civilization. Over the few months you've been here you've nearly been run right off the road by spooked tourists, trying to escape whatever ghouls their wild imaginations created. The only real thing on this road was a mini mart gas station, and even though it was shady as hell the cashier didn't bug you too much when you came in in the dead of night. Plus they had a cat, how could you not stop in and say hi to little ole Magnolia?
Speaking of which you should probably get a drink for your hike, you could already feel your throat drying out. Turning into the parking lot you're happy to see no other cars around, putting your face mask on you make your way inside. As usual the store is dead at this time, and Ronnie is manning the desk. What's unusual is the man also behind the counter, he has dark brown hair that he's tied into a small and low ponytail, thick sideburns frame his face. You immediately take note of the slight imperfections of his face, most would see the slit in his eyebrow as following the current trend or even just a genetic thing, but you can see the slightly off color of a healed scar that starts just above his eyebrow and ends mid eyelid, he has a few smaller discolorations on his crooked nose, you'd guess he's had it broken at least twice.
Briefly taking a glance to his brown eyes before looking away, today is not an eye contact day. Nodding in their directions, the best acknowledgment you can give right now, you make your way to the freezers. From the freezer section you can hear Ronnie “explain” you.
“That's YN, a regular mainly at night though. A bit skittish and rarely ever says more than 'thanks have a nice day'” Even though she's whispering you can hear everything. Including the high octave her voice takes to mimic you, it feels more like mocking.
If being mocked hadn't already put you on edge the eyes boring into you have. The eyes may not be roaming over your body but the icky crawling of your skin sure makes it feel that way. The feeling of being put under a microscope has always made you sick, the stares, the leers and sneers, and the judgment just makes you want to implode on the spot. Cease existence, be swallowed into the abyss. You're about to set yourself into an anxiety attack with all these thoughts.
'Mask, mask, mask' you repeat over and over in your head, it's the only thing you can focus on. You are wearing a mask, there is one thing they can't perceive, the face is the most important for humans to perceive, your mask protects you.
Without looking you pull a water bottle from the cooler. You don't think you like this brand but the sports mouth makes up for it, and you can't focus enough to grab another. As the imaginary spiders crawl their way under your skin and your breath hitches you make your way over to the counter head down, never looking up at the employees beyond the counter. Your vision is blurring in time with the beating of your heart, you can't tell if it's due to nerves or from being up for five days in a row.
“Hey YN, how're you?” Ronnie asks, her tone is different from the past times you've been in. It's higher and has a lilt in it that you'd expect from a teasing friend. But Ronnie isn't a friend and has never spoken to you like this, you hate it. You nod to politely move on with the process, between the crawling of your skin and the buzzing underneath it you feel sick. And you're now very aware of the existence of your eyelids, you try to focus on ignoring that awareness. You need to move.
“Hmm, that's good. Anyway this is Tim! He's just started so go easy on him.” you hear the sound of a hand hitting fabric and assume she's patted Tim's shoulder as she introduced Tim to you. Why was she doing this, what purpose could introducing you two have? You nod again, was anyone going to ring you out?
“Hi, this all?” a deep voice asked, it isn't extremely deep more of a standard baritone that has a slight raspy quality, probably a reformed smoker. You don't smell cigarettes currently so he could've quit after years. Unfortunately despite your efforts to stave them off your blinking tics emerge. Making it difficult to keep your eyes open for longer than a nano second.
Startled and ticcing you look up and catch his eyes, you see pity in them, before casting your glance back to the counter. You can never tell what's worse people seeing you as weird or seeing you as something needing to be fixed. Nodding again, Tim tells you the total; a dollar fifty eight, and you hand him two dollars from your wallet.
Tim doesn't ask if you want the receipt or a bag, he prints out the receipt and hands you your change. The change goes immediately into the cat food fund for Magnolia. She got diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago and having worked in shelters and pet stores you know just how expensive her prescription food is. After folding the receipt into your wallet, Tim gently slides the water bottle over to you.
“Have a good night.” he says it so low and gentle, as if he thinks you'll shatter in front of him. As kind as the gesture seems, you aren't that fragile...or maybe you are if you have to keep repeating 'mask' over and over in your head to ground yourself. With a final nod you turn and make your way to the door, and just as you open it you hear Ronnie call out.
“Awwww, c'mon YN at least say 'Hi' to Tim.” You really don't like how she squeaked out 'hi'.
Taking a deep breath you prepare yourself, you'll show them both you can do this simple task. Even if you can't stop blinking long enough to see straight. Once you've steadied yourself you turn and look at Tim. He's sending you a look that says 'You don't have to' all that's missing is a slow head shake to complete his unease with this “peer pressure”.
But you can do this you can say 'Hi, Tim.' Two words super simple, nothing complex like 'Hi, Tim, nice to meet you.' and so much better than the option of your next meeting saying 'Hi, Tim. Sorry for spazzing out the other night.'. Yup you can do this just breathe, you open your mouth and...and you've forgotten what to say. Looking like a deer in headlights, well at least the tics stopped, you say the first thing that pops in.
“Mask.” You've said it loud and clear both cashiers heard you.
Tim stares with wide eyes and you see Ronnie failing to hide her laughter. Out of all the ways this could've gone this was probably the best outcome for her. The blinking has started up again, this time growing more frequent. You can't even hold your eyes open, to the two cashiers it must look like you're in pain or crying. And while you want to die of embarrassment, crying is a bit of an extreme for you.
So with red face and the inability to see you leave through the door, and try to make your way back to your car. Once in you lock the doors, switch the car on, and rest your head on the steering wheel. Out of every way this stop could've gone, being perceived by a new comer and Ronnie was not what you expected. While this hadn't been the worst five minutes or so of your life, it definitely would be another thing keeping you up at night for the next twenty years.
Calming down in the cool quiet dark of your car your slowly brought back to the world by the beginning of a new episode. This one talking about the Tailypo legend. A favorite story of yours from when you were a kid living on the coast of Virginia. So with yet another deep breath and the wave of nostalgia, you pull out of the parking lot and slowly coast down the old dirt road. Heading yet again for the Monongahela forest.
It's nearly two in the morning when you roll up to see an RV parked by the forgotten entrance of the park. It isn't surprising at all to find an RV out here since the Monongahela Forest is one of the most beautiful parks you've ever been to. You also don't think anything of them being parked by this unused entrance because you use it all the time since finding it accidentally. Figuring they just wanted to camp and be left to their own devices rather than use the RV sites and be bothered with other campers here for the summer.
Climbing out of your car you notice the RV isn't new by any means but it isn't a total rust bucket either, looks like it's been passed around throughout the years. There isn't anything to suggest it's been here a while, nothing left set up outside, must have just gotten into town then. You do happen to notice dog tracks around the sandy dirt you've parked in, good to know they have a dog before you slammed your car door. Closing the door gently behind you so you don't startle a pup and wake up it's owner or owners, you make your way through the woods. No real direction in mind, with no real thought in your head. Just the thought of moving and to keep on moving.
You could walk the same path every time you came through and always find something different. In fact that's exactly what happens, you're almost positive that you've deepened the imprint of the path just from walking through several times a week. Following the same winding path you usually do, climbing over the fallen tree, and through a scattering of blueberry thicket's you find yourself on the edge of one of the forest's many streams. It's your favorite spot in the forest so far, and about as far as you've gotten considering these hikes of yours take place during the dead of night.
The wind picks up and sends a chill through you, taking that as a sign you slide down to sit by the stream. Vans placed to your side as you sink your feet into the cool water. It's peaceful out here, so cool, and quiet, save for the slight noises the stream makes, various bubbling and drips. You try to think on things like your recent move, your job, the embarrassing 'mask' incident, just life in general. But you can't seem to form a single thought, this happens a lot, you've recently been conscious of the fact that you've been running on auto pilot for the past two months, hell a lot longer than that. You think everyone must get like this from time to time, but you think you've always been this way. Keen to dissociating and slipping in and out of existence.
It's quite nice really, except for the times like right now where you'd love to figure out why the silence in your head is so painfully loud. The more you think on it the louder it gets and the stronger the buzzing under your skin feels. And right now the static in your mind has been getting louder and louder for the past few minutes. You feel your head jerk to the right of it's own accord, moving back in place it happens for a second time, and then a third, then jerks up, before jerking a forth time to the right effectively cracking you neck.
“There we go.” you mumble, you can relax a bit as the verbal tic indicates the end of this round of tics.
Sighing you look at the sky...that can't be right. The sky has been painted it's fresh baby blues for the day, but again that can't be right. You just got to the stream, that path is a thirty minute walk meaning it should be just about two thirty in the morning, but the sky suggests it's five or six at the latest. Reaching for your water bottle you find it empty next to you. You didn't fall asleep you know that much, perhaps you did dissociate tonight. Well this hike was disappointing if you knew you were going to dissociate you'd have saved yourself that embarrassment and stayed home. Maybe done some painting or tidied up.
Sighing you push yourself off the ground, collecting you vans you're about to put them on when you notice a figure off in the distance. You freeze out of shock and stare at the figure, it stares back. The figure is about ten yards away, god your near sighted ass should really remember to not leave your glasses in the car when hiking. The figure starts to make it's way to you and after a few steps you realize it hasn't moved from it's spot. Rolling your eyes you ignore the hallucination.
You'd really needed to get sleep last night, today is day six of no sleep and though you haven't had many episodes these past few days, you have a feeling they'll start to get more prominent today. Hopefully tonight you can manage to get some rest, the longer you go without sleep the more realistic the hallucinations become. But for today you're content with the knowledge that it's just shadow like beings that you'll be seeing.
After putting on your shoes you start the thirty minute hike back to your car. You're thankful for the weather in Kepler, nothing like back on the coast. Here you can go for a morning hike through the forest while a gentle breeze passes by and the sun starts to give the area a pleasant warmth. Back on the coast you couldn't run and grab the mail without getting drenched in moisture from either sweat, humidity, or a mixture of both.  The coast sucks, hell Virginia sucks altogether, you're glad to be in Kepler.
“I want to go home, home.” you say out of nowhere.
Before you reach the entrance you hear barking, oh the RV campers must be up. Should you be careful not to scare them, or just walk normally and say 'Good morning' in passing, maybe just nod your head in greeting. Oh and you've stopped just beside the entrance as you got lost in your rambling. You didn't mean to come to a stop here, and as you try to move you notice how silent it's gotten. Did the dog go inside, maybe they've already passed...no it's too quiet for that. No the silence is oppressive like the one you deal with nightly, there's a reason for the silence. The situation's making you feel uneasy, but that could be the sleep deprivation talking.
You're about to brush it off and move when you hear a whispered, “Seriously man, I don't think anyone's out there. Let's get inside.”
There's a noise of agreement before you hear shuffling. Oh no, you zoned out and now you look like a weirdo stalker. Just perfect, maybe if you wait around a little more you'll seem more normal or at least feel normal. Not knowing how long to wait you walk along the tree line for a bit, looking at the ground as you do making sure you won't step on any snakes. In you quest to not step on any snakes you spot something suspiciously off white. It seems purposefully buried under a dead blueberry bush and some fallen branches.
Having listened to too many true crime shows, you know better than to implicate yourself in a murder. Grabbing a stick off the ground you gently brush the foliage away from the supposed corpse. No way, you can't believe your luck, it's an actual fucking skull. An intact skull of a deer! That is so cool, you've only seen taxidermists on TikTok getting so lucky and finding these dudes. Since the jaw bone is connected by tissue it of course isn't with the skull but maybe it's close by? Clearly this got planted or hidden by someone, maybe they were planning on pranking a friend by 'uncovering' a skull later. Oh well, finders keepers and all that, you have way better plans for this guy, hopefully you can find that jaw bone.
You set off searching through the foliage and near by bushes with the branch while holding the skull in your other arm. After searching about three feet around and finding no more bones you decide that this is the only part of the deer's skeleton in this area. A little disappointed but still thrilled with your find, you decide it must be a good time to go back to your car.
Surely you won't look weird now. You a little forager with their treasure in hand. Looks like you'll be busy cleaning, then bleaching, and cleaning these bones today. Is that the order to treat found bones? You aren't sure but you can look into that later. Placing the skull in the trunk so it doesn't roll about and get damaged you make sure it's secure before closing the trunk and getting into your car and locking the doors.
Not once did you notice the pairs of eyes that had been watching you. One watching as you found the deer skull, and the other set seeing you place bones into your car. They kept watching as you fiddled with the radio while the car was starting up. They watched as you pulled out of the sandy dirt lot and drove back down the old road a little faster than before now that you could clearly see.
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teawaffles · 3 years
Text
The Conspiratorial Bullet: Chapter 5
Returning our view from where the two girls began to rekindle their beautiful friendship to the site of the flag once again, a fierce battle was still raging on.
Just moments earlier, the blue team had been at a numerical disadvantage. But with their allies having received their communications and returned, the battle could now tilt either way…… No, they currently had the momentum to push the enemy back just a little.
“Alright, we’re totally forcing them back here!”
“If we can get through this fight, there’ll only be a handful of them left. We just have to hold out a bit longer.”
The nobles had spotted a chance of victory, and they could even afford to smile now. But as they verified their opponents’ positions from within a thicket, from behind a tree on the opposite side, a mysterious object was lobbed in their direction.
“What’s that?”
One noble had noticed the item sailing towards them — a bulging leather pouch. But its opening wasn’t fully shut, and as the blue team members stood rooted to the ground, the contents of the pouch spilled out onto them from above.
Out the bag poured a vast quantity of dummy bullets.
“H-Huhhhhhhh!?”
Stunned, the men shrieked as the rain of bullets pelted them without mercy. Of course, in the blink of an eye, most of them had been covered with paint.
One of the noblemen touched the paint on his clothes with a finger as he spoke in a daze.
“Is this, really possible?”
It seemed that doubt had surfaced in the others’ minds as well, for those who’d been paint-bombed simply stood where they were, their confusion plain as day. And as they did so, in the distance, a figure watched them from behind a tree.
“Sorry about that. Still, this is a great tactic.”
——As James Bond murmured that, he chuckled.
Needless to say, the one who had delivered that hefty blow on the blue team was Bond. At a spot far removed from the crossfire, he’d quietly made his preparations alone, and lain in wait for the chance to pull off this stunt.
Using bullets in this manner, when they were meant to be shot from a gun, could potentially invite controversy; but Herder had said, “If you get paint on any part of your body, you are out” — and not “if you are struck by a bullet fired from a gun”. In other words, if one adhered to the rules as explained, it could be said that this tactic of raining huge quantities of mock bullets on the enemy was legitimate.
Although they’d been suspicious at first, after a moment, the nobles looked at one another and laughed.
“That was an interesting attack for sure, but now…… what’ll we do? Should we call the referee and seek a decision?”
“Nah, we were completely done in — it’s our loss. Let’s bow out with grace.”
Far from leaving them frustrated, the innovativeness of that idea had felt refreshing; even as they harboured twinges of regret, the men obediently left the battlefield.
The red team members glanced at one another, as if wondering why their opponents were leaving the battlefield: it seemed Bond’s unconventional attack had surprised even his own allies.
Gazing at their puzzled faces with delight, Bond began to head for the apparent location of the opposing team’s flag. There was no rule that a certain person had to capture it, so he wanted to settle things himself if he could. With the blue team’s forces severely depleted, as long as they eliminated the remaining few members, they should be able to steal the flag with ease.
But the instant he saw the path to victory, from the direction of his own allies came a familiar voice.
“O—i, everyone. I’ve taken the flag. The game’s over now.”
That was absolutely impossible. A chill ran down his spine.
The voice announcing their victory—— was his own.
“Huh? We’ve already gotten the flag?”
“That was quicker than I thought.”
Naturally, since they thought the game was over, his allies had let down their guard. Bond shouted to them as fast as he could.
“No! That’s not me!”
But the warning came a second too late. Before his voice could reach them, several gunshots could be heard coming from their direction.
“……They’re done for.”
Bond bit his lower lip as he headed for his allies. There, a group of men stood in a daze, their clothes stained with paint. It seemed they had fallen into a spectacularly executed trap.
The number of players eliminated here was comparable to what Bond himself had taken out earlier. Once again, the balance of the battle had been restored, and his shoulders sank — but then he heard the rustle of leaves from a thicket behind him.
Sensing danger, Bonds dived swiftly into the nearby bushes. That instant, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a certain colleague’s young face.
Bond smiled as he raised his gun.
“You said you weren’t the type to get passionate, but that was a pretty nasty trick you pulled there ——Fred-kun.”
“That’s because I can’t let the team Mr William is on be defeated.”
Fred Porlock responded in a flat voice.
“Bond’s” voice from earlier had been a product of Fred’s mimicry. He’d led his opponents to mistakenly believe that the blue team’s flag had been captured, then took advantage of their lowered guard to inflict a massive blow.
“Hmm, so you’re determined to win too. Speaking of which, you’re rather passionate for someone who’s stone-faced.”
He purposely slung those provocative words over, and from the other side of the thicket, Fred’s retort sailed back.
“Perhaps — but getting too passionate only impedes my work. For me, an ironclad rule is to remain calm at all times.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true. It’s precisely this important work which requires a passion that’s second to none.”
“In that case, shall we prove who’s right?”
Fred’s unusually provoking comment had a somewhat joyful ring to it.
Bond chuckled.
“I knew you were a passionate man.”
With that single line uttered with joy as the catalyst, Bond leaned out of the vegetation and raised his gun. It seemed Fred had the same idea, for both of them were now pointing their revolvers at each other. But this was no time for indecision. Both men pulled the trigger, then took evasive action. The bullets passed through the exact spots they’d been a moment earlier, and they each hid behind a tree at the same time once more.
That thrilling battle lasted only a moment. Then, Bond called out with a childlike innocence.
“Aah, what a shame: I’ve been hit. Look, here’s the paint stain.”
“I’m not getting fooled by that — you completely dodged the shot.”
Fred had instantly seen through his deception. But even after his true intentions had been read like a book, Bond seemed to be enjoying himself, and he made to step out in preparation for his next move.
——Then, as if in response to that action, Fred raised his voice.
“Mr William, we can carry out a pincer attack now.”
“……What?”
That shocking line sent Bond looking around the area in suspicion. Then, as Fred had said, he saw William standing behind him.
“Hey Bond. How’s it going?”
“W— Will-kun!?”
For a split second, Bond panicked. He’d been trying to keep an eye out for William’s movements, but then the man showed himself just when he’d been focusing on Fred — this was the worst possible situation he could’ve found himself in. Bond knew he still had a few teammates left, but could it be that William had wiped them all out without making a sound?
In any case, it was a fact that his most formidable enemy had crept up behind him. Bond switched gears: in a flash, he took aim at William.
But far from defending himself, the man simply shrugged, as if he was troubled.
“Sorry, but — I’ve already been eliminated.”
“Eh?”
Yet another surprising statement. Bond’s thoughts were in disarray as he stopped himself, his gun still trained on William. Then, he felt something thud against his back.
“…………”
With an awkward smile plastered on his face, Bond turned his head, and looked behind him. There, stood Fred with his gun raised. Somehow, it seemed a slightly victorious smile had risen on his face.
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He didn’t even need to check his back — he knew he’d been hit. With a magnificent sigh, Bond sat down on his haunches.
“Ah~, you’ve got me. So something like that was possible too……”
Now, he finally understood the plan that William and Fred had concocted. Bond ruffled his hair in regret, and William smiled as he spoke.
“There wasn’t a rule saying that you can’t take a detour as you leave the battlefield.”
William had anticipated the strategy his opponent would employ, then used the fact that he’d been eliminated, purposely passing through the frontline where Bond and the rest were in order to give the impression that he was still in the game. Of course, he made sure to tell the people he encountered that he was already out, so that they could avoid wasting bullets on him.
Even so, for those who knew William’s true power, the effect of his presence was enormous; now, just as William had planned, Bond made the mistake of leaving his back open to Fred.
“I didn’t think you’d also exploit loopholes in the rules.”
“Nonetheless, it’s a tactic bordering on foul play. Though, as long as Herder doesn’t show up, it should be alright.”
“……Will Herder-kun appear when someone breaks the rules?”
It was certainly an entertaining thought, but keeping watch over the movements of every single player must surely be a monumental effort. That said, it was flat out impossible for a single person to cover such a huge area — that was probably just a joke, wasn’t it?
In any case, Herder had yet to reveal himself; whatever the truth about his actions behind the scenes, with Bond — the mainstay of his team’s offence — now eliminated, this battlefront had effectively collapsed. As a result, the red team’s chances of victory were now almost zero.
“Aww, even though I was so fired up; I wanted to play on just a little longer.”
Bond hung his head in regret, and William smiled gently at him.
“It’s a pity indeed. Now it’ll be up to Moran and the rest to turn the game around.”
Analysing the state of the battle from here on, William looked towards the little cabin: the setting of the game’s impending climax.
Scoreboard
🔹 Blue team: Albert, Jack, Fred, William, Kevin, Andy
🔺 Red team: Moran, Bond, Louis, Helena
74 notes · View notes
gamer-logic · 3 years
Text
Hetalia Platonic Ships Week Day 4 Annual Canadian-American Sleepover
Allen and James had never had the pleasure of experiencing the annual Canadian-American sleepover/prank way before, so the kids all decide to 'initiate them.' Pure chaos ensues.
They all have the sleepover at Alfred's place since it's the biggest.
Full-on prank war starts right out of the gate. Allen and James are immediately initiated by everyone with the oldest trick in the book: getting slathered in maple syrup and chicken feathers. Louisiana teams up with Ontario to terrorize Quebec voodoo-based pranks. Of course, Allen runs damage control makes sure to keep track of what they're doing, and cancel any horrible aftereffects. Nevada runs bets on who falls for what prank. The highest is California falling for the kale snack that's actually grass prank. With Tony's help, Alfred pranks Mathew by beaming down beavers on his head and teleporting him into a giant pile of maple leaves filled with syrup. Mathew immediately retaliates by jump scaring him with a creepy eagle mask every time he enters a room then chases him into the barn where he's covered in ketchup and mustard.
Pennsylvania and New Brunswick team up to switch PEI's hair care products and New Jersey's hair gel. They also replace New Jersey's bottle of soap with Tan in a Can mixed with Cheeto puff powder. Saskatchewan and Nunavut scare New York and make him think Wendigos are after him. New Mexico and Arizona fill every bit of Minnesota's winter gear with desert sand. North Dakota and North Carolina team up against South Dakota and South Carolina in a giant nerf war. Delaware, being Delaware, puts sticky notes on everything. There's can only be one. The Southern States team up to terrorize Florida in revenge for Florida man. They convince Florida she needs to around dressed as all their state football mascots to ward off Florida man who's coming to fight her Alligators.
Arkansas borrows Lousiana's pet pelican and trains it to dive-bomb Alabama and Mississippi with stink bombs. Texas mixes his five-alarm chili seasoning in with food and gets people to eat it. Alfred easily falls for this when it's put in ice cream. Mathew as well when it's put in poutine. Wisconsin makes various cheese replicas of everyday items and replaces them. He'll go around just eating things like a lamp in front of people to subtly frick with them and make them question reality. Oregon tye dyes everything Washington has. Tennesee has trained various chickens to crow at Kentucky at various hours of the day whenever she walks by. Hawaii and Alaska are currently leading on the scoreboard because, despite their unassuming looks, they're little devils, especially when hyped on sugar.
Their most successful one to date would be tying one end of Texas' lasso to Ameriwhale and telling him they found it, giving him the other end, and making him go for a swim. British Columbia and Alberta accompany Maryland who loves subtly messing with Mr. Perfectionist Delaware by moving everything he has in his room an inch over to the right and making everything crooked. Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa rig a popcorn matching to shoot popcorn at random intervals. James ducktapes Allen's shades to his head and his bat to the top of the tallest tree in the yard. He also trains Kuma to roar in his face every time he turns a corner and turns on Jersey Shore every time he comes close to a TV to get him stuck using that accent for a whole day. Allen retaliates by hiding his hockey stick in a nearby beaver dam, dies all his flannel pink and puts polka dots on them, puts honey in his scruff and hair which makes Kuma chase him down to lick it off. He also rigs his motorbike to be remote controlled (a trick learned from Massachusettes) and attaches the back of his paints to it, making them fly off.
Eventually, things start settling down and everyone starts up the movies and eats pizza. The award for the best prank goes to, surprisingly, Wyoming and Newfoundland who actually are aresponsible for over 20+ pranks with Hawaii and Alaska in a close second and Wisconsin in third for sheer creativity. Wyoming enlists Newfoundland to help her set this up, swearing him to secrecy. Many of their pranks include creating an impossible-to-navigate maze and trick people to go in, being continually chased by prairies dogs, gophers, and various farm animals, rigging various wire traps around the house and whenever someone activates one they immediately get pied in the face, and somehow rigging every toilet in the house to flush and sing Another One Bites the Dust on command. No one knows where they got them or how they managed to do this in such a short time. They were also never caught until the scores are tallied and they revealed themselves after no one could figure out who did most of the pranks. It's always the shy ones.
About five minutes into the movie, New Jersey hits New York with a pillow starting another all-out brawl. Texas immediately goes big with a bean bag chair because it's on like Donkey Kong and his motto is 'go big or go home!' Even Delaware, usually a tightwad, gets crazy and helps West Virginia target, Virginia. All of the New England states hunker down in a pillow fort under heavy fire with the Southern states who also vote unanimously to sacrifice Florida. Oklahoma and the rest of Tornado Alley team up and become a giant collective twister of unstoppable force. The battle of the 48th parallel states and provinces i.e. BC, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario vs. Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington rages on with South Dakota betraying them for the chance to hit North Dakota and Ontario also going rouge after being booted out. Eventually, though, they reveal their double agent status which decimates both sides. Mathew and James immediately go into hockey mode while Allen goes into baseball mode and Alfred into football mode.
The party shows no signs of slowing as the chaos continues late into the night. Everyone wakes up the next morning to find feathers everywhere, Texas' entire cowboy hat collection on the roof, PEI, Ontario, New Jersey, California, and Quebec are all duct tapped to the ceiling, Kansas is wearing a Dorothy costume while Maryland wakes up surrounded by hermit crabs. Georgia is covered in peaches and Florida is seemingly missing until they find her safe and sound in the pool snoozing on a giant Alligator float still in the Bulldog costume with every other state mascot suit next to her. Manitoba, Utah, Kentucky, and Nebraska all wake up in the barn with the chickens crowing. Texas is sleeping on top of his bull ride with his state flag dropped over him. Alfred wakes up in the bathtub in a Captain America costume and Mathew Wakes up in the shower with a Captain Canada costume on. Allen and James come out of things relatively unscathed with Allen crashed on the couch with his motorbike covered in glitter courtesy of Hawaii and Alaska in the living room and James with Kuma in the garage with Wisconsin's cow and goats. Basically, everything is pure chaos and no one knows what has been replaced by cheese and what hasn't. Needless to say, Allen and James' first annual family prank war/sleepver was a success. See y'all next year!
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moonbeamsung · 3 years
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Sink or Swim
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You plunged deep into an ocean of love for Huang Renjun, the boy who had already fallen for the sea itself.
member: renjun
au: sailor!renjun x gn!reader
word count: 2.7k
genre: angst, fluff, slightly dystopian
warnings: character death/drowning, mentions of water (one passing mention of a typhoon and a very heavy focus on the ocean), light profanity
recommended song: when i was older by billie eilish
author’s note: Not only did the lyrics to the above song inspire this fic, but so did the general mood and sound of it :) I would recommend listening while you read, since I think it really adds to the atmosphere. My creativity took quite a while to cooperate on this one but I like how it turned out and hope you do as well, feedback is highly appreciated as always. Thanks to @astroboy-lele for her help beta-reading this (like 2 hours ago), and enjoy!
taglist: @astroboy-lele @kyuwoyo @rvse-hvvck @nakamotocore @kisshim @hunjins​
network tags: @kpopscape @neo-constellations @culture-cafe @dreamlab-nct @k-dinernet 
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The sleepy little fishing village you call home seems to sigh with the tides, waves lapping at the shore in a rhythm not unlike that of steady breaths. It’s the world’s way of inhaling the salty air, sometimes laced with the pungent scent of a fresh catch.
The sport itself is a life force here, the key to any sort of contact with the rest of civilization. Without it, the hill that the small town is nestled into might just swallow up the dozens of small brick buildings, reducing them to nothing but a memory. The murky waters would carry minuscule traces of its existence far and wide, but not even a name could break the surface.
Unfortunately, the village’s dependence on exporting fish leaves little room for the personal aspirations of its residents. At some point in your life, you’ll be called to assist with a certain aspect of the product’s distribution. The elders in charge find ways for even the most unskilled of hand and mind to participate, but they always save the hardest work for those who were born into it: the sailing families.
Quite literally, a love of the sea is in Huang Renjun’s blood.
His great-grandfather was around to see the beginnings of the seaside community, and he became the most famous fisherman known to the village by returning to the docks with large nets in tow, just bursting with sharp fins and thrashing tails. Those were the glory days, and generations later, the Huangs want their young son to follow in his footsteps, to become just as well-known for legendary angling expeditions.
But... he’s not really interested.
He would much rather take to the waves in a boat and chase the horizon, not bothering with casting a net or even a rod. To him, the ocean air is beyond suffocating, like a poison meant to expel any wanderlust from his lungs, to rip it from his soul. Renjun is a fiery spirit, and not even the crashing, slate-colored waters can dampen the adventurous spark burning bright and warm inside of him. It would take more than a typhoon to do so.
You admire that about him, too. How he holds a strong but steady resistance to the traditions of the village, the limited and meager expanse of the world that you’ve both lived in—no, been confined to—all your life.
Just think of the endless possibilities that await, beyond the hazy fog obscuring the fine line between land and sea. The faint shapes that loom in the distance, perhaps a trick of the eye but perhaps another sign of life besides you, seem so close but are still just out of your reach, teasing you both with what could lie outside this languid, ashen realm. Your heart races at the mere notion of such a thing.
The waves are impossibly blue when their image is reflected in Renjun’s dark eyes; you notice this one dreary afternoon as you let your feet dangle above the gentle ripples, sitting at the edge of one of the many docks that tangle through a mess of sailboats and fishing gear. The burnt orange of his threaded sweater stands out against the rest of the scenery, so monochromatic you sometimes swear the world is black and white.
He’s a splash of color, a splash of adventure and determination among a colorless mass of villagers who wouldn’t trade the way things are right now for anything. The dull, scuffed toes of his boots drag along the wooden planks as he trudges towards you, settling down at your side with a small gust of wind. Both anticipating and dreading the impending day when his father would teach him how to take to the seas and steer the boat that’s run in his family for generations, Renjun finds himself at the humble and rickety marina often. Anticipating because that knowledge would enable him to change the course of his own life on his own terms, and dreading because he knew of the harsh disapproval those actions would receive.
But still, Renjun stays right there on the dock next to you, diving past the shallows of his conscious mind and into the darkest, deepest abyss of his own thoughts, letting them bubble and sputter up and puff into the air like sea spray. If both your hearts are oceans of their own, they collide in this moment, as his ambitions and aspirations spill over into yours and settle on the seabed below. He’s chosen you to entrust these secrets with. You, the only other resident of the village with a familiar restlessness in your eyes when the sun disappears below the distant horizon, gaze wistful and longing to do the same.
And as if they’re the precious riches of a mythical swashbuckling pirate, you keep them there, each word a golden coin or sparkling gem hidden away in a long-lost treasure chest. The twilight sky that evening is the most vivid you’ve ever seen it, and daylight is fading fast by the time Renjun finishes telling you everything.
“I never knew there was someone who felt the same way I did about all this.”
The realization sets in late, just as the weathered surface you’re both perched on sways in the wind. You fear for a second that you might slip forward into the icy water; that’s how strong the breeze whipping through the air around you feels. That, or it’s due to the sheer force from your heart as it swells at finally meeting someone you’ve admired from afar for what feels like an eternity, ever since you understood what life was like and what it meant for you here.
Sure, Renjun’s grandfather may have been well-known in the past for one reason, but to you, Renjun is creating a legacy of his own for another, one of more than just adolescent rebellion and defiance. It’s one of undoubtable self-awareness, of an adamant refusal to conform to an existence he hadn’t chosen, and he’s finding a way to alter what he’s been seemingly destined for all his life.
“Me neither,” you shake your head, still in a small fraction of euphoric disbelief. “All that’s left to do now is stow away on a ship together in the dead of night, I suppose.” The comment is joking, but he takes it more seriously than you anticipated. The cloudy sky above brightens with his eyes.
You convene in shadowy alleys when no one’s looking, wasting away the hours as you mutually yearn for just a sliver of knowledge of the unknown, enthralled by the waves in the distance and what lies below and above and beside. Renjun sometimes whisks you away to a steep overlook that provides a panoramic view of the beach, the powdery sand so far beneath your bare feet gray enough to pass for finely packed pebbles. You find yourself melting into his embrace like the sea melts into the sky, blurring the already thin lines between air and water and between friendship and love. The way his fingers encircle your wrist with a curl like that of a cresting wave is telling enough on its own. His heart belongs to two bodies now.
You can’t help but notice all the similarities he bears to the element you’ve never lived a day of your life without seeing, without hearing the undulations of, without smelling or tasting the salty tang it brings to the air. Always moving, a force to be reckoned with, and evidently a possessor of the ability to travel far and wide on even the most fleeting of whims.
He’s utterly himself around the water, too. You’re almost positive he could effortlessly duck beneath the surface, take a breath, and his lungs would drink it in as if it was air. The only place he doesn’t feel like drowning is below the waves.
“Look!” Renjun points out an unfamiliar vessel tied down at the far end of the pier one day, sails torn in jagged lines as if they had been slashed by a larger-than-life creature. Upon closer examination, you find that the wooden bow of the sailboat is splintering and the windows into the cabin are shattered. The name carved into the hull is simply too faded for you to decipher the letters.
“This boat must’ve gone through hell and back,” you comment, your response delayed like an echo. “Who do you think it belongs to, anyway?”
He’s lost within a symphony of thoughts before he answers, “No one.”
Both incredulous and doubtful, you whip around to meet Renjun’s assured gaze. “No one ever comes and no one ever goes, it’s that simple. These same boats have been docked for years. They’ve belonged to the same families one decade after another.” The boy sighs, scanning the horizon for anything that might appear the slightest bit unusual. “The real question is where it came from.”
You have no answer for him.
“Regardless,” he speaks up again, quite matter of factly, “It’s ours now.”
“Ours?”
“Yes, ours. You said you’d sail away with me, right?”
It certainly isn’t the aspiration you would have envisioned yourself pursuing. You could have chosen to quietly obey, to live and work exactly as you were told by a community so rigid that you felt frozen to the bone. Not like the pleasant chill of the ocean, rather a restrictive pair of icy shackles, ever-tightening around your limbs and subduing your mutinous thoughts. But here you are, longing for a little something more both in life and with the only person that understands your heart’s deepest desires like they’re his own. And at their core, they are.
Without fear, Renjun takes a confident stride onto the boat’s deck, turning back to you and offering his hand as you mimic the action. “What are you waiting for?” He asks, eyes twinkling.
A warm thrill courses through your veins, growing hotter with each small preparation you make towards your inevitable departure. It’s an affair of many weeks, but at last you’ve gathered all of the necessary supplies and courage to carry out your plan.
The day finally comes, the day you’ll spring into action and take hold of your futures by the ropes, no one but yourselves telling you how or where to steer.
On the most moonlit night you’ve ever been alive to witness, you and Renjun both slip out from underneath your fraying comforters, unbeknownst to the rest of your households. Save for your two restless souls, the entire village is sound asleep, the unceasing lullaby of the tides casting its steadfast spell on bodies and minds like clockwork. Wooden floors so hollow and dusty that they barely creak under your weight, you successfully glide out your respective front doors in silence like translucent spirits.
No one else in the village had even acknowledged the foreign ship’s presence, but this shouldn’t surprise you, not in the slightest. The thick, colorless fog of life had long since settled around the shoulders of anyone and everyone who allowed it to, ensnaring them in a mind-numbing, monotonous routine. It blocks out the sun and the rain, the light and the darkness. It’s all so sickeningly the same. Empty eyes can’t pay any mind to their surroundings. Meanwhile, yours are full of hope, the brightest in the land.
In the distance, Renjun appears as vibrant and sprightly as ever. His form cascades down a flight of stone steps, leading from the sheer hills clustered with homes onto sea-level ground, and glides over the small dunes of sand separating you. He reaches the edge of the beach and your side a minute later, the thump of his heart keeping time with the tides. A nod, and you’re sprinting towards the docks, fingers trembling in excited anticipation.
It isn’t until after you’ve clumsily set sail that you see the ominous shadows of dark clouds laid out ahead, directly in your path. Even in the dead of night, a flash of distant lightning illuminates the world in a harshly jagged blaze for as far as the eye can see, as it strikes some unknown location out in front of the sailboat.
You’re certain the repairs you’ve spent days and nights working on with Renjun will be enough to keep the ship intact, despite the weather you’re sure to endure if you continue on this route. So you press on, missing the apprehension furrowing his eyebrows.
But because every force of nature has decided to convene against you both for reasons eternally unknown, the harsh winds weave their way in between the threads your careful hands had stitched on the canvas, meant to catch the breeze but being torn apart by it instead. Suddenly you’re struggling to hold on to your balance and you feel as flimsy as a leaf in a blustering current of cold, crisp wind.
Perhaps you should have practiced first. Renjun had not yet received a single ounce of training from his experienced father, and it was far from wise to leave the only life you’ve ever known without any knowledge of how to get to your next one. He’s trying to hide his panic now, wavering between the steering controls and warily glancing up at the gloomy midnight sky. One more flash of lightning, and all goes awry, all at once.
The water around you surges, as if physically drawn to the heavens, and more falls from above. Raindrops pelt down onto your arms and soak your hair, drenching the sails and filling the shallow hull almost instantly. Wave after towering wave crashes down, hard, and you’re no longer certain which way is up. About to lose your footing, you feel a pair of arms wrap around your middle like the snug hold of a life preserver.
Before all vitality can be lost and smothered by the raging ocean, a desperate Renjun holds fast to you, your thin clothes clinging to the damp skin of his hands. The storm is just too much, and there’s no way you’ll see the journey through like you had hoped. It’s difficult, excruciating even, to accept, and even more difficult for Renjun to let go of you like this. He’ll fight until the end, fight the fates and the invisible forces that life entails to hold you for just a few more seconds.
He won’t be able to live with himself, even in whatever afterlife may or may not come after the darkness he already sees, feels closing in on him, if he doesn’t sacrifice his last breath for a final moment of bliss, of you.
The sensation of Renjun’s wan lips pressing into yours overwhelms and surpasses all others, his palms tracing the edges of your figure like the tides trace the sandy shore. Urgently he draws you close up against him, trying his best to shield you from the inescapable terror of the sea. A lifetime’s worth of energy and emotion and passion is expended, making up for all the time in the world he wouldn’t and couldn’t have. The tang of saltwater meets your tongue, and you’re not sure if it’s the taste of him or of the ocean.
A weak tug on your palpitating heart, an internal scream in your ringing ears tells you that you should resent him for this, for propelling you forward in your apparently unachievable fantasies of living the life you wanted for yourself. But you don’t, you can’t. It’s no one’s fault, really. With this thought, a peaceful stillness washes over you amidst the chaos, and your awareness of the boy in your embrace fades steadily, slowly, then rapidly. Reality is getting paler, more black and white than ever, and you’re sinking further and further down towards the ocean floor miles below. The faint light of the moon becomes distorted from underneath the water, blurring with your failing vision. It all slips away, and then there’s nothing.
It’s a shame no one in the village takes notice of the two extra stars that blink into existence on that moonlit night, but yours and Renjun’s souls take their place among the rest, both a warning and a calling to anyone who dared attempt what you did. Two guiding lights pointing any other dreamers towards the hope of a better, brighter future.
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leisurelypanda · 3 years
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Imagine pre-serum Steve visiting his local pool to learn how to swim properly and get his strength up, trying to avoid getting too distracted by the gorgeous blonde musclegod who serves as lifeguard. One day, the lifeguard approaches Steve as he's catching his breath, introducing himself as Thor and offering to help with his lessons. He's a friend of the owner, he explains, and can get Steve in after closing so that he won't have to deal with the crowds. Steve agrees and returns the next evening, his heart racing when he sees Thor waiting for him in the water, muscles bulging and glistening, wearing a tight red speedo that leaves little to the imagination. He's profoundly grateful that he has the lessons to channel his pent-up desire into, the two of them becoming friends as the weeks pass and Steve gets better and better.
One evening, they're making great progress, with Steve breaking his record on the number of lengths he can swim. He's resting with his arms folded on the side of the pool, out of breath, but glowing with pride and adrenaline, when he feels Thor come up behind him, arms braced on the pool's edge to box Steve in. He feels Thor's cock, hard as a rock and so thick and long, pressing against his ass through the thin layers of fabric. His heart in his mouth, Steve slowly turns his head back to meet Thor's hungry gaze as his hands move, one tilting Steve's chin up for a searing kiss as the other pushes down into his shorts to start stroking his cock.
Mmmm yes, this is lovely! I love the idea of Thor being super proud and having a competency kink for pre-serum Steve improving his skills. 
I imagine Steve being 18 or 19 here, and having spent his high school years being picked on because he's so scrawny. However, now that he's graduated, he has a bit more time on his hands, so he decides that he wants to get stronger somehow. Weights have never been his thing, though, so he starts learning how to swim. He doesn't have the money to spend on swim lessons, so he just goes to the local pool to teach himself.
The only problem is the presence of a lifeguard who's distractingly handsome. He looks like he's a few years older than Steve, maybe 25 at the oldest.. He has a gorgeous smile that he directs towards Steve every time they see each other. Steve can't help but wish that he could learn how to swim from this man.
It takes about 2 weeks of regularly going to the pool for the lifeguard to introduce himself. Steve has just finished swimming a few laps and he's pretty tired. His name is Thor. His father and the pool owner are friends, so he offers to help Steve learn how to swim after hours so Steve won't have to deal with people getting in the way. Steve agrees immediately.
The first thing Thor does is teach him stretches to help himself warm up and cool down. Steve can't help but be distracted, especially since Thor is wearing a bright red speedo. Everything is on display, from Thor's impressive shoulders, chest, and arms to his long, muscular legs. And of course, there's his glorious ass and the package that bulges against the poor, innocent fabric of the speedo. Steve can't look away, but he somehow manages to do the stretches every night.
Thor is a surprisingly good teacher, even considering the fact that Steve finds him distracting. He's patient and thorough. He teaches Steve freestyle first, then the backstroke, the breaststroke, the sidestroke, and lastly, the butterfly. Steve struggles with the butterfly the most due to his lack of upper body strength. He prefers freestyle and he's not surprised that Thor is amazing at the butterfly.
Steve gradually becomes stronger and grows in endurance. The longer the lessons last, the more they learn about each other. Steve learns that Thor has been swimming and training his entire life to be an Olympic swimmer. He’s been giving lessons ever since he was 16 and been a lifeguard since he was 18. He missed making the Olympic team four years ago due to a minor foot injury that kept him from attending the tryouts. This year, though, he intends to make the team. 
Steve fully believes he can do it. One day, Thor takes him to a different pool (that his dad’s friend also owns, because that’s apparently his thing). It’s far longer than the pool Thor’s been teaching Steve how to swim in. It’s 50 meters long, for starters, and 3 meters deep. It makes diving fun, of course, and watching Thor dive into the pool and swim to the other side as fast as he can is always incredible. Their lessons start taking place here and Steve always arrives early to watch Thor practice. When he asks how Thor still has the energy to teach him, Thor merely laughs and tells him that the lessons are essentially a way to cool down for him. 
A few months after their lessons started, Steve is able to exceed his previous record. He’s not very fast, but he’s been able to build up his endurance. He’s able to swim 1000 meters one evening without Thor’s assistance. it took him a while, but he was able to make it. He’s exhausted by the end of it, but when he stops, he clings to the pools edge in the shallow end of the pool. As he’s catching his breath, he feels a pair of arms surround him from either side. He doesn’t have to look behind him to know it’s Thor. What he wasn’t expecting was for him to feel Thor press his cock against his ass, or for it to be rock hard. 
A moment later, he feels Thor’s mouth on his neck, sucking and kissing against him. Thor murmurs his praises into Steve’s ear as his hands wander down Steve’s body. Steve is gasping for a whole different reason now and he doesn’t want to stop. 
Thor takes care of everything. It’s after hours and they’re the only ones in the pool now. They’re the only ones in the building. Their kissing each other passionately without a care in the world, particularly not about the fact that they’re technically supposed to be closing up. 
Thor’s cock is even bigger than Steve expected it would be. The stretch as it enters his ass is indescribable. Steve is sure that he won’t be able to walk tomorrow. He can’t bring himself to stop, though. He pushes back against Thor, down onto his cock. He sucks on Thor’s fingers as he moans and he can taste the chlorine from the water. 
It’s impossible to say how long they fucked in the pool. If Thor wasn’t holding him, then Steve was clinging to the edge of the pool, bent over as Thor hammered into him. The water sloshed over them, making shallow waves from their movements. Finally, when Thor comes, he shoots his load deep into Steve’s ass. Steve comes at the same time, his own come bursting out into the water. 
They’re both gasping for breath now. Thor’s cock is still inside Steve’s body, still hard. He grins warmly as he congratulates Steve on beating his record. 
One unexpected result of their little sexcapade is that they’ve both lost their swimming gear. There’s a certain thrill in having to swim naked to retrieve them from where they had floated to the other end of the pool. Thor doesn’t bother putting his on, though, and walks completely naked to the locker room. Steve decides to follow suit. They dress together and close up the pool. Thor leads Steve to his apartment, where they pick up where they left off. Neither of them swims that day, but they get other forms of exercise. Steve appreciates seeing how well the muscles he’s developed from swimming come in handy in Thor’s bedroom as he rides Thor’s cock all night. 
Thor does eventually make the Olympic swim team. Steve is there to cheer him on. Thor makes waves during the next Olympics both for being an impeccable specimen and for proposing to Steve immediately after he wins the gold medal in the butterfly. The two of them become an internet sensation overnight, and they celebrate by having sex once again in a pool, though a private one, this time. 
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llogllady99 · 3 years
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The hottest day
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CHARACTERS | Everyone from the picture above.
RELATIONSHIPS | Levi x Erwin, Eren x Mikasa, Armin x Annie, Mike x Nanaba, Petra x Oluo
GENRE | Domestic
IV | Day at the beach, Sea, Diving, Football | Soccer, Volleyball, Attempt at humour, Domestic fluff, Fluff, Alternate Universe - Everyone lives/ Nobody dies
SUMMARY | With the titans gone, no threats looming over the horizon, and summer being in full bloom, Survey Corps are left with one final and obvious thing to do: spend a day relaxing at the beach.
WORD COUNT | 3170
This has to be one of the hottest days yet, thought Levi as he looked out the window in Erwin’s office. He was slightly irritated by the golden yellow rays that were placing fire kisses on his form, making his charcoal black hair warm up to astronomical temperatures, his clothes suddenly too suffocating and his skin flush on areas such as his arms and cheeks. Outside those that were actually able to participate in training, would frequently stop to pour buckets of water over their head to cool off, their shirts long discarded and pants cuffed over the knees. The others that had given up, would rest under trees, basking in the shade or close to the building’s walls in the shade propagated by the roof. Erwin was sitting at his desk, completing the last set of documents for the day. The commander was by no means in a better state than anyone. His shirt was unbuttoned completely, exposing his muscular body, its sleeves cuffed just above the elbows. His hair was messily hanging over his forehead, where small beads of sweat would rest and trickle down his face. Levi grimaced, completely fed up of the intense smell of sweat oozing from his husband and the state in which the barracks and the soldiers where in, and stood up. The raven made his way to the desk at which the older man was absorbed completely in his work.
“Right, that’s enough.” Levi said, pulling Erwin out of his work. The blonde looked up and raised an eyebrow. “We need to do something about the heat.”
“And what do you propose?” Erwin rested his head in his hands, rubbing at his temples. “Please also keep in mind that I have not finished the documents yet.”
“Fuck your documents. That’s all you’ve been doing since we eradicated the titans, there’s no more work for us anymore and I’m sure the papers can wait for a while more. I think it’s time to enjoy the outside world, don’t you think?” Levi came behind Erwin and started massaging his shoulders.
“Yes. So this means…?” Erwin turned his head to look up at him, encouraging him to continue.
“I think we should go to the beach: me, you, Mike, Nanaba, Hange, Moblit, my squad, and those fetuses from the 104th. We worked hard, we did a good job. Even Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie are on our side now. It’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labour.” Levi proposed, giving Erwin a soft smile reserved just for him in their private moments. The older of the two furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head in thinking. After a moment, he let out a long and loud exhale, relaxing his shoulders completely, and turned to the raven reciprocating the same warm smile. With a slow nod, Erwin then told Levi, whose expression lit up like a Christmas tree: “Yes, I believe you are right. Please go announce the others and tell them to meet in 30 minutes at the front gate with their swimsuits and towels and whatever else they need in their bags. Do you want the blue or the green trunks?”
“Green.” Said Levi as he pecked Erwin’s cheek in appreciation, then made his way out the door.
-
Exactly 30 minutes later everyone gathered up at the gate, beaming with excitement, the sweat and dry heat in which they were engulfed moments ago long forgotten and replaced with visions of refreshing baths. Hange and Moblit displayed the biggest bags out of them all, stuffed to the brim with diving gear, and if their horses’ annoyed neighs and occasional stomping of foot was anything to go by: not at all light. Well, if it was for research then everything went through. Nanaba was the most relaxed out of them all as she didn’t have to carry, her bag in Mike’s possession, like the gentleman he was. Although, not only was he carrying her stuff but he also had a mini cooker secured in the back of his saddle, which was giving him a hard time, but he would do anything her and extra load was nothing for him. A year ago he had to carry so much more during battles and under more strenuous conditions.
The beach to which they went last year had been transformed into a port to encourage trade with other countries, so Erwin took up on Hange’s suggestion of visiting a new place they’d found while on patrol a few weeks before. The beach was beautiful, bushes and palm trees circling it then fading into white and smooth sand. The water was pristine and crystalline, the turquoise blending seamlessly into darker blues, hinting the constant increase in depth. The sun shone even more brightly than before as early morning had long passed, the afternoon now in full bloom. The impact it had on their skin was ebbed by the chilly breeze coming from the sea, ruffling their hair, clothes, and cloaks. As soon as they arrived, everyone unpacked and took off their clothing, leaving nothing but their bathing suits on.
After the initial excitement had passed and everyone had their share of refreshing baths, splashing in the sea, and taking in the landscape, they proceeded to split into groups. Mikasa and Annie had take the initiative of setting up a volleyball game against Sasha, Historia, and Ymir. At first, as the girls were getting used to the game, the ball flew smoothly over the net, passes were cautious, and serves almost every time would not get over the net. But as the real game began, Mikasa and Ymir were blocking and jumping with everything they had, Annie served way too hard, accidentally hitting Sasha on the head and making the girl fall with a loud thud, and Historia was making assists with Ymir. The atmosphere was thick with concentration and competitiveness from both parties. Those who watched their game might’ve thought the girls were giving their all. However, after a pretty shit serve from Annie, the ball was passed by Sasha who ducked down and with her forearms redirected the ball to Historia. The blonde little girl then bent her legs slightly, pushing the ball upwards towards virtually nobody. At that moment, Ymir ran and jumped, intercepting the ball, then smashed it over the net right into Mikasa's head. The raven stumbled on her feet and fell bottom first into the sand. With her body already full of sweat and remaining water from their previous bath, it should have not been a surprise when her whole figure became covered in sand. She grimaced and let out a sharp breath, then stood up to her feet, murder on her mind. Afterwards, Mikasa and Annie kept stealing points from their adversaries mercilessly, making Historia cry and Ymir throw empty threats their way. Sasha, being neutral, tried to calm both parties and bring them to a consensus, but to no avail. Not even three minutes later after the match had ended, Ymir, who had tried to calm down Historia, stood up and proposed another game, one in which she made sure she had the upper hand. Motivation and determination can do a lot of things to a person. For example, seeing her beloved cry was what fuelled the brunette to destroy Mikasa and Annie, intercepting their every ball over the net and smashing it to the floor, earning themselves plenty of points.
Next to them, the boys had also set up a football game. Jean was teamed up with Marlo and Bertholdt, while Eren was with Armin and Reiner. Connie took upon the role of being the referee, bringing his fingers to his mouth and failing miserably to whistle, only managing to produce wheezing sounds accompanied by saliva spraying anything within a two meters’ radius whenever there would be a fault or any other rule violation. Jean’s team was leading with Marlo as their goal getter and him defending flawlessly any attempt at scoring the other team made. The game carried on like this for ten minutes until he decided to glance in the girls’ direction. Sasha just bounced the ball over the net, the object spinning rapidly in the air and to the right side of Mikasa’s and Annie side, falling to the ground fast. Despite being almost impossible to catch, Mikasa ducked down at the last moment, intercepting it with her forearms in a platform pass in Annie’s direction, once again proving her inhumane abilities. Sure the rebound was impressive but what caught Jean’s attention was the way her spine bent, her hips arching up then landing with a thud on the ground, and most importantly, how the skin on her ass bounced slightly at the contact, deranging her Brazilian red bathing suit. At the moment Jean opened his mouth unconsciously in amazement. Eren, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, shot the football right in the fucker’s face, making his jaw and face scrunch in the opposite direction as the ball collided with his face. Jean let out a pained groan and stumbled to the ground.
“You fucking creep! Stop staring at my girlfriend. Also we just landed a goal on you.” Eren laughed then high fived with Reiner.
“I wasn’t looking! This game’s just so lame I intentionally distracted myself.” Jean sneered, rubbing at his face.
A little further in front of them, three absolutely lovely ladies were relaxing on their towels, working sun screen onto their skin with delicate rubbing movements. Hitch, being the palest out of all of them rubbed the most sun screen, claiming over and over again that she by no means could turn up to training looking like a crab at training the next day. Nanaba was chatting amicably with Petra. This was one of the first times they were able to talk outside of the Corps as they were on different squads, thus almost never having the time to do so. In the water in front of them, Eld, Gunther, and Auruo were trying to surf. But with the waves being so tame and low in height they just sat on their boards engaging in light conversation, each of them cracking a joke every now and then. Suddenly, something brushed again Auruo’s foot where it was resting on the sea’s floor. He shrieked in fear, disturbing his balance and falling with a big splash in the water. As he emerged from the water, he took a closer look and found a crab crawling across the sand. Auruo looked for a moment in the direction of the girls and with a mischievous smirk on his face, grabbed the creature carefully and headed in their direction. Poor Petra, oblivious of the danger that was approaching her in the form of her boyfriend, was resting on the towel on the verge of slumber when the cretin threw the creature on her. With an annoyed huff Petra opened her eyes, immediately focusing them on Auruo, whose gaze was directed at her stomach. Raising an eyebrow in question, she also directed her gaze there only to be found with the crab now crawling rapidly on her body. With a blood curling scream, Petra stood up and grabbed the poor creature, yanking it in the direction of his face. The crab, now completely confused and dizzy, grabbed the nearest object: Auruo’s ear, squeezing the piece of cartilage with an iron grip, drawing out a shriek of pain from the man. He grabbed the crab, freeing his ear from the excruciating pain, and threw it in a random direction. His plan had gone completely wrong. Without having time to recover from the abuse his ear received, his face was slapped by a very angry Petra.
“You moron, you completely and utterly stupid cretin of a man, how dare you?!” Petra shouted, grabbing his injured ear, making Auruo bite his tongue and drawing from the regretful man a tear that streamed down from his right eye right to the bottom of his jaw. The display made the red head soften slightly, “Don’t pull that shit ever again on me or I swear to god I’m gonna drop your sorry ass right then and there.” Auruo nodded earnestly then leaned and pressed a kiss to his girlfriend’s cheek.
Not only was the beach beautiful but it also had a wooden pontoon that extended far away into the water to regions where the depth was around 20 meters, right above a coral reef, much to Hange’s delight, who was frantically pulling their diving suit on then equipping themselves with the oxygen tank, goggles, and swimming fins. Moblit was trying to keep up with his partner in crime but found it impossible as he lacked the energy the other was seething with. Hange was first in the water, bitting on the breathing tube and drawing in a few breaths to test it, then put on her goggles with a slap, before submerging, not sparing a look behind to see if the other had followed them. With a sigh, poor Moblit jumped in the water, following them closely behind.
On the same pontoon, on the left side, Erwin, Levi, and Mike were fishing; rods in each of their hands. Levi didn’t find the activity at all appealing. It was just an excuse to hang around his husband. Was he being clingy? Yes, but he didn’t give a fuck. However, the other two seemed to be genuinely interested. They talked about all the kinds of fish they would like to catch, and made those awful dad jokes that just made Levi want to throw them both in the water. Suddenly, something tugged at his rod. He didn’t pay much attention but after a second, third, and fourth tug happened, he started working the reel, pulling whatever caught his lure. When he saw it wouldn’t budge, he pulled harder. By now, Erwin and Mike noticed that he had caught something and were watching him earnestly. As his struggle increased, Erwin started helping him pull but it still wouldn’t move. Mike decided to join and the three of them pulled, finally managing to pull the thing in their direction. The enormous fish emerged from the water with a high arched jump, landing directly on Levi, spreading his fluids all over his face. The man gag angrily before pushing it off then jumping in the water. After he rubbed his skin raw, the raven emerged from the water with a pissed off expression, only to see the thing’s lifeless body in Erwin’s hand. The fish had a pretty impressive size, but what softened Levi was not its size or his beautifully coloured body, all phosphorescent pink, greens, pinks, and purples, but Erwin’s pleased smile. Sighing, he climbed back on the pontoon and took the fish from Erwin’s hands and dropped it in the bucket.
“Filthy thing.”
-
As night finally settled over the beach, the group sat themselves around the bonfire Reiner and Bertholdt had managed to light up. Now huddled closely against his husband’s chest, Levi couldn’t help but feel completely at peace. Finally the danger had passed and they were now able to enjoy themselves fully without the fear of dying the next day. Mikasa and Eren were also cuddling together with a blanket Eren had brought, engulfed in their own world, engaging in hushed conversation accompanied by occasional kisses to the crowns of their heads, cheeks, and lips. Annie was laughing softly at something Armin was saying, running her hands through his hair, where he rested his head on her lap. Petra was telling a story to Eld, Gunther and Auruo, waving and motioning aggressively, her eyes wide open and the tone of her voice oscillating between loud and soft, depending on the events of the story. Hange was making observations about today’s research expedition or to put it simply: diving session, while Moblit was sketching furiously the kinds of marine life he saw today. The others were in their own small circle listening to Jean play the guitar, accompanied by Sasha’s and Hitch’s sweet voices, forming a calm and slow…love song? Judging by the warmth Levi’s stomach filled with, maybe it was a love song or a friendship one. One about hardship and finally finding relief and closure, whatever it was he could relate. As this song came to an end, Jean changed the chords and intonation signaling the beginning of a new song. Sasha and Hitch, apparently also familiar with it, began humming slowly at first, then chanting, then fully singing:
Well you didn't wake up this morning 'cause you didn't go to bed
You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red
The calendar on your wall was ticking the days off
You've been reading some old letters
You smile and think how much you've changed
All the money in the world couldn't buy back those days
You pull back the curtains
And the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying
Across a clear blue sky
This is the day, your life will surely change
This is the day, when things fall into place
You could have done anything, if you wanted
And all your friends and family think that you're lucky
But the side of you they'll never see
Is when you're left alone with your memories
That hold your life together, like glue
You pull back the curtains
And the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying
Across a clear blue sky
This is the day, your life will surely change
This is the day, when things fall into place
This is the day (This is the day)
Your life will surely change
This is the day (This is the day)
Your life will surely change
As the song came to a stop, Levi finally identified the feeling that kept invading his stomach: love. He loved all of those people, although he would never admit it. Finally being able to see them be truly happy and enjoying the remaining of their lives, no longer in fear of the titans, was making him incredibly happy. With a soft and content smile now grazing his, he spoke:
“I wish this day would last forever.”
“Summer’s just begun, darling.” Replied Erwin, nuzzling and kissing the crown of his lover’s head. They now had their whole lives ahead of them; a million more days to enjoy, sunrises and sunsets to watch, and appreciate the existence of those to which they were close.
Notes:
The song mentioned in this fic is The The - This is the day. Thank you so much for reading my fic, notes and comments are welcomed. I honestly love them so much, each of them deserved so much more but Isayama is the devil incarnate so he won't let us have that. However good thing we have our imaginations, otherwise I'm sure none of us would have been able to cope. Obviously, I do not own any of the art or the characters of the show. This was just what fuelled my inspiration. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it!! Also check me out on Archive of our own @logllady99
25 notes · View notes
prettywordsyouleft · 4 years
Text
MonX Hospital | Wonho
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Pairing: Lee Hoseok x reader
Genre: paramedic – hospital au / co-workers to lovers
Warnings: naturally given the au of an EMT/paramedic there are more than one reference to accidents, a death and medical terms. Also there is a small fight, kind of a one-night stand but not and I wrote Y/N as on the shorter side, sorry if this offends taller readers.
Word count: 3525
Index: Shownu | Wonho | Minhyuk | Kihyun | Hyungwon | Jooheon | Changkyun
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“Hey short stuff!” Hoseok greeted fondly and you rolled your eyes, looking over your shoulder briefly before turning back to cabinets you were stocking.
“You know, if you keep using that term, all the others are never going to stop teasing me for being the shortest here on the force.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it! Great things come in small packages.”
Your gaze fell directly to his loins and smirked. “Do they just?”
“Y/N!” Hoseok warned with a hearty chuckle, helping you with your final gear check in the back of the ambulance.
Truth be told, he liked that he got a rise out of you most days. Hoseok had been in the paramedic industry for four years now and out of all his co-workers he had been paired up with, you were definitely the most compatible. You made the long hours worth it, with the endless banter and the equally deep and thoughtful moments too. Working in such a high-stress, life or death environment was never easy to navigate but you had become a well-oiled machine together. Some of his greatest accomplishments had been at your side.
“Ready to go?” you questioned and Hoseok nodded, climbing into the driver’s seat of the vehicle and moving out of the parking lot. Every day was different on the job. Sometimes he spent more time in the office than behind the wheel, not being on the active dispatch team. Today, however, you were on the road, waiting to be called towards jobs that needed their assistance.
You wound down the window and placed your arm on the doorframe. “It’s too nice of a day to be cooped up in here.”
“You say that every day it’s sunny.”
“The sun will be gone soon and replaced with a busy Friday night, I bet you.”
“How much?”
“You’re willing to give me your money so freely?” you teased and Hoseok shrugged. “Twenty bucks that we only deal with drunk people.”
“Alright, the same if we have at least one sober patient.”
It wasn’t the most ideal thing to be waging on what type of work you would have for the night, but it kept it interesting.
And it made you delighted knowing he had to pay up at the end of the shift. “Oooh, we’ve been around so many intoxicated people tonight I think we’re starting to smell like a brewery!”
“You’re not funny,” Hoseok replied as he pulled out his wallet and handed you the money. You grinned and waved it around, doing a little dance alongside it. “What’s fair is fair.”
“You really do like giving your money away,” you stated, giving him a wink before going into the female changing rooms.
Hoseok waited for you to return out of uniform and jangled his keys. “Want a lift home?”
“You just like driving me around, don’t you?”
“I’m used to it, it’s not often you’re behind the wheel because-”
“Finish that sentence, I dare you,” you implored and Hoseok shrugged playfully, leaping away from your frustrated swipe in his direction. Chasing him out to his car, you just missed your chance to catch him when he slipped inside the driver’s side. Sighing and stalking around the vehicle, you slumped into your seat.
“Buckle up for safety!” he reminded as he turned the car on and you shot him an exasperated look. “Hey, everyone of any height needs to keep safe in a moving vehicle.”
“One day I’m going to get you so good and you’re going to regret every quip you’ve said to me.”
You managed to have him whining two days later before your shift, winning an arm wrestle against him twice. “It’s impossible!”
“Why, because your muscles are huge and mine aren’t? It’s called having a good strategy, you should look it up.”
Ducking his head as the other teammates in the break room laughed at his second defeat, Hoseok dived on the dispatch radio that went off on the table. “Let’s go, Y/N. I’ll show you just how good I am at my job instead.”
After attending a three-car pile up, thankfully all with minor injuries and only transferring one patient to the hospital for follow-up treatment, Hoseok glanced at you instead of pulling out of the ambulance bay.
You gave him a quizzical look. “What?”
“You did really well on that elderly woman’s treatment.”
“What are you talking about?” you muttered, picking up the tablet from its stand to log in more details of the event and close the report. “I just did my job, like you.”
“It seemed as if you got that leg injury stabilised before I was finished dressing the second car’s passenger though.”
“Did I?” You stopped tapping on the device’s keyboard and thought for a moment. “I guess I was efficient.”
“You’re a good partner to have in an emergency, Y/N.”
“What’s with all the praises, still upset about me winning earlier and trying to win me over now?”
“No,” he replied genuinely, and then frowned, trying to search for a reason for his compliment. When he started speaking, he hadn’t felt he needed one. But now, as he continued to look for an answer, he felt hot under his collar. Why were you affecting him today?
You looked at him and then smiled gently. “Thank you. I’ve learned from the best.”
“Me?”
“Chief Jung,” you corrected with a laugh and Hoseok groaned, leaping on another dispatched call and answering that they would take it.
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The unease Hoseok was feeling towards you was fleeting and within a week it was back to the same constant bickering and comfortable nature you shared. The rapport you had together only strengthened after being faced with a fatal incident as well. It was never easy to be carrying someone in the back on a gurney headed for the mortuary, and the sombre silence in the cab only amplified this after driving back to the base. Hoseok gripped at the steering wheel at a set of lights, knowing somewhere tonight, a family would be grieving over the person they couldn’t get to fast enough to save.
“It’s the worst feeling,” you murmured as he began to drive off. Hoseok glanced at you briefly, your eyes stuck on the road ahead. “Even if it’s part of the job and not my first time, I don’t like it.”
“I don’t think we’re meant to like it.”
“I know it’s selfish, but I never want to be on the other side of the situation. I’ve had to treat friends before and I know it’s my job to remain calm and collected in a stressful environment like that was. However, say it was you; I don’t think I would be able to.”
Hoseok reached over to pat your hand lightly. “Hey, don’t go thinking like that.”
“It could happen.”
“It could,” he agreed softly, images procuring in his mind with coming up on a scene and finding you within it. He shuddered and blinked it away rapidly. “But I know you’ll do your best for me. And likewise, I’d give my all to save you.”
“Ah, we’re so emotional,” you stated shakily, clapping your hands together. “Does everyone crack like this after losing someone?”
“I don’t know, but you’re not alone in this tonight.”
You grew silent again until you climbed out of the cab and grabbed your things. Turning to look at Hoseok, you smiled sadly. “Want to go get a drink?”
“I was going to suggest the same thing.”
Once showered, changed and now seated in a bar with a drink in hand, you seemed a bit more alert. Hoseok smiled as he pushed the bowl of hot chips he had purchased towards you. You eyed the move cautiously. “What?”
“You need more colour in your cheeks.”
“I’m not feeling faint,” you replied sternly, though took a chip and blew on it lightly before chewing it.
“I know, but eating is a vital step in recovery for us.”
“I’d rather drink.”
“It won’t go away with the alcohol,” he reminded and you nodded distractedly. He could tell you were definitely more subdued than usual tonight. Looking around the bar, he pointed across the room. “Want to play a round of pool?”
“You only suggested that since I suck at it.”
“There’s always room for improvement,” he offered and you picked up the bowl of chips and your drink, standing up and gesturing to a free pool table.
It wasn’t until your second game where you had loosened up enough, laughing loudly at sinking the wrong ball than the one you were originally aiming for.
“At least you got one in!”
“I’m so ridiculously useless at this game!” you replied with another laugh, picking up your drink and taking a gulp.
Hoseok sunk the final three balls and you clapped at his triumph. He picked up his jacket and nudged you playfully. “Let’s call it a night, huh?”
“Good idea before you get drunk and start singing out of tune like you did last time,” you quipped and Hoseok reached out for you as you scooted out of his way. Accidentally, he knocked the man at the neighbouring table in the process.
And then, you turned around and let out a string of explicit words. Hoseok was conflicted. On one hand, his heart was thumping erratically at your instant defence for him, but with the way they acted towards him, he wasn’t exactly able to put in his best bid to protect you with the shock still keeping him to his spot.
“Sorry mate, I didn’t-”
A sickening punch came right for him in response and Hoseok was disorientated. He wasn’t expecting it at all and wobbled as he regained his balance. You came into his view immediately, examining his cheek.
He was in a daze, wondering if it was all a dream as he watched you twist the man’s arm who had just punched him now behind his back and made him drop to his knees. Details seemed to remain hazy even when you were helping him into the back of a cab and giving over your address. It wasn’t until you made him sit down on the edge of your couch inside your home and placed a bag of ice over his cheek that he seemed to snap out of his reverie.
“Did you just do all that?” he wondered out loud and you grinned at him.
“What, save your ass from doing something stupid?”
“I think you were a little too reckless compared, don’t you?”
“There was no need to punch you, and he had to apologise for it.”
Hoseok mirrored your grin as you rearranged the bag you were holding against his cheek. And then it faded, sliding forward to kiss your lips.
It had to be the alcohol, he concluded as he passionately continued to kiss you. There would be no other explanation for the hunger that you were showering him in otherwise. You had never expressed a desire for him like this. Although he had confused moments, you were impartial to dating and even frowned upon it in the workplace. So the events of the night and the alcohol consumed could be the only explanation for this.
Not that he needed one right now. He was all too immersed in running his hands along your curves, gasping when you hastily undid the buttons of his shirt. He enjoyed your instant appreciation of his exposed torso, the licking of your bottom lip urging him forward to capture them again, to continue making you his.
And then the fever cast over you caused you to press into his injury, a sudden hiss leaving him and ruining the mood. He panicked. “No, I’m fine!”
“More than fine,” you breathed, tenderly running your hand over his chest. “But you’re injured, let’s stop here.”
“Really?” he asked with disappointment as you puckered up your swollen lips and nodded sadly. You patted him on the chest before getting up, although Hoseok reached for your hand to halt your departure. “Where are you going?”
“To get you some blankets to sleep with, unless you want to uh… share my bed?”
He nodded then, following you down the hallway to your room.
The alcohol couldn’t hide either of your awkwardness now that the heated moment was left back in the living room. You looked at the space and then cringed. “We can’t, you know.”
“I know. Let’s just sleep,” he assured and you nodded, climbing into the bed first before Hoseok followed you in. Tense for a moment, you then rolled towards him, Hoseok slipping his arm after your neck.
Exhaustion washed over you both, pulling you into your dreams before you could question it any further.
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When he woke in the morning, you were already up and making breakfast. Hoseok leaned against the doorframe and watched you move around the small kitchen, smiling to himself. He realised he could get used to this type of relationship with you. Those flustered moments and the unease he had felt thus far made more sense now that he had kissed you.
He was certain you could become better partners to each other on and off the clock.
His growing romantic notions were clipped short by your response over breakfast, however.
You smiled at him politely as you spread jam on your toast. “Your face looks a mess.”
“You did a good job of making me feel better.”
“It was a slip-up, it won’t happen again. Alcohol does strange things to people,” you replied and Hoseok’s expression faltered. You continued to eat your breakfast as if the heated embrace you had experienced wasn’t that special. Were you really that unaffected by it? Hoseok was sure you had felt what he had too.
Maybe you were only acting on impulse from the alcohol after all.
So he swallowed back the remnants of his feelings and chuckled. “Right, we had too much to drink.”
“Don’t go getting punched in any more bars,” you added on with a smirk.
And that was that. He had been lucid when it all happened, and he knew you weren’t even tipsy. Yet you both chalked it up as a drunken experience, working together as if you hadn’t had your hands all over his torso as his tongue wasn’t battling with yours all those weeks ago.
He had to admit, he was rather relieved when his planned time off rolled around. For two weeks, he wouldn’t have to endure through the unexpected moments where he’d catch himself thinking back to that night. Little things, such as you tying your hair back, were enough to give him a seconds’ flash of memory from that night.
Yet, you were unaffected, impartial even.
Or so he thought.
It was ironic how life worked in mysterious ways and if this was how he was going to get your attention, he wasn’t so sure he’d be willing to go through with it more than once. The impact of the other car hitting his was deafening, the screech of the wheels across the asphalt causing Hoseok to clamp his eyes shut momentarily.
He had attended far too many accidents but this was his first being involved in one.
When the noise all came to a halt, he opened his eyes again, assessing himself for injury. He had a few cuts on his arm from the glass shards on impact but nothing was substantially painful. Opening the door to his side of the car that thankfully hadn’t been the one to receive the impact, he went over to the driver in the other car, checking them for injuries as he called for emergency services.
Hoseok didn’t even notice it was you called onto the scene at first, too busy applying pressure to the thigh injury sustained on the other driver. However, he knew it was you who called his name out desperately, ignoring the other paramedic who was calling for you to calm down.
You dropped to your knees beside him, shaking visibly as you reached out for his face, looking him over as tears fell from your eyes. Hoseok smiled softly. “I’m okay, Y/N. We need to help Mr Laing here. He’s got three deep lacerations to his thigh and a suspected concussion.”
You merely stared back at him, still holding onto his face. “I told you not to do this to me.”
“Y/N,” he called, shaking you firmly. “Snap out of it, you need to help this man first.”
“I’ll do it,” Curtis announced and pushed you aside, stepping in to stabilise the patient. You seemed to snap out of your initial shock and assisted Curtis with getting the patient into the back of the ambulance. And then you came back to where Hoseok was now standing and took his arm with a tremble. “Come on, you’re getting checked out too.”
“I’m fine,” he told you but you ignored the response, guiding him into the extra seat in the ambulance. You seemed to have regained enough control over yourself to administer the correct care to the patient on the short trip to the hospital, and once you had handed him over to the awaiting medical team at the Emergency Department, you turned back to Hoseok, your knees starting to give way.
Lurching forward, he grabbed you before you fell. “Y/N, are you okay?”
“No, I’m in shock,” you told him simply, staring up at him intently. “How dare you get hurt and be there when I arrive on the scene.”
“I didn’t quite expect the guy to hit me in the intersection when he did.”
You shook your head and thumped him on the chest. “What are you doing getting involved in accidents anyway?!”
Hoseok shot Curtis a helpless expression, who gestured for you to stay with him as he closed the back door to the ambulance. Sighing, Hoseok walked slowly inside to the bed a nurse called him to and sat you down beside him. You didn’t let go of his injured arm, staring at the cuts over his forearm forlornly.
“Y/N,” he murmured and you hummed in response, tearing up. “Why are you being like this?”
“Am I meant to be fine about you getting injured?!”
“No, it’s just…” He paused to take in a breath. “I’m okay, it’s just a bit of soreness settling in from the impact and some cuts. I’m not dying yet you’re acting like I’m critical right now.”
“You mean too much to me to end up here like this,” you confessed shakily, blinking as a tear slid down your cheek. “You’re meant to help those who get hurt, not be the one hurt.”
“I know. You really are in shock, huh?”
“I like you too much for you to be hurt,” you continued and Hoseok nodded and then stopped, widening his gaze upon your face.
“Wait, like me too much?”
“Of course, I do!”
“As your partner?”
“As a man,” you corrected, wincing a little when you brushed your fingers too close to one of his wounds. “I know you didn’t think much of that night but I did.”
“Woah, hang on a minute!” Blinking rapidly, Hoseok then grabbed your chin with his uninjured arm to pull your focus up to his eyes. “You were the one who brushed it off for being intoxicated.”
“I didn’t want to put you in a bind by my feelings,” you mumbled and Hoseok laughed. You gaped at him. “Why are you laughing?!”
“Because we’re idiots! I’ve liked you a whole lot too, I just thought it was one-sided.”
“Definitely not.”
“So it really scared you to find me there, then.”
“If you ever get injured without me being there again,” you started, heaving in a deep breath as you shook your head with contempt. “Actually, you better not ever get hurt in front of me again.”
“You’re really protective, you know? You saved me in the bar and now you’re asserting yourself again for my safety. It’s really adorable.”
“I would hardly call this situation adorable, Hoseok.”
He grinned despite your lamenting statement, leaning over to peck your lips. You froze and Hoseok kissed you again before pulling you in closer to his side. He sucked in a breath when it hurt a little to do and you snapped out of it enough to look at him with worry.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course I am, I have paramedic Y/N at my side to help me.”
“What am I going to do with you?”
“I might need extra treatment after we’re done here getting this sorted out,” he admitted and you tilted your head to the side in confusion. Hoseok smirked. “With how much you like me, I might end up becoming lovesick.”
“God, you’re hopeless,” you told him despite a smile tugging at your lips. Nestling into his side, you buried your head into his neck and pressed your lips into him.
“Maybe you’ll need treatment too. But that’s okay, we’re medically trained professionals. I’ll save you and you can save me, deal?”
Looking up at him with another smile, you let out a breathy laugh. “Deal.”
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Next: Minhyuk
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